Lavender Honey Grilled Chicken and a Summer Salad

He was going to London and I was going to Paris. I ran into my colleague and beekeeper friend, Rich on our way to work. As we discussed his bees, he thought I might enjoy visiting a honey shop in Paris while I was there. He scribbled the directions on a scrap of paper and wrote down the proprietor's and apiculteur's name, Jean-Jaques. I would tell him Rich sent me. When I awoke from my nap in Paris on a hot, sunny afternoon, I headed out in search of honey. Twisting and turning up the steep hill to Butte-aux-Cailles, I found the honey/bee keepers shop, Les Abeilles. Jean-Jaques was tending the shop and when I mentioned Rich's name he smiled. The shelves were lined with honey and honey products, as well as beekeeper's accoutrement. As I stood there chatting with Jean-Jacques, a honeybee flew in and buzzed around this friendly place. Nothing like a little ambiance! Small jars of honey were lined up for tasting and I chose a wild lavender honey from Spain to buy. I tucked it into my bag thinking about using it in my tea, salad dressing or on grilled chicken. I went back out into the warm June sun to go to my next stop, la porcelaine blanche. It is a small shop on rue Monge, at the foot of the Mouffetarde. Mainly you'll find white porcelain, but they also have some colorful pottery, too.
White French porcelain has always been a favorite of mine and this is one of many stores in Paris with a good selection. I found a lyrically shaped white plate and a small edged, white dish shaped like the country of France. Oooh-la-la! I was drawn to them like bees to honey ;-) and was already envisioning what I'd put on them.....maybe something with honey, no?!
Hi Honey, I'm home!!

Lavender Honey Grilled Chicken

1 boneless chicken breast, about 1 1/2 pounds
2 tablespoons lavender honey*
2 teaspoons herb de Provence with lavender
freshly ground pepper
*Or use your favorite honey.

Have ready a grill that is medium high temperature.

Rinse and pat the chicken dry and cut it into 4 strips. Coat the chicken with the honey and sprinkle with the herb de Provence. Freshly grind pepper over chicken to taste. Place the chicken onto the hot grill and grill until mostly cooked on one side, about 15 minutes. Turn and finish cooking until nicely browned, but not burned. The sugars in the honey can easily burn, so adjust temperature if it starts to brown too quickly. It should be nicely caramelized.Once the chicken is done, take off of the grill and put it on a plate to rest. Slice diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces and serve either warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4.
Baby Greens and Basil Salad with Honey Ginger Vinaigrette

5 ounces mixed baby greens, rinsed well
1 ounce basil leaves, rinsed well
1 cup fresh cherries, pitted
assorted herb flowers or other small edible flowers*
4 lavender flowers* on their stems, fresh or dried
*Make sure they have not been sprayed with pesticides or chemicals. I use them from my garden so I can be certain they are organic. Use only the herb flowers in a recipe where you would use that herb, since the flower taste resembles the herb. In a large salad bowl, mix the basil, baby greens and flowers together. Reserve the lavender flowers for garnish. Add the Honey Ginger Vinaigrette and toss. Divide evenly among 4 serving plates. Garnish with any extra edible flowers and the lavender. For extra lavender flavor, pull the lavender flowers from the stem and sprinkle over the salad. Since lavender has a strong flavor, I like to let each person add their own, if desired.

Serves 4.
Honey Ginger Vinaigrette

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice*
1 tablespoon (or more, if you like it sweeter) lavender honey**
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
good pinch of cayenne pepper
sea salt to taste
*If you can't find Meyer lemons, use 3 parts lemon juice and 1 part orange juice.
**Or use your favorite honey.

Whisk together the lemon juice, honey, and ginger in a small bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking, until thoroughly blended and emulsified. Add the cayenne pepper and salt to taste.

Makes 3/4 cup vinaigrette.


A chilled dry Rosé compliments the grilled chicken and the summery salad very well. Lavender Honey Grilled Chicken recipe.
Baby Greens and Basil Salad with Honey Ginger Vinaigrette recipe.

