You have the classic pairings of BigMac and McDonald’s or the Big Apple and NYC. But did you know that there is a pair so perfect…pear and chocolate. I am not a big fan of dessert but I have to be honest this pairing is grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr soooooo YUMIIIIIIII.

Ingredients

If you want the exact recipe you can go to http://www.cookingninja.com/147-Chocolate-Pear-Cake.html They will tell you everything This is what it looked like before it went in the oven to bake. I let it bake for 40 minutes and the smell was………OMG awesome, delicious, fantabulous!!!!! The aromas just made me think of one thing: a piece of cake, please!!!!!

The cake is ready…… and with some yogurt it is even better, love it!!!!! Cool, fresh and creamy!

The question of pairing wine with a dessert is a delicate thing, especially with the chocolate. Some people recommend to pair with a sweet wine….. Well if you consider the cake is already sweet and you add the sweetness from wine. What will be the taste? Sweet, sweet and sweet: TOO SWEET!!!!! Next!

I really prefer to enjoy my cake with a cup of coffee. The perfect end to a divine dinner with my pear and chocolate dessert is a glass of Cognac or Armagnac. C’est bon.

I usually order fish in restaurant, why?? Because I do not cook it very often by myself. However this weekend I changed that.

I bought 2 clean and fresh trout, one onion, 2 lemons and some herbs (basil, thyme and chives). Do you see? I did not need too many ingredients to make this dish.

I first cut my onion and the lemons into thin slices. I then added salt and pepper in the cavity of the trout and stuffed them with my onions and lemons. Then I added chives and thyme in the trout, but not the basil. A little bit of olive oil inside and then I put some basil leaves on the top of each trout and drizzled generously with olive oil. And the result is:

 Ready to be grilled. I do not have a barbecue, I used my oven and it worked very well. Just control the temperature so that your trout do not burn.

What am I going to serve with my trout? Rice pilaf. Just slice an onion and sauté. Then put some olive oil (2 tsp) in a pan and start to brown the rice (1 cup for 2 persons). As soon as the rice starts to toast, add the water in the pan (2 or 3 cups of water for each cup of rice). Then I let the rice cook in its water and add the cooked onion. I know there are different ways to do it but mine is simple. As soon as the rice absorbs all the liquid in the pan, your rice should be done.

The trout are ready; the rice is cooked…let’s put eveything on a plate. Of course we need to have a drink with the trout. Let’s have Clos Poggiale, a white wine from Corsica, the island in the South of France.  A 100% Vermentino wine with citrus and exotic flavors; its freshness will definitely complete the dish.

OK, welcome to paradise. That was so YUMIIII. I can do some dessert also…. let’s see that really soon

Ciao ciao

 In fact, I should say NY. It was great to have my parents and my uncle here in NY for a week.

They were able to visit the city and explore its diverse areas like the East Village, Times Square, Soho, the Financial District, Brooklyn and, of course, Liberty Island.

Who does not fall in love with this beautiful lady? Nobody.

Their trip also coincided with the Independence Day celebrations; they loved it. The fireworks on the Hudson River was amazing and sooo long. That’s funny how we can come back a child in front of fireworks. Karl and his family were in NYC at this time and they invited us to see the show with them. Thanks a lot we had a great time!!!

I was very happy to share my New York discoveries with my family! Got any adventures you’d like to share with me? I’m still exploring the city and would love to hear about new places and things that are not on the radar.

Friday, July 17th

I will be pouring samples of Maison Bouachon Cotes du Rhone 2006 at Best Buy Liquors store in Coney Island, NY, on Friday, July 17th from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. There is no cost for the tasting, so come to see me

Best Buy Liquors
1613 Neptune Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11224
718-265-4350

Happy Bastille Day!!!

OK but what does it mean in France? Bastille Day is the French Nartional Holiday.

We celebrate the storming of the Bastille fortress prison on July 14th 1789 during the French revolution. It was the symbol of the end of the monarchy system and the birth of the Republic. A symbol of liberty and the fight against oppression for all French citizens; like the Tricolore flag, it symbolized the Republic’s three ideals: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity for all French citizens

As in the US, where the signing of the Declaration of Independence signaled the start of the American Revolution, in France the storming of the Bastille began the Great Revolution. In both countries, the national holiday thus symbolizes the beginning of a new form of government.

Traditionally we have a military parade on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris in front of the President of the Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, who usually makes a speech to the nation. This year, the Indian army has been invited to the parade. It is the first time ever the Indian army participated in a parade out of its country. We have a nice demonstration from our Air Force and the Patrouille de France. Then at night we have a beautiful firework display in all the French cities.

What do French people ususally do during Bastille Day?

• We spend time with the Family, have dinner and drink wines, from the South of France it is better
• We watch the Tour de France and wait for a French victory at the July 14th stage. Not for this year again LOL Mark Cavendish won it.
• We also watch the parade on TV or live. I mean I do not do it a lot, it is a bit too long for me!!!
• Exceptional FIREWORK!!!!! It is nice to be a kid again once a year

Well as Independance day in the US, Bastille Day is time for relaxing and enjoying your friends and family.