A Literary Culinary Journal
by Simón de Swaan
As he chops, cuts, slices, trims, shapes, or threads through the string, a butcher is as good a sight to watch as a dancer or a mime.–Colette
81 Years Of Style: French Writer Colette’s Never Ending Influence On Fashion was the surname of the French novelist and performer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette. She is best known for her novel Gigi, upon which Lerner and Loewe based the stage and film musical comedies of the same title.
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by Jonell Galloway
Here’s a quick, unfiltered overview of the photos I took at the first Salon du Chocolat Zurich.
These are here to help you get an idea of what was on offer at the show. They are not professional photos, yet they are mine. If you want to use them commercially or copy them, please be so kind as to contact me beforehand by clicking on the blue Contact Us button at the top right of our home page.
I’ll be adding more tonight or tomorrow morning, so stay in touch!
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by Jean-Philippe de Tonnac
Cliquez ici pour la version française.
Translated and adapted by Jonell Galloway
French bread bakers are in the limelight these days, and are considered as much artists as artisans. Marie-Odile Briet recently paid homage to their creativity, unbridled by the French government’s 1993 “bread decree,” defining in very precise terms what could and couldn’t be defined as “bread.” The most illustrious advocates of the art of bread making, which in essence had to be reinvented, were Gontran Cherrier (Paris), Dominique Saibron (Paris), Christophe Vasseur (Paris), Jean-Luc Poujauran (Paris), Basile Kamir (Paris), Eric Kayser (Paris) and Benoît Fradette (Aix-en-Provence).
They merit the name of bread baker, or boulanger, as well as inventors. But we mustn’t leave out the stout-hearted artisans, working quietly in their bakeries in the wee hours of the morning, with no one tooting horns for them, who are nonetheless master bakers. And where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and this is the proof of the true renaissance of the French bread making profession — a renaissance that has spread from a few Parisian arrondissements to the entire country. It is a true phenomenon that has spread its wings far and wide; it is a movement that has started a new chapter in the history of French bread making. In this new paradigm, there is no longer any plausible excuse for bad bread, for flavorless bread, for bread that is too expensive or too anything. The movement is quietly deepening its roots, backed by a history dating back thousands of years, basking in the glow of its established nutritional qualities. But that’s not all: these master bakers are now an integral part of the whole redefinition of French cuisine. Bread is no longer considered a humble food to fill your belly or to sop up your sauce. It is clearly in the public eye.
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Rosa Mayland ponders on the meaning and significance of food in everyday life in her column Rosa’s Musings. She has the advantage of growing up in an incredibly multicultural environment and speaking many languages. She runs the site Rosa’s Yummy Yums. “Terroir with TLC” is the word chez Rosa — quality ingredients, regional and seasonal produce, made with tender loving care — and this is reflected in the recipes she creates.
Rosa recently started photographing in black and white and we find them delightful. This is her first one-woman show of B&W food photography.
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Mediterranean Flair: Roasted Cauliflower with Kalamata Olives and Lemon-Parsley Gremolataby Renu Chhabra
Food is our common ground, a universal experience.– James Beard
Spring is in the air, a season for new growth and rejuvenation. Everywhere we look, nature is awakening from its long winter rest. With flowers blooming and landscape covered with a blanket of green, there is a sense of new life welcoming the ever-inspiring spring, signifying a fresh start. And what better way to celebrate this beautiful time than to cook up something delicious with fresh ingredients and clean flavors just like the season itself.
Growing up I was always intrigued by cauliflower, a vegetable that came in a beautiful green leafy package. Peel off the leaves, and a white head of tiny trees clustered together greeted me. It was like removing gift wrap to find a lovely present inside. And who doesn’t like presents? I guess, that is why I have always loved this vegetable — a beautifully packaged gift from Mother Nature.
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by Jonell Galloway
Cromesquis are back in fashion as an hors d’oeuvre. They are made with a salpicon wrapped in pig’s caul or slices of salt pork, then dipped in batter and deep-fried to make a croquette.
Contemporary chefs like to make the salpicon a little runny so that when you bite into the croquette, the liquid squirts into your mouth. I first ate the contemporary version of cromesquis at Ferran Adria’s El Bulli about 12 or 13 years ago.
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by Simón de Swaan
Bread always falls on its buttered side.–English proverb
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by Simón de Swaan
Vodka is cursed, tea is twice cursed, coffee and tobacco are thrice cursed.–Russian proverb
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by SandeeA and Tricia Martin
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Meet Jonell Galloway, a freelance writer and editor specialized in French cuisine. 
