Paris GOODfood+wine Episode 5

by Paige Donner

Paris GOODfood+wine airing on World Radio Paris

Welcome to another episode of GOODfood+wine. For this edition, airing first on Sunday May 3rd 2015 in Paris, you'll be hearing an interview I did with Paris' famed Palace Hotel, Le Bristol's Head sommelier, French-Canadian Marco Pelletier, who gives us some advice on what wines to pair with the French terroir delicacy, La Bonnotte. It's the world's most expensive potato, often weighing in at €500 per kilo, and it's grown only on the Ile de Noirmoutier in France.

La Bonnotte - Early potatoes from the Ile de Noirmoutier - a feverishly awaited seasonal delicacy in France!

La Bonnotte and Caviar

It is said that the only diet Jaccqueline Kennedy Onassis ever put herself on was a caviar-and-potato- once-a-day diet. I have not yet found a specific reference to the potato she used to frame her caviar, but I imagine it could very well have been La Bonnotte. (Read full article here...)

Next, Richard Nahem, founder of a well-known blog about life in Paris, Eye (spelled E-Y-E) Prefer Paris, shares with us some of his Parisian expat insight and also tells us more about his new evening cooking courses.

Next up, veteran of Paris' food scene, the lovely English Margaret Kemp, speaks to us about some of the city's fascinating food trends, including a food truck started by a 3* Michelin Chef, Marc Veyrat called mesbocaux.fr .

Listen to GOODfood+wine on World Radio Paris

And for all of us excited about the fresh vegetables and bountiful seasonal produce of spring, Emily Dilling brings us with her to one of Paris's best-loved fresh markets, the Marché d'Aligré.

GOODfood+wine is brought to you by the generous support of Paris Food And Wine

Paige Donner hosts and produces Paris GOODfood+wine.

This episode of GOODfood+wine was brought to you in part by the generous support of FUSAC. FUSAC.fr is Paris' expat community resource and information publication since 1988.

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L’Institut Paul Bocuse Celebrates Its 25th Year

by Paige Donner 

Hervé Fleury, CEO of L'Institut Paul Bocuse, addressing Press at Le Pavillon Ledoyen, photo copyright Paige Donner

Celebrating its 25th year, the Institut Paul Bocuse culinary arts school chose a most fitting location for its fête: Le Pavillon Ledoyen Paris, recently awarded its 3rd Michelin star under the new ownership of Chef Yannick Alléno. Present also was one of the institute's founding advisors, former Cultural Minister of France, Jack Lang.

L-R Jack Lang speaks with Chef Yannick Alléno and Gérard Pélisson at Le Pavillon Ledoyen, Paris, at the 25th anniversary celebration of L'Institut Paul Bocuse. photo by Paige Donner copyright all rights reserved.

Celebrating its successful graduates and partnerships over the past 25 years, including with Accor Hotels, Danone and many others, under the leadership of the illustrious chef, Paul Bocuse and his indispensable team, Gérard Péllisson and Hervé Fleury, they are looking forward to the even more culinary creativity and innovation in French cuisine as they train the next generations. 

The institute also serves as a business incubator for new concepts in the hospitality, F&B and culinary arts world. It has helped launch four operational businesses so far. 

It als has implemented a new 11-week course for professionals looking to create and establish their own restaurant. These professionals might come from a culinary background with training, or perhaps are looking for a career change.  Some of the participants are French, while others come from a diverse multicultural and international background. 

Photo courtesy Institut Paul Bocuse

In French: 

...nouvellement créé, ce programme de 11 semaines est destiné à celles  et ceux qui souhaitent créer et diriger leur restaurant. L'Institut paul Bocuse a initié un partenariat avec CCI Formation Lyon et collabore avec l'uMIH Formation. 10 stagiaires amateurs en reconversion (40 ans de moyenne d'âge) viennent de la France entière, de l'étranger et d'horizons très divers (chef de vente, directeur commercial et marketing, informaticien, DRH, médecin, etc.). L'objectif de l'Institut paul Bocuse est d'inscrire ce programme au Registre national de la Certification professionnelle (RnCp) dans les 3 ans. 

