Haven't blogged for ages.  That's just me, 3 mins of heat.  I would also blame Facebook too, since it makes blogging-like activities too easy which is probably why it is so successful.  Tonight I was reading an article about this young successful chef and then my friend B's blog... somehow the 衝動 of updating my blog has arised again. (I think the bottle of red wine I drank also has something to do with this...)

 

Last night I finally got to try this small French restaurant in Paris called Au Fils des Saisons.  I've always wanted to try it out ever since I've read the many recommendations on the internet, such as this one from a LCB alumni.  The resturant hides ltself in a little alley in the 3rd arrondisement.  I would have just walked past it if I didn't have the address since there isn't even a restaurant sign outside! Luckily the food didn't disappoint me at all.  For 35 euros, I got my 3-courses dinner with every dish made to nearly perfection.  The style is traditional French, though the presentation is better than most traditional restaurants.

 

For the starter, I ordered scallops served with a bed of leeks.  The perfectly seared scallops got my appetite all fired up...

 

 

For the main course, I had pigeons in cognac sauce with wild mushrooms.  The birds were cooked just right in medium rare as how they should be...

 

 

And for dessert, I had mille feuilles in strawberry sauce...

 

 

I agreed with the other bloggers' comment that this is a one star restaurant but with price tag without the stars.  Highly recommended to anyone. 

 

Then tonight I was cooking quails for dinner at home.  I bought them from Carrefour, a super marche here (kinda like a Walmart but in Paris), since they were on sale... 7 quails for 7 euros.  After deboning them, the carsasses were used to make a red wine reduction sauce together with some aromatic veggies - onion/carrot/shallots - and veal stock made from Maggi instant veal stock powder.  Butter was added to the sauce at the end so as to give it a glossy and smoother finish.  The quails were simply pan-fried to medium rare seasoned with salt and pepper.  I was quite happy with the result, especially the sauce which has achieved the right consistency.  Although when I asked my landlady for feedback, as usual her comment was more critical than praises.  Oh well, her negative perspective of almost everything is something that I've gotten quite used to...