Episode 46: Eulogy to Dad, Notre Dame, Clos St. Patrice, Cuverie des Ursulines, Clarendelle

by Paige Donner

This episode of Paris GOODfood+wine, April 2019 is dedicated to my father, Eugene Martin Donner. He passed away on April 11^th.

It was his love and passion for life, and his appreciation for fine wines and good food that started me on this path discovering exceptional terroirs of the world. Thank you, Dad. Your wisdom and guidance enriched my life immeasurably in countless ways since the day I was born. And will continue to do so, even though you have now departed this world and evolved into the next.

My dad, Eugene Martin Donner. b. February 27, 1932 - d. April 11, 2019. Pictured here May, 2015. 

READ FULL Show NOTES & PHOTOS 

On  LocalFoodAndWine

 https://localfoodandwine.wordpress.com/2019/04/27/episode-46-eulogy-to-dad-notre-dame-clos-st-patrice-cuverie-des-ursulines/

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The French have an expression. It's C'est la vie.

"Ç la vie," sums up so much about life. Perhaps only 'I love you' are three words more potent and full of meaning.

C'est la vie is both acceptance and resignation. It's that recognition of changing the things we can and accepting the things we cannot change.

This past month of April in Paris has been most certainly a C'est la vie point in time.

As the world stood and watched Notre Dame Cathedral burn, in people's shocked and stricken faces, there was a sense of powerlessness in the destruction of this great monolith of love.

Whether one is Catholic or not Catholic, Christian or perhaps not even practicing any kind of religion, the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris is so symbolic of French culture, of Paris, of the uniting of the world's peoples in prayer and love, that watching it consumed in flames, was a devastating and heartbreaking moment.

As I stood on Pont de la Tournelle, at 8pm on Monday April 15^th, watching my beloved neighborhood church burn in bright red and orange flames, I couldn't contain my sorrow.

But my overwhelming sorrow was not just for the church. My father had passed away only days before, and watching the spire of Notre Dame burn felt like watching my father' funeral pyre.

The great church came within about 30 minutes of being completely destroyed. But in the end, France's firefighters were able to save it.

Photo taken April 16, 2019 7am Paris time; photo by Paige Donner copyright 2019

It has been just over a week now since the fire. It has been roughly about the same amount of time since my father's soul and spirit have been set free from his human body. For if anything, that is the message I'm getting from my meditations this week. It's that God's love and the human spirit are eternal. And whether they are housed in a church or in a human body, or liberated from these outward structures, they live on. They exist. In eternity.

They live now in an invisible realm. But in God's love, they exist eternally.

The Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris survived on this earth for 850 years without destruction or significant damage. That historical fact changed on April 15^{th , 2019}

My father, Eugene Martin Donner, survived on this Earth for 87 years, without significant damage or destruction. That historical fact changed on April 11^th, or 12^th if you consider Paris time, 2019.

A very strange, and even somewhat spooky coincidence, is that the architect of the spire that burned along with Notre Dame's roof, was named Eugène Viollet Le Duc. Of course it is just a coincidence that my father and he both shared the same first name. But it feels significant, in a sort of God's winking kind of way, nonetheless.

Both the spire of Notre Dame and my father, who had a terrific sense of wit, comedy and irony – his favorite writer was Mark Twain - and who resembled to a great degree Jean Paul Belmondo, and who had a heart and soul full of love for humanity, in all its forms, colors and expressions, will be sorely and sadly missed.

I thank him for so many things, including his unwavering love for me, but also for instilling in me such a great appreciation for good food and wine. It's thanks to him that I was set forth on this fascinating discovery of God's and Earth's fruits and elixirs. As Benjamin Franklin once said,

Wine is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

My father always seconded that. Cheers to you Pops. May God's love keep you eternally forevermore.

 

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Our April show of Paris GOODfood+wine is one focused on wines.

 

First we speak to Samuel Montgermont of Domaine and Clos St. Patrice in the Côte du Rhône.

Pictured here: Samuel Montgermont of Domaine St. Patrice, Côte du Rhône. photos by Paige Donner copyright 2019. 

