Flashback Friday: WILDFLOUR CAFE + BAKERY

On the rare occasions that I fly back home for a visit, I make sure to go to restaurants I haven't been.  It's so easy to go back to my favorites again and again but it's also fun to eat  at the new restaurants that have opened up in Manila recently.

Wildflour actually isn't new, they opened their first cafe and bakery in Bonifacio Global City in 2012.  It's new to me though since I had heard so much about it but had never been.    I finally got my chance when my cool designer friend TC took me there for lunch.  I was so pleasantly surprised and impressed that I went there twice more in the short week that I was home.

What's great about Wildflour is that aside from their massive selection of fresh-baked breads, pastries and cakes, they also have a full all-day dining menu serving breakfasts, soups, sandwiches, salads, pastas and a few main courses. (The menu might be different in each outlet, I have only bent the one in Legaspi Village) For lunch, I've had the moules frites and a chocolate tart.  The next time I went for breakfast and had the bagel and lox with a pot of filter coffee and another time, I stopped by for merienda (snack) of a sticky bun and a  latte.  I always think a place has made it when it becomes my go-to restaurant and Wildflour is just that - a cafe and bakery that is perfect for any time of the day.  You'll know what I mean when you go.

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Wildflour Cafe + Bakery

L.P. Leviste Street, Salcedo Village, Makati
Phone:+63 2 808 7072
Hours: Monday to Saturday 7AM–10PM

Frabelle Business Center 111 Rada St, Legaspi Village, Makati
Phone:+63 2 833 9799
Hours: Monday to Saturday 7AM–10PM, Sunday 8AM–4PM

Ortigas The Podium, 12 ADB Avenue Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Phone:+63 2 571 8588
Hours: Daily 7AM–10PM

Ground floor, Net Lima building, 26th St, Taguig (Bonifacio Global City)
Phone:+63 2 856 7600
Hours: Monday to Saturday 7AM–10PM, Sunday 8AM-4PM

Flashback Friday: LES DELICES

Can it already be August?  Here's a flashback Friday post from our Christmas holiday in Punta del Este.

Breakfasts usually involve coffee and the medialunas con dulce de leche (the local version of croissants, slightly sweet and served with a caramel spread) and Les Delices in the town center of Punta del Este (or Punta, as everyone calls it), has been the go to spot for years especially for Argentines on holiday looking for their medialuna fix.

We did the same and had breakfast there bright and early before heading to the beach.  We did the works - fresh orange juice, coffee, toast, scrambled eggs and a bunch of medialunas.  While we ever there, there was a steady stream of patrons buying their breakfast pastries and a few locals quietly enjoying their coffee.

Aside from their large selection of pastries and cakes, they also serve a full lunch and dinner menu and do a good business in takeaway boxes of assorted mini pastries and cookies for afternoon tea.

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Les Delices

29 Las Gaviotas, 20100 Punta del Este, Uruguay
Phone: +598 4244 3640

WATERCRESS CAFE

I'm playing catch up as I've abandoned my blog for months now since we moved to Singapore and have just had several hours straight to sit down at my desk to blog.  Although we went back to Bali in January of this year for a long weekend (haven't been since we left in March 2012), I am only posting this recent find now.  Watercress Cafe is a charming cafe on Batu Belig street, an up and coming area right by Seminyak in neighboring Kerobokan which is on the twisty rice field flanked road towards the surfing beaches of Canggu.

A brick-walled light-filled interior serving breakfast all-day with a lots of other yummy, healthy dishes especially for vegetarians or those looking for gluten-free items.  I was so impressed with Watercress that I went twice while we were in Bali - once for breakfast and another time for a late lunch (recently, they have also started serving dinner).  Their bread is from Bali's French bakery Monsieur Spoon and coffee specialist Revolver Espresso.  Drinks are made up of fresh fruit smoothies, lassis and juices and a selection of iced teas.  The menu is simple but with so many good things, it's hard to make up one's mind with what to order.  Some menu items can also be ordered in half-size portions which is convenient and unusual for Bali.

For breakfast, I had the Two Crispy Sweet Corn Fritters - two poached eggs over corn fritters and a chunky avocado and tomato salsa.  I ordered it as part of the breakfast set which comes with a bowl of fresh tropical fruit topped with crushed peanuts and grated coconut and a creamy cappuccino.

