Kohan's trip #8
 

This is the follow-up to the topic"the countdown begins...I will continue with my story,BIll and I spent our first full day getting our metro passes refilled.I love that I can leave it in my case and just swipe it.Since we are doing several cooking classes this trip,we wanted to be sure where Reed and the bakery are located.Reed was a breeze to find,the bakery a little trickier,as we missed the turn the first time.Now we know we will be on time.Monday was a great day for walking,cloudy,then we had maybe 10 drops of rain.Voila,blue skies appeared.Had a croquet Monsieur and a croque Madame for Monsieur and Madame.Walked over to the Tuileries ,lots of people at the Lourve,most other places are closed Mondays.To b continued after class Tuesday..

Well,this looks very promising. Keep cooking and keep writing! will be watching!

Up early and out to our cooking class at Reed.Met Penny from NC (her husband would join us for lunch) and another couple from CA and their 2 college age daughters.Catherine arrived at 9:30,what a sweetheart,promptly made us coffee,then went about getting her kitchen ready,while we all chatted.Then she showed us how do a few things and we were put to work.The first thing we learned to make were profiteroles,which would be filled with ice cream later,topped with a chocolate sauce.Catherine showed us how to remove the bone from the chicken leg and thigh,which would be stuffed with a mushroom mixture.(which we would be making)This meant chopping lots of shallots ,mushrooms and some garlic.Everyone got a turn at doing all the tasks,including washing some pots and pans.The chicken thighs were stuffed,then tied with some string,and roasted along with the rest of the chicken on the carcass.Potatoes were boiled,then smashed with some shallots and butter.Then we made a very easy hollandaise sauce( lots of butter) for the white asparagus that was our starter .We also had some bread still warm from the baker down the street and of course some wine,,all in all a great way to spend a rainy day in Paris.5 hours later we rolled out of there,Catherine is a gem.She answered lots of questions ,then had to get ready for the evening dinner crowd.Looking forward to going back nect week for dinner.

Yea! Another trip report on Paris to take me away to my favorite place. Can't wait for more details.

Sounds great...my husband loves profiteroles. I am glad you found Catherine as great as we did. I hope her business is growing! Still dream about her risotto!

We also learned how to make profiteroles at Catherine's cooking class and will attempt to make them this week. We also enjoyed the cooking class very much and food was delish!

Could you tell us how much the class is?

$100.euros

Wednesday
just had coffee and juice as we were going to our bakery class. As we were waiting we got to sample their pain au chocolate,and one of their specialties,they melt white chocolate and blend it in with the dough.OMG,it was so good,then a croissant of course.the owner,Benjamin took us downstairs where all the magic happens.He explained to us the process for making baguettes,how to measure the dough,roll them,etc,Then while they were baking,we started on croissants.He told us he is one of the few that make them from scratch ,others buy them frozen and just bake them.there is nothing like eating your own creations.We walked out of there carrying the fruits of our labor.Had to spend the rest of the day walking off some calories.Got back to the apartment just as the rain and thunder started.
Thursday
We could sleep in a little later today,as we didn't have to be anywhere til one.Then to the Ritz for yet another cooking clas.We did one here last year,and wanted to do another before they close for 2 years.In the kitchen with the head chef Jerome and his translator. We were making a salmon dish with couscous and vegetables. Everyone dons aprons and helps dice finely the cucumbers,tomatoes,peppers and shallots.there were 10 in all,some from Paris,vienna,Guatemala . After the meal is prepared,we serve it and eat in a small dining room.AThey provide wine ,water and bread. Coffee is served after with an assortment of their chocolates. Back upstairs to take a few pictures of the gorgeous flowers.
Before we went to the Ritz,we stopped at the Madeline church to pick up some rosaries,then to the Maille mustard shop.
After our lunch ,more walking.We stopped bynto see if we could make a lunch reservation at Spring for next week,and we could..

You are cooking up a storm...I am too lazy to "work" on my vaca but your classes do sound good.
I should take a class to make better gougeres!

Well,the weather here this week has been cool,humid,sunny,rainy,cloudy,you name it.No cooking classes today,slept late,started out with my usual,pain au chocolate and coffee.Out we go to the Fashion show at Galleries Lafayette.My husband always enjoys seeing how hort the skirts are and how high the heels are.then we just walked wherever we felt like,stopping fort the occasional Sancerre or a glass of champagne.Had confit de canard for my dinner.Home early,right before the rain started

I meant how short the skirts are

Guess what,the sun was out all day,beautiful blue skies,great day for walking..And did we ever walk. We took the metro to the Eiffel Tower.Lots of people there,families playing soccer and soaking up the sun.We did not need to go up ,as we have done that several times.We just meandered around,went by Invalides,and decided we could walk down to Notre Dame.Lots of people out on their bikes too. We stopped and had a cool drink at a cafe near the d'Orsay.Bill had a beer, I had a kir royale.We continued down along the quai,and got into the cathedral just as the archbishop was getting ready to start evening Mass.We didn't stay for the whole Mass,as we needed to find a place for dinner. We ended up having a delicious meal at le caveau de l'lsle.