With his wines, we are firmly in Chateaneuf-du-Pape territory. In fact, we're right in the village of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. He has a lot to say about his unique wines. Interestingly, he is a musician as well as a wine master blender.If you haven't heard the term master blender coupled with wine before, don't worry. He'll explain all that to you during the interview.

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Following that segment, we then go to Burgundy. In fact you are being whisked off to the Cuverie des Ursulines which is an ancient convent that was once inhabited by Ursulines nuns.

 Cuverie des Ursulines, Daily wine tour, Pictured on right, Nathalie Boisset of Famille Boisset, Burgundy. Photo by Paige Donner copyright 2019. 

The family Boisset, of Jean Charles Boisset fame, has just renovated and built an impressive and absolutely stunning Cuverie, or chai, a wine estate, around this historical property in Nuits St. Georges. Nuits St. Georges is, of course, one of the most prestige areas just outside of Beaune in Burgundy wine country.

Along with opening up this Cuverie in 2018, they have also now instigated daily wine estate tours. It is open to the public, you just have to call and reserve in advance. The tour includes a visit to the tank room, also outside into the ancient convent's gardens dating all the way back to 1717, and then concludes with a barrel tasting and then a tasting of a total of 6 of their wines in the historical Ursuline cellars down below.

It is one of the most comprehensive, friendly, and educational wine tours you will get in all of France, and certainly in Burgundy, that is open to the public. It lasts about an hour and a half and costs only €32. Though if you want to organize a special group and throw in a lunch after the 10am tour start time, just communicate that to the Boisset team and they're happy to make your wishes come true in a bespoke way.

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So, ç la vie. Life goes on. The Cathedral of Notre Dame will be rebuilt. And Dad, I'll see you in heaven one day when I get there.

Hemingway: As people bring so much courage to this world, the world has to kill them to break them. So of course it kills them. The world breaks everyone and afterwards many are strong in the broken places. But those it will not break it kills... It kills the very good, and the very gentle, and the very brave impartially. - Ernest Hemingway

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Another big new development this season is the release from Domaine Clarence Dillon of their new range of Clarendelle wines.

[caption id="attachment_7709" align="alignnone" width="2592"] Clarendelle inspired by Haut-Brion. New release from Domaine Clarence Dillon Photo by Paige Donner copyright 2019 Launch Soirée, Clarendelle, Paris, 

There's Clarendelle Rouge, Blanc, Rosé and Clarendelle Amberwine.

All are inspired by Haut-Brion the estate's famous and historic 1855 Grand Cru Classé chateau in Bordeaux. The rouge comes in several expressions, including Médoc and St. Émilion.

All are accessible and are perfect for when you have a taste for fine quality, but perhaps don't feel like opening up your First Growth wine that very moment.

I particularly enjoyed the Amberwine. Especially so because it isn't always easy to find a sweet wine that expresses that balance between the honey-like sweetness brought on by the natural botyritis and a fresh acidity that keeps it fresh with every sip. The Clarendelle Amberwine achieves this by using both methods: grapes are allowed to develop botyritis as in the grand tradition of Sauternes, and then others are late harvest which allow the grapes to sweeten on the vine with their ripe maturity. The wine takes its name, Amber, from the beautiful color achieved by this assemblage. The varietals in this fine wine are the traditional Graves Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc with a bit of Muscadelle.

The wines are available widely now. Though I encourage every listener who gets to Paris to pay a visit to the Cave du Château located near the Champs-Elysées on Avenue Franklin Roosevelt. It is hands down one of the very finest wine shops not just in Paris but the world over. Here you will find famous and rare wines as well as handpicked affordable coup de coeurs that you can put all your faith in that they, guaranteed, won't disappoint.

Check our show notes for the wine shop's address. Or just do an online search for La Cave du Château, Paris.

31 Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt, Paris 75008 lacaveduchateau.com

Thank you for joining us on this episode of Paris GOODfood+wine.

A big thank you to all who helped make this show possible.

