Food Porn Friday: Chez Casimir

There are so many incredible restaurants in Paris, that it is often hard to keep up.  The new openings by amazing young talent definitely keeps you on your toes.  There are many restaurants that don't take reservations or aren't open on weekends, making it that much harder.  Let's not even get into the potential stress on your wallet (and your waistline...)

That's why a Parisian gal needs a couple aces in her pocket.  Reliable, cozy restaurants where the food is always great and the price is just right.

Chez Casimir is definitely one of those restaurants for me.  On an unassuming street near the Gare du Nord, it has become a reputable restaurant among foodie circles, but lacks the pretention that many popular restaurants come to have.  Friendly staff.  Great variety.  Simple but flavorful dishes.  Words can't even describe their mind-boggling cheese plate.  Their four-course menu is under 40 euros.

Fresh melon with salad greens and lard (thick bacon)

Tartare de boeuf

Gâteau aux fraises

Chez Casimir is like the Utopia of Parisian restaurants.  You can have an affordable, awesome meal and the servers make you want to leave them a tip.  This restaurant is one of the few that I'll go across town for a meal.  And for a girl who works late hours, and hates Parisian transport, that means it's pretty damn good.

First Cooking Post: Lavender + Spice Roasted Peaches

Ok y'all.  I'm back from a long hiatus.  Traveling, work, and various other distractions have kept me away from writing and enjoying Paris.  Plus, can we talk about the fact that we have yet to really have a summer in France?  Mid-July, and I'm still wearing a jacket and sweaters while running around this city.  Depressing.

Which is what inspired me to make this:

I bought loads of summer fruit to not only boost my complexion, but to boost my spirits.  Nothing says summer more than peaches and strawberries to me, so I stocked our fridge.  Somewhere in Europe they are having summer, because despite the dreary weather, all the fruits have been delicious.

I might have gotten a little too carried away, because I bought a full bag of peaches.  And they got ripe super quick.  Crap.  If anything could be more heartbreaking than wearing a sweater in July, it would be wasting such beautiful peaches.  So I roasted those suckers in the oven, with some brown sugar, lavender, spices and then put some vanilla ice cream on it.  Damn was it good.  When the juices combined with the ice cream, it was just heavenly.

I'm not sure if the best part was the taste or the fact that it literally took less than 10 minutes to throw it all together and fling in the oven while I ate dinner with the hubby.  Both probably.

Lavender + Spice Roasted Peaches
serves 4 people
Prep Time: <10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
6 barely ripe peaches, halved and pits removed
1/4 cup (55 g) light brown sugar, not packed
1 teaspoon all-spice 
2 pinches of lavender buds (I got mine at Whole Foods)

Preheat your oven to 185 degrees C (365 degrees F).  In a clear glass baking dish, arrange your halved peaches.  Sprinkle brown sugar, spices and lavender buds on the peaches.  Slide in the oven and bake 30 minutes or until peaches are soft and skin is starting to wrinkle.  Serve warm, making sure to spoon the juices on the bottom of the pan onto the peaches, and with vanilla ice cream.  

Flamby vs. Cupcake

It started off as a joke.  A laugh between friends and family.  The little Southern girl who got so flustered over cultural idiosyncracies that she one day exclaimed during a rant, "As soon as I have my French citizenship, I'm running for President!"

While I still lack the citizenship, and probably the money and sponsors, I've decided to share the laughter and dreams through the written word. 

Do you dream of service with a smile instead of customer service that makes you (almost) cry?

Do you long for ice cubes in your local grocery store to allow for hours of party rockin' with cold beverages?

Do you feel that if a Parisian were to say "excusez-moi" in the métro when knocking you over during the morning commute, they just might explode?

If you want change you can believe in...come join the fun bus that is Flamby vs. Cupcake.

Overly processed flan ain't got nothin' on cake and icing made with love and Southern hospitality.

