Apple & Blueberry Galette

• ½ (15-ounce) package of refrigerated pastry dough
• 3 tablespoons raspberry jam
• 2 honey crisp apples, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon of cold butter, cubed

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a lightly floured surface roll out dough into a 10 to 12inch round. Transfer dough to lined baking sheet and prick with fork.

3. Assemble galette. Spread raspberry jam leaving a bare 1-inch border around. Arrange apple slices in overlapping fashion. Toss blueberries. Top with sugar, cinnamon, and cubed butter. Fold the border of dough over the edge of the apples.

4. Bake for 30minutes. Then, reduce oven temperature to 350F and bake an additional 25minutes. Galette should be golden brown and crisp with bubbling filling. Serve warm.

This year selected restaurants will offer a tasting dinner with La Demoiselle champagne for $178.90.

The theme of this year’s French Restaurant Week is “La Demoiselle Brings Revolution.” Diners can find La Demoiselle champagne 187mL bottle for the special price of $17.89 at some participating restaurants. La Demoiselle Brut Tête de Cuvée is 80% chardonnay. It is soft, with a round mouth-feel and lingering finish on the palate—the perfect pairing to a delightful French meal.

“French Restaurant Week is a cultural event that celebrates French gastronomy and highlights chefs, sommeliers, and restaurateurs craft in French and non-French restaurants across the city,” commented Founder, Severine Picquet.

Founded in 2011, French Restaurant Week continues to partner with Open Table where diners can book reservations through a dedicated page. At the same time, Paris Gourmet remains a proud sponsor; a New Jersey based specialty food importer and distributor sourcing gourmet products in the tri-state area, nationally, and worldwide.

French Restaurant Week lists Action Against Hunger International (ACF) as its official charity partner. ACF is a non-profit organization active in over 40 countries destined to bring hunger relief in communities around the world.

“Our goal is to revive and restore the Chinese culture. Build a trans-cultural platform to share and transmit the authentic Chinese traditions,” explains NTD Regional Director, Gloria Zhang. The competition seeks to revive traditional Chinese culinary techniques, and present the authentic Chinese culinary philosophies while proudly providing Chinese chefs the opportunity to showcase their talents internationally.

The event is organized by NTD TV, a non-profit, Multilanguage Chinese TV network that broadcasts to more than 250 million viewers in China and around the world promoting Chinese culture and tradition. On September 27th from 7:00-8:00pm famous Chefs Maneet Chauhan, Julieta Ballesteros, Clark Frasier, Malcolm Mitchell, and Antoine Camin will compete in the “Fire Up the Wok Challenge.” The chefs will have the challenge to cook Kung Pao Chicken in 20 minutes using only the ingredients supplied and no assistant for help. Not to mention the extreme heat conditions coming from the traditional Chinese wok used for the challenge. The dish will be judge by color, aroma, heat, taste, and technique.

Historically, Chinese chefs would put their whole heart into his work to master the natural craft of cooking, because if they could not make delicious food they would not be respected. That is the biggest challenge for the competing chefs, “to use the heart and cook for love” commented NTD journalist Nadia Ghattas, “cooking a simple dish is like unifying an entire country.” Through this competition chefs will compete to demonstrate their understanding of 5,000 years of Chinese history.

The wok challenge will be followed by an 8-course feast at the Emperor’s Banquet Benefit Gala prepared by winning Chinese chefs from previous competitions. The Emperor’s Banquet celebrates the belief that education, press freedom, and cultural exchange are crucial to China as well as to the rest of the world.

A portion of The Banquet’s proceeds will benefit the James Beard Foundation NTD Chinese Culinary Scholarship for the Underprivileged. Get tickets by visiting www.bestchinesechefs.com.

French Restaurant Week starts today, September 17th until Sept 30!

Open Table will send a dedicated newsletter to its half a million New York subscribers this Monday September 17th. Book your reservations via Open Table’s dedicated page here. Visit our list of participating restaurants to reserve a spot before space runs out.

Check special French Restaurant Week menus and dishes by visiting French Restaurant Week website. Each restaurant offers a special menu or dish with a terroir theme during lunch and/or dinner as a way to celebrate the Fête de la Gastronomie.

Find a restaurant near you

Smoked Salmon & Crème Fraîche topped with Cucumber from Les Trois Petits Cochons.

Ingredients

• Terrine de saumon fumé
• (1) 8 oz Crème Fraîche
• 1 small Cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 tbsp Chives, finely diced
• 1 dash Salt
• Grissini (breadsticks)
• (6) 4-5 oz Clear Glass Containers

Directions

1. Spoon equal amounts of crème fraîche into the bottom of each glass container, careful to keep the inside of the glass clean.

2. Next, take the Terrine de Saumon Fumé out of the refrigerator, unmold and, with a chef’s knife, slice into six equal parts. Use your hands to mold each slice into a round disc and place on top of the crème fraîche.

3. Top with chopped cucumber, chives and a dash of salt. Serve with grissini.

Like always, the best thing in a recipe is to improvise. Don’t hesitate to send us your delicious Smoked Salmon & Crème Fraîche topped with Cucumber pictures on Facebook. We will be happy to publish them ! Bon appétit !

