Gadgets we love ! The Nespresso Aeroccino 3

Oooo! Here is one for all you cappuccino foam lovers. This neat little machine is full of style, simple to use, wash up and does what it does absolutely perfectly ! Make a thick hot or cold foam from any type of milk! It's a bit pricey but this is a well made thing. It's not going to be giving up the ghost anytime soon. And it really does offer the perfect finishing touch to a cappuccino or cocoa.
Nice looking eh ? A lovely example of Swiss design from the world renowned Les Ateliers du Nord, Laussane .

 The tiny removable whisk which like an electric toothbrush works with...a magnet! The interior is all teflon coated. So very neat and tidy. Just pull out the little whisk for easy cleaning.  But please don't put it in the dishwasher, Rina. (big source of discussion at the studio : what goes in the dishwasher and what doesn't. Nine years down the line and we still have these discussions! )

 Oooo ! Look at that gorgeous mousse that a new clients product made! Viva Chocolat Noir is the french entry for the chocolate milk for adults sweepstakes. Less sweet, more chocolat.  

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With the Aeroccino, basically you want to start with cold milk as that gives you this dramatic frothy hot mousse. The machine makes both a frothy cold mousse (for cold drinks) or a traditional hot cappuccino type milk. 

Nestlé, like Apple don't believe in instructions for this machine. For cold mousse (blue light ) you keep that start/stop button pushed down a few seconds longer. For a hot mousse the light is red.

Don't be surprised if after making hot milk and you try to immediately relaunch the machine, still filed with its hot liquid. nothing happens ! It simply won't budge. Put a new load of cold in and it 

starts up immediately.  

I've got several of the different varieties of battery operated whippers. The first one, arrived as a gift that friend brought back for me from Greece ! Haven't been there to check this out yet but apparently every cafe serves whipped coffees.

For my money, the Aeroccino is the best at doing a great mousse. 

Oh and it has a nice whirring purr too. 

Gentilly : Ma Petit' Portugal à Paris

I love my neighborhood. Not least because it is right next to Paris, yet with a flavor of its very own. Um sabor português!  I live about a five minute walk from the "L'Eglise Portugaise" a huge edifice overlooking the autoroute entering Paris from the south.

This is my local takeaway: Churrasqueira Galo. Open five days a week, this guy does a booming business in roast chickens. But he also makes roast pig and goat on order. It's a take out place. And if you have a large order of say 3 whole chickens, it is best to order ahead. On Saturdays this place is packed with people picking up huge family orders of anywhere from 5 to 10 birds! He will ask you if you want the homemade hot sauce or no...me yes !  I love the stuff.

He has several competitors, all restaurants that offer this only on the weekends but he was the first. I'm still waiting to try the goat and roast pig. And that means organizing an all-hands-on-deck celebration for carnivores ! 

The Pao Quente is our local Portuguese bakery.They have just added a second shop : "O'Pastel" ,across the street from the Gentilly RER station where they will be selling all kinds of Portuguese takeout, sandwiches, pastries and good COFFEE.

What is a Pastel di Nata?

A little creamy flan on a puff pastry crust to be gently reheated at home, with a bit of cinnamon. Oh these are wonderful !

At the main shop, I pass huge "Pão de Ló"  a favorite sponge cake which look something like an American Angelfood cakes in size and form and hole in the middle. They set these outside to entice passers by!

You can also get good expresso in my neighborhood. There are several Portuguese brands available. Almost everyone has Delta Coffee "on tap" a worthy Portuguese competitor to any of the great Italian coffees. A Delta is worth getting up for.    

My Portuguese grocery, Dorosol, is a bit further afield in nearby Kremlin Bicetre (a ten minute bus ride on the 125 from the Gentilly RER) 

They have something I've never seen anywhere in Paris:  a salted cod Room !. "Morue Salée" or "Bacalao" is one of the mainstays of Portuguese cooking. 

There are as many recipes for salted cod as there are cooks in Portugal. Indeed entire cookbooks dedicated to the stuff !  

Dorosl's butcher sells cuts of meat not usually seen in France. The shop also has seasonal specialties like fresh fall chestnuts and dried white figs.  Portuguese sausages, cheeses and weekly deliveries of vegetables: various cabbages and things of the cabbage family like broccoli rabe. 

But call ahead to find out when they are expecting delivery! These goodies sell out quickly, usually within hours of the truck being unloaded ! 

Dorosol also sells things like inexpensive Portuguese tableware. Happy stuff !

Basically within a 15 minute walk of my front door, ma Petit' Portugal à Paris !