Wednesday, August 17, 2011

à la coque

Last night I ate steamed clams again, but I was not thinking about coques or shells of a certain unnamed cookie...
I wonder where the French came up with the word 'palaurde' for clam - it doesn't sound right does it? Who would wanna say, "Happy as a palourde?"

Do you love browsing the fish monger even if you have no way to cook them?

Wouldn't it be nice if you could get scallops on the half shell here...

Coquille St. Jacques at Maison Stohrer looks heavenly doesn't it?

Stuffed crabs anyone? me me me!

I should have married a seashell seller - I love coquillages-crustaces too much. Have you ever had a plateau in Paris?

Lunch with Peter's Paris at Brasserie Flo - this time he got the crustaces...

At Rose Bakery I did not get oeufs a la coque - nothing to do with seashells and everything to do with egg shells...

Ha! I got a healthy salad :)

what do the French call this - a 'shell' or a coque like we do?

Jamie Cat Callen said everyone must have a 'shell' pink boa. OK so her's was bleu...

Shell pink pigs!




Enfin shell pink twirly shells or macaron coques. No way am I attempting these!
BONJOUR A LA COQUE!

20 comments:

  1. Are you going to paint the mac in the clam shell? "Happy as a paloudre..."

    or "heureux comme une palourde," anyway.

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  2. I think I've become half-coqued with these damn $#@!shells Sue!
    :))

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  3. Justine10:04 AM

    The term half-cock is as old as flintlock guns and appears in print from the mid 18th century. For example, in John Desaguliers' A course of experimental philosophy 1734–44:

    "The gun being at Half-Cock, the Spring acts upon the Tumbler with more Advantage."

    or act impulsively and without proper preparation...

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  4. Have you ever been to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx? It's a funny little Italian neighbourhood. There is the MOST amazing fish-mongers there.

    I've never been to a fish place that smelled like the ocean. And their selection was incredible. We brought up coolers with us from Baltimore and filled them with cheeses and sausages.
    Fun!

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  5. Hello Carolg,
    Delicious post! Never have I eaten a Plateaux in Paris, but did have my fair share of chargrilled oysters in New Orleans recently, does that count?
    I'll be on the lookout for a sea monger for you. Keep having a terrific time painting Paris Dreams~~~

    xox
    Constance

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  6. Clams and oysters and mussels are things that just sound like they'll taste better than they really do. Kind of like "beer" - it sounds so refreshing but it really tastes like...um...not very good.

    LOVE your little pink macaron pearl image!

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  7. Carol maybe you don't want to bake the pink swirl macaron, but you could do a perfect painting of one
    xx
    julie

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  8. You always make me so hungry when I come here. :)) I really like that first photo.

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  9. those stuffed crabs look awesome!

    MINDOFMR.BLOGSPOT.COM

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  10. I am in danger of abandoning the mac for coquilles on the half shell. What an amazing find!!!
    No. wait, when presented with 2 undesirable alernatives, choose the 3rd. So, faced with 2 desirable alternatives, take them both!

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  11. Great concept!
    (Although, I would prefer an oyster ...
    unless it was a licorice macaron!)

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  12. An oyster sitting inside a clam Uyek?

    What?
    Were they seperated at birth?

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  13. Hemingway loved to eat raw oysters washed down with some wine while he sat by the banks of the Seine.

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  14. Anonymous6:51 PM

    Oh my you have me thinking about eating seafood Platters in Paris. Hmmm---I wonder what time of year would be best.
    I have 3 macarons from Lindt or should I say delices - waiting for my approval - champagne, strawberry and salted caramel. I will give a review.

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  15. Nikon:
    Men are always 'washing down' stuff with lagers and endless bottles of wine...

    Women only get to take out the wash :(

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  16. Carol, once again you have made me smile with your observations and wit...and the melange of topics.

    The prior comments also have lots of wit!

    xo

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  17. Have you been to Cancale, the oyster capital of Brittany? I was there for the first time on Sunday and it's a fun place to visit. You can get a dozen oysters at the market and they will shuck them and put them on a plate so that you can eat them while sitting on the seawall. There's even a restaurant offering glasses of takeout wine to enhance the experience - it was my first time to see that!

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  18. I ate fresly shucked oysters in the open market at the Duke of York Saturday market in London last Fall....
    Best thing I ever tasted :)

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