Le Rendez-vous of October
October is one of our favorite months to cook in Paris.
After the abundance of summer, the kitchen begins to change almost overnight. Market stalls take on deeper colors, the first mushrooms arrive, squash and chestnuts return, pears and apples are everywhere, and dishes naturally become warmer, richer and more comforting.
For a chef, this change of season is impossible to miss. You see it first at the market, in the crates and baskets appearing on the stalls, then on restaurant menus, and eventually around the table at home. Cooking becomes a little slower again. Roasting, butter, sauces, braised dishes and deeper flavors gradually make their way back into the kitchen after the lighter cooking of summer.
It is also a wonderful moment to rediscover ingredients that feel unmistakably French at this time of year. A beautiful cèpe simply sautéed in a pan, a roasted squash, a handful of chestnuts or a perfectly ripe pear can be enough to build an entire dish around. October is not necessarily about adding more. Often, it is about letting seasonal produce do most of the work.
Outside the kitchen, Paris has its own particular energy in October. The cultural calendar fills up, the city moves into a new rhythm and some of the most interesting events of the season begin to appear. It is a month when food, art, wine and Parisian life seem to overlap particularly well.
For this month’s newsletter, we wanted to share October the way we experience it: through the ingredients we are excited to cook with, a few events worth knowing about, some places we genuinely enjoy, and a few chef’s notes along the way.
A little taste of Paris, from our kitchen to yours.
IN SEASON
The return of wild mushrooms Few ingredients announce autumn quite like mushrooms. By October, market stalls begin to fill with some of the varieties chefs wait for all year. Cèpes with their firm flesh and deep, almost nutty flavor, delicate girolles, pieds-de-mouton and, as the season progresses, the dark and intensely aromatic trompettes de la mort.
For Chef Philippe, mushroom season is closely tied to a family tradition in the Basque Country.
In late August, while on holiday there with his family, Philippe came across some of the first foraged mushrooms of the season growing nearby. They were picked, cleaned and simply cooked in a pan with butter and garlic. Nothing elaborate, just one of those moments when an ingredient is so fresh that it hardly needs anything else.
Every autumn, preserving mushrooms in jars is simply part of the family tradition, especially cèpes, Philippe’s particular favorite. Some are enjoyed fresh, while others are kept to bring a little of the season back later in the year.
That simplicity is part of what makes mushrooms so special. A beautiful mushroom does not need much to become something memorable. A hot pan, a little butter, perhaps some garlic or parsley, and enough time to let it develop a proper golden color can often be more than enough.
In France, wild mushroom picking has a culture of its own. Autumn weekends often mean walks through forests and countryside with baskets in hand, favorite spots carefully remembered from one year to the next, and knowledge passed down within families. Different regions have their own varieties, habits and traditions, which is part of what makes the season so special.
For a chef, mushrooms are also incredibly versatile. They can be the centre of a dish rather than simply a garnish. Roasted or sautéed, folded into an omelette, turned into a velouté, served with poultry or game, or paired with eggs, potatoes or toasted bread, they bring depth, earthiness and warmth almost instantly.
And although cèpes often receive most of the attention, part of the pleasure of mushroom season is discovering what nature offers from one week to the next. The selection changes with the weather, the region and the harvest, which makes every visit to the market a little different.
That is exactly the kind of seasonal cooking we love most: starting with what is available, keeping things simple and letting the ingredient lead the way.
THIS MONTH IN PARIS
October is one of those months when the Paris calendar feels especially full. Fashion, wine and food all take their turn, and the city seems to move from one event to the next.
Paris Fashion Week
Until October 6
October begins with the final days of Paris Fashion Week, when the city becomes even more animated than usual. Hotels, cafés and restaurants fill with buyers, designers, journalists and visitors, and certain parts of Paris seem to change atmosphere completely for a few days.
Even if you are not attending the shows, Fashion Week is one of those moments that can be felt throughout the city.
Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre
October 7 to 11
One of Paris’s autumn traditions takes place in Montmartre, where the neighborhood celebrates the harvest from its own vineyard, the Clos Montmartre.
For five days, the 18th arrondissement comes alive with tastings, concerts, parades and neighborhood events. There are also visits to the vines themselves and the traditional Parcours du Goût around the Sacré-Cœur.
It is a lovely reminder that even in the middle of Paris, wine and harvest traditions still have their place.
Salon du Chocolat
October 25 to November 1
And to finish the month on a sweeter note, the Salon du Chocolat returns to Paris.
For five days, chocolatiers, pastry chefs, artisans and producers come together around chocolate in all its forms, with tastings, demonstrations and new creations to discover.
Cécile, Chef Philippe’s wife, is already planning to make a stop there this year, partly for the chocolate, of course, but also to see what some of the most creative pastry and chocolate houses are presenting this season.
