May 2024 Newsletter

Springtime in Paris — it's here!

It used to be that my most FAQs were: “Why did you move to Paris?” “How long did it take you to learn French?” “Where did you and Romain meet?” “How long are you going to live in France?” For that last one, I used to reply, “I don’t know. How long are you going to live where you live?”

When I stopped cooking professionally and started writing cookbooks, I took a media training class because cooking on TV isn’t like cooking in your kitchen. You generally have 3 minutes to chat with the hosts, introduce yourself, talk about your book, answer questions…and make something at the same time you’re doing all that other stuff. Also, if it’s morning television, you’ve gotten up at 4:30am to get there by 5am to set everything up. One thing Lou, the media trainer, told me was, “Always know the answer to the question that you don’t want to be asked. Because someone’s going to ask you that question.”

For me that question was inevitably, “Why do you bake?” I never knew how to reply, except for maybe, “Uh, because I needed a job?” Of course it was more than that. But having to put it into words wasn’t something I ever needed (or wanted) to do. I just did it, without analyzing why.

Well, until people started asking me. (Although, I still don’t have an answer.)

The first book event I did in Paris, circa 2005, I didn’t know what to talk about. I was supposed to stand there and talk for 20 to 30 minutes, so I decided to read some of the more interesting questions I’d gotten over the years. One was someone asking what kind of undergarments I wore. Another person asked me to go around town and buy chocolates from a bunch of different shops (they included a list of places) and mail them to them. I was tempted to ask for their credit card number and do some shopping, but not the shipping. But that would have raised more questions, mostly about my character. So I didn’t.

French mussels cooked in white wine, garlic, and tarragon.

But questionable questions, and comments, aside, everyone nowadays wants to know the same thing: “Are you staying in Paris for the Olympics?”

The city is currently planning, and bracing for, the Olympics, which start in late July and go through the second week of August, which can be the hottest time of the year. (We had four brutal heatwaves last year.) The Olympic Village where the athletes are staying was built without air-conditioning, and Paris organizers advised participants to bring their own air-conditioner if they wish to have it. And the local newspaper, Le Parisien, offered up a video of Paris métro and RER train lines that are often filled to capacity to help people determine which stations to avoid:

leparisien

A post shared by @leparisien

Then there are security concerns that may involve moving the opening ceremonies from the Seine to elsewhere. Other cities have held opening and closing ceremonies in enclosed stadiums, but Paris is hoping to use the magnificence of the Seine to open the Olympics. Organizers say there is a plan B but aren’t talking about it for security reasons.

Then there have been concerns about the water quality of the Seine, where swimming events are planned (and being reconsidered), and — speaking of liquids — Paris isn’t known for its abundance and availability of bathrooms, so not sure where 15 million people will “go.” (As an aside, Snoop Dogg, who is covering the Olympics in Paris for NBC, will need to leave his stash at home because marijuana is still illegal in France.)

Some hotels have tripled their prices, and locals are grumbling about, well…everything. My cousin recently came to visit, and they only had two security kiosks open at the airport, and they waited over two hours to get through. Other friends had the same experience a few days later. So hopefully they’ll get those kiosks manned fully when 15,000,000 more people arrive. Last week, airport traffic controllers went on strike, but talks are on by the government to ban strikes during the Olympics, even though the union has filed a notice to strike through September.

Our fig tree is still mostly bare…but one fig has managed to burst forth.

On the other hand, the Olympics is going to showcase the most visited city in the world. The rebuilt Notre-Dame Cathedral is gradually being unveiled, and apartment owners and renters are going to make some extra cash renting their places out. Nope, I’m not doing that. (Which is an FAQ discussed amongst people in Paris.) However, that’s kind of backfiring since so many people had the same idea, there’s now a glut of places to rent.

Booksellers and their historic kiosks that line the banks of the Seine won their battle to stay put. And there’s hope that the spiffy new structures and Olympic Village facilities will help residents of Saint-Ouen, one the poorest neighborhoods on the outskirts of Paris, by revitalizing the neighborhood and giving pride and hope to residents.

