Cookin' with the Classy!

I could not wait to get up and going this morning, even the anticipation of the cold that would greet me on flipping back the covers did not deter me! Today is our cooking class with Cooking with Class, the same school in which I did classes with in May! I could not wait to see Pino and lean a few new things! Megan was pretty excited too, but when she decided to go for a run, I had to remind her what time we needed to leave. Her own mother is probably less bossy than I! She came back with a croissant for me, declaring the streets slick. They were indeed slush covered and slippery. The metro was packed and I love looking at the faces I see there and wondering what their life is like, are they happy, do they have a similar fascination with the States that the one I have with France. At one point we waited and waited in the Metro car until we were late! Eventually we arrived and all traipsed off to the market area after introductions! It was great to see Pino again and I learned new stuff this time too, even in the cheese shop! The vegetables were certainly different, some just not there, others packaged rather than fresh from local growers. The leeks were magnificent and the radishes lovely. Don’t EVEN ask me what accompanied the radishes in the photo, I have no idea. They do look rather phallic don’t they?

We choose to prepare, with guidance from Pino, Rabbit with vegetables on Mache (Pea Greens - some sort of lettuce) with a sauce from the braising juices for an appetizer, Followed by Scallops (coral and all) and Sander en papillote with julienne vegetables and saffron sauce. Accompanied with Veloute of Jerusalem Artichokes. I am just not a bone girl and am still feeling one of those pesky little bones in the back my throat! The stinker is that Pino let me clean the fish and check for bones, smart man! Still I did my best and it was full of tiny little needle like bones. The Scallops, veggies and Veloute were great though! Making the Veloute, I found yet another toy I think I need in my kitchen, an immersion blender! Next was the cheese course, which this school does and does well! There were about 12 kids of cheese and most of them new to me! My favorite was one flavored with Nocello! For dessert we prepared a Tart Tatain! A new one for me to cook, and it was decidedly good.

There were four other lovely ladies in our class as well, Susan, Susan, Jackie and Donna, and after class Jackie and Donna (daughter and mother) wanted to go to the cooking stores. I was on a mission, I have been fearful about using the rolling pin I inherited from my grandmother. I could just see striking the croissant dough wrong and hitting the granite counter rather than the dough! I could imagine wood splinters and my grief at destroying it. For this reason (among others) a rolling pin was a the top of my list. Also on the “List “ were chocolate sticks for Pain Au Chocolate, not my favorite but of you like it! In addition I had been toying with the idea of a copper pot. I am elated to tell you that it was a successful adventure, at least for today. The pot and chocolate are not lightweight and I am hope I am equally happy with them on the plane ride home! We had toyed with options for the evening, but after experience frozen derrieres, we decided to stay in and relax, maybe even thaw out. Retrospectively we both agree that it was an excellent idea!

Snowfall in Paris

Market day at La Grenelle Piquette is my favorite, I like it better than all the others, even the one near the apartment on Boulevard Richard Lenoir. When we emerged from the Metro today it was snowing, big plump juicy flaked that stuck to our hair. It was lovely!

Once inside the market, which is covered for the most part by the metro which at this point runs above the street, we hardly noticed. I found another pair of lovely red shoes!, just like my green ones. So comfy! Of course I had to purchase a scarf or two and we found these great hair “thingies” that the lady showed us how to use, AND gave us a deal! I bought some more fois gras and we just snooped! My great clothing guy was not there this time, but how can one tell in a market with a coat on what will fit and not anyway? I am curious to know what these lovely blue flowers are, so if anyone has any idea, let me know!

Monoprix was next, I left home with enough room in my suitcase to import some of that wonderfully smelly Peach and Lilac toilet paper. Megan laughed and then decided to purchase some for a friend who is a GI physician. No so funny after all!

There is a store on Rue Cler which had a item I wanted from last May and we walked to it just in case they might still have it. Alas they did not, but the walk took us by the Eiffel tower which was lovely with the Champs du MArs covered in show! There is a lovely flower shop which had all its goods out to be blanketed in the precipitous snow. The roses were draped in show, and someone had taken the time to build a tiny snowman right there! Of course the shop is trying to make sure that they have plenty of opportunities for lovers with Valentines day approaching.

I wanted to see if the pizza tarts from the patisserie around the corner were as good as I remembered and so for lunch I had a pizza tart and salad, Megan had a Salmon and Cucumber Pita sandwich.

Resting led us right back out into the frigid weather and more cold as went to the Cluny . It had snowed more and the streets were actually a little slick! Visiting the Cluny again, gave me the opportunity to find the fine print, small things, expressions you might miss on a first run through. Gazing at the Lady and Unicorn Tapestries are always special, though I think Megan was ready to go long before I. I never fail to be enchanted with the expressions on the faces of the Lady and her maid, the Unicorn, Lion and other animals in the patisseries. To be as old as they are and to have the hughes that are present still in the fabric, the vibrant colors also always amaze me.

We have a mutual friend (that could be a song) whose sister is teaching English here, so we met Julia for dinner at Le Bistro D’Henri. It was a quiet little place where the menu is still on a chalkboard that is carried form table to table. There are about twelve tables, maybe! On the walls I noticed that some of the painting resembled the people who worked there! The amusee bouche (a little goodie one often gets before a meal heres) was some local summer sausage. Julia and I had the Margaret de Canard in a honey sauce, which came with some fabulous potatoes. Megan had Sea Bass and the same potatoes, she reports that it was good. For dessert we shared a compote of pear and plums. A nice way to finish the meal. The price was right, the atmosphere charming and the food good, a successful suggestion, Julia!

