Last Minute X-mas Tips: Hot Dogs and Christmas Trees

The are three days left of the Christmas fair at Place Carnot (Perrache).  They have plenty of good things to eat as well as tons of crafts.  The sausage stand is to die for, particularly the Chantrelle mushroom saucisson.  I sent a few back to the states for my family.  As far as american food goes, I was surprised to see a baked potatoe stand.  They were made with a french touch and clever names, like the patatouille, a potatoe with ratatouille on top.  What I was pleasantly surprised by though were the German sausages, served hot dog style.  A man with a heavy german accent behind me was very happy when he saw the sign, then when he saw them started complaining in German... ?!"...americana... ?!"HOT DOG!  Then he turned around in total disgust.  Those skinny hot dogs from the grocery store is a common complaint from a good friend of mine, so I had to try them.  They were awesome hot dogs!  They even had foot long hot dogs!!   I few days later I tried their plain sausage, and it tasted a lot like our breakfast sausage.  We definitely have more german influences than french in our cuisine.

This was the first year that I've looked seriously at getting a Christmas Tree.  Being from Oregon, the biggest Christmas tree producer in the United States, having anything other than a real tree is like sacrilege.  What I cherish the most about it is it's wonderful smell.  So now I know that there are two main types of trees here.  The Epicéa, which has a wonderful fragrance but it looks like a pine shrub and is famous for loosing all it's needles before you can get it out of the house. (People here still haven't figured out that you should put them in water.) Then there is the beautiful Nordmann, which has no smell whatsoever.  There is the smaller stand at the Christmas fair that also has a Fraseris tree which is slightly less pretty than a Nordmann, but has a wonderful smell.  I also found some Noble Firs, not quite as pretty as the ones from Oregon, but still decent with a lovely fragrance.  Those, I found at Botanic.  As of yesterday they still had some at the Ecully and St Priest stores.

Post by Dori 22 Dec 2013

Best Hamburger in Lyon: Guy & Sons

They have not only the best hamburger in Lyon, but they're the best hamburgers I've had in a long time.  A friend of mine and I decided on the spur of the moment to get a burger.  I had seen this new place not far from where we were, so we tried it.  They make everything from scratch, including their own buns. The hamburger meat is a local French beef with 5% fat, and very juicy.  They favor seasonal condiments.  The fries are to die for, made from fresh potatoes.  Their website explains that they are done in the Pont Neuf style, thicker than shoestring fries, double dipped in the fryer, and seasoned with fine table salt and fleur de sel.  Pont Neuf alludes to the first fries sold in France on the bridges (ponts) of Paris in the eighteenth century.

A few days later my friend confessed that she had been so haunted by the burger that she'd had two since then.  So I had to confess that I ordered them again for delivery that very same day!

Guy is not pronounced like the English word, rather it's pronounced like "ghee".  If you don't speak French you should know that you are supposed to pick out your drink from the cooler and order at the counter.

The Vintage Burger
Multi-grain Bun
180g Burger Steak
"Melting" Cheddar
Young Lettuce sSprouts
Tomato Slices
Red Onion
Homemade Charroux Mustard Cream Sauce (what we call a Dijon Sauce)

The Bacon Burger
Multi-grain Bun
180g Burger Steak
Bacon
"Melting" Cheddar
Young Lettuce Sprouts
Tomato Slices
Chopped Red Onion
Ketchup and Mustard "Fins Gourmets"

(I got mine without the veggies on it, because that's the way I like it.)



Handy Instructions for the French:

We Eat with Our Fingers and We share Tables

Post by Dori, 19 Dec 2013

Corned Beef and Spam....

I went to my corner Casino the other day and almost got whiplash when I saw this out of the corner of my eye.  Corned Beef and some Danish version of Spam!  What!?  It's not that I want to eat these things, but really what a trip to see this in some random Casino store. 

Post by Dori

Dec 13, 2013

Chocolate Pudding on sale at Bahadourian for 1€

I love Bahadourian.  When I first went there 20 yrs. ago, as a student, it was mostly to stare in amazement, and wonder what all those ingredients could possibly be for.  Fast forward to the present with a French/Algerian husband, and a monthly visit to Bahadourian is obligatory.  A couple days ago on the way out of their store at the Place du Pont, I saw that they had a sale rack of items reaching their best by date, and they had a ton of Jell-o brand instant chocolate pudding at 1€ each.  Honestly I don't think that stuff really goes bad.  I only bought one, but I just might be tempted to go back and buy some more later.

