Rachel Khoo - The Little Paris Kitchen: 120 Simple But Classic French Recipes

120 Simple but Classic French Recipes

Rachel Khoo

With photographs by David Loftus
and illustrations by Rachel Khoo

First published in the United States of America in 2012 by Chronicle Books LLC.

First published in the United Kingdom in 2012 by Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Books.

Text and illustrations copyright 2012 by Rachel Khoo.

Photographs copyright 2012 by David Loftus.

Prop styling by Elodie Rambaud

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.
ISBN 978-1-4521-2563-3

Chronicle Books LLC

680 Second Street

San Francisco, California 94107

www.chroniclebooks.com

Five years ago, I made the decision to pursue my sweet dream of studying ptisserie at Le Cordon Bleu. So I packed my belongings and waved goodbye to London. A short train journey across the Channel and it was Bonjour, Paris.

And so my edible Parisian adventure began. The bakeries would entice me with their perfume of freshly baked baguettes and croissants. The cheesemonger would lure me with his perfectly ripe, oozing Brie displayed in the window, conveniently located next to a little wine shop. Its owner, who I nicknamed the wine fascist, would interrogate me with a thousand questions in order to find the perfect wine match for my dinners.

The outdoor produce markets overflowed with the seasons bounty, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and the market traders would shout Mademoiselle, gotez le melon. Cest dlicieux! (Miss, taste the melon. Its delicious!) It was a world away from the markets in London and the traders cockney cries of Pound of bananas, a pound! I soaked up the French ambience in the little cafs and bistros, with the locals sipping their glasses of wine, and watched the world go by.

But discovering la vie parisienne wasnt just about eating it up. I had some hard work to do. During my first summer in Paris, I donned my chefs whites and enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu, the famous cookery school, for a ptisserie course. I said goodbye to my style for the summer, chefs whites not being the most flattering of womens attire. Not even Kate Moss could make them look good! It was Oui, chef, for the next three months, while I learned how to make French classics like croissants and crme brle . Two hundred eggs and 40 pounds of butter, sugar, and flour later, I graduated from Le Cordon Bleu. Not quite ready to give up my sweet dream of living in Paris, I started to work at a small culinary bookstore, La Cocotte, where I baked delicious delicacies for the salon du th and catered for their book launches. My little baking job led me to my current vocation as a food creative, where I develop culinary ideas for events, cookbooks, workshops, and anything else food-related. All the testing is done from the tiny little kitchen in my apartment with just a mini oven and two gas rings.

Somehow the rest of the world has forgotten how dlicieux French food can be. The food headlines have been dominated by the molecular movement in Spain, Heston Blumenthals edible English eccentricities, or, more recently, Scandinavias flourishing foraging scene showcased at Noma. French cuisine has been forgone, stereotyped with the stuffy image of an old-fashioned chef laboring over a terribly complicated dish, finished with a ton of butter.

Mais non! I say. French flavors and techniques neednt be out of reach of the everyday home cook. Living in Paris, I eat and cook everything from simple weekday suppers to big gourmet dinners. And just because they use fancy words like jus or blanchir doesnt mean you have to have a Michelin-starred kitchen to cook great French food. I certainly dont and Ive managed to cook up everything from feasts for six to girlie tea parties for eight to romantic three-course dinners for two.

My book includes all the well-known French dishes such as boeuf bourguignon and coq au vin , but its not simply another collection of classics. Its the story of how I discovered these recipes, whether it was picnicking along the Seine on a sticky summers night, dining with friends, or experimenting at home. I have added my own creative twist on some occasions, making this book a fresh and simple approach to French classics, perfect to share with friends and family.

Bienvenue dans ma petite cuisine Paris!

), which leaves us with lunch. I wanted to call this chapter Everyday Cooking as it features simple things that are mostly eaten for lunch or supper.

Lheure de djeuner the French lunch houraccording to the stereotype consists of several courses, a couple of bottles of wine, and takes half an afternoon. Unfortunately the days of leisurely lunches during the week are a thing of the past as even the French arent immune to the working culture. Le sandwich is, therefore, fast becoming the norm for a weekday lunch, although the French do know how to make an excellent jambon-beurre , also called a parisienne , a crusty baguette slathered in rich creamy butter with a slice of juicy ham. Not much to it, but it does beat a soggy sandwich any day.

When life does allow a longer lunch break, a visit to the local bistro or neighborhood caf is the norm. The local eateries know what their customers want to eat: food to comfort the nerves after a stressful morning at the office. Moules marinires, steak tartare, gratin dauphinois, saucisse et pure de pomme de terre avec une sauce diable (sausages and mashed potatoes with devils sauce), oeufs en cocotte (baked eggs). No fancy fussed-about food here.

While I was writing this book, I decided to test some of the recipes out on the public by opening up my own underground restaurant for just two diners, as my apartment is so small. People from all over the world (including the French) booked and came for lunch. It soon became clear that no matter what nationality they were, the thing they loved most was the fact that it was simple home-cooked food, not Michelin-starred gastronomy. Food that any Pierre, Paul, or Jacques (Tom, Dick, or Harry!) can cook at home.

So roll up your sleeves and get stuck into a little kitchen work or, as they say in French, mettre la main la pte (put your hand in the dough) and youll be rewarded with an everyday meal worth sitting down to.