Article and photos by Elena del Valle

Entrance to the Ryokan Yagyu-No-Sho

Earlier this year when I was in Japan I visited Izu, an area of the country known for its hot springs. The highlight of my stay was spending the night in a luxury ryokan, a traditional Japanese hotel. My brief visit was especially rewarding and memorable for the experience itself as well as the many luxury features the ryokan offered. While the property catered mostly to Japanese customers it was part of a national alliance of luxury ryokans that facilitated bookings by international travelers.

Looking out at my corner garden

In spite of steep linguistic challenges I felt welcome and would be pleased to return for a longer stay. Some of the characteristics of the ryokan I enjoyed the most were the traditional style of the facilities with flower arrangements (made by one of the owners) and artwork, manicured gardens with water features, friendly and service oriented staff, hot spring related offerings and delicious gourmet meals. There was excellent and fast complimentary WiFi connectivity in my suite, an amenity I greatly appreciated.

The ryokan owners preparing a meal

Yagyu-No-Sho, a traditional style ryokan with modern conveniences in the heart of a village, was owned and managed by Takashi Hasegawa and his wife. In the entrance foyer, my eyes were drawn to the wall wide bamboo forest with small birds, a beautiful artwork made of wood panels painted by a Japanese artist in her 90s who is well liked by the imperial family. In her painting, one of the staff explained, she uses only natural materials. The green in the painting was from oxidized copper and the white was from a stone.

On arriving at the ryokan we were invited to remove our shoes and wear a pair of house slippers (this was rather uncomfortable because the slippers they provided were several sizes larger than my feet and made it necessary for me to walk slowly to avoid tripping). I shed my slippers to enter my room which was covered wall to wall with tatami mats.

Artwork on wood panels with natural materials

My second floor room, Harvest, had a private bathroom with a separate section that housed a wood tub filled with hot springs water. The room, divided into several areas by thin paper and wood walls, was pretty and spacious. The décor was in a traditional Japanese style furnished with simple floor level chairs and tables. Instead of a bed the staff set up a sleeping area, at the end of the day, with futons, duvet blankets and feather pillows that were kept in a closet during the day. I slept very well in the comfortable floor level futon. There was a small indoor patio with Western style chairs and a table next to the room where my sleeping area was set up. Next to the patio there was an outdoor area that could be reached, while wearing special outdoor slippers, via sliding glass doors.

Ryokan room with traditional furnishings

The room had a living area with a low table and one cushioned armless low chair. A recessed area was home to a flower arrangement. There was also a sitting area with a low table and two chairs. Under the table there was space to rest my feet on the warm floor. To one side stood a small vanity with a mirror, tissue paper, and a cushion.

The bathroom was divided into three separate rooms. One housed a water closet with an automated Japanese heated toilet and and a mini wood sink. There was a wide room with a sink; next to it was the bath tub room which had just enough space for a large wood bath tub and a small shower area placed against the wall. The shower corner, low to the ground, consisted of a small wood stool and a handheld hose to shower thoroughly before dipping in the hot water of the tub.

Ryokan staff in traditional dress

The temperature within the room was comfortable for me. It was controlled with a remote control. Amenities, set inside a cloth bag on the tatami floor, were: a set of Japanese pajamas, shower cap, toothbrush, hairbrush, cotton pad, cotton swabs, and hair scrunchy. There was a mini refrigerator next to the coat closet.

Excellent green tea

Dinner, served at 6 p.m. sharp consisted of 12 generous courses of Japanese dishes. Although it would usually have been served in individual rooms, the ryokan staff set up group seating for the six of us in one of their large rooms. To keep our hands clean we were provided with three wet towels during the course of the meal. The service began with a taste of unfermented sake as an aperitif. Meals, clearly, were an important part of the experience at this ryokan. There was a pretty dinnerware service with different dishes for the varied courses. Three ladies looked after us and served us copious quantities of delicious food.

