September 2008: Table of Contents : gourmet.com

Magazine / Features

20 Letter from the Editor: The Last Time I Saw Paris

For one rainy week this spring, our editor in chief stayed in cheap hotels, wandered the streets, rode the métro, attended free cultural events, and had some of the best meals of her life. And she discovered that you can live stunningly well in Paris on very little money. Here’s how.

By Ruth Reichl

66 The New Left Bank

Every time we land in Paris, we find ourselves bowled over by a charming new city. In this issue, we head deep into the double-digit arrondissements (okay, we include the 9th). If you do the same, you’ll be rewarded with not just spectacularly good food but with a glimpse of the quartiers that the French themselves consider the Paris of the 21st century.
Recipes on page 70.

By Alexander Lobrano

Photographs by Gueorgui Pinkhassov

68 10th

This area—always one of the more anonymous in the city—has been reborn as a dramatic place that begs you to wander its banks or linger over a bottle of wine.

72 11th and 12th

Countless young chefs have chosen to set up shop in this slice of the city, and it’s become one of the trendiest destinations—especially for those who want to taste what’s new without spending a small fortune.

74 19th and 20th

There’s definitely something stirring in the bawdy working-class neighborhood that runs along the Rue de Belleville. And now is the perfect time to catch its wave of energy and edginess.

77 9th

One of the city’s least known neighborhoods, this is also one of its most intimate. But don’t be fooled by its appealing sleepiness—there are lots of surprises and hidden gems among those backstreets.

By Oliver Schwaner-Albright

78 A Parisian Room of One’s Own

Check in, check out. Check in, check out. Repeat. That’s what our travel editor did as he went from one hotel to the next—and from one extreme (no bathroom) to another (painted fresco ceilings).

By William Sertl

118 Smooth Operator

At her restaurant, Le Baratin, Raquel Carena seamlessly melds French bistro cooking with the flavors of Italy, Spain, and beyond. Taste the results in recipes for fennel with almonds, raisins, and saffron; braised duck legs and sautéed duck breast; vanilla panna cotta with fresh mango compote; quail escabeche; celery root and potato purée with chervil; and mocha mousse with Sichuan peppercorns.

Photographs by John Kernick

140 An Antique Table

In a tradition as old as their wares, flea-market vendors continue the oh-so-French habit of putting lunch before work, and it’s inspired us to take some classic dishes and update them with a global flair. Among them: country pâté with mango and pineapple chutney; butternut squash soup with chestnuts; fricassee of game hen with creamy leeks and vadouvan; and chocolate-glazed chocolate tart. Plus: our favorite flea markets.

Recipes by Paul Grimes

Photographs by Martyn Thompson

Magazine / First Person

116 Benedictions

When a romantic failure inspires a uniquely Parisian sort of hunger, one young woman and her dog set out to satisfy it in a way only this city can.

By Aleksandra Crapanzano

130 In Pursuit of Happiness

Lovelorn and depressed, the author moved to Paris and found a city that not only restored her to her senses, it taught her how to savor the texture of everyday life.

By Holly Brubach

138 My Cherry Amour

If it’s possible for a city to give you a knowing wink, Paris does so, in elusive and tantalizing ways, each time this novelist visits.

By Monique Truong

150 Seductress on the Seine

People fall in love in Paris—with the food, with the wine, and even with the people they’ll someday marry.

By Jay McInerney

Magazine / Good Living

36 Fresh

Chefs and the City Where they eat, shop, and stay.

Magazine / Drinks

44 Foreign Vin-Vasion

Some of the best wine bars in Paris aren’t even run by the French.

By Colman Andrews

50 Wine Advice

Cabernet Francs, Sauvignon Blancs, Syrahs, Mâcon Blancs, and Red Bordeaux.

By Gerald Asher

52 We’ll Always Have Cocktails

Now here’s a plum assignment: Visit the legendary bars of some of Paris’s most luxurious hotels and let us know what you think. Some people have all the luck.

By Julia Langbein

Magazine / Cooking

40 A Taste of September

Leading a colorful life with French macarons.

42 Cookbook Club

This month’s selection is A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes, by David Tanis. With a recipe for grilled halibut with Indian spices and yellow tomatoes.

Magazine / Obsessions

60 A few of our favorite Parisian things.

Magazine / Gourmet Everyday

91 Quick Kitchen

The new coq au vin; steak with lemongrass-peppercorn sauce; Moroccan-style lamb and carrots with chickpea purée; plus seven more recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes active time or less.

Recipes and Food Styling by Melissa Roberts

Photographs by Romulo Yanes

98 Vegetarian Tonight

An oeuf is enough—when it comes to mushrooms two ways.

Recipe by Lillian Chou

104 Ten-Minute Mains

The ideal solutions for hectic weeknights.

Recipes by Shelley Wiseman

108 One or Two for Dinner

Sausage-stuffed potatoes for two; and shrimp in ginger butter sauce just for you.

Recipes by Lillian Chou

Magazine / Seasonal Kitchen

132 A Leg Up

You can prepare homemade duck confit in just 45 minutes. The simple process will yield elegant and exciting results in recipes such as Asian noodles with barbecued duck confit; potato-leek ragout; white-bean soup; creamy sauerkraut gratin; and more.