Taste With The Eyes

Ladurée

Kir Royale et Macarons

I am the proud owner of some absolutely darling watercolor paintings by very talented artist, Carol Gillott. You can visit her at Paris Breakfasts blog, she paints Paris dreams! A couple of my treasured original paintings are impressions of Ladurée, so of course on our trip to Paris last week, we had to stop in. Trouble is, however, this was not really a tea drinking crowd.

My brother Don and his best friend Jack

Tea?

Maybe next trip…

Imagine our delight that late Monday morning as we walked into Ladurée to find Le Bar! A toast to Kristy’s 40th birthday with Kir Royale!

Cell phones were ringing. “Meet us at Le Bar at Ladurée!” Within the hour all 8 members of our party were at Le Bar. The atmosphere is so very fabulous and fun, and the bartenders could not have been more engaging.

What vacations are all about! Dessert and Champagne to start the day. This is the famous Ispahan Verrine with flavors of raspberry, lychee, and rose.

Oh you must try the Chocolate Verrine too!

Of course we had to do a little shopping. Ladurée’s mascot looks a lot like my Wilson, don’t you think?

Wilson The One-Eyed Boston Terrier

(visit some of his adventures here)

Macaron Heaven

Le Petit Déjeuner

On the day of our departure Susan and I had a later flight, so we returned to Ladurée for breakfast. My omelette a la truffe noire…stuffed with shaved black truffles.

The most perfect rolls and jauntiest wrapped butter to accompany le omelette…

And dreamy coffee service…

Breakfast: simple and oh so sublime.

75 Avenue des Champs-Elysées

Paris

Let’s meet again at Ladurée!

Side note: I flew to Paris on Air France. My thoughts and prayers go out to the loved ones of those who flew on Flight 447. May those travelers Rest In Peace.

Green Curry Soup

Tofu, Chicken, and Peas

Basil and Scallion Garnish

1 1/2 c. coconut milk
1 1/2 c. chicken stock
2 T. green curry paste
1 c. diced chicken breast
1 c. cubed tofu
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 T. fish sauce
1 T. sugar
1 sliced green chile (Thai, serrano, or jalapeño)
2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced into slivers
basil and scallion for garnish

Heat coconut milk and chicken stock together. Stir in curry paste. Add chicken and kaffir lime leaves. When chicken is cooked, season with fish sauce and sugar. Taste, adjust seasoning to balance the sweet, spicy, sour, salty flavors. Add chile, tofu and frozen peas and heat through. Serve garnished with a chiffonade of basil and sliced scallion.

A vegetarian version made with vegetable stock, omitting the chicken, and substituting light soy sauce for fish sauce is also very tasty.

This little fellow is my Kaffir Lime Tree, planted last Fall. The wrinkled limes are way too sour to eat but the leaves and zest are perfect to season my Thai dishes. The green curry soup recipe is adapted from a basic recipe we learned in Thailand a few years ago at the fabulous Pattaya Thai Cooking School.

Kaffir Lime leaves are easily distinguished by their double-lobes and very fragrant aroma.

Voilà! A very flavorful and easy to make soup!

This Green Curry Soup with its tofu and green peas is my entry to My Legume Love Affair. It has been my pleasure to be your hostess for this month’s edition. The round-up will be posted on June 7th. Please do stop by to Taste With The Eyes the exciting legume dishes from around the world. Many thanks to Susan, The Well-Seasoned Cook for inviting me to do the honors. And be sure to visit Apu of Annarasa blog for more beans in June!

Dinner Party: A Tribute To Jackie O

A Tribute to Jackie

Jacqueline “Jackie” Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis

(July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994)

Remembering Jackie

15 Years Later

My foodie girlfriends and I enjoyed another themed dinner party. This theme: A tribute to Jackie Kennedy Onassis. I have been dreaming of hosting a stylish, elegant, graceful “Jackie” party for years, and coincidentally held this on the 15th anniversary of her passing. We wore pill box hats and pearls, toasted to her memory, and cooked recipes from various Kennedy-related cookbooks including:

In the Kennedy Style recipes by René Verdon
Cooking for Madam by Marta Sgubin
In the Kennedy Kitchen by Neil Connolly

