A couple of months ago I received the delightful news that a fellow food blogger would be coming to Paris and round these parts that’s always very welcome. I’m not at all active in the French blogosphere, and while there are one or two people nearby to me (and by nearby I mean at least one country away) I don’t really get to meet many of the lovely people who stop by here to say hello. I had the opportunity to meet Eva last year during her vacation in Paris, but since that time I’ve had to make do with jealously reading about all the meet-ups everyone else seems to be having on the other side of the pond.
Yes, finally another person would be nearby and another opportunity to meet up, eat food and generally shoot the breeze. My visitor was, of course, the lovely Shu Han from Mummy, I can cook. I asked if she would like to come to my place and have dinner with my wife and I and thus the plan was set – I just needed to think of what I could cook. I’ve never made food for another food blogger before. I felt rather nervous because I, perhaps wrongly, think that if someone cares enough to write about and make food as a hobby of theirs, then perhaps that means they will be more critical – hopefully the dishes I chose in the end were enjoyed!
I already have time management issues in the kitchen. For example, if I’m cooking something which uses rice, I will make everything else, and then cook the rice at the very last moment – I don’t like the thought of forcing myself into a schedule of cooking simultaneously with the rice and having to “get things done” in that time. I prefer to work in my own time, and so dinner might have been a little late, but luckily I could recruit a sous-chef for the evening!
On the menu was Tunisian Fricassée – one of my favourite meals (I even wanted to serve it at our wedding but my wife vetoed that, and probably rightly so, since it’s rather messy to eat!). Its base is an oblong bread roll, which is deep-fried, instead of baked. The roll is split open and then stuffed with a number of different things.
Some hummus…
Maybe some harissa…
Perhaps some salata mechouia (warm Tunisian salad)…
… not to mention some lamb, olives, pickled vegetables, boiled eggs, tuna… totally awesome stuff! I also served it up with some brik and damn was I full at the end.
Naturally, I was delighted that I made the dishes you see above again because it gave me a chance to re-photograph them. It doesn’t seem right that some of my favourite dishes on this blog have the most rubbish photos, so it was nice to revisit those posts and give them a bit of a facelift.
After dinner we went for a little sight-seeing tour around Paris in the car. As Shu says, Paris by day is very “beige”… something I’ve always thought myself. It’s at night when you can really see the beauty of the city thanks to all the lights (as long as it’s not after 1am, as all the monuments and buildings are shrouded in darkness because of a recent law aimed at saving energy)!
Thanks for stopping by Shu Han – hope we can meet up again someday!
I am having a summer of meeting bloggers. Each time it’s a great, full of food experience 🙂 Maybe see you one day in Paris 🙂
Definitely Marta – you’re welcome any time 🙂
Well, I, for one, had a good time and enjoyed both food and company. And Willy certainly enjoyed all the attention he got from Shu’s lovely family.
Heh, maybe they’d like to come back for babysitting some time?! 😀
My sister squeals in delight.
I’ll hold you to that! 😀
What a fantastic experience for any food blogger! I would meet every food blogger if I could but especially you, Charles! 🙂
Aw, thanks Maureen – I’m sure you say that to all the big, bald Brits! 😀
I’m always nervous around food bloggers too. I become all anxious that they might think I’m much more of an expert than I really am! If you’re a bit lonely, I’ll plan a trip to Paris and you can have me for dinner and I promise to only blog the good bits! I can’t believe the lights are turned off at 1am – that wouldn’t bode well in NYC xx
“to only blog the good bits”
Well – hopefully, there would only be good bits :D. You’re welcome any time Charlie – would be fun to see over here!
Oh I am totally jealous!
I keep reading about all those meetings you guys have! At least you got to meet to wonderful bloggers. I am sure you had a great time 🙂
You served up quite a feast Charles,I am sure Shu Han had a great time
Thanks Sawsan, it’s my favourite meal… totally in love with it, so I’m glad I could share it with others! So, who’s going to be next coming to visit me? You maybe? 😀
What a wonderful visit and meal. Well worth the trip to Paris to indulge. 🙂 Hugs to William.
Thanks A_ – it was so much fun… Now I can check Éva and Shu off my list… I hope I can meet others soon!
How wonderful! It is so nice to meet people that you feel you know well from reading their blogs and making friends. I have met a couple of fellow bloggers and it’s always such a pleasure! Your meal looks delicious and your nighttime tour of Paris sounds lovely! If I am ever passing your way, I’ll be sure to give you a shout! You never know, we are at least in the same country! And if you ever find yourself coming down South…you must look me up 🙂 x
Hi Anneli – definitely… maybe you should escape the heat of the south and come and cool off in Paris for a few days. Nope – bad idea, it’s vile here in the summer sun but yes – I do hope we’ll have a chance to meet some day 🙂
What fun Charles! I’m so glad you had a visitor…I just wish it was us! 🙂 It looks like you prepared a delicious meal and I’m sure you all had a great time. I know what you mean about nerves cooking for other food bloggers. We have yet to really do that (although I did make a pie for Celi). Great idea to recruit a sous chef. I bet that made for a fun day! And I think we’re going to have to get around to Tunisian cooking very soon. Yum!!!!
