Je suis actuellement en train de lire Big Sur, le roman de Jack Kerouac, édité chez Gallimard en 1979. Le roi des Beatniks est au bord de la folie et navigue entouré d’amis entre Frisco (San Francisco) et une cabane à Big Sur (sur la côte plus au sud). Le héros du roman, qui n’est autre que Jack Kerouac lui-même, boit à longueur de journée (et de nuit aussi) toutes sortes de breuvage. Mais il fait souvent référence au Manhattan.
Ne connaissant ce cocktail que de nom, je me suis empressé d’aller chercher la recette et je vais donc vous la livrer.
À base de whisky, on admet généralement que le tout premier Manhattan fut préparé en 1874 au Manhattan Club de New York.
- 4 cl de whisky (bourbon, whiskey) Utiliser de préférence le Rye Whiskey
- 2 cl de vermouth rouge (martini, cinzano)
- 0,5 cl de aromatic bitter (peychaud, angostura…)
Dans un verre à mélange :
- Versez les ingrédients avec des glaçons et agitez vigoureusement avec une cuillère à mélange. Rafraîchissez préalablement le verre.
- Servir dans un verre de type "old fashioned".
- Décorez avec une cerise au fond du verre.
Un classique absolu, le Manhattan évoque l’âge d’or de l’histoire du cocktail (les dernières années du dix-neuvième siècle sur la Côte Est des États-Unis). Plus que tous les autres, le Manhattan reste donc associé à la haute société New-yorkaise et Bostonienne, à des hommes élégants et lettrés qui appréciaient à sa juste valeur cette préparation impeccablement sophistiquée. C'est marrant que le roi des Beatniks lui aussi le consomme.
Le mélange doit s’effectuer selon la méthode traditionnelle. Non pas en tournant la cuillère (une opération qui fait fondre la glace et donne un arrière-goût de flotte à l'ensemble) mais en opérant un mouvement rapide de haut en bas. C’est primordial.
Merci pour la recette et l'anecdote qui l'accompagne : c'est rafraichissant dans les 2 sens du terme (un post qui, en principe, ne devrait pas dégénérer !!!).
Je crois bien que je vais en préparer un "pichet" ce soir... et nous le boirons à ta santé.
Ce qui est un peu dommage avec le Manhattan, c'est que personne n'a jamais connu sa réelle origine. Trop ancien.
On parle de Ian Marshall du manhattan club à New York vers 1870, on parle aussi d'un bar de broadway vers 1960, on dit aussi qu'il existait déjà en 1930 sous un autre nom...
I’m from West Africa and I’d love to introduce a Russian friend to a traditional product from my region: soumbara.
For those who don’t know, soumbara is a condiment made from fermented néré seeds. It has a pretty distinctive smell and a very strong, salty, fermented, umami-rich flavor. In West Africa, we mainly use it to add flavor to sauces, with rice, vegetables, meat, etc.
I’m curious to know, from Russian cuisine lovers: which traditional Russian dish do you think soumbara would pair particularly well with?
I’m looking for a real Russian dish where the combination could be interesting—not just rice or an adapted African dish.
Hi there, we’re heading to Cagliari for one night in April, staying at a hotel without a restaurant. Would you happen to know of a restaurant near Via Giuseppe Garibaldi for a typical dinner that’s not too pricey? Thanks.
I’m looking for typical Catalan restaurants in Barcelona! Any suggestions for areas or little hidden spots?
I know to avoid places like La Rambla, the beachfront restaurants in Barceloneta, and anywhere where they greet you with a menu asking if you want to eat, but are there any specific restaurants to avoid? Any bad experiences or unpleasant surprises?
I’m heading to Barcelona in early May—it’s my first time there. I’d love to hear your suggestions for restaurants (ideally near the tourist center, Las Ramblas). That said, I’m happy to travel if needed. I’m looking for a place renowned for its gastronomy, a spot serving typical Spanish or Catalan food, or somewhere with a unique vibe you wouldn’t normally find... In short, which restaurant did you love most during your stay in Barcelona?
