So the big day arrived on Thursday for my return to the kitchen.
I was at the Le Troisieme Cafe at 4:30PM to cook dinner for 30 people and start serving at 7:30pm.
I was already a little ahead of the game because I baked the dessert at home, so all I had to cook was the appetizer and the main course. Even with that advantage, I found myself prepping until almost 7:30. Things went pretty smoothly, and I had two excellent volunteer assistants Evagn, and Natalie (who was the original owner of the wine bar/bookstore La Belle Hortense in the Marais). They were efficient and easy to get along with, which I appreciated so much. There was no way I could have done all the work myself in time.
Most of the guests arrived between 7:30 and 8pm and enjoyed some wine and beer before dinner was served. Twelve people were a combination of friends or blog readers and 10 others made reservations from the café’s website.
The interesting part about cooking at Le Troisieme, was I realized I had never cooked in a restaurant before and also never cooked in an open kitchen with people watching me. It was a bit of an adjustment at first, but then I liked the idea of not being isolated in the kitchen and to be able to talk to people while I was cooking. After serving the main course, I took a break for a while and talked to my friends in the dining room.
This was the menu:
Appetizer
Tomato leek soup with Middle Eastern Spices
Main course
Spinach and Emmenthal cheese gratin
Zucchini and Emmenthal cheese gratin
Chickpea rice with cumin and caramelized onions
Cucumber and yogurt salad with Zaatar
Dessert
Coconut American-style macaroons with fresh mandarin orange
When I was growing up, every Thursday night was dairy night at my house and my mother would frequently serve the main course dish. I eventually incorporated it into my catering menu as a vegetarian option and it was a big hit.
The coconut macaroons were my most popular dessert when I was a caterer, and at one point I was selling them to Dean & Deluca in Soho.
The night ended at about 10pm and many of the guests thanked me for the experience. It was a fun and fulfilling night for me and it reawakened my cooking and baking skills. In fact, I’ve been mulling over the idea of introducing Parisians to my coconut macaroons by possibly selling them to food shops and cafes. I’ll let you know if I do. Meanwhile it’s back to blogging, touring and photography for now, but leaving room for the possibility of cooking again.
Le Troisieme Cafe serves a three-course lunch for 10€ and a three-course dinner for 12€.
Le Troisieme Cafe
16 rue de Beauce, 75003
https://troisiemecafe.org/
Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner
Cash or check accepted, no credit cards
I am pleased as punch to have my friend Lisa Anselmo as my guest on A Bite of Paris. Lisa is the founder of Save the Paris Cafe/www.savethepariscafe.com, a website which celebrates the Paris café and the preservation of them, which in recent years has been threatened by rising rents and cultural changes.
Click here to watch video or link below
https://youtu.be/Jyt4wx3K8ZQ