Les Abeilles
21, rue de la Butte-aux-Caille
metro: Place d'Italie or Corvisart

la porcelaine blanche
119, rue Monge
metro: Censier Daubenton

A Giveaway...And It's Your Choice!!

I was so excited when CSN contacted me with another giveaway offer! They are a large online store site with everything, from your choice of a bathroom vanity to cookware to pets items to baby gear and so much more. With over 200 store sites to choose from you could spend hours just imagining the possibilities. And that is the fun part, you get to choose what you want with a $40 gift certificate. Whether you are renovating or just want a gift for yourself, the only problem you'll have is making up your mind. So with out any more ado, grab a cup of coffee and go shopping at CSN's website, all from the comfort of your favorite chair :-)

For a chance to win the $40 gift certificate at CSN, just leave a comment. If you are a follower, let me know and I'll enter your name twice. And if you are also subscribed to 2 Stews, you'll get a 3rd chance...just mention it in your comment. I'll be drawing a name on Sunday, June 13th.
This is open to all of my readers in the US and Canada.

Good luck!!

David Lebovitz's Fresh Ginger Cake

It's time for dessert! While browsing through David Lebovitz's "Ready for Dessert" cookbook from last weeks book signing, Fresh Ginger Cake with Lemon Curd Whipped Cream grabbed my attention. My son was coming home from college and I wanted to make a favorite for him. We love the lively and comforting combination of fresh ginger with lemon and this cake has both. Usually I make gingerbread, not ginger cake and only around the winter holiday time. The fresh ginger and zing of lemon makes this cake great any time of the year. You may use store bought lemon curd for the whipped cream, but David gives a recipe for lemon curd in his book that is very easy. I used Meyer lemons which gives the curd a less tart and rounder flavor. In addition, he suggests a fruit compote to serve with it, and this cake is also delicious with just a dusting of powdered sugar. It is the kind of cake that it is hard to walk by without cutting off "just another sliver"! Thank you, David :-))


David Lebovitz's Fresh Ginger Cake

4-ounce (115-g) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup (250ml) mild-flavored molasses
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 cup (250ml) vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups (350g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup (250ml) water
2 teaspoons baking soda
2large eggs, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 C). Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23-cm) springform or round cake pan with 2-inch (5-cm) sides and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or with a chef's knife, chop the ginger until very fine. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the molasses, sugar, and oil. In a medium bowl. whisk together the flour, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper.

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil, then stir in the baking soda. Whisk the hot water into the molasses mixture, then add the chopped ginger.

Gradually sift the flour mixture over the molasses mixture, whisking to combine. Add the eggs and whisk until thoroughly blended.

Scrape the batter into the prepared springform or cake pan and bake until the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool completely.

Run a knife around the sides of the cake to help loosen it from the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate, peel off the parchment paper, then re-invert it onto a serving platter.

Serving: Serve wedges of this cake with whipped cream, ice cream, or a fruit compote.
Storage: Because this cake is so moist, it keeps well for up to 5 days at room temperature. It can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Lemon Curd Whipped Cream
(Adapted from, "Ready for Dessert", by David Lebovitz)

Lemon Curd

1/2 cup (125ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice*
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 g) unsalted or salted butter, cut into pieces
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
*Meyer lemons juice may be used.

In a small nonreactive saucepan over low heat, combine the 1/2 cup (125 ml) lemon juice, 1/2 cup (100g) sugar, and the butter. Set a mesh strainer over a medium bowl.

In another medium bowl, briefly whisk together the eggs and the yolks. When the butter has melted, whisk some of the warm liquid from the saucepan into the eggs, whisking constantly as you pour, then stir the egg mixture into the saucepan. Cook, whisking constantly, until the curd starts to thicken and looks slightly jelled. Don't let the mixture boil.

Pour the lemon curd through the strainer set over the bowl. Cover, let cool, then refrigerate until chilled.