3 Years and Counting

My first trip to Paris was a marking experience in my life.  I remember walking through Tuilleries, without even really knowing where we were.  We sat on the green chairs on the elevated area near the Jeu de Paume museum, looking out across the Place de la Concorde and towards the Eiffel Tower.  There's a picture of me, with my sunglasses on, slightly tipped on my nose so that you can see my eyes.  I'm looking back at my mom, who took the picture, from the chair.  It was my first attempt at Parisian attitude.

I don't remember what I ate (seriously...this is strange for me), I don't remember any certain smells or even certain emotions.  I just remember Tuilleries, and then walking up the Champs-Élysées towards the Arc de Triomphe.  And that's when I saw her.  This tall, thin, glamourous Parisian woman.  She was wearing all black with towering black high heel shoes.  She walked with such confidence down the Champs-Élysées.  She even jaywalked across the avenue, which at the time shocked me so much, but I admired her guts, her courage...her Parisian swagger.  In my unsure, unconfident teenage mind, I saw some certainty in this woman.

I would be her one day.

Food Porn Friday: Aux Lyonnais

Lyon. 

Before Paris won my heart with its perpetual beauty, Lyon seduced me with its warmth, its conviviality, and its gastronomy.  In 2000, I came to France for the first time and lived not too far away from this under-rated city.  I was able to come visit thanks to one of my step-father's former post-doc students, who kindly invited me to stay with her.  I'll never forget the night when we went to a sort of bouchon lyonnais with her friends.  I didn't quite follow all of the conversation that night, as I was still very novice when it came to the French language, but the food.  The food.  It remains one of my happiest memories of France.  I had quenelles for the first time, and it was at that moment where French cuisine really touched me.  The creaminess of the nantua sauce, the tender rice, the quenelle melting on my palette.  I dreamed of quenelles long after my plane had touched down in the United States.  I couldn't describe it well enough to my friends at school upon my return.  They just had to be there.  Live that moment of gastronomical delight.

And don't even get me started on the pognes.  Everytime I go back to Lyon, I have to go to the old city and buy the luscious brioches covered in red sugar and hazelnuts.  They are truly amazing.

I swear, if I lived in Lyon, I would weigh 300 lbs.

When I heard that Alain Ducasse, the legendary French chef with a penchant for Lyonnais cuisine, had a moderately priced (compared to his other restaurants...) bistrot lyonnais in Paris, I knew I had to go.  It would be my Proustian delight in the middle of the cold, rainy Parisian winter days.  We stepped inside the restaurant to discover a early 1900s bistrot décor, full of marble, old advertisements, and chalk boards describing specials.  It could have been Ernest Hemingway's local haunt.

We started off with coddled eggs with truffles and mushrooms.  We were given these amazing garlic breadsticks to sop up the egg yolks, and somehow they managed to make them crusty on the outside but softer on the inside.  I was a little sad that they only gave us two.  We then moved on to the quenelles.  Fab had never had a quenelle outside of a cafeteria setting, and this just...blew my mind.  How can you be French and not have had this culinary masterpiece?  They were light, airy clouds upon a savoury river of Nantua sauce.  Prawn tails decorated the sauce to demonstrate what had been used as the flavour element.

Best Eggs Ever.

Quenelles = heaven

The pièce de résistance if I may say so, was dessert.  This isn't just because I have a weakness for all things sweet.  They really were a masterpiece.  I took an île flottante, expecting the mundane meringue floating on less than flavourful crème anglaise.  That was my first mistake...this is Ducasse afterall!  The man somehow made a meringue with tiny little pieces of the red pralines, giving it a nice but not too overwhelming crunch.  It came accompanied by a small slice of tarte aux pralines.  Such a sweet ending to a magnificent meal.

Île flottante + tarte aux pralines

I have a list of restaurants where I always take out of town guests, and this one will definitely make the top choices.  The food was delicious and simply presented, allowing for a great gastronomical experience without the stuffy feeling.  Yet, I think the meal's success can be attributed in part to my already fond attachment to Lyon and its amazing bouchons.  The rest of the menu remained a bit rustic and outside of what might consider to be traditional French cuisine.  Nonetheless, I highly recommend this restaurant, especially if you cannot make it to Lyon during your trip to France.

