Omnivore 2015

I have one hard and fast rule, Never leave the house without a spoon. Sunday was the 1st day of 3-day Omnivore World Tour.

Some buses weren't running. and I didn't get to Omnivore till noon. Big mistake.

Badoit is one of the main sponsors of Omnivore. I love this poster all over town.

Free Badoit vending machines inside (held at la Maison de la Mutualite 75005) which were kind of fun, as a lover of French vending machines.

There are 4-5 conferences going on at the same time (all in French). Young innovative chefs from far and wide doing 45-minute stand-up performances and demos. Sometimes you get a taste.

Omnivore takes over the building. Lots of chefs cooking intensely.

Lots of people were waiting intensely to get a little bite on Sunday.

I tasted this sea fennel but not much else...

And this delicious citrus-flavored Scotch. My first ever - like the most fruity soda pop. I quit before I got into trouble. The top floor was a lively on-going cocktail party even on a Sunday morning.

Day 2, I decided to show up on time at 10 AM (for a pastry lecture). A tiny verrine of Dorade with a kind of popcorn on top. Popcorn has hit Paris big recently.

The pastry chef didn't show for her lecture but I got many more bites.

Demonstrating how to make very creamy quenelle Lyonnaise by Serge Alzerat.

Plenty of excellent foie gras from top maker Rougie.

A Corsican wine tasting with abundant Corsican cheeses and hams.

I chatted with oyster grower, Huitres Rose, who controls the tides digitally so his oysters grow fatter and tastier. Delicious!

A tiny spoonful of sea urchin. Did I save the spoon? Probably.

My favorite cheese brie de Melun was there. Remember the Melun Brie fete? Melun has a deeper, more flavorful taste than classic Brie de Meaux. It takes looker to make and sits in the caves longer.

Tasting a 'flight' of Comte, means comparing cheese aged for 4 different periods, just like a flight of wine. Look at the range of descriptive words for this cheese. Wow

I drank plenty of Badoit. If you haven't tried it, do. It's my favorite alcohol-free cocktail - fizzy and energizing.
Walking home in the glorious weather I wouldn't have minded enjoying a Berthillon like this gent. He was carrying two doubles btw.
Tomorrow I have a ticket for the Agnes B fashion show.
No food except bottled water.
No mini spoons either.

Omnivore World Tour 2014

Last Sunday was the beginning of the annual 3-day food fest at Mutualité-Maubert - the Omnivore World Tour.

 

Upstairs attendees eagerly awaited multiple cooking demos and the samples on offer.

 

While downstairs master classes with master chefs like Jean-Francois Piege went on sharing lots of secrets if your French was up to it. Mine was not.

 

Renown Pierre Gagnaire on Monday demo'd on the big screen.

 

Beautiful displays of perfect mini vegetables were for viewing only.

 

 

But plenty of tastes of my favorite fruit juice in France from Alain Milliat, so intensely fruity, real fruits have a hard time competing. I lurve their nectar fraise. Do try it next visit.

 

Endless species of French potatoes

 

Would go perfectly with the famous Bordier beurre.

 

Bread, butter and salt. The great trifecta.

 

Kalios is the new hot Greek olive oil and olives sanctioned by Paris top chefs being produced by two French guys in Greece.

 

Inhale the perfumey saffron from Iran.

 

Mini verrines of gingered creme fraiche and fruit.

 

I didn't realize I was tasting raw fish until it was too late...doodly-doodly-do.

That's what happens at these free-for-all degustations.

 

But raw oysters I'll taste whenever. Miam!

 

Miniature boxes of chunky Malden salt from the UK so you can bring your own salt (BYOS) next restaurant outing.

 

Black lemons! For cooking not eating on the spot.

 

I love French lentilles and you could actually by these Red Label Loire vallee lentils. Two sacs went into my bag.

 

Fromages d'Italie was again this year dishing out wonderful BIG tastes of Italian cheeses.

 

You forget how much you miss the strong flavors of Parmigiano and Gorgonzola

 

Big sandwiches from Le Verre Vole. I had to laugh - a blogger busy piling exotic caviar on little toasts spilt it all over her fancy camera. .