Salon de Saveur

Yesterday was a bad day for life in Paris.   There are just too many people living in this city, and they get in each other's way.  The roads are too narrow. The streets are congested. The stores are crowded.

Yesterday as I was walking past a parking a garage from work, a car exiting sped up just to cut me off.  He couldn't wait five seconds for me to pass.  Instead he pretended not to see me (acknowledgement is practically an authorization to pass), sped up and came within kicking distance.  I cursed at him in English and squatted down low enough to ensure that he saw me flip him off in the rear view mirror (I had to squat since he was driving Mercedes' version of a smart car).  At the grocery store later that evening, where everyone and their mother was shopping, I witnessed how their bad driving gets translated into bad maneuvering with the shopping cart.  One woman left her cart in the middle of the aisle while she was off picking up something on the shelves. This created chaos as other shoppers with their carts and baskets maneuvered around it.  She return as I reached her cart, and without even looking to see if anyone was passing she cut me off (an another example of "if you look, you have to relent."  With so many people around, if you give one person an inch, ten people will take a mile.  So no one gives anything, and it's every shopper/pedestrian/ driver for herself.  It is a bit stressful). After the incident with the car earlier, I audibly grumbled in English and proceeded to walk just enough ahead of her to cut her off.  It felt good.  And at that same moment, I came  to the conclusion that things are the way they are here, and it will not change. Unless I wanted to go crazy, I need to focus on the good stuff.

There are lots of good stuff.  We have met some engaging people with different reasons for being in Paris. We've had positive interactions with French, Germans, business people, retirees.  Everyone has a story, and it's always interesting.  We've been to unique events and lively dinners.

Most of the things we do are centered around food.  Not surprising since it's so central to the culture- and not just the meals but also the production as well.  The small producers are valued and sought out here in France.   There is a great deal of respect for those that create their own products from start to finish - harvest to bottling to sales.  These producers know their product wells.  It is this expertise, knowledge and care at ever step of the process that makes the small producer preferable over large factories.

Salon de saveurs or food expos are found throughout Paris and throughout the year.  These expos bring small producers from the region to a central location and ordinary gourmands like us can taste, buy, and salivate.  This afternoon, Thomas and I, ventured  to the Salon Mer & Vigne.  Here we sampled cheeses, cured meats, wine, spices, and olive oils.  I tasted Calvados for the first time (an apple brandy from Normandy). We spoke (or tried to with our limited French) to produces from Madagascar, Italy, and the various regions of France.  It was a delicious afternoon. My only two regrets: 1) my French was not good enough to really benefit from the interactions and 2) we should have instituted a spending cap because it was way too easy to shop.

Serrano ham

Lavender and lavender based products

Spices

Tandoori

To the shopper goes the spoils.

After just one hour and a half, we walked away with two bottles of wine, two bottles of champagne, vanilla pods from Madagascar, wild pepper corn, cured ham, Beaufort cheese, olive oil and white balsamic vinegar from Italy, a Calvados cocktail from Normandy, two types of salts, and honey from a producer who had seven types from which to choose.  While we will not do this every week, it was an interesting way to shop. You got to taste and ask questions before buying.

February 14th

Even though holidays are mostly commercialized in the US, there is something nice about taking time out of our ordinary routine to acknowledge the people we care about.  There is a little part of me that is a little disappointed that Valentine's day is virtually  non-existent here. There was not one conversation heart to be found in this country.  We've gone to holiday extremes moving from the US to France.  I don't need the overly decorated stores or constant holiday reminders a month before they arrive, but some holiday cheer would be nice.

We did make a nice little Valentine's day meal.  Braised short ribs, polenta, and garlicy spinach- an adaptation from a recipe I found in the Washington Post.  Thanks to my sister's care package (and Duncan Heinz) we had red velvet cake for dessert.  I'm also including photos of the wasabi coleslaw salad we had last Tuesday, just because it's so colorful.

Nothing says love, like a home cook meal.  My favorite flowers help too.

Nothing speaks to the culture more than food

Last weekend was another food-centric weekend.  Thomas and I decided that we should take a cooking class to learn about french cuisine.  I found a self taught cook who gave classes out of his home in Versailles. His apartment looked out onto the King's kitchen garden situated next to the majestic Chateau of Versailles. I thought the location to be fitting for a french cooking class.

We weren't looking for a class on technique, but  information and insight about the French and their food. The meal itself was OK, but the experience well worth the price.  We used this opportunity to hear from the French about what they thought were typical dishes and ask questions about some of the products we've come across (fromage blanc for one).  At times, I wanted paper and pencil to take notes throughout the dinner.  We learned that they have three types of cream here in France - crème fraiche épaisse (we used in the gratin), crème fraiche liquide, and crème fleurette (we used in the crème brulée).  We also learned that crème brulée is not just a dessert evident in the crème brulée appetizer that had muenster cheese in the cream mixture and topped with grated Parmesan that we had as an appetizer. We were informed that there is a small winery in Montemarte (Paris) that produces bad but expensive wine. We were also schooled on the difference between Provençal (anything related to the Provence region) and provincial (in the words of the French "anything out side of Paris").

We asked our dinner companions their choice of dishes that we should know how to make before leaving France.  Their list included beef bourguinon (check), crèpes (check), quiche (check), and coq au vin (check). It looks like Thomas and I have been over achievers on the French cooking. Three of the four listed we made even before moving to France.