Le Menu

Welcome Platter

French Cheeses (Saint André and Bucheron), Fruit Chutney,

Lucques Olives and Accompaniments

Appetizer

(Served on Vintage Glass China)

Barbecued Cajun Shrimp, Honey Dew Melon, Midori Sauce

Soup

Cauliflower with a Goat Cheese, Pepita, Red Pepper Garnish

Salad

Petite Caesar, Anchovy Rosette

Palate Cleanser

Rose Petal and Lemon Sorbet

Main

Mini Beef Wellington

Seared Filet of Beef, Slice of Truffle, Mushroom Duxelles, Foie Gras Pate

Baked in Pastry

Perigourdine Sauce

and

Mini Beet (vegetarian) Wellington

Roasted Beet, Slice of Truffle, Mushroom Duxelles, Gorgonzola

Baked in Pastry

Brie and Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Vegetable

Fancy Ratatouille

Side

Green Risotto (recipe here)

Dessert

Poached Pears in Pepper and Bay Scented Wine

Handmade Vintage-Style Pill Box Hats

I am so blessed to have such amazing creative friends. Everyone perused the cookbooks and chose a dish to prepare that inspired them. And this time, talented restaurateur (and seamstress) Gina Lee chose to sew the hats for everyone with vintage materials, true to style and form. Fabulous!

Wilson gets a mini pill box hat too!

Val’s Refreshingly Unique Appetizer

Great for summer dining al fresco!

Cajun Spiced Shrimp on a Rosemary Skewer

Honey Dew Melon

Barbecue and Midori Sauces

Try this Midori Sauce with Shrimp or Fruit!

Whisk together 1 c. sour cream, 2 T. heavy cream, 1/4 c. honey, 2 T. Midori (melon) liqueur.

from In the Kennedy Kitchen

Noramae’s Velvety and Complex Cauliflower Soup

Gail’s Elegant Caesar Salad

Anchovy Rosette

Lauren’s Palate Cleanser

Rose Petal and Lemon Sorbet

(rose petals, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and zest)

Served in rose petals on a lemon frozen cap

Basil leaf garnish

Pat’s Perfect Ratatouille

Lauren’s Beef and Beet Wellingtons

with Faux Pearl Design

French Champagne, Wines and Perrier

All the roses were from my garden.

Sally and Yvonne’s Gorgeous Poached Pears

Poached Pears

Port and Red Wines

Black Peppercorns

Lemon Peel

Vanilla Bean

Bay Leaves

Honey

Mint Garnish

Jackie Photos and Memorabilia

“The life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was her art, a finely wrought miniature that history enlarged and then tempered and finally veiled in privacy. As a Bouvier she inherited a tradition of elegance that became her way of life and her fortress in misfortune. She had a gift of grace, an innate sense of right proportion that shaped her values and her choices. Everything she did was done with style, a style that was shaped by her mind and her heart. She was civilized and civilizing; whatever she touched, she refined.” Hugh Sidey

We’ve Just Returned From Paris!

A few days after the Jackie dinner we left for Paris to celebrate my sister-in-law’s 40th birthday. Joyeux Anniversaire Kristy! We were walking to the Musée du Vin (Wine Museum) located in the former cellars of the 15th Century Passy Abbey, just up the street from Avenue du Président Kennedy. So of course I had to include this photo in my Tribute to Jackie post. And I cannot wait to share our heavenly “Parisian Gastronomic Experience” with you. Please come visit Taste With The Eyes again soon for a Taste of Paris!

Luncheon in the Library

Each May, Mrs. Parker recognizes all the parent volunteers for their time, energy, and dedication in helping maintain the library at Rolling Hills Country Day School by hosting a fabulous luncheon in their honor.

Library Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon

Mrs. Clifford works her usual amazing magic by setting out such a charming buffet on top of the lower bookshelves. The menu consisted of Mrs. Parker’s curried chicken salad, mixed baby greens with Parmesan, sunflower seeds and vinaigrette, rolls served in an adorable picket fence corral, the perennial favorite deviled eggs, cream puffs, chocolate eclairs, flower-shaped sugar cookies, fresh strawberries and lemonade.

The buffet was decorated like a precious garden with flowers and seed packets and books (of course).

