Category Archives: dining in paris

Tour France: A Culinary Adventure with Charitable Twist

Our love of food and love of helping others finally meet– and you can help!

meal

The culinary adventures our clients experience with Bliss Travels have become our specialty. How many people can say that that they ate the best meal of their lives with a Michelin-starred chef in their jewel-like restaurant?

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A Michelin-starred meal in a French bistro. One incredible dish!

Or enjoyed a perfect wine pairing with a custom meal cooked by our private chef in Burgundy or Bordeaux?

BlissTravels-Luxury-Tour-France-ABPhoto-FranceMay2012-4 copy

A private wine tasting on one of our previous trips

Or enjoyed lunch at an off-roads Provencal farm as the sun-dappled trees swayed in the breeze and farm animals meandered by?

A picnic outside in Provence, with fresh cheese from the farm

A picnic outside in Provence, with fresh cheese from the farm

What a privilege, and what a treat! To show our gratitude it seems only fair that we help those who don’t have access to such luxuries. There are too many families in the area who cannot afford their groceries, much less enjoy a culinary adventure of their own –even a local one. In order to help out Bliss Travels sponsors trips to the grocery store for families in need, letting them enjoy a respite from the anxiety of paying for something that should, at least sometimes, be a source of enjoyment. For each vacation purchased, Bliss will donate $150 to a family so that they too can have the luxury of purchasing things on their “wish list”.

For us, food is much more than a necessity and a source of nutrition. Meals are a time to gather and relax, away from the stress of the day. It is a means of enjoying family, friends, and life–and we all deserve those moments.

family meal

There is nothing better than the simple joy of sharing a meal with family and friends.

If you feel inspired by Bliss‘ example, feel free to try the “hands on” approach, help a family on your own, and let us know- we would love to hear about your experience! We’ll also reduce the price of your trip by however much you spend, up to $150.

Bliss Travels loves a good meal, and we know you do, too. Contact us if you want more information and to get involved in our culinary charity. Have ideas on how to expand this? We’d love to hear from you!

We can’t wait to expand this venture and help spread the bliss.

A bientot!

Wendy

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Tour France: French Sparkling Wine & Dessert Pairings for the Holidays

Tour France Champagne

This photo is from a trip we did through Reims, in Champagne. We toured Mumm.

Food and wine pairings, especially things with bubbles are great. Over the holidays you can have entire parties based around these things. So, whether you are looking to have a champagne and chocolate party or simply serve an elegant finale to a celebratory meal, here are some ideas for pairing the two that we tasted in a class I taught on December 11, 2012.

All of the wines were purchased at the Princeton Corkscrew’s wine shop. Laurent Chapuis, the owner, is a master at finding great wines from around the world, and at reasonable prices.

Dessert Item #1: Choice or roasted pears or a goat cheese tart with a rosemary walnut shortbread crust, topped with figs or pears.

Poire Authentique:

“A sommelier by training, in 1992 the maker of this cider took over his family’s estate and orchards. His goal was to revolutionize the cider industry and bring it into restaurants, high-end retail and export markets. A close friend of his, Didier Dagueneau, the icon wine-maker in Pouilly-sur-Loire encouraged him down the path of producing ciders from apples and pears that are like no others. Ciders that make one draw comparisons to fine vintage wine. The core of Bordelet’s estate is the 1.5 hectares of antique varietal apple and pear trees that are 40-50 years old. He plants only true varietal (non-hybrid, non-cross) trees, and the trees are balanced between sweet, bitter and sour varieties. Currently, he has 20 varieties of apples and 14 varieties of pears planted. The orchards are farmed organically and biodynamically, and Eric believes that this is the regimen that produces the best fruit for ciders. Bordelet’s Poiré Authentique, which is done in a traditionally off-dry, sparkling style, works brilliantly with goat cheese roasted pears”

Poached pear with orange and a four grain tulle from one of our new fav's in Provence

Poached pear with orange and a four grain tulle from one of our new fav’s in Provence

The class enjoyed this cider, finding it light and not too sweet. Concensus was that this would go well, not just with pear based desserts, but also with salads, goat cheeses, cheese courses generally and summer lunches. Think: outside, warm weather, salad or light lunch of bread and cheese….

Roasted pear with orange and four grain tuile, served by one of our new fav's in Provence

Think about pairing the cider with a cheese and salad plate as a light lunch. Round it off with walnut bread and baguette.

Idea #2 –Anything goes with….

