Fraise des Bois Week!

This has been FRAISE DES BOIS WEEK for me in more ways than I can count.

It's the first time this year Berthillon put fraise des bois up on the flavor board. Fraise des bois was the first and only flavor Berthillon offered when they opened in 1954. My landlord says he believes he was their 1st customer (at age 4). He put a 1 franc coin on the counter for 1 boul (a single scoop) and is still eating fraise des bois today.

I went into the shop to get as many carte de visit cards as possible to put in your envelopes. Muriel (in the fraise des bois red sweater), the owner of the shop (her father and grandfather opened Berthillon) told me on Wednesday they were expecting a shipment from their special purveyor in Spain but the ice cream would take time to prepare and to come back on Friday.

I remember seeing fraise des bois tartes at Frederic Cassel Fountainbleau.

And admiring them like elegant Dior handbags, but way out outside my pocketbook.

A little searching on the net and I found Frederic Cassel, Pierre Hermé and Berthillon's supplier Arzagot in Malaga - strawberry supplier to pastry stars of France.The line was pretty short on Friday. Even though I was going to meet PB readers for lunch I figured I could have an ice cream 'apero' pre-lunch.

Ahhhhhh...miam

There are whole berries in Berthillon's fraise des bois in case you were wondering. I've never tasted it before. It's just plus .30 centimes more than the other flavors but maybe it seemed too luxe for me.

Living in Paris this past year has been one of the best years of my life but there have been challenges. Counting out centimes like this girl on the Metro has become a daily experience.

But thanks to your response and generous show of support, PBers to the new Monthly sketch letters my Paris life has changed for the better overnight. I've been kicking up my heels all week with so much joy! Pharrell Williams' Happiness song best expresses my delight in your support.

BIG MERCI PBers !!!!

Viola

Last week I was invited to a bloggers brunch preview at Viola.

80 rue Lemercier 75017

Viola is an Italian bistro in the Batignolle area.

It was the first time I'd eaten Italian food since moving to Paris...

I'd forgotten how deliciously satisfying it is...

When I moved into my new place the proprietor proudly showed me the combo microwave (in lieu of an oven - supposedly it grills and nukes but does neither one very well) and he said to me,

"You can make pizza in this!"

Inwardly I sniffed...I don't make pizza. 

Tarte tatin yes. Pizza no!

After eating this heavenly hunk of lush lasagna I'm not so sure...

If you have been to Italy, you will instantly recognize this as 'Macedonia di fruita'.

Just the best fruit salad IN THE WORLD!

If you have not been to Italy, it's worth going just for the macedonia. 

Forget the Leaning Tower of Pisa and  Sistine Chapel. THIS is it!

 

Of course all the bloggers were shooting up a storm...

I was enthralled by the adorable cups and saucers.

It turns out the bistro's owner, Charles Teboul, a Roman, is using only cups and saucers that belonged to his Mama.

Her name of course is Viola, also the name of the bistro. 

Do go for an exceptional weekend brunch.

You won't be disappointed and it will be a refreshing change from quiche Lorraine for goodness sake!

Speaking of having brunch, this morning I decided to indulge at the new Hugo and Victor tea salon in Printemps.

With a stack of subscription envelopes waiting to be addressed it seemed only fitting to do it in an elegant environment non?

I must share a few secrets about La Poste with you dear PBers.

Horrors! 

Did you know France, with all it's marvelous advancements, still does not have self-stick stamps?

Yes it's true sadly. And they provide you with an old sponge thing that belongs in the flea marché in my opinion. Then the stamps do not stick very well. What's more and this is VITAL INFORMATION for all travelers to France, if you dream of sending home letters/post cards with gorgeous stamps on it

FORGETABOUTIT!

There is just ONE very so-so looking stamp that has the correct amount of postage on it for overseas 20gr envelopes (.98€). All the beautifully-designed stamps are for usage INSIDE France only. This is taking chauvinism to a new level if you ask me, which no one is. 

Yes, it's true you could buy a pretty stamp and then add to it the other homely stamps to reach the requisite .98€ but this is quite tiresome when you have lots to send out. 

And of rant.

It's all part of choosing to live in a new country I suppose. One must accept. It isn't all Roquefort fromage you know...

