Under the watchful eye of Paule Caillat, we roamed the market searching for just the right specimens of artichokes, strawberries, fennel, pain au fromage, and comte. Paule takes her food seriously: "A woman may be faithful to her husband, but she must be faithful to her butcher."
Dear International Living Reader,
"That’s what I want," remarked the lady to my left, cutting into her roasted lamb. "To travel and write and be paid for it. That’s my dream job."
This was a turn in the conversation I hadn’t expected. This travel writer dream really is universal, I thought…
More to the point this sunny early summer afternoon in Paris was the roasted lamb. Tian d’agneau to be precise. Accompanied by tian des legumes. Preceded by petits souffles suisses. And followed by tarte au chocolat.
We’d begun the day at the outdoor market at Bastille, where our group of eight had followed our instructor for the day, Paule Caillat, up and down the aisles choosing artichokes, strawberries, fennel, pain au fromage, and comte (hard cheese). Paule had already ordered the lamb, boneless and cut into large chunks, from her preferred butcher.
"A woman may be faithful to her husband," Paule explained, "but she must be faithful to her butcher."
I’m a food neophyte. Well…I know food. To recognize it…to name it. It’s preparing it where I get into trouble.
Friends have been in town this month enjoying the finish to their honeymoon tour of Europe. Matt gave Mary the day’s cooking course as a wedding gift. "Take a cooking class" was on my "To Do In Paris" list when we began spending time in this city a year-and-a-half ago…so I asked Mary if I could tag along.
We met at a corner cafe in the 4th arrondissement at 9 a.m., spent two hours exploring the food market, then took the local bus to Paule’s apartment in the Marais.
Apartments in Paris are small. Two little rooms isn’t uncommon. That’s what Paule had. The front room was her kitchen, with two walls lined with countertops, sinks, and stove tops. In the center of the room, a large wooden farm table around which we worked. Beyond the door was a second room, Paule’s bedroom. A low-overhead operation.
Others in the group had more experience at this cooking thing than I. For them, much of what we practiced was familiar. For me, it was all new. We made a roux blanc and the Caillat family tart crust…whipped a souffle, then baked it twice (the idea being you could prepare this in advance…then rebake just before serving)…chopped fennel…and trimmed artichoke leaves.
We also tasted five French cheeses while waiting for the lamb to roast and the souffle to rise. Then, finally, we sat around the table to enjoy the meat and vegetables of our labor…and chat. Thus my lunch companion’s remark about her travel writer aspirations.
The market morning and cooking midday can be followed by an afternoon touring Paule’s favorite food shops. Paule offers the programs as often as three or four times a week…and they can be tailored to your specific interests. The cost of the full day is 340 euro ($430); if you cut the day short and depart after lunch, the cost is 240 euro ($300).
You can read more at Paule’s website: http://www.promenadesgourmandes.com.
"Can you cook now?" Lief asked when I returned from my class.
"Well, I wouldn’t go that far. But I can cross ‘Take a cooking class’ off my Paris list."
Kathleen Peddicord
Publisher, International Living
P.S. A tian is a shallow earthenware oven pan with its origins in Provence. It’s come, though, to be used to refer as well to the meat or vegetable dish baked in one.
