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The Rubicon

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

I arrived in New York City in 1998 (or was it 1999?), a girl from a sleepy Southern California suburb with literary stars in her eyes. I should have been intimidated by the place — with its dirty streets and jostling subway, the hushed calls of “smoke, smoke, smoke” that followed me across Washington Square [...]

Food and book links to love

Friday, March 15th, 2013

It snowed again in Paris this week, a big snow. After my icy adventures there in January (and last week in New York) I have to admit, I wasn’t that sorry to miss it. Ah, March is a lion, mes amis, hear her roar! This weekend, I’m looking forward to having some friends over for dinner, and [...]

Cozy weekend links to love

Friday, February 22nd, 2013

I admit, I took this photo about a month ago during the big chute des neiges in Paris. Though there’s no snow predicted this weekend in Washington, I’m still craving coziness: the smell of cookies in the oven, a slow braise on the stove, a lazy afternoon on the couch with a good book. Ahhh… [...]

Kindnesses and links to love

Thursday, December 20th, 2012

Earlier this week, I had dinner with a friend who is a teacher. It was Monday, the first day of school after the Connecticut tragedy, and we talked a little bit about how the news had affected her class of sixth graders. She told us about the project she’d assigned: to perform 28 acts of [...]

Turkey lurkey links to love

Wednesday, November 21st, 2012

The first time I ever cooked Thanksgiving dinner, I was living in a studio apartment in Manhattan, a small room with one (short) wall dedicated to the kitchen. My furniture consisted of a bed, a futon couch and a coffee table — that’s all that could fit. Still, eight of us (or was it ten?) [...]

Carte postale: Happy Halloween

Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

I was supposed to leave California yesterday, but the storm has extended my visit for a few more days. The photos of the East Coast are horrible and my heart goes out to those facing damaged property, power cuts, floods and worse. Meanwhile, I’m guiltily basking in the California sunshine, carving pumpkins with my family [...]

Weekend links to love

Friday, October 26th, 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 [...]

The world out there

Tuesday, August 28th, 2012

The other day I ate a bowl of sweet black sesame soup by the side of the road. I was at a dai pai dong, one of those Hong Kong eateries whose name translates to “outdoor food stall.” Or, perhaps it means, “delicious cheap eat.” Or, alternatively, “fast food with a dollop of verbal abuse.” [...]

Rue de Loo

Tuesday, August 14th, 2012

One of the first things I bought for our new apartment was the picture. It’s a photo of Julia Child in her kitchen in Paris, and I wanted to hang it in my own. By now, Julia’s story has become the stuff of bestselling memoirs and blockbuster films. But those of us who love Julia are each [...]

City cat, country cat

Thursday, July 26th, 2012

Every time I write a post about cats, I fear it will be my last. Felines in France hide, you see, they curl into cozy apartments, or cool shadowed corners. They’re difficult to spot and almost impossible to photograph. But then you see one, and then another, and — here’s the tricky part — capture [...]

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