Oooo...a glass of Sancerre sounds wonderful!

Started out today with some figs and melon from yesterday's trip to the market.Thunder and lots of rain during the night.Cloudy as we head out,no rain,mild,it actually felt a bit humid.We went to the Grand Palais and saw the exhibit going on now,very colorful..Walked around a bit,had lunch at Cafe Constant,more Sancerre.We both had the special ,caesar salad with a grilled shrimp and smoked salmon,followed by a chicken dish,stuffed with mushrooms,and sitting on a bed of mashed potatoes..We then took the Metro to the Sevres-Babylon area.I needed to pick up some medals at the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal.Very moving ..headed back,lots of police in the metro area today.Tonight we are going to the ballet at the Opera Garnier.I love that place..

I love Opera Garnier...so gorgeous. Enjoy the ballet.

As always, I sigh for Italy and Paris....nice TR.

Aw..the Opera Garnier,just love that building. The ballet was la fille mal gardee.It was light,amusing(bill was worried he may fall asleep) and we enjoyed it. At the end ,after several rounds of applause,a very important gentleman came out to speak.The locals around us seemed to recognize him. I think he must be the president of the Opera. Garnier or someone very important. He made an announcement about the young female star. She was made star or prima ballerina , I am not sure, but everyone was so happy for her. She received a 10 minute standing ovation . She seemed very surprised when they announced it.Congratulations!
Tomorrow is our dinner at. Reed with. Lucien and. Marie,Thursday unch plans at. Spring..
Next week,back on the diet!!

Figs and melon for breakfast... you are making me jealous!

We,tonight was dinner at Reed.We met our friends there(Lucien and Marie).We started off with un coupe de champagne. Great start already. We had a 6:30 reservation,and after talking and catching up,we decided to order.Everyone had the pate de fois gras except me.I chose the mackerel rillettes,since I never had them before.They were delicious,topped with some nice greens and served with some toasted bread.The other 3 must have liked theirs,as all 3 plates were licked clean,For the main,I chose the silky risotto with morelles,Bill and Lucien both chose the beef cheeks ,( cooked for 5 hours in red wine).Marie had the lamb stew. I tasted the beef cheeks,as it something. I wouldn't normally order.That cow must have smiled a lot,I didn't expect them to be so thick,but they melted in your mouth. The restaurant only seats 20 ,and Catherine had to turn away at least 6-7 walk-ins.Catherine must have been happy to see our plates,nothing left on any of the 4. I am glad she is doing so well,she is a delight.She cooks,greets guests and serves.She does have a helper in the kitchen,thank goodness. Yes,of course we had to have dessert.I was full,but had a slice of lemon cheesecake,Bill had Boston cream pie,Lucien had a huge strawberry shortcake.All in all,a great evening with friends,delicious food. Go ,if you can get a reservation.

Today we went to the Musee Jacquemart-Andre on blvd Haussmann. tThis is a beautiful building,the former home of the Andres and their exquisite art collection.Thenaudio-guided tour tells you about Nelie and Edouard,and their passion for art.It houses masterpieces by Rembrandt,Van duck,Fragonard, Boucher,and several others. I can only imagine going to a ball in this stately mansion.They also have a beautiful dining room,where we had a light lunch and some rouge Sancerre. We had to pass on dessert,as the salads were huge.My salad was called Chardin,which had greens,chèvre chard with thyme sur pain aux cereanles,jamb on de Bayonne,tomatoes,asparagus,Bill had a salad with smoked salmon and a smoked trout terrine. We then had to do some walking. Since we were so close,we walked over to the CE,and down to the Four Seasons hotel on Georges V.Lots of big cars out front,Lamborghini ,some expensive Italian car. We went into to check out the beautiful flowers,just amazing.
We then headed over to Luxembourg Gardens.Everybody was out,enjoying the day. Lots were working on their suntans.There several groups playing chess against the clock.We decided it was time for an ice cream at Amorinas.I had the chocolate and coconut.They make it look so pretty.Time to get home and soak my feet.

Lainie2285, that sounds like a wonderful day! I love Jacquemart-Andre and always visit Goerge V to see the flowers! Do they still have the flowers overhead in the courtyard with the roots hanging down?

After reading so many wonderful descriptions of the meals & experiences at Reed, DH & I are planning to have dinner there when we go to Paris in September! Just wondering how far in advance should we make reservations?

Judy,
Yes the flowers were there,hanging down,a gorgeous photo op,I will post pictures if I figure out how.
2010
Reed is booked 2-3 weeks out,some longer.We were there for a cooking class tues,and were able to score a table the following week,but she turned away several while we were there.So I think a month in advance should be ok.

I did post some pictures on FB

How can we access the FB photos? Will definitely book Reed in December.

I guess you will have to friend me Elaine Kohan

I just tried....do you have another name after Kohan?

Elaine Kohan (Elaine Mroczka)

Cloudy,drizzly,humid ,hoping to see the sun. Having lunch at Spring today. Today is the fete de la musique. Hoping to hear some great music today.