Sunday afternoon, our neighbors introduced us to the Indian quarter of Paris.  It is located just south of Gare de Nord in the 10th arrondissment.  Our neighbors took us to two shops. The only one whose name I can remember was VS CO Cash and Carry.  These shops were replete with familiar (and wallet friendly) vegetables, ten varieties of rice, and an entire wall of spices.  Thomas and I didn't really need anything, but that did not stop us from buying three different types of nuts, fennel, herbs of provence, haloumi cheese, and pita.  After shopping we ate at Restaurant Dishny on the corner of Rue Cail and Rue Faubourg Saint-Denis. The simple decor of the restaurant does not reflect the complexity of spices in its dishes.  It is hard to find dishes spiced authentically in a country where it's residents favor a subdued taste, so this restaurant was a welcome changed.  I ordered the shrimp biryani (rice dish).  The mound of saffron colored shrimp and rice was speckled with fresh mint, cardamon seeds, and green chilies. This did not come out of a box.  Delicious!  Needless to say, the Indian quarter is quite authentic. There was narry a European in sight - you know this ethnic scene was legit.

Next month, the Asian quarter!

Savory crème brulée

Beef Bourguignon and potatoes au gratin

Poached pear in a red wine reduction syrup.

Passing by the Arc de Triomphe

Fresh produce at the Indian shop. Notice the banana flowers in the corner.

Spices!

A day in the city

Today we went into Paris to meet some US friends for lunch at the edge of the Marais, the historic and posh neighborhood that spans the 3rd and 4th quarters of Paris. We went to Chez Janou, a dependable and authentic purveyor of Provençal cuisine.  A friend of a friend recommended this restaurant when I first visited  Paris back in the 90s, and I have since made the same recommendations to anyone traveling to the city of lights.  It is the epitome of a French bistro, so visitors are rarely disappointed with either the experience or the food.

And since even an ordinary walk around Paris is sightseeing, we saw a few iconic places throughout our day in the city.

Our day in Paris started in the Bastille area.  Below is the monument (called the July Column) at Place de la Bastille which marks the spot where the famous prison once stood.  The prison was destroyed during the French revolution and nothing of it remains today.

The Bastille area is also a thriving neighborhood with a Sunday market that spans blocks.  The market is much busier and much more cramped than the one at Garches.  And while you can find the same vegetables, meats, and cheeses in both markets, you can also buy a fur coat at the Bastille market. That is one stand that I have yet to see in our Sunday market.

We finally arrived at Chez Janou. We stepped into this bistro and immediately thought of spring despite the winter chill that was still in the air.  Spring yellow is the color schemes, and sprigs of dried lavender and pussy-willows are found throughout the cozy (think small) neighborhood restaurant.  Chez Janou has been written up in several travel sites and even the NY Times travel section, so don't be surprised to see more tourists than locals here.  Their menu is not extensive, but what they offer is consistently good.  I've had a crevette salad, and the tastes of the crevette, avocado, and lemon vinagrette was a delightful blend of flavors. Today I had an entrecote (steak). A simple meal meat and potatoes meal, but the creme fraîche and chives sauce made it interesting. Next time, I will have the rosemary duck dish that Thomas had.  The duck looked delicious, but the potatoes and mushroom (two variety) sauté that accompanied his dish is what I was after. Luckily, Thomas' distaste for mushrooms, meant I got to sample his dish.  Come to Chez Janou hungry, and expect that to be the only meal of the day, because you will leave full.

Don't let the empty seats fool you.  In twenty minutes, the place was packed.

After dinner we walked through the Place de Vosges,  the oldest planned square in Paris.  Meandering through the park lead us through a corner entry way that opened into a secret garden.  I call it secret because from where we were two seconds before, you would not have known it was there.  It was probably a quarter of an acre with a small formal garden (low bushes planted in a geometric pattern). The high walls of the buildings that surrounded the garden blocked all the noise from the streets just meters away.

The garden turned out to be part of the Hotel de Sully an 17th century aristocratic mansion (photo of one of the façades below).

Walking on the Rue de Rivoli (the same street the Louvre is on) you pass the striking Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis church. The size of the church, the red doors, or the grand clock on its facade will certainly distract you as you cross the streets of the Marais.

Our final destination today was Sainte-Chapelle.  A Gothic, medieval cathedral located on the Ile de la Cité (a few blocks from Notre Dame Cathedral).    Louis IX commissioned the building of Sainte-Chapelle to house holy relics that once belonged to the emperor of Constantinople.  The upper chapel contains one of the most extraordinary sets of stain glass (1,113 scenes among the 15 windows) that depict stories from the bible (from Genesis through the resurrection) as well as the story of how the relics came to France.

Part of the bolt and lock system of the terrace door in the upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle

What I've noticed in all of our walks throughout the neighborhoods of Paris is that the buildings convey a sense of history.  Before coming here, I should have probably read a primer on European architecture.  These buildings were probably built by a king or duke of France. It would be fascinating to know why. An architectural walking tour is on my list of things to do.

Let me also add that except for lunch and the metro ride to and from Paris, everything we did today was free thanks in in part to it being the first Sunday of the month. First Sunday, meant the entrance fee to Sainte-Chapelle was waived. But, city parks and walking the neighborhoods are always free. There are ways to enjoy Paris without spending much money.