The food was attractively served and delicious

Breakfast the next morning was equally well served and as satisfying. We had rice; pickled vegetables; miso soup; beef, shiitake mushrooms and long onion cooked with a large leaf over charcoal; boiled sliced beef with a sweet soy sauce; tuna and long onion with vinegar miso; salted and fermented squid innards; deep fried tofu burger; dried fish; egg custard; sweet red bean soup with rice cake; and sherbert.

Tranquil gardens

If the opportunity presents itself I would gladly return to Yagyu-No-Sho. Next time I would request one of the ryokan’s ground floor luxury suites with indoor water features where some of my travel companions stayed. Yagyu-No-Sho, 1116-6, Shuzenji, Izu-City, Shizuoka-Prefecture, Japan, +81558724126, Fax +81558725212, http://www.yagyu-no-sho.com

By Elena del Valle
Photos by Gary Cox

For years we dined at Lucas Carton, a well known gourmet restaurant, whenever we visited Paris, France. Then one year Alain Senderens, the chef and restaurant owner, converted the restaurant into a bistro; modernized the look and style, changed the menu and reopened under his name, Senderens. We had dined several times at Senderens when we heard that there was a new bar area upstairs that served a limited menu including a set lunch menu.

The main seating area at Bar Le Passage

Twice during a recent winter visit to Paris we had an opportunity to sample the food options at Bar Le Passage. The first time we requested a table upstairs at Bar Le Passage one day in advance. Because the few tables were already reserved we accepted two seats at the bar. Although the bar stools were rather uncomfortable, the room was pleasant, furnished simply with elegant touches, the bar tender was service oriented and spoke some English and, most importantly, our lunch was delicious.

The vanilla lobster

We began with a glass of non vintage Pommery Champagne then ordered one three course set menu (35 euros) which that day was a cold Game Pie, Codfish a La Plancha, and an ice cream and fruit combo as well as a Vanilla lobster (25 euros). An amouse bouche arrived before our order and there was also a plate of bread. For dessert, we recognized and old favorite from the days of Lucas Carton, the Samana chocolate plate (half a portion) with candied cherries (10 euros).

The amouse bouche was soup garnished with pine nuts and herbs

The next time we reserved a table at Bar Le Passage several days in advance. We were running a few minutes late and I called to make sure they would hold our table but I was on hold so long the answering system cut the call. Although we arrived a few minutes late our reservation was still valid. We had two tables to choose from and picked one of the two tables next to the bar itself. We could have chosen to sit at a table in the center of the main seating area of the bar as well.

Pistachio encrusted foie gras

This time we tried the foie gras which was pistachio encrusted and served with stuffed dried figs and a lemon sauce. Once again we ordered the Vanilla lobster and Samaná dessert.

Both meals were tasty and satisfying. The service was attentive and the setting was attractive. We will keep Bar Le Passage at Senderens on our list of options for a quick gourmet bite in the City of Lights, especially if we are in the Place de la Madeleine and its environs. Bar Le Passage, 9, Place de la Madeleine, 75009, telephone +33 1 42 65 56 66, fax +33 1 42 65 06 23, email restaurant@senderens.fr.

Samaná with candied cherries

By Elena del Valle
Photos by Gary Cox

For several years we have been fans of Pierre Hermé macarons, lightly flavored ethereal French pastries (see Pierre Herme Paris bakery for glorious macaron pastries). It had been a while since we had macarons and we were eager to find out if they were as good as we remembered.  Soon after arriving in Paris, France we headed straight for the nearest Pierre Hermé shop we found.

It was in the basement of the very crowded Gallerie Lafayette department store not too far from our hotel. It was the first time we visited a satellite of the famous French pastry chef and although not all the macaron flavors were available there were enough to satisfy us until we could make our way to the pastry maker’s boutique in the Latin Quarter near the Church of Saint Sulpice.

