I have been distracted this week, planning my life in advance, spending untold hours on the internet booking flights to and from Paris, reserving train seats, surveying my distinctly non-chic wardrobe with dismay and bemusement. It is odd spending the first few days of May madly thinking about mid-to-late June, when I will be at a writing retreat in Limousin with Natalie Goldberg and then in Paris itself.
Meanwhile, here in Kensington, our lone apple tree is in full bloom and spring crops slowly make their way into the farm box. Today I got snow peas and strawberries, asparagus and baby romaine lettuce, carrots and spring onions and braising greens. The breeze has blown all day. The sky is pale blue with wide filmy streaks of clouds.
The fruit and vegetables remind me of a meal I had last May in New York. Natalie had invited me and my friend and host Dorotea to lunch at her friend’s Manhattan apartment. Natalie and her friend had gone to a farmers’ market and come back with the first asparagus and strawberries of the season. Natalie fried up some gluten-free pancakes and set the berries and stalks on the table for our spring feast high over the Hudson River. Everybody but me tucked into the asparagus while I ate strawberries and pancakes for lunch.
May has come again and I am in my own kitchen. This morning I opened a bag of whole-grain blue corn that I stashed in the refrigerator when I last came back from New Mexico. The corn is fine-milled, pale blue with flecks of darker blue. I cooked up a quarter cup of it as a simple mush, boiling it in a cup of milk with a few grains of kosher salt and a small handful of dried sour cherries. The corn turned a lovely pale lavender color when cooked. I added a few drops of vanilla and stirred, then spooned up my breakfast, satisfied.
For tomorrow, I plan a simple elaboration. Tomorrow I will cook another pot of blue cornmeal mush, eliminating the cherries. I will beat in an egg or two, some flour, some milk, a few tablespoons of sugar and some baking powder. I will stir in 1 tsp of vanilla last. I will heat a skillet on medium heat, drop in some butter, swirl it in the pan and drop quarter-cupfuls of pancake batter onto the hot metal.
Before I prepare the pancakes, I will wash and hull the strawberries. I will taste one and decide whether or not they need sugar. Since I will probably be eating them with maple syrup I may not sugar the berries unless Mom insists.
I first learned to make these pancakes from a Mark Bittman recipe reprinted in a local newspaper. You can read it here. Then I realized a couple of years later that I could wing it by using leftover polenta or cornmeal mush from dinner and adding basic pancake ingredients. I felt like a genius, but I never would have thought of it had I not made Bittman’s wonderful recipe many times. The pancakes are filling, but not heavy, and have become one of my favorite breakfasts for the warmer months when fresh fruit becomes abundant. I like them best with berries or peaches –any berries, but strawberries are the berries of the moment in my neighborhood.
Food Notes: Blue corn, if you can get it, is wonderful. It contains more protein than yellow or white corn. Also, Monsanto, developer of much genetically-modified corn, reputedly does not bother with blue corn, concentrating its research on yellow hybrids. I don’t know about you, but I would prefer not to ingest Monsanto’s experiments or products if I can avoid doing so. Vanilla adds a lovely flavor to corn, dare I say je ne sais quoi? I urge you to try it next time you make a sweet corn recipe.
Travel Notes: I am currently looking for hotels in Paris. Nothing expensive. Cheap is good. The room can be simple and I don’t care if the building is old. The hotel needs to be safe and near a Metro stop. If anyone has suggestions, or suggestions about how to find what I need please comment below or contact me. Merci beaucoup. — Sharyn
Your world sounds most fresh right now and blooming 😀
These pancakes are awesome! Who would have figured that blue cornmeal existed?
A must try if I can find it 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
It’s common in New Mexico and possibly in Mexico proper. Good luck finding it.
I have some blue corn seeds that I may plant this year, it all depends on space, I’ve never tried the blue cornmeal, but me being me I fancy the seeds 🙂 The Spring weather and food you describe are gently warming me – we have another grey drizzly day here!
Sharyn, the last time I stayed in Paris was a about 2-3 years ago, I’ll see if I can find the details of the hotel for you as it was near a metro stop and in an ok area, it was clean and in my view safe. I’ll see if I can find it again
Imagine being able to grow your own corn! We definitely don’t have the space or sun for it, despite the current weather. I look forward to the hotel details if you find them, Claire. Thanks.