While I’ve seen doom and gloom predicted before many other Olympic games, and I’m not the type to travel to a city with 14,999,999 other people to watch sporting events, I don’t mind staying in town while everything’s going on, riding my bike anywhere I need to go and staying in my part of the city, which isn’t in the thick of things and where I assume life will go on (mostly) as normal. But we’ll see.

Last month, it was lovely to see the first strawberries of spring, and apricots and nectarines are just showing up at the market. It feels like we’ve had an extra-long winter here, and it was nice to have some warmer weather and to cook and bake with everything from wild garlic, which we foraged for in Brittany, to Cléry strawberries with their bright flavor and rosy red color, which are perfect swiped in crème fraîche and sprinkled with a touch of sugar.

I’ve been working on some book projects this year but was sidetracked by a computer meltdown when my old computer developed a vertical line down the screen, meaning the screen on my two-year-old computer was dying. I know it’s not very ecological, but I ended up getting a new computer. (They did say my old computer would be reconditioned and sold.)

Unfortunately, during the transfer of information to my new computer, half of my files disappeared or were renamed; the book I’m working on is now titled “9477A1C7-E496-4D02-AE51-FE88ABDCA696.” Am not sure my publisher will let me go with that name for the book - and search engines likely wouldn’t be able to locate it - so I’ve been reorganizing my files to get everything back to normal, so I can get back to work.

So I’m ready to tackle May. I’m currently on a quick trip to London, meeting up with a friend from San Francisco. Our dance card is already full with restaurants and bakeries to visit, and while I wish I had more time to see others there, I’ve got a book title to work on.

And lastly, congratulations to baker Xavier Netry of Boulangerie Utopie for taking the prize for the best baguette in Paris 2024.

boulangerieutopie

A post shared by @boulangerieutopie

Often the best baguette in Paris is from a bakery far from where I live, but I go to Utopie from time to time as it’s in my arrondissement. If you do go, it’s pretty small and always crowded, even before they took the top prize for baguettes, so expect a bit of a wait. But it’s great to see the local team win.

-David

Links I’m Liking

I haven’t seen French waiters suggesting diners leave a 15% tip, on top of the built-in service charge, but apparently that’s being reported. The new point-of-sale credit card machines, however, do ask if you want to leave a tip, between 5% and 20% before you pay, which I wonder will become customary...? (The Guardian)

Facing some truths about TJ’s: We need to talk about Trader Joe’s. No mention though of why they discontinued their lip balm! (Taste)

The toughest reservation in France is at an all-you-can-eat buffet. (New Yorker/Possible paywall)

Where to find the best cheeses in Paris. (BBC)

Making ethical bean-to-bar chocolate in Paris. (France24)

As cocoa bean prices surge to record levels, Will we run out of chocolate? (Euronews)

Objections continue in France about whether a popular singer is “not French enough” to perform at the Olympics. (The Guardian)

Yup…there’s now duck fat spray. (via

Ruth Reichl

)

Learn the art of roofing in a workshop in Paris from an artisan roofer (very French!), and take a piece of Paris home with you. (via Secrets of Paris)

I discussed vegan cuisine and lots (lots) more with Amanda Bankert of Boneshaker Donuts, which you can watch in replay at The American Library in Paris. (YouTube Video/American Library in Paris)

Will hot pink Barbiecue sauce…be a hit this summer? (Plant Based News)

Marcella Hazan’s kitchen tools (…that risotto spoon! …that lasagna pan!) are acquired by the Smithsonian museum in Washington. (Appetito)

Things I Like: French Stainless-Steel Clothespins

In last month’s newsletter, I mentioned I’d be highlighting some of my favorite things and talked about my hot water kettle, which I use more than I ever thought I would. When I moved to Paris, I (like most Americans) was surprised that clothes dryers are rare. So there I was, walking home from the BHV department store carrying my first séchoir à linge, a clothes drying rack, home. That was quite a switch for me — suddenly, doing laundry became a multi-day project, with clothes hanging all over the place inside my little rooftop apartment.