The prepackaged box of specialty foie gras macarons

Time flew away from us and it wasn’t until Christmas Eve morning that we found the time to visit the Latin Quarter Pierre Hermé shop. We made a point of arriving early in the day to avoid the afternoon lines we had seen in prior years during the Christmas and New Year holidays and were surprised to discover a line of customers that spilled outside the shop onto the sidewalk and snaked past the corner. It was snowing and gray but nobody seemed to care as we all stood patiently on the sidewalk waiting our turn in the queue in the freezing cold.

A pleasant young lady from the shop kept the line from bunching up in front on the neighboring store to the bakery. Another lady passed the holiday catalog to patrons in the line and a third young woman held an umbrella in one hand and a tray of chocolates in the other hand while she offered chocolates to patrons waiting in line. The chocolate bite was nice.

The festive window display featured macarons as ornaments

After a 20 minute wait on the cold and windy sidewalk we entered the small boutique. We were excited to be back and immediately searched the store for macarons. The busy boutique was filled with French, English and Japanese speaking customers and a about a dozen staff members behind the counter. As soon as we approached I saw beautiful seasonal Buches de Noel, pastries and further along, in the display case area nearest the register, the reason for our visit, rows of macaron pastries in a variety of colors and flavors.

No sooner had we joined the line that a young woman offered to help us. We had taken the time while in line outdoors to select our choices from the color catalog and were ready to order.

Another window display

With gloved hands she gently picked up the macarons and placed them in our box. After the first selection of Rose macarons she had to stop and wait. It was so crowded behind the counter that she couldn’t reach the macarons to place them in our box. Three of our picks were sold out.

In the past the Macarons D’Excepcion seasonal macarons were available for purchase individually. This year, specialty flavors, seasonal and foie gras, were only available in prepackaged boxes of 16 for 38 euros. One box contained four each of Envie, violette et baies de cassis; Pomme Verte et Angelique de Montagne, pomme verte, angelique de montagne et pommes aciduelees; Fortunella, kumquat, anis etoile, kumquat confit; and Agape, citron et pain d’epices. We knew from past visits that the two foie gras macaron flavors, Chocolate et Foie Gras and Eglantine, Figue et Foie Gras, were favorites and ordered the box containing eight of each.

Our selection of macarons

On December 31 we made another trip to the Pierre Hermé store in the morning. Once again there was a line of customers spilling outside the entrance although this line was shorter than the one we had encountered on the previous visit. Staff were managing the queue and handing out chocolates which were divine  (it was only possible to purchase them in a variety box rather in single flavors). This time a young lady on seeing our camera while we were outside the store indicated quite firmly to us and the lady in front of us who was photographing the window display that “photographs inside the store are forbidden.” This morning they had no rose macarons, one of my favorites.

As we headed home we collected our thoughts and discovered that although we enjoyed sampling the macarons with a combination of flavors our favorites were the two foie gras varieties and the macarons with a simple combination of flavors, Rose, Truffe Blanche et Noisette (white truffle and hazelnut), and Infinitement Caramel (caramel with salted butter). The best discovery was that we still thoroughly enjoyed the Pierre Hermé macarons. Even after waiting in line in the cold Paris winter our macarons had been satisfying and as good as we remembered them. Vive les Pierre Hermé macarons!

Article and photos by Gary Cox

The New Book of Soups

Soup is a universal food. From the earliest days of mankind with an iron pot dangling over the fire to modern cuisine in the most exclusive restaurants, soup is one of the most versatile and flexible forms of cooking. The extraction, blending and concentration of flavors in liquid form can be a quiet challenging medium for the novice and experienced chef alike. It has been said that the best way to judge the capabilities of a new chef is to have him or her make a soup with the ingredients on hand.