You did some walking! Hub and I loved Andre also.

Your dinner at Reed sounded sooo great.

More, please!

We'd nite we stopped by a la renaissance, a small restaurant in our neighborhood.It was a gorgeous nite and all the outside tables filled up quickly.bill decided to have the herring for his starter,followed by Lapin.I went with the salad with goat cheese and since I never had boeuf tartare,I ordered it.(I had tasted Bills once before). Well Bill's herring could have been his main.Two large herring were served over lots of boiled potatoes.I think he was full ,but along came the Lapin cooked in a honey sauce,served with some puréed carrots.My salad had the usual mixed greens, some green asparagus and the goat cheese was put between a sheet of pasta and baked til crisp.This made the goat cheese melt a little ,yummy.My boeuf de tartare was seasoned nicely,but way too much.It was served with a layered potato dish.Wish I could have taken it home,but we were going out for another special lunch.

What a trip report! You are giving us great information and many new ideas for me. Thank you!

Today was our lunch at Spring, a small popular restaurant in the first.We had been there last year and wanted to thank our friends Lucien and Marie. Lucien always drives us to and from the airport. We started out with 2 small dishes set before us. One had some cucumber and radish pieces,the other 2 pieces of a sushi like fish, I think they said bonito.Delicious with their crusty rolls,butter and a taponade. The next dish to come out was a bowl with the freshest spring peas and some green beans,topped with a poached egg,some wonderful jambon slices and a light frothy sauce.We used the bread to finish cleaning the sauce from the bowl.Now they bring out a thick slice of a tender veal,wrapped in a Swiss chard leaf.You just have to see the pictures, I don't do it justice,talking about it.Now for dessert, first strawberries with a hint of thyme and a little lemon granita.Second a small dish of a rich chocolate fudge-like piece,topped with some coffee granita and a little dab of whipped cream.Now,don't think there were huge,just mini-sized,but enough.The waiter then brings out some frozen ice cream,made from Greek yogurt,topped with sugared pistachios.He said don't eat it all because it goes well with the next thing.Them he brings out a warm cherry clafoutis.OMG,it was in one pan and we all took a serving,and topped it with our yogurt cream..coffee and a plate with a bite size puff filled with a lemon cream followed.Great finish.We were able to go downstairs and see their wine cellar.Our friends were able to make a dinner reservation for 4 in a few weeks when both their grown children will be home for a visit.As we were leaving the skies opened and it poured that liquid sunshine,so we spent some time in the boutique across the street.I would say a perfect afternoon.We bid them au revoir,and set out to do some walking.

I'm finding your trip report interesting, but could I ask you to please use paragraphs, and spaces between sentences? Reading solid blocks of print is difficult for these aging eyes.

Thank you.

ttt

Sorry

Friday we went out to the 12th to some food markets,very lively.Didn't buy anything.such a beautiful day.
We decided to walk the Promenade Plantee.It is such a peaceful walk,lots of the roses were finished blooming,some still ok.Took lots of pictures,they look like the same ones I took last year.
By the time we got to the end ,we were getting hungry.Found a nice outdoor cafe,we both ordered the beef carpaccio that presented with a nice salad with capers.Some nice wine and just relax.Took the metro back to read and catch up on mail.
Later that evening we were getting hungry again.We didn't want to go far and Bill was hiking about those marrow bones he didn't order the previous nite.He was thinking about them all day,so back we went.He really enjoyed them.
Saturday we had to get up early ( on our last day of vacation) We had to take the metro out to the 13th,as we signed up for a cooking class at the Cordon Bleu.
The Chef spoke some English,but they had a translator.Chef Frederic Losourd was so entertaining.He had worked for the French president and at several well known kitchens prior to become an instructor here.We didn't actually do anything hands on,just take notes.It was about 3 hours,and we did get a nice portion of all he made.
First was a crab with avocado and pamplemousse( sounds so much better than grapefruit) .
Then he taught us about making a duck breast so it remains moist,served with creamy potatoes,tiny baby beets and patty pan squash.He has us laughing the whole time,even though most of us weren't fluid in French.He taught taught us lots of things about food ,preparation serving.
For dessert he made ice cream,served it over giant cherries

I hit send before I finished, Anyway I would recommend taking a class here if you have the time.

Then we headed out to the 15th.My husband saw a sign for American style football at the stadium.It was afrench championship game,so why not?
We didn't stay for the whole game,the pregame festivities got the crowd really pumped up.They were all making a lot of noise.But I was really tired,I didn't sleep well the night before and got up at 6,so we headed back to pack.
We were early for the game,it was not starting until 3, so we took a walk ended up in a beautiful park.Parc Montouris(?).lots of joggers,families ,kids enjoying pony rides.It is a beautiful setting.

Sounds like a wonderful trip! Thanks for sharing your report. The croissants with white chocolate in the dough sound delicious. Is that bakery open to the public or is it just part of the cooking school? In other words--can I get some of those croissants??!!