I’m thrilled to announce that my book, The French Pasta Cookbook: 25 délicieuse recipes from bistros, cafés, and home kitchens, has just been published as a Kindle e-book on Amazon.com.
I know what you’re thinking: French pasta?
But the truth is, the French enjoy pasta almost as much as we do; in fact, per capita, they consume 17 pounds of pasta per year. That’s almost as much as Americans. And French home cooks call on pasta in much the same way many of us do: As a way to quickly bring a gratifying, nourishing meal to the table.
So, why haven’t Americans heard that much about French pasta? It could
be that we simply don’t have as many French grandmothers in our country as
we do Italian grandmothers—the French just didn’t immigrate en masse quite
like the Italians did.
But love pasta, they do, and they often bring their own wonderful flavors
and finesse to all kinds of noodles.
In my new e-book, I’ve collected 25 of my favorite French pasta recipes. If you love French cooking at all, I hope you’ll give it a look.
To give you a taste of what this book is all about, here’s one of my favorite recipes from it:
Pasta with Sausage, Caramelized Onions, and Comté Mornay
I adapted this recipe from a French cookbook—it caught my eye because it combines the finesse of a Mornay sauce with the robustness of sausage. The original recipe simply called for saucisses de porc (pork sausages). Find fresh pork sausages you like best: If you can get your hand on Toulouse-style (slender sausages flavored often flavored with smoked bacon, wine, and garlic) or Provençal sausages (slender sausages flavored with dried herbes de Provence), that would make it especially French; however, Italian sausage will work wonderfully, too—but opt for a sweet, milder spiced version than a flaming hot one.
Makes 4 servings
3/4 pound fresh uncooked pork sausage links (2 medium onions, halved and sliced (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups 2 percent or whole milk, plus more if needed
1 cup shredded Comté, Gruyère, or Emmental cheese (4 ounces)
8 ounces dried orecchiette pasta
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
1. Prick the sausage all over with a fork (cut them into 4-inch lengths, if they’re
in one long section). Place the sausage and enough water to barely cover in a
medium saucepan. Bring to boiling; reduce the heat. Cover the pan and simmer
until the sausage is no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Uncover the pan and
continue to cook, allowing water to evaporate and the sausage to cook through
and brown in its own fat, turning as needed. Remove the sausage and cut into
bite-size slices.
2. While the sausage is simmering, cook the onions. In a large skillet, heat
the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and pepper to taste. Cook,
stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and range from golden to dark
brown, about 12 minutes. Set aside. Meanwhile cook pasta according to package
directions. Drain pasta; keep warm.
3. Wipe out the saucepan used to cook the sausage. In the saucepan, melt
the butter over low heat. Whisk in the flour to make a smooth paste; cook, stirring,
for 1 minute. Do not allow the flour mixture to brown. Slowly add the milk, whisking
until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and
beginning to boil, about 5 minutes. Add the cheese to the sauce and whisk until
melted and smooth. If the sauce seems too thick, stir in up to 1/2 cup additional
milk to reach the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Add the
sausage and the onions to the pot; stir gently to combine.
4. Toss pasta with sauce; divide among four serving bowls and top with
chives. Serve immediately.
Check out a full description of the book on Amazon.com.
Wini Moranville is the author of The Bonne Femme Cookbook: Simple, Splendid Food That French Women Cook Every Day. For French food and lifestyle tips, follow her on Facebook at Chez Bonne Femme.
My Paris Apartment for Rent
I am renting my fabulous Paris apartment in the heart of the Marais near St. Paul metro, from November 30 to December 16, a total of 17 nights. It's a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft style apartment with 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include washer/dryer, 16" flat screen TV, dishwasher, internet connection/Wifi and free long distance calls to the U.S. The apartment is located on the second floor with a large elevator.
The price is 2800 euros/165 per night for 17 nights, 1500 euros for 7 nights, and anything in between 7 & 15 nights, 175 euros per night. Minimum rental 7 nights or 1500 euros. Photos upon request.
Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.
Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour
