A Visit to La Tête Dans Les Olives, Paris

It seemed like a treasure hunt finding the olive oil store, La Tête dans Olive, or Olives on the Head. With map in hand and friends in tow, we got off at the Belleville metro stop in search of the side street, rue Ste. Marthe. My friends, Nancy and Lenny had been there last fall and spoke of this tiny store selling artisanal Italian olive oil. Owned by Cedric Casanova, it is the largest wholesaler of extra virgin olive oil in Paris. Each oil comes from a family farm in a small section in Sicily and is sold either by the bottle or from metal vats straight into your own container. If we hadn't known of this unassuming shop, chances are it would have remained undiscovered. Upon opening the old wooden door and stepping down into this minuscule space, we knew we were in for a special treat. Pablo, who runs the shop, warmly greeted us and invited us to a tasting of some of the oils. He gave us each a spoon and drew some of the greenish gold elixir from a vat labeled with a family's name. Just as wines vary depending on the soil, climate conditions and variety of fruit, each oil has it's own flavor and dimension. Tasting them side by side accentuated the differences between them. One was more young and fruity, another milder yet complex. Some had a peppery finish that Pablo explained as having to do more with the molecular makeup versus the variety of the olive. As we let the olive flavors settle on our palates, he set up a slab of Pecorino cheese with native dried tomatoes and olives in brine. It was a wonderful cocktail hour choice that would go well with wine. While we were in the shop, someone stopped in with a vessel to fill from the vat. The olive oil is less expensive that way. Just bring in your own container. This man used his water bottle....a practical but curious choice, I'd say. Not having brought my own container this time, I bought a bottle of Freres Rabito that was sitting on the shelves. Next time I'll bring my empty bottle back. And, with a bumper crop of tomatoes this year, I think I know what I'll be putting it on.

We laid our spoons to rest and left. On the way to dinner, I couldn't stop thinking about all of the stories of the different Sicilian family farms. On the La Tête Dans Olives site, the story of each oil is told. Now I can see why Cedric Casanova has "olives on the head"!
Les Tete dans Olives, in French here.
Les Tete dans Olives, translated in Engish here.

2 rue Sainte Marthe 750 10 Paris
metro : Colonel fabien, belleville ou Goncourt . Metro: Colonel Fabien, Goncourt or Belleville.
bus 75, 46 arret : hopital saint louis bus 75, 46 stop: Saint Louis Hospital
du mardi au vendredi de 14hà19h Tuesday to Friday 14hà19h
le samedi de 11h à 18h Saturday from 11h to 18h

tel +33(0)951313334 tel +33 (0) 951 313 334
Fax +33(0)956313334 Fax +33 (0) 956 313 334

Zac's Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Sometimes late at night I am gently awakened from sleep by a sweetness in the air. I know I must be dreaming, because it smells like butter and sugar and all things nice! I roll over, go back to sleep and in the morning find batches of freshly baked cookies on the kitchen counter. Sometimes they are chocolate, sometimes oatmeal and often they are peanut butter. I do believe in Magic, but know they are the late night creations of my son, Zac. When he was young he used to "make dessert" for us. He grabbed a bowl and pulled out all of his favorite things from the cupboard and mixed them together. Almost always there was uncooked oatmeal and peanut butter involved. Mmmmm....we politely took bites as he dished it into individual bowls and then we enthusiastically said it was delicious. And it was, since the main ingredient was love. You just needed a lot of water to get it down and a big hug afterward! He has been helping make cookies since he was a baby. Thank goodness through the years he has refined his technique and makes the best cookies. Sometimes he meticulously follows a recipe to a T, but lately he has been referring back to his youthful Mad Scientist days. He still uses his favorite ingredients and works them into very tasty cookies! When I asked for his recipe, he had it all ready to go and emailed it to me. There is a grownup dash of cayenne pepper in these flavorful Oatmeal Peanut Butter cookies that would even have elephants standing on their hands in joy!Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup turbinado sugar

1 cup chunky peanut butter

2 eggs

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 cup oats

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

sugar for sprinkling

1. Pre-heat oven to 350º F

2. In a large bowl, mix sugars and peanut butter until blended. Add eggs and cayenne pepper and mix until light and fluffy.

3. Add oats, cinnamon and vanilla extract and mix well.

4. Drop dough in balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and sprinkle lightly with sugar.

5. Place in oven for 12 minutes, or until done and lightly browned.

Thanks Zac!

And thanks to the Graphics Fairy for the elephant graphic.

Never Forget

Never Forget

9/11/01
In remembrance of my friends, colleagues and fellow Americans who were lost that day.

Linguine with Tomatoes, Basil...and Balance

In yoga practice when you lean to the left and then to the right, you always come back to center and pause for physical and mental balance. Maintaining the same balance in life isn't always that easy. Sometimes we just need to stop and let life find it's own center....to temper adventure with contemplation....friends and family with solitude....work with stillness....black with white. I did just that with my break, and now I'm back! The power of nature helps. We are reminded that the center between black and white is not gray, but a shade of blush pink from a flower or the blue green of an impending wave of the ocean. I'm lucky that the beach is just 2 minutes away and Mother Nature's bounty is in my own backyard. I can pick my tomatoes and basil in the stillness of the morning and mix with ingredients that don't need any further attention than to mingle with one another. And what partners better with tomatoes and basil than pasta? Add extra virgin olive oil, garlic and cheese to this super easy sauce and it just doesn't get any better. The heat of the freshly cooked pasta melts the cheese and melds the flavors with just a simple stirring. This pasta dish is beach food, as my friend Nancy calls it. You can be at the beach all day and come home welcomed by the savory aromas, boil the pasta, toss with the awaiting mixture and now you have dinner....a perfectly balanced dinner in all ways.

Linguine with Tomatoes and Basil
(Adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook)

4 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes*
1 pound Brie cheese, rind removed, and torn into irregular pieces
1 cup cleaned fresh basil leaves, cut into strips
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
dash of cayenne
1 1/2 pounds linguine
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
*I used the equivalent of a combination of red plum, Park's Whopper, Black Prince and yellow cherry tomatoes.

Combine the tomatoes, Brie, basil, garlic, 1 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the peppers in a large serving bowl. Prepare at least 2 hours before serving and set aside, covered, at room temperature.Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and remaining salt. Add the linguine and boil until tender but firm, 8 to 10 minutes.

Drain pasta and immediately toss with the tomato mixture. Serve at once, adjusting salt and pepper to taste. Top with the freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4-6.

Blogcation

Around Paris this month signs of the traditional August vacation are everywhere.Restaurants and shops are closed, traffic is minimal and lines are short. Days are slower. It is actually a great time to be in the city, but you have to do your homework to make sure your favorite places are open. Taking a nod from the French, I will be taking a few weeks break this August and part of September, too. I'm going to stop and smell the roses and maybe even be a little lazy. In the meantime, take a peek at Frigidaire's site where they have posted one my Curried Carrot Soup on their recipe link. It's a perfect lazy day soup. Have a great end of summer and see you back soon.

Après-vous in Paris

Trying a new restaurant can be risky. After all, who wants a bad meal or even a mediocre meal? When my friend Lenny and I walked past Après-vous, our instincts were to give it a try. It is off of the touristy area in the Montmarte section of Paris. The metal sculptures in the window first piqued our interest and then the artful, casual interior made us stop and take notice. Hungry after a day of shopping for clocks and fabric, we decided take a chance. We weren't disappointed. Sitting in the small, lower level garden area was delightful. We were able to see inside the restaurant through the open windows that the owner fabricated himself. The set of different time zone clocks hanging on the wall made us think about our unsuccessful clock shopping excursion earlier that day. We almost thought about making an offer to buy the clocks, but resisted!! OK....time for dinner......the chalkboard menu was propped up on the rattan chair so we could take in the days offerings. The prices seemed a little higher than we expected, with first courses ranging from €10-14 and main courses from €18-24, but we liked the choices. After looking at the wine menu, we chose a reasonably priced red wine, called Rendezvous, that went well with our meal. I began with Foie Gras Maison and Lenny had a Roasted Chèvre with Smoked Duck Salad. Both were excellent. The next course was a perfectly cooked Tuna Steak for Lenny and Pork Caramelized with Wine for me. Once again, we couldn't have been happier. As we dined, we learned the restaurant has only been open for about 6-7 months. That explained why we were able to just walk in without reservations. We couldn't help but notice the table next to us where a man was having Steak Tartare with Frites. It was not my cup of tea, but I would have loved to have known how they liked it. I'm intrigued by food that will never cross my lips!! The light of the evening started to dim and candles were lit as we finished our first 2 courses. Feeling pretty full, sharing a dessert seemed to be a good choice. We decided on a Warm Chocolate Cake with Creme Anglaise which finished the meal off on a happy and satisfied note. As we left, there were several people sitting out front enjoying a glass of wine on this warm summer evening. Lenny and I both agreed we'd love to come back again and we wish this new restaurant well.

Après-vous: 16, rue de Trois Frères 75018 Paris
Metro: Abbesses
Tel.: +(33) 1 42 55 89 77

We Have a Winner!

We have a winner and the crown has her name on it! Congratulations, Debbie at Suburb Sanity!!
You are the Queen for the Day! I wrote all of the names, put them in a bowl, closed my eyes, shuffled the names and drew "Debbie". Through the generosity of CSN, you now have a $60 gift certificate! I think the inventory at CSN will be down one red Le Creuset casserole :-) I loved reading what everyone wanted....it is fun to dream. Many, many thanks to all who left a comment and to CSN.

Have a great Sunday!

PS....I ended the drawing early since I won't be around this coming week.

Thanks again to the Graphics Fairy for the crown graphic.