A Delightful Surprise

The Foodie called me on Tuesday to ask if I might be free around teatime to sample the Laduree macarons and Angelina hot chocolate mix that had recently arrived from Paris.

Might I be free?  Why yes.  Yes, I was.

I decided to fancy up the table as much as I could at short notice with an embroidered table runner and napkins.  The Foodie didn't mind waiting to have our treats until pictures were taken.  In fact, he helped to style the photo shoot.  I think the pictures look better than usual, and that's all him.

Even the packaging is elegant and pretty.  I've got to hand it to the French: they know how to make a simple box of cookies just a bit more elegant.  You know there is something special inside.

And there is: eight impossibly perfect and pretty macaron cookies.  My favorite was the pistachio cookie in the upper-left-hand corner.  It had a delicious marshmallow filling that resisted just a little when I bit into it.

The hot chocolate from Angelina perfectly complemented the macarons because it's slightly bitter and has a savory quality.  We made it with lowfat milk and felt very virtuous about that.

It was a lovely treat at the end of the day -- not just the delectable sweets, but spending some time with The Foodie who has been busy with career-minded things of late.  I hadn't seen him in a while, and it was nice to chat and catch up.  But even if we don't get together as often as we'd like, we'll always have Paris.

Food Shopping In Paris

Gentle readers, Paris is heaven for the food lover. Everywhere we went, we saw gorgeous produce, fresh seafood, meats, sausages, and a stunning variety of cheese. There is a bakery on almost every street corner.



Maille has long been my preferred brand of mustard, so I was excited when The Foodie introduced me to their retail shop on the Place de la Madeleine. I had no idea Maille made so many varieties of mustard! Alas, my local Stop&Shop only carries the dijon and grainy styles, so I bought a jar of mustard with walnuts for myself and a sampler package with five or six little jars of different flavors (including blue cheese, black currant, and hazelnut) for the Army Dude. I'm kind of hoping he'll share.

This photo of Fauchon is courtesy of TripAdvisor

We also went to Fauchon, which carries all sorts of luxury food products: teas, preserves, honey, wine, truffles, foie gras, spices, and more. When the woman behind the chocolate counter offered us samples, we each took a bite, looked at the other wide-eyed and said "Oh. My. God." The chocolate was delicious. I immediately put together a gift bag for the Army Dude. It's in my kitchen cabinet as we speak, because he loved the chocolates so much he knew he'd eat them all that day. I have temporary custody and I haven't eaten a single one. That, my friends, is devotion.




Twice a week, there is a traveling market at the Rue de Breteuil. It's kind of like an outdoor flea market with lots of food, jewelry stalls, clothing, linens, and ceramics (among other things). We went on Saturday to check it out and buy souvenirs, and then returned on Thursday to do some serious food shopping for a dinner The Foodie was cooking that night.




The Former Farmer (who has quite the cooking chops herself and who cooked a delicious pasta dinner for us on another night) acted as sous-chef. I helped a little and ate with gusto. The cop also ate with gusto and kept the wine glasses full. Each according to his ability.





The Cop and the Former Farmer bought us this lovely dessert at a bakery near where we were staying. That pink stripe is raspberry filling and the rest is composed of several varieties of yummy chocolately goodness.

I know I'm not the first person to make this observation, and I won't be the last: it beats me how the French stay so thin.

Angelina

Here's something I love about The Foodie: not only will he sit with me at an impossibly tiny table and drink hot chocolate out of delicate china cups, he will actually suggest it. I love a man who is not afraid of a place with cloth napkins.

In the middle of an afternoon filled with sightseeing and browsing in food shops, we stopped at Angelina, a teahouse on the Rue de Rivoli which is decorated in the belle epoque style and staffed by waiters in coat and tie. We ordered L'Africain, which is an incredibly rich hot chocolate served with a big bowl of whipped cream on the side so you can add as much or as little as you like. We also ordered toast with jam. We were served big, thick slices of bread that had been generously buttered and grilled, with little pots of butter, jam, and honey to accompany them.

I sipped my hot chocolate, looked around at the lovely, old-fashioned decor, and said to The Foodie "I am so happy right now."

Food Bloggers In Paris

A coffee and tea break at a cafe in the Marais.

One of the highlights of my trip to Paris was getting the chance to meet Emily of Tomato Kumato. (If you don't already read her blog, you totally should -- she is lovely, inside and out, and her writing is terrific.) She was so sweet to spend an afternoon with The Foodie and me, showing us vintage shops, translating for us, and filling us in on lots of fun facts.

We started the afternoon with lunch from L'As Du Falafel (fun fact: it's Lenny Kravitz's favorite). The sandwiches were delicious, and different than the ones I get locally. To begin with, they are a more manageble size and served in a pita pocket. There was also cole slaw (or a similar cabbage salad) in it. The combination was really good.

We sat in a park and ate our sandwiches, surrounded by French people on their lunch breaks. The afternoon was filled with food talk, laughs, and shopping, and it ended with delicious ice cream from Berthillon and a stop at Shakespeare and Company, an English-language bookstore. (Fun fact: part of the building housing the bookstore is in the half-timbered style dating from Shakespeare's time.)

A day doesn't get much better than that.

Culinary Quote: Crescent Dragonwagon

I got back on Sunday from a 10-day trip to Paris, and I am proud to say that I said "yes" to everything I wanted -- well, except for a certain cuff bracelet at Chanel. But when it came to the food, I went for it: chocolates at Fauchon, Berthillon ice cream, and a divine "lunch" at Angelina, which consisted mostly of the richest and most divine hot chocolate I've ever tasted. Not to mention cheese, butter, and lots of baguettes.

Yes, my jeans are a little tight in the waistband, and I discovered yesterday morning that my "skinny" jeans (size, not style) don't fit at all. But you know what? I don't care.

Paris On My Mind

For the past couple of weeks, I've been focused on my upcoming trip to Paris: packing, itinerary, and getting things organized at home. I've also been thinking about my plan to eat my weight in cheese, chocolate, and bread while I'm there. I can't wait!