On the school's premises in the city center of Lyon, France there is one gastronomic restaurant open to the public:  Saisons

Le restaurant gastronomique Saisons Ouvert au public, ce restaurant pédagogique permet aux étudiants d'évoluer en situation réelle et ainsi d'acquérir les connaissances nécessaires à l'exigence des métiers de la restauration gastronomique.

More information can be found on their website: institutpaulbocuse.com

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La Bonnotte of Ile de Noirmoutier - The World's Most Expensive Potato

by Paige Donner

It's nearly May - and that means La Bonnotte is just about in season! 

La Bonnotte, for those of you not familiar with it, is a little yellow gem that grows on the small, sheltered Isle of Noirmoutier in France's northwest region of the Vendée. And while myself and other culinary gourmands can easily mistake this little tuber for the Royal Star of Paris diamond, it is, in fact, entirely edible. Yes, this little tuber is a potato... île de Noirmoutier... Read my full article HERE

Early potatoes from the Ile de Noirmoutier - a feverishly awaited seasonal delicacy in France!

Its tubers have smooth, yellow skin and dark yellow flesh, finely grained. They are round, and the eyes are semi-sunken. The plant is sizeable and upright with a pigmented stalk and fairly short leaves, marked with a very glossy dark green. The leaflets have an embossed aspect. The flowers are small and white, and the fruits are reddish. It is resistant to potato wart and also, it seems, to degeneration disease. Its period of dormancy is quite long and it is also fairly slow to sprout – a delay it catches up on later. - Diehl

île de Noirmoutier... Read my full article HERE

Ile de Noirmoutier - Lady on bicycle with baguette. Photo by Paige Donner copyright 2014 all rights reserved. Find More of Paige's photography here:  http://paigedonnerphotography.wordpress.com

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Paris GOODfood+wine - Episode 4

GOODfood+wine aka Paris GOODfood+wine © Paige Donner 2014

Paris GOODfood+wine airing on World Radio Paris

Episode 4 

1. Climats de Bourgogne  by Paige Donner - Interview with Guillaume D'Angerville

2. Emily Dilling Interview by Paige Donner - In studio interview with our GOODfood+wine fresh market reporter

3. Chef Singer (formerly) of Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School Paris -  Interview by Gabrielle Mondesire 

4. Restaurant Review L'Amarante - Paige Donner interviews Alec Lobrano, Paris restaurant critic,  in-studio

Episode 4 airs on World Radio Paris on April 5th, Easter Sunday, at 11am. Listen for it at the same time the rest of the month or on-demand, streaming at WorldRadioParis.fr/listen-again

In this episode of Paris GOODfood+wine ….

You'll be hearing from one of Burgundy's most knowledgeable proponents, Guillaume D'Angerville, of their UNESCO World Heritage candidacy which at present is being considered for inclusion as a world cultural site of outstanding universal value,

Next Emily Dilling, our market report regular contributor stops by the World Radio Paris studios to chat with us a bit and tell us about her upcoming book release.

photo courtesy tastings.fr

Then Gabrielle Mondesire shares her interview with the former head chef of Paris' Le Cordon Bleu cooking school where she works as a translator.

And, finally, Alec Lobrano brings us his newest bistro pick, L'Amarante, which happens to also be a hot new Paris address that has several of his French restaurant critic peers abuzz these days, too.

photo courtesy AlexanderLobrano.com

Paige Donner hosts and produces Paris GOODfood+wine.

This episode of GOODfood+wine was brought to you in party by the generous support of FUSAC. FUSAC.fr is Paris' expat community resource and infomration publication since 1988.

And by the generous support of Paris Food And Wine

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Paris GOODfood+wine Episode 3 on World Radio Paris

Paris GOODfood+wine airing on World Radio Paris

by Paige Donner

In this episode of Paris GOODfood+wine you'll to hear all about a small French bird called the ortolan, considered a traditional culinary delicacy in some circles. 

The Ortolan, considered a (forbidden)delicacy in certain circles in SWest France.

Next, Paris restaurant critic and book author Alec Lobrano joins us again to review the hot, trendy, new restaurant Porte 12 in Paris' 10th arrondissement.

dish featured at Porte 12 Restaurant

Gabrielle Mondesire brings us her second installment from her interview of famed Parisian baker, Frédéric Lalos who goes a bit technical on us when he translates the fine art, and science, of fabulous bread baking. 

jonathan bauer monnaret - France's Sommelier of the Year

To round up, I bring you an interview with Jonathan Bauer Monnaret, named Sommelier of The Year by the prestigious French food and wine magazine, Gault&Millau. He is the head sommelier at Spring restaurant in Paris' Les Halles district. 

