Archive for April, 2009


Behind the scenes at Poilâne bakery

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

Forget the baguette. It’s a modern invention that traditionalists scoff at. No, France’s ancient bread is a large, round, sourdough boule. And perhaps Paris’s most famous traditional bakery is Poilâne, the legendary shop with a tragic family history, whose master bakers still create each sturdy, slightly tart loaf by hand. On a recent morning, I was lucky [...]

Cooking for one

Thursday, April 16th, 2009

I wouldn’t have thought it was possible, but indeed it is. The blues can strike, even if you’re in Paris. Of course, in French, they call the blues “le cafard,” which means “cockroach” and is oh-so-elegantly Kafka-esque. Even depression is elegant in French. Me, I’ve had “le cafard” ever since my husband, CK, left this [...]

Dining Out and About (Paris): French fast food

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

    As much as I love France, I admit that lunching here can be a little limiting. Aside from baguette sandwiches, paninis, and salads of grated carrot or tabouleh, there aren’t that many options for lunch-on-the-run. Ah, but then I discovered Bar à Soupes et Quenelles.  At first glance it’s just a soup bar, which [...]

A year in a French market: What’s in season?

Monday, April 6th, 2009

At a recent dinner party, somewhere between the cheese course and dessert, that age old question arose again.  Are there no seasons for fruits and vegetables anymore? “When I was young, we didn’t have any green salad during the winter,” said the woman across from me, poking her fork disapprovingly at a leaf of mâche. “Only [...]

A year in a French market: Stinky cheeses

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

Believe it or not, I spent my first few months in Paris buying only three types of cheese: chèvre (goat cheese), Brie de Meaux (which I now know is a town near Paris) and comté (similar to Gruyère). Why? Well, I like these cheeses a lot, but I wasn’t trying to satisfy a craving. No, mes amis, [...]