delicious food & travel
HELLS OF BEPPU Great Hot Springs of Japan
PREMIERE PRESSION PROVENCE Perfection of French Cooking
SNACK FOODS KYUSHU Japanese versions of World’s best snack foods
Notre Dame Cathedral World’s most famous Gothic cathedral
Real
Parisian Food
Le Square Troussau Premiere Pression
Life is a holiday! D
o you think there’s a point in one’s life when receiving gifts feels like a burden? I already have too much stuff, and I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to part with it. So when a party invitation says, “No gifts, please,” I obey, out of respect (and sympathy) for the host. I often institute my own no-gifts policy—but then I get something truly terrific and wonder what else I’ve missed. For this holiday issue, we search out the presents that would convert any naysayer. In “L.A.’s Best Wrap Party,” we drop in on a dinner and gift swap to see what the cognoscenti of the Los Angeles design scene give their friends. After chef Jeff Cerciello of Farmshop served the meal, including a sensational spiced lamb, hosts and guests exchanged gifts. I’d be thrilled to get any of those presents, from the glass cocktail straws to the Frog Hollow Farm peach jam. Grace Parisi in the F&W Test Kitchen has strong feelings about what does and doesn’t constitute a proper hostess gift. In the first installment of her opinionated new Fast column, she suggests recipes for the proper kind, like a lemony tea cake. If you’d rather buy a present, deputy editor Christine Quinlan polled F&W’s editors and our trusted experts for their choices. My favorites are the surprisingly chic little houses for bees and chickens—perfect for urban homesteaders. Marja shares her take on Korean food. I’d love to get a taste of their lives. Best of all, I’d leave the dinner feeling totally satisfied—and without adding to my clutter.
Contributors Jackie Food critic, cafenatic and events leader Daniel Young is on a constant quest for the next breakthrough in taste. He has shared his discoveries, as well as the passions and insights they’ve inspired, in five cookbooks, three restaurant guides, dozens of magazine articles, 100s of newspaper restaurant reviews and at dining and tasting events in London, Paris, Cannes, Nice, Grasse, Marseille, Toronto, Montréal, New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.
Tom
Rachal
He has written articles about cooking, dining and travel for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Bon Appetit Magazine, Gourmet Magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, Elle Decor and bloomberg.com. He was a food critic and columnist at the New York Daily News from 1985-1996 and head restaurant critic from 1996-2000. His passions are too numerous to list here. His favorite C’s, to take one letter, are the Café de la Mairie, Cartier-Bresson, Calibaut chocolate and Campagnola cycling components.
Food critic, cafenatic and events leader Daniel Young is on a constant quest for the next breakthrough in taste. He has shared his discoveries, as well as the passions and insights they’ve inspired, in five cookbooks, three restaurant guides, dozens of magazine articles, 100s of newspaper restaurant reviews and at dining and tasting events in London, Paris, Cannes, Nice, Grasse, Marseille, Toronto, Montréal, New York, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.
The Blood Pond: One of Beppu’s most famost springs
THE HELLS OF BEPPU Famous for its visually stunning hot springs, Beppu is one of Japan’s Three Great Hot Springs. Beppu is located on the east coast of Kyushu island, sandwiched between the Seto Inland Sea and its steep mountains and hills. It has long been known as Japan’s premier hot spring resort city. In fact, there is more hot spring water in Beppu than anywhere else in Japan. Over 100 hot spring resorts are located in this city of 125,000, and visitors from all over Japan flock to Beppu to relax in the hot spring pools, hot mud baths, and hot sand baths. To the west of Beppu is another famous hot spring resort - Yufuin Onsen.
Known as the “town of morning mist,” Yufuin is a mountain village home to a hot spring whose source is found at the foot of Mt. Yufu. There are 12 public hot spring baths as well as the famous Shitanyu hot spring which is located on the shore of Lake Kinrinko. The “sea hell” features a pond of hot, blue water. It is one of the more beautiful hells. The “blood pond hell” features a pond of hot, red water, the most photogenic of the nine hells. The “spout hell” features a boiling hot geyser, which erupts every 25-30 minutes for about 5 minutes.
