Pi Day: Pierre Gagnaire

Happy Pi Day!
If you are a math nerd (like me), this is a fun day!

People young and old, all around the world, challenge themselves to memorize ∏ on this day
March 14 or 3.14

3.141592653589793238462643383279502884…

Pi, the ratio of the circle’s circumference to its diameter, is an irrational number which never repeats, so, memorizing pi can be a lifelong adventure!

For this Pi Day, we are not baking an apple pie, nor a pizza pie, nor egg pie or quiche!

We are traveling back to Paris to visit Three-Star Michelin Chef Pierre Gagnaire, aka ∏.

My Family and Friends Dining at Pierre Gagnaire

My brother, Don, was planning his wife’s birthday party at Pierre Gagnaire. Being a party of 8, they required us to choose the menu ahead of time. Below is their email exchange. It was destined to be an interesting and amazing experience!

Dear Sir,
Please find enclosed our new menus for your dinner.
Could you please contact us back with your choice before next Tuesday?
Do not hesitate to contact us for further information or for any explanation.
Best regards.
Xavier

Dear Xavier,
My French is not so great. Is it possible to send me the menu in English. Thank you.
Best regards,
Don

Dear Sir,
Unfortunately we do not have any menu in English, however you can call us at the restaurant if you wish and ask for me or just give us your cell phone number we will then contact you.
Best regards.
Xavier

Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire
6 rue Balzac
75008 Paris
tel: + 33(0)1.58.36.12.50
fax: + 33(0)1.58.36.12.51
p.gagnaire@wanadoo.fr
www.pierregagnaire.com

Continue reading “Pi Day: Pierre Gagnaire”

Happy Pi Day


First of all – Happy Pi Day!
If you are a math nerd, this is a fun day!
March 14 or 3.14…and I did not just admit to being a nerd?!?

What is Pi?
It is the ratio of the circle’s circumference to its diameter.

So here, my lovely Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Tarte Tatin pan (hey, Maryann, here it is again) has a diameter of  9 1/2 inches. What is the circumference you ask?

That is where my handy little mysterious irrational number comes in! The circumference is the diameter (as measured by my whimsical tape measure, ha!) multiplied by pi.
I have memorized the value of pi to 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884.

Memorizing pi has a fascination of its own for some (but not many).
I remember it like this:
3.14 March 14 we all know that
159 At 1:59 in the afternoon is when to eat our pie, like dessert after lunch
265 Prefix from my old business phone number
358-9793 Somebody’s phone number, just think of how many phone numbers you have memorized and this is easy
238-4626 Aw, c’mon, I can remember another phone number, can’t I?
4 I was born April 4th, 4 is my number!
338 Prefix for phone number growing up.
3 Remember another 3 after 338.
27 Just remembering being 27 years old.
95028 A zip code?
8 One more 8…Ok, stopping here.
4 Oh, might was well add one more 4.
Please don’t quiz me after a glass of wine 🙂

Eventually you can find your own phone number in pi, that’s cool. Eventually…

If you desire to memorize pi, you have to make up your own method, because none of the pi number sequences ever repeat!

Back to the circumference of my Le Creuset:
pi d = C
3.141592653589793238462643383279502884 X 9.5= 29.845130209+
In other words about 30″ around.

Did you (or your kids) celebrate pi today? 

By the way, I’m listening to Don McLean right now: American Pie 

bye, bye…

Salmon & Goat Cheese Quiche


Ah yes, more salmon! This time it is the cold-smoked salmon baked in a quiche with goat cheese, fresh chives and dill.


Fresh sniped dill added to the custard.


Pour the herbed mixture of eggs and cream over the goat cheese and salmon layered in the crust.


I use my Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron Tarte Tatin pan for making quiche as well as tarte tatin. This is a great pan!


My ratio for quiche custard is:

  • 5 whole large eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups of warm light cream
  • 1 T flour
  • salt and pepper
I beat this with an electric hand mixer.
Bake at 350 for about 1 hour (maybe a little longer).


Uh, oops. How did that get in here?

I’m keeping no secrets from you: I used Trader Joe’s Baking Spray with Flour and Pillsbury Pie Crust 🙂

P.S. Happy Pi Day! 3.14.2008

My egg pie is a tribute to this mysterious and most important mathematical constant known as pi: 3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286208998628034825342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481117450284102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233786783165271201909145648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273724587006606315588174881520920962829254091715364367892590360011330530548204665213841469…it’s an irrational and transcendental number that never terminates…

Pi Day has an official website: www.piday.org
Pi Palindrome: I PREFER PI
Did you know Albert Einstein was born on Pi Day 1879?