Happy Valentine's Day and Best Wishes for a Happy and Healthy 2009!

Philippe tuned in to hear the latest headlines a few weeks ago and voilà, he landed on a live interview with Christian Constant, one of our favorite chefs and well-deserved recipient of two Michelin stars and a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2008. Over the past year, Constant has emerged as one of the most celebrated chefs in France –– even President Sarkozy recently dined at his new restaurant, Les Cocottes, on rue St. Dominique. New Year’s Eve in France is undoubtedly the most important night of the year for food and Chef Constant was hoarse from directing his busy kitchens until 4am. However, he managed to give some fascinating tips on what to do with the leftovers.

It was one of my many ‘only in France’ moments, as the interviewer went through a list of typical French leftovers from New Year’s Eve, asking Constant what to do with them. Forget the turkey, my canned pumpkin pie, stuffing and cranberry sauce. Here is what a French household finds in their refrigerators, looking for inspirational recipes!

Left-over foie gras and chestnuts: Christian Constant: 'Facile! Hollow out a pumpkin and whip up some fresh pumpkin soup! Add the chestnuts and cut the foie gras into cubes to serve on top with a dash of crème fraiche for a delicious pumpkin soup.'

Left-over oysters: Dice leftover raw oysters and add shallots and a vinaigrette sauce to make Huitres Tartare.

‘Certainement!’ Let me just check my refrigerator for fresh raw oysters, foie gras and chestnuts…

Email me if you’re interested and I’ll happily send his recipes: news@parisperfect.com

Subscribe to Our Newsletter!

The Perfect Way to Say: ‘Je T’Aime’!

If you’re coming to Paris for Valentine's Week or for any special occasion, we have organized a unique way to say ‘I Love You’! Master chocolatier Gregory Renard on rue St. Dominique has offered to personalize your ‘Je t’aime’ message on one of his excellent bars of chocolate. He has even offered to bake a special 15 inch macaron in the flavor of your choice with your special message, gift-wrapped and ready for you to deliver peersonally the next day! Let us know if you’re interested and we’ll help organize it: news@parisperfect.com.

We have a few romantic apartments still open for Valentine's week and thought it would be a great idea to offer some incentives to book your Romantic Getaway in Paris!

• 10% off our low season prices in a Paris Perfect apartment. Prices start at €1,344 ($1,745) per week for a stunning one bedroom apartment with romantic Eiffel Views!*
  
  
• A welcome basket with a bottle of French wine, fresh strawberries and award-winning chocolate macarons from master chocolatier Gregory Renard upon arrival at your Paris Perfect apartment.
  
  
• A three-course lunch accompanied by a glass of wine at the popular Café Constant, recipient of a ‘Bib Gourmand’ from Michelin in 2008.
  
  
• Two complementary tickets for a romantic Seine Cruise.
  

* Please note: Offer is based on availability. This offer cannot be combined with any other offer.

We recently remodeled our Pinot apartment, using taupes and rust colors in the living room to give a warm and welcoming feel. We found two large decorative sketches from Italy for the living room and black and white photographs of European doorways to hang in the dining area. We love the pair of armchairs which we bought at a French flea market and re-upholstered with beige jacquard fabric that has small bees woven into it. These comfortable old armchairs are getting harder to find, but nothing beats them when you want to relax at the end of a long day, for that 'aaahh' moment! The reason is that the back reclines slightly and the mahogany legs are lower to the floor than modern ones, making it easier to stretch your legs out. Our team teases me that I've hoarded a few larger pairs in our storage area for future projects, but I find them impossible to resist. Our guests love the new decor and kitchen, but remind us that the pièce de résistance remains the balcony and incredible Eiffel views, especially when the sun sets behind La Grande Dame or the Eiffel Tower and the magic light show begins. We produced a short video clip for you to enjoy, for the occasion. Click on this link to see more…

This favorite dessert is the reason you want to be in Paris in the winter months, the special cake to celebrate Twelfth Night, or January 6th, when the Magi arrived in Bethlemen. Our family loves it and our daughter has amassed a huge collection of ‘fèves’, the porcelain figurines which are baked into each one. Whoever wins the fève is crowned Roi or Reine – just make sure to bite down carefully in case the fève is in your piece!

Recipe for Galette des Rois

• 1 pound puff pastry dough
• 5 oz. ground blanched almonds
• 5 oz. (approx. 1 cup) powdered sugar
• 5 oz. softened butter
• 2 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)
• 1 fava bean or small porcelain ornament to hide inside (optional)

For the cream filling: mix together almonds and sugar. Add the creamed butter, two eggs and rum; mix well together.

Divide the puff pastry dough in half: roll out each half into a 12-inch circle. Lay one pastry round sheet on a (very slightly greased) baking pan. Pour the filling in the middle and spread without reaching the edge. Drop your "fève" in the filling, if you wish.

Top carefully with the second circle of dough. Press firmly all around (with moist fingers) to seal the "cake." Glaze the surface with the remaining beaten egg yolk. (For a little more control over the color, brush the yolk on roughly halfway through the baking – the glaze on our test cake was a little dark.)

With a fork draw some light curved lines for decoration. Make a few tiny cuts on the top (to let out steam during cooking).

Cook for 35 to 40 minutes in preheated 400-degree oven. Oven temperatures can vary; keep an eye on the cake!

Remove when golden. Cool and serve while still warm, or heat up in a warm oven later.

It’s chilly in Paris! This is the perfect season for long walks along the river to work up an appetite, or shop on rue Cler for the perfect paté de fois gras and invite friends over for a holiday celebration. A great recipe for cold weather is a hearty Soup à l’Oignon. This is my mother in law’s recipe, slightly different from ones I’ve seen– with a secret spoon of tomato paste for flavor and 3 layers of thinly sliced baguette, cheese and onion.

Ninette’s Gratinée à l’Oignon

Serves 5 to 6 people

Preparation: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Cook With and Serve with: Dry white wine such as a Bergerac Blanc or a Sylvaner

(Note from Madelyn: only the French would actually specify the cooking wine!)

• 200 g (7 oz) Gruyere, grated
• 3 big onions, cut in half lengthwise and finely sliced
• 1 TBSP tomato paste
• 1 TBSP of flour
• ½ Cup Water
• 2 TBSP dry white wine
• Salt and pepper
• 1.5 liters (6 cups) beef broth
• 12 slices baguette or stale bread, thinly sliced

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot and cook the chopped onion until golden, first at high heat then lowering the heat.
   
   
2. Add the tomato paste and the flour and cook and brown them, until they are fully mixed in.
   
   
3. Add the wine and allow to evaporate, then water.
   
   
4. Add salt, pepper and broth. Cover and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
   
   
5. In a casserole dish or a deep gratin dish, alternate three times three layers 1. thinly sliced, grilled baguette, 2. onions skimmed from the broth, and 3. ¼ of the grated gruyere. Add the hot broth and let it absorb for a moment so the bread inflates.
   
   
6. Cover with remaining gruyere and put in oven, 350 degrees for at least 45 minutes.