A French Love Affair with...crime fiction

I read A LOT. One of the things I enjoy reading are detective novels. In any language. But since we are dealing with all things French, let me tell you about the French author I've been reading lately: Fred Vargas.
For those of you who don't know her (yes, it's a woman..!) that's her pseudonym. She's written quite a lot of novels, using Commissaire Adamsberg as her main character.
Check out "L'homme aux cercles bleus" and "Sous les vents de neptune" (translated into English as "The Chalk Circle Man" and "Wash this blood clean from my hands" respectively). These are the ones I have read so far.

I'll keep you posted about the next ones-cause I plan to read them all!

A French Love Affair with...macarons

Oh that small, round, colorful and...quite expensive bite of HEAVEN...! France is famous for its "macarons" (or macaroons in English) and they have become a rave all around the world... My personal favorite are the fruit-tasting ones -and not the chocolate-caramel type- which I happen to believe are the most authentic macarons (especially the essentially French fruit, like framboise or cassis). Next time you're in Paris*, try the ones at La Durée (preferably at the Saint Germain boutique) or Fauchon or Pierre Hermé...

Some of my personal favorites: pistache, citron, cassis, framboise, fleur d'oranger

*most of the big macaron-makers have opened stores in other parts of the world too (in major cities like Hong-Kong, New York, etc.)...but some things just aren't the same when you taste them outside their country of origin...!

A French love affair with..."Moelleux au Chocolat"

A recipe from a chocolate lover (me!) to all chocolate lovers out there, which is easy to make (or very easy depending on your experience!), using simple ingredients, that will thrill just about anyone who tastes it!!

Ingredients (for 4-6 people, depending on how much they eat!):
125 g butter (+10 g for buttering the pan)
3 eggs (or 2 if you prefer it lighter)
200 g dark chocolate (65% or more)
175 g brown sugar
70 g plain flour
1 pinch of salt

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.
Start melting the butter in a medium-sized casserole and add the chocolate. Then add the sugar, the flour and the salt, mixing well each time so that the mixture has a uniform appearance and consistency*.

Turn off the heat and add the eggs one by one, mixing well each time.
Pour the mixture into a buttered pan (I use a standard 12x25cm one for cakes/breads, which is long and narrow, but you may also use small round individual baking dishes and serve the moelleux directly in them!). Put the pan in the heated oven and bake for 20-25 min. In order to know it has the perfect consistency, just stick a knife in it: the top part should've formed into a thin crust and the knife should come out filled with chocolate.

Leave to cool down just a bit and serve into bowls using a big spoon. The chocolate in the middle will flow like a melting heart (coeur coulant). If you want the moelleux to have a slightly cake-like consistency bake the mixture a couple more minutes. When serving, you can add some fresh cream or some (vanilla) ice cream on each plate!

Bon appétit!

*a small tip: at this point you may add some extra flavor by putting a small quantity of chopped nuts (of any kind) or -for a more American version of it- peanut butter chips!!

Let's start on a happy note...La Vie en Rose, by the one and only Edith Piaf

What made Piaf so unique? Her voice so captivating? Was it her life, a drama all the way from the beginning to the end? Was it simply her huge talent? Maybe all this and much more? In any case, she is definitely an icon to me as well as to many other people... And that's why I never get tired of listening to her...
So, let me start this French Love Affair blog on a happy note: La Vie en Rose...enjoy!

Listen to "La Vie en Rose", by the great Edith Piaf