Macaron Class

 Last Friday I took a cooking class in a French chef's home.

 And what a gracious home it is, like walking into a Matisse painting.

 Chef Marthe Brohan, used to teach in her bistro's kitchen in the 11th. Now she opens her home to share bistro trade secrets. Before cooking we went off to the marche Raspail for ingredients.

 Chef Marthe shares her favorite purveyors for olive oil and olives of Nylons/Provence. Irresistable.

 Back in her apartment, it's all hands on deck to make the 3-course menu:

Mediterranean zucchini

Chicken with two vinegars

Citron Madeleines

 I fell in love with these special herb cutting shears

 I found them on Saturday at the Bio marche on Raspail as directed.

 On to our main course - the chicken with two vinegars + a touch of honey and rosemary.

 While the chicken is cooking we move on to dessert - lemony madeleines. Marthe makes it easy as pie.

 And shares her favorite cookbooks...

 Who knew the American Embassy had such a terrific cookbook? Marthe has marked up many pages for reference. I must get this book.

 You can find it on Amazon in English:
Elegant Entertaining, Seasonal Recipes from the American Ambassador's Residence in Paris.

 Another favorite book.

 And just out in the US,

 French Bistro, with recipes from Bistro Paul Bert and L'Ami Jean. It looks gorge.

 Enfin a table!

The poulet is fragrant and delicious - so simple
.

 Is anything better than eating madeleines right out of the oven? It will spoil you forever. And so easy using Marthe's methods. She explains a French expression to us -

'it is the 'Madeleine de Proust'

meaning this is something I ate as a child. Nostalgia for dishes of one's childhood is so much a part of French taste/gout.

Truly the highlight of my Paris trip cooking in Marthe's cuisine.