At lunchtime, there are loads of salads, a few burgers (Mahi-Mahi, crispy Tempeh or chicken sate) and several open sandwiches served either on sourdough or gluten-free bread. I had the Bruschetta topped with vine-ripened tomatoes, Feta and arugula followed by a Roasted Pumpkin Salad -  a large bowl of caramelized pumpkin, watercress, arugula with a basil pesto dressing.  Watercress Malam (the dinner menu) is more substantial with small plates as starters, salads and grilled items with assorted side dishes.

It's been a long time since I've loved a restaurant from start to finish.  Watercress Cafe is going straight on my favorites list. If you're going to Bali, you should add it to yours too.

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Watercress Cafe

Jalan Batu Belig 21A

Kerobokan, Bali

tel: +62 361 780 8030

LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN

Our last trip in 2013 before our move to Singapore was to Buenos Aires to visit family.  It was the tail end of winter in the Southern hemisphere and although the sun was shining on most days, it was still chilly so we lucked out on a nearby cafe which was two blocks away from where we were staying.  Le Pain Quotidien has been a favorite for years.  I remember spending so much time there in the late 90's when my stepsister was living in New York.  The Madison avenue branch was our local cafe and we whiled away hours with our bowls of cafe au lait reliving our Paris days.  Since then, Le Pain Quotidien has become a global brand recreating their bleached wood interiors with the standard communal table and their selection of amazing bread all over the world. 

We were pleasantly surprised with the Buenos Aires outpost - same bleached wood interiors, a large oval communal table, the usual open-faced tartines (sandwiches), the big bowls (not cups) of milky coffee, the daily blackboard menu and the same friendly service.  We had breakfast there almost every day and since it was located in the mostly residential neighborhood of Palermo chico, it was superb for people watching and hanging out.  As they say, plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

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Le Pain Quotidien

Jerónimo Salguero 3075
Buenos Aires, Capital Federal, Argentina
+54 11 2073-1866

*Open all-day daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

*Other branches in Palermo Viejo and Belgrano

BREAKFAST AT MI CASA

It's been ages I know and although we moved to Singapore and left Dorado in mid-September, I still need to post about the wonderful breakfast at Mi Casa by Jose Andres at the Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve.  Breakfast is one of my favorite ways to enjoy what a restaurant has to offer.  I figure that if they can't get breakfast right, then why would I even go for dinner.  One of the best ways to enjoy the mooring in Dorado is to sit outside on the terrace of Mi Casa, watch the waves crash to shore and have the first meal of the day al fresco.

 

As the restaurant specializes in Spanish influenced Caribbean cuisine, there are modern touches on Caribbean classics like homemade guava jelly, a banana and rum muffin, passion fruit or pineapple flavored yoghurt and even Jose Andres' arroz a la Cubana - fried rice served with crispy pork belly, plantains and a crispy battered poached egg.  You can also have classic croissants and pains au chocolat, the Spanish breakfast classic pan con tomato y jam on Iberico, waffles, pancakes and a frothy concoction that is the specialty Eggs Benedict.  Whatever you do, don't expect something new and done with a twist because that's what breakfast a la Jose Andres is going to be like and as you sip that Puerto Rican coffee and listen to the waves, remember that you are in Puerto Rico.

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Mi Casa by Jose Andres
at the Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve
100 Dorado Beach Drive
Dorado PR 00646
Telephone: +1 787 278 7217
*Open daily for breakfast and dinner. Reservations recommended.

LA CEIBA

On our way to dinner a few weeks back we passed by a large well-lit cafe on the bustling avenue Roosevelt which we added to our list of new places to try out.  Last Sunday, after brunch at another new discovery in Condado (more on that later), we headed over to Puerto Nuevo to see what they had to offer.

La Ceiba is a large delicatessen and pastry shop specializing in Spanish treats from jamon and chorizo to churros and turron.  A large chiller counter lines one whole wall and is filled with goodies - cakes, pastries, sweets and bread while a small area off to the side has prepared food - boquerones en vinagre (white anchovies marinated in vinegar), seafood paella, chorizos stewed in red wine and lots of other goodies.  There are also sandwiches made with jamon serrano and other Spanish cold cuts.

The cafe itself is more a self-serve cafeteria with simple formica topped tables and wooden chairs where  one can have breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack as the place is open all day from early in the morning to late in the evening.  It was bustling for a Sunday afternoon with locals lingering over lunch or just having a beer, some ham and watching Spanish football on the large-screen tv's.