Aux Lyonnais
32, rue Saint Marc
75002 Paris
Closed Sun., Mon.
Métro Richelieu-Drouot

Pinspiration: Macaron Finds

March is a festive month.  You have Pi Day (3/14), which allows you to gorge on as much pie as you want.  You have Saint Patrick's Day, during which revelry and green beer reign supreme.  And then in France, you have the Jour du Macaron.  March 20 should be written in your calendar if you live in Paris.  Period.  This date marks the most hallowed occasion where you can walk into Pierre Hermé and say, "Why yes, thank you, I will have a free delicious macaron."  Of course, it isn't completely about hedonism.  It does serve a good cause.  This year, in exchange for that free macaron, you can give a donation towards Autism, as all proceeds will go to Autisme sans frontières.  Who knew that such a sweet little treat could do so much?

In order to whet your appetite, here are some gorgeous macarons I found while fumbling around Pinterest.

Macarons au chocolat amer (køkken69 blog)

Lemon Lime Macarons (Call me cupcake blog)

Vanilla Raspberry Macaron (dustjacket blog)

Strawberries and Cream Macarons (mowielicious blog)

Homemade macaron made by me :)

For a list of all Pierre Hermé locations worldwide, click here.  Go forth, enjoy the macarons, and give to a good cause!

Interning in France

I returned to France about 3 weeks ago, and I hit the ground running.  Work is *insane*.  I hear all this grumbling and panic about the European crisis, and while it is legitimate, people apparently didn't get the memo at my place of employment.  I'm not complaining at all, but this would explain my relative radio silence.

I've never really delved into it here on my blog, but I've been a recruiter in France for 2 years now.  I've worked on missions in Africa and in Europe.  It has had its ups and downs (especially when I worked on the agency side...pure madness) but overall it has been a fantastic learning experience.  But before I became a recruiter, I did several internships in France.  I didn't get them through networking or my school.  I had to roll up my sleeves and get them on my own.  And eventually one of them turned into a full-time, permanent contract complete with work papers.  Ka-CHING!

Now, I figure since I am working almost non-stop, I might as well put my professional expertise to work and write something for those of you who are looking to intern in France or know someone that is.  I can't guarantee results, and everyone's experience is different.  But, if you know how to navigate the system and what to expect, it could make things a whole heck of a lot easier for you. (Disclaimer: I am writing this from an American perspective, as this is where I am more experienced.)

Getting an internship in France...what, like it's hard?

Let's get started, shall we?

Bonne année 2012!

Happy 2012 y'all!

I celebrated the New Year in East Tennessee, where it is quite cold and there are a couple of snowflakes coming down at the moment.  I don't have much in the way of Internet, unless I venture into the closest metropolis, so I'll be a bit quiet for another week or so.

As I look back on 2011, I am mostly satisfied with the way things turned out.  I married my wonderful hubby, went on the trip of a lifetime to Tanzania, met some wonderful people in Paris and through my travels, and *thankfully* got an amazing new job.  I wouldn't change a thing.

My vacation has allowed me to think about what I'd like to do for the coming year.  That being said, 2012 is gonna be bringin' some changes to this site!  Great changes!

I'll still keep you drooling with my Food Porn Fridays.  And I'll still entertain with my rants and reflections on "cultural experiences"...but there will be some fun new projects as I continue to blend my American life into my French life.  You shan't be disappointed.

Thanks to those of you who stopped by on a regular basis in my first real year of blogging from Paris.

May you have a fantastic start to the new year, dear readers, and I hope you'll continue to follow me through mine.

Home Sweet Home

We are home for the holidays!  After nearly 3 years of celebrating Christmas in France, we've taken this show on the road to the East coast of the USA.  We're starting in Maryland, then off to Tennessee, and ending in Georgia.  2 weeks of family, friends, and nice customer service.

Here are some photos of my family's farmstead in Western Maryland.  The family just renovated the home for future projects, and it looks amazing!  This is where I spent the first years of my life, and to see it looking so new and so homely is really touching.

