Add the Egg
It’s been perfect hibernation weather in Paris so far this year, but as the calendar pages turn it’s time to re-engage with society. When I texted two friends to catch up I experienced a modern day miracle as they a) both replied immediately and b) were available that night, so without hesitation we made plans for a quick dinner. Kath (one of the best chefs in Paris, in charge of the kitchen at the Australian Embassy and with an impressive career cooking for the Dutch Royal Family) showed up with fresh herbs from her roof-top garden overlooking the Eiffel Tower and whipped up big bowls of comfort food and as we settled in she announced that after months of my nagging she’s launched her own Substack, Culinary Wayfarer, which I highly recommend reading.
Tuesday was Pancake Day so the kids and I got to work in the kitchen and as my son tossed a whole egg into the mix, instead of cracking it (to be fair I’d asked him to “add the egg to the bowl”) I realised I might have overlooked some basics while teaching them to cook. I often think back to a client from my private chef days who’d never learnt to cook and once followed instructions from her boyfriend to “toss some pasta in the saucepan and turn it on” oblivious to the fact that there was usually water involved. One small fire later she swore off cooking and it’s been ready-meals ever since.
On Wednesday four women from four countries celebrated female friendship at our annual Galentine’s lunch, the perfect excuse to sit around a beautifully dressed table and catch up on recent events. The time passed in a flash as we ate pink food and heart shaped cheese, sharing a meal in our chosen home of France and I left briming with good energy.
Failing to plan is planning to fail and I walked right into the trap on Valentine’s Day. I’d started strong, buying myself a bouquet on the 13th (before prices doubled) and booking us in at a restaurant I was keen to try, but upon asking for the liste des allergènes I was met with a blank stare and when they suggested I spell the word gluten (it’s the same word in French) on a post-it note for further inquiry I knew it was time to bail. Luckily just as my husband began to look panicked, knowing this would somehow be his fault, the hours of research for my GF guide to Paris paid off and I realised we weren’t far from Chez Ann, who happily accommodated us for towers of delicious dim sum and mochi glacé.
A friend from London moved home to her native Holland so I booked a visit all the way up north to Friesland, where they speed skate between 11 cities in winter if the canals freeze. The Eurostar now runs between Paris and Amsterdam, the bright red and neon pink interiors a throwback to the Thalys branding, and it couldn’t have been easier, no check-in, waiting or customs necessary. It was such a treat to explore her town, Leeuwarden, and bask in the Dutchness of it all: the canals, the Pannekoek Schip (Pancake Ship), mountains of cheese, iconic rooflines, tulips, tulip vases, 100 choices of frites sauce in the supermarket and Dille & Kamille. Her dogs also thoughtfully remembered me and begged some pats while we sat on the sofa, laughing at the past and planning the future until well past bedtime.
Then it was time to head home, ignoring all the work I’d planned to do on the train and staring out the window at the rain for most of the journey. After showering the children with attention we all sat down to a pesto pasta bake, padded out with roasted pumpkin, pine nuts and mozzarella, followed by Dutch cheese and stroopwafels.
Have a great week,
- Emily
GF Crêpes
As good as it gets gluten free.
250g gluten free flour (I use the pastry mix from Chambelland, which is rice flour with some phylum incorporated)
1/2 teaspoon xantham gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp melted butter
550ml milk
Add the dry ingredients into a bowl then crack the egg in and mix, followed by the melted butter
Slowly add the milk. Get any lumps out while the mixture is thick before adding the rest of the milk, otherwise you’ll never get it smooth.
Leave to sit in the fridge for half an hour.
Add some butter to a hot frying pan and make your first crêpe. Add a little more milk depending on how think you want the batter to be, I like it very thin.
Serve with lemon and sugar or Nutella.
Bon appétit!
Cheese we’re eating this week:
Royal Maxima Kaas - a gouda cheese dedicated to Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, with a springy texture and rich taste, achieved by a special grass mixture sown for the cows.
Edam - similar to gouda but made with skim milk instead of whole milk, it was the world's most popular cheese to eat at sea in the 1300s because in its coating of red paraffin wax it doesn’t spoil, it only hardens.
Stokâlde Fryske - an aged cow’s milk cheese from the Netherlands with a rich, nutty flavour and a firm, crumbly texture.
All 3 cheeses were from were from Zuivelhoeve Leeuwarden.
Real Life Paris Photo
She took her arrival to Paris seriously.
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