We succumbed to a few sweets to go - mallorca, churros, quesitos (a caramelized puff-pasty case stuffed with white cheese) as well as a few salty treats - a togo box of crispy roasted pig crackling and a small portion of seafood paella.  La Ceiba is perfect for a simple Spanish meal or a coffee and a pastry with a bit of local flavor thrown in.

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La Ceiba

1239 Ave. Franklin D. Roosevelt

Puerto Nuevo 00920

Puerto Rico

Telephone: +1 787 782 0419

*Open all-day everyday from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

URBAN MARKET (Mercado Urbano)

On the first Sunday of every month (next one is on December 2), a lively market is held in Condado's Ventana al Mar which is the large plaza on Avenida Ashford right in front of the sea.  Housed in a large tent, there are numerous stalls selling everything from plants (orchid, lavender and fresh herbs) to artisan bread from artepan, from farm fresh fruits and vegetables to straw hats perfect for the blinding Caribbean sun.  There are also several food stalls with lechon asado (roast pig), bacalaitos (fried cod fritters) and even tropical flavored ice cream.  It's a fun day out and a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon wandering through the stalls and stopping by for a snack or a bit of shopping.

Mercado Urbano

First Sunday of every month from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Ventana Al Mar on Avenida Ashford

Condado

Puerto Rico

Day trip: OLD SAN JUAN & CAFETERIA MALLORCA

Mid-week during my sister and aunt's visit to Puerto Rico, we decided to do a walking tour of San Juan with Castillo Tours.  Our driver and guide, Hector, picked us up at home and drove us on the scenic beach road and we arrived in Old San Juan half an hour later.  First stop was the Capitol building.  Constructed from 1925 to 1929, this all-white marble Neo-classical structure houses the Puerto Rican legislature and is the first historical building we see upon driving into old San Juan.  The interior dome is decorated in fine mosaic of historical events in Puerto Rico.  There is a also plaza across the street right by the water with all the escudos (shield/badges), also in mosaic, of all the towns of Puerto Rico.

Next stop was the imposing Castillo San Cristobal where we climbed up then went down into the dark and claustrophobia-inducing dungeons then up again into the main interior square and then towards the view deck where we had a bird's-eye view of old San Juan.  From there, we walked some more and visited the other main fort  Castillo San Felipe del Morro, otherwise known as El Morro where the beautifully-preserved grey lighthouse is and a large area which gave us a fantastic view of the sea.

From there. we walked through the blue-cobble-stoned streets, pavers that were brought over by the Spanish and used to line the tiny streets of Old San Juan.  We stopped and sat under the shade of a plaza where the Museo Pablo Casals was located then continued our walk towards the water and outside the main gate into old San Juan where there is a tree-lined walkway adjacent to the sea.  By then, the heat was unbearable and as we forgot to bring our straw hats (a must when exploring the Caribbean), we stopped one more time in the shade and had a limber, a local frozen treat similar to a Popsicle, usually flavored with coconut, pineapple or lemon and a refreshing treat on a sweltering Puerto Rican day.  We then walked towards the cathedral and had a quick look at the historical Hotel El Convento then explored a bit of Calle Fortaleza, one of old San Juan's main streets with lots of little restaurants and shops with Barrachina, a must-stop for it's shady courtyard and especially to sample a complimentary glass of Piña Colada in the place where it was invented in 1963.  

It was almost 2:00 p.m. when we decided to head back home but before we did, we made one last stop for a takeaway lunch of a Puerto Rican treat, a mallorca con jamon y queso from the famous Cafeteria Mallorca.  Now that both La Mallorquina and La Bombonera have closed down, Cafeteria Mallorca  is the only place in old San Juan to have the classic mallorca, a sweet brioche type bread from Spain, plain with butter or toasted with ham and cheese along with a cup of milky coffee.  If you have time, sit at the retro diner counter, be served by the bow-tied old-timers and watch the locals for a taste of old San Juan.

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El Capitolio de Puerto Rico

208 Calle O'Donell

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

+1 787 724 2281

Castillo San Cristobal and Castillo San Felipe del Morro

*Open daily from 9:00 to 6:00 p.m. except on Thanksgiving day, Christmas day and New Year's day

Barrachina

104 Calle Fortaleza

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

Telephone: +1 787 725 7912

*Open daily for lunch, dinner and drinks from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. , On Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Cafeteria Mallorca

300 Calle San Francisco

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

+1 787 724 4607

CHELSEA MARKET

On my last day in New York, I met up with good friend, Brooklyn native and fellow foodie C, who said I couldn't leave the cit without stopping by Chelsea Market - which houses an enclosed food court with specialized food purveyors including a large Anthroplogie boutique, a Posman Books 

and a Bowery Kitchens, restaurant supply store where I finally found a large metal cake stand which I had long-admired in the Dean & DeLuca stores.  Also in the same building are the offices and production facilities of the Food Network which makes for a captive clientele of foodies who often lunch at the market.