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Music:

Jazzy Piano from Bensoundmusic.com; Terry Jacks, Seasons in The Sun

Ilya Truhanov, Miracle from; FreeSoundTrackmusic.com

 

Show Notes: LocalFoodAndWine.wordpress.com &ChérieduVin.wordpress.com 

Contact Host-Producer, Paige Donner @http://PaigeDonner.info

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© Paige Donner 2019

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TO CONTACT PAIGE DONNER FOR SPEAKING/HOSTING/PRODUCING PAIGEDONNER.INFO
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT PARIS GOODFOOD+WINE AND A COMPLETE SHOW LINEUP GO TO LOCALFOODANDWINE.WORDPRESS.COM
AND OUR WEBSITE PARISFOODANDWINE.NET  & ParisFoodAndWines.com

INSTAGRAM @PAIGEFOODWINE TWITTER @PARISFOODWINE

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

All photos (where noted) copyright 2018  Paige Donner  FoodWine.photography

iTunes – Paris GOODfood+wine / 

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45: CBD Edibles, Andy Hayler Restaurant Critic, Food Waste in Paris PGf+w

by Paige Donner

Today's episode of Paris GOODfood+wine from this springtime in Paris is an interview with renowned Restaurant Critic, Andy Hayler, a quick tutoial on CBD Edibles, and a short report on Food Waste In Paris. 

Click HERE to LISTEN

To start the show off today, I present a CBD Tutorial with a footnote on CBD Edibles

The short video that you'll find in the show notes here takes you through a quick explainer as to how cannabidiol, or CBD, works organically and systemically with the human body's own endo-cannabidiol system.

Succinctly put, we have receptors throughout our bodies that bind instantly with cannabidiol, or CBD, healing properties to bring about homeostasis.

The benefits can be felt and seen in instances of body inflammation and brain inflammation and stress. Some disorders where it has notably had positive effects is on Immune Dysfunction, Thyroid, Chronic Infection, Psoriosis and Digestion.

For Brain Inflammation, beneficial effects have been seen to alleviate Migraine, Anxiety, Depression, ADHD, Insomnia and even Epilepsy. It's also a known pain reliever as well as promotes detoxification. I highly encourage you to watch this short video explaining, in layman's terms, cannabidiol's beneficial effects on the human body .

As you already know, if you listened to my last show, I have just released a cookbook, Le CBD Café Cookbook, that infuses quick'n'easy recipes with CBD oil. The CBD Edibles market in the US and even globally is exploding. So my cookbook, Le CBD Café Cookbook, is a way for you to jump on the beneficial and non-narcotic CBD train and incorporate this holistic food supplement, as it has been designated by the US FDA, into your and your family's and even your pets' daily healthy meals.

You can find the video link in our show notes for Episode 45 of Paris GOODfood+wine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bZb10ZxpBk

 

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Restaurant Critic Andy Hayler 

OK, so now we're going to turn to our feature interview for our March 2019 episode of Paris GOODfood+wine which is with Restaurant Critic Extraordinaire, Andy Hayler.

Mr Hayler, a UK resident, has dined in every 3 Michelin star restaurant in the world. Each year he updates his tally to keep up with the newly crowned restaurants and chefs. He is one of the earliest restaurant critics to have migrated his restaurant reviews online, which was all the way back in the mid 90s.

Please note that I do apologize for the audio quality of this interview. There were two factors playing into that, 1. Is that it was a recorded telephone interview and 2. is because I was sitting outside at a café on Place de L'Alma in midday traffic ( whose noises in the background I tried to diminish in post audio production, but which still come through).

But despite that, Mr. Hayler's commentary is enticingly intriguing especially when he dishes on our interview theme of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" of being a restaurant critic.

You can find Mr. Hayler's reviews at AndyHayler.com where he has 1595 restaurant reviews posted. The restaurants are from all around the world.

andyhayler.com/restaurant-guide

 

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Food Waste

And now, before I let you go from this short time we spent together each month, I wanted to touch on the subject of food waste.

In the U.S., we waste 63 million tons of food annually, at a cost of $218 billion. All of this wasted food consumes 20 percent of freshwater, fertilizer, cropland, and landfill space in America. The problem is enormous, but provides vast opportunities for ingenuity, creativity, and imagination in designing solutions, creating a flourishing food waste innovation scene.

Food waste innovators create real benefits by reducing natural resource use, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, providing food to the hungry, and offering cost savings to consumers and businesses.

