New Year in Paris

Two lovely gifts from a lovely friend were put to use on this new year's day. A fancy cookbook stand and a very interesting cookbook - Found Meals of the Lost Generation - with recipes and stories of where and what the Bohemian revolution writers and artists ate in the 1920's Paris.

Tonight's dinner is tres-Paris, with steak et frites. Those were inspired by Kay Boyle's Art Colony book in which a Russian old woman, new to Paris, was feeling sad and the young woman hosting her wanted to treat her to a "good thick one running with juice and cooked up with French frieds" the way the Russian liked them.

The steaks are pan-broiled, based on a 1920's recipe from the "famous" chef Pampille. 

Simply melt butter in a frying pan until "a single drop of water flicked into the pan will sizzle vigorously". Add onion slices and the steaks. Turn after 4 minutes then add 1 cup beef broth and 1 Tsp red wine vinegar. Turn steak once. Serve drizzled with onions and sauce.

Now the French Frieds (Frieds is not a typo, it is the book's spelling) followed a new approach for me. 

Slice potatoes into thin long sticks, no wider than 1/2 inch and soak in water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile heat the oil "very slowly until a small cube of bread, dropped into the fat, browns in exactly 60 seconds".

Once you put the potatoes in, the oil will "bubble, sputter, hiss and gradually die down". And it sure did that. 

Fry for 3 minutes. Remove and let rest for five minutes, then fry again until they brown. They cook faster than my typical fries, taste less starchy and look very French.

Now since I am showing off my Christmas gifts, these were my boxing day gift to myself - beautiful ceramic measuring spoons (including one for a "pinch") from Front & Company on Main Street.

These were used to make a Parisian vinaigrette for the greens salad.

A very tasty Parisian dinner indeed.