Post by: Dori
Nov 14, 2013

International Chocolate Fair comes to Lyon

Fri. Nov 8th-Mon. Nov 11th, 2013

Fri: 2pm-6pm

Sat, Sun, Mon: 10am-7pm

Centre de Congrès de Lyon

Cité Internationale

One of the great things about Lyon is being able to take advantage of the perks that comes with it's gastronomic capital of France status.  In the states this event only takes place in New York.  Besides the many Chocolatier exhibitors, there are regular presentations on making chocolate desserts, pastry classes, and a Chocoland for children 4-10yrs old, open everyday from 11am-7pm.  There is also a Chocolate dress fashion show at 5pm Sat-Mon.  (I wonder how they keep the chocolate from melting!)

http://lyon.salon-du-chocolat.com/accueil.aspx 

by: Dori 11/04/2013

Authentic Mexican Food to Die For !!!

Day of the Dead 

Special Mexican Menu

at

Don Taco

13 rue Mercière

69002, Lyon

04 78 05 11 90

If you love authentic Mexican Food, you don't want to miss out on this one day special!  You can also order Day of the Dead sweetbread if you order by weds, the 30th, 2013.

Day of the Dead Calaveras Menu
Nov 1, 2013
25€
Space Limited, Reservations Required

Entrees
Poblano Soup
made with zucchini flowers, strips of poblano chiles, and corn
or
Chard wrapped Yucatec Tamale made with pork and pumpkin seeds in a tomato and annatto sauce

Main Dish 
Banana leaf wrapped Tamaltipeco Tamale 
made with whitefish in a green tomatillo sauce and seafood
or
Corn husk wrapped Venison Mixiote
in a chocolate adobo sauce with oaxacan corn masa dumplings

Dessert 
Pan de Muerto Mexican sweetbread made for the Day of the Dead,
served with "Mayordomo de Oaxaca" hot chocolate
or
Pumpkin candy in a concha sweetbread crust and dulce de leche ice cream

Chicken Katsu Curry

Few things could distract me from something halloween related this time of year, then I happened upon a "japanese" ramen restaurant with chicken katsu curry on the menu.  My favorite place for lunch in college was this japanese/korean restaurant called Young's Kitchen just across the street from Oregon State University.  At the time, you could get a bowl of rice with teriyaki sauce for $1, and a chicken kabob for $2.50.  (Hold on folks, this was only in the mid 90's so it wasn't THAT long ago.)  When I was really hungry and had more cash, I'd get the chicken katsu curry.  Now I know that this is probably not real japanese food.  At Young's the owners are korean.  The lady who served us tonight was chinese, and talking to the cooks in Chinese.  None the less,  I love chicken katsu curry, and what I got tonight was just like what I remembered.  I came away having totally satisfied a four year katsu curry craving, but right after dinner I had a food flashback of green tea ice cream that went completely unsatisfied!  This must be what happens to smokers right after coffee...  If you are feeling the need you can go to:    

Hakata Ramen

8 rue Garet

69001m Lyon  

by: Dori

Oct. 25, 2013

Carving Pumpkins

Carving Pumpkins Found

at

Cerise et Potiron 

47 avenue Jean Jaures, 69007

They were only 5,99 a pumpkin too!

They probably have them at other Cerise et Potiron stores as well.

I picked up two and will be carving them with my nephews tomorrow.

by: Dori

Here's how they turned out:

Pumpkin Spice Latte

I love autumn for the falling leaves and all the yummy fall flavors.  On the sweet side, hot gingerbread and whipped cream, pumpkin tarts, zucchini bread, carrot cake, cranberry walnut scones, all with a big cup of coffee on a Sunday morning are the food dreams that remind me of home.  For now, the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is just enough to keep me out of the kitchen.  Otherwise I'd be whipping up a batch of gingerbread or carrot cake, and then I'd have to invite you guys over to keep from eating it all!

Post by: Dori