Guy Savoy A French Culinary Legend

 France is the birthplace of good food.It has given birth to some of the most legendary chefs in world history including Auguste Escoffier to now Guy Savoy. He recently became the first chef  to be welcomed into the esteemed and prestigious the Academie des Beaux Artes. He is sinly gone beyond being one of the finest cooks in modern Gallic history.He is a true artesan.

Former New York TImes Paris bureau chief and contributor Elaine Sciolino wrote about this remarkable man and his accomplishments in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday section.Chef Svoy's honor os the perfect sweet revenge because he had a Michelin star removedfrom his review in 2023. It  went from two to three.The Academie des Beaux Artes is one of the five academies led by the Royal Academie Francasrs first stated by  Louis XIV. At the Academie des Beaux Artes there are what's known as The "Immortals": painters, sculptors, architects, photographers ,choreographers, musicians and even film and  museum directors. Admitting a chef is a big deal, even in a country where gastronomy has ruled for centuries. He got on after just one round of voting despite that some members were not at all happy to admit him.Yet he even surpassed the great painter Eugene Delacroix and great composer Hector Berlioz. Both were rejected several times before gaining entry,

Chef Savoy is one of the last great chefs dedicated to the art and craft of turning foods into perfect object de desire. His, restaurant, located across from the Musee Louvre, has amazing food. He has created an egg and Caviar dish decorated with a savory sabayon which the staff makes sure dinners have extra of that. Dinners are given second helping of soups and main dishes like Bresse(chicken a breed known for it;s tender meat and juiciness)  .However the pandemic turned around the French palate  and made them crave fast foods like McDonald's .Fast food has soared throughout the country despite the country's plunging economy. Still Chef Savory persists, namely to his dedication to gastronomy. He also credits his mother,Leonie, a small bar and buvette - or informal eatery in their home in Bourgain-Jallu ,outside the French Culinary capital of Lyon.His Swiss born father Louis was the town gardener, supplying the restaurant with veggies and fruit, Fresh produce figures strongly in Chef Savoy's dishes.After the ceremony guests were able to taste thanks to him setting up outdoor tables and stations. His famed artichoke soup was a hit.

Chef Giy Savr will no doubt be rememebered for his amazing dishes.He is a true artists worthy of his membership in the Academie des Beaux Artes. He and his recipes were stand out not only in France but also the world

True Blue Bouillabaisse

One of the French Riviera 's most defining dishes is bouillabaisse. This thick fish stew defines what the flavor of Mediterranean  cooking is all about - a cornucopia of seafood mingled with a vast garden of herbs and spices. Where to get this amazing dish? Marseille - where cooking and eating the soup like stew originates.

Elaine Sciolino, a sometimes contributor to the New York Times Food section wrote about bouillabaisse in yesterday Food section. she had the lucky chance to enjoy the sun and sand of the area along with finding the perfect bowl.Ms Sciolino may have been the only one craving the dish. Very few Marseillaises eat the famed soup at restaurants. If they do, it's usually at home, from a family recipe.They would rather have either  pizza from food trucks or go to the city's North African restaurants for couscous.It is one of the area's earliest dishes, originating from the Greeks who colonized Marseille in 600 BC.  The recipe stems from kakavia and evolved from a supposed
 dish of the gods (Venus , the Roman goddess of love turned it into a sleeping potion for  her husband , Vulcan, while she dallied with her lover, Mars) . Local fisherman embraced it, adding the plentiful rockfish to the recipe. Their descendants turn up their noses at it. Bouillabaisse , they have discerned , is only for tourists. There's a rumor throughout France that the recipe has gone the way of coq au vin or blanquette de veau, traditional mid 20th Century dishes.Ms . Sciolino admits that finding it was somewhat of a quest.