Because I have a life to lead, we do have a dryer, but they aren’t very ecological nor are they good for your clothes, so in the summer, I like to dry things in the sun, which is a heckuva lot easier, and faster, now that we have outdoor space, and it’s spring.

I use stainless-steel clothespins from Pincinox, the only steel clothespins made in France. The store I got them from closed in Paris, but they’re sold at stores internationally and aren’t that expensive, around €1 ($1,25) each, sold in packs of twenty. The company calls them un achat pour la vie, something you buy for life, so I’m hoping they’ll last forever. So far, they’re doing just fine and make laundry day (not days) more stylish, and fun.

Spring Posts & Recipes

Coming to Paris? I did a round-up of favorite restaurants I’ve eaten at lately…

And here are some recipes:

This free-form Strawberry-Rhubarb tart uses the best(s) of this season, with tangy rhubarb and lusciously ripe strawberries baked on a round of buttery, crisp pastry. Whether you call these galettes or crostatas — or crostati? — they deserve to be served with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream or lemon verbena ice cream, or au nature, as nature intended.

The word moelleux may be hard to pronounce, but this French summer fruit tart is easy to eat. You can stop worrying about soggy crusts as the almond flour base keeps things in check, even if using the juiciest plums, which makes it great for picnics or road trips.

I’ve been eating tons of wild garlic, making it into pesto, or pistou, as it’s sometimes called in French, even though pistou and pesto are different. Pistou is looser, doesn’t contain nuts, and sometimes has tomato worked into it, although, like many foods from Provence, there are regional variations. There are also variations on Soupe au pistou, the classic vegetable soup served in the summer. It’s a terrific lighter meal, one you can make ahead, and falls squarely in the “healthy” category. (So you can eat more cake!)

Speaking of cake, whether you’ve still got citrus lingering at your market or summer fruits and berries are bursting forth, this Caramelized almond cake is a great way to accompany them. I love anything with caramelized nuts on it, and this cake offers them up, and so much more.

I once mentioned that French people don’t eat with their hands, which prompted someone to tell me they saw someone eating a sandwich with their hands. So I guess I need to be more careful with my words (!), but French people don’t generally pick up, say, a leg of chicken and gnaw on it or shove a slice of pizza in their mouth, and when faced with a burger, they’ll slice into it with a knife and fork, rather than grab it by the buns.

I’ll admit that folks in France also eat asparagus with their hands, dipping it in melted butter or another sauce. Asparagus mimosa is another French favorite, made with an abundance of herbs and diced hard-cooked eggs over it. It’s good warm or at room temperature, so it can be made in advance and dressed at the last minute, although I prefer to do it about an hour before serving to let the dressing meld into the asparagus, adding the eggs right before mealtime.

As someone who’s worked in very (very) hot restaurant kitchens for most of his life, I can take the heat, and even during the infamous canicules (heatwaves) in Paris, I turn on the oven to bake, especially when blackberries are in season. They’re the perfect accompaniment in this Apple-Blackberry Slab Pie. While the combination isn’t a classic, yet—it should be.

My recent post about the Prune-Chocolate Tiramisù we made at Chez Panisse inspired reconnecting with

Paul Bertolli

who was the chef at that time, who sent me a nostalgic message about being in the kitchen together.

Just after, I got another message from a co-worker in the pastry department, who was going through things she’d stowed away, and she sent me this:

At first, I thought it was an April Fool’s joke menu…until I looked at the date. I’m not sure if it’s the work of me or her and me, but whoever came up with those desserts may have casually handed them to the person who types up the daily menu to see his reaction, and he just printed them up as usual and handed me a copy to proof before they landed on the customer’s table. Which was a good thing! 😂