Mrs. Parker has been the beloved librarian at Rolling Hills Country Day School since 1983. Her daughter, Leslie, started attending the school in 1982. A year later Mrs. Parker came on board and has been here ever since. And Leslie has gone on to graduate from Georgetown and receive her MBA from UCLA.

Mrs. Parker’s specialty: Curried Chicken Salad. She makes it exactly from the recipe found in Gourmet June 2002 issue. There is a synergy in this combination of ingredients. Everyone loves it, year after year. Chicken, curry, yogurt, lime, honey, ginger, red onion, mango, red grapes, cashews…intrigued? Go here for the complete recipe. You’ll be glad you did!

Library Before and After

I love before and after photos. In the summer of 2005 it was my pleasure to update the library at Rolling Hills Country Day School.

It is amazing what color can do to enhance a space. The remodel consisted of a new paint palette, new computers, bookshelves, lighting, carpet and rug, furniture, and other design elements. I worked with Mrs. Parker to make sure we met the needs of the students while preserving some of the historical features in the library. We retained the old card catalog (no longer in use) and installed special shelving for Mrs. Parker’s antique books.

Those big red leather chairs continue to be a magnet for the children. Sometimes we’ll find three of them sitting in one chair, reading one of the books that Mrs. Parker has painstakingly chosen for the library. It is an awesome space, warm and inviting, enhanced by Mrs. Parker’s enchanting personality and love of children and books.

Alas, there were no Legumes at the Library Luncheon, but don’t let that stop you from submitting your fabulous legume-centric dish to the global event taking place the entire month of May. My Legume Love Affair, go here for details!

And remember, as a special treat to one of the lucky participants in My Legume Love Affair, there is a GIVEAWAY. A book, how apropos! A World of Dumplings – Filled Dumplings, Pockets, and Little Pies from Around the Globe by Brian Yarvin.

Do join us, won’t you?

Gordita de Langosta y Mas!

Gordita de Langosta

Lobster with Soft Handmade Tortilla

Maine Lobster, Sweet Corn Polenta, Arugula

Chile & Cilantro Oils

My dear friend of three decades, Rob Fischer, has opened another restaurant! If you’ve been to Palo Alto, you probably have had the best burger and milkshake of your life at the The Creamery, a classic and delicious American diner. In February Rob opened Reposado, fine Mexican cooking in an awesome space on Hamilton Avenue where the the atmosphere is fabulous, fun, and energized. If you find yourself in Palo Alto, California, definitely visit REPOSADO RESTAURANT, say hello to Rob and tell him Lori Lynn sent you!

UPDATE: I just spoke with Rob. Mention Lori Lynn’s blog and he will be more than happy to serve you a complimentary appetizer with your meal! YAY! Oh, definitely take him up on this!

The Best-You’ve-Ever-Had Handmade Corn Tortillas

Cooked to Order on the Comal

Trio of Corn Dishes

Crema de Elote

Cream of Sweet Corn Soup

Fire Roasted Poblano Chile, Habanero Oil

Elote Asado

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Lime Butter, Crema, Cotija Cheese

and

Creamy Sweet Corn with Pasilla Chile Rajas

Huachinango Asado

Achiote & Citrus Marinated Red Snapper

Jicama Mango Pico de Gallo, Green Rice

Tamalitos

Two Handmade Tamales

Chicken Tamal & Salsa Verde

Mushroom Tamal & Guajillo Salsa

Refried Beans

Carne a la Parilla

Adobo Marinate Skirt Steak

Creamy Sweet Corn, Black Bean Quesadilla

What are you drinking?

Handcrafted Margaritas.

Premier Tequila Library.

Their motto: Eat. Drink. Relax.

Commissioned Paintings

By Fine Artist Miguel Cortez, a native of Guanajuato, Mexico

Flan de Coco

Raisin Apple Compote

Taquitos de Almendra

Almond Wafers with Papaya Crema Fresca, Tropical Fruit Salsa

Coconut Tapioca Foam, Mango Sorbet

I spy frijoles…Remember My Legume Love Affair! Por favor, join in the fun and contribute a tasty legume-centric dish to this global event for the month of May. Please visit THIS POST for details!