Time for Truffles! 3 Favorites to Eat in Paris in February!

Winter in France. What's for dinner? Truffles.Best to get the most of your truffle, since they are so expensive. First, make sure you're using the best truffles. Not the nasty flavorless things that sometimes show up in place of the real: Tuber melanosporum, available in France (found in Perigord and Provence) between November and March.So, what to make with Truffles, you ask?First, store them with your eggs. Egg shells are porous. Thus, the aroma and taste of the truffle will permeate the shell, and flavor your eggs for a1. Brouillade: softly scrambled eggs with truffles. At this time of year the better bistros will offer a bowl of this unctuous first course. Use sea salt and enjoy!2. Salad des Truffes: A salad of Mache, with thin sliced steamed tiny yellow potatoes, a poached egg, truffle vinaigrette and shaved truffles on top. There's nothing more to say!3. Pate a la Truffe: Pasta with a cream sauce and shaved truffes...Now for 3 things we will try in February on our trip:1. Truffled butters.2. Truffled cheeses. We know a cheese monger who makes a double cream cheese stuffed with black truffles in the middle.3. Our already famously sought after Truffle pizza....It's pure Bliss!www.blisstravels.com

Springtime in Provence, Paris, and Burgundy Too!

Some photos from last April and May. Our trips to Burgundy, Paris and Provence...A picture is worth 1000 words...or maybe more! I know it was Bliss!We visited a beautiful farm to pick herbs, have a cooking lesson (Provencal cuisine of course) and photograph everything that was in bloom!

Anthony Bianciella, our amazing photographer, makes the trip even more fun!

Except...luxurious  original appointments in our private Burgundy property. Only 4 rooms --and our 7 guests adored being spoiled, thoroughly!Murano chandeliers, original antiques...

and specially arranged private wine tours. This was a happy group!

No lines. No buses. We did it all custom and private!

A bientôt! See you all soon....And again! It was Bliss!

Christmas in Paris: It Must be Time for Something…

Christmas in Paris: It Must be Time for Something…

You know --that moment after you've had lunch, and walked, and seen "everything"...there must be something else to do or have or see....cause this is so much fun!

So, how do you spend a day in Paris over Christmas week? Well, first you…

1.Find an out of the way, top of the top, Bistrot, with a star chef

2.You walk a mile and take the metro –to get there (and stimulate appetite

3.You order: Oysters Tartare with Cream of Lettuce or some other unfathomable but superb combination of ingredients

4.You walk the Christmas markets all afternoon

buying presents and drinking hot spiced wine!

1. 
2. Enjoy the sights!Stay tuned for DAY TWO!

Paris: Top 6 Culinary Treats During the Holidays

One of the great things about French food is that it's so seasonal....Unlike our large supermarkets where you can find "n'importe quoi, n'importe quand" (anything, anytime), that's not the case in France. April/May are for strawberries and asparagus. July and August for peaches and melons, and so on. Well, the December holidays, though not during a "growing" season, have some of the most special culinary treats of any time of year. This is the time of year for....1. Foie Gras. Too hot to keep well (and too rich) for summer. This is prime time for foie gras. Best served with dried fruits, fruit breads, chutney...Don't miss out on this. There are even "stands" at some of the Christmas markets that serve this as street food. And also, there are fabulous specialty places that make or bring in the best of the best. We have a restaurant we frequent who does this beautifully.

foie gras by the "master" (photo by Anthony Bianciella)

2. Oysters and Champagne. Yes, you can have this along the streets or by the river bank during the holidays only. The vendors are set up, and a heater or fire is not too far away. Contemplate the lit up night sky while having these treats. Best of the best, at the best time of year. Walk to find the best market streets or by the river bank, where the views are "manifique".

3. Chestnuts. In many forms. Roasted, and sold on the streets, or pureed and served with lamb or venison. Or candied and soaked in cognac (and sold by the best gourmet shops. Try Fauchon for this special treat. They do it particularly well.) A nutty but sweet flavor, that can be an accompaniment to both savories and desserts (think, Mont Blanc)!

photo by Sarah Miller Photography

4. Anything...in a Truffle Sauce. (Still remembering that dish as it simmered for Christmas Eve dinner in a little --very little-- bistrot we frequent, on the Left Bank). I met the chef that morning as I was out shopping and he was taking a cigarette break. When i commented on the heavenly smell coming from his kitchen, he invited me in. He showed me the boudin blanc and the truffle sauce he was making. Also cooking a stuffed game hen for the night, he gave me a personal recommendation --Get the hen, and then ask for the truffle sauce on the hen. Sublime!

 (And just as an aside, I have to tell you the most amazing story. I was in Provence, finishing a very small group trip, when a 2 star Michelin chef asked to speak with me to thank me for bringing my clients to his establishment. He asked what he could do for me, and I jokingly said, "you can give me a truffle" and pointed to the huge (and I mean huge) box of truffles sitting a few feet away....He laughed. And a few minutes later started barking orders to people in the kitchen. Within 30 seconds a bag was handed to me with 3 giant black truffles, and a warm thank you. I was in shock --and very, very grateful. I shared my good fortune with the people who had helped make the trip a success, and we used the truffles to make eggs, truffle butter, top pasta, and marvelous sandwiches with cheese. Yum.)

5. Warm Wines. As we stroll the Christmas markets, there are vendors who sell warm mulled wine, both white and red. They add calvados or cognac to them for an added degree of "warmth" and you take your cup and stroll along the miles of markets looking for your favorite artisan products or gifts. Highly recommend this. We visit several of the markets each year. One with art and antiques, one with traditional gifts and crafts...And always some with fabulous gourmet products.6. Chocolates. This is the time of year the really fine, and very perishable chocolates come out of hiding--and in full view. Perhaps you've heard of the wonderful Maison du Chocolat. Truly a great place. But, there are some remarkable, amazing, smaller (lesser known outside of Paris, but feted as masters in Paris) chocolate houses....And dare I say, it's worth going to Brussels to experience some of this magic. We often do day or overnight trips to Brussels for just this purpose (along with some mussels, or amazing savory waffles). One year, I insist, I'm doing this over the Holidays with a group. You don't know what you're missing!

Brussels, at Christmas (photo by Sarah Miller Photography)