That excerpt is from the ReFed website. You can find the link here below. Click on Episode 45 of Paris GOODfood+wine.

For innovative IoT Solutions to your food perishables transport and Cold Chain logistics issues contact us at IoTShipping.xyz.

iotshipping.xyz

For Action Roadmaps, go to Re-Fed's download page:

www.refed.com/download

When it comes to Food Waste in Paris, there are two relatively recent developments worth noting:

A new bio-waste recycling initiative in Paris began in 2017 with 3,200 food waste bins being distributed .

120,000 residents in the capital's 2^nd and 12^th arrondissements were given the opporutnity to more conveniently compost their biodegradables. Meaning they could put their carrot peels, egg shells and tea bags into a brown recycling bin instead of the ordinary bin.

Parisians are already accustomed to sorting their trash into 3 separate bins: 1. for glass, 1 for plastics, wrappings, cartons and paper packaging and 1 for everything else. So this adds a 4^th bin for compostable biodegradables.

https://www.connexionfrance.com/Practical/Environment/Now-Parisians-can-recycle-food-waste

Now, is this useful and is it necessary or even helpful?

Well, according to a 2017 article in the local press,

Parisians Waste More Food Than Anyone Else in France

 

The article states:

Parisians are guilty of wasting nearly a third more food than anywhere else in France and it's costing them dear.

Each Parisian wastes nearly 26kg of still packaged and edible food every year.

That figure represents nearly three times the waste seen elsewhere France.

So why are Parisians chucking away so much food? Is it because the capital's famously image conscious residents are looking after their waistlines more than elsewhere in France?

Not quite. Experts say it seems to be down to their love of eating out.

Apparently, if people living in the French capital consumed more sensibly and threw away less of the food, they would save around €400 per household per year.

City Hall in Paris doesn't need convincing.

Facing 59,000 tonnes of annual waste in Paris, and having launched a campaign against the phenomenon 2015

You can listen to this podcast on Parisians wasteful eating habits by going to Soundcloud.com and clicking on Episode 45 of Paris GOODfood+wine.

 

Now, shifting our focus onto solutions, turning to the digital sphere, there's a mobile app called

Too Good To Go – It's a Food App used by Les Halles businesses.

The Too Good To Go mobile app allows restaurants at Les Halles to sell their unsold articles at the end of the day.

Designed in 2015, Too Good To Go saves restaurants and grocery stores from having to toss many unsold perishables into the garbage bin. The app puts restaurants in touch with consumers so that the unsold items can be sold for a discounted price.

The app is synced by geolocation, so you can find the participating storekeepers in your area and order your 'surprise basket' then pick it up directly at the store at the indicated collection time.

Participants include restaurants,bakeries,delicatessens and supermarkets,

 

Read the full article in French or English by finding the link on our show notes at Episode 45 Paris GOODfood+wine, on LocalFoodAndWine.wordpress.com

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OK, that's all for now The sun is back out today tomorrow is officially springtime in Paris, and it's time to take my dog for a walk along the Seine.

 

À tres bientot!

 

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Music for this episode is "Rogue" by Noisy Oyster, provided by FreeSoundTrackMusic.com

Intro/Outro Show music "Groovy Jazz" by BensoundMusic.com

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Show Notes: LocalFoodAndWine.wordpress.com & ChérieduVin.wordpress.com 

Contact Host-Producer, Paige Donner @ http://PaigeDonner.info

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© Paige Donner 2019

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TO CONTACT PAIGE DONNER FOR SPEAKING/HOSTING/PRODUCING PAIGEDONNER.INFO
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT PARIS GOODFOOD+WINE AND A COMPLETE SHOW LINEUP GO TO LOCALFOODANDWINE.WORDPRESS.COM
AND OUR WEBSITE PARISFOODANDWINE.NET
INSTAGRAM @PAIGEFOODWINE TWITTER @PARISFOODWINE

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

All photos (where noted) copyright 2018  Paige Donner  FoodWine.photography

iTunes – Paris GOODfood+wine / 

Media Engagements, speaking and collaborations: contact PaigeDonner.info

Alain Passard's Vegetable Garden Party

by Paige Donner (All photos © 2019)

Ever wondered what the (not 'a', but 'the') famous French chef's vegetable gardens look like? You know the chef I mean, the one whose 3-Michelin starred Parisian all-vegetable restaurant became world-famous precisely because of the chef's skill with, and quality of, his vegetables.