Invasion: Golden Arches and St. Valentine's Day!

This morning started with snow! Augh, I thought I escaped it! The weather forecast said 40’s, not 30’s! I did not have the backbone to go out in the snow to get croissants! So we went to a Brioche Doree for a quick bite. I KNOW better than to hit up fast food, French or American, and yet I did it. The whole thing was a hoot, I only wanted water to drink, but with the typical ability of the French to be passive aggressive, no one would refill the empty water pitcher. I stood and stood, and finally decided that maybe if I made myself a big enough pain they would get it for me just to get rid of me, but no! So finally the manager came out and I asked him to fill the pitcher, he did, but once I was seated the pitcher disappeared! LOL

BHV with is by the Hotel Du Ville is a HUGE department store and I like it as much, maybe more than Sanmartine ( I don’t know it is closed for renovation for 5 years and I am beginning to forget......).

What I like about BHV is that I can buy french CD’s there and even more importantly listen to the music prior to purchase. I had seen a female singer advertised in the Metro and thought, maybe? Since I could listen I have been saved from the sounds of a drunk cat who just fell, if you get my drift. I did buy some great stuff, though I am not sure Megan shares my point of view. So far she has not told me that I have to turn it off! We shopped and shopped for quite a while. After investigating each flow with the precision of a good SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) we went on out merry way.

We strolled up the Rue Du Rivoli and ended up in the local C&A, we browsed along the way. Megan noticed the humor of the “Golden Arches” FInally we jumped on the Metro and went to the Laduree near the Madeline for a snack. I had Marie Antoinette Tea and Macarons. Megan had cafe au liat and a eclair. It is a lovely atmosphere. St. Valentines day is everywhere, in the athletic shoe stores, in the patisseries, stationers and even in the Bridal Shoppes. We then strolled back looking at the souvenir shops along the Rue du Rivoli and took the Metro home. After a brief rest we were hungry so we made use of the list Jan left and moseyed to the Blue Elephant. It is a Thai restaurant located very near the apartment. It was rather expensive, i thought, but good. I had Thom Ka Kahi soup and a bowl of rice to mix in, it was very good. The decor was lovely and the people there had gone out of their way to decorate for Valentines day! While we were there I had a birds eye view of a dapper French fellow with 3 beautiful “Women” He reminded me of Hugh Hefner and the “bunnies” out for Thai! On our way out the door we were each handed a lovely stem of orchids! Good food, lovely scenery and entertainment, maybe they charged for it all?

Eating at the Eiffel Tower in New Boots

This morning, late, was another fabulous Parisian breakfast. Cheese, Croissant, Chausson au Pomme, Pear and Orange and Cafe au lait. Finally we got up, moving and walked to the MOno Prix, I think Megan loved it! We bought some groceries that we could not buy at the market, shopped and poked until we had our bellies full. We both bought a pair of boots on the way back, poked and snooped in several shoppes and then came back had some gouda crackers and a glass of the wine we had purchased at the Monoprix. We both had to wear our new boots to dinner at the Tour Eiffel, Megan’s new blue suede and my black leather! We were quite a pair! We got there, with 1800 reservations and to my consternation were sold a ticket for 1630, The two little twits at the gate were pretty unhelpful and finally I asked a young woman in the Eiffel Tower uniform of the day about our ascent and she said she thought we were in the right place and that seating was not until 1900. We waited in the cold a while, and she came back and told me ( Megan had popped into the gift shop) that we were in the correct place that that they would not serve until 1900 anyway, so we were good. She was so kind!

The Eiffel Tower restaurants are newly under the management of Alain Ducasse, and I was a little uncertain about quality. It is better than ever, We had pre purchased our dinner and I was a little concerned about beverages, being nickeled and dimed to death. But no, my fears were nutty! I had Foi Gras with a fabulous grape pear marmalade, and Megan had smoked salmon with a potato waffle, We both had seared scallops with braised endive, and polenta with chestnuts, followed by a ‘’Crousti Eiffel’’ chocolat/praliné for me and a Vacherin poire/marron for Megan. We had a glass of Champagne to start, a free flowing bottle ow wine and when we did not leave in time for the next service they moves us and the bottle of wine to another comfortable accommodation in the restaurant! The waiter was a cutie and he treated us well, very well! All in all a very good expenditure!

On the way out I had to make a honorary visit to the bathroom for Joey and while I was there I found a fabulous new hand dryer, the only one better in the states is the one at Chicago's Pizza. This one, however, did not blow the skin off your face while it is blowing!

After we were going to have a carousel ride, but alas it was closed for the evening. ON the way I found, though, that Jodi could come here and reinvent street repair as they are still painting the cross walks by hand! What? Megan wanted to help! What a fun evening. When we got back here Megan wanted just one tinsey drink more so we went to the place I watched a cute little gray MOuse in May and she bought a princely Gin Fizz. Princely because the bill precipitously made her fall out of her chair! LOL Only in Paris is a fine wine less expensive than a gin drink!