Armance B-”This a fantastic value sparkling wine made in the traditional Champagne method. A blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Folle Blanche makes for a beautifully floral sparkling wine of considerable finesse and elegance. A lovely pale gold color, the Armance B. shows impressively fine, persistent effervescence and a Champagne-like yeasty, toasty, brioche-driven nose. Rich and creamy on the palate, the bottling fuses brisk Côtes-des-Blancs-like acidity with gripping, resinous texture and warm notes of homemade bread. Hints of clover honey, grated ginger, lemon zest and pain grillé appear on the wine’s impressively long, complex finish. No, this is not Champagne, but it will fool – and impress – a lot of wine lovers. Here’s the value choice sparkling wine to open your holiday festivities, to be used for celebratory toasts, and for superb pairing with all things seafood, especially sole in a beurre blanc sauce, broiled true cod, and bivalves. Impressive, inimitably French sparkling wine for a song!”

This was the class favorite for all of the reasons above. People liked it on its own and with every item we tasted. The “balance” is what made this so likable.

Pair this with something truly elegant, like this creative seafood dish, from our June 2012 trip to Paris.

Pair this with something truly elegant, like this creative seafood dish, from our June 2012 trip to Paris.

Dessert item #3: Biscotti and cookies or chocolate covered treats (think about salted cashews, espresso beans…) with the following

Cravantine Brut, Fabrice Gasnier –Cabernet France, Loire, near Chinon. Originally just made for the family, was commercialized in the last few years.  Strawberry notes. This wine was less popular for it’s nose, which nobody enjoyed. However, the class was split on its pairing with foods. Some people felt the pairing with dark chocolate and espresso worked well -the bitter elements of the food blending with the bitter notes in the wine. Sweeter desserts made the wine taste “off”.

In general, though, the class preferred the Alsace sparkler with the above flavors –and even on it’s own. It was clean, crisp and was a good marriage with all of the desserts.

Cremant d’Alsace. From Alsace. Organically produced.: “A zero-dosage sparkling wine whose initial impression of lively petillance and keen, refreshing citrus slowly settles into a wine of gentle, charming textures, fringed with brioche, meringue, and jasmine-blossom tea.” – Jeremy QuinnGasnier

Last, our goat cheese tart with walnut herb short crust was a hit with all of the sparkling wines. This tart  is good year around and can be served savory or sweet. We make this in Provence. In summer, we top it with incredible, juicy fresh figs. In spring we use strawberries. You can even make a savory version topped with tomato and drizzled with olive oil. Watch for the recipe –coming up in our next blog!

Any questions? Write us!

Tour France: Food, Wine & Photo Vacations in Provence

Tour France: Food, Wine & Photo Vacations in Provence

Nothing is better, in my opinion, than the food and wine in France. And what better way to continue to enjoy the experience other than to photograph what you are enjoying?

The meal begins with an eggplant crumble and some wonderful tapenade. Follow this with braised lamb and kidneys.

Chocolate, mais oui!


Cafe…apres!
And, of course…digestive! Of course, the only “real” choice was the Marc de Chateauneuf du Pape!

The perfect end to a lovely day! Bliss!

7 Photo Categories (contest): Spring/Summer in Provence

“Bliss – Full” photos of Spring and Summer in Provence, the Luberon

Please give us caption suggestions –either in comments or via email. We will post our favorites and  give you credit –and link to your blog if you are chosen!

A Bientôt,

Wendy

1. Sunflowers!

2. Painted buildings –from colors mined in Provence.

3. Color co ordinated flower boxes!4. Happy couples  -dare we say “blissful“?

5. Lavender cakes –yes, you heard right. These are absolutely wonderful –and only found here!
6. The amazing cliffs, and the unbelievable, otherworldly blue of the water.

6. The fabulous chefs we get to watch, work with, and whose specialties we adore!


7. Wines, and where they come from!

4 Reasons A Guidebook Won’t Suffice for Real Foodies!

First,  a guidebook or review only gives you old news. First the place is reviewed, or worse, someone collects third party reviews  Then the review is edited. Then published. Then read by you. Then, eventually used!

Second, you have no idea who the reviewers were in most cases. Readers? Diners asked for their opinion? What kind of taste do they have and what is their level of experience? How do you know what they call charming isn’t an awful place that microwaves their food? How do you know that what they call nice, isn’t pretentious? The simple answer is, since you don’t get to interact with them and ask questions about their recommendations, you don’t know their point of view about these things.

Third, it’s written and then done. It doesn’t revisit or speak to people or update itself for your trip…

Fourth, what if you have a problem, change your mind, or something doesn’t go according to plan? The guidebook is useless.