The farmhouse with a fresh coat of paint

Grandma's Christmas Decorations

Birthplace

Stay tuned for updates as we migrate.  I don't only have to write about Paris and France, do I?

Bonnes fêtes y'all!

Food Porn Friday: A La Biche au Bois

I had a bit of my own "fairy tale" happen this year in February.  When I went to Hidden Kitchen, I sat across from this lovely British/Welsh couple and we had a smashing time.  We talked wine, restaurants in France, Africa, and eventually it came to light that the woman sitting across from me was in recruitment just like me.  I really should send Braden and Laura a bottle of champagne one of these days, because my dinner neighbor that evening later became my boss and got me out of a *horrible* working environment.  Isn't it great how life works out sometimes?  Talk about serendipity.

Anyhow, I also learned of a great restaurant from the two of them, and have been waiting forever to try.  The restaurant is called À la biche au bois and is known for its selection of game meats.  Pheasant, boar, duck, sweetbreads.  It sounded perfect for a warm winter meal.  Time got away from me and before you knew it, it was summer.  Not a good time for game.  As a "last meal" in France before heading to the USA for a few weeks, we reserved ourselves a table as well as room in our stomachs, and went for dinner.

We were not disappointed.

Joyeux Noël Indeed...

La Plus Belle Ville du Monde

Somedays, you forget just how lucky you are to live in the prettiest city on earth.

That you never have to leave the sights behind.

That you can eat fresh baguette every day...

...and unpasteurized cheese....

...and drink wine with lunch without judgment.

In this third year of Parisian living, I hope that the exploration never stops, that the fascination never fades away, and that the twinkling Eiffel Tower will always make my heart skip a beat.

What I love about France in the Winter

It can be quite hard to love Paris/France in the winter.  You barely see the sun.  It's really cold, grey, rainy.  You have to wait in said cold if you frequent public transportation.  Most of us just want our summer back so we can have warmer temperatures, picnics in the parks with friends, and longer days.  Yet, there are so many delightful sights, smells, and tastes that only occur in the winter in Paris, making the city just that much more charming and irresistible.  Here are some of my favorites:

1) Marrons rôtis with white wine

Marrons (Photo: Saveurs Hors-Série No. 9 Hiver 2011)

Bureaucracy is Fun!

Almost six months after getting married, I am finally going to my appointment at the Préfecture de Police.  Fab and I have been racing to get all of my/our documents ready since if even just one little document is missing or not up to their standards, they will cut off my head and feed me to the sharks in the Seine make me come back in two or three months.  Which isn't kosher for numerous reasons that I shan't renumerate here.

I look forward to my annual Immigration visit about as much as I look forward to a root canal.

I have been really dreading this year's immigration process because Claude Guéant's Interior Ministry is tightening up on immgration.  I know that this has yet to apply to me, but it is still disconcerting.  He (Guéant) hopes to reduce professional immigration by 10%, given the current economic conditions in France and its high unemployment rate.  It has caused quite the scandal among the nation's student population and university administrations, since it mostly concerns those who come to France to do their studies and then try to apply for jobs afterwards.  It's a xenophobic and racist policy, meant to play to those voters who might go for Marine Le Pen (France's borderline Facist political party leader) in the 2012 Presidential election.  She's got a softer discourse than her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, which means she has been appealing to more people (but not by wide margins...)  The Euro crisis ain't helping things either (who do people blame when unemployment is high?  Immigrants).  Basically, she has made Sarkozy's UMP party nervous about her performance in 2012.  Few people wish to repeat the election run-off between Jacques Chirac and Jean-Marie Le Pen of 2002.

Anyhow, I'm really glad that Forest of 52 Martinis put up this video on her Twitter feed.  It made me smile as well as shiver in anticipation of tomorrow.  I'll share it with you for a giggle.  We've all been through bureaucracy, no?

Tips for Surviving Thanksgiving

This is for all the French people out there.  If you are American, feel free to contribute your survival tips for Thanksgiving in the comments section.