We met right after noon and walked around the place scoping out the area and doing a tour of what was available before deciding on lunch from the specialty butcher Dicksons Farmstand  where the daily blackboard menu listed pulled pork, banh-mi, roast chicken and hot dogs.  C had the pulled pork sandwich and treated me to a banh-mi (a Vietnamese sandwich usually made with roasted pork belly) with caramelized ground pork stuffed in a soft baguette and topped with pickled cucumbers and carrots and lots of fresh cilantro along with a fizzy organic lemonade.  We managed to snag one of the few tables where we devoured our sandwiches before heading off in search of dessert.  

We finally ended up at Bar Suzette where we lined up for a takeaway lemon, butter and sugar crepe made with the pedigree ingredients of Ronnybrook Dairy Farm butter, fresh lemon juice and natural granulated sugar.  Wrapped up in a paper cone, we then exited onto to 16th street and climbed up to The High Line where we enjoyed our dessert while taking a stroll in one of the prettiest parks created out of an abandoned railway.  We grabbed a post-lunch coffee at the Blue Bottle stand where I had an espresso while C chose an iced coffee then we walked further on until we found a spot in the shade of The Standard Hotel and listened to a classical quartet while enjoying the summer breeze, the Hudson river views and several years of catching up. 

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Chelsea Market

75 Ninth Avenue (between 15th and 16th streets)

New York NY 10011

Telephone: +1 888 727 7887

*Open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The High Line

Telephone: +1 212 206 9922

*Open daily from 7 a.m to 10 p.m. 

Access from the following locations:

• Gansevoort Street
• 14th Street (elevator access)
• West 16th Street (elevator access)
• West 18th Street
• West 20th Street
• 23rd Street (elevator access)
• West 26th Street
• West 28th Street
• West 30th Street (elevator access)

FERRY BUILDING MARKETPLACE

San Francisco, one of my favorite cities which I haven't been to since 2003 has changed a lot but still remains the same.  The laid-back vibe is still there along with the love for all things organic, local and  seasonal.  No visit would have been complete without a stop at the Ferry Building Marketplace.  And if you're luck enough to be there on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday, you'll get a chance to experience the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market and see the local producers in action.

We arrived in San Francisco on a Thursday morning and after checking in to our hotel, we walked the ten or more blocks down Market street towards the Ferry Plaza.  Originally constructed in 1898, it was rebuilt in 1991 and opened as a historical building housing the best produce and specialty food purveyors like Cowgirl Creamery, Frog Hollow Farm, Acme Bread Company, Blue Bottle Coffee to name a few and restaurants like Slanted Door, Gott's Roadside and the Market Bar.

Lunch at the Ferry Building on Market day can be a simple sandwich from Acme, a hunk of cheese from Cowgirl or if you're willing to queue up, a delicious porchetta sandwich from Roli Roti or from one of the many food trucks parked outside three times a week.  As we were with the kids, we decided to sit at one of the outdoor picnic tables at Gott's Roadside (formerly Taylor's Refresher) and order some burgers and garlic fries while we waited for the rest of our lunch from the food trucks.  It was a beautiful sunny autumn day, typical California weather, and perfect for our impromptu al fresco lunch.  After lunch, we queued up some more for a much-needed cappuccino at Blue Bottle Coffee.  The line was so long that by the time I got to the front, I needed not just a cappuccino but also an espresso which I had one after the other.  And yes, it was well worth the wait.

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Ferry Building Marketplace

One Ferry Plaza

San Francisco 94111 CA
Telephone: + 1 415 983 8030
*Open daily from about 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Check for different opening hours on weekends)
*Farmer's Market and food trucks every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until the food runs out and on Saturdays from 8 a.m to 2 p.m.

L'ATELIER DE JOEL ROBUCHON

The last few days before we were meant to return to Marbella, I went to dinner with my sister and her husband to one of our favorite restaurants in Las Vegas - L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon.  It's always a pleasure to go back to L'Atelier because it's concept of haute cuisine tapas eaten at the bar is so non-stuffy that it makes the meal more relaxed.  Last year we had dinner at the luxurious adjacent restaurant - Joël Robuchon where executive chef Claude Le Toic spoiled us with so many extra treats that we still remember that evening. 