Here is a recent true experience that highlights all four of these points:

I had been reading about a great little restaurant, with a “brilliant” young chef for a while. The place was teeny, tiny. The location was good. And I thought, this will be great either for a private dinner for a small group of my clients, or simply to recommend to my clients for a night out in a charming, authentic and well priced, casual gourmet bistro meal. But, and here’s the big “but”. I never recommend a place I haven’t tried. So, I went.

I was told I could only eat at 7 or 7:30pm, though I booked well in advance. Okay. I arrived at 7:30pm. The place was adorable. The waitress was lovely. The kitchen was open and the chef was visible and quietly working. All good signs. After about 40 minutes, I had not been shown the blackboard menu, and my order had not been taken. For a solo diner, that’s really inexcusable. Seeing that there were still 6 people ahead of me who had to order (a little less than  1/2 the restaurant) and making some calculations given there was one chef and one waitress, I decided to invent a polite excuse so I could leave. I said I had a 9pm appointment and as it was a little after 8pm, I was certain I’d never finish in time, and was very sorry, but could I pay for my glass of wine. I’d have to come back another time, I said (and meant).  The chef was a bit brusque, and said, why? There would be no problem serving me and getting me out before 9pm as they had another seating at 9pm. Now, here’s where someone with experience clicks in….

Immediately, that brought three major problems to mind:

1. They planned to serve me 3 courses (first, main and dessert) along with a check within 45 minutes? That meant they’d be able to prepare 2 of the 3 (assuming dessert was pre made) within 10 minutes. That meant it had to be microwaved Or precooked and microwaved…You can’t cook a duck breast in only 5 minutes etc. Not a good sign. Plus given the tables needing to order, and the one chef, it meant nothing whatsoever was made on the spot, not a pot on the stove.

2. That then made me wonder how fast I was going to have to eat….If it took them 5 minutes to prepare each microwaved, or cold plate, then that gave me about 7 minutes per course before their next seating. That sounded like a lot of stress!!!

3. There were NO SMELLS in the restaurant. There were two very  friendly diners next to me, eating a braised lamb concoction (that truly did need to be made well in advance –and was better prepared like that) but there was no smell of food in the restaurant. Also, the couple on my other side ordered dessert, which had to have come directly from the fridge –as it arrived in less than 30 seconds. Not a great sign.

So instead of deciding to return, I’ve decided that the reviews and the hype were inaccurate and Bliss Travels clients will not be going to this restaurant…Pas de tout!

Bliss Travels will be eating things like the below 70% cocoa chocolate tart with caramel (as they did yesterday):

Or the below pistachio cake with grapefruit, and “grapefruit paper”. Gone in a flash!

How to Have a Great Lunch in Paris…Off The Beaten Track

Everyone wants that little, special, “we’re the only tourists there and the chef is soooooo good, but without all the pomp and circumstance” bistrot. But, here’s the thing. Not everyone finds it. Why? Because unless you know someone, or live in Paris, or go there a dozen times a year, you just aren’t going to be in the know. You’re going to know what the guide books know. Unless, of course, you experience “Bliss” as we did today!

Our favorite “private”  chef in Paris treated us to a new treasure!

(Bliss Travels clients have tasted his amazing creations –everything from goat cheese flan with roasted tomatoes to chicken roulade stuffed with foie gras in a mason jar on a bed of seasoned vegetables, plus a side dish of  cold artichoke and vinaigrette, accompanied by starters of homemade breadsticks and an eggplant dip. Not to be outdone, dessert was a roasted and caramelized pineapple with homemade nougat. And we’re talking a PICNIC he made for one of our train rides….So, yep, you get it now, don’t you?  So, when he said, “Allons Y” or Let’s go, we did! Tout de suite!)

Off the beaten track. Great chef. Warm welcome. So fun, we closed the place down. (Sorry, Chef, next time we’ll peel carrots to help with the mise en place for the dinner service!) Christian, Pierre and Serge along with their wonderful staff made us feel utterly at home!

First course was a boudin terrine with chestnuts, and a great, salad.After came a pintadeau with thyme, on a bed of lentils, carrots and parsnip. Lardons bits were cooked with the lentils, and potatoes on top were like nowhere else! There was also veal chop, cooked rare, topped vegetables and in a black truffle jus….oh, ho hum. I know you have this every day!
Just to put the icing on the cake, as it were, we were treated to an outstanding view, and we learned that our chef is willing to give private lessons to Bliss Travels Clients!

France- Day 2: It’s Never Too Late/Jamais Trop Tard!

Today, an outstanding lunch at a new favorite –with Michel –a talented photographer, artist and friend– and the meal was so enjoyable, nobody thought to take pictures! Tout a coup (all of a sudden), out comes the camera and the only photo left to take is the empty bottle of wine and the last bits of dessert!