The scallop that showed the way
Every October, coquilles Saint-Jacques make their seasonal return to French fish markets and restaurant menus, which is reason enough to celebrate.
But if you have ever wondered why the same fan-shaped shell sometimes appears on buildings, pavements and signposts hundreds of kilometres from the sea, there is a very good reason.
For centuries, the scallop shell has been the symbol of the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, in northwestern Spain. Medieval pilgrims who reached Galicia would bring one home and attach it to their hat, cloak or bag as a sign that they had completed the journey.
Quite a stylish souvenir, really.
It was also surprisingly practical. Its natural shape made a rather convenient little cup for drinking from fountains and streams along the road.
And that road very much runs through France.
Several historic routes cross the country on their way towards Spain, passing through towns, villages, churches and abbeys that welcomed pilgrims for centuries. One of the major routes even begins right in the centre of Paris, at the foot of the Tour Saint-Jacques, just a few steps from the Seine.
From there, the route known as the Via Turonensis continues for more than 1,000 kilometres through France towards Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the French Basque Country, before pilgrims eventually cross the Pyrenees and continue through Spain towards Santiago de Compostela.
That is why the scallop still appears all along the way today. Look closely while travelling through France and you may spot it carved into stone, set into pavements or used as a trail marker, quietly pointing travellers in the right direction.
So the next time coquilles Saint-Jacques appear on a French menu, remember that their familiar shell has been doing double duty for centuries.
First showing people the way across France and Spain.
Then making its way to dinner.
Not bad for a scallop!
PICK
A little taste of the Basque Country in Paris
If you have never tried a Mouchou, this is one small French specialty worth adding to your list.
Created by Maison Pariès in 1948, the Mouchou was born from a happy accident. An unusually generous amount of almonds was added to a batch of traditional Saint-Jean-de-Luz macarons. Rather than discard them, Robert Pariès tasted the result and discovered that the extra almonds had made the texture softer, more tender and richer. He decided to sandwich two shells together, and the Mouchou was born.
Its name comes from the Basque word muxu, meaning “kiss”, which feels particularly fitting for something so small and delicate.
The Mouchou is quite different from the colorful Parisian macaron many visitors already know. There is no smooth ganache filling or crisp, glossy shell. Instead, it is softer, more rustic and intensely almond-forward, with a tender centre and a thin exterior that gives just enough resistance before giving way.
Maison Pariès now makes them in several flavors, including almond, chocolate, hazelnut, coffee and pistachio, but the spirit remains the same: a regional specialty built around quality ingredients, savoir-faire and a recipe that has become part of the identity of the house.
For Philippe, who has strong family ties to the Basque Country and spends part of every year there, the Mouchou is one of those products that immediately brings that region to mind. It is the kind of specialty we love because it carries so much in such a small format: a place, a family house, a story and a very distinctive taste.
That is also what makes regional French specialties so interesting to us. Behind many of them is a particular place, a technique and a story that has been preserved over time, and the Mouchou is a perfect example.
If you are curious, Maison Pariès has a Paris boutique at 9 bis rue Saint-Placide, in the 6th arrondissement, which makes it an easy stop if you want a little taste of the Basque Country without leaving Paris.
TIP
A little acidity can change everything As the weather cools, cooking naturally becomes richer. Butter, cream, roasted vegetables, slow-cooked meats and deeper sauces start making their way back onto the table.
One of the simplest ways to keep those dishes balanced is also one of the most important things chefs think about when tasting a plate: acidity.
A rich dish can be perfectly cooked and still feel heavy if it is missing that little bit of freshness. Sometimes all it takes is a squeeze of lemon, a few drops of vinegar, a spoonful of pickled vegetables or even a slightly sharper ingredient added at the very end.
The idea is not to make the dish taste acidic. Quite the opposite. When the balance is right, you should barely notice where that freshness is coming from. It simply makes the other flavors feel clearer and the whole plate easier to eat.
This is particularly useful with autumn ingredients. Roasted squash can benefit from a little vinegar or citrus. A buttery sauce can suddenly feel lighter with a touch of lemon. Rich meat dishes often come alive with pickles, mustard or something gently acidic on the side.
It is also one of the easiest habits to develop at home. Before adding more salt, butter or seasoning to a dish that feels as though something is missing, try a tiny touch of acidity first and taste again.
Very often, that is all it needed.
Chef Philippe adds delicate yuzu pearls for a bright, citrusy kick.
If this newsletter has made you hungry for a little more of Paris, come and experience it with us.
Chef We Chef offers chef-led culinary experiences in small groups, combining the places, products and people that shape Parisian food culture.
Join us for a curated food tour through some of our favorite neighborhoods, or go a little further with a Signature Cooking Class & Tour, from sourcing ingredients in the streets of Paris to cooking, plating and enjoying the meal together.
contact@chefwechef.com +33 7 43 74 95 65
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