What an exciting time, Sharyn! Spring’s arrival and all that it entails would be enough for most but you’re planning a trip to France, as well. Good for you! I do like Bittman’s recipes. The ones I’ve tried are so easy to follow and with items I normally have in my pantry. Best of all, the resulting dish is always good; he’s never let me down, yet.
Have you ever heard of the “Let’s Go” series of travel guides? It’s been a while since I used one but, as I recall, Harvard students travel in summer and report back to the publishers about their experiences. Those experiences form the basis of the following year’s editions. They offer cheap accommodations, restaurants, maps, transportation info, and site descriptions/history. Now, I’m not suggesting you stay in a hostel but they do list hotels and B&Bs, as well. The guides cover all of Europe or the individual countries. Look for “Let’s Go France”, unless you’ll be touring. Then you may want to take a look at “Let’s Go Europe.” I hope this helps.
I also like your tip John. I will be spending one day in Paris and a week in Italy this month and will look into these travel series books. By the way your simple blue cornmeal strawberry pancakes sound delightful.
Thank you, BAM.
I’d forgotten about “Let’s Go,” John. So much is online these days. I would cheerfully stay at a hostel if it meant it wouldn’t break the bank and I would have some money left for that gorgeous French food. I’ll be at a retreat center for a week, everything covered already, but I’ll have six nights in Paris, four shared with friends, the last two on my own. I prefer recommendations to flying completely blind because you know someone knows about some gem…
I often like Bittman’s recipes, too — he’s very down-to-earth.
Wow, Paris, you lucky girl! I have some friends going to London and Paris at the end of June as well. They invited us to tag along with them, but my husband can’t get that week off from work so we are saving London and Paris for next summer. I’m currently planning a trip back east in June to visit family and to take the kids Washington, DC where my husband and I lived and met after college.
Thanks, Jackie. It is hard to believe I am going — I haven’t been to Europe for years (had to get a new passport).
Sounds like you are going to have a fantastic time! Also the pancakes sound great I need to get some blue cornmeal!
Yes, you do need to get some blue cornmeal and then incorporate some yuzu into your breakfast!
Oh.. Paris in the springtime!! You lucky gal! And blue corn reminds me of this blue cornbread that they make at Coyote’s restaurant in Banff.. one of my favorites slathered with butter. I’d love a stack of your pancakes this morning! I knew of a hotel, but will have to google and come back. We tried to get in but it had filled up.. so we went to a different one with a view of the tiulleries out our window (don’t think I spelled that one correctly??) xoxo Smidge
I think it was the Hotel Brighton.. http://www.paris-hotel-brighton.com/en/ but I don’t remember it being expensive? It was a long time ago…
Thank you, Smidge. We just had the pancakes. I should have said that you can make them with regular cornmeal or polenta, too. The key step is cooking the cornmeal into mush and then adding the eggs, flour, etc.
It’s been way too long since I stayed in a hotel in Paris, so I’m sure you will find better sources of info on the net as suggested…
I am envious, though… would love to be there again, maybe next year we can find a way to stop by. I love blue corn chips, to me they do taste different from regular, but I wonder if I would be able to recognize them in a blind taste test… (interesting experiment… 😉
Blue corn does taste different, Sally. Earthier, more minerally, or something. Re: hotels: I feel better hearing about where a real person has stayed once than confronting hundreds of hotel offers on the internet. I will check out all recommendations.
Good Morning! It appears I need to catch up on my reading, but I do have a habit of reading posts from others on the day that I publish an article myself, so here I am. It is my reward, how I relax after writing and editing, to take a stroll in the blogosphere and savor the words of others… and these blue corn pancakes make me regret the muffin (though delicious) I acquired at a deli this morning because I was not in the mood to make an actual breakfast. I had not thought of pancakes in quite a while. Thank you for the reminder. Wish I knew about good digs in Paris. Let me know if some day you plan a trip to the Scottish Highlands. I would have good recommendations in that case. Will you keep a travelogue while in La Ville Lumière?
My mother and I would both love to go to the Highlands, but I fear we have left it too late — she was just saying yesterday that she felt too old to go, to cope with the long flight. If we (or I) do go someday I will call upon you for your recommendation.
Because I will be at a writing retreat and with writers the rest of the time I shall write about what I see and do. Because I have no mobile devices whatsoever, the tales will not hit The Kale Chronicles until after I return, but will be told then, at least in part.