We arrived to a half-full restaurant slightly late for our 8:00 p.m. booking and were lead to the bar, right smack in the middle where we could see all the action in the open kitchen.  That evening, chef Claude was at L'Atelier so we were able to say hello.  We were given our menus and after a careful discussion of who would order what so we could taste each other's food, we decided against the two multi-course prix-fixe menus and decided to go a la carte, choosing three dishes each from the small plates selection.   We also ordered three different red wines by the glass to accompany our meal - I chose a pinot noir from Oregon, my sister had a classic pinot noir from Burgundy and C had a shiraz.

A basket of homemade bread (at least four kinds) was left on the counter and when we asked for some of the fantastic bacon bread from next door, we were given that too.  Our wines were served along with the amuse bouche - a lukewarm parmesan foam which was delicious and a perfect teaser for the goodies to come.  While we waited for our first plates to arrive, the chef sent over a plate of jamon Iberico with some pan con tomate (tomato-topped toasted bread) which we thoroughly enjoyed.   Next came our three "appetizers" - les huitres (oysters) for me, la langoustine (one of Robuchon's signature dishes) for my sister and la saint-jacques (scallop) for C.  The five tiny oysters in their shell were served on a black plate with a sliver of lemon juice - each bite of the beurre d'Echire-poached (unsalted Echire butter) oyster was divine, the saltiness of the oyster juice perfectly complimented by the creamy melted butter.   The langoustine (Dublin-bay prawn) was crispy like tempura but wrapped in filo-pastry with a basil leaf - again, a delightful mouthful of crunchy prawn.  The scallop was a large one served on the shell and also poached in butter flavored with seaweed - sweet and salty all over again.  All three first plates were delicious.

Our next three plates were: le merou (grouper) for me, le homard (Maine lobster) for my sister and le ris de veau (sweetbreads) for C.  My merou came with an artichoke barigoule - a Provencal way of cooking artichokes with tomatoes and onions in a vegetable broth and was light and flaky but lightly flavored by the tasty thyme-infused broth.  R's lobster was poached in a spicy broth with a hint of lime that tasted like a very sophisticated lobster-version of a tom yum soup.  C's sweetbreads was actually one large piece seared in a pan and flavored with fresh laurel leaves - crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  We were thoroughly enjoying our dinner and were all looking forward to our third plates which came soon after: steak tartare for me (I asked nicely if they could give me a half-portion since this was listed as a main course rather than a small plate and they very kindly obliged), le jarret de veau (veal cheeks) for R and the sole for C.  Again, all three were stunning - the sole served with ginger and leeks giving a very Asian-style twist to this classic fish, the veal cheeks were stuffed into ravioli and came with thinly-sliced fried artichokes and my mini-steak tartare, perfectly seasoned and spicy which came with a small salad and some crispy fries.

As we were debating on what to have next, the chef came over and offered us a selection of cheeses - six slivers of fromage de brebis (sheep's cheese), fromage de chevre (herb-covered goat's cheese and a crottin de chavignol), some Reblochon and Livarot, a triple creme explorateur plus another I can't remember.  Another basket of bread was served, this time with slices of walnut and raisin bread to accompany our cheese platter.  I love cheese so this was a perfect end to my meal but as we were on a roll, we decided to split two desserts between us - le citron and le chocolat which was more than enough but again, the chef very nicely sent out another dessert: les tartes, five tiny slices of tarts - raspberry, chocolate, apple, a frosted flake-topped one and a very thin custard Swiss tart.  Needless to say, we managed to polish them off as well.  Espressos which came with a tiny logo-topped chocolate truffle to end our gastronomic evening.  L'Atelier never disappoints (I've been to the one in Paris a few times and the one in Vegas twice) - the concept is fun but the wonderful flavors are consistent and although classic in nature, they always have a twist.  L'Atelier is definitely going on my best meal list for 2010.

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L'Atelier de JoËl Robuchon

at the MGM Las Vegas

Telephone: +1 702 891 7358

Reservations recommended

Open daily for dinner from 5:00 p.m.

Tasting menus start at $75.

PAN Y MERMELADA

Sometimes I dread trying out a new place because I haven't heard anything about it or no one has recommended it.  Open since 2008, I've driven by Pan y Mermelada countless times when it was still a tiny cafe that had a nondescript storefront.  I would tell myself to stop by but always ended up putting it off for another time.  Late last year they moved to bigger premises right next door and now have a proper eating area where breakfast, lunch and dinner is served and a larger sign thats' hard to miss.  We finally made the effort to drive there last weekend for a late breakfast and I'm so pleased we did.

