A year in a French market: Winter
Sunday in Paris
Monday, March 8th, 2010What a beautiful blustery day it was yesterday, bright and brisk. After a few weeks away from Paris, I was happy to sink back into comfortable Sunday activities. What did I do?
Bruyère by any other name
Tuesday, January 19th, 2010Today’s post is dedicated to my friend, Heather — perhaps you recognize her name from the comments section. It’s a pretty name, Heather, isn’t it? In the United States, it was the eighth most popular name for baby girls of the 1970s, and tenth most popular of the 1980s. Too bad Heather’s parents didn’t know […]
A year in a French market: Activities for a Sunday (don’t even think about shopping)
Thursday, March 12th, 2009Here in 21st century France, there are strong views on activities appropriate for a Sunday. Approved activities: spending time with family and friends, relaxing, movies, drives in the country, eating big lunches and taking long walks afterwards. Unapproved: Shopping. Of any kind. Even groceries. Woe be to you if you forgot to buy butter on […]
A year in a French market: A Chinese American in Paris
Wednesday, March 4th, 2009When I’m in line at the market, I often wonder what the other customers are cooking from the produce they buy. I’m willing to bet I’m the only person in line who turns their swiss chard into a Sriracha-laced noodle stir-fry. Does the vegetable vendor know I’m eyeing her cauliflower and potatoes and thinking spicy aloo […]
A year in a French market: Recession in Paris?
Wednesday, February 18th, 2009Fear not, despite this blog’s title “Cooking the Books,” and all the references to the “market” and “recession” we are not dipping into weighty matters of the economy. For one thing, I don’t understand economics.
But shopping in the Boulevard Raspail market these past few weeks, and walking by all the empty stalls, I couldn’t help […]
A year in a French market: When life hands you January vegetables…
Friday, January 30th, 2009Lest we forget that it’s the dead of winter, my neighborhood Parisian market provided a stark reminder earlier this week. The colder-than-usual temperatures and weak northern European sun have brought forth only the most wintry of local produce — could anything say January more than carrots, leeks, turnips, and beets?
(Side note: my favorite vegetable guy […]
A Year in a French Market
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009One of the things that I love most about living in France is shopping at the outdoor market, and I’m lucky enough to live five steps from one of the best — the thrice-weekly marché at Boulevard Raspail. On Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays local vendors set up shop and hawk their wares — everything from […]