« Tuesday dinner with Lost in Cheeseland | Home | Carte postale: Happy Halloween »
Weekend links to love
By Ann | October 26, 2012
My husband and I were talking last night about things that we like better in the States. Not just obvious things like customer service (which is really, really efficient and friendly). But little stuff: Cottage cheese. Ethnic food. Breakfast cereal (especially Bare Naked granola). Crunchy apples (I’ve always found French apples mushy). Iced tea. In fact, if I had to choose one thing as my favorite American rediscovery, it would be the country’s flowing rivers of unsweetened iced tea. Every afternoon at four o’clock, I take my book and go to our neighborhood café for my daily fix. The weather is still like summer in this former swamp of a city, so I carry my drink outside, the ice cubes rattling against the sides of the cup, to read and suck down icy, refreshing gulps, which are gone all too quickly.
Here are a few other things that I love:
–Last weekend we saw this documentary, Somewhere Between, about four girls adopted as babies from China, now teenagers here in the States. I cried just watching the trailer, so it was no surprise that the actual movie had me (and everyone else in the theater) in complete floods.
–Do you find the love locks on the bridges of Paris romantic? Or akin to an insidious fungal growth?
–As the stanzas of Chanson d’Automne, continue to ricochet through my head this fall, I was charmed to see this beautiful Verlaine-inspired print from Evan Robertson at Little Brown Pen. Bonus: the series is in French and in English and also includes Rimbaud and Keats.
–I regularly laugh, sigh and look like a crazy person in public while listening to my friend Katia’s brilliant new podcast, The France Project. And I was so honored to be included in the first episode, about my sweaty first visit to Paris.
–This week, I sent out my Fall newsletter, which included petite reviews of four fantastic books.
–If you’re planning a trip to Rome, don’t plan on picnicking in the Forum. As this article explains, eating in the city’s historic center is now illegal…!
Finally, I’m off to California today to visit family and (hopefully) eat Mexican food (Mom, Dad, are you reading?). My travels mean that there won’t be a Tuesday Dinner next week, but I’ll be back soon with more home cooking secrets to share!
Bon weekend, tout le monde!
Topics: In the news, Uncategorized | 20 Comments »
20 Responses to “Weekend links to love”
Comments
« Tuesday dinner with Lost in Cheeseland | Home | Carte postale: Happy Halloween »
October 26th, 2012 at 10:58 am
Oooh real Mexican food!!! I think that would be near the top of my list–along with Trader Joe’s…sigh.
Have a wonderful visit, travel safely and thanks for the fun things to check out on this rainy weekend…
xo,
H
October 26th, 2012 at 11:15 am
Love Bare Naked granola too! Enjoy California – oooh decent Mexican food, I am jealous!!!
October 26th, 2012 at 11:44 am
I’ve never been a big apple fan, but for some reason started eating them again, and I just found two varieties in Paris that blew me away. Tops was Honey Crunch (known in the states as Honey Crisp), which after I took a bite I branded the best apple I’ve ever eaten. Perfect combination of juiciness, crunch, and sweetness. The runner-up was a variety called Jazz — also sweet, very crisp and juicy, but a bit more watery (almost like an asian pear). So try them next time you’re here!
October 26th, 2012 at 11:56 am
The one other thing I”m truly enjoying about being back: watching the Giants-Tigers World Series! Also: Bring kleenex to “Somewhere Between” if you go see it …
October 26th, 2012 at 12:23 pm
hmmm the belle picardie variety that i find from a local producer at my market has always been crunchy but then again i’m not sure how it holds up against american apple crunchiness. (i did once tried “grapple” which in the states for work conference, and it was a rather horrifying experience)
have fun in cali!
October 26th, 2012 at 12:32 pm
Thank you for sharing your list of great things. It’s always nice to remember the good stuff that make us grateful.
Check out my blog for pictures of the locks in Paris in Love Locks.
Lille
October 26th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
Hi Ann, I’m in Orange County, Calif. Where will you be? Have fun here on the West Coast, and I hope you enjoy lots of good Mexican food while you’re here.
