Food lovers’ Paris
May is a lovely month to visit Paris, and these two books will keep you up-to-date with culinary developments there.
Greg Marchand was Jamie Oliver’s head chef in his London restaurant, Fifteen and “Frenchie” has worked in high profile kitchens in Hong Kong and New York. He opened his first restaurant, Frenchie, in Paris in 2009.
It’s now one of the hottest tables in the city, though you may have more luck getting a spot at Frenchie Bar à Vins nearby, or a takeaway from Frenchie to Go, all on Rue du Nil. Marchand’s first book,
Frenchie
, is billed as “ New Bistro Cooking”, and the approach is adventurous, while respectful of tradition.
The one to bring with you on your trip, however, is the updated Patricia Wells tome
Food Lover’s Guide to Paris
, a rewritten, revised and re-photographed version of the original, to reflect the much changed culinary landscape. Both books are published by Workman.
Top of the pop-ups
Two upcoming pop-ups worth checking out are The Secret Garden, which will offer lunch and dinner in what chefs and organisers Harry Colley and Cuán Greene describe as " an enchanting setting of verdant law
ns and, vintage elegance” in Meeting House Square in Temple Bar, Dublin, on May 5th-9th. Dinner reservations sold out almost as soon as they were released, but there is availability for lunch, served in two sittings at noon and 1pm and sounding like amazing value at €10 for three ambitious courses, such as this pigeon and turnip rice, served at a recent dinner cooked by the pair. See secretgarden.ie.
If food and beer pairing is more your thing, a collaboration between Eric Heilig and Floriane Loup of #BrewsWePlate and craft brewer Brown Paper Bag Project will see five courses served with beer pairings at a dinner in Powerscourt Townhouse in Dublin 2 on Saturday, May 3rd. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.ie or telephone 087-7746317.
Gluten-free goodness
Goodness Grains, a gluten-free bakery in Longford owned by the Kelleher family, opened just over a year ago and now supplies more than 200 retailers and catering customers with breads, scones, bagels, muffins, pastries and cakes. They're particularly proud of their gluten-free Danish pastries and croissants, which they say are not commercially produced elsewhere in Ireland. You'll find Goodness Grains in selected Tesco, Dunnes and SuperValu stores as well as independent food stores.
