Rachel Khoo

Swedish sunday sunshine

Rachel — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:03:10 +0000

The sun decided to make a guest appearance on Sunday (quite fitting). What better way to enjoy it by escaping from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Just outside Stockholm, on the island of Lidingö is the beautiful sculpture park, Millesgården.

It was previously the home of Swedens’ most famous, sculptor Carl Milles and his artist wife Olga Milles. Their home still stands which is open to visitors in addition to a museum, garden and café.

What better way to have lunch than outside on the terrasse in the sunshine. The meatballs were recommended to me by my (Swedish) friends. I wasn’t disappointed. The meatballs were juicy and complimented the sweet slightly acidic lingonberries. Top that with some creamy mash and you have a simple delicious meal.

Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberries

After lunch I nipped into the café which is attached to a small food shop, selling local produce aswell as gourmet foods from allover the world.

The sunshine was too tempting, so I didn’t stay long but headed out to soak up some more sun rays.

Meilleure Baguette de Paris

Rachel — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:18:05 +0000

Every year, bakers from all around Paris offer their baguettes up to scrutiny in hopes of winning the accolade of Paris’s meilleure baguette. This year, the honour goes to the Boulangerie Mauvieux in the 18th arrondissement. While the prestige of winning such an award may be the greatest prize, the grand prix of 4,000€ doesn’t hurt either. Not to mention, for one year breadmaker Sébastien Mauvieux will become the official supplier for the Palais Elysée. Not a bad gig!

Experiencing this award-winning bread will set you back a mere ninety centimes. In the name of research, I thought I’d also better try out some of their petit déjeuner pastries like their pain au raisin and brioche au sucre. I was not disappointed! Now if I could just get a spot on that tasting panel…

The Boulangerie Mauvieux is located at 159 rue Ordener 75018, +33 01 42 62 76 70. They’re open from 7am—8 pm everyday except Sundays.

Gontran Cherrier Boulanger

Rachel — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:26:21 +0000

Gontran Cherrier’s boulangerie is one of my favourite bakeries in Paris. I love its crisp, white tiled walls with its long counter filled with delicious pastries, tartes, and breads. And unlike many of Paris’s best boulangeries, you can eat inside, perched on a stool along the bar facing the street and surrounded by the sweet scents of freshly baked buttery viennoisseries. But that’s if you can find a space, because I’m not the only person who makes the journey to the 18th arrondissement to savour Gontran’s delights.

Among his must try treats is the Kouign Amann, a classic buttery Breton offering, embodying everything a pastry should be—sticky, sweet and flaky. For a savoury lunch you might try one of the fresh tartes salées (such as the one pictured below) – cucumber, tomato, and feta with mint. They also have a unique take on the sandwich in the form of colourful “buns”. And, when in Paris, there’s no lunching at a boulangerie without a dessert. The vast choice might be a touch intimidating, but speaking from experience, you’ll struggle to go wrong. I particularly rate the vibrant tarte aux agrumes—a citrus tarte made with grapefruit, orange and pistachio.

Gontran Cherrier Boulanger, 22 rue Caulaincourt, 75018, +33 01 46 06 82 66.

Open everyday except Wednesday. Mon – Sat 7.30 am—8.30pm. Sundays from 7.30 am—7.30 pm.

Stockholm Farmers’ market finds

Rachel — Wed, 16 May 2012 09:43:53 +0000

Nettles

I managed to track down a very little Farmers’ market in Södermalm on the Saturday I was in Stockholm. It wasn’t particularly big with only one guy selling vegetables (the weather was miserable though) and a few other stands but I managed to get a bag full of ingredients for 50 Krona.

A squash? Spotty watermelon? Any ideas, let me know.

Spring kicks off a little later due to Stockholm being so far up North but that didn’t mean there weren’t plenty of fresh greens to be seen.

Seeing all the jams, pickles, cordials and other homemade goods, got me thinking of what I should make with my bag of farmers’ market finds.

I decided to make warm beetroot salad with quick onion pickles and radish. The rhubarb was roasted and served with granola (bought off the bakery stand) and vanilla yoghurt.

A postcard from Stockholm

Rachel — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:20:53 +0000

This wasn’t my first time to Stockholm. I’ve visited it a few times over the last 9 months and I’m always discovering new parts of this beautiful city. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t very favourable for lots of wandering around the cobbled streets which I like to do most (is there a better way of uncovering the best bits of a new city?!). It was more like Fika weather, the Swedish ritual of having a cup of coffee and sweet bun. Now that’s my kind of ritual.

