Cooking in Paris with Charlotte

Yesterday in Paris it was 40 degrees, grey and drizzly.

I went out looking for Valentines goodies to put in the February Paris Sketch letter. Found some doozies including French recipe cards, very excited. This stunning cake is in Dalloyau's window.

Le Grand Epicerie has Love jam waiting for you made of strawberries and champagne!

Next door Bon Marche's windows are full of pink flamingos, some dropping their shorts...ahem.

They have a promotion with The Webster Miami. Who knew? Pink flamingos everywhere.

On rue du Bac, chocolatier Chapon is in a flamingo state of mind.

Is this little French girl getting ready for Saint-Valentin?

Next door an over-the-top love birds window.

The day before yesterday, I left the house at 8:00 AM to join cooking teacher Charlotte Puckette at her marche Grenelle by 9:00 AM. We had a ball. Charlotte knows what every cow, goat and sheep in France ate for breakfast. And why and when you should buy their cheese, milk or meat. Pretty impressive visiting Paris markets with her.

Then we made a fish 'bone' broth, which by the way is the new hot, hot food for 2015. Alert: bone broth of any species is IN PBers. Throw out your bouillon cubes. Run to the butcher. More to come. Check out Karen Wheelers book on what Marie-Antoinette ate. M-A was a big bone broth eater.

The end result was

This gorgeous Tunisian fish soup from Charlotte's The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (page 30).

Followed by a chocolat fondant with crème Anglais.

More to come on cooking with Charlotte Puckette and bone broth soon, I promise.

Yesterday I was inspired to get up early and go out to my own marche Bastille by 9:30. Yahoo. Every Thursday/Sunday I have the best of intentions and never make it.

But Charlotte has shown me the way. Visiting Paris' marches is an upper better than pills or sun lamps. Full of color, conversations and enticing smells. A Don't-Miss in Paris and Free.

These early birds share freshly-shucked oysters. Do go before the crowds ascend.

Alert: there are new bus shelters going up all over town.

They must have elves working at night.
Another Alert: I got invited to Opening Night at the Brussels Salon du Chocolat - an opp not to be missed. More to come on this.
Bon Weekend PBers !

Biff Tout Soul

 Darling Biff and Tout Sweet author Karen Wheeler were there to meet me at the gare de Poitiers on Monday.

 We went for a grand tour around town starting at the Hotel de Ville.

 I suggested to Biff we visit le Palais de Justice so he could divorce Karen and marry me. But lucky for Karen they would not let Biff inside without a complete pat-down and a prance through the metal detector. He refused on principle.

 On to Romanesque Église Notre-Dame-la-Grande de Poitiers.

Here Biff could enter as long as he was carried and no one saw...

 Biff shows me Poitiers famous artisanal parapluie shop where you can still get your broken umbrellas repaired - a charming must-see. Who knew?

 And the best patisserie in Poitiers - Claude Lafond. I could not resist trying a regional Broye galette - a big flattened scalloped cookie made of mostly butter from the Charante and a bit flour. Another must-do in Poitiers.

 At midi/noon we went off for lunch to another town. Biff says we must be a table at 12 sharp or we lose the chance to eat at all in France. Ohhhh

A lovely 3-course formule(for a mere 12.50 euros) at the Hotel de France - Saint-Savin. Leave Paris for lunch if you want a delish bargain.

 Darling Biff, who has been tres bien-eleve/well behaved up to this point, decides to steals cheese from my bag (thoughtlessly left on the floor by moi) and then has a go at Bear. Mais non!

 Back at chez Karen Biff repents...

 And dreams a bit.

 Like all good French children Biff knows how to attend/wait for his supper patiently without whining or complaining.

 Unfortunately à table Biff loses it and makes noises regarding the Claude Lafond dessert box. Fortunately Maire Martine is present to put a stop to this rare bad behavior, ahem.

 Have you read Karen Wheeler's adventures with Biff in the Poitou-Charante? You'll be enthralled I promise.

 Her latest, Tout Soul is gripping tales.

You can read a chapter here.

Bonne nuit et au revoir Biff and Karen.

La Cite de L'Ecrit et des Metiers du Livre

 September is the time of the French la rentree - pommes for the teacher, pens/plumes, notebooks/cahiers, schoolbooks, you name it...

 Darling Biff insisted on taking myself and Karen Wheeler(his mum) to La Cite de L'Ecrit et des Metiers du Livre - sort of a prep trip for La Rentree.

 It's in the vielle ville of Montmorillon so a pedestrian steep walk up hill and down cobblestone allies was on the menu.

 With Biff leading the way our first stop was La Plume

 An adorable hole-in-the-wall calligraphie shop

 A plethora of plumes/pen points on offer

 And even plume-feather earings!

 Biff is rather bookish you know since his mom is an author of three books so he was in seventh heaven in this old bookish town

 Book shops right and left

 Everything very artsie

 Especially the cobalt bleu art shop

 In the street nearby a mini puce/flea

 What should you wear when visiting a small town in the Poitou-Charente? A flowered chinzt pinafore of course accompanied by a floppy straw hat.

 Biff and Karen take in the view on the vieux pont...

 Quite enchanting...

4:30 pm

C'est l'heure de gouter (snack time!)