French Women Don't Get Fat

Rhubarb/blueberry compote

Anna — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:37:59 +0000

This recipe came after a trip to Union Square market where rhubarb (another acid fruit favorite) is in season. For my husband who is not crazy about “tartness” I usually add some strawberries towards the end of the cooking time, and he loves the combination, but this year too little sun means a delay to the start of the strawberries. So what to do: use more frozen blueberries.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb rhubarb (peeled and cut into 3-inch sticks)
12 oz frozen blueberries
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar

Yield: 4 servings

RECIPE

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Use a pan large enough to cover bottom with the rhubarb sticks in one layer. Sprinkle water. Sprinkle sugar. Cover top with blueberries. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes or until the rhubarb sticks are soft. Serve warm within 10 minutes.

The leftover portion is great cold…just take it out of the fridge 20 minutes or so ahead of time to bring to room temperature, and savor the flavors.

Lemon/blueberry almost-soufflé

Anna — Mon, 21 May 2012 19:54:45 +0000

This idea came about reading a recipe for a Meyer lemon almost-soufflé from Aleksandra Crapanzano, one of my favorite writers (food and otherwise), in a recent piece in The Wall Street Journal. I love lemons (particularly the Meyer ones), adore soufflés (especially a lemon one), and what about blueberries?

INGREDIENTS

3 Meyer lemons, juice and zest
3 eggs, separated
3 egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
½ cup frozen blueberries

Yield: 4 Servings

RECIPE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and ever so slightly butter a ceramic 9-inch pie plate.

Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer using a double boiler. Reduce heat to low. Put the six egg yolks in top of double boiler and whisk until they foam. Add sugar and keep whisking. Add lemon juice and zest and keep whisking until the mixture thickens (about 10 minutes…good for muscle toning). Remove from heat.

Beat egg whites till they hold their shape. Fold them in gently into the lemon/egg mixture and pour in pie plate. Sprinkle the blueberries.

Bake for 15 minutes or until set and slightly puffed. Serve warm within 10 minutes.

MIREILLE'S MUSINGS: Best blueberries of the season…May 2012

Anna — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:53:51 +0000

As I was watching our blueberry bushes on our NY terrace ready to burst and soon to be colored, I realized I still had a few frozen bags from last summer’s bountiful crop (yes, they do love the burning city sun and wind coming from the Hudson, go figure). Too much travel these past few months meant less oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast and as my husband reminded me maybe our addiction to magical breakfast did not help either. Anyway, it’s time to clear the not so big “city freezer” to make room for the new crop. So what to do?

Super Home Remedy for Acne

Anna — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:24:09 +0000

The Potato Treatment

At a recent speaking event, a reader reminded me of a home remedy she had shared with me several years ago. I'd posted it on my former website and heard rave reviews from people, some of whom said this was the first thing that had actually worked to fix their acne. Substances in the potato liquid inhibit bacteria on the skin, and stop the pimples. Inexpensive, simple and 100% natural, it doesn't get much better than this.

Ingredients:
One potato (any yellow variety, such as idaho or yukon gold)

Instructions:

MIREILLE'S MUSINGS: Paris fashion... for kids

Anna — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:28:37 +0000

Spring 2012: A Photo Montage

MIREILLE'S MUSINGS: Don't Miss...(in Paris)

Anna — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:46:13 +0000

If you're in Paris this spring/summer, don't miss...

Helmut Newton at the Grand Palais before June 17th: it's already a hit judging from the lines. This is a first retrospective of the great photographer, born and buried in Berlin (1920-2004). Thanks to his wife June, we have a look at Newton's women who can make you envious or scared with their animal beauty. The nude room is quite a show. About 200 photos from the man who was the privileged eye of fashion, money, power and luxury.

MIREILLE'S MUSINGS: Dining in Paris: Spring 2012

Anna — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:28:58 +0000

Great meals come in three Michelin one-stars? In Paris Spring 2012 they did (and at a three-star, too):

MIREILLE'S MUSINGS: Corkbuzz

Anna — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:40:42 +0000

A fresh new wine bar in New York City

If you live in New York, you’ve probably heard about Corkbuzz already, a new wine bar that has been generating its own buzz, especially among the 20s and 30s crowd. Talk about someone following her passion, co-founder Laura Maniec is a master sommelier at just 32—the youngest woman in the world to hold this title—and opened the bar with her business partner Frank Vafier a few months ago.

MIREILLE'S MUSINGS: Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Anna — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:06:01 +0000

See the film Jiro Dreams of Sushi, and you'll never eat sushi the same way again:

MIREILLE'S MUSINGS: Leveraging Your Femininity in Business

Anna — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:38:12 +0000

Yes, femininity is a strength