Of course I am referring to Chef Alain Passard and his one-of-a-kind Arpége.

************** READ FULL POST WITH PICTURES ON LOCALFOODANDWINE.WORDPRESS.com **************  

In an era when many 3-Michelin star chefs find it challenging to make their prestige restaurants profitable, and so open up bistros and branded niche foods in multiple locations and dozens of countries, this chef has chosen to remain with one, and one only, iconic, landmark dining legend. 

"Je suis bien chez moi," he declares, when asked. "I like being in my own kitchens. I like being 'at home' where everything is familiar. I don't feel the need to go elsewhere, or open up a global empire of restaurants...". 

In other words, he seems pretty happy.

************** READ FULL POST WITH PICTURES ON LOCALFOODANDWINE.WORDPRESS.com **************

Certainly one of the brilliant components to his success is his recognition of his raw materials, in this case vegetables. They must be treated, he advises, with jewel-like reverence and care. 

"The gardener is as important as the chef, " said Alain Passard at lunch last week, "At least until harvest time and up until the vegetables arrive in my kitchens." 

************** READ FULL POST WITH PICTURES ON LOCALFOODANDWINE.WORDPRESS.com **************  

Lunch, before it has met with Chef Passard's formidable skill[/caption]

This lovingly restored Château in Normandy is not the only gardens he cultivates and possesses. He started on this quest for the perfect herbs and vegetables several decades ago with his first vegetables cultivated on his land in Sarthe. Up here in Normandy, about an hour and 15 minutes from Paris, is, however, the space where he has room to receive guests.  On March 11th, thanks to Oenoteam, a Libourne (Bordeaux) based team of enologists, some 30 of us had the privilege and delight to be Chef Passard's guests for lunch. 

No meat passed our lips that day at lunch. Though we dined on boeuf bourguignon (in a blind tasting anyone would have sworn to it) and a miniature hamburger-slider - each dish based on the magic of a beetroot under the care, cultivation, guidance and manipulation of Chef Passard's creativity and skillful tool sets. 

Wines were provided by Oenoteam, whose wine consulting includes over 200 clients in both the Left and Right banks of Bordeaux, as well as clients in Southwest France, the Loire and other prestige regions of France. The team is: Stéphane Toutoundji, Thomas Duclos, Julien Belle and Marie-Laure Badet Murat. Their philosophy is to allow wines their own expression, rather than to impose a style onto a wine.  Oenoteam. 

 

It's not always easy to pair wines with vegetables and all-vegetable meals. But each of the choices here, including a 2015 Pomerol, were right on the mark. 

As a parting shot, the chef challenged us all to return with a wine for him to pair with Asparagus. : ) 

For groups interested in booking the chef's Château Normandy for a private gathering of their own, contact the Chef's team @ alain-passard.com/en/

And, local's TIP: (Find it on his website)

Bring home a piece of Arpège…

Every morning, our gardeners harvest vegetables & fruits that are then served at the restaurant. And every morning, they pick a little more, and fill wooden baskets with the jewels of our soil, just for you…

Subscribe to our newsletter, and you'll receive all our weekly offers of Baskets & Treats, to pick up from the restaurant or to be delivered at your doorstep !

 

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MORE PHOTOS ON FoodWine.Photography

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All sculptures pictured here are by the Chef Alain Passard. 

Listen to the Paris GOODfood+wine podcast. Chef Passard was featured in our first season. 

Find it HERE: soundcloud.com/paigedonner/episode-9-goodfoodwine-host-producer-paige-donner-copyright-september-2015-29-10seconds

Episode 44: Paris Restaurants, Le CBD Café Cookbook & Wines of The World by Barrère Capdeville

by Paige Donner

Today's episode of Paris GOODfood+wine from this early February springtime in Paris is all about restaurants and wines...and a brand new Cookbook! 

