Life in Paris

The perks of living in Paris are many, so I'm sure that halfway through writing this post I will become annoyed at my inability to express my love for this place.  But I'll do my best, dear readers.

Food

It's a given that I'm truly here for the food.  As I sit down to write this post, I'm munching on chocolate and thinking about my next meal.

Cooking starts with the ingredients and Parisians care about their ingredients.  Fresh markets abound and they always seem to be busy.  In addition to markets, the French place importance on specialization.  Sure, you can go to a Carrefour and find everything you need to make a nice dinner, but you can also go to the boucherie for your meat, the fromagerie for your cheese, the boulangerie for your bread, and the épicerie for your produce. The people want to know where their food is coming from and I respect that.

A month or so ago, a man in a truck knocked on our door pedaling crops from a farm in France. My host mom bought loads of carrots, potatoes, shallots, onions, and Asian pears.

If you ever come live in France, do not underestimate the importance of bread.  If you don't bring a baguette home to eat with dinner, you're doing it wrong.  I often find myself on the RER feeling downright Parisian with a tradi sticking out of my bag.

When you buy a loaf of delicious bread, you may as well indulge in a little butter, too.  For butter addicts, the dairy section of a French grocery store is a happy place.  Perhaps for the average butter consumer it could be overwhelming.  I've made it one of my missions to try as many types of butter while here as possible.  You can choose from organic, salted, unsalted, soft, and much more.  It's truly an art here.  Some brands mold or shape their butter into beautiful forms.

Culture

Yarn in France is cheaper than in the US.  For a knitter, this is clearly good news.  Since my arrival I've ordered wool from a popular european provider and purchased some local yarn at a yarn and fabric exposition.  There is a knitted blanket in my future.

  

Art is everywhere.  There are famous establishments like Musee D'Orsay or the Louvre, but also local spots and festivals where anyone can roam around and enjoy someone else's creativity.  It's impossible to be bored in this city.

More soon, readers.  What would you like to hear about?

Je Suis Ici Pour Manger

The beginning of January has been eventful on the eating front.  I've had several friends here who have been enablers when it comes to my food habits, and it has been dreamy.

Pastries at Angelina

My recent food adventures range from experiences like trying to find my favorite American foods, to partaking in extravagant tea-time rituals.  

The first thing I thought about when I landed in Paris was where I would find peanut butter.  Okay, maybe the first thing I thought about was seeing my boyfriend.  But, I would safely say it was at least the fifth or sixth thing I thought about.  Peanut butter is to the American body as gasoline is to une voiture.  It is fuel and we guzzle it.  My local Intermarché does not sell the stuff.  The first place I found it was at Le Bon Marché in Paris.  Which, for those of you who don't know, is a foodie destination.  As such, it is absurdly expensive.  They stock Mississippi Belle in 18oz jars for more than 10€!  This brand is not even made exclusively of peanuts.  Later, I found some awesome organic peanut butter at Biocoop for a more reasonable 4€.  It may very well be the most delicious peanut butter I've tasted.  

The proof

My new favorite peanut butter

Obviously, I did not spend money on peanut butter at Le Bon Marché, but I did indulge in a few other little pleasures.  A portion of Pont-l'Évêque and a few squares of Valrhona.  On my way home, I stopped at my local Festival des Pains for a baguette traditional to eat alongside my cheese.  No words can describe how supremely French I feel with a baguette sticking out of my bag as I stroll along.  

Pont-l'Évêque

Alpaco, Abinao, and Caraibe remain my favorites

Have baguette; will travel

Last week, I had the pleasure of spending an hour or so at Angelina for a famous chocolat chaud with the lovely French-speaking Sarah.  Sarah lived in Paris to study and speaks French very well.  I even heard our server saying so.  The original Angelina is on Rue de Rivoli and contains a clean boutique and an upscale dining area.  Sarah told me that Coco Chanel, who lived at The Ritz nearby, took her morning nourishment in this beautiful dining room.  

Chocolat Chaud

photo by Sarah

The place was full and busy with tourists.  The chocolat chaud was 9€.  I'm no Coco Chanel; I can't afford a 9€ beverage each day, but the stuff was worth it.  I will be hard-pressed to find a better cup of chocolate.  Just to make sure that my body was completely full of sugar, I ordered a Mont-Blanc Chocolat as well.  If you're into chestnut and chocolate, follow my lead.

Mont-Blanc Chocolat

I've had a few other lovely food and coffee adventures and I'm sure that before another day goes by, I'll have even more.  

Boulangerie on Île Saint-Louis

Picture Pile-Up

I've got so many unshared pictures of food!  Gosh, what a problem to have.  Lots of baking has been going on over here.

I am still working on my baguette recipe.  The baking is the part I'm struggling with.  At school we have deck ovens (pizza ovens) which are amazing for baking baguette.  They come out with a beautiful French bake, dark and crusty all over.  Anyway, it's tougher in my home oven...much harder.  I'll be sharing the recipe soon.

As frustrating as it is to adjust to my home kitchen from professional kitchens, I enjoy the challenge.

Coming Soon: French Bread Recipe

I'm currently developing a baguette recipe for myself.  I learned a bit about baguette at school and have made it 3 times now.  The difficult part is adjusting the recipe to work well in a home kitchen.  There are so many variables, ovens, room temperature, product brands, type of pans....and the list goes on... I also want to try to sneak some whole wheat flour into the equation.

This time around I learned that I'll need to make each loaf smaller to fit better in the pans.  I may want a hotter oven and more steam to develop a better crust.  Plus, I'll be trying out more several flours.
Here are a few pictures of my first try making baguette at home!