Paris Hangover

There's no real structure to either book club- we choose a book, a date and place to meet, and a menu or restaurant that reflects the book's theme or environment. We then gather, discuss the book for approximately ten minutes (that’s just how it pans out) then digress onto life topics usually including, but not limited to, how men are lazy...at any age!

I picked Paris Hangover, by Kirsten Lobe, as the inaugural book for my new, younger lady club. It is a memoir of a young woman, Klein, who packs up her unhappy life in New York to follow her dream of living to Paris. Its sometimes racy content would not be suitable to share with my mother and her friends, but is a perfect read for a group of seven young babes, who most had only met through email correspondences.

Location for meeting: KJ's apartment.

For the menu: I wanted an easy Parisian theme (I stress "easy" because usually meetings fall on a week night, and do you want to rush home and concoct a proper Chicken Coq au Vin for a group of eager women? Oui? No!). I made one request to the members, “Bring your favorite French beverage, whether it be a Perrier, a Cabernet, or a Champagne…As long as we properly celebrate like Klein.”

Unfortunately, one of the babes is allergic to cats (a small detail I neglected to research) and last minute we had to change the venue. I chose a tapas restaurant that had a "no corkage fee" policy and a variety of french delights. We brought our french "apertifs" to the restaurant and upon arrival popped open a bottle of champagne, "To Klein!"...Instantly with flutes flowing of bubbly, we dove into the adventures of Paris Hangover and nibbled our way through bon mange (good eats)!

Here is my suggestion for a quick and easy, french-esque menu:

Hors d’ouevres:
Klein: “I’ve come to believe cheese is like adult candy. At a certain age you stop craving Mars bars and find yourself salivating over a divine Gouda.” We could not agree more, Ms. Klein.

An assortment of French cheeses with sliced baguette: including Petit Basque, Port Salut, Camembert, Brie and a stinky Roquefort for good measure. All found at a local market. (Yes, I know cheese is served after dinner in France, but that’s a difficult concept for me, an American, to digest ...although isn't that why they do it? to digest?)

In the book, Klein stresses that it is a sin to not serve cheese at room temperature. And this is true! If you serve cheese cold, the flavors are not fairly pronounced, therefore not fairly treated…a sin indeed! Treat others how you want to be treated, cheese included.


Principaux:
Mixed green salad w/ roasted beets: with the cheese plate, I wanted something light…
400 degree oven. Generously wrap beets in tin foil, roast for 45 minutes. Cool and peel with hands (can be prepared the night before and stored in fridge). Skin should slip off easily, like a negligee during a romantic night in Paris.

Slice beets and place on bed of mixed greens with other veggies of your choice (halved cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper) and crumbled goat cheese. To make the dressing, add equal parts of ¼ c red wine vinegar, ¼ c extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, juice of half a lemon to a jar; close jar and shimmy and shake until blended. Or whisk in a bowl.

A sexy tip: use a potato peeler to make thin ribbons of carrots and zucchini


Les Desserts:
Mixed berries over Crème Fraîche and honey:1 pint crème fraîche
3 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla

Mix. Top with berries

From a French bakery, you could also picked up macrons, chocolate croissants and mini brioche for nibbling.

Make the book come alive through food!!



Thinking of Brie,
Danielle