Reviewing a cookbook can be a challenge, particularly one that requires the reader to possess specific skills or a talent for cooking. What I liked about The New Book of Soups (Lebhar-Friedman Book, $35) by the Culinary Institute of America is that it is well organized, making easy to pick up and start cooking. Also, there is quite a bit of information in the front of the book on processing ingredients, making stock and other topics useful for various skill levels.

It was gratifying to find that even having skipped past all the preparatory material, the recipes still produced great tasting results. We tried the Double Chicken Broth recipe and found it excellent and a memorable addition to our ongoing repertoire. Even substituting a mixture of mushrooms for the shitake ones in the recipe, the resulting soup was tasty and disappeared quickly.

Double Chicken Broth Soup made following the recipe in The New Book of Soups

An excellent test of a cookbook is to make a familiar classic recipe and evaluate the flavors and ease of performing the recipe steps. The next soup I made was the Onion Soup Gratinee, a rendition of the classic French onion soup. The instructions were easy to follow and produced a terrific tasting soup using easily obtainable ingredients. This time of year, Vidalia onions are widely available and they resulted in a slightly sweet and flavorful rendition of this longtime favorite.

The ingredients for the Onion Soup Gratinee

Our version of the Onion Soup Gratinee based on the recipe in The New Book of Soups

There are still many recipes I look forward to trying in this second edition of the 249-page The New Book of Soups. The book is divided into Soup Basics, Broths, Hearty Soups, Stews, Cream Soups, Pureed Soups, Bisques and Chowders, Cold Soups, and Accompaniments sections with many full color photos to illustrate the desired end result. I might even rely on the material in the front and take a lash at making my own stock or some of the other basics to improve my overall skills. It is not necessary to study the basics to get great results, but it is nice to know they are there if I have questions or an interest. Excellent for the beginner or perhaps even for experienced chefs, this cookbook makes a great addition to my library.

Click here to buy The New Book of Soups

By Elena del Valle
Photos by Gary Cox

Signature pastry at Pierre Herme

On a small street in the bustling Quartier Latin of Paris, France lies my favorite bakery, okay one of my favorite bakeries. While finding an outstanding bakery in Paris may not be a noteworthy feat, this particular bakery and the reason I like, no strike that, the reason I love it, is a bit special for me.

A few years ago, a close friend and macaron lover introduced several people, including me, to Pierre Hermé during a champagne reception at her home. Although my husband has never met a macaron he didn’t like, at least a little, generally speaking I’m not fond of the fluffy almond pastries that are ubiquitous in France. And so it was that I paid little attention to the Pierre Hermé goodies, at first. At my friend’s insistence I tried one. It was delicate in texture and flavor and like no other macaron I had had before.

That evening I sampled all the flavors of macarons she had. Later my husband and I visited one of the Pierre Hermé shops to purchase macarons of our own and sampled additional flavors. Ever since that fateful day I have developed a passion for Pierre Hermé macarons. As soon as I arrive in Paris I make a beeline for the small and often crowded Latin Quarter shop.

The shop counter at Pierre Herme

While I have favorite flavors every Pierre Hermé macaron I have had tasted has been superb. I have also sampled macarons at other locales, including at some very well known bakeries and restaurants, but none have even come close to matching the delicate and extraordinary flavors and texture of Pierre Hermé macarons.

In addition to the macarons Pierre Hermé shops sell chocolates, tea, and other baked goods. One particular pastry stands out as a queen among her subjects, Ispahan. It is made with macaron, litchi and rose cream and raspberry.

Wonderful macaron pastries

Macaron flavors vary during the year and for the end of the year holidays there are usually seasonal specialties which we always long to sample. Favorites we have tried include Truffe Blanche et Noisette (white truffel and hazelnut), Caramel a la Fleur de Sel (caramel and salt), Huile d’Olive et Vanille (olive oil and vanilla), Rose, and Chocolate and Foie Gras. Pierre Hermé, 72, rue Bonaparte, Paris 75006, France, +33 01 43 54 47 77, www.pierreherme.com