Pan y Mermelada's bright orange interiors is welcoming and the assorted dark wood tables and chairs makes the place feel like a proper cafe.  There is a cake display counter right by the entrance and a shelf for freshly-baked bread right behind it.  First thing I noticed was that they serve illy coffee - a very good sign.

We asked for the breakfast menu and were told of the selection of fresh bread (brown, white and even squash) served either with butter and jam (hence the name pan y mermelada) or with olive oil and crushed tomatoes - Andalusian style.  They also mentioned that they had eggs to order that weren't listed on the menu.  Since we were starving and ready for a big breakfast, we ordered two sweet croissants (not French-style but Argentine-style with a sugar glaze on top), two double espressos, fried eggs with bacon and squash bread  (this was delicious!!!!) and pan con tomate (toasted brown bread with crushed tomatoes and olive oil).  The server was a bit surprise at how much we ordered but we told her that we were ready for a big breakfast and we didn't disappoint her as we finished everything on our plates and still had space for another espresso.  This little cafe/restaurant is definitely going on my list of breakfast favorites.  Now, I just need to get back there to have lunch or dinner and see if it's as good as the breakfast.

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Pan y Mermelada

Carretera de Cadiz Km 179

Urb. Marbella Real, Local 14

29600 Marbella

Tel: +34 952 829 308

email: rafaelpanymermelada@yahoo.es

Paris Cafes etc.

No visit of mine to Paris would be complete without a stop at my favorite cafe for people-watching, Cafe de Flore.  I spent an hour or so one afternoon at one of the sidewalk tables, having a Café Liégeois and watching the world go by.  So many memories of drinks and coffees, late nights and early mornings at the Flore.  Once when a friend was visiting Paris on the spur of the moment, she couldn't reach me at home (this was pre-mobile phone days) and she took a chance and called the Flore on a Saturday afternoon.  I suddenly heard my name on the speaker and was asked to take a call on the second floor in the antique phone booth.  I was so glad she was able to find me and we ended up spending the weekend together.

We also had our daily breakfasts - tartine, croissant and cafe creme at a neighborhood cafe close to our hotel - Le Nemrod.  It's on a corner of a residential area of the 6th where lots of locals walk by greeting each other and doing the French kiss-kiss.  On one morning we saw no fewer than half a dozen moms rushing with their toddlers in Maclaren strollers to the garderie (daycare) then coming back with empty strollers to meet up with other moms at Le Nemrod for a coffee, a cigarette and a chat.  On another morning, there were several solo Americans with the Herald Tribune for company and the cafe's owners sitting around discussing menu changes and new fonts.  It's a nice little place to have a snack and see a bit of the vie de quartier (local life).

On our last morning, we walked further up the road towards the Poilâne bakery and to a little cafe that's easy to miss which is two doors before the bakery.  Cuisine de Bar is a French-style sandwich place where the specialty are tartines (open-faced sandwiches) made with bread from next-door Poilâne.  Open from early morning where simple breakfasts are served to lunch where delicious combinations are created to top the slices of sourdough bread.  The complete breakfasts comes with a giant bowl, not a cup or a mug, of cafe au lait, a basket of bread, a slab of butter and two types of jam - on that day, we had raspberry  and sweet orange marmalade.  Coffees are served with a very cute and edible butter cookie teaspoon also from next door.

There's a cafe in almost every street corner in Paris but unfortunately, lots of them have undergone a modern refurbishment that has taken away the rustic feeling and charming atmosphere of the tiled floors, cane-chairs and small iron-legged tables.  Let's hope that not all the cafes go the way of the futuristic, velvet, faux-Costes look to keep the ambiance of the real French cafe alive.

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The three listed below are all in the 6th arrondissement:

Cafe de Flore

172, bd. St. Germain

Tel: +33 01 45 48 55 26

Le Nemrod

51, rue Cherche-Midi

Tel: +33 01 45 48 17 05 

Cuisine du Bar

 8, rue Cherche-Midi

Tel: +33 01 45 48 45 69

Easter Lunch

When I was growing up, the end of Lent was a big deal at home.  My grandfather preferred Easter to Christmas and each year, we would have a big lunch to celebrate the occasion.  Usually, it was lechon  (roasted pig) cooked whole in a large brick walled oven alongside trays of pan de sal (traditional Philippine bread rolls).

