 |
| Street art in my neighborhood. |
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| Vines. |
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| I just like the textures and shadows here. |
 |
| Bold outlines. |
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| So peely and drippy. |
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| More street art from the 'hood. |
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| A watcher. |
 |
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| Another watcher. |
December 14, 2011
Around Town
Ble Sucre (Paris 2.10)
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| Vanilla financier, cocoa sable, lemon glazed madeleine. |
So, on my daily snoop walk, I discovered Ble Sucre, a pastry shop in my neighborhood... I am positively bursting with sugar and butter right now.
December 13, 2011
Paris 2.7, 2.8, 2.9
True to form, I've been neglectful of this little blog over the past few days.
Here's what I've been up to:
On Sunday I walked to and from the Marais. Being one of the only areas in the city where shops other than large international chains are open, I thought it'd be a good opportunity to once again peruse for souvenirs. I'm not really a magnets and keychains kind of girl~ instead, I was looking for an interesting piece of jewelry designed and made in Paris. You know, something that I can cherish and wear for years to come without serious fashion regrets (like the dreadful platform sneakers incedent of 1998).
I found what I was looking for in a tiny little boutique called Matieres a Reflexion. This place is pretty fabulous, and believe me, I could spend some serious dough here. The shop is bursting at the seems with unique pieces of jewelry, leather bags that are made from old leather jackets, and shoes and clothing from up-and-coming designers. Most of it is designed and made in Paris, and most of it is actually affordable! After seriously contemplating an extremely cute pair of boots, I settled on a pair of art nouveau inspired earrings... though I'm not going to lie, I'm still contemplating the boots.
Monday was a gorgeous day, so I decided to hoof it up to Montmartre to check out the Sacre Couer. Google maps estimated it would take me about 1 hour to get there by foot. Oh, how wrong the estimate was. Still, it was nice day, and it was interesting to see the city rather than traveling down below in its bowels.
Tuesday skies brought some of the most torrential rains I have witnessed in my life. I could hear the rain bouncing off the cobbled courtyard from two stories up! The sky was almost charcoal colored, and the wind howled like a caged wolf. I chose to stay in and watch movies. Boring, I know, but hey, the last thing I need right now is to catch a cold from being soaked to the bone.
Here's what I've been up to:
On Sunday I walked to and from the Marais. Being one of the only areas in the city where shops other than large international chains are open, I thought it'd be a good opportunity to once again peruse for souvenirs. I'm not really a magnets and keychains kind of girl~ instead, I was looking for an interesting piece of jewelry designed and made in Paris. You know, something that I can cherish and wear for years to come without serious fashion regrets (like the dreadful platform sneakers incedent of 1998).
I found what I was looking for in a tiny little boutique called Matieres a Reflexion. This place is pretty fabulous, and believe me, I could spend some serious dough here. The shop is bursting at the seems with unique pieces of jewelry, leather bags that are made from old leather jackets, and shoes and clothing from up-and-coming designers. Most of it is designed and made in Paris, and most of it is actually affordable! After seriously contemplating an extremely cute pair of boots, I settled on a pair of art nouveau inspired earrings... though I'm not going to lie, I'm still contemplating the boots.
Monday was a gorgeous day, so I decided to hoof it up to Montmartre to check out the Sacre Couer. Google maps estimated it would take me about 1 hour to get there by foot. Oh, how wrong the estimate was. Still, it was nice day, and it was interesting to see the city rather than traveling down below in its bowels.
Tuesday skies brought some of the most torrential rains I have witnessed in my life. I could hear the rain bouncing off the cobbled courtyard from two stories up! The sky was almost charcoal colored, and the wind howled like a caged wolf. I chose to stay in and watch movies. Boring, I know, but hey, the last thing I need right now is to catch a cold from being soaked to the bone.
December 10, 2011
Les Puces (Paris 2.6)
After being lazy all day yesterday, I felt like stretching my legs, so I headed up to Les Puces de St-Ouen. Les Puces are a collection of flea markets in the north-west of the city. Most of what you can get there is second hand, though there are a bunch of stalls that sell new shoes and clothing, and assholes on corners that will grab you to try and get you to buy fake Channel bags after you've refused politely...
It's a bit of a labyrinth once you get in there, and it's relatively easy to get lost amidst all the antique furniture, but there are some interesting vintage clothing shops (interesting in this case also means pricey), beautiful antiques and artwork.
A few hours here just took it out of me, so I headed home (the weather had basically turned from nice-ish to crappy anyhow).
Do you know what they have here?
Pre-made chocolate mousse. Ingredients: chocolate, eggs, butter. Amazing. Definitely one of the things I love about France.
It's a bit of a labyrinth once you get in there, and it's relatively easy to get lost amidst all the antique furniture, but there are some interesting vintage clothing shops (interesting in this case also means pricey), beautiful antiques and artwork.
A few hours here just took it out of me, so I headed home (the weather had basically turned from nice-ish to crappy anyhow).
Do you know what they have here?
 |
| Pre-made chocolate mousse from the organic market. |
December 9, 2011
Day Off (Paris 2.5)
Yep. I took a day off from the rigors of being in the city. It was pouring rain anyhow. So I stayed in and watched movies. Just so you know, Bad Teacher is a horrible, horrible movie. Don't waste your time.
December 8, 2011
Laduree (Paris 2.4)
Given that all my time back in the city has thus far been spent on the right bank, I decided to get my butt over to the left bank for the day.
My first stop was at the wonderful Bon Marche. This is another of the city's famous department stores, and is sometimes regarded as the world's first department store. I wandered and browsed for a couple hours, seeing things like Peugeot peppermills, good quality baking pans, pocket knives, and 2300 euro watches. The watches made me want to barf. Seriously. Like is its gears made out of diamonds?
I decided my second stop was going to be Laduree. I think sugar is a great cure for sticker shock. Since my sister and I had already sampled the macarons from this shop, I decided to get one of their pastries instead. They have a great selection of impressive looking things made with choux paste (eclairs, st-honores, religieuses), pretty tarts (lemon, chocolate), and things made with pastel colored macaron bases, bright red fruit, glazes of every color. I settled on their Tarte Tatin, which is basically underwhelming ugly duckling of the group (they aren't even kept in the case, they're off to the side in a box).
Anyhow, what it lacks in looks, it definitely makes up for in butter, sugar, and apples.
This made my day.
My first stop was at the wonderful Bon Marche. This is another of the city's famous department stores, and is sometimes regarded as the world's first department store. I wandered and browsed for a couple hours, seeing things like Peugeot peppermills, good quality baking pans, pocket knives, and 2300 euro watches. The watches made me want to barf. Seriously. Like is its gears made out of diamonds?
I decided my second stop was going to be Laduree. I think sugar is a great cure for sticker shock. Since my sister and I had already sampled the macarons from this shop, I decided to get one of their pastries instead. They have a great selection of impressive looking things made with choux paste (eclairs, st-honores, religieuses), pretty tarts (lemon, chocolate), and things made with pastel colored macaron bases, bright red fruit, glazes of every color. I settled on their Tarte Tatin, which is basically underwhelming ugly duckling of the group (they aren't even kept in the case, they're off to the side in a box).
Anyhow, what it lacks in looks, it definitely makes up for in butter, sugar, and apples.
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| Butter, sugar, apples. |
This made my day.
December 7, 2011
Au Pied De Cochon (Paris 2.3)
So after staying up slightly too late last night reading, I had a bit of a sleep-in this morning. When I finally got out of bed, I pulled open the curtains to reveal a grey and rainy day. Blech. I promptly made some tea and some porridge, plopped myself down on the couch, draped myself in a quilt and focused on building up some motivation to head out into the world. It took until 1:00pm. Interesting to note here, at noon the sky was pierced by the shriek of air raid sirens. Apparently on the first Wednesday of each month they test the sirens to make sure they are in working order. The sirens are sounded for a few minutes at 12:00 sharp, and then again at 12:10. Scary if you don't know what's going on I guess~ luckily (?) for me, I had experienced air raid sirens in San Francisco. They test theirs every Tuesday.
