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French food news: 1,001 Ways to eat rice in Paris, organic veg delivery, kindness of strangers and friends
By Ann | April 20, 2009
Bonjour, mes amis and happy Monday! So, what’s going in this last week’s French food news? Well, Le Figaroscope must be taking their editorial cues from my rice-addicted mother, because their round-up is devoted to “Le riz dans tous ses éclats” (Rice in all its glory). The winners include:
Best riz au lait (rice pudding): Atelier Maître Albert
Best lamb biryani: Ratn
Best risotto: L’Osteria
Best bibimbap: Manna
Best “tiep bou dienn” (According to the article, a traditional Senegalese dish of rice and fish): Waly Fay
Check out the rather odd collection of winning dishes and restaurants (including addresses) here.
Let’s see, what else? Fellow Parisian food blogger, Croque Camille, had an interesting post on CSA vegetable delivery. CSA stands for “community supported agriculture” (I just learned that), in which you pay a fee for a weekly basket of locally grown, seasonal veggies that are delivered to your door. I am intrigued by the program, called Les paniers du val de Loire, or Loire Valley baskets. A six-week trial is 85.80€, and offers delivery on Wednesdays or Fridays.
And yet…I hesitate. Why? A) The baskets come stocked for two people and I’ve read they’re bountiful. What if it’s too much food for me? And, B) With the thrice-weekly bd Raspail market literally five steps away, do I really need vegetable delivery? What do y’all think?
While you ponder my veggie needs, and before I wander off to tackle my looming projects before the deadlines hit me over the head, I wanted to thank you, mes amis. Contrary to what my last tear-soaked post may have led you to believe, I have not dissolved into a puddle. No, I am still here and feeling much more brave, thanks in large part to your kind messages. And even if you didn’t leave me a comment, I still thank you. I’m pretty sure I could feel the positive energy you sent my way. (But next time, don’t be afraid to leave a comment! I love messages!)
In recent days, even the strangers in Paris who haven’t seen me cry (admittedly few after Thursday) have been kind. On Saturday, while happily lunching alone at Bar à Soupes et Quenelles, the guy behind the counter presented me with a special gift… a wooden spoon. Why? I have no idea why. I wasn’t even crying (I swear!). One second we were discussing the classic aspect of quenelles, and the next, BAM! I had my very own… wooden spoon. To top off the bizarreness, the spoon has an oddly short handle, which makes it rather impractical. Still, I appreciate the gesture. At the very least, I can use it to prop up that chin of mine.
Topics: Food Wednesday, In the news |
5 Responses to “French food news: 1,001 Ways to eat rice in Paris, organic veg delivery, kindness of strangers and friends”
Comments
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April 20th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Riz au lait?? Yumissimo! Though I don’t often think rice when I think Paris food, a nice pilaf with one of those rotisserie chickens is pretty appetizing. I am also curious about the bibimbap. Where is Manna?
April 20th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Maybe it’s a quenelle squisher/slicer? Or one of those rice paddle-spooons? tiny-sauce-pot-spoon? keep-your-cookbooks-open-to-the-right-page-spoon? come-again-spoon? symbolic spoon? invitation to spoon?
April 20th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
I think that you would have too much food with a CSA basket, personally. The green market near your place should be just fine. The one great thing about produce baskets though, is that they force you to try new things because there is very little free choice involved. So to give yourself a CSA-like experience, try to buy some new-to-you produce each week…and, of course, stick to local fruits and veggies (grown within 100 miles).
BTW, glad to hear you are faring better solo.
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:30 pm
For a spell I tried the organic groceries delivery, it was run by a Buddhist monk in Haidian, what happened was the very unfortunate rotting of organic produce in my fridge––I couldn’t eat it all!
Besides, isn’t walking to the market more efficient way to reduce your carbon footprint?
April 26th, 2009 at 3:25 am
Thanks for the mention! (I’m still catching up on all my blog reading from my weekend away.) I’d say it might be too much food for one, but that depends on how many vegetables you generally eat. If you’re worried about it, you might want to try Tous Primeurs, which doesn’t require a subscription, and the 13 euro basket is about the same price as Paniers du Val de Loire. You could get one every two weeks if you want.
@ lee - in a word, no. Walking to the market reduces your carbon footprint about as much as walking to the supermarket. It depends a lot mnore on where the stuff you buy comes from originally. If you walk to the market and buy tomatoes from Morocco, fish from Norway, and Pineapple from Senegal, you’ve just used a lot more carbon than that farm truck that drove to your neighborhood from 20 miles away.