October 26th, 2012 at 5:04 pm
I read you … Enrique’s, here we come!
October 26th, 2012 at 5:12 pm
Oh my. That list of American goodness makes me miss home! But for me it would be SWEET iced tea. I did grow up in the South, after all
And oh my gosh…Mexican food. Another favorite.
October 26th, 2012 at 5:36 pm
Have a lovely trip, Ann! I hope the Mexican food is perfectly satisfying!
I love the picture of the pumpkins, by the way. How I miss fall on the east coast!
October 26th, 2012 at 5:51 pm
I feel the SAME way about the apples in France! ACtually, now I can’t eat apples at all because I’m allergic (another story) but from what I recall they were forever “molles”. Great links, enjoy your trip!
October 26th, 2012 at 7:26 pm
Have fun in Cali – and your fall on the East coast looks just … well … sigh.
No Tuesday dinner will give us slow pokes a chance to catch up on other Tuesday dinners we haven’t quite yet gotten to. And I loved your newsletter’s petite book reviews. I’ve got some new titles to check out – after I’m done with Bring Up the Bodies and Narcopolis.
October 26th, 2012 at 8:19 pm
Have fun on the Best/West Coast!
October 26th, 2012 at 8:48 pm
Oh, how I wish I could tag along to your Mexican food adventures! Please post photos so I can live vicariously!!!!
And do you know what, I don’t like many of the apples here in France…. because they’re TOO crunchy for me!
I wonder if the American Apple Crunch Factor is a variety thing or if there’s something else in play, like they’re being picked a little early for transport?
October 26th, 2012 at 11:51 pm
Have a gorgeous weekend my friend! And I’d heard that about no eating near landmarks in Rome, I just read that this morning in fact.
Will check out all your links now while I’m drinking my morning tea
October 27th, 2012 at 12:48 am
Love the one (the place) you’re with (in). Safe travels.
October 27th, 2012 at 7:13 pm
Heather in Arles — Ooh, ooh, how could I forget about Trader Joe’s?! Hope your weekend is relaxing, chère amie!
Mardi — What’s your favorite Bare Naked flavor? I love the vanilla and have just dug into banana nut. Yum!
Lynne — Yes, Honey Crisp — that’s my new favorite apple. I thought they were American? In France, I was always stuck with the Reine des reinettes — mushy of mushy.
Lil — Grapple? I’ve never heard of such a curiosity. Is it a cross between a grape and an apple? Could that be possible?
Everything French — I’m afraid I’m more in the camp of love locks as insidious fungal growth, but I do appreciate the sentiment behind them. Thanks for stopping by!
Karene — I’m in Huntington Beach! Spending lots of time with family for my dad’s birthday. Hope you’re enjoying the gorgeous sunshine this weekend — it’s like summer!
Dad — Or maybe a new taqueria discovery!
October 27th, 2012 at 7:22 pm
Sion — Ooh, sweet tea is also delicious. Bad for you. But delicious.
Katy — Merci! Aren’t the pumpkins cute? I snapped them at the Dupont Circle farmer’s market. They’re ready for carving!
Lindsey — Oh no, an apple allergy? Tragic! Though at least in France you’re not missing out on anything good
Voie de Vie — Don’t let the fall accoutrements fool you! it’s still in the 70s in Washington DC (or was on Friday)!
Shut Up & Cook — Thank you! It feels like a whole different world out here.
Katia — I am taking assiduous Mexican food notes for you, m’dear! And how FUNNY that you find French apples TOO crunchy — that is so… well, WEIRD!
What kinds do you buy?
Emma — Thank you, friend! We are experiencing brilliant summer temps here in So Cal, kind of like what I imagine Australia to be this time of year. Enjoy your spring weekend!
Anne — Merci! I’ve already discovered a new taqueria to try. Here’s to eating in the moment!
October 28th, 2012 at 9:41 am
There are many things I miss in the states, too. For the category of food, it has to be Tex-mex style food. Hard to find it here. Have a great time in CA with your family.
October 30th, 2012 at 6:28 pm
Unsweetened iced tea? Girl after my own heart!
Happy Mexican Fooding!