Anyhow, two things were on my agenda today:
1) Tracking down a couple more Christmas present things
2) Eating pig foot
The Christmas stuff was mildly irritating. Christmas always seems to make me painfully aware of how much I hate shopping for anything other than shoes, knives, or groceries. I concentrated on the task as long as I could, and then had to look for a shoe store to calm my nerves. I found one. It was called "Shoestore". That made me laugh pretty hard. At that point, I decided I was sick of being out in the rain and the wind, so I decided it was time for pig foot at Au Pied De Cochon.
When I went to this restaurant with my sister, we had soup, marrow, and tarte tatine~ these were all good solid choices, but I wanted to be a little more adventurous this time around. I seriously considered ordering their plan, which is a fairly decent deal at 23.50 euros for an entree, plat, dessert and 1/2L of water. Choices for the plan aren't regular menu items, and you have three or four items in each category to choose from. Had I gotten this, I would have chosen the pig foot terrine with grainy mustard vinaigrette for my entree, confit pork belly with bernaise sauce and frites (minus the frites, damn allergies!) for my plat, and warm rhubarb clafoutis for dessert. I wasn't hungry enough to deal with that much food though, so I decided to just have an item off of their regular entree list, Croustillant De Pied De Cochon (crispy pig foot) and a beer to wash it down.
When my crispy pig foot arrived at the table, I was surprised. It looked nothing like what I expected, which was a whole crispy fried foot on my plate. Instead it was basically disks of a terrine made with pig foot (done similar to a head cheese), coated in breading, and fried until golden brown. On the side, I had expected to find frisee salad and balsamic reduction because that's what the menu said it came with. I got lightly dressed frisee with some red onion. There wasn't a drop of balsamic in sight.
Overall, the dish was pretty killer. The terrine was perfectly seasoned, the breading was evenly fried and crispy. The frisee added freshness. A few things would have really elevated the dish:
1) It needed to be hotter. In my opinion, the combination of fat and gelatin which basically holds a terrine like this together has to be either really cold or really hot. When it's lukewarm, it sits heavily on the palate.
2) It needed more acid. Fried things need acid. Fat needs acid. Pork needs acid. Acid. The vinaigrette on the frisee was sharp and mustardy, and even a little more of that would have done the trick.
Once I was finished with the foot, I decided to have a little dessert. I was in a state of chocolate withdrawal following my heavy dose yesterday at Angelina's, so I chose the Moelleux au Chocolat (molten chocolate cake).
This was also pretty damn good. There's a reason why people love the molten chocolate cake: warm oozing chocolate. I don't care if it's totally 80's. I don't care if it has become a cliche dessert all over the world. It's amazing.
The cake parts of the dessert were soft and souffle-like, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The liquid chocolate part of the dessert was slightly richer and thicker than my hot chocolate yesterday. The vanilla bean ice cream on the side was a perfect accompaniment, and the crushed wafer which was holding the ice cream in place on the plate was a nice touch adding just a little crunch to the plate (I'll have to remember it in the future).
With my belly full and my chocolate levels replenished, I bundled up and stepped back out into the chilly afternoon, umbrella open and thoughts of napping laying heavily on my mind.
Anyhow, two things were on my agenda today:
1) Tracking down a couple more Christmas present things
2) Eating pig foot
The Christmas stuff was mildly irritating. Christmas always seems to make me painfully aware of how much I hate shopping for anything other than shoes, knives, or groceries. I concentrated on the task as long as I could, and then had to look for a shoe store to calm my nerves. I found one. It was called "Shoestore". That made me laugh pretty hard. At that point, I decided I was sick of being out in the rain and the wind, so I decided it was time for pig foot at Au Pied De Cochon.
When I went to this restaurant with my sister, we had soup, marrow, and tarte tatine~ these were all good solid choices, but I wanted to be a little more adventurous this time around. I seriously considered ordering their plan, which is a fairly decent deal at 23.50 euros for an entree, plat, dessert and 1/2L of water. Choices for the plan aren't regular menu items, and you have three or four items in each category to choose from. Had I gotten this, I would have chosen the pig foot terrine with grainy mustard vinaigrette for my entree, confit pork belly with bernaise sauce and frites (minus the frites, damn allergies!) for my plat, and warm rhubarb clafoutis for dessert. I wasn't hungry enough to deal with that much food though, so I decided to just have an item off of their regular entree list, Croustillant De Pied De Cochon (crispy pig foot) and a beer to wash it down.
 |
| Pig foot? |
When my crispy pig foot arrived at the table, I was surprised. It looked nothing like what I expected, which was a whole crispy fried foot on my plate. Instead it was basically disks of a terrine made with pig foot (done similar to a head cheese), coated in breading, and fried until golden brown. On the side, I had expected to find frisee salad and balsamic reduction because that's what the menu said it came with. I got lightly dressed frisee with some red onion. There wasn't a drop of balsamic in sight.
 |
| Porky goodness |
Overall, the dish was pretty killer. The terrine was perfectly seasoned, the breading was evenly fried and crispy. The frisee added freshness. A few things would have really elevated the dish:
1) It needed to be hotter. In my opinion, the combination of fat and gelatin which basically holds a terrine like this together has to be either really cold or really hot. When it's lukewarm, it sits heavily on the palate.
2) It needed more acid. Fried things need acid. Fat needs acid. Pork needs acid. Acid. The vinaigrette on the frisee was sharp and mustardy, and even a little more of that would have done the trick.
Once I was finished with the foot, I decided to have a little dessert. I was in a state of chocolate withdrawal following my heavy dose yesterday at Angelina's, so I chose the Moelleux au Chocolat (molten chocolate cake).
 | |
| Moelleux means softness |
 |
| Liquid chocolate middle |
With my belly full and my chocolate levels replenished, I bundled up and stepped back out into the chilly afternoon, umbrella open and thoughts of napping laying heavily on my mind.
December 6, 2011
Angelina's (Paris 2.2)
Ah! It's good to be back in the city!
After a decent sleep-in, I woke up, ate some cold remnants of my leftover pizza, got dressed, and hit the streets. First on my to-do list for the day: groceries. The whole week when Lindsay was here we seemed to find either fancy epiceries or those strange French equivalents of bodegas. More than once I found myself wishing that we would happen upon a regular old grocery store where I could buy some fruit and some juice and some snacks.
Well, for this stay in the city I am armed with the knowledge of Biocoop, a French chain of organic markets. I discovered them in Perigeuex (along with horsemilk). They had a little booklet with recipes by the checkout stand that had a complete listing of all of their locations in France, and wouldn't you know it, there's one about 15 minutes away from my apartment by foot! So, with my re-usable shopping bag in hand, I skipped along the streets into Biocoop to buy yummy things for my belly. What I love about this store is that things are locally sourced when possible, and all of the produce has a sign indicating where it is from. Since it's mostly local, it also means that you do not see things here that are out of season ie. no fresh tomatoes in December! 40 Euros poorer, I skipped home to make a lovely brunch of congee (not very French, I know).
After my brunch, I bundled up and headed out to start Christmas shopping. Gifts for my sister were top priority, and I found myself in BHV (Bazaar De L'Hotel De Ville), one of Paris' historic department stores. This place has pretty much anything you could ever want to buy, from electronics and tools, to jewelry, kitchen gadgets, home furnishings, and fashion. I could have spend hours and hours here just browsing, but I was on a bit of a mission. Two hours later, I emerged. I was hungry again, so I started making my way towards Angelina's, one of Paris' tearooms, for "lunch".
Angelina's was established in 1903, by an Austrian man who named it for his daughter in-law. It's definitely a fashionable spot to go, and is famous for its hot chocolate L'Africain, and for its Mont Blanc. I ordered them both, expecting extreme decadence. I have to say, I wasn't really prepared for what I got, which was extreme decadence^8 + 49 x 2.724 (gotta love equations).