Maybe you already use it in your recipes? Just to let you know that here in Quebec, the maple water harvest has started in several regions. The next step will be to boil this water to turn it into syrup. A sweet nectar, it works well in salad dressings, desserts, with salmon, and more. 😋
If you ever pass through here, don’t miss the chance to visit one of our wonderful sugar shacks. You can taste maple taffy on snow, among other things. 😄
Do you drink wine with your meal, and how often—every day, just on weekends, or only occasionally for special events?
What are your favorite wines, from which country, and what grape variety?
I drink wine with my evening meal every day. I’m particularly fond of wines from Australia and Spain—I really like grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.
Leaving in 15 days for Brittany, specifically the southern Finistère and Bénodet...
Tourists expected to boost the culinary restaurant industry!
Haven’t read the guide for latecomers yet, and I’m really wary of online reviews.
Where can I eat without getting ripped off, enjoy quality food—crêperies, seafood, nice atmosphere...
Thanks to all you savvy foodies!
The title might surprise you, but you’ll understand my point of view.
1/ MEAL STRUCTURE
I’m talking about the standard meal, not the one for those who have to budget for financial reasons (generally fewer in northern and central Italy than in France, but more in the south, which makes up 35% of Italy—Eurostat figures), nor for those (mostly women) watching their figure.
The tradition (once the meal of the well-off, widespread among the general population in the 1950s) starts with soup or pasta (or rice, gnocchi, ravioli, lasagna)—this is the *primo piatto*.
Next comes meat or another animal-based product (fish, cured meats, eggs, etc.)—the *secondo piatto*, which can be replaced by cooked vegetables (the only known example in France: eggplant parmesan).
If the meat dish doesn’t already include vegetables, one is served. Salads, whether green or tomato-based, are side dishes, not starters.
The meal ends with dessert—no difference from French habits: cheese, fruit, or sweets.
*Antipasti* (appetizers) are reserved for festive meals or receptions and are served *in addition* to the main courses at the start.
4 practices unknown in France:
- If the menu includes pasta and ham, you start with the pasta.
- If the menu includes pasta with a meat sauce and fish, you start with the pasta too.
- Pasta is never a side dish for meat.
- It’s not unusual for Italians to start with pasta in a meat sauce and then have a meat dish—most do this several times a week.
Modern adaptations:
- People eat pasta less often (on average 5 times a week, according to recent figures) and soups, which are being replaced by *antipasti*.
- The main meal is now mostly dinner, so it’s much heartier, while lunch isn’t usually eaten at home.
2/ THE CUISINE
What do we know in France? Pizza, pasta Bolognese, carbonara, arrabbiata, ravioli, and lasagna. Fried scampi, Milanese or Bolognese cutlets, carpaccio, and finally tiramisu.
In short, a few basic dishes, but nothing of the gastronomy—whether regional traditions or high-end restaurants.
2 anecdotes:
**Bolognese sauce**
In Italy, the most common homemade sauce is a meat-and-tomato-based sauce called *ragù* (pronounced *ragoo*). Every region, even every town and family, as well as every restaurant, has its own recipe. *Ragù alla bolognese* is just one of these countless *ragù*—and no one in France knows the real recipe (I can share it with those interested). The name *bolognese* given abroad to any *ragù* comes from a canned sauce manufacturer who once branded their product that way. Until the early 1960s, it was called *sauce à la viande* (meat sauce).
**Pizza**
Before World War II, it was practically unknown north of Rome.
Today, Italy is one of the countries where it’s eaten the least (twice as much in France, four times as much in Germany).
Top 15 Brazilian eating habits that surprise the French 😮
Brazil is a multicultural country, and its history has shaped a very unique cuisine, influenced by European, African, Japanese, and Indigenous traditions. Its food culture is quite different from what we’re used to in France, and Brazilian eating habits often surprise French travelers exploring the land of samba and soccer.
We live in Réunion and we're looking for places where we can learn to cook authentic Réunionese Creole cuisine.
We're based in Saint-Denis and are searching in that area.
