Spring in Paris 🇫🇷

April 30, 2023

Spring in Paris

We are turning our thoughts to Paris this month and celebrating all that is French cooking! So, travel with us across the ocean for a culinary adventure. Let's start with some products from France that we love .

Irresistibly creamy, the Chavrie Goat Cheese pyramid adds a mild, classic flavor to any recipe. Mix it into a dish or place it straight on a cheese board—it’s platter perfect.

Maille sets the gold standard for Dijon mustard. It is smooth and creamy but with enough kick to intrigue. Fantastic in vinaigrettes.

Île de Ré Fleur de Sel offers unmatched sophistication for finishing all subtler foods, sweets, dairy, and cooked vegetables. With a very faint rose tint and an almost imperceptible scent of violets, the fine crystals give a silken texture that makes this one of the greatest finishing salts.

If you are going all-out French, try Roland Escargots Giant Snails. It is simple to prepare them by soaking or simmering them in white wine to enhance their flavor. Delicious on mushroom caps.

Échiré Churned Butter of Excellence is exclusively produced with French dairy cream. Produced in wooden churns, it is the king of puff pastry, croissants, and cakes. And, it is luxurious spread on a baguette.

Pâtés are the soul of French charcuterie, and Trois Petits Cochons (Three Little Pigs) Goose Liver Paté is a rich and flavorful favorite.

St. Dalfour Four Fruits Spread is perfectly balanced with lush notes of cherries, red raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. Pairs well with waffles, vanilla yogurt, and is wonderful on bread.

Pierre French Butter Cookies are a French countryside specialty that are crunchy and melty at the same time. And, their Lemon & Almond are a perfect combination of tangy and sweet.

The signature cookies from LU are Petit Écoulier Perfected over time, these buttery biscuits are topped with rich chocolate—a must-have for chocolate lovers and special occasions.

Bernard Gaucher Brut Rose Champagne with its fruity, finesse and beautiful dress have no equal to brighten up your warm weather aperitifs or your fruity desserts.

THIS MONTH ON THE COCKTAIL POST

The Rose Cocktail

From our blog, The Cocktail Post

The Rose Cocktail was birthed in Paris and became popular in the 1920s. It's an aromatic pink cocktail—a sweet, cherry-flavored spin on the classic martini. This simple-to-prepare libation uses very French ingredients including dry vermouth, kirsch (a cherry brandy), and dry gin. It is delicious for brunch and stands on its own at cocktail hour.

Get the recipe…

Classic Martinez

From our blog, The Cocktail Post

This Classic Martinez cocktail is a precursor to our modern gin martini. And, you just might want to make it a regular treat.

The Martinez adds a hint of sweetness to the gin and vermouth combination. It uses sweet vermouth rather than dry and brings in just a hint of maraschino liqueur. The result is a smooth and cheery drink that is delicious at cocktail hour.

A customer shared with us that this cocktail has Bay Area origins. Check out this post on the City of Martinez website for the story.

Get the recipe…

Tasting Paris: 100 Recipes to Eat Like a Local

A Cookbook Recommendation

by Clotilde Dusoulier

Demystify the art of French cooking and transport your dinner guests to Paris.

Here you will find the food that makes the city of Paris o beloved. Featuring classic recipes like Roast Chicken with Herbed Butter and Croutons, and Profiteroles, as well as newer dishes that reflect the way Parisians eat today, such as Ratatouille Pita Sandwich with Chopped Eggs and Tahini Sauce and Spiralized Zucchini Salad with Peach and Green Almonds.

With 100 recipes, 125 evocative photographs, and native Parisian Clotilde Dusoulier’s expertise, Tasting Paris transports you to Paris.

Clotilde Dusoulier is the creator of the award-winning food blog Chocolate and Zucchini and the author of the cookbooks Chocolate & Zucchini and The French Market Cookbook, as well as the guide and reference books Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris and Edible French.

THIS MONTH'S STAFF PICKS

St Pierre All Butter Mini Croissants

A French Classic for bread lovers

Fresh, flaky, and a true taste of France, St Pierre All Butter Mini Croissants are made from an authentic recipe. They are a buttery treat that melts in your mouth as if they’ve just come straight out of the oven at a Parisian bakery.

These croissants are delicious warmed in the oven at breakfast with butter and jam. And they make wonderful mini-sandwiches for game day snacks or appetizers. Read more…

Supreme Cheese Brie

Supreme Cheese Brie is creamy with a rich and buttery taste.