The hot chocolate L'Africain is an old fashioned hot chocolate, served in a small pitcher with a bowl of whipped heavy cream that you mix together in your cup according to your personal preference. It also comes with a rather large pitcher of cold water. I was a little puzzled by this until I tasted my hot chocolate. My first sip was straight up, no heavy cream to sully my experience, oh no. But oh my god! This was pure bliss. Descriptions fall short, surely. It was basically like drinking a liquified bar of dark chocolate, or maybe like sipping on ganache when it's still hot. So rich I needed to chase it wish a little water. I added some whipped cream to my chocolate, thinking that it might cut the richness a bit. Clearly the sugar was already affecting my ability to think, because why would the addition of fat make something less rich? Three sips in I decided to embrace the richness and just go with it. Warm and happy, with liquid chocolate flowing through my veins, I made the decision that if I ever have to be put to death by drowning, I would choose Angelina's hot chocolate as the liquid.
The Mont Blanc is a pastry which combines meringue, chantilly, and chestnut cream. At roughly the size of an average cupcake, its humble appearance is entirely deceiving as this little guy packs a punch. This was super rich as well, yet somehow, despite the meringue and the fact that I was washing it down with chocolate, it managed to avoid being too sweet. The chestnut cream was the most prominent flavor and texture. I've said before that chestnuts remind me of baked beans in flavor and texture... I take it back.
Anyhow, my incredible sugar high was followed by an equally incredible sugar crash, so I made my way home to the apartment for a quiet night in.
After a decent sleep-in, I woke up, ate some cold remnants of my leftover pizza, got dressed, and hit the streets. First on my to-do list for the day: groceries. The whole week when Lindsay was here we seemed to find either fancy epiceries or those strange French equivalents of bodegas. More than once I found myself wishing that we would happen upon a regular old grocery store where I could buy some fruit and some juice and some snacks.
Well, for this stay in the city I am armed with the knowledge of Biocoop, a French chain of organic markets. I discovered them in Perigeuex (along with horsemilk). They had a little booklet with recipes by the checkout stand that had a complete listing of all of their locations in France, and wouldn't you know it, there's one about 15 minutes away from my apartment by foot! So, with my re-usable shopping bag in hand, I skipped along the streets into Biocoop to buy yummy things for my belly. What I love about this store is that things are locally sourced when possible, and all of the produce has a sign indicating where it is from. Since it's mostly local, it also means that you do not see things here that are out of season ie. no fresh tomatoes in December! 40 Euros poorer, I skipped home to make a lovely brunch of congee (not very French, I know).
After my brunch, I bundled up and headed out to start Christmas shopping. Gifts for my sister were top priority, and I found myself in BHV (Bazaar De L'Hotel De Ville), one of Paris' historic department stores. This place has pretty much anything you could ever want to buy, from electronics and tools, to jewelry, kitchen gadgets, home furnishings, and fashion. I could have spend hours and hours here just browsing, but I was on a bit of a mission. Two hours later, I emerged. I was hungry again, so I started making my way towards Angelina's, one of Paris' tearooms, for "lunch".
Angelina's was established in 1903, by an Austrian man who named it for his daughter in-law. It's definitely a fashionable spot to go, and is famous for its hot chocolate L'Africain, and for its Mont Blanc. I ordered them both, expecting extreme decadence. I have to say, I wasn't really prepared for what I got, which was extreme decadence^8 + 49 x 2.724 (gotta love equations).
 |
| Hot Chocolate L'Africain |
The hot chocolate L'Africain is an old fashioned hot chocolate, served in a small pitcher with a bowl of whipped heavy cream that you mix together in your cup according to your personal preference. It also comes with a rather large pitcher of cold water. I was a little puzzled by this until I tasted my hot chocolate. My first sip was straight up, no heavy cream to sully my experience, oh no. But oh my god! This was pure bliss. Descriptions fall short, surely. It was basically like drinking a liquified bar of dark chocolate, or maybe like sipping on ganache when it's still hot. So rich I needed to chase it wish a little water. I added some whipped cream to my chocolate, thinking that it might cut the richness a bit. Clearly the sugar was already affecting my ability to think, because why would the addition of fat make something less rich? Three sips in I decided to embrace the richness and just go with it. Warm and happy, with liquid chocolate flowing through my veins, I made the decision that if I ever have to be put to death by drowning, I would choose Angelina's hot chocolate as the liquid.
 |
| Mont Blanc |
The Mont Blanc is a pastry which combines meringue, chantilly, and chestnut cream. At roughly the size of an average cupcake, its humble appearance is entirely deceiving as this little guy packs a punch. This was super rich as well, yet somehow, despite the meringue and the fact that I was washing it down with chocolate, it managed to avoid being too sweet. The chestnut cream was the most prominent flavor and texture. I've said before that chestnuts remind me of baked beans in flavor and texture... I take it back.
Anyhow, my incredible sugar high was followed by an equally incredible sugar crash, so I made my way home to the apartment for a quiet night in.
December 5, 2011
Back In Pareeeeee (Paris 2.1)
It's slightly strange to be here, to have to deal with the hustle and bustle that comes with a city of this size, to see more than three people in a day, to hear more sounds than the conversations of animals.
I'm ready for it though.
I spent most of the day on various trains coming here from Perigeuex. Had grand ideas about hitting the city for some supper, but lost all motivation once I got to my apartment and opted for pizza from next door instead.
Sometimes you just need pizza.
December 4, 2011
Yep... I'm pretty bad at blogging regularly
Okie dokie.
I think the last time I made an entry in here I was just about to head south to the Aude to WWOOF near Carcassonne. The plan was to be there for three weeks before heading back to Paris.
Was.
Past tense.
Things didn't really work out as expected.
For various reasons, I decided to leave the farm after only eight days and have been back in Dordogne at the home of my first host for the past two weeks...
Overall, I am glad that I had the opportunity to go to the second farm. It made me aware of several things.
1) Farms in France face the same fate as elsewhere in the world. Which is to say that the average small farmer is not really able to compete and with big business, and many farmers cannot rely upon the income from their farms to support themselves. Children of the farmers are opting to move into cities rather than taking over the family farms. Lands are mismanaged. Operations shift to unsustainable practices in an effort to cut costs and boost yields. Pesticides are used liberally (French farmers use more pesticides than other European countries). It's sad.
2) WWOOF is definitely abused by some farmers. I had heard that there has been a lot of criticism of the organization from the government (in France and elsewhere) as WWOOFers do the work that citizens could do. This takes work opportunities away from citizens, allows farmers to get work done without having to pay the government any taxes on wages, and without having to pay out any wages at all, since WWOOFers work in exchange for room and board. Where the abuse of the organization comes in is that WWOOF is supposed to be an exchange. To provide very basic accommodation is not out of the ordinary. To provide very modest food is not uncommon. But to provide these things and consider that the obligations of hosting have been fulfilled would be ignorant. It's sad too.
3) I like clearing forest. I like being in semi-immersion situations to learn language. I like toilet paper. I like clean houses. I like eating meals that are well balanced and have all the food groups. I do not like having to fill up on bread just to have something in my belly. I do not like being in situations where there is a gap in communication that is created by something other than a language barrier. I'm over it.
Regardless, the last two weeks have been fantastic~ filled with all the tasks that are needed in order to prepare a space for winter (clearing, cleaning, cutting, planting, covering, burning). I planted an Amalanchier du Canada (Saskatoon Berry Bush) purely by chance on St. Catherine's day.
Heading back to Paris tomorrow afternoon.
More then.
I think the last time I made an entry in here I was just about to head south to the Aude to WWOOF near Carcassonne. The plan was to be there for three weeks before heading back to Paris.
Was.
Past tense.
Things didn't really work out as expected.
For various reasons, I decided to leave the farm after only eight days and have been back in Dordogne at the home of my first host for the past two weeks...
Overall, I am glad that I had the opportunity to go to the second farm. It made me aware of several things.