Click HERE to LISTEN

The first segment features a longtime colleague of mine named Heidi Ellison who, after we worked together at the International Herald Tribune in the early 90's (since re-branded the International New York Times), went on to found Paris Update. Her Best Restaurants List for 2019 published recently on her site and these are the restaurants she'll be telling us about in our first interview.

Several of her picks coincide with mine which you can read about on 10BEST.com where I review restaurants, hotels and attractions for USA Today on their 10BEST travel media brand.

Then we switch to the world of wine. And I do mean the world of wine because as a departure from our regular wine discussions here on Paris GOODfood+wine ,which focus mainly on French wines, we speak with Florent Barrère, a native Bordelais, whose business, Barrère Capdeville, is importing and selling high-end wines from regions like Australia, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Chile here in France to a predominantly French consumer. We discuss this ambitious yet successful business he founded 10 years ago following the outstanding day of wine tasting he hosted at the Plaza Athénée here in Paris last week.

 

I also have a big announcement: My first cookbook just published. It's called Le CBD Café Cookbook.

 

Click HERE to find LE CBD Café Cookbook on Amazon

In it you'll find over 50 recipes that all incorporate hemp-derived CBD oil. Note, in the US, the FDA has classified hemp-derived cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, as a food supplement since there are no known narcotic effects but there is a plethora of reported health benefits.

Recipes in Le CBD Café Cookbook are for delicious meals and snacks like Strawberry Dark Chocolate Banana CBD Smoothie, Apple Sausage Dutch Baby, Buttered Wild Mushrooms on Toast, Fish and Shrimp Ceviche with Popcorn, Texas Pulled Pork with Cayenne BBQ Sauce, Classic Italian Meatballs, French Boeuf Bourguignon Slow Cooked, Steak with Creamy Garlic Parmesan Sauce and Sweet Potato Pie with Cinnamon Roll Crust. And not to forget our furry friends, the last chapter, chapter 12, is devoted to homemade treats for your cat and dog.

The book is out now and available on Amazon. We're giving away 5 digital copies this month of the cookbook. To qualify, share the link to this show on your social media such as Twitter and Instagram, and in your review of the show on Soundcloud or iTunes, mention Le CBD Café Cookbook.

So, all aboard now as I take you on another meandering stroll through culinary Paris.

Le CBD Café Cookbook

Barrère & Capdeville

ParisUpdate.com

10BEST.com/destinations/France/Paris

  

 

© Paige Donner 2019

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TO CONTACT PAIGE DONNER FOR SPEAKING/HOSTING/PRODUCING PAIGEDONNER.INFO
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT PARIS GOODFOOD+WINE AND A COMPLETE SHOW LINEUP GO TO LOCALFOODANDWINE.WORDPRESS.COM
AND OUR WEBSITE PARISFOODANDWINE.NET
INSTAGRAM @PAIGEFOODWINE TWITTER @PARISFOODWINE

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

iTunes - Paris GOODfood+wine /  Paige Donner 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcOy0gEwApk

Episode 43: Whiskey & Les Foodies - Paris GOODfood+wine

Presented / Produced by Paige Donner

 

Paris GOODfood+wine

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

Whiskey Bar, Paris' Golden Promise & New Marais Restaurant, Les Foodies 

Episode 43, Season 5, January 2019 © PaigeDonner

 

Here we are, already at the end of the 3^rd week of January in our brand new year 2019. Here in Paris the Christmas decorations are still up all over the city.

I find this rather comforting. This reluctance to let go of the festive season. It's like the French forestall the descent into the darkest, coldest days of winter that are January and February for as long as they can.

This episode of PARIS good food+wine, Episode 43, Season 5, starts off by bringing you a nice dram of whiskey. I take you into the hidden treasure cellars that are Golden Promise Whisky Bar. This bar is not so much a bar but more like a universe of whiskey; many of which are rare collector's items, from all over the world.

We have a sit-down interview with François Piriou, the establishment's director. His modest demeanor belies his vast knowledge and even greater passion for these whiskeys.