Photo courtesy ParisPaysanne.com/ Emily Dilling

And to finish with a tasty bang, Emily Dilling, who is founder and editor of her blog, Paris Paysanne, takes us on a tour of the Daumesnil fresh market in Paris' 12th arrondissement. 

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Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh AOC – The Other Sweet French Wine

by Paige Donner

The World of Wine has endless gems in store for you to discover. That is what's so riveting about continuing along the path of wine exploration. Just when you think you've come across most of France's highlights, there are still more yet awaiting your discovery.

pacherenc du vic bilh vineyards

Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh is one of these wines. In a culture that tends to evoke the wines of Sauternes and Barsac when discussing sweet wines, this is a lovely discovery that comes from a different region in France, the Southwest. AOC Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh is just 40 km from Pau and in fact faces the Pyrénées.

The real difference of this sweet wine is not the time of its harvest, as it's harvested late in the year, from mid-November up until mid-December, similar to other sweet wines and much like the famous German and Canadian ice wines. No, the real difference is that these wines take their sweetness from their maturation and not from botrytis (noble rot).

The first historical reference to this wine, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh, is from 1745 in a document found that forbids harvest that year before November 4th in this particular region of Southwestern France. That year the harvest took place mid-November during what's known as a sort of Indian Summer in that area of France, locally called the Summer of Saint Martin, l'été de la Saint-Martin.

Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh Doux Saint Albert 2012

Named after the festival day during that Indian Summer, the cuvée Saint-Albert 2012 made by Alice and Paul Dabade (Barrique and Lot 7.1-7.2-7.3-7.4) is exemplary of this AOC Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh sweet wine. It's a blend of Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng and Petit Courbu.  It was harvested late in 2012, starting December 12.

For the bouquet you can expect rhubarb and mandarin orange. On the mouth, the silky suaveness of the sweet is balanced nicely by a fresh acidity that hits you on the finish. As it ages it picks up notes of white truffles. If you like sweet wines this is truly one of the privileged sweet wines and relatively unknown simply because so little of it is produced.

Pairs well with foie gras and Roquefort; Also as an aperitif. For dessert it goes nicely with a fruit pie or tart and also light fresh sorbets such as passion or lemon. Serve 8-10°C.

Awards: Gold Medal, 2013, Paris Agricultural Fair

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Gérard Bertrand’s Book About His Life In Wine

All photos by Paige Donner ©

SEE The FULL PHOTO GALLERY on Chérie du Vin 

Gérard Bertrand celebrates his Book Launch Faust Paris December 17 photo by Paige Donner copyright 2014

Gérard Bertrand is one of those rare Frenchmen in wine - a former rugby star who took over the family business of wine when he retired from his illustrious sports career. Since his father George's death, Gérard has overseen the vast family business entirely, even launching the brand with considerable success into the US market in 2011.

A champion of bio-dynamic wines, Bertrand is also one of the biggest grower-producers in France's Languedoc region, a region that has historically been considered the wine barrel of France for its sheer volume of production. 

At his recent book launch at Faust in Paris, celebrating the release of his new book, Le Vin à la belle étoile, celebrated personalities from both the fields of sports and wine, as well as the Parisian demi-monde, came out to congratulate him - and to sip some of his new releases from his more celebrated estates of Cigalus (bio-dyanamic), Domaine de l'Aigle, and the wine from the Bertrand family estate, Domaine de Villemajou. 

If Domaine de Villemajou was a person it would be a generously proportioned Mediterranean woman with lots of charm to illustrate its rounded, silky, fine tannins.

The eight hectares that make up the plots of Villemajou are referred to as La Forge. These plots were Georges Bertrand's, Gérard's father's, favorite of his estates. It is part of the inland terroir of the Boutenac region in Corbières. These Villemajou plots, La Forge, reside on a Miocene hilltop.  The blend of the wine is of two emblematic regional varieties, Syrah and Carignan. 

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