1) Farms in France face the same fate as elsewhere in the world. Which is to say that the average small farmer is not really able to compete and with big business, and many farmers cannot rely upon the income from their farms to support themselves. Children of the farmers are opting to move into cities rather than taking over the family farms. Lands are mismanaged. Operations shift to unsustainable practices in an effort to cut costs and boost yields. Pesticides are used liberally (French farmers use more pesticides than other European countries). It's sad.
2) WWOOF is definitely abused by some farmers. I had heard that there has been a lot of criticism of the organization from the government (in France and elsewhere) as WWOOFers do the work that citizens could do. This takes work opportunities away from citizens, allows farmers to get work done without having to pay the government any taxes on wages, and without having to pay out any wages at all, since WWOOFers work in exchange for room and board. Where the abuse of the organization comes in is that WWOOF is supposed to be an exchange. To provide very basic accommodation is not out of the ordinary. To provide very modest food is not uncommon. But to provide these things and consider that the obligations of hosting have been fulfilled would be ignorant. It's sad too.
3) I like clearing forest. I like being in semi-immersion situations to learn language. I like toilet paper. I like clean houses. I like eating meals that are well balanced and have all the food groups. I do not like having to fill up on bread just to have something in my belly. I do not like being in situations where there is a gap in communication that is created by something other than a language barrier. I'm over it.
Regardless, the last two weeks have been fantastic~ filled with all the tasks that are needed in order to prepare a space for winter (clearing, cleaning, cutting, planting, covering, burning). I planted an Amalanchier du Canada (Saskatoon Berry Bush) purely by chance on St. Catherine's day.
Heading back to Paris tomorrow afternoon.
More then.
November 13, 2011
The Mushrooms In Question
 |
| Edible? |
The pharmacists are supposed to be able to let you know if you can eat them or not, though apparently it's more common for them to either a) politely refuse to identify the mushrooms for you, or b) err on the side of caution and tell you they are unable to positively identify the mushrooms so you should just throw them out. My thinking is that pharmacists in France these days aren't the mycological experts they once were, and that the practice of having your local chemist identify your finds is being lost.
The verdict on our mushrooms: unidentifiable.
Fair enough, there are a few different varieties of mushrooms that fit the description, some of which are very delicious and good to eat, and some of which are extremely toxic. We threw them out just to be safe. I was a little sad.
Half Over!?
It's official, today marks the halfway point of my trip.
Strange how time has been working these days. In some ways, it's been flying~ like five weeks has just kinda melted away in the blink of an eye. Seems like just yesterday I was stepping off the plane at Charles De Gaul airport in Paris. In other ways, like when I get sorta lonely, time has been dragging...
I'm really excited to be going someplace new and meeting new people, but I will totally miss my gorgeous barn, amazing king-sized bed, my awesome hosts and this space that has been a temporary home over the last four weeks.
Strange how time has been working these days. In some ways, it's been flying~ like five weeks has just kinda melted away in the blink of an eye. Seems like just yesterday I was stepping off the plane at Charles De Gaul airport in Paris. In other ways, like when I get sorta lonely, time has been dragging...
I'm really excited to be going someplace new and meeting new people, but I will totally miss my gorgeous barn, amazing king-sized bed, my awesome hosts and this space that has been a temporary home over the last four weeks.
 |
| A chateau in Anlhiac. |
 |
| The river Auvezere. |
 |
| My room in the top of the barn~ note king-sized bed, and bad-ass bathtub. |
 |
| This place is in the meadow behind the farm. It used to be a clockmaker's house. |
 |
| A waterfall on the river Auvezere. |
 |
| Walking home, with the chateau on the right, and the chateau at Hautefort way in the distance. |
 |
| The "barn", my bedroom window up top. |
 |
| The view from the back of the house. |
November 9, 2011
November 8, 2011
October 18 Through November 7
So, after spending a wonderful week in Paris with my sister, I hopped a train south to embark on my WWOOFing adventures.
What is WWOOF?
Well, it stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, and quite simply, it is an exchange. In return for volunteer help, WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation, and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles, and experience life in the country, and sustainable ways of living. WWOOF is a world wide network of organizations which link volunteers with organic farmers or smallholdings with people who are looking for volunteer help.
Why did I want to do this?
I wanted to get away from the glitz and glamour of the city and experience real life in this country. I think a lot of what happens in major cities can be attributed to fashion and tainted by tourism, and I really wanted to experience the roots of the food in France, no pun intended. I wanted to eat humbler dishes and work with ingredients grown in small gardens by people who care about what they are doing and the consequences of their actions. And finally, I wanted to be able to have some time to enjoy being in a kitchen without the urgency of a professional kitchen~ I wanted to be able to reconnect with what makes me love cooking.
Okay, so I've been with my first WWOOF host for just over 3 weeks now, and have just under a week left. When I first arrived, there were another two WWOOFers from Australia. Now it's just me. The weather has been amazing, a true autumn with leaves changing colours and everything!
Here's what I've been up to:
October 18: traveling from Paris to Le Bourmier, a tiny hamlet attached to Anliac. Arrived mid afternoon, and spent the rest of the day getting settled.
October 19: harvested and shelled walnuts, made a walnut and raisin bread, made a lasagne with a wicked amount of bechamel made using raw milk from a local dairy.
October 20: harvested more walnuts, made pastries and cookies for a tea party in the afternoon, played with kids.
October 21: made borscht, cake, crackers, cookies, and cooked an Indian inspired chicken stew for 30 people. Helped host a poetry/art exposition put on by my host.
October 22: clean-up and walnut harvesting, dinner at a local auberge, Manoir de Bigeau.
October 23: day off
October 24: day off
October 25: walnut harvesting, picking raspberries,
October 26: went to a nearby cave called Grotte De Font-De-Gaume, one of the last caves in the world with prehistoric paintings that is still open for public viewing. Amazing!! Did a grocery run.
October 27: processed both quince jelly and quince paste, and continued harvesting walnuts, made a carrot cake for the Aussie's last night.
October 28: processed a chili apple chutney, had my bet scrabble word ever- 98 points DECADENT
October 29: went to the market in Perigeux and had lunch at a trateur, saw a French reggae band.
October 30: walnut harvest, bean curry for supper
October 31: processed several different chili jellies, made sourdough
November 1: I didn't write anything down for this day, must been tired.
November 2: went to Perigeux market again, ran errands all day
November 3: made marmalade for the first time ever, processed some tomatillo pickles, went mushroom hunting, prepped for a Brazilian themed rotary club dinner (feijoada!).
November 4: finished my marmalade, finished Brazilian meal, came down with a nasty migraine.
November 5: made walnut pastries, picked up live ducks from a nearby farm.
November 6: went to a market at Objat, raked leaves, and collected more walnuts.
November 7: made cabbage rolls for lunch, baked another cake, ran a million errands with my host.
Anyhow, more later. There's things to do... I'm going to hunt for more mushrooms for a lasagne for a dinner party on Thursday!
What is WWOOF?
Well, it stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, and quite simply, it is an exchange. In return for volunteer help, WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation, and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles, and experience life in the country, and sustainable ways of living. WWOOF is a world wide network of organizations which link volunteers with organic farmers or smallholdings with people who are looking for volunteer help.
Why did I want to do this?
I wanted to get away from the glitz and glamour of the city and experience real life in this country. I think a lot of what happens in major cities can be attributed to fashion and tainted by tourism, and I really wanted to experience the roots of the food in France, no pun intended. I wanted to eat humbler dishes and work with ingredients grown in small gardens by people who care about what they are doing and the consequences of their actions. And finally, I wanted to be able to have some time to enjoy being in a kitchen without the urgency of a professional kitchen~ I wanted to be able to reconnect with what makes me love cooking.
Okay, so I've been with my first WWOOF host for just over 3 weeks now, and have just under a week left. When I first arrived, there were another two WWOOFers from Australia. Now it's just me. The weather has been amazing, a true autumn with leaves changing colours and everything!
Here's what I've been up to:
October 18: traveling from Paris to Le Bourmier, a tiny hamlet attached to Anliac. Arrived mid afternoon, and spent the rest of the day getting settled.
