La Petite Cuisine à Paris

Friday for lunch I had quite possibly my favorite lunch in Paris ever. The pity is that I can't go and replicate the experience everyday. Rachel Khoo is a talented British chef who I've gotten to know since my arrival in Paris and what I love most about her is she's always cooking up creative food experiences. Most recently in Buenos Aires, Edible Tales is a project that she and Frankie Unsworth have been taking around the world to bring creative meals to new audiences. Rachel's most recent endeavor is La Petite Cuisine à Paris, a bi-weekly pseudo-resto in her petit appartement (room for 2) in order to test out recipes for her upcoming cookbook for Penguin. The idea came about when she realized she'd be testing out loads of recipes, but what would she do with all that food? Limited primarily by the size of her apartment, it became the perfect excuse to use the intimate setting to invite friends and strangers alike to have a good meal (for a suggested donation of 25 Euros). Rachel updates the website regularly, but the best way to stay abreast of openings is by following her on twitter or facebook.
Each meal at La Petite Cuisine à Paris is a 3-course treat of French cuisine. Our menu consisted of tartiflette nests (starter - above), a roasted root vegetable salad with lardons and goat’s cheese mousse (amazing - below), capped with a vacherin hotdog (meringue, whipped cream and roasted rosemary rhubarb-mmm) and served with a bottle of from Christian Alexandre.

Even though I live in France, I must admit there are not many meals that leave me thinking and talking about the food for days to follow. This lunch was the exception. I can still remember every bite and am telling friends about it. I don't cook, but meals like this make me want to put more an effort into trying.
While some may see small Parisian apartments as a downside, I've learned to love and appreciate every quirk and charm. In La Petite Cuisine à Paris, one of the greatest pleasures was being able to watch the chef at work. It also proves that you don't need a giant kitchen to create great results.
If good food wasn't enough, the pleasure of sharing it with dear friends makes it taste even better. It felt extra special going with Elodie Rambaud as she worked as the food stylist for Rachel's first books, Barres de Céréales and Pâtes à Tartiner.
For more from my favorite creative gals, here's Rachel's Boarding Pass and Elodie's Boarding Pass.

Finally, for those of you who can't make it to Paris to dine with Rachel, check out this video that RedVisitor created after their recent visit.
{Top image screen shot from La Petite Cuisine à Paris; all others by Anne/PAV}