By Chef Todd Mohr
Page 1 of 1
.
Since I've been on my Paris tour, I've discovered that eating healthy food is much easier than I imagined with Paris cuisine. I am also noticing that everything I've eaten tastes incredibly good, very fresh, and amazingly flavorful without being overly filling.
For someone who already studies food as art, my Paris tour brings up more questions than answers. What is it that makes eating healthy food in Paris so easy?
Can this have anything to do with the size of the stores? I haven't seen a convenience store included on this Paris tour, and there are no mega-grocery stores. Each store has one singular purpose and it is an expert at that one thing. Whether it is baking bread, butchering meats, making pastries, or squeezing fresh orange juice from their store-front machine, the small-shop owners take great pride in the single thing they excel at.
Paris Cuisine vs U.S. Cuisine
The greatest difference I've seen between Paris cuisine and cuisine in the United States is the great respect that Parisians show for food. To continue my search of why the food in Paris is so good, I jumped on the Metro and headed for the world-famous Rue Cler market. Along the way, there was a short sight-seeing stop at the Arc de Triomphe and a walk down the Champs Élysées.
When the continuation of my Paris tour finally drops me at the Rue Cler Market, I could see why eating healthy food is easier here. There's more healthy food available.
The Paris Market
The fish market is clean, fresh, no flies, and no fishy smell. The "fromagerie" specializes in cheese, they sell nothing but cheeses, and they are experts at it. These businesses are family owned, and take great pride in what they have been doing for generations.
There are not mounds of food displayed in this market. There is a select few, and they are fresh, in season, and incredibly fragrant. The markets here show great deference for ingredients. This, combined with simple cooking techniques yields the best meals.
Paris Simplicity
Why is Paris cuisine so flavorful and so good? What makes eating healthy food in Paris so easy to do? Is it because of the greatest chefs? The most complicated recipes? No, my Paris tour is causing me to suspect that it is something much simpler than that.
Chef Todd Mohr is a classically trained chef with a philosophy: "burn recipes and learn to cook like French do." His secret is revealed in his online cooking classes.
Fountain of Wisdom • The View • All rights reserved