October 19: harvested and shelled walnuts, made a walnut and raisin bread, made a lasagne with a wicked amount of bechamel made using raw milk from a local dairy.
October 20: harvested more walnuts, made pastries and cookies for a tea party in the afternoon, played with kids.
October 21: made borscht, cake, crackers, cookies, and cooked an Indian inspired chicken stew for 30 people. Helped host a poetry/art exposition put on by my host.
October 22: clean-up and walnut harvesting, dinner at a local auberge, Manoir de Bigeau.
October 23: day off
October 24: day off
October 25: walnut harvesting, picking raspberries,
October 26: went to a nearby cave called Grotte De Font-De-Gaume, one of the last caves in the world with prehistoric paintings that is still open for public viewing. Amazing!! Did a grocery run.
October 27: processed both quince jelly and quince paste, and continued harvesting walnuts, made a carrot cake for the Aussie's last night.
October 28: processed a chili apple chutney, had my bet scrabble word ever- 98 points DECADENT
October 29: went to the market in Perigeux and had lunch at a trateur, saw a French reggae band.
October 30: walnut harvest, bean curry for supper
October 31: processed several different chili jellies, made sourdough
November 1: I didn't write anything down for this day, must been tired.
November 2: went to Perigeux market again, ran errands all day
November 3: made marmalade for the first time ever, processed some tomatillo pickles, went mushroom hunting, prepped for a Brazilian themed rotary club dinner (feijoada!).
November 4: finished my marmalade, finished Brazilian meal, came down with a nasty migraine.
November 5: made walnut pastries, picked up live ducks from a nearby farm.
November 6: went to a market at Objat, raked leaves, and collected more walnuts.
November 7: made cabbage rolls for lunch, baked another cake, ran a million errands with my host.
Anyhow, more later. There's things to do... I'm going to hunt for more mushrooms for a lasagne for a dinner party on Thursday!
November 6, 2011
Worth Every Centime?
Continuing on about L'Atelier De Joel Robuchon...
As I mentioned at the beginning of the last entry, one of the reasons I had wanted to go to this restaurant so badly was because I had an amazing time at Restaurant Joel Robuchon in Vegas last year. I had huge expectations for Paris, based on that, and based on the fact that the restaurant is ranked at #14 in the world.
In some respects, it totally fell short of my expectations:
1) The bread was kind of mundane. In Vegas, the bread alone was worth the trip. I mean there was an entire cart with probably fifteen or more varieties of artisan breads displayed. You could choose as many different kinds as you wanted, and most of them were in mini format (things seem better when they're mini sometimes). In Paris, the bread was two different shapes of the same dough. I just sorta thought the bread should be as special and exciting as everything else.
2) I really feel like a restaurant of that caliber should do a better job of accommodating allergies. I mean, the salad I was given in place of the first course was nice, but it really had no wow factor and certainly didn't have the same value as what Lindsay had. As far as my main course went, just leaving off the potatoes from the dish without a thought to replace them with something was ridiculous. In Vegas, in place of potatoes on my main course, I was given a beautiful dish of vegetables, almost to pretty to eat.
3) Although I like the idea of having the dining room set up like a sushi bar, it really made the meal feel casual. Our servers were handing dishes over the bar to set in front of us, and picking up our empty plates and cutlery the same way. I prefer when those sorts of things go almost unnoticed, where as in this case everything was very obvious, and it felt a bit like we were being interrupted every time anything was being dropped off or cleared.
4) In Vegas, both me and my friend were given a pound cake as a gift to take away with us. I'm talking a super buttery raspberry and pistachio cake with gold-leafed nuts, done up in a fancy gift bag. Not one to share, one each. And this was after being treated to several mignardises (little after dinner sweets). It really made us feel super special, and was just an incredible example of hospitality. Ya, I know everything's over the top in Vegas, but it made me expect the same sort of treatment in Paris. And ya, I know we had madeleines and caramels and little glasses of Muscato D'Asti, but it's not really the same thing, is it now...
Don't get me wrong, the experience in Paris was still a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. I had some amazing dishes, but I just wasn't truly blown away by the end of it, and it certainly did not top my Vegas experience.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the last entry, one of the reasons I had wanted to go to this restaurant so badly was because I had an amazing time at Restaurant Joel Robuchon in Vegas last year. I had huge expectations for Paris, based on that, and based on the fact that the restaurant is ranked at #14 in the world.
In some respects, it totally fell short of my expectations:
1) The bread was kind of mundane. In Vegas, the bread alone was worth the trip. I mean there was an entire cart with probably fifteen or more varieties of artisan breads displayed. You could choose as many different kinds as you wanted, and most of them were in mini format (things seem better when they're mini sometimes). In Paris, the bread was two different shapes of the same dough. I just sorta thought the bread should be as special and exciting as everything else.
2) I really feel like a restaurant of that caliber should do a better job of accommodating allergies. I mean, the salad I was given in place of the first course was nice, but it really had no wow factor and certainly didn't have the same value as what Lindsay had. As far as my main course went, just leaving off the potatoes from the dish without a thought to replace them with something was ridiculous. In Vegas, in place of potatoes on my main course, I was given a beautiful dish of vegetables, almost to pretty to eat.
3) Although I like the idea of having the dining room set up like a sushi bar, it really made the meal feel casual. Our servers were handing dishes over the bar to set in front of us, and picking up our empty plates and cutlery the same way. I prefer when those sorts of things go almost unnoticed, where as in this case everything was very obvious, and it felt a bit like we were being interrupted every time anything was being dropped off or cleared.
4) In Vegas, both me and my friend were given a pound cake as a gift to take away with us. I'm talking a super buttery raspberry and pistachio cake with gold-leafed nuts, done up in a fancy gift bag. Not one to share, one each. And this was after being treated to several mignardises (little after dinner sweets). It really made us feel super special, and was just an incredible example of hospitality. Ya, I know everything's over the top in Vegas, but it made me expect the same sort of treatment in Paris. And ya, I know we had madeleines and caramels and little glasses of Muscato D'Asti, but it's not really the same thing, is it now...
Don't get me wrong, the experience in Paris was still a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. I had some amazing dishes, but I just wasn't truly blown away by the end of it, and it certainly did not top my Vegas experience.
November 5, 2011
L'Atelier De Joel Robuchon
As I mentioned before, Lindsay and I went for dinner at L'Atelier De Joel Robuchon on October 15.
This was super exciting for me for a couple reasons:
1) The restaurant placed 14th in the world on the San Pelligrino list of the World's top 100 restaurants. Not too shabby! As well, Joel Robuchon has the most Michelin stars of any chef in the world~ 27!
2) I had the pleasure of dining at Restaurant Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas last September, and it blew my mind! Everything was spot on, from the seasoning, to the wine pairings, to the exceptional level of hospitality.
November 1, 2011
Paris Photos
Here's a few photos of places we visited around the city during the week... I had considered going back and inserting them into the appropriate posts, but this is easier.
Day 7
Okay, it's raining outside, and I've got a bit of time before my pickle and jam session starts, so I'm going to attempt to start updating this thing. I realize it's a little strange to be writing about October 17 two weeks after the fact, but I think it's important to finish up with the first week in Paris before getting into what I've been doing since I left the city.
October 17
This was my last full day in Paris with Lindsay.
Our first adventure of the day took us back to Marais. We had gone into the neighborhood on Sunday to do some shopping, but seriously the whole area is madness on Sundays. The narrow streets are lined with people shoulder to shoulder. Picture Christmas shopping season at Chinook, except outside. Monday morning is a different story, and it's just a normal neighborhood again.
First thing we did was grab some croissants from the bakery just outside the metro. Not bad, not bad, though definitely not as good as our croissants from Pierre Herme. We ate them as we wandered into the side streets. See, the day before, we found a salon, and Lindsay wanted to get a blow-out... I wanted to get one too, but was more intent on eating the damn falafel already. Finding the salon for a second time was a bit tricky because our route on Sunday had been indirect, twisting and turning at the whims of the masses. Luckily, I've got a good memory for landmarks, and Lindsay is amazing at remembering what side of the street things are on, so together we managed to walk almost straight there (only one wrong turn).