The sticky and sweetly spiced with cinnamon or cardamom or even fruit (pictured right of the “kanelbullar”) buns can be found all over town. A perfect bullar should have a caramelised crisp crust but be moist and sticky inside and laced with lots of spice.

I usually stay in Södermalm which has a similar feel to hipster ‘hoods’ like Dalston, London or the Marais, Paris – but don’t let that put you off. There’s plenty to discover without feeling pressured into buying the latest fluoro wayfarers. First stop for me every time I’m in Stockholm is Papercut, Krukmakargatan 24-26.

“Hello, my name is Rachel and I’m a Paperholic” - I have a serious problem when it comes to paper products: books, magazines, cards, writing paper, paper for watercolours, you name it … if it’s beautiful, I want it. Papercut has a huge selection of magazines, books and DVDS.

You won’t find the regular magazines you get at your local corner shop here. They stock some of my favourite food magazines (Fire & Knives, Lucky Peach) and plenty of other beautiful ones, which I’ve never heard of but inevitably end up weighing down my suitcase on departure. Several hundred krona poorer with an armful of magazines and books I fled before I bought anything else.

I headed to the Urban Deli, Nytorget 4 for a light lunch of Raksallad (Swedish shrimp salad). The deli is packed with delicious delights from allover the world. Of course there’s a big selection of knäckebrod (crispbread), a must in every Swedish kitchen.

After lunch I discovered just opposite Urban Deli, Stockholms Stadmission Second Hand a shop that turned out to be my favourite Stockholm find. I’m a sucker for charity shops no matter where in the world. Stuffed full with clothes, books, homeware…I managed to find a couple of vintage aprons for 60 Krona each. They also had some very lovely cups and saucers but I resisted. I think I may need to move apartment before I can start buying more crockery. You may have noticed my Little Paris Kitchen is ‘crock-a-block’.

The neighbourhood has plenty more vintage and antique stores (a little more expensive than the charity shops) where you can find original Swedish designed plates by Stig Lindberg.

I also came across the Saltå Kvarn, Renstiernas gata 27 store. I had spotted their brightly coloured, retro style packaging in the supermarket but seeing everything together in one shop is even more impressive. They do a wide range organic dried goods plus baskets for making bread.

All those healthy grains led me straight to Parlans Konfektyr, Nytorgsgatan 38. The most delicious caramels are made on site: classic, sea salt, chocolate, apple, almond, raspberry, coffee, lemon, vanilla, peppermint and the very Swedish, Lakritz (licorice). The shop looks straight out of the set of a 1930s movie. Even the staff are dressed up 1930s style, ready to break out into a Lindy hop any moment.

Munching my way through the caramels I wandered back towards to Papercut and came past Oaxen skafferi, Mariatorget 2 – a butcher and deli run by the owners of one of Sweden’s most famous restaurant, (now closed) Oaxen. Swedish meaty treats, cheese, chutneys and pickles lined the walls.

I tried some of their smoked game (wild boar and venison) and cheese – salty deliciousness. I couldn’t resist a sandwich either (smoked salmon, pickled fennel plus a few other garnishes stuffed into a crunchy baguette). A little pricey at 75 Krona but I couldn’t finish the whole baguette. You could definitely share it between two.

Couple of hours to kill before dinner I decided to take a chill out with the magazines I bought at Papercut.

For dinner I left hipsterville and headed towards the old town to Mattias Dahlgren, Matbaren. The Food bar is the more relaxed eatery of his two restaurants (next door is his Michelin starred restaurant). They serve individual dishes, which according to the waitress, are in between starter and main with the idea being that you share. You order a couple of dishes and if you’re still hungry you order more (i.e. you don’t have to order your starter and main at the same time).

Asian bun with slow cooked beef and cucumber.

The interior was a mix of contemporary Swedish designer furniture with wood paneled walls. It was pretty minimal but still managed to be warm and inviting.

Cucumber noodles with grilled squid and fish roe with a lime and coriander vinaigrette.

I was a little surprised to see the menu so heavily influenced by Asia, but there were plenty of Swedish touches to the produce. No meatballs on the menu that didn’t bother me after tasting the first couple of dishes which were flavoursome and fresh.

Prawn and king crab dumplings

Sole goujons with crudités and lemon mayonnaise.

If I’d known that coffee came with little financiers and a nutty praline then I would have skipped the dessert or gone for something lighter. I was bursting by the second spoonful – this was one very rich dessert!

Chocolate caramel fondant with caramel ice cream.

Coffee, nutty praline and financiers.

Dinner concluded with me rolling off my chair and back to Södermalm to bed, content with my food finds for the day, and looking forward to my morning bullar!