                                           An excellent Millefeuille (what we call Napoleon.)

All of which prompted me to blurt –”oh, it’s too late!” Of course, it is, as Michel pointed out, in French fashion, “never too late.”

Angels sleeping the way you will after enjoying this wonderful wine!

You have choices! And tomorrow is a new day. You can always go to the afternoon market and buy pleurottes, a Provencal mushroom (and sauté them in garlic, olive oil and parsley), then herb crust a lamb shoulder (yum)…Or you can come with us to France, and experience Bliss -in person -both in the restaurants and in the markets –with or without your camera!

So, “Jamais Trop Tard” for those on our trips! Below, one of Michel’s incredible drawings!

7 Chocolate and French Wine Pairings for Valentines!

Chocolate and Wine….

Much like wine, chocolate is harvested, fermented, liquified and “made” into the final product. The “terroir” and the “maker” bring much to the final product.

Cocoa grows near the equator, and the heat and type of plant (like wine) create distinct flavor profiles. Cocoa beans are harvested and then fermented. They are dried and processed and eventually ground, roasted and broken down. Finally, they go through a process called “conching”, which is akin to constant kneading–and determines the texture of the chocolate. At this point the chocolate is then used as a raw product for artisans and large manufacturers to make their bars, ganaches, clusters and other candies.

Each manufacturer adds his/her own special mixture of ingredients –vanilla, sugar, cream, spice, nuts. Different cultures tend to produce similarly styled chocolates. American chocolates tend to be sweeter, less pure (i.e. milk v. dark) and larger. Belgian and French tend to use much less sugar, rely on thinner more delicate shells for their filled chocolates, use pure creams in the centers (not ‘creamy’ sugar fillings),  and produce higher percentages of purer (i.e. more dark and less milk) chocolate.

This blog is going to focus on Pairing French Wine and Belgian or French Chocolate, of course!

Here are 7 tips and pairing suggestions to sweeten your Valentine’s Day at home or abroad.

 

1. Pair Champagne with chocolates. Especially with lighter less rich chocolates, or fresh filled Neuhaus creams. Also, this pairs well with chocolate fruit combinations.

 

2. Pair a French Burgundy (Pinot Noir) with mild, but rich dark chocolates, and dark chocolates with mild spice, roasted nuts or ripe berry fruits. So, consider chocolates with cardamom, hazelnut or dark cherries for these wines.

3. Pair Rhone wines, such as a  Chateauneuf du Pape (and other Grenache heavy wines) or wines with rich spicy flavor and high tannins with highly spiced complex chocolates that can match the power of the wine. So, consider chocolate and chili pepper or chocolate with pink peppercorns or strong tea flavors and spice mixtures as good combinations.

4. For purists, wanting to experience the depth of one flavor,  use a single origin chocolate with a single grape wine. You can focus on the subtly of each more easily.

5. Pair a dessert wine, we prefer a Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, with a salted chocolate or salted caramel chocolate. Make sure you use a rich full flavored deep chocolate. Not a milk chocolate.

6. Have a Cognac with a chocolate –either complement it with a cognac flavored truffle or find a very low sugar, almost pure, dark chocolate.

7. Come with Bliss Travels where we do custom pairings and tastings of these things all over France, and in Brussels! At all the best spots! That’s why we call it Bliss!

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.

La truffe ou la "rabasse" en provençal

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 a

1. 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!

http://www.blisstravels.com

5 Reasons to Spend Valentine’s Day in Paris (as if you needed even one!)

5 Reasons to spend VALENTINE’S DAY in Paris….As If You Needed One!

1. It’s the most romantic day of the year. And the most romantic city in the world. Where else would you be?

2. Propose? Marry? Just escape from it all? Meet the person of your dreams? We’re doing our version of Romantic Bliss over Valentine’s weekend in Paris….You do not want to miss out!

3. What could be better than a romantic hotel, breakfast in bed, private chocolate and wine pairing from a world class chocolatiere, a star studded (Michelin, that is) dining experience customized to the occasion, a saunter through the best that Paris has to offer, and that includes: foie gras, truffles, red wine and more chocolate :)

4. To say “I do” with the Eiffel Tower sparkling behind you….or even better, on top of the Eiffel Tower!

5. To find love in the City of Lights!

(If you missed our Blog about the wedding photographer who found love on our photo shoot, check it out now. True story!)

Think of these images while you decide whether you want to experience true Bliss! Ask about our exclusive WEDDING IN PARIS and our Valentine’s Getaways. Not on the website. Limited sale.

Call us when you’re ready…..wendy@blisstravels.com. 609 462 6213.