October 17
This was my last full day in Paris with Lindsay.
Our first adventure of the day took us back to Marais. We had gone into the neighborhood on Sunday to do some shopping, but seriously the whole area is madness on Sundays. The narrow streets are lined with people shoulder to shoulder. Picture Christmas shopping season at Chinook, except outside. Monday morning is a different story, and it's just a normal neighborhood again.
First thing we did was grab some croissants from the bakery just outside the metro. Not bad, not bad, though definitely not as good as our croissants from Pierre Herme. We ate them as we wandered into the side streets. See, the day before, we found a salon, and Lindsay wanted to get a blow-out... I wanted to get one too, but was more intent on eating the damn falafel already. Finding the salon for a second time was a bit tricky because our route on Sunday had been indirect, twisting and turning at the whims of the masses. Luckily, I've got a good memory for landmarks, and Lindsay is amazing at remembering what side of the street things are on, so together we managed to walk almost straight there (only one wrong turn).
October 26, 2011
Updates coming soon!
Heya~ well I've been in Dordogne for about a week and a half now, and obviously the blog entries have kinda stopped... It's not really my fault, it's the weather. Fabulous autumn weather happening here, cool weather with brilliant sunshine hanging low in the sky. I swear, the next day it rains, there will be some updates happening, including:
~ Robuchon dinner
~ last day in Paris with Lindsay
~ my first week and a half in Dordogne with a photo tour of the "farm" I'm at
~ a meal I had at an Auberge near here
and hopefully some more...
~ Robuchon dinner
~ last day in Paris with Lindsay
~ my first week and a half in Dordogne with a photo tour of the "farm" I'm at
~ a meal I had at an Auberge near here
and hopefully some more...
October 16, 2011
Day 6
Today started with a good sleep-in, followed by butter and sugar in the form of croissants and macarons.
Lindsay and I headed to St. Germain & the Latin quarter and tracked down Pierre Herme and Laduree. Laduree is the shop that made macarons famous (theirs are basically the most well-known). Pierre Herme is supposed to be the first shop aside from Laduree to make them. His macarons are the most expensive in the city and are regarded as the best macarons by some.
We chose plain croissants at both places, and had Herme's chocolate macarons and Laduree's vanilla ones. The croissant at Pierre Herme was, by far, the best croissant I have ever had in my life. It was crisp on the outside and so buttery that it left some butter behind on my fingers. The macaron was good, though I felt like it was more about the filling than the cookie and kinda felt like I was eating a lump of ganache~ delicious, but not really what I was going for. Laduree's croissant was definitely good, but was less crisp than our first croissant. Their macarons, on the other hand, was my favorite from all the different shops we visited so far. It had just the right amount of filling and wasn't too sweet.
Lindsay and I headed to St. Germain & the Latin quarter and tracked down Pierre Herme and Laduree. Laduree is the shop that made macarons famous (theirs are basically the most well-known). Pierre Herme is supposed to be the first shop aside from Laduree to make them. His macarons are the most expensive in the city and are regarded as the best macarons by some.
We chose plain croissants at both places, and had Herme's chocolate macarons and Laduree's vanilla ones. The croissant at Pierre Herme was, by far, the best croissant I have ever had in my life. It was crisp on the outside and so buttery that it left some butter behind on my fingers. The macaron was good, though I felt like it was more about the filling than the cookie and kinda felt like I was eating a lump of ganache~ delicious, but not really what I was going for. Laduree's croissant was definitely good, but was less crisp than our first croissant. Their macarons, on the other hand, was my favorite from all the different shops we visited so far. It had just the right amount of filling and wasn't too sweet.
October 15, 2011
Day 5
Today was a major sleep-in day. Didn't get up until nearly noon. Hopefully that means the last of adjusting to the time difference is over.
Spent the day shopping in the area by les Halles~ the area is kinda dominated by national and international chains, but it's worth mentioning that the international chains offer different stuff over here than at home. After a few purchases were made, we grabbed some sandwiches and wandered over to a church to eat. We found the church sorta by accident. No idea what it was called~ there was a sign but I can't remember what it said... St. Mustache is what's popping into my head, but obviously that's wrong. All I know is that there was a giant deer head under the crucified Jesus at the very top, and it was fairly gothic looking.
We also went on a hunt for cupcakes today. It was fruitless... or should I say cakeless?
Dear Business Owners:
When you change addresses, it's important to change your google map and the address listed on the contact page for your website rather than just putting a random news bulletin on your website. It's helpful for the people who are trying to find you.
Imperative even.
Love,
Charity
Dinner tonight was a tasting menu at the fabulous L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. Nine courses, all amazing. No details just yet. Too full to do much of anything else.
Spent the day shopping in the area by les Halles~ the area is kinda dominated by national and international chains, but it's worth mentioning that the international chains offer different stuff over here than at home. After a few purchases were made, we grabbed some sandwiches and wandered over to a church to eat. We found the church sorta by accident. No idea what it was called~ there was a sign but I can't remember what it said... St. Mustache is what's popping into my head, but obviously that's wrong. All I know is that there was a giant deer head under the crucified Jesus at the very top, and it was fairly gothic looking.
We also went on a hunt for cupcakes today. It was fruitless... or should I say cakeless?
Dear Business Owners:
When you change addresses, it's important to change your google map and the address listed on the contact page for your website rather than just putting a random news bulletin on your website. It's helpful for the people who are trying to find you.
Imperative even.
Love,
Charity
Dinner tonight was a tasting menu at the fabulous L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon. Nine courses, all amazing. No details just yet. Too full to do much of anything else.
October 14, 2011
Day 4
So, we went to Versailles today, did a lot, I mean A LOT, of walking.
Getting there took a little longer than anticipated, mostly because we missed a train while trying to buy water from a vending machine. The train runs above ground most of the way, through what I guess is suburbs.
Despite the fact there were approximately 5 million people there when we arrived, the line to get into the chateau moved pretty fast, and before we knew it, we were standing in the castle. We toured the inside, following the shuffle of tourists through the State apartments, the King's chambers, the Queen's chambers, the Hall of Mirrors, etc. Decided to go outside and that's when the walking started. We were going to rent a tandem bike, but they were out of them so we opted to hoof it over to the Grand Trianon and Petite Trianon. Had planned to explore Marie Antoinette' estate, hamlet, and farm, but took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up looping the long way around the grand canal instead. We figure we did about 5 miles. It was cool though~ it was a really nice day, the gardens there are really pretty, especially with the late blooming flowers and the leaves just starting to change colour.
We found good food today! We wandered out of Versailles past the place we were going to eat by mistake, so we decided to turn down a side street and see what we could find in the town. €4.50 sandwiches was what we found... Actually, 1/2 baguettes. Mine had cured ham, pickles and butter on it. Lindsay's had regular ham, mayo, tomatoes and lettuce. We washed the sandwiches down with a couple Heinekens. I gotta say, $18 CAD for 2 giant sandwiches and 2 beer sitting outside at a cafe is not bad at all.
Lindsay's quotes of the day:
"So what if we just went down a path that nobody thought to go down before and we found something... like a crown!"
"Was the first Big Mac made in France?"
Getting there took a little longer than anticipated, mostly because we missed a train while trying to buy water from a vending machine. The train runs above ground most of the way, through what I guess is suburbs.
Despite the fact there were approximately 5 million people there when we arrived, the line to get into the chateau moved pretty fast, and before we knew it, we were standing in the castle. We toured the inside, following the shuffle of tourists through the State apartments, the King's chambers, the Queen's chambers, the Hall of Mirrors, etc. Decided to go outside and that's when the walking started. We were going to rent a tandem bike, but they were out of them so we opted to hoof it over to the Grand Trianon and Petite Trianon. Had planned to explore Marie Antoinette' estate, hamlet, and farm, but took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up looping the long way around the grand canal instead. We figure we did about 5 miles. It was cool though~ it was a really nice day, the gardens there are really pretty, especially with the late blooming flowers and the leaves just starting to change colour.
