My Paris Kitchen: Recipes and Stories

537 Pages·2014·15.44 MB·English

by  David Lebovitz

Some of the recipes in this book include raw eggs. When eggs are consumed raw, there is always the risk that
bacteria, which is killed by proper cooking, may be present. For this reason, always buy certified salmonella-
free eggs from a reliable grocer, storing them in the refrigerator until they are served. Because of the health
risks associated with the consumption of bacteria that can be present in raw eggs, they should not be
consumed by infants, small children, pregnant women, the elderly, or any persons who may be
immunocompromised. The author and publisher expressly disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects that
may result from the use or application of the recipes and information contained in this book.
Copyright © 2014 by David Lebovitz
Photographs copyright © 2014 by Ed Anderson
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of
Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com
Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered trademarks of Random House LLC
All photographs are by Ed Anderson with the exception of those noted here: DL01, DL02 (center), and DL03
by David Lebovitz.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lebovitz, David.
My Paris kitchen : recipes and stories / David Lebovitz.
pages cm
Summary: “A collection of stories and 100 sweet and savory French-inspired recipes reflecting the way
modern Parisians eat today.”— Provided by publisher.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Cooking, French. 2. Cooking—France—Paris. 3. Lebovitz, David—Anecdotes. 4. Cooking—France—Paris—
Anecdotes. 5. Food habits—France—Paris—Anecdotes. 6. Paris (France—Social life and customs—Anecdotes. I.
Title.
TX719.L4237 2014
641.5944—dc23
2013032561
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-60774-267-8
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-60774-267-8
eBook ISBN: 978-1-60774268-5
v3.1

Introduction
Ingredients
Equipment
Appetizers
MIS-EN-BOUCHE
First Courses
ENTRÉES
Main Courses
PLATS
Sides
ACCOMPAGNEMENTS
Desserts
LES DESSERTS
Pantry
INGRÉDIENTS DE BASE
Sources
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Index

Introduction
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE I FACED WHEN SETTING UP MY FIRST full-scale kitchen in
Paris was not calculating where to put the oven in relation to the refrigerator or
what kind of fancy countertops I should have. It was not deciding what kind of
flooring to install or where I would store my pots and pans. Or even whether my
oven should be gas or electric. It was the sink.
After a decade of living in France, I had finally made the decision to buy a place
to call my own. People always assumed that I had a designer-style expansive chef’s
kitchen, when I actually worked on a kitchen counter the size of a chessboard.
Moving bowls and pots and pans around, I was persistently checkmated by the
limited space. Sometimes I would empty the contents of a mixing bowl, then stand
there holding the bowl suspended in mid-air, wondering where I would—or even if
I could—put it down. (Many times I had no choice but to open the window and
put it on the roof.) The temperature in the faltering oven fluctuated haphazardly a
hundred degrees in either direction, which required me to stand guard while a
batch of cookies baked away, fiddling with the knobs like a crazed person
searching for just the right radio station, to make sure my chocolate chip cookies
would be perfectly baked. (And it didn’t help that sometimes I had to use a chair
to hold the door closed, either.) Yet, somehow, in that inevitable way that people
adapt to their circumstances, whatever and wherever they are, I made it work. It
was hard to complain when many of my friends in Paris had apartments without
ovens—or even kitchens. (And some didn’t have bathrooms, either, requiring them
to use a communal WC shared with neighbors on the same floor. So I guess I got
lucky when I rented that first apartment sight unseen.) How did I end up in this
semi-functional kitchen? When I first arrived all those years ago and was searching
for a place to live, I saw a listing for a chambre de bonne (maid’s quarters) that was,
admittedly, très charmante. And I sent off my deposit. When I arrived, I learned that
in the multicultural jargon of real estate, charmante meant charming (in either
language), but it was also quite cozy (i.e., small). I was enthralled by the Eiffel
Tower standing majestically in front of me, and I loved being able to see right into
the historic Place des Vosges, which was just down the street. However the