Even though bouillabaisse has been served since the 18th Century, it is hard to find a restaurant that serves a good one.The port area makes up mediocre ones for tourists while the fancier and known eatery Le Petit Nice, creates a deconstructed  one, thanks to its' famed chef Gerald Passedat. Ms. Sciolino headed to the small resort community Carry-le-Rouet twenty miles northwest of Vieux Port. Since it requires expensive ingredients and is difficult to make you have to order it two days in advance. The chef,  Christophe Thullier prepared his the classic way. His stock was from tiny and gutted rockfish along with tomatoes, fennel, a mix of spices, olive oil and water. It's boiled for twenty minutes until it's thickened and then strained through a sieve. At the same time five types of rockfish is marinated for five hours in a blend of white wine,  and olive oil. Thyme, rosemary, saffron, paprika are added along with a  lot of garlic and more saffron.The fish is thrown into the broth at the last minute. The broth , however was served first , with slices of crusty and toasted French bread. The fish is served secondly and mixed with the broth. The soup is opaque and gritty, with the fish settling at the bowl's bottom.Still, it's worth the trip. Can it be made at home? Yes, but it may not be same as what's made in the south of France.

If you want to get the real bouillabaisse, then head to Marseille. It is worth the trip,not just for that, but the other recipes Provence has  to offer. The lure is strong , like the aroma of a good soup.

The New Age Of Saffron

Saffron is one of the world's most ancient of spices. It has been in use since Cleopatra and Alexander the Great. Now after over 2,000 of cultivation something new is happening ushering in a new age for the spice. It is being scrutinized as never before.Why? Because , like anything lux product  it is being upstaged by cheaper, less purer variations and forms.

Elaine Sciolino wrote the investigative piece for  last Wednesday's New York Times Food section. It seems that these much prized pistils of the crocus plant is under some controversy right now. The grains have been tampered with, cut , the same way cocaine is cut or diluted down to sustain the harvest.This creates an inferior grade product which leads to it ruining dishes that require it(think of that luscious recipe, risotto Milanese with inferior grade saffron.It would lose that amazing , unique flavor). Today there is a battle to stop this along with the halt of cheap substitutes, diluted shipments,and false labeling.It is  called Saffronomics. This is where scientists and growers get together and improve saffron production along with determining purity and place of origin. They also impose order on a wildly unregulated market.After all some manufacturers are a little more than family farms, more or less off the grid in small farms.some of these go to the local market, Some go to Spain., all unregulated.

There was a global conference in Almagro , Spain back in September.There was discussions of the huge amount of fraud saffron being sols worldwide. According to Professor, J.S. Heslop-Harrison who teaches genetics at England's University of Leicester this is a major problem that is robbing foodies , chefs and home chef's worldwide of the spice 's exotic tangy taste and highly aromatic smell.Luckily diluted saffron doesn't pose a health hazard.The meeting also produced talks about fraud detection through a variety of more sophisticated tests from simple spectroscopy  that tests the pollen's color to  more sophisticated DNA tests.They want to know if samples were artificially dyed or if plant compounds such as corn silks or safflower thistle has been added. Saffronomics is in the process of developing detailed databases of adulterants and regional varieties (Spanish and Iranian saffron widely differ yet look the same).As home chefs know the spice is one of the most expensive on the market.It can sell for up to $10,000 a pound.

Saffron is still the most desired spice as it had been in Cleopatra's and Alexander's day.Yet now the financial stakes are much much higher.There is intrigue and illegal deals Luckily there are now Saffronomics to rein in this new age of spice trading.

Le Saison Pour Chocolat

This is the week for sweets.No matter where you are in the world right now candies rule .France ,the center of good food and good wine is no different.The French delight in all things chocolate and The Christmas season is no exception. Elaine Sciolino got the chance to write about this in yesterday's special Christmas New York Times Dining edition.She sampled some of France's best cocoas.The all time best is from a town outside of Grenoble inVoiron.Chocolatier,Stephane Bonnat has created premium chocolates by checking the beans first for insects and then mold.They are then cleaned and roasted on an toque roasting machine.There are several other processes before the beans are turned into edible silk.Since the area is also known for the acid green liqueur chartreuse, there are chocolates filled with them.There are also bars such as le Madagascar which has a sublet flavor and the Cote d'Ivoire,which has a perfumed light flavor in the mouth.There is also one that celebrates Peru's contribution to the industry. Monsieur Bonnat has competition in the unlikely famed chef, Alain Ducasse. Chef Ducasse is known more his famed restaurant.As he does with his signature dishes he goes overboard with his chocolate making.He does it from scratch,much the same way chocolatiers did a century ago?Unfortunately the reviews have not been favorable.The best and actually most affordable is Vahlrona.It comes from Lyons in the south of France.It is smooth and silky ,perfect for eating on it's own or added as a luxe ingredient.Surprisingly the family who owned it sold it to French industrial giant Groupe Soparind Bongrain. Anything chocolate is a staple right now.The French have taken this holiday classic and turned it into a high art.Vive le chocolate!