Your trip sounds just wonderful, Sharyn! What a lovely experience to be at a writer’s retreat with Natalie Goldberg…anywhere, but in France? Great! I’ll be so eager to hear about that when you return. I have eaten blue corn tamales and such, but haven’t cooked with blue cornmeal! I find it really interesting that the Big M doesn’t have much interest in the blue…that’s a good incentive for me to use it right there. Thanks for the direction! And enjoy your travel planning…I wish I had something for you, because if I did, it would mean I’d had a wonderful French holiday…not yet! Debra
Thanks, Debra. Yes — that’s why I put the word out about that big corporation (I only learned recently that they concentrate on altering yellow corn). I eat blue corn when I bring it back from New Mexico: this bag was a gift. But you can use corn or polenta of any color to make pancakes. I get overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices and decisions about where to stay, which is why I’m hoping for recommendations like Barbara’s above. I am lucky to have worked with Natalie as much as I have.
The painting is charming and springlike! I wanted to tell you about Tripadvisor on the web. You can type in names of hotels and get reviews. I take them with a grain of (kosher) salt, but it is helpful to get a feeling of places. I founded the Hotel Montreal in Rome that way, and it was a winner and quite suited to our needs. Also, once you find a hotel, you can try booking directly with them. Sometimes it is cheaper and less frustrating than using an agency like Kayak. I like Kayak to find cheaper places.
Thank you, Suzanne. I know about Kayak and TripAdvisor — they drive me nuts: too many choices, too many screens, too many price changes.
That Hotel Brighton looks nice! I will send you the name of the hotel where Karina and her friend stayed in November as well.
Now that I would appreciate. I’m hoping to get an affordable recommendation from a real person.
You will be in Paris before you know it…time goes by so quickly. Definitely deal with the hotel directly…you will get a much better rate. That is what I always do.
It does feel like it is coming up quickly, Karen. No hotel decisions yet.
I know you will find the perfect hotel…it just takes a little time.
Hmmm. I left a comment earlier, but it didn’t take! How I wish I had your CSA box this week…all my favorites. Your blue cornmeal pancakes sound wonderful, and I’ve always wanted to make taste cornmeal pancakes. How wonderful to be going to Paris, Sharyn! You’ll have so much fun…and great food!
You can make cornmeal pancakes of any kind of cornmeal or polenta, Betsy. Bittman has a newer recipe using no flour, but I like this one.
I love Mark Bittman’s recipes and his approach to food, and am hoping to score one of his cookbooks soon to add to the collection. I’ll check out the one with the flour, thanks, I like that extra cake-like texture in most things using cornmeal. Happy weekend!
I’ve yet to use blue cornmeal! But it is so pretty… I really should. Thanks for sharing! 😀
I think you will like it, Tiffany, and it gives you a new color and texture to play with. I apologize: your comments got caught in my spam folder and I just found them.
Thank you, Betsy. I don’t have a Bittman cookbook yet either, but I’d like one. I hope you have a good weekend as well.
Wow, Paris and Italy, Sharyn, your trip sounds wonderful. We’ve booked our flights for the fall and will be in Paris for about 4 nights. We have stayed at Hotel St. Jacques in the Latin Quarter and it was not terribly expensive at that time (not sure about now). It was not quite renovated, but hopefully it is now. For our trip in the fall, we are looking at renting an apartment with Home Away or Charles’ (Five Euro Food) recommendation AirBNB. We have always stayed in the Latin Quarter which is quite fun, but this time I’d like a different experience in another part of the city. It’s very exciting!
I too am against the genetically modified corn, particularly that of Monsanato. I’ve never tried the blue corn meal, but then again I am not a huge fan of grits or polenta. Using it in pancakes does indeed sound interesting…I may have to try this recipe Sharyn, thank you.
Hope you have a great weekend.
Thanks, Eva, for the Hotel St. Jacques. I will look it up promptly. Last time I was in Paris I stayed in Montmartre, but I wasn’t paying the tab and it was a long time ago. Corn products may be more of an American thing: I was raised eating cornbread, muffins and corn tortillas in addition to yeast breads and pastries.
Monmartre is the area I would like to be in, but we’ll see if we can afford it. We’re going to try to catch up with Charles (five Euro Food) when we’re there. Our friends from Illinois (Rock Star Bus) are meeting us in Lyon and we’ll spend time together in Paris too! I’m just so excited about this trip.