By the way there are still a few watercolor scraps waiting to go out with available monthly sketch subscriptions on Etsy dear PBers ;))

Bon WeekEnd a tous!

Paris Letters

Just by chance I read about Janice MacLeod's book, Paris Letters in an interview while surfing the net. Little did I know it would change my life!

Like me, Janice came to Paris to find a new life for herself. Unlike me, she plotted and planned ahead how she could pull it off and sustain herself for 2 years of travel and freedom from a boring desk job. Also unlike me, within three weeks of moving here Janice met a charming rotisserie/chicken guy. They are now married! My curiosity was peaked. I went waltzing down rue Mouffetard to catch a glimpse of him. Voila. A perfect look-alike for movie actor Daniel Craig. I snuck a few shots.

Then came home and did some doodles. I had to meet the gal who snagged this cute guy. Turns out Janice is a long time reader of ParisBreakfast. It also turns out that over the past three years, Janice started sending out painted letters to friends from Paris. The letters turned into a business that provided income and a chance to share her experiences with others around the world. Each letter contains a hand-written story and a painting of Paris. Do take a look in Janice's Etsy shop. Of course you can see I was influenced. Janice has been incredibly kind sharing her expertise.

We met for coffee at Cafe Regis on the island.

Janice demonstrates the correct way to drink a cafe creme...

Then I followed Janice back to her turf on rue Mouffetard hitting all the high points mentioned in her book. Cafe TournBride is where she wrote in her journal daily (not too far from the boucher shop by the way).

This is where she and Mr. Right had their first beers. When does the plaque go up? Soon I hope.

I didn't know Hemingway lived here...

Does one have to learn all the cuts of beef to snag a cute bouchere?

Et voila. The happy couple.

Perhaps a cafe table is waiting for you in Paris? Do you dream about it?

Read Janice's book to see how she pulled it off.

I wish I had instead of winging it. By the way there's a boucher I'm kind of keen on..well I'm nuts for his chicken legs anyway. I've become a daily customer.

Today he wasn't there. Go figure. A new guy was in his place...hmmm. Janice's story is unique. I don't see a butcher in my crystal ball...

There is a nice story in today's Huffington Post on ParisBreakfast by the way. Do take a look.

Sur Le Quai

Sunday was a divinely gloriously sunny day here in Paris. We have been very lucky this winter.

Is it winter? It didn't feel that way yesterday. And the bridge was closed to traffic.

The marathon was going on. I could see a stream of tiny brightly colored bodies moving swiftly up the other side.

But I was headed along the quai to the Pixar show at musée Ludique.

There are small paved inlets along the quai. I wonder if in summer Parisians dangle their feet in the Seine?

Dogs were out sans/without collars. People were wearing SUNGLASSES!

The musée is surprisingly modern. Not your typical Parisian museum at all.

Last day for the Pixar expo so long lines.

But you can't move to Paris without paying homage to Darling Remy can you?

I was crazy about Ratatouille. Was it really 2007 when it came out?

Next stop an animal of another kind...

Last day for the Salon de l'Agriculture. I had missed the top floor, 7.3 of world-wide purveyors all begging you to taste. This Portugese ham looked sooo good too.

So much fresh vanilla as if just plucked from the vine.

The fragrance was swoon-worthy.

The Aligot man from Aveyron doing his thing with cheese and garlic.

This I couldn't resist but she served everyone around me and pretended not to see me. Finally she made an extra goopy sample, handed it to me and then giggled. Out of this world even if it did dribble down my front a bit...

At last I've gotten over my obsession with kitchen gadgets.

Just what we all need now. Potatoes filled with carrot inside right?

This is a flattened version of Breton Kouign Amann. It tasted just as buttery and caramelly as ever.

Beautifully colored punch from France's Caribbean sites.

The freshly-made coconut ice cream was irresistible. They were serving it all over the two floors of regional food at the salon. Perfection!

I don't know how I resisted the gorgeous stacks of jambon sandwiches at the salon.

Maybe because back home I've got my own lovely stacks of envelopes to send out to you.

THANK YOU PBers for signing up at Etsy to receive monthly Paris sketches in the mail. I'm thrilled at your warm response !!!

There are still a good 50 little watercolors left waiting to go inside the first 100 subscriber's envelopes.

So get onboard!

BIG MERCI