The Delicacy Of Frog's Legs

Frog's legs and France were so entwined at one time it was hard not to think of one without thinking of the other.Then les jambe des grenouilles fell out of favor.Now they're back. ,not just in the traditional style but also served in a variety of new ways.(warning ,for Kermit lovers ,this could be graphic seriously) Elaine Sciolino rediscovered them and wrote about them in her Letter From Paris column in yesterday's New York Times Dining section.She visited a fourth generation chef ,Christophe Marguin. His great grandfather first made the national dish in 1906 when the frogs were caught out of a family pond. monsieur Marguin followed his heritage and opened up a restaurant ,not only serving the amphibian but also decorated with them as well.There are even hand painted frogs on the plates as well as frog statues and statuettes.Frogs are now imported to France ,usually from Poland, Albania and the Far East.The French government had put a ban on frog hunting since the 1980's however there are some relaxation to the law.Marguin and his wife actually raise them which is legal.There is barn full of them which his wife tends. As for the meat itself, Mssr. Marguin serves them in the traditional style ,sautéed with butter.The legs are first broiled and then drenched with a frothy butter sauce cooked over a low flame.There is also a galette,made with potatoes almond powder and white wine.There is the overly decadent caviar and scrambled eggs decorated with frog legs slivers and chives along with a crusty tart redolent with mushrooms and nuggets of frog meat(author's note although I'm writing about this,I really don't like the idea of eating frog.They're just too cute and really don't encourage my readers to do so).Surprisingly frogs are eaten in the American South,.Men catch then from ponds and creeks, cut off the legs and make them like chicken legs,coated in batter and deep fried.Where as the French serve the legs with champagne, good old boys like their froggies with a cold beer. France and frog legs are so enmeshed in each other.One can't think of French cuisine without them.For some foodies they are the ultimate delicacy.They represent true Gallic gourmet food.

White Asparagus A Different Spring Treat

Spring comes and with it asparagus season. Most Americans usually get excited over the green variety however there is also  white kind. White asparagus, overlooked here in the States, is what sets Europe on its ear. Germans and especially, the French swoon over the creamy white stalks. Like their verdant cousins, they are versatile, unlike them the blanche kind, have a more delicate flavor. It is a rare one,sweet and almost corn like in taste.

White asparagus was the subject of an article by Elaine Sciolino in today's New York Times Dining section. Ms Sciolino handles the Letters from Paris where from there she got the lucky chance of visiting an asparagus farm outside of Paris. She also had the good fortune of going with the famed French chef, Yannick Alleno. Ms.Sciolino even harvested the stalks with a special device , similar to a two prong screwdriver. White asparagus is prized by the French (they claim to have found them as early as the Renaissance) and can be cooked in the same way as green asparagus. The reason they're white is that the stalks are buried in sandy soil, thus stalling the production of chlorophyll which turns exposed stalks to that verdant emerald hue.

White asparagus has a delicate flavor , sweeter than what we're used to eating. Some French chefs servethe stalks with poached eggs which is a great pairing (it's always recommended with green asparagus too). Since the flavor has a fragility ,they can easily be served with stronger ones such as crab.Raw asparagus can be made into a salad as Ms. Sciolino witnessed when she returned to the City of Light. Her chef shredded them table side until the stalks were as thin as angel hair pasta and then dressed then with a peppery Ligurian olive oil. This can be tried here, thanks to markets such as Fairway selling the ivory stalks.Ms. Sciolino also has a cashew cream recipe for them, which she also tried at the very same restaurant..This is made with the nuts butter, olive  oil and milk and then poured on the boiled stalks.

White asparagus is a real and different Spring treat. It's more delicate yet just as versatile as its' green cousins. Try it either stuffed or with sauces for a something that 's both gourmet and every day.

Passover:New And Traditional Foods

Passover is starting soon and with it the special recipes that have been handed down. The holiday is celebrated all over the wold and with that come international recipes.Cooks , well versed in the tradition can change It up a bit. Novice ones can fall back on the traditional but traditional with a twist.