SNACK FOOD IN KYUSHU The Japanese have long taken pride in their ability to adopt, adapt and improve on customs, practices and styles from other countries.
WASABI ICE CREAM Sushi gets its sting from the horseradish paste known in Japanese as wasabi. While its tingling taste makes a delightful addition to raw fish, wasabi’s tangy flavor also makes for surprisingly edible ice cream. QOO Qoo is a non-carbonated beverage from the Coca-Cola Company. Originally introduced in Japan in 1999, Qoo is now available throughout much of Asia in a variety of flavors including peach, grape and orange. FANTA PEACH Fanta Peach launched in Japan during 2009. The flavor is also sold in France,
China and Mexico. The soda’s packaging is vibrant and adorable, like most food packaging in Japan also seen on Qoo and the McDonald’s cup. MEGA MCMUFFIN I am not sure if you have ever heard about the MegaMac (keep reading), but this is its monstrous morning brother, the Mega Muffin. From the looks of it, the Mega Muffin consists of two sausage patties, a slice of cheese, an egg, some bacon, and some ketchup. Seriously? Well, I suppose it won’t stop me from trying one the first chance I get. The thing that’s strange is that it’s found on the morning menu. (from top to bottom, left to right) Qoo, McDonald’s drinking cup, Fanta Peach French Fries, Wasabi Ice cream
Giant Shrimp Risotto Le Square Trousseau
LE SQUARE TROUSSEAU: A PARISIAN ARTIST’S FAVORITE
J
ust down the road, at the edge of large, elegant square, is a turn of the century cafe/bistro so perfectly preserved that it has featured in movies and photo shoots. Inside the L-shaped room, the walls are sepia-toned and lined with leather banquettes and mirrors reflect the light from tulipshaped chandelier bulbs. On the pavement, small tables and rattan chairs are arrayed so as to best take in the sun, trees and passersby. No detail is missing: gleaming, zinc-topped bar, waitresses in long,
white aprons, even the resident dog. A bit more polished and expensive than its competitors, Le Square Trousseau nonetheless remains a locals’ joint. I could imagine putting on heels and crimson lipstick and having a decadent dinner there. But its timeless quality might be best appreciated with a coffee in the off-hours. Spring afternoons on the sidewalk-cum-terrace are predictably glorious, angling for the sun on my shoulders, watching after school
REAL PARISIAN FOOD errands segue into pre-dinner arrived, a round of cheese was drinks. But I’ve begun to prefer whisked off to a serving table, indoors, where the gentle bustle of wobbly tables were righted with the the square is replaced help of lozenge“Who can resist?” with old jazz standards shaped metal disks. and the whir of the coffee machine. Seated further down the One day last week I arrived late, banquette was the only other 11 am or so. The kitchen emitted customer, a middle-aged woman smells of stew and chocolate cake, reading the Sunday magazine and the waitresses were preparing supplement. The for lunch. On each table they dog, a white set out a square of brown paper, and black a pepper grinder, wine glasses, Jack Russell, flatware and white linen napkins. perched on Two enormous loaves of bread the banquette
between us, his posture perfectly erect. As the French would say, tous comme il fait, everything as it should be.