This mild cheese has a delightful buttery flavor. And, its creaminess is tempting to a broad range of taste buds—even the little ones.

Supreme cheese is crafted on the same day, from locally-sourced milk to seal in the freshest flavor. Read more…

Macarons by Brioche Pasquier

Indulge in France's favorite dessert.

Macarons by Brioche Pasquier are made in the classic French tradition by sandwiching two petite cookies together with a flavored filling.

These delicate light-as-air macarons bring the taste of an authentic French Bakery to your table. Read more…

AIX Rosé 2021

Vin de Provence

If you are looking for a rosé that is bright, zesty, and fresh, AIX Rosé 2021 is a vivacious wine that is ready to drink.

AIX Rosé is produced in the typical Provençal style using the direct pressing method. To achieve the beautiful pale pink color Provence rosés are known for, AIX uses cold stabilization. This gives aromas and great body to the wine resulting in a beautiful rosé that is delicious year-round. Read more…

THIS MONTH ON THE KITCHEN TABLE

Beef Bourguignon

From our blog, The Kitchen Table

Julia Child’s beef bourguignon may be an all-day adventure, but being one of the most delicious beef dishes known to man makes it worthwhile. Patience is the key. The result of your hard work and patience will transport you to the banks of the Seine whilst the gentle melody of La Vie En Rose strolls through your mind. Grab a glass of wine and Bon Appetit!

Read the post and get the recipe…

Tarte Tatin

From our blog, The Kitchen Table

Tarte Tatin is the O.G. of upside-down desserts. Apples and caramel are combined with puff pastry in a trifecta of perfectly matched classic flavors. Flip it over onto a platter, add a little vanilla ice cream on top and it becomes mind-blowing.

Read the post and get the recipe…

Classic Vinaigrette

The Kitchen Table

The first time I made a classic vinaigrette, I was taking a six-week cooking course in San Francisco. The class covered the basics of cooking in a way that mirrored what you would learn if you attended culinary school. The vinaigrette we made that night totally changed my outlook on cooking. It taught me that ratios are important. It taught me that sometimes less is more. But more than anything it taught me that just because something is easier, that doesn’t make it better.

Read the post and get the recipe…

Ratatouille

This classic recipe is surprisingly easy to prepare and results in a delicious showcase of summer vegetables and flavors.

From Food 52

This Genius ratatouille recipe from Alice Waters fusses only where it needs to fuss (over-salting the eggplant to sweat it and patting it dry). And, it adds a few smart, modern details—red chile flakes, a basil bouquet—that improve on a well-worn classic. Plus, its ratio is easy to remember: All vegetables conveniently work out to about a pound.

Read the post and get the recipe…

French Recipes from Our Archives

From our blog, The Kitchen Table

If you are looking to increase your options for breakfast recipes, we've got you covered. It is one of our three favorite meals of the day. Here is a variety of recipes from our archives that are also great for brunch gatherings.

Petit-déjeuner

Fresh Cherry & Apricot Clafoutis

Cherry Clafoutis

Baked French Toast with Apples

Stuffed French Toast

Hors d'oevures

Gougère

Grilled Apricot and Ricotta Tartine

Pork Rillettes

Baked Brie

Julie & Julia’s Bruschetta

French Onion Soup

Plat principal

Mushroom and Shallot Quiche

Traditional French Cassoulet

Trout Meunière

French-Style Beef Stew with Carrots and Parsnips

Mussels Dijonnais

Plats d'accompagnement

Pommes Dauphinoise (Potatoes au Gratin)

Spinach Gratin

Tian de Courgettes au Riz (Zucchini Tian)

Carrot Soufflé

Desserts

Decadent Chocolate Tart

Classic Chocolate Mousse

Crispy, Crackly Apple-Almond Tart

French Fruit Tart—A Classic

Cocktails

French 75

Kir Royale

The French Connection

The Sidecar

The French Blonde

Fromager d’Affinois

Vendor of the Month

Creamy, buttery, and tangy

Cook’s Illustrated, when comparing brie cheeses, called Fromager d’Affinois their runaway favorite. And, the review is absolutely right. This is amazing stuff. It is filled with flavor yet mild enough to enjoy the rind.

So, grab a wedge of this fabulous cheese along with an Acme baguette, some white wine, and a little fresh fruit. There is nothing better!