What’s Not to Love About Paris?

I’m a city girl at heart. I love the sensory stimulation, the food, the pace … even the panic I feel when I find myself not at all sure how to find my way out of a confusing neighborhood or off a street that is blocked because a school has been evacuated due to a bomb scare. Yes, that happened twice in Paris this past week, same school.

I most definitely felt (and witnessed) the heightened sense of security as we encountered a city still recovering from the shock of recent terrorist activity. I think that made me appreciate the French culture and its people even more.

My husband and I enjoyed a private wine tasting tour in Châteauneuf-du-Pape where we learned how the wine makers of France mobilized to save their cherished crops and bottles as the Germans closed in on them during World War II. You can read more about that here.

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And the food, oh the food.

One of my friends, who was following my foodie adventures on Facebook as I ate my way through France, responded to one of my posts with this, “This journey seems like a love story expressed through food.”

And so it was. . .

If you’ve been following me for a while you know my husband and I have a very interesting food life. He is a cautious connoisseur and I am a celebratory eater. I remember vividly the very first trip we took together. Tuscany: another food paradise. I had no idea just how cautious he was around food until we took that trip. We had been dating less than a year. Suffice it to say he ate a lot of pizza and pasta those two weeks and visibly shuddered when I ordered some of the local dishes, particularly when there was a head attached to the fish or eyes peeking up at us from the prawns, which in Italy is a sign that they are fresh.

My Italian roots were singing. His Irish roots were longing for potatoes.

Now, seventeen years later, he actually tried a few fish dishes for the very first time. Cod seemed to him a safe bet whenever he confronted a menu that seemed a little too, well, French.

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I have many food adventures to share with you from this trip but I’ll save those for future posts so that I can talk about the highlight of our visit.

First, a little history.

I met Greg Paq on Facebook in 2011; we bonded over chocolate. Check out his Facebook page, Bienvenue à ma table, for a gorgeous collection of recipes and photos. Greg interviewed me for his blog and I interviewed him for mine and we’ve stayed in touch ever since.

Knowing my husband would be eating primarily frites on this sojourn I asked Greg where to find the best frites in Paris, which is kind of like asking someone where to dine in New York City. He told me his friend Anne ‘wrote the book on frites’ and a few days later he was planning a private supper club just for us. Needless to say white-on-white (my beloved) was thrilled.

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We began with champagne and an apéritif prepared by Greg:
avec de la carrot du fromage et de la sauge.

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greg's photoimage source: Greg Paq

 

sueann_johnDid I mention we enjoyed this gorgeous apéritif on a rooftop overlooking Montmatre?

And then came the frites. Perfection. Hot and crunchy with just enough fleur de sel to accent the potatoes without overpowering them. Needless to say my husband was in frite heaven.

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Greg cooked the steak. Anne took care of the frites.
Yes, that’s a dash of lime zest you see sprinkling the frites.
Divine.

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And for dessert, Anne’s version of Parisian Flan, the creamiest, fluffiest custard pie I’ve ever tasted.

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I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed a more magical evening. The language barrier was not a problem at all. We spoke a very common language … that of pleasure, permission and tradition. A luscious legacy indeed.

Be sure to stop by Anne’s website to see more of her culinary adventures and, if you’re in the UK, I know at least one of her gorgeous books is printed in English. (Send me a copy and I’ll be your friend forever!)

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Meanwhile, I’m hoping to interview this lovely lady in my upcoming Luscious Legacy Project which begins in just a few weeks. Go grab that early bird price point.

Bon Appétit.

22 thoughts on “What’s Not to Love About Paris?”

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    rebecca@altaredspaces

    This post was a rabbit hole. I clicked all over the world. Thanks for the culinary tour. I feel well fed. Visited Greg, read your early White on White post…what fun!

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    Hahaha, when he said she wrote the book on frites, he meant it literally – got a really good laugh when I saw the book title, lol! Thanks for the tasty and tempting tale, I really do need to get to Paris soon! I think I shall make that one of my goals for 2016. And now I’m hungry… 😉

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    I haven’t been to Paris for 30 years! You describe the food so beautifully. I love that you and your husband are so opposite. Me and my husband are the same. I keep looking at the consistency of that custard tart/flan, how I would love to have a slice….! X

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      Oh Penny, it was the creamiest custard pie I’ve ever eaten … no ‘gel-like’ consistency here at all. I think she needs to come to the states and open up a cream pie boutique. Extraordinary. xxoo

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    meeting with friends who live in the amazing place you’re visiting? my absolute favorite perk of travel . . . “we spoke a very common language … that of pleasure, permission and tradition.” indeed. love your photos and stories, sue ann.

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    Ahh, facebook is indeed a wonderful place to meet lovely people 🙂 Reading about your food adventures in Paris make me almost throw myself on the web to search for the cheapest and nearest flight! Looking forward to reading more, Carina xxoo

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      Ha, ha, love that Carina. My vision board holds a solo trip abroad where I can take a train from place to place and visit all my friends in the UK and Europe and beyond! As much as I love traveling with my husband I would so love to spend time face to face with some of the beautiful souls I have met on Facebook. This was a perfect example of that.

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    In a time long ago as a college student, my friends and I spent a day power-walking our way through Paris in the rain — we only had a day due to some bad planning — and I’ve been wanting to get back ever since. I can still remember the place where we had crepes just outside the Notre Dame.

    Thank you for the beginnings of what I hope will be an ongoing culinary tour through Paris! And that custard pie looks amazing … frites and custard pie — I could die in peace after a meal of that.

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    Mon dieu! I’m salivating!

    Although we ate healthy, home-cooked meals growing up, I didn’t realize how good food could be until I went to France.

    Having frites in your friend’s home reminds me of when my husband and i were in Normandy. We followed signs marked “Cidre,” turning down smaller and smaller roads until we were on a driveway. At the end of the driveway was a round little man — the farmer! We looked confused, and he smiled and waved us closer. He invited us into his kitchen! We sampled cider from juice glasses and talked about apples and his children. One of my fondest memories EVER.

    Thank you for the trip!

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