PREMIERE PRESSION PROVENCE: PERFECTION OF FRENCH COOKING
T
he olive trees of Provence make up more than the landscape. They are the substance for the stories of men and women who live in harmony with the land. Première Pression is about discovering the traditions of Provencal olive growing. It’s sharing these encounters and the desire to create ties that drove me to the olive fields in search of delicious discoveries. Olivier Baussan is also the founder and artistic director of L’Occitane en Provence. Beautiful packaging and gift sets from Premiere Pression Provence, the French gourmet retailer. Premiere Pression Provence focuses on offering rigorously selected and beautifully packaged oils from points known and lesser known throughout the Provençal region. The oils are organized in three broad flavor families, vert,
mûr and noir. Vert (green) oils are particularly suited for pastas, marinades and salads. Mûr (ripe) is for those who love olive oils with sweet fruity notes wonderful for dressing cooked or raw vegetables. Noir (black) is an intriguing family of seven oils that are suggested for traditional savoir-faire (know-how) and for baking. Try these noir oils with baked potatoes, well-matched cheeses or in cakes. There are also seven gourmet tapenades on offer, made from either green or black olives, delightfully named after the best of Olivedom... Pulpe de Salonenque, pulpe de Picholine, pulpe de Belgenteiroise, pulpe d’Aglandau…who can resist? Flavor characteristics for each olive are described in mouthwatering detail along with suggested uses and synergistic flavor pairings. Single jars are five euros a piece and can be combined with a selection of oils as attractive gift boxes. By and large France does not make a lot of olive oil – a mere 0.02% of world production, in fact – but what it does press is lighter, more fruity and easier to digest than the olive oils of Spain, Italy or Greece. ‘First Provence Pressing’ is where to buy the finest AOC-rated
cold-pressed huile d’olive (olive oil) from Provence. Premiere Pression Provence often hosts olive oil tastings and has samples on display for you to test out your favorites. Yes, an olive oil tasting indeed. It’s sort of like a wine tasting, only a bit more slippery (and it won’t give you a hangover in the morning). Premiere Pression Provence not only sells olive oil, but you can see a picture of the French farmer who made it and learn about how it’s produced. Even better, you can meet said olive oil-maker during one of Premiere Pression Provence’s aperitifs as they often visit. Feeling
“The seafood risotto is one of the best I have ever had” olive oiled out? It doesn’t end there. Premiere Pression Provence’s sun-dried tomatoes – or rather, half sun-dried tomatoes, which may seem like a small detail, but in fact changes everything – are the best in the universe. I’m also currently addicted to their – organic! – apple cider vinegar and whole grain mustard plus juicy olives of all colors and flavors. Whether organic or not, all of PPP’s products are fresh from their
savvy producers and farmers in the South and handpicked by a team of wise professionals. Premiere Pression Provence isn’t just a shop. Not only is it worth a visit to chat with the amicable and knowledegable Jenna Thornton, but Thornton organizes events often where you can taste test olive oils while you snack on her homemade creations like bruschetta or fig and goat cheese salad, not to mention meet other Provençal enthusiasts. He created L’Eco Musée de l’olivier in Volx in Upper Provence in 2006, a museum dedicated to Mediterranean olive farming and traditional lifestyle. Using interactive and audiovisual tools, visitors learn all about olive oil culture and also get a chance to taste different olive oils and products. Baussan opened the first Premiere Pression shop at the museum in his native Provence. He says “the olive trees of the Provence make up more than the landscape. They are the substance for the stories of men and women who live in harmony with the land. It’s sharing these encounters and the desire to create ties that drove me to the olive fields in search of delicious discoveries.”
Notre Dame “World’s most famous Gothic Cathedral”
I
n 1160, because the church in Paris had become the “Parisian church of the kings of Europe”, Bishop Maurice de Sully deemed the previous Paris cathedral, Saint-Étienne (St Stephen’s), which had been founded in the 4th century, unworthy of its lofty role, and had it demolished shortly after he assumed the title of Bishop of Paris. As with most foundation myths, this account needs to be taken with a grain of salt; archeological excavations in the 20th century suggested that the Merovingian Cathedral replaced by Sully was itself a massive structure, with a five-aisled nave and a facade some 36 meters across. It seems likely therefore that the faults with the previous structure were exaggerated by the Bishop to help justify the rebuilding in a newer style. According to legend, Sully had a vision of a glorious new cathedral for
Paris, and sketched it on the ground outside the original church. In 1548, rioting Huguenots damaged features of the cathedral, considering them idolatrous. During the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV, the cathedral underwent major alterations as part of an ongoing attempt to modernize cathedrals throughout Europe. A colossal statue of St Christopher, standing against a pillar near the western entrance and dating from 1413, was destroyed in 1786. Tombs and stained glass windows were destroyed. The north and south rose windows were spared this fate, however. In 1793, during the French Revolution, the cathedral was rededicated to the Cult of Reason, and then to the Cult of the Supreme Being. During this time, many of the treasures of the cathedral were either destroyed or plundered. The statues of biblical kings of Judah (erroneously thought to be kings of France) were beheaded. Many of the heads were found during a 1977 excavation nearby and are on dis-
play at the Musée de Cluny. For a time, Lady Liberty replaced the Virgin Mary on several altars. The cathedral’s great bells managed to avoid being melted down. The cathedral came to be used as a warehouse for the storage of food. A controversial restoration program was initiated in 1845, overseen by architects Jean-BaptisteAntoine Lassus and Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. The restoration lasted twenty five years and included the construction of a flèche (a type of spire) as well as the addition of the chimeras on the Galerie des Chimères. Viollet le Duc always signed his work with a bat, the wing structure of which most resembles the Gothic vault (see Château de Roquetaillade). In 1991, a major program of maintenance and restoration was initiated, which was intended to last ten years, but is still in progress as of 2009, the cleaning and restoration of old sculptures being an exceedingly delicate matter. Duc always signed his work with a bat, (see Château de Roquetaillade).