Whipped Cream

1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream

In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or in a bowl by hand), whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks.

To finish, fold the whipped cream into the chilled lemon curd.

Fresh Ginger Cake recipe.
Lemon Curd Whipped Cream recipe.

David Lebovitz Book Signing and a Candle Light Dinner

It all started with a hum. I couldn't hear the hum, but then again after so many years of working near jet engines, hearing a whisper is pushing it. Back to the Apple store we went with my son's brand new humming computer. We left it for the Apple Geniuses to diagnose while we browsed around the mall. Wondering if Williams-Sonoma was offering any free samples, we wandered in. Right up front beside the counter was a fancy ice cream maker with an enticing book propped in front entitled, "The Perfect Scoop", by David Lebovitz. It was like manna from heaven! Our recent ice cream making experiments were just that....experiments. This looked like we could actually make real ice cream, interesting ice cream, by an expert (or ice cream genius!). Being July, the month of my son's birthday, I bought it for him as a present. Later we sat and read through it together as my son took little green stickies to mark recipes he wanted to try. It was a good summer that year. I also discovered David Lebovitz had a blog....and....he lived in Paris. He just kept getting higher on the throne as I read and laughed and bookmarked and revisited his blog about "The Sweet Life in Paris". Then he wrote more books and I kept getting them. Through the blog I noted his book signings in Paris. It didn't work out last year, but voilà...this year I was in Paris for the signing. I brought all of my books from Boston to WH Smith Bookstore on rue de Rivoli this past Wednesday.

My friend, Nancy and I arrived a little early for the 7pm signing and found David already signing books. I was smitten as he patiently and sweetly gave everyone time without rushing. He graciously posed for pictures and chatted with all. Of Course, I had David sign "The Perfect Scoop" to my son. The rest were for me :-) Wh Smith said it was their largest turnout since "Harry Potter." My friend, Doug arrived as David was giving a short talk and answered questions. I introduced him to David and we left feeling lighter, even while carrying our bounty of signed books. It was about 8pm by now as we made our way to the Marais for dinner at Chez Omar, a North African restaurant. When we arrived, it was still light outside on this warm late spring evening. Inside, candles were lit at every table. We ordered a chilled Bordeaux Rosé that smiled in the candlelight. All 3 of us ordered the same meal, Méchoui roasted leg of lamb with couscous and and vegetables. Doug chose the wines, with a St.-Émilion Clos de la Cure for dinner. I liked the name and liked the complexity and flavor even more. We noticed the overhead lights still weren't on as the glow of the candles danced around the wood paneled dining room. Our conversation kept coming back to meeting David Lebovitz, his cookbooks, blog and how utterly sweet...(have I mentioned that?) and charming he was. When the food arrived we marveled at the large, finely roasted lamb, platter of couscous, tureen of vegetables in an orangey red broth and small dish of a spicy red condiment. As we dug in, the darkness grew. I looked up and saw the chef cooking by candlelight. We finally deduced there was a power outage, but it really didn't have any effect on the full restaurant or the diners. And I think they will have no trouble paying their electric bill this month. I couldn't believe we had devoured almost everything but the bones, which left no room for dessert. I guess that will have to wait until I get home and choose from David's, "Ready for Dessert" cookbook.

Stay tuned :-)