In Europe, Easter is usually celebrated with a spring lamb roast.  As we don't have an oven large enough to do a proper roast pig,  we had lamb instead.  Since the day was bright and sunny, it would have been a waste to roast the meat when we could already fire up the grill and cook outside.  So, the meal somehow became grilled lamb chops with caramelized fennel and freshly-baked flat bread - lots of improvisations but it all worked out somehow.  It was simple and delicious although next year, I might attempt to recreate my childhood Easter lunch with a cochinillo (suckling pig) that would surely fit in my oven.

Banana Bread

We've almost finished our organic fruit and vegetable box except for some apples and a few bananas that were starting to get overripe and mushy so I decided to make them into banana bread so we could still have the bananas for breakfast the next couple of days. This time, I used my dog-eared cookbook - Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess. It's the perfect recipe for a novice baker since there is no way you can get it wrong and it makes your kitchen smell really good too. I changed the recipe a bit and omitted the rum, raisins and nuts that she uses and made a plain banana bread. I had a slice for breakfast with my morning illy cappuccino and it was worth it.

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Banana Bread

• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 4 small, very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, buttered and floured or with a paper insert
  


• Preheat the oven to 325F (170C).
• Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and combine well. In a large bowl, mix the melted butter and sugar and beat until blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the mashed bananas. Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Add the flour mixture, a third at a time, stirring well after each bit. Scrape into a loaf pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When it's ready, an inserted toothpick should come out cleanish. Leave in the pan on a rack to cool and eat thickly sliced.
• Makes 8-10 slices.

Sandwich bread

Baking bread is relaxing so now that the weather has started to cool down a slight bit from 34C to 28C, I decided that I would be able to stand a few hours of kneading in a hot kitchen especially since I accidentally found some bread flour (pretty hard to come by here) and bought three 1.5 kilo bags for our pantry. So, which bread recipe to attempt first - challah (too complicated), sourdough (48 hours just to prepare the yeast), biscuits (I would have to do fried chicken as well)......so, I ended up making a plain loaf of sandwich bread in the food processor - how easy is that? It took about 4 hours from start to finish and the result was pretty good. We've been having thick slices for breakfast with apricot and raspberry jam.

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Sandwich bread

(from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything)

• 3 1/2 cups (about 1 lb.) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed (*I used bread flour)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
• 1 Tbsp. sugar or honey, or more to taste
• 2 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature if you're working by hand, plus more for greasing the pan
• Scant 1 1/3 cups cool milk, preferably whole or 2 percent (warm the milk to at least 70F if you are working by hand)


• Place the flour in the container of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the salt and yeast and process for 5 seconds. With the machine still running, add the sweetener, softened butter, and most of the milk through the feed tube (you will need a little less milk if you are using a liquid sweetener). Process about 30 seconds, then remove the cover. The dough should be in a well-defined, barely sticky, easy-to-handle ball. If it is too dry, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time and process for 5 or 10 seconds after each addition. If it is too wet, which is unlikely, add a tablespoon or two of flour and process briefly. Knead for a minute or so by hand.


• Use half the oil or melted butter to grease a large bowl. Shape the dough into a ball, place it in the bowl and cover with a plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise for at least 2 hours, until nearly doubled in bulk. Deflate the ball and shape it once again into a ball, let rest on a lightly floured surface for about 15 minutes, covered.


• Using only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface, flatten it into a rectangle, then shape it into a loaf. Use the remaining oil or butter to grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. lace the loaf in the pan, flattening with the back of your hand. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until the top of the dough is nearly level with the top of the pan.


• Preheat the oven to 350F. Brush the top of the loaf lightly with water, then place in the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it (it will fall easily from the loaf pan) or the internal temperature reads about 200F. Remove loaf from pan and cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Scones for tea

It's just too hot to go outside and I've run out of books to read. My Amazon order doesn't arrive until next week so in the meantime, I've been skimming through cookbooks again, trying to find new recipes I haven't tried or just get inspiration for dinner. Today, I decided to do some scones from the Short Order section of Donna Hay's Modern Classics Book 2. The recipe only had 4 ingredients, all of which I had - flour, baking powder, sugar and single cream. It took 10 minutes to make and 15 minutes to bake so in about half an hour I had a cup of Earl Grey and some scones with strawberry jam and cream for tea.