We found good food today! We wandered out of Versailles past the place we were going to eat by mistake, so we decided to turn down a side street and see what we could find in the town. €4.50 sandwiches was what we found... Actually, 1/2 baguettes. Mine had cured ham, pickles and butter on it. Lindsay's had regular ham, mayo, tomatoes and lettuce. We washed the sandwiches down with a couple Heinekens. I gotta say, $18 CAD for 2 giant sandwiches and 2 beer sitting outside at a cafe is not bad at all.
Lindsay's quotes of the day:
"So what if we just went down a path that nobody thought to go down before and we found something... like a crown!"
"Was the first Big Mac made in France?"
October 13, 2011
Day 3
Today we went to the Louvre. Seriously if you ever go there, go early in the day. It just gets more and more congested with tourists the later it gets. The pack of people who want to see the Mona Lisa is ridiculous. Aside from the grief associated with large groups of people, we had a great time. There was lots of awesome Renaissance sculpture to see, as well as a few of my favorite Botticelli pieces, and ancient stuff from Mesopotamia and Egypt.
After a few hours browsing famous art, we headed outside to the Jardin Des Tuilleries and sat down for a bit. Lindsay dumped her Pringles everywhere by accident, so she fed them to the birds~ not the pigeons though, she wants to kick the pigeons. We saw the Eiffle Tower for the first time (well, her first time, my first time this trip). We snapped some photos with it in the background and I put my hand in poop.
I thought we should head to Pierre Herme for some macarons, so I lead us back and forth on Rue Du Rivoli for like 1/2 hour, not realizing that the map I looked at was totally wrong, and we were nowhere near the place. Finally we just gave up and went to Hugo&Victor instead. They're known for their crazy patisserie items, but were sold out of most of them, so we just got macarons. Totally different texture than any I have had before, with a texture that was almost cakey for the shell... anyhow, we're going to try to hit Pierre Herme before we go to the Eiffle Tower on Monday night.
After that, I was getting pretty hungry (can't just fill up on sugary treats), so we hopped on the metro to go to L'As Du Falafel in the Marais district... here's the thing. Marais is a pretty hardcore Jewish neighborhood, and Sukkot started today. So they were closed, and we didn't have falafel. Fail. I'll reattempt a visit when I'm back in December because Sukkot lasts 8 days so we won't get another chance while Lindsay is here.
I thought the next best thing to an awesome falafel sandwich would be a trip to Bowfinger, which is Paris' oldest brasserie (more upscale than a bistro, but similar to a pub if that makes sense) for classic things like French onion soup, mussels, and steak tartare. Fail again though, as they close down in the afternoon between 3:00 and 6:30. We might go there on our way home from Versailles tomorrow.
At this point, bladders were at the point of bursting, so we just came home. Hung out for a bit (because, again, nothing is really open til 6:30 or 7:00), then went and had some pasta next door.
Nothing on the agenda for the night~ heading to Versailles early tomorrow morning.
Lindsay quotes of the day:
"I can feel the dirty all over my face."
"Pigeons are assholes."
After a few hours browsing famous art, we headed outside to the Jardin Des Tuilleries and sat down for a bit. Lindsay dumped her Pringles everywhere by accident, so she fed them to the birds~ not the pigeons though, she wants to kick the pigeons. We saw the Eiffle Tower for the first time (well, her first time, my first time this trip). We snapped some photos with it in the background and I put my hand in poop.
I thought we should head to Pierre Herme for some macarons, so I lead us back and forth on Rue Du Rivoli for like 1/2 hour, not realizing that the map I looked at was totally wrong, and we were nowhere near the place. Finally we just gave up and went to Hugo&Victor instead. They're known for their crazy patisserie items, but were sold out of most of them, so we just got macarons. Totally different texture than any I have had before, with a texture that was almost cakey for the shell... anyhow, we're going to try to hit Pierre Herme before we go to the Eiffle Tower on Monday night.
After that, I was getting pretty hungry (can't just fill up on sugary treats), so we hopped on the metro to go to L'As Du Falafel in the Marais district... here's the thing. Marais is a pretty hardcore Jewish neighborhood, and Sukkot started today. So they were closed, and we didn't have falafel. Fail. I'll reattempt a visit when I'm back in December because Sukkot lasts 8 days so we won't get another chance while Lindsay is here.
I thought the next best thing to an awesome falafel sandwich would be a trip to Bowfinger, which is Paris' oldest brasserie (more upscale than a bistro, but similar to a pub if that makes sense) for classic things like French onion soup, mussels, and steak tartare. Fail again though, as they close down in the afternoon between 3:00 and 6:30. We might go there on our way home from Versailles tomorrow.
At this point, bladders were at the point of bursting, so we just came home. Hung out for a bit (because, again, nothing is really open til 6:30 or 7:00), then went and had some pasta next door.
Nothing on the agenda for the night~ heading to Versailles early tomorrow morning.
Lindsay quotes of the day:
"I can feel the dirty all over my face."
"Pigeons are assholes."
October 12, 2011
Day 1 & 2
Yesterday was pretty much a write off. Neither Lindsay nor I got much sleep on the plane, so by the time we made it to our apartment (4 different trains, probably slightly more than an hour), we both basically crashed. Like I was so tired I wasn't even hungry anymore, despite the fact I had eaten only a meager sliver of iceberg lettuce with ranch dressing and a dry bun with margarine in a 20ish hour time period.
Three or four hours later, we both woke up somewhat refreshed and ventured out to a cafe near our place, where I had a tartine (like a croque but open faced) and she had some ravioli. Not the best thing I've ever eaten, but a huge step up from my previous meal. We tipped too much (tip is included in the bill here, it's not customary to leave more), came home, watched a movie and then slept some more.
After 11 hours of sleep, I felt nearly normal again. We had breakfast and then headed down to "the historic center" of Paris and took in Notre Dame and all of its flying butresses. By the way I don't actually know what a butress is, I just like saying it. We walked around Ile-de-Cite, Ile-St-Louis, and the Latin Quarter for most of the afternoon, stopping for a fairly mediocre lunch (I had soupe a l'oignon gratinee, Lindsay had a tartine with parma ham, tomatoes and mozzarella on it). We also each got a scoop of dark chocolate ice cream from Berthalon. This is the ice cream I mentioned in my essay, and totally lived up to the memory. Basically like eating a frozen chocolate bar, actually that's a shitty analogy. It was just the best ice cream I've ever had.
Anyhow, we attempted to come home around supper, but there was some sort of delay on the metro, so we went and had some beers. Once we got home, Lindsay decided to go get us pizza from the place next door. It's a really good pie.
Lindsay quotes of the day:
"I just took a mouth-shit in the Seine." (After spitting about half her ice cream into the river.)
"Whatever, I'm not Francinian." (She meant French.)
"Je m'appelle Canadienne." (My name is Canadian.)
Three or four hours later, we both woke up somewhat refreshed and ventured out to a cafe near our place, where I had a tartine (like a croque but open faced) and she had some ravioli. Not the best thing I've ever eaten, but a huge step up from my previous meal. We tipped too much (tip is included in the bill here, it's not customary to leave more), came home, watched a movie and then slept some more.
After 11 hours of sleep, I felt nearly normal again. We had breakfast and then headed down to "the historic center" of Paris and took in Notre Dame and all of its flying butresses. By the way I don't actually know what a butress is, I just like saying it. We walked around Ile-de-Cite, Ile-St-Louis, and the Latin Quarter for most of the afternoon, stopping for a fairly mediocre lunch (I had soupe a l'oignon gratinee, Lindsay had a tartine with parma ham, tomatoes and mozzarella on it). We also each got a scoop of dark chocolate ice cream from Berthalon. This is the ice cream I mentioned in my essay, and totally lived up to the memory. Basically like eating a frozen chocolate bar, actually that's a shitty analogy. It was just the best ice cream I've ever had.
