Paris Cheese Map

The Paris Cheese Map is getting enveloped right now. 

Inspired by a cheesy French napkin I've been saving for just such an occasion.

I made all the fromagiers holding giant hunks of cheese. 

I've yet to find the names all for the geometrical cheese shapes. Do you know them? I can tell you the striations on top and bottom are from the straw they rest on. They are turned constantly while aging, somewhat like Champagne bottles . 

Today I went into LAURENT DUBOIS at Mutualité. They're known for their unusually flavored and shaped cheeses. 

B's 80-something mother called and said, "You better start eating in the Blue Zone if you want to live to 100. I think we watched the same program - DAN BUETNER chatting on Amanapore and Co. The gist is you eat mainly grains, seeds, nuts, beans and greens. No wonder my 6:30 AM Breakfast Club is in such good shape dining on flax seed/oatmeal. I wish someone would tell them there is NO dinner service. 

Yesterday I made a 'Blue Zone' lentil salad c/o THE LITTLE PARIS KITCHEN cookbook by Rachel Khoo, who used to live in a tiny walkup studio in the 19th arrondissement. 1cup washed French lentils in 2 cups cold water + a bay leaf, some thyme, salt and cook for 12-15 minute. No overnight soaking. Add greens etc. plus a dill dressing.

Watch the fun VIDEO. When I wrote the book review in Feb 2013 I had no idea I would move into Rachel's tiny walk-up 6 months later. 

Here's a tiny patch of those fab Portuguese tiles in her kitchen we shared. I could have stayed but I found my current castle in the clouds and moved on. Rachel moved on to Sweden and is still turning out ingenious cookbooks  by the dozens. 

By the way Blue Zone regime says no dairy allowed. I shall ignor that rule. I'll bet these Jura cheese chips are not on the menu either but girls just wanna have fun.

 Have a good, safe weekend dear PBers.

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  ☕️  🍅 

Paris By Mouth Food Tours

Yesterday I joined Paris By Mouth Food Tours to Montmartre. A little word to the wise - take the bus, do not take the Metro to Abbesses unless you love 100+ stairs.

Paris By Mouth is a terrific up-to-date website for Foodies on Paris - a don't miss daily read. Meg Zimbeck was our astute guide from PBM.

First stop bien sur was this year's best baguette winner.

Meg explains in detail what constitutes the best baguette. A hunk of bread will never taste the same.

We're joined by Barbara Austen, former pastry chef, for more details on texture, construction, flavours, ingredients. I scribble madly notes. If only I could read my hand-writing.

Meg shows us the difference between a plain baguette and a baguette traditional (the prize winner now adorns the President's table). The price difference between la creme de la creme and l'ordinaire is a mere 15 centimes. The French government decides these things tu sait.

On to the next course - charcuterie and another prize winner for their boudin noir/blood sausage (which we do not sample Dieu merci!).

Red meat isn't on my menu these days but you have to be flexible when traveling.

Meg and Barbara set up a mini picnic dans la rue for tasting. That baguette came in handy.

La fromagerie is next.

Chevre/goat cheese is my favorite. These are quite aged. We taste frais/fresh and unpasturized chevre.

The cheese seller is a beau mec/cute guy...miam

On to the park nearby to sample and discuss fromage at length. I must admit I buy French cheese at the super marche, never a fromagerie - shame on me. That evening I am brave and buy chevre frais with figue inside from a fromagerie.

On to dessert.
And rue des Martyr's newest most fashionable patisserie - reknown Sebastien Gaudard.

You can tell from his website this is going to be an elegant experience. Chef Gaudard came out while we invaded his shop. He chastised one of us not to touch anything (and correctly so). 
*Jamais/never help yourself in a Paris shop to the merchandise, especially in a patisserie.
l'interdit! I did not have the nerve to take a photo.

Les patisseries were lush. Meg picked 3 and I bought another 3. Can you ever have too much dessert?

Meg, always well-equipped, divies up in the street, the 1st taste - an Alsacian mini kugel - very light and delicate - the outer crust crunchie and caramelized.

Puit d'amour, Paris Brest + une dacquoise à l'amande (ou à la noisette  - meringue-esque - all exceptional.

And the rhum Baba.

Chef Sebastien Gaudard's adorable Jack Russell, 'Hot Dog' at Selby/Colette. Wouldn't he look handsome painted  in front of Gaudard's new shop 22, rue des Martrys?

Don't miss Paris By Mouth's Food tours.

You won't need lunch and your tastebuds won't forget the experience.

Les Animaux de Paris

I keep seeing all manner of This vache/cow in the fromagerie/cheese store on rue Montorgueil was busy wahching the passing ladybug. It wasn't just me noticing Paris animals.

Look! Cows on the window curtains too

Back on rue Montorgueil, a pedestrian street, 

And in the window of restaurant L'Escargot Montorgueil, a fantasy snail still life.. Paris isn't just about , and chocolat and Eiffel towers or even Paris Breakfasts. There's a lovely reverence here for all animals.

this restaurant has snails attached everywhere. And rightly so, since they are the main focus of the menu. macarons

Another cow grazing just down from my hotel on rue de Seine in a Fromagerie..

animals in Paris, not just birds. A mom is walking with her little girl, who is walking her coccinelle/ladybug. The red wings flap as it follows her...