Where ever you stay, make sure you Google bed bugs, it’s bad in Europe too.
Thanks, Eva. No luck yet on hotels, but I’m searching everyday and asking friends, too. There are thousands of hotels in Paris, so I’m bound to come up with something.
Yummy! Delicious pancakes! I recently made cornmeal pancakes too and I must say they do taste quite different (better) than some regular pancakes! By the way, I love how diligent you are at planning! That ensures that you make the best out of your limited time in Paris!! I’m very excited for you! Especially since Paris is a city with the most delectable patisseries! haha.. My head is hanging low now. I JUST booked a ticket today to Switzerland on impulse for 1 week. That flight leaves in less than 48 hours! I still can’t believe what I just did! lol. and no, i’m nowhere in Europe at the moment, but I live in Canada. I guess the planning starts… as of right now! lol
Wow, that is impulsive, Sammie! Have a good time! Thanks for stopping by.
Oh i just read a comment, i stayed in small bed and breakfast hotels.. little boutiquey ones, they are so much cheaper and friendlier..
That’s my preference, too, Celi, but I am traveling with a couple of people who have not traveled and want more comfort: they want air conditioning, WiFi and en suite bathrooms — left to my own devices I don’t care about any of that … I like charm. Compromise is in order and we are still looking.
Paris is loaded with the most wonderful second hand clothes shops, gorgeous barely worn clothes, so if you can find the street, i have forgotton where as i was lost at the time, do see what you can find. That is if you can bear second hand.. It is my favourite way to shop for clothes. ritzy barely worn..oh and then there are the street markets.. oh you will love it! I am so envious.. we had strawberries when i was in Cali and they were mouthwatering.. ours have a wee way to go.. cc
Thanks, Celi. I never would have thought of shopping for used clothes in Paris, although I get most of my clothes here from second-hand shops. Maybe I’ll find a new chic outfit. Strawberries here in the north have good flavor, but not their full sugar content yet.
Hi Sharyn, a friend of mine goes to Paris every year to visit her in laws and she stays at Hotel Minerve. I’ve never stayed there but I do know she is a no nonsense type of girl. It’s supposed to be cheap too.
She said: “Never had a complaint and everyone I know stays there.”
13 Rue des Ecoles. In the latin quarter
Thanks, Eva, for the suggestion. I’ll check it out right away.
“a writing retreat in Limousin with Natalie Goldberg”????? Color me madly jealous! Any of the three kernels (no corn puns here!) of that phrase (a writing retreat / in Limousin / with Natalie Goldberg) would be dreamy… and all there together, well, we await stories, please!! Mmmm…
Yes, there will be stories, Rachel, after I get home again. I’m not going until mid-June.
Hi Sharyn, I’ve never seen such corn here… I wonder if I can find it here? It sounds like really a lot of fun to cook with!
By the way – if you have a chance, be sure to eat a good steak in Limousin (if steak is your kind of thing)… the region is famous for its beef cattle!
Thanks for the tip, Charles. I eat steak once in awhile and I like to know about local specialties.
Hi Sharyn, it sounds like you are making some wonderful plans! The blue corn pancakes with strawberries sound delicious, too.
Nancy — it’s good to see you again. I saw you had a blog post, too, so I’ll hop on over to look at it.
I’m starting to think that I’m missing a trick here in England as corn flour isn’t easy to find in our shops. There’s a healthfood store near where I work that I’m going to have to visit tomorrow to see if I can spot any. I LOVE Paris too. I look forward to hearing all about your trip. You could get some amazing Macarons on your trip too! 🙂 Sorry I don’;t have any tips for places to stay however. The last time I went I stayed in the Marais area which is really central but think it can be a bit expensive.
Yes, I shall remember to eat a Macaron in Paris, Lauren. We have been looking at a hotel in the Marais — don’t know if my friend has booked it yet. When I was last in England and Ireland (1979-1980) was very hard to find — corn doesn’t grow well without lots of sun.
SO jealous that you’re headed to Paris!! I have been once and loved it. Pancakes sound delicious too!
I am lucky to go, Kelly. We have finally confirmed our first hotel, Hotel du Quai Voltaire, which has views of the Seine and was frequented by literary types. This will be my third time in Paris, but I haven’t been for twenty years.
Now I will have to hunt down blue cornmeal 🙂
(Love the painting too!)
anne
Thank you, Anne. Thanks for visiting.