If you have any recommendations for my future trips to Stockholm, please leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you.

Youpi et voilà

Rachel — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:27:23 +0000

Starter: Buffalo mozarella with rhubarb and smoked fish.

Youpi et voilà 8, rue Vicq d’Azir 75010 Paris

Set dinner 4 course dinner menu – 34€

Young tuna with fresh peas, pickled onions, cherry and the house ketchup.

Pork filet, carrot risotto and asparagus.

Saffron ice cream with strawberries and raspberries.

First radishes of the year

Rachel — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:06:34 +0000

First radishes from my window box.

The Irish Times, 12.05.2012

Rachel — Sat, 12 May 2012 08:29:50 +0000

On my bookshelf…Blood, Bones and Butter

Rachel — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:42:20 +0000

In between cooking, writing and promoting the book, there’s nothing more I like to do is to wind down with a cup of tea and good read. The book of choice usually gets stuffed into my bag and becomes my loyal travel companion, inevitably ending up tattered and torn, then passed on to friends. But, like the Velveteen Rabbit learnt, it’s better to be a bit worn and loved than still pristine sitting on the bookshelf – I am sure we are all guilty of having too many books like that at home.

This month, my chosen companion was Blood, Bones & Butter. It’s an inspiring read for anyone who has ever juggled with the idea of opening their own business, or equally, anyone who has a genuine love of food and enjoys reading about the high strung life on the line.

In a hugely male dominated industry, authoritative female voices on the subject of restaurant cheffing are few and far between. But that is far from the only reason that Gabrielle Hamilton’s Blood, Bones & Butter is as exciting a read as it is.

Across the pond she has established herself among New York City’s most influential chefs and restaurateurs since opening Prune in the East Village in 1999. Numerous accolades and awards later, she somehow manage to find the time to pen this fantastic read Blood, Bones & Butter.

The memoir chronicles her unusual trajectory from a rural childhood spent in her French mother’s lap learning to make the most from little, a stint as a cook for a catering company shipping frozen portions of food in refrigerated lorries to posh weddings (a rather unappetising but illuminating section), to a summer camp cook who took a risk and opened her own restaurant inspired by the hospitality she discovered on travels around Europe.

Despite her overwhelming passion for the project, the usual unpredictable problems ensue; one memorably repugnant scene sees her scrubbing human shit from the steps of her restaurant, reluctant to make any other member of her staff do such dirty work.

Her private life proves similarly as challenging as her professional life. She bravely reveals the difficulties of a relationship with a female co-worker who she cheats on and ultimately leaves for a suave Italian doctor with an idyllic Italian family. Despite clinging onto the annual evocative summers in Puglia, the reality of her life with Michele never quite lives up to the dreamy summers spent around the table with his family.

The book is often described as the ‘female’ answer to Kitchen Confidential. In many ways gender needn’t enter into that description; as Hamilton says in the book “now if we could just get the word ‘female’ out of that sentence” (when she is introduced to someone as one of the best female chefs in New York City on p208). However, that said, when the narrative tackles the challenges of being pregnant on the job and having her line chefs resign just days before she is due to give birth forcing her to book in for a caesarian pronto, gender necessarily comes into play, and as a woman, you clearly understand that Hamilton is one unusually tough cookie.

Each month I’ll be revealing my favourite reads, so stay tuned for more recommendations. If you have any personal favourites or have something to say about the book, leave a comment below!

A postcard from Amsterdam

Rachel — Tue, 08 May 2012 17:59:22 +0000

Lately life has featured a great deal of business mixed with a whole lot of pleasure. And the book launch for ‘Chez Rachel’ in Amsterdam was no exception.

Kosmos, my wonderful Dutch publishers, put Frankie and I up in some seriously sweet digs, namely, The College Hotel, a boutique hotel in the south of Amsterdam known for its cool clientele and friendly (if a little slow) service by operated by students of hospitality from the neighbouring school.

The lounge at The College Hotel

Between interviews with journalists and doing two cookery workshops, we still managed to find some time to explore the city and discovered, thanks to tips from friends and foodies, some excellent places to fill up on apple pie, purchase vintage plates for styling the workshop, and experience an edible greenhouse.

Here are some of the highlights of the visit for anyone heading to the home of tulips, clogs and bicycles…

Props & Shops

Sourcing props was top of the agenda for the vintage tea party we wanted to create for The Little Paris Kitchen gathering I was hosting after the cookery workshop. Joyce de Lange was sweet enough to divulge all of her favourite addresses in the city and took us on prop hunt around De 9 Straatjes, a cluster of cute streets dotted around the canals filled with an array of florists, clothes stores, tile shops, chocolate shops and bakeries.