Chez Omar
47, rue de Bretagne
Paris, France 75003
Phone: 01 42 72 36 26

Days Of Wine And Roses....And Ash

A pilot once said to me, "You can drop a flight attendant anywhere in the world and before you know it they have found food and the best places to eat." I agree. My crew and I had adjusted to the uncertainties before us as we turned around and arrived back at our Rive Gauche hotel in Paris. The Icelandic volcano cloud had canceled our flight, but not dampened our spirits. I had planned on making a spread for my crew on our flight back to Boston, but now we were back in the hotel. Within half an hour we met in our hotel's crew room as I made sandwiches of French ham, comté cheese, arugula and Dijon mustard. We had grapes, quiches and a couscous salad. Everyone contributed treats they had intended to take home.Baguettes and more cheese appeared as we discussed going shopping to buy clothes and necessities for our potential extended stay. The next 3 days were abuzz with activity. Since the following day was Sunday, a few of us went to street flea markets where I bought a few small treasures, and saw many more. This Sunday was special to a few of us. It was Mother's Day. We all went out to dinner that evening at Parnasse 138, on boulevard du Montparnasse. It is a traditional French bistro with many, many choices to choose from. I started with a goat cheese and lardons salad followed by roast lamb.Those are garlic cloves on top of my lamb...mmmmm. For dessert, a white chocolate and berry tiramisu was the perfect finish. Right before dessert, our captain bought roses for all of the mothers on our trip who were missing Mother's Day at home.***feel the love*** The next day some of us went to the outskirts of Paris to a small charming town, Ville de Suresnes. It was a cloudy day, but the Eiffel Tower can be faintly seen from this town on a hill. The World War American Cemetery and Memorial sits proudly at the top. I want to come back to this town another time to explore further. Back in Paris, it seemed like around every corner was a reminder of the volcano. Maybe it was a little of the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, but a reminder for our extended stay in this city of light was always there. We were never sure from day to day when the ash cloud would clear and we would return home. On our 5th night in Paris a few of us opted for a quiet light dinner in a small private pocket room in the hotel. Dessert time! Did I really have to have another Chocolate Lava Cake??? Well, why not....ashes to ashes....let the lava flow!

It finally was time to leave our tony Rive Gauche address. The next day after yet another delay, we were cleared for our departure to Boston. My white Mother's Day rose had a comfy first class seat for the long flight ;-) Our flight plan was an extra 2 1/2 hours as we flew over Iceland, north of the volcano. I've flown along the coast of Greenland before, but never directly over it. The view was breathtaking. Hours later the coast of Massachusetts was in sight, and our long awaited landing into Boston was imminent. My rose and I, along with many happy memories made it home at long last!

Dinner At L'Epouvantail, Paris....And Turn Around!

Leaving Ô Chateau's wine tasting we were more than ready for dinner. Coming up from the wine cave, the light seemed a little bright even in the gloaming of the evening. Hopping on the metro at the Louvre-Rivoli stop, it was a quick, but busy ride to the Marais on this Friday evening in Paris. We arrived just as some of our friends were walking up and others were seated for our 8pm reservation. I have been coming to L'Epouvantail for years and watched the transition from owner to owner. Along with the updated traditional menu there is a young, fresh and engaging vibe here now. At each table a chair with green chipped paint sits beside the updated, sleek wooden chairs as a tribute to the previous decor. I like that...a reverence to the past. We ordered wine...(Yikes!)..since our other friends were ready for their first glass. While catching up on each others day's activities, we ordered our food. With each passing course, from the amuse-bouche, crisped asparagus with proscuitto and shaved Parmesan to the duck with Dauphinois potatoes, we all laughed and talked. Would you like dessert? But, of course!! And like the foreshadowing in a good mystery book, I ordered the Molten Lava Cake. A spoon dipped into the warm cake allowed the chocolate lava to ooze onto the plate meeting the vanilla crème anglaise. There were no dark volcanic plumes here, just puffs of delight. Other desserts came and went. We paid our bill and headed back to the hotel for a good night's sleep before our flight home the next day. While we slept lava flowed, the volcanic ash cloud built and shifted all along the coast of France. We caught wind of the precarious situation as our luggage was loaded for our ride to the airport the next morning. Just before arriving at Charles de Gaulle Airport, our driver got a call to turn around and go back! Some of us smiled, some stiffened knowing it could be a long delay before returning to loved ones, and others thought of their Mother's Day plans the next day and awaiting children. But there was no choice. We had to make the best of it and hey, we were in Paris :-)

To be continued.....

L'Epouvantail
6, rue Jarente, Marais
01 40 29 03 03
metro: St. Paul