Je Suis Parisienne and Other Lies

Lie 1: Je suis Parisienne

It's not that I truly think I'm Parisian.  I mean, maybe a little.  But, each time I successfully give directions, am able to carry out a food order entirely in French, or have a baguette poking out of my bag I feel like I belong here. Plus, I love cheese; it's pretty Parisian to love cheese.

Aside from that, there are ways that I will always be American.  I continually pronounce English words like an American instead of like a French person.  For example, the word "bagel" is pronounced more like "bagelle" by French people.  I'm sorry, but it's an English word and I can't bring myself to mispronounce it.

Lie 2: Expensive is better

The crêpe in the next photo was delicious and cost me 3€.  The crêpe in the following photo cost 4€ and tasted far worse.  

This guy was made lovingly by Patricia, the woman who runs the crêpe place at the market.  It is made with buckwheat flour, cheese, butter, eggs, and ham.  

This guy, on the other hand, was more expensive and made at a busy crêperie near Centre Pompidou.  It was not made with the buckwheat flour which is traditional for a savory crêpe.  It was over-filled and not folded in that lovely way that Patricia has.  

Lie 3: There is no good Mexican food in Paris

So maybe I still haven't sipped a great margarita yet in Paris, but it is possible to find decent Mexican food here.  

Lie 4: It is possible to overdose on viennoiserie

It's simply not true.

Arguably the best croissant in Paris

Bocamexa

Quick Mexican food and drinks.
Two restaurants and one food truck.

http://www.bocamexa.com/
95 Rue Oberkampf, 75011 Paris
127 Rue Mouffetard, 75005 Paris

Gontran Cherrier

The best and most beautiful croissant I've enjoyed.

http://www.gontrancherrierboulanger.com/
22 Rue Caulaincourt, 75018 Paris
8 Rue Juliette Lamber, 75017 Paris
1 Rue Grande Fontaine, 78100 Saint-Germain-en-Laye

Dominique Saibron

Big, busy bakery where you can
watch the boulanger work through the window.

http://dominique-saibron.com/en/home/
77 Avenue du Général Leclerc, 75014 Paris

Getting Used to Things

Living in France is an education.  Like any experience, I came into it with preconceived notions and ideas about the challenges, differences, and just about everything else for that matter.  Now that I've been here for 23 days, I have plenty of thoughts on what I was right about, wrong about, or never even thought of in the first place.  But for now, I'll just focus on what I never saw coming.


Never did I think that viennoiserie crumbs getting caught in my scarf would be such a regular occurrence.  More than once, I have found myself walking down a cobblestone street with a pain au chocolat leaving half of its layers in the folds of my black pashmina.

Who would have thought that the lines at La Poste could be so long, so often?  As a prolific letter writer, the lines don't quite dissuade me from sending my envelopes, but they come close.  

The people who work at our local Saturday market are the friendliest ever.  They give away free morsels with enthusiasm and make lovely conversation while preparing your crêpes.  It's amazing to me that in the sea of people who descend on the market every week, vendors specifically remember particular customers.  

I'm sure I'll discover many more unexpected perks and problems with Paris during my stay.  And for those of you who are here for the recipes, I hope to get back to that soon, too.

La Première Semaine

My first week in Paris is coming to a close and I must say the days vanished.

One view from the tower of Notre Dame de Paris

The activities of week 1 were varied and relaxed.  At this point, exploration is my main focus during down-time.  I want to familiarize myself with Houilles, Paris and anywhere else I might find myself on a regular basis.  Paris is relatively easy to explore without feeling lost as a landmark can always orient you.  So, as of yet there has been no real anxiety on my part about being lost or feeling unsafe.

One of the nicest Parisian pastimes is window shopping.  Not only fancy department stores put real effort into their displays; chocolatiers, shoe shops, and stationary stores all have impressive or pleasing arrangements.  

Murciano shop window in Le Marais 

Patrick Roger chocolate showpiece in the window

One would, however, be remiss in just looking. Sometimes, it's necessary to head on in and try. Especially where food is concerned.  

So far, I have eaten some pretty delicious food. It's a treat to be in a new place and try all there is to offer.  I think it might take me the full seven months to even scratch the surface of Paris' food scene.

Strudel au Pavot

One of the most memorable delicacies I have tasted this week was "strudel au pavot" from Murciano.  A soft, sweet, pastry dough sandwiches a moist filling of poppy seeds and dates.  It was also certainly filling, so worth the 3€. 

There is a Crêperie everywhere you go.  I have had two this week.  One sweet - chocolat noir avec amandes -  and one savory - complet.  The savory variety is made with buckwheat flour, so it's vaguely healthier and slightly darker in appearance.  In my case, "complet" was filled with egg, ham and cheese and finished with butter.  It can be mesmerizing to watch the sellers whip up your meal to order.

admittedly an unattractive photograph of my crepe chocolat noir avec amandes

The most posh morsel I've eaten thus far was a pistache et abricot macaron from Pierre Hermé.  I went to the small storefront on Avenue de l'Opéra with elegant automatic doors, dark luxurious interiors and absurdly helpful employees who spoke to me in English even when I tried French.  For the record, I continued speaking my meager French.

maracons arabesque

Before the Villages de Noël closed for the season, I did have the chance to browse and try a warm dish from the French Alps called tartiflette.  It's a heavy meal consisting of potatoes, cheese, meat, and seasoning.  PSA: if you get this, share it with a friend.  

Today, I went to the local market in Houilles with my host mom.  The market is open on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.  There are vendors of all sorts, yarn, shoes, jewelry, and lots and lots of food.  My host mom likes one grocer in particular, so we bought lots vegetables and fruits from his stall inside the covered portion of the market.  He was exceptionally friendly and spoke no English, but told me that he has family in New York.  Truly, he was so kind and gave us extra haricots verts and a container of lychees just for me.  The point was to prove that French markets are better than American ones, though he conceded that in the US we have better organic markets.  In terms of friendliness and generosity, he certainly proved his point.  My host parents joked that now if they want to go to the market they have to take me so that they can get a little extra for free.  I can't wait to go back next week.

gratuit lychees

Of course there is much more to share: experiences, anecdotes, foods and happenings, but for now...

à bientôt