The Simplicity of Paris

During the early 1970s and ‘80s, many of us with a passion for food made our first pilgrimages to Paris to visit as many Michelin three-star restaurants as we could afford. We sat in breathtakingly beautiful dining rooms, were served by a gaggle of attentive waiters and ate a parade of dishes that went on for hours. It was a dazzling experience.

Those superstar chefs performed magic, transforming ingredients into complex, luscious dishes. The famed French sauces, frothy and ephemeral, bore no resemblance to the white sauce I learned to make in high school. The whole experience was as glamorous as anything Hollywood every produced.

Not long ago, I went to Paris with a friend to visit again a few of those fabulous restaurants. Twenty years have passed. The superstar chefs of today are just as talented as ever, and they continue the same lavish tradition, but somehow, for me, the experience has lost its luster. It has become passe.

In contrast, I found the simple foods of the open markets extremely inviting. The most exciting market I visited is on Rue Cler, in the seventh arrondissement. This market has a wonderful array of shops, booths and stalls. One of the best cheese shops in the city is there, plus a fine fish market, and fruits and vegetables that look as if they just left the garden. There are many takeout food spots and some treats that you buy and eat as you stroll around the market. My favorite was a sweet crepe. It was warm, spread with butter and sugar, and folded into quarters and wrapped in wax paper, ready to eat.

As soon as I got home, I started to test crepe batters, and I think I have a close copy of the one in Rue Cler. Crepes freeze well if you put a piece of wax paper between each crepe and then double-wrap the stack with plastic wrap.

I also brought home a very simple mayonnaise mixture that was served with some ice-cold carrot sticks in a little bistro. As insignificant as this plain little recipe seems, make enough to keep some in the refrigerator. I use it on all kinds of dishes if they need a boost of flavor.

BUTTER AND SUGAR CREPES

In Brittany, crepes are a national food. They use buckwheat flour for their savory crepes and wheat flour for sweet crepes. Because buckwheat flour by itself has a bitter aftertaste, they use 1/3 buckwheat to 2/3 wheat flour. There are many fillings for crepes, but the classic savory fillings are cheeses; for the sweet crepes, butter, sugar and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice. With these Parisian crepes, you can also squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over the butter and sugar before folding.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

3 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup butter, chilled

1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar

Combine all-purpose and whole-wheat flours in mixing bowl and stir in salt and sugar. Beat in eggs and milk and whisk until smooth. Stir in melted butter.

Heat 9-inch skillet medium-hot. Don’t grease skillet. Pour 1/3 cup batter into skillet and tilt and tip skillet quickly so batter coats entire bottom. Cook until crepe bottom is nicely golden, about 1 or 2 minutes. Lift edge with fingers or spatula to see when crepe is done. When golden, turn crepe over and cook briefly on second side. Do not scorch.

Just before removing crepe from skillet, rub lightly with chilled butter (don’t rub too hard or crepe will tear). Sprinkle with 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. Fold crepe in half and then in half again. Wrap in wax paper and eat while warm.

Makes 12 to 15 (9-inch) crepes.

Each serving contains about:

212 calories; 350 mg sodium; 87 mg cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.13 gram fiber.

CARROT STICKS WITH MUSTARD-MAYONNAISE SAUCE

6 carrots, peeled

1/2 cup mayonnaise, homemade or good-quality commercial

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

Slice carrots lengthwise 1/8-inch thick, then cut in 2-inch sticks. Put carrots in container with ice cubes and water to cover. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Stir together mayonnaise, mustard and garlic until well-mixed. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

170 calories; 382 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 1.15 grams fiber.

* Dinnr plate from Bristol Kitchens, South Pasadena.