Then we turn to an unusual and somewhat exotic restaurateur-chef duo, Alex Kogan and Davide Galloni, who, together represent Italy, Thailand Russia and the USA. Their new-ish restaurant in the Marais, Les Foodies, is fun, inventive and offers original dishes of Thai-Italian fusion. They've also spent a fair bit of time curating their informed wine list, selecting excellent bottles from Italy, Argentina and of course France, that pair so nicely with their cuisine.

So sit back and relax as we bring you this warm and cosy edition of Paris GOODfood+wine. And for those of you interested in trying to re-create one of these whiskey cocktails, head on over to our show notes at Local Food And Wine.wordpress where we've included a whiskey cocktail recipe that you can try at home.

Be sure to leave a review of the show and share us on your social media if you like what you hear and the people we feature.

So, Bonne année 2019 et Bon Santé à toute et à tous...

  *Photos copyright Paige Donner 2019

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Whiskey Cocktail Recipes Tutorial: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqs58Mt0pNU

Les Foodies

6-8 Square Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 75004 Paris

https://lesfoodies.paris/

Golden Promise Whisky Bar

11 Rue Tiquetonne, 75002 Paris

https://www.goldenpromise.fr/

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And in case you're interested, here are the Good Food Foundation winners for this year:

Winners https://goodfoodfdn.org/awards/winners/

AND

Finalists https://goodfoodfdn.org/awards/finalists/

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Music by We Lucky Few, FreeSoundtrackMusic.com

Music in show intro, Jazzy French by BensoundMusic.com

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BOOK your wine tasting with Paris Food And Wine !  In Paris, we take you on a 2+ hour wine and food pairing tasting romp through the heart of the city, visiting wine bars, cheese and wine shops, with generous gulps and nibbles all the way!  GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT!   Contact Paige directly for bookings PaigeDonner.info  Or on the website:

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TO CONTACT PAIGE DONNER FOR SPEAKING/HOSTING/PRODUCING PAIGEDONNER.INFO
FOR MORE INFO ABOUT PARIS GOODFOOD+WINE AND A COMPLETE SHOW LINEUP GO TO LOCALFOODANDWINE.WORDPRESS.COM
AND OUR WEBSITE PARISFOODANDWINE.NET
INSTAGRAM @PAIGEFOODWINE TWITTER @PARISFOODWINE

Listen to Paris GOOD food + wine on :

All photos (where noted) copyright 2018  Paige Donner  FoodWine.photography

iTunes – Paris GOODfood+wine / 

Media Engagements, speaking and collaborations: contact PaigeDonner.info

Episode 42: The Feast Is In The First Bite - Chefs Ludo Lefebvre & Nina Métayer

by Paige Donner

Click on the Above Picture or HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

The feast is in the first bite. I came across this phrase recently listening to a science program on the radio about how human taste buds function. It was scientifically explained that in fact with each subsequent bite of food, there is a diminishing sensory enjoyment insofar as the taste explosion in your mouth. So in this season of joyful excess, we can reassure ourselves that the feast is indeed in the first bite.

INTERVIEWS:

• Nina Métayer, Executive Pastry Chef, Café Pouchkine: Start Time - 7' 30 seconds

• Chef Ludo Lefebvre of Trois Mec, Los Angeles: Start Time - 25' 49 seconds

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

As I sit here at my desk in my office in the Marais recording this, I realize that this 2018 holiday season here in Paris will go down in history as the Yellow Christmas.

This month of Saturday protests of the GiletsJaunes, the Yellow Vests, here in Paris have marked the season with closed shops and whole shopping districts such as the Champs Elysées, Saint Germain des Prés, and even here, in the normally bustling Marais, shuttering their doors and boarding their windows.

Even as I write this, a parade of protesters are marching in the street just below my window.

But perhaps the timing is truly right on message, because when many of us can celebrate a time of plenty and abundance, with joyful family members, lots of good things to eat and drink, and happy times all around, it's important to remember that for an ever-growing segment of the French population, indeed the world's population, this is not necessarily the case. Not during the holidays, and not during the rest of the year.

This is what we have come to call the Working Poor. People who don't sit idly by or accept handouts but in fact put in full work weeks and still cannot make ends meet for themselves or their children or their elderly dependents.