“ The Notre Dame might be the most famous of all cathedrals in the world.�
French Riviera
T
his coastline was one of the first modern resort areas. It began as a winter health resort for the British upper class at the end of the 18th century. With the arrival of the railway in the mid-19th century, it became the playground and vacation spot of British, Russian, and other aristocrats, such as Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, when he was Prince of Wales. In the summer, it also played home to many members of the Rothschild family. In the first half of the 20th century it was frequented by artists and writers, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Edith Wharton, Somerset Maugham and Aldous Huxley, as well as wealthy Americans and Europeans. After World War II it became a popular tourist destination and convention site. Many celebrities, such as Elton John and Brigitte Bardot,
have homes in the region. Officially, the Côte d’Azur is home to 163 nationalities with 83,962 foreign residents, although estimates of the number of non-French nationals living in the area are often much higher. The lighthouse of Nice, on the French Riviera. Its largest city is Nice, which has a population of 347,060 (2006). The city is the center of a communauté
“one of the first modern resort areas” urbaine – Nice-Côte d’Azur – bringing together 24 communes and over 500,000 inhabitants and 933 080
in the urban area. Nice is home to Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, France’s third-busiest airport (after Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport and ParisOrly), which is on an area of partially reclaimed coastal land at the western end of the Promenade des Anglais. The A8 autoroute runs through the region, as does the old main road generally known as the Route nationale 7 (officially now the D N7 in the Var and the D6007 in the Alpes-Maritimes). Trains serve the coastal region and inland to Grasse, with the TGV Sud Est service reaching Nice-Ville station in five hours
Skyline in French Riviera
and a half from Paris. The French Riviera surrounds the principality of Monaco with a total population of over two million. and technology center at the University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis. The region has 35,000 students, of whom 25% are working towards a doctorate. The French Riviera surrounds the principality of Monaco with a total population of over two million. It also contains the seaside resorts of Cap-d’Ail, Beaulieusur-Mer, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes, Juan-les-Pins, Cannes, SaintRaphaël, Fréjus, Sainte Maxime and Saint-Tropez. As a tourist
centre it benefits from 300 days of sunshine per year, 115 kilometres (71 mi) of
“it benefits from 300 days of sunshine every year” coastline and beaches, 18 golf courses, 14 ski resorts and 3,000 restaurants. As a tourist centre it benefits from 300 days of sunshine per year, 71 mi of coastline and beaches, 18 golf courses, 14 ski resorts and 3,000 restaurants. The average high temperature in August in Nice is 83.5 °F; in Toulon the average daily high temperature is 85.5 °F.
Food quiz: START!
What type of cuisine do you prefer?
Japanese
French Savoury
Savoury or sweet?
Sweet No
Do you like cream?
Yes
Macarons Canapes
Do you have a favorite color?
No
Crème Brûlée
What snack are you? Do you like desserts?
Yes
No Yes
Do you like desserts that melt really quickly?
Yes
Do you like fizzy drinks?
No Do you like dessers with real fruits?
No
Yes
Mochi Calpico Soda
Ice cream