Both Elaine Scolino and Melissa Clark touched on this yesterday in Wednesday's New York Times Dining section.Ms. Sciolino lives in Paris and creates a French styled seder for her husband (she is Sicilian and Catholic) Instead of the usual chicken fat or schmaltz she uses duck fat. The matzoh is  infused with orange and wine ,w hile the noodles are made from potato and egg. She is able to buy ground almonds because the French sell them in their marketplaces.. Here she makes ossobucco and a Sephardic Jew tradition rice (the Ashkenazis ban it completely from the Passover table.)If you;re not too much into tradition, you can try this as well.

Melissa Clark goes for the traditional by making use of Manishcwitz Wine, a jammy port like brew. The wine has been standard for generations here in the States. It is primarily used in haroseth , a loose paste  made with chopped apples, walnuts and cinnamon, She takes it  a step further with an endive salad with relatively the same ingredients. To this she adds the walnuts but coats them with a bath of egg white and cayenne mixed with the Manischewitz for bite and sweetness..

Passover seders have always relied on the traditional. However it's nice to experiment or add from other tables, It makes for an interesting meal , not to mention an interesting palate.

The Delicacy Of Sea Salt

Sea salt is now one of the most ubiquitous food items on the table nowadays.It went from being a gourmet prize to an almost everyday must. Many don't know that it was started in France and there are a dozen variations there. It is still considered gourmet there despite its' commonality.

Fleur de sel was the subject of an article in today's New York Times  Dining section. It was a dispatch  from Elaine Sciolino and her Letters From Paris column. She is lucky to rent a summer house on the Ile de Re, an island of the western coast of France. She was able to visit a salt farm where the Bay of Biscay's lush waters feed clay pools and create amazing salts.Seawater collects in ponds and breezes dry them. This is the seasoning that chefs the world over clamor for it.Ile de Re is one of the most used and most fragrant sel in the world.

The salt is created by the air drying the ponds. Fleur e sel is a mineral rich salt full of potassium, magnesium, iron an zinc an the taste is far from reflecting them.It has a sweet  flavor and an aroma like violets. It's harvested slushlike  and placed in wheelbarrows for extra drying. Most salt ponds are coated over with an icelike crust of salt. Salicorne or sea asparagus ,an edible green sea plant also grows along the ponds as well and is harvested too. It's also sold in French fish markets and greengrocers. Most slats are sol in cooperatives to be bought fresh. Some "rebels" sell their own privately mixing the salt with hot peppers for a neat spin. The salt is good for anything but also for crusting baked fish.It leaves behin a sweet, tender flesh.

Sea salt, despite its' popularity is still a gourmet item.It's a delightful gift from the sea that should be savored and enjoyed. Fleur de sel is what it is a true flower of the sea.

Weights and French Recipes

Yesterday's New York Times Dining section was chock full of interesting articles, Beside's the one on foil cooking (see yesterday's entry) there is one on cooking scales along with one featuring the French government's recipe book.What is also interesting is that the Times is featuring new writers such as Farhad Manjoo and Elaine Sciolino.

Manjoo's article about kitchen scales is a controversial one. Most chefs and even home cooks don't use them. Everyone relies on measuring cups along with dashes and pinches. Scales are only used by those watching their weight and have to have exact measurements. Yet using them cuts down on washing measuring cups and spoons. Just put the bowl on scale , add the ingredients and pour in what is needed. Kitchen scales aren't that expensive. You can get a good one from twenty to fifty dollars. Most stores do have have them and they are easy to find.

The second article is about a different kind of scale, the fair political balance France seems to have. That article, written by Elaine Sciolino tells of a political unity that this country could benefit from. A cookbook, aptly named The Cuisine of The Republic: Cook With Your Deputies (La Cuisine de la Republique: Cuisenez avec vos deputes!) is a compilation of different and downright delicious recipes from French politicians (and note- not one tea bag mentioned). The dishes are traditional and representative of each region. There are escargot and aged hare along with scalloped potatoes and a simple cake taken from a 15th Century recipe.

The Times Dining section had some interesting articles this week. One divided chefs into a controversy,One united politicians in celebrating their heritage . Both are good reads.