Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

10 Aug 2012

Le Turon – Tours

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While there’s plenty of advice on the internet about where to eat in Paris, trusty restaurant recommendations outside the big city are far less common. For our first and only dinner in the Loire Valley, we found an adorable little bistro in Tours called Le Turon, where the food was solid and the service was efficient.

What made the night more festive than usual were the crowded streets full of locals celebrating the summer solstice. Our meal was punctuated by the beating of drums and the twirling of dancers. The French really know how to ring in summer.

While The Astronomer and I indulged in the three-course “Menu Gourmand” for €26.50, Mom ordered a lone fish course a la carte.

Even after witnessing the gavage at the foie gras farm earlier in the day, I could not resist the terrine de foie gras de canard maison et son tartare de poires au miel. I guess this means I favor deep-rooted culinary traditions over the well-being of animals. The house-made terrine was served with toasted baguette rounds and a pear compote sweetened with honey.

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French

07 Aug 2012

In the Loire Valley: Searching for Châteaux, Finding Foie Gras and Goat Cheese Instead

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After spending three days in Paris, The Astronomer, my mom, and I packed our bags and headed to the countryside. The first stop on our survey tour of France brought us to the Loire Valley, a region famous for its age-old châteaux. The Astronomer, a proficient stick-shift driver since age 15, rented a car to shuttle us from site to site. Even though things got a little hairy at times on the narrow, winding roads, he navigated the terrain like a true Frenchman.

The first fancy house that we visited was the Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, an impressive residence with its foundations built under water. From there, we headed to the Château de Villandry to scope out its intricate gardens.

Somewhere between point A and B, we found ourselves lost among the grassy pastures. Though we made a valiant effort to follow the sporadic signs pointing us in the right direction, it was a hopeless situation without a GPS.

On the search for Villandry, we drove by dozens of signs on the road advertising a plethora of artisanal products. We decided to follow the blue arrows promising foie gras after giving up on finding the château.

Fortunately for us, the signs leading to Ferme des Morinières were much easier to follow than the ones for Villandry. Ferme des Morinières is a family-run foie gras farm that has been operating for three generations. We were the only visitors on the farm this early evening, although I sensed from the farm’s welcoming spirit and gift shop that visitors exploring the countryside swing by all the time.

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Restaurant Review

03 Aug 2012

Huîtrerie Régis – Paris

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The Astronomer, my mom, and I each had a defined and important role to play prior to taking off on our two-and-a-half week European adventure. The Astronomer was in charge of all manner of logistics. From trains to planes to automobiles, not to mention lodging and scheduling, he made sure that everything was in place for a smooth and stress-free trip. My mother was in charge of language acquisition. As a former student of the French language in Vietnam, she was responsible for learning vocabulary and phrases to help us navigate the country.

I, of course, was charged with the all-important task of making sure that we not only ate well, but weren’t feeling completely overwhelmed by trip’s end. I took my responsibility as the conductor of our culinary tour seriously and orchestrated lunches and dinners that were complementary and calorically responsible. For instance, our indulgent five-course lunch at L’Astrance was followed by a light and simple dinner of oysters, wine, and good bread at Huîtrerie Régis. It was just what we (and our bodies) were in the mood for.

Huîtrerie Régis is a tiny, 20-seat oyster bar in the 6th arrondissement with a devoted expatriate and local clientele. After spending the afternoon battling crowds and admiring art in the sweltering Louvre, we were more than ready for a simple feast of oysters on the half shell. Ah, natural air conditioning.

Even though we were trying to keep dinner as uncomplicated as possible, I had to try the terrine de coquille Saint Jacques (€9). The scallop terrine with chives, carrots, and black pepper had a snappy way about it that reminded me of Vietnamese cha lua (steamed pork loaf). It was well-balanced enough to be eaten straight up, but tasted even better with a little bread and butter.

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