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Short Order Scones

• Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).
• Whisk 2 1/2 cups of single cream until soft peaks form.
• Sift over 3 cups plain all-purpose flour and 3 Tbsp. baking powder. Add 2 Tbsp. caster (superfine) sugar and stir to combine.
• Turn onto a lightly floured surface and press out the dough until 3 cm. (1 inch) thick.
• Cut into 4 cm. (1 1/2 inch) rounds, place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper and brush the tops with a little milk.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until scones are puffed and golden.
• Serve warm with jam (jelly) and cream.

Brioche

What better way is there to start the year than fill the house with the lovely smell of fresh-baked bread - brioche, in this case. I haven't made a brioche since my Intermediate pastry course in Le Cordon Bleu Paris about 15 years ago so this was like starting over. The recipe was simple and all the ingredients were in our pantry plus our son loves brioche for breakfast. Here's to another year of gourmet restaurants, travels and recipes.







Brioche
(from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything)
Makes 2 loaves

• 4 cups (about 18 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick or 125 grams) cold butter, cut into chunks, plus softened butter as needed for greasing the bowl, plus some for greasing the loaf pans
• 3 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup milk, plus 2 tablespoons
• 1/3 cup water, plus more (if necessary)

• Combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in the container of the food processor fitted with the dough blade and process for 5 seconds. Add the cold butter and the whole eggs and process for 10 seconds. With the machine running, pour (don't drizzle) the 1/2 cup milk and 1/3 cup water through the feed tube. Process about 30 seconds, then remove the cover. The dough should be very sticky, almost like batter. If it is too dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time and process for 5 or 10 seconds after each addition, If it is too wet, which is almost impossible, add another tablespoon of flour and process briefly.
• Grease a large bowl with softened butter and scrape the dough into it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until at least doubled in bulk, 2 to 3 hours. Deflate the dough and, using just enough flour to enable you to handle it, shape it into 2 loaves. Place each loaf in a buttered 8 X 4 inch or 9 X 5 inch loaf pan. Or shape the dough into rolls. Cover and let rise for about an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400F (about 205C). Mix the reserved egg yolk with the remaining 2 tablespoons milk and brush the top of the loaves with this mixture. Bake the brioche for about 30 minutes, or until nicely browned. When done, the bottom will sound hollow when you tap it (it will fall easily from the loaf pan) and the interior temperature will be at least 190F (87C).

* In the recipe, it states at least 3 hours, largely unattended but it took 4 hours to prove then another 30 minutes to bake so set aside the whole morning or afternoon to do this recipe.

Pizza Night

One of my son's favorites is pizza so we try and have a pizza night once a month and he helps out with rolling the dough and making his own dinner. I use a recipe from Patricia Wells Trattoria which is easy and foolproof. We each make our own using tomato sauce (usually bottled passata), mozzarella di bufala and basil. If there are some anchovies and capers then we add those too.

Basic Pizza Dough (from Patricia Wells Trattoria)

• 1 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 1/3 cups (330 ml) lukewarm water
• 2 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. fine sea salt
• 3 3/4 cups (1 pound or 500 gr.) bread flour

• In a large bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and water and stir to blend. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oil and salt.
• Add the flour, a little at a time, stirring until most of the flour has been absorbed and the dough forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until soft and satiny but still firm, 4 to 5 minutes, adding additional flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.
• Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator. Let the dough rise in the refrigerator until doubled or tripled in bulk, 8 to 12 hours. (The dough can be kept for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Simply punch down the dough as it doubles and triples.)
• At least 40 minutes before placing the assembled pizzas in the oven, preheat the oven to 500⁰F (260⁰C, gas mark 9). If using a baking stone, preheat it.
• Punch down the prepared dough and divide it evenly into 4 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. On a lightly floured surface roll each ball of dough into am 8-inch (20 cm) round.
• Sprinkle a wooden pizza peel (or baking sheet) with coarse cornmeal and place the rounds of dough on the peel or sheet. Working quickly to keep the dough from sticking, assemble pizzas.
• We brush on tomato sauce, top with sliced mozzarella di bufala and a few basil leaves for a Pizza Margherita. For a Pizza Marinara, we add capers, halved and pitted black olives and minced anchovies. Sometimes, we just brush olive oil and sprinkle coarse sea salt and rosemary for a Pizza Bianca.
• Slide the pizzas off the peel and onto the baking stone (or place the baking sheet on a rack in the oven). Bake until the dough is crisp and golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, and cut into wedges. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 8-inch (20 cm) pizzas