Paris Odds & Ends

 

I am behind reporting all my comings and goings. Tuesday I heard photographer, Meredith Mullins at Adrian’s monthly meetup

Talk about her recent 2 trips to Japan at Cafe du là Mairie. I arrived early to get a good seat but had no view of the screen 🤷‍♀️ 

Is Paris ❤️ Romantique?

 Is Paris Romantic? I would definitely say YES ❤️

After stamp shopping, I looked in Galeries Lafayette Gourmet to check

May Fraise Balloon 🎈 Letter

  

I started thinking about dancing ballerina 🩰 strawberries at the Opera Garnier…which quickly turned into flying Balloon 🎈strawberries 🍓 over the Eiffel Tower bien sur. Where would I be without the Eiffel tower🤔

How many obsessions can a girl have? Shiny teapots, blue cups, pastry…one loses count. But flying balloons 🎈 has been a returning theme from way back

Salon du Dessin

 

Yesterday, thanks to ADHD I ended up at the wrong venue for Eternal Mucha. 

Never mind. A bowl of soupe d’oignon & start over.

Ballet Core Map

 

Ballet 🩰 fashion has always been IN

But now anyone can deck themselves out in bits of balletomania 🩰 Pinterest says.

Creating the Eiffel Tower cat letter

 

Imagine strawberry 🍓balloons floating around the Eiffel tower…even though Bonnie said,”Strawberries are so over” at least in VT

Map of Paris Art Nouveau Bouillons

I'm thrilled to tell you the January map went in the mail 📮yesterday.

Great minds etc. etc. Urbaninsider featured Paris' bouillons this week. A basic rule of thumb 👍 in France (and don't send me the bill/l'addition if I'm wrong) 

When you spot a busy, bustling brasserie in any French town, go inside and eat. Atmosphere will be warm and decor charmingly Art Nouveau period. This one is at the Excelsior.

Seafood 🦞 is freshly shucked. 

Dishes will be traditional like chicken with wine/coq au vin. 

Service will be fast, efficient and friendly. Prices and bill/l'addition will/should be manageable. Exception is the  Beefbar where you get Japanese Wagu steaks. I have yet to visit. 

I did get to MOLLARD near Gare St.-Lazar for more research. The shoe fits for convivial atmosphere, friendly service. 

The waiter suggested the black rice on my plate of seafood fricasse was..surprise - Beluga caviar! 

Lots of brandishing of copper pans making the crepes Suzette.

Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. If you'd like to receive Parisbreakfast letters, maps and Watercolors in your mailbox, look in my Etsy shop. I'm off to forage for scallops at the Montmartre Fete de la Coquille St. Jacques. Hooray🎉 Report to follow 🐻Xxx from Paris💋

August Paris letter, Tarte à la Moutarde aux Tomates

There's no ignoring the August tomato 🍅 

*HOT TIP JUST IN* from Kate Hill Camont "After rolling out the pastry, brush it with a beaten egg mixed with mustard and set aside to dry. This is a little secret to avoid a soggy bottom". If only I'd known...next time. Put your irons away.

Immersion in Paris. 

They come at you in every color of the rainbow . Red, yellow, green, violet. No blue yet but I bet they're working on it. Its no surprise I've done many tomato Paris letters. 

I love painting them almost more than eating them. 

When David Lebovitz put up a tomato tarte recipe 

Action was be taken. 

I went with his older, simpler tarte with slices of chevre on top.

Warning: get your chèvre from a fromagerie.

Not the supermarché. The taste will be superior. Following recipes is not my forté.

I should have 'ironed' the slices. Or at least drained them in a colander as David suggests. Then place on paper towels. My tarte had a soggy bottom 😳 The crust was easy, peasy store-bought Herta pâté brisée. The cooked edges tasted as good as a cookie. Now go make a tarte à la moutarde aux tomato PBers! 

I’m Carol Gillott, an artist living in Paris. Every month I send out beautifully illustrated letters that capture the true Parisian experience. Sign up to receive these whimsical treasures in the mail.

Thanks for reading PB 🍅

☕️ If you’d like to support my work, you can buy me a KO-FI here  ☕️  🍅