Anyhow, we attempted to come home around supper, but there was some sort of delay on the metro, so we went and had some beers. Once we got home, Lindsay decided to go get us pizza from the place next door. It's a really good pie.
Lindsay quotes of the day:
"I just took a mouth-shit in the Seine." (After spitting about half her ice cream into the river.)
"Whatever, I'm not Francinian." (She meant French.)
"Je m'appelle Canadienne." (My name is Canadian.)
Dear United Airlines...
I hate you more every time I fly with you.
Love,
Charity
Yes, that's right. Once again, United Airlines has proved how much they suck.
1) They ran out of the meal option I wasn't allergic to. So when it was my turn to receive a meal, instead of asking me "Pasta, or beef?" they said "Here's some beef for you. We're out of the other choice". I said to the flight attendant "Actually, I can't eat this, I'm allergic to potatoes." She shot me an incredulous look and asked if I could just eat around them. I asked her to take the entree from my tray, and proceeded to have about five bites of salad and a stale bun-in-a-bag for supper. Mmmm. Nourishing.
2) My overhead light wasn't working properly. Instead of being angled and shining down on me, it just shone straight down into the seat beside me. I guess this wouldn't have been so bad, except the seat was occupied by a sleeping woman, so basically as soon as they killed the overhead cabin lights, I was relegated to hours in the dark.
It could have been worse. My seat could have been padding-free, like that time I flew United to Las Vegas. And there could have been no meal like some of the other trans-atlantic flights they offer.
Anyhow, I've arrived safely and in one piece.
Love,
Charity
Yes, that's right. Once again, United Airlines has proved how much they suck.
1) They ran out of the meal option I wasn't allergic to. So when it was my turn to receive a meal, instead of asking me "Pasta, or beef?" they said "Here's some beef for you. We're out of the other choice". I said to the flight attendant "Actually, I can't eat this, I'm allergic to potatoes." She shot me an incredulous look and asked if I could just eat around them. I asked her to take the entree from my tray, and proceeded to have about five bites of salad and a stale bun-in-a-bag for supper. Mmmm. Nourishing.
2) My overhead light wasn't working properly. Instead of being angled and shining down on me, it just shone straight down into the seat beside me. I guess this wouldn't have been so bad, except the seat was occupied by a sleeping woman, so basically as soon as they killed the overhead cabin lights, I was relegated to hours in the dark.
It could have been worse. My seat could have been padding-free, like that time I flew United to Las Vegas. And there could have been no meal like some of the other trans-atlantic flights they offer.
Anyhow, I've arrived safely and in one piece.
September 24, 2011
Mannpants shall go to France
It's 16 days until I depart for Paris. I figured it's probably time to get my crap together and get a blog going for anyone who wants to read about what I'm doing on this crazy adventure of mine.
Et voila! Charity Mann, the blog. Notice I used a French phrase there. Fancy.
A little background on this whole scenario is probably appropriate, so that's where I'll start.
Way back in March, I discovered that City Palate (the local foodie magazine) was accepting applicants for a culinary travel grant, meaning they were going to give one lucky recipient airfare and spending money for a trip to pretty much anywhere in the world to go eat, cook, and learn. Amazing opportunity, right? I mean I've had the fantasy of traveling around the globe on someone else's dime since I was a teenager (clearly I watched too much Lonely Planet). It's only gotten more appealing since I started cooking. So I did what anyone would do, and I submitted my resume and a letter of recommendation along with an essay detailing where I would go if chosen, why it was my choice, and what I would hope to do and learn.
I was chosen as the recipient of the grant. Here's the essay that did it for me:
Et voila! Charity Mann, the blog. Notice I used a French phrase there. Fancy.
A little background on this whole scenario is probably appropriate, so that's where I'll start.
Way back in March, I discovered that City Palate (the local foodie magazine) was accepting applicants for a culinary travel grant, meaning they were going to give one lucky recipient airfare and spending money for a trip to pretty much anywhere in the world to go eat, cook, and learn. Amazing opportunity, right? I mean I've had the fantasy of traveling around the globe on someone else's dime since I was a teenager (clearly I watched too much Lonely Planet). It's only gotten more appealing since I started cooking. So I did what anyone would do, and I submitted my resume and a letter of recommendation along with an essay detailing where I would go if chosen, why it was my choice, and what I would hope to do and learn.
I was chosen as the recipient of the grant. Here's the essay that did it for me:
When I was 17, I went to France. I spend a week and a half on a home-stay in Brittany, and then headed to Paris with a group of kids from my school to see the sights and do the tourist thing. The trip was a huge deal for me. France, in my 17 year old brain, represented all that was exotic, sophisticated, and glamorous. However, like most teenagers, I was more interested in talking with friends and styling my hair than taking in the history and culture around me. I took less than 50 photos, most of which are of stained glass windows. The “keep-sakes” I purchased to commemorate my time in France were a pair of Spice Girls platform sneakers. I filled my travel journal with juicy gossip about my fellow travelers, and neglected to write anything about the country, the people, the sights... you get the point. I was too young to really appreciate the trip and the experience.
At that point in my life I had no inkling that I would end up with a career in the kitchen and had little interest in food beyond le Big Mac. Oddly, in a way that is almost cliché to kitchen folk, nearly all of my memories from the trip center around food. I remember trying a savory crêpe at a traditional crêperie in Brittany. I’d had crêpes before, but only sweet ones. It was a light buckwheat pancake with crispy edges filled with “real” ham and cheese. I remember eating a sandwich made on baguette. It was a part of a simple school lunch, and I ate it sitting on a pier with my host family’s daughter. I was particularly struck by the flavor of the butter and the bread. I experienced my first cheese board, ate strawberry tarts, rich full fat yogurt, and the most perfect chocolate ice cream of my life. I’m not going to claim that these food experiences are responsible for setting me on my culinary path, because they aren’t. But I can’t help but think about these experiences with the luxury of hindsight and wonder what kind of memories I would have of France if I knew then what I know now.
Since that trip I’ve become decidedly more interested in food. Some might say obsessed with food, actually. I followed my heart and I became a cook. I studied la cuisine classique and haute cuisine both in formal school settings and on my own. I’ve worked and interned in restaurants in Calgary and San Francisco that have a decidedly French approach. I’ve come to prefer making and eating simple food made with local and seasonal ingredients, an approach which I feel exemplifies la nouvelle cuisine. I’d say my style of cooking is French, but it seems almost presumptuous to say so, as I haven’t eaten or cooked in France at any point during my career.
If awarded the City Palate Culinary Travel Grant, I would use it for a do-over, which is to say, I would travel to France to revisit the settings of my memories and use my knowledge and experience in the kitchen to really fully explore French cuisine, from homemade meals to high end restaurant food.
I would start my trip in Brittany or Normandy as a WWOOFer. I’d like to see what the food and kitchens of rural France are like. I’d get my hands dirty, pull weeds, and participate in the preparation and consumption of true earth-to-table meals. I’d experience French home cooking at it’s best, where ingredients have been lovingly raised and treated with respect. I’d endeavour to meet some French home cooks, and learn regional recipes and family specialities. I’d experience some AOC products at their source and get a feeling for the terroir. The other part of my trip would be spent in Paris eating. I would eat everywhere from street vendors to bistros to Michelin-starred restaurants. I would visit bakeries, butchers shops, épiceries, fromagiers, and pâtissiers. I would wander through markets, sit at cafés. I would track down that chocolate ice cream to see if it’s as good as I remember.
Overall, I’d hope to come away from the experience with a full belly and a richer understanding of French cuisine and the culture of their food. I’d use the experience to reinforce the principles of French cookery that I have taken to heart and adopted as my own. I’d aspire to be inspired by everything I saw and smelled and ate, and use these things to fuel my creativity and passion... Oh, and I’d like to take photos of something other than stained glass windows.
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