Definitely Kristy – one day, one day I hope! But damn, I’d be especially scared to cook for you guys. It’s not just *you* who likes food but your entire family! I can imagine the scene. I spend hours cooking, serve it up, Miss A. chews for a few seconds and passes the dreaded judgment: “ONE SPOON TO CHARLES” :D.
What a fun experience, I always enjoy meeting other food bloggers – I feel like they are kindred spirits!
Isn’t it fun Laura – too bad there aren’t so many around here :(. Makes the meetings few and far between.
boy oh boy that hummus and salata mechouia both look divine! what a great experience to have with other food bloggers.
Thanks KB – it was such a fun evening 🙂
Absolutely delicious looking Tunisian Fricassée! I can just imagine how wonderful everything was and I am sure that sweet little Shu Han was more than happy to lend a hand. It is always so nice to get to meet our fellow blogger buddies in person. Nice to meet you Shu Han and look forward to seeing your site. Charles I am so glad you remade these dishes just for the photos as they are just stellar. I think your salata mechouia needs to be posted on pin interest as one of the dishes I want to make. Take care, BAM
Thanks Bam, it was a wonderful evening, and yes – definitely a perfect opportunity to re-make/re-photograph a few things. Do let me know if you try the salad – it goes so well in the fricassée dish, but also just as a more simple accompaniment to meat and fish.
Lucky you! Shu Han is so funny and I am glad you guys got to hang out. The food looks amazing Charles! Totally yummy, one dish after another. I’m going to check out your harissa, I’ve been wanting to make some.
Nazneen
Hi Nazneen – I would definitely recommend my harissa, and using habanero chillies too! I find a lot of harissa just has a brutal heat without much else, but this has a gorgeous fragrant flavour!
Charles, I envy you so much! I also envy Shuhan because the feast you have prepared for her looks amazing! I hope we can meet one day too… (I know, I keep on repeating it for ages 😉 ). The photos are breathtaking. I can almost smell the hummus… The Tunisian fried breads sound great. I hope you will share you recipe with us one day.
Hi Sissi, I will share the recipe one day, although the ones I made are quite basic really – nothing really special about them (actually I made them much too big, lol!). One day – I hope we’ll have a chance to meet and maybe I can cook (but maybe not – I’ll be very scared, and I probably won’t serve wine since it’s one of your big passions! :D)
You certainly did have the services of Shu Chef for the evening:)
I’ve never met another blogger in real life, I am sure one day I will.
Shu-chef – haha, excellent… very apt 🙂
What a fun evening!! You are such gracious person Charles and what a lovely meal you fixed. I think I need to check into some tickets to Paris. 🙂
Thank you so much MJ – and absolutely… you’re welcome any time!
Hi Charles, we’ve been away in the US mid-west and had the lovely opportunity to meet some new food blogging friends and an old food blogging friend, but you’ll have to wait until Monday to read about it! 😉
We had spotty wifi so I wasn’t on very much. But I did see your posts on FB, how cool that you met Shu Han and even cooler that you cooked for her! This community of food bloggers are the kindest I’ve ever encountered, you need not worry that someone would ever say anything unkind, particularly in our circles. Not to mention you are an accomplished cook and I’m certain whatever you make would be mouth-wateringlu delicious! I love the sound of the dish you prepared, the variety of flavours sound incredible and each bite would be a different symphony. Very nicely done.
Thank you for the shout out, it was such a pleasure meeting you too, but next time we’d love to meet The Wife snd William too!
Thank you for your kind comment Eva – it’s one of my favourite dishes! Not that healthy, but so good, and as you say – so many different flavours, textures and colours!
It is indeed a lovely community isn’t it? I never thought those years ago when I created my blog that I would end up meeting such wonderful people – people whom I hope to be able to count as friends for my whole life!
As for the wife and William – absolutely! It’s a date!
I love meeting fellow bloggers. It is funny that you can meet a perfect stranger but be somehow comfortable straight away. What yummy dishes you made for the meal 🙂
Thanks for sharing 🙂
You’re great host! Nice story and she looks so cute! It seems like you guys had a wonderful time.
Thank you for the No kneed bread recipe. We really like it and definitely we(mainly my husband)make many more. Dip the bread in the mushroom soup to eat was so so good!
DUDEEEEEE I COMPLETELY MISSED THIS POST WTF. It was such a wonderful day you and your family are such generous hosts- not just food-wise (we were STUFFED) but bringing us around to see Paris by night was AH MAY ZING.
p.s. anytime you come to London please please shout! And one day maybe if I muster up enough courage I will visit you again in that icy cold land you’re now in.
Hey there, no worries! We’ll look you up next time we’re in London. Probably we’ll be there eventually on a trip back to visit my parents so we’ll try to stay in London for a night or two and maybe we can meet up!