You've probably got a big sourire on your face.  For years, you've been hearing about this huge American festival called Thanksgiving, but you're not really sure what it entails.  Now, you find yourself invited to a Thanksgiving dinner by your American friends and you're kinda freakin' out.  What should you expect?  How should you behave?  Is it really that much to eat?

Don't worry.  EC's got you covered.  Here are my survival tips.

9 kilos of bird for 22 people...you do the math.

Food Porn Friday: Cinq Mars + Salon du Chocolat

I owe you an apology for two reasons.  First, I have been on a Food Porn hiatus.  But come on...I was on my honeymoon.  Surely you can forgive me for that.  Second, I am about to give you a Food Porn Friday that is similar in nature to what you might call "amateur."

But, I'm gonna make it up to you in the end, I promise!

Fab wanted to take me out for a "Return to Paris" dinner one night.  Since we're in it for the long haul in the 7th, we are trying to find the good spots that don't cater to hungry tourists wandering in from the Eiffel Tower.  Turning to Le Fooding, Paris's foodie guide par excellence, we selected le Cinq Mars.

First Aid Preparedness

Most of you, my dear readers, are probably a lot like me.  You loved your high school French classes.  You were seduced by the magic of the French language rolling off the tongue.  And then you were further seduced by the cutting edge fashion, the world-class wine, the irresistible member of the opposite sex, the unmatched gastronomy, or a combination thereof.  You can conjugate verbs as if your life depended on...especially that pesky subjunctive.  You most likely smile politely as the French compliment you on your *amazing* French skills, before going into your history as a practicing Francophile.  Ah, the French life.  You're doing it right.

And then you hit a brick wall that's called getting sick.

Expat Meltdown

There are good days and bad days in the life of an expat here in Paris.  The good days consist of being able to make the French understand their language.  Or eating an awesome blows-your-mind meal of French deliciousness.  Or scoring that invite to a French friend's party, thus giving you that long-awaited nod of approval that you are indeed trusted enough to grace their inner circle with your presence.  The bad days consist of lost hours battling French immigration.  Or going to try on jeans and realizing that all that delicious French food has made you a bit more *ahem* voluptuous.  Or encountering French people who share their opinion of George W. Bush and how you voted for him.  Even though you didn't.  And he's been out of office for over 2 years now.  I digress.

And then you have the rare but incredibly discouraging day when everything that can go wrong does go wrong creating the most shit-tastic day in an expat's life.  Commence the homesickness and the Ben & Jerry's {insert other comfort food here} splurge.

Photo: The Lobster Pot

Food Porn Friday: Cupcake Camp in Paris Edition

This year, Halloween is *not* my favorite activity involving baking, meeting up with people, and having fun.  No, this year, on the 2nd of October, the coolest party in Paris will be happening.  And it is for a really good cause.

Food Porn Friday: Le Petit Pontoise

Two restaurants.  One more red meat, the other a little more fish.  Both crazy delicious.

Escargots in paprika cream sauce with leeks and mushrooms

French comfort food at its finest.  I wish you could taste these photos.

Mini-raviolis in a basil cream sauce

I told myself that eating salmon and prawns was healthy.  And cheese gives me calcium...

Risotto aux gambas et saumon

It was a tough decision between the mousse au chocolat and the soufflé au Grand Marnier.  Chocolate always wins.

Mousse au chocolat

Le Petit Pontoise (red meat) et Le Petit Pontoise...aussi (fish)
9, rue de Pontoise - 75005 Paris
Metro:  Maubert-Mutualité

Animal Weekend in Paris

I got a wee bit excited last Thursday.  An e-mail arrived in my inbox labeled "Billets Tanzanie" and I had to do everything in my power to keep from squealing.

We are definitely going on our honeymoon in October to Tanzania and Zanzibar!!!!

One week of safari, which will be awesome in October, because that is when you have herbivore migrations.  We'll be around the Ngorongoro Crater, which is supposedly the cradle of civilization :)  After hiking around with the animals, we'll be off to the beaches of Zanzibar for relaxation.  Oh and swimming with dolphins.  I just might actually tan this year...



Not sure if I'll be able to come back from this to cold Paris...