Easy and fast to cook, served as appetizzers or as a side-dish, green bean bundles wrapped with prosciutto are the perfect choice to impress your guests. 

Ingredients

• 400g green beans
• 8 slices prosciutto (90g)
• 60g butter
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 40g flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Place a slice of prosciutto on a cutting board. Then place a bundle of beans on it. Roll the slice of prosciutto around the beans, until tight. Repeat with remaining beans and prosciutto.

3. Spray lemon juice and melted butter on the bundles of beans. Cook in the oven for 5 minutes, turning the bundles halfway.

4. Serve them sprinkled with parsley and slightly salted. Eat when ready.

A delicious way to top this, is to serve with grilled bread with olive oil! Like always, the best thing in recipe is to improvise. Don’t hesitate to send us your delicious bundles of beans with prosciutto pictures on Facebook. We will be happy to publish them ! Bon appétit !

In the mood for something comforting and rich? This soufflé recipe is your solution. With a little patience and a mix of ingredients easily found on your cupboard, you will have a delicious fluffy and cheesy soufflé. Dig into this pillowy soufflé with your friend or partner, or maybe have them both! Enjoy and eat fast, because this little treat will deflate immediately.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 teaspoons butter, softened
• 2 ¼ teaspoons all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup milk, hot
• 2 large eggs, separated whites and yolks
• ¼ cup Emmental cheese, grated
• Nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Grease two small ramekins with cooking spray and set on baking sheet. Add one teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese to each ramekin.

3. In a small saucepan over low heat melt butter. Stir in flour, whisking quickly to avoid browning. Cook for one minute. Slowly add hot milk, stirring constantly until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

4. In a bowl, pour egg whites. Add a pinch of salt. Beat with electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

5. Mix in the grated Emmental cheese to the butter mixture, reserving 2 teaspoons for the end. Stir in one egg yolk, discarding the other one. Slowly fold in the stiff egg whites.

6. Divide soufflé mixture between the two ramekins, leaving 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle one teaspoon of grated Emmental cheese on each ramekin. Clean edges of ramekins before cooking.

7. Cook for 20 minutes, without opening the oven door to avoid soufflé from deflating. Eat when ready since soufflés will fall quickly.

Don’t hesitate to send us your delicious cheese soufflé’s pictures on Facebook. We will be happy to publish them ! Bon appétit !

The second edition of French Restaurant Week was a huge success with 3 times more visibility than last year. New Yorkers and Francophiles showed their affection to French gastronomy from July 8 – 15 by visiting the 53 participating restaurants.

MPB Agency, in partnership with the French Ministry of Agriculture, will re-launch its third edition of French Restaurant Week in September 17 – 30, 2012. Carrying the excitement brought by the second edition, the upcoming French Restaurant Week will present the very best of French cuisine, chefs, and restaurants in the city.

September 22nd is not only the first day of fall, but also the day of Fête de la Gastronomie in France. A festival created last year to celebrate the inclusion of traditional French cuisine into the UNESCO World Heritage list. This is a nationwide event that unites thousands across France to share, celebrate, and value the French gastronomy. This year, it will make its presence abroad for the first time in New York and Tokyo. Fête de la Gastronomie will be celebrated in New York with French Restaurant Week.

“French Restaurant Week invites those that want to celebrate UNESCO’s adoption of French gastronomy as a World Heritage. It is exciting to see how Francophiles, New Yorkers, and the community come together to enjoy the art of French cuisine. We have seen the pronounced French passion in New York as people embrace its culture, identity, and uniqueness during celebrations such as French Restaurant Week,”

- French Restaurant Week Founder, Severine Picquet.

This year’s Fête de la Gastronomie theme is centered on the diversity of terroirs and the French tradition. In compliance with the festival, each participating restaurant will offer a promotion in the theme of “Terroirs: Creation & Tradition,” a dining deal in the price range of $20 to $30. All participating restaurants will be listed on French Restaurant Week website and other partner websites, including Open Table.

French Restaurant Week will have Action Against Hunger International (ACF) as its official charity partner. ACF is a non-profit organization active in over 40 countries destined to bring hunger relief in communities around the world.

French Restaurant Week was created in 2011 as a way to highlight and celebrate French cuisine and culture by showcasing the best French restaurants and patisseries in New York and the surrounding Tri-State area.

The place

In the dialect spoken in Alsace, flammekueche means ”cooked in the flames”; the French flambee has a similar meaning.

One of my dear customers described it like this: “If a pizza and a crepe had a baby, it would be a tarte flambee!”

Whatever it’s called, tarte flambee is to northern Alsace what pizza is to southern Italy.

It starts with bread dough rolled out fine as a crepe. This dough is spread with creme fraiche, a thick soured cream mixed with a delicate fresh white cheese called fromage blanc. It is seasoned with salt and pepper, and then thinly sliced white onions and bacon cut like matchsticks go on top.

The heat in the oven is so intense that in less than few minutes the tarte emerges still supple, yet blistered at the edges, with the topping of cream and cheese the color of old ivory.

Tarte flambee originated with peasants of the Bas Rhin, and is a specialty in the area from Strasbourg, Alsace.

The offer

La tarte flambée will offer a special promotion at $17.89.

Book your table!