It didn’t take long before we found our bonheur at Juffrouw Splinter, where we filled our bags with tea stands, cake plates, tea cups and saucers – perfect for hosting a vintage tea party. But there couldn’t be a true afternoon tea without cute napkins and a fancy tablecloth, which is where Laura Dols came into its own.

Ghostly dresses at Laura Dols

This is one of Amsterdam’s ultimate vintage clothing stores as it turns out, featuring room after room of clutch bags, dresses, linen napkins, girly vintage aprons and the perfect tablecloth for the festivities. I was tempted by a frilly blue prom dress number for Downing Street visit, but thought it might be a bit risque for my first encounter with the Camerons!

De Weldaad was another such treasure trove of styling props, with two locations, one next to the De Winkel (see below) and one along De 9 Straatjes. The Noordermarkt branch is larger, with lots of larger furniture items including nice antique French garden furnishings, but it is also perfect for little bits of glassware (we bought pretty glass vases), cake stands and amazing Dutch tiles and door knobs.

We also stumbled across 360 Volt, the place to go for industrial lamps, which judging from the peering through the windows into people’s homes along the canals, seem to be popular in the high-ceilinged Dutch townhouses. Oddly enough, we discovered that the display in the store had been the inspiration for Nuno’s Corner Room installation at the Town Hall Hotel.

Also on Prinsengracht, we discovered Frozen Fountain, a concept store featuring the work of some top Dutch designers. This is a really good place to pick up some high end crockery, so worth a visit if you are looking to invest in some nice pieces.

Food To Go

Kaas - One of Amsterdam's famed cheese shops

I may live in France, the land of cheese, but there is definitely something to be said for Dutch Gouda. We discovered it in all its variations at Kaas, one of the city’s most famous cheese purveyors. Smoked, speckled with nettles, flecked with cumin seeds, dotted with truffles, you name it, they have it.

If it is a taster of French bread and viennoisseries you are after, Gebroeders Niemeijer is a little gem of a bakery in an otherwise unappealing part of town near the central station. You can watch the bakery in action from the cafe; apparently the bakers are Cordon Bleu trained!

Thanks to some top tips from the Dutch journos, on Saturday morning we headed to the Noordermarkt, one of the city’s best produce markets, wedged between the canal and a majestic church in the Jordaan district – the bobo part of the city.

There was plenty of great stuff to pick up here; beautiful rainbow chard, a great selection of potted herbs (including cool things like shiso), wurst and some pretty ceramics. It was definitely worth a visit if you have a Saturday in the city. A funny band contributed to the lively atmosphere.

One address that kept cropping up as the best place in town to eat an authentic apple pie was De Winkel, conveniently located right next to the market, and boasting a reassuringly long queue.

But don’t be deterred by the crowds, we were propped up at the bar in no time, with two massive wedges of apple cake with giant splodge of whipped cream, a strong black coffee and a hot chocolate. Our eyes were slightly bigger than our appetites… and it did somewhat spoil our lunch. But it was worth it.

Restaurants

Time was limited, but we did have the chance to discover two delightfully different restaurants. The first night we headed to Marius with a friend who had recommended this tucked away restaurant heaving with happy locals. They had recently opened up a casual bar next door, called Wurst, a great place for a light bite with a glass of wine or a pre-dinner aperitif if you are heading to the restaurant next door.

We grabbed a glass of fancy cider as an aperitif before heading next door to Marius for their set market menu, which featured an intriguing dish of Lobster Wurst with pickled beetroot and a take on brandade (pictured above) which we washed down with a glass of Picpoul de Pinet.

Our next dinner excursion was to the aptly named Restaurant de Kas, meaning glasshouse. On the outskirts of town, the restaurant is housed in a converted greenhouse dating back to 1926 which was set to be demolished before they transformed it into an elegant restaurant with an active greenhouse. Much of the menu is designed around the produce grown in greenhouse and in the fertile land surrounding the building.

In the evenings the restaurant produces a set menu inspired by the seasonal fare, beginning with a trio of dishes brought to the table to share, a really cool concept that was greatly appreciated after a long day in the kitchen.

After supper, we snuck into the kitchen to chat with the chef and explore the space a little deeper. We were treated to a guided tour of the garden and saw where the produce was grown that had been delivered to our table.

Mackerel on a tarte fine base

White asparagus with quail’s egg and bresaola

These were some of our favourite places that we came across, but please leave a comment below if you have any other great tips. As hopefully, it won’t be too long before I am back for another helping!