This holiday show, then, is dedicated to all those mothers and fathers and adult children of elderly parents whose desperation has brought them to the streets of Paris these past weekends to demonstrate and protest in what can only be called a desperate cry for help.

As we raise our glasses and forks in good cheer this year, let's generously remember all those who may be less fortunate than ourselves.

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Another theme of this show is traditions.

As an avid listener of US Public Radio, I heard interview excerpts and snippets following the Thanksgiving holiday of people in the US who eschew the traditional holiday meal of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and what we call "the works."

And while there is no obligation to respect the traditions of your own country or your adoptive country, I do feel that there is great value in upholding traditions and that this can offer a kind of anchor to our ever-increasingly fragmented society.

Culinary traditions are a big part of culture. They play an important role in cultural identity. That's something I've learned quite well here in France.

To this effect, I interviewed one of France's top young pastry chefs for this show. Here in France, the Christmas Cake, le bûche de Nöel, plays a central role in the traditional holiday Christmas meal.

One of the themes for Chef Nina's 2018 bûche de Nöel: 

* MORE PHOTOS OF Nina Métayer's Christmas Cakes on Instagram @PaigeFoodWine *

As such, the country's talented pastry chefs put great thought, creativity and love into their cake designs, often planning them a year in advance, as we hear Nina Métayer, of Café Pouchkine, explain to us. She's been singled out as one of the Top Under 30 culinary stars to watch by the French media. She is the Executive Pastry Chef of Café Pouchkine, which is owned by a Franco-Russian family.

The next talent we hear from for this Christmas and holidays 2018 show, is a Los Angeles based French chef; Ludo Lefebvre. He tells us how his childhood memories of the Family Christmas meal here in France are even more vivid than his memories of what toys Santa brought him. His main talking point is that very French sense of the Art de Vivre.

He emphasizes that enjoying a holiday meal is mostly about spending time with friends and family, where any sense of hurry or watching the clock is thrown out the window in favor of spending quality time with one another.

He has shot to fame with his fabulously successful Trois Mec restaurant and also his cooking shows Ludo Bites America and now Ludo à la Maison. As you'll hear in this telephone interview, Chef Ludo hails from Burgundy and has strong and fond memories of the traditional family Christmas meals he enjoyed as a child.

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One more interesting tidbit to pass on for this holiday season, is that for the first time ever, Americans are spending more on eating out than on their groceries. So, to this effect, in the show notes, you'll find links to Holiday Meal Kits that can be delivered both here in Paris and also in the US. Note that in keeping with American traditions, the link for that meal kit includes a honeybaked ham, and the link to the Paris meal kits includes delivery of fresh oysters by Maison Rostang.

Wishing all of you, listeners and friends and family, a peaceful, joyous holiday season, full of love and good cheer. May food be the fabric of our harmonious coming together and the commonality that binds us as human beings, each one of us a child of God.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Joyous Blessings this Holiday Season

LINKS

Café Pouchkine Paris & Pastry Chef Nina Métayer, Executive Pastry Chef

https://ninametayer.com/

https://cafe-pouchkine.fr/

Chef Ludo Lefebvre

https://www.ludolefebvre.com/

Holiday Meal Kits Delivered

USA – Cracker Barrel https://crackerbarrel.com/order-online/holiday-meal

Paris - Maison Rostang Oyster Kit recommended by Marie Claire https://www.marieclaire.fr/reveillon-services-livraison-domicile,1246215.asp

Americans Spending More On Eating Out Than Groceries

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-07-26/first-time-americans-spend-more-eating-out-food-home

AND truth be told French chansons (#music) are some of my favorites. Here is some French holiday listening pleasure: https://www.talkinfrench.com/christmas-songs-free/

And Garou: Joyeux Noel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVe-znmgL7Q

Music by Jingle Punks thanks to Youtube Audio Library, Free of Rights. 

Deck The Halls

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Paris GOODfood+wine intro and outro music by BenSound, Groovy Jazz. 

Production, Hosting and Sound Editing by Paige Donner

Merci Beaucoup to all who helped make this show possible!

Wishing you and all of Earth's Children Peace, Love & Joy this season and for 2019

***

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