Paris Missives...: France -- Returning to France

About

"The evolving Francophile..."

My husband Jack has always wanted to live in Paris and learn French. I thought it would be good for him to achieve his life time dream. Hence, we moved to Paris in 2008. My first year was difficult. I started "missives" to relieve some stress and chronicle my life so friends back in the US could read what I am experiencing. I currently write about food in Paris, which is my passion., travel experiences, and "experiences living in Paris."

It is definitely a challenge to live here, but each year it gets easier, and quite enjoyable, in large part because I value friendships over locale. I have a love/hate relationship with Paris as do most Parisians, mais La vie est belle (but life is good)!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

My first summer week back in Paris (June 21 -June 30)

Rue Montorgueil

We arrived yesterday from SF and still jet-lagged but definitely wanted to catch up with our good friends Jose and Pablo before they leave for the states the following day to attend Pablo's daughter's wedding. It's like playing tag team. So, we had dinner with them on Monday night. It was a very cold dreary and day, and it was June 21,go figure?. Well I guess we didn't move to Paris for the weather. We went to our regular neighborhood resto Epicierie on Rue Montorgueil. It's nothing special, but they serve good quick food and all the service people know Pablo and Jose since they go there at minimum twice a week and treat us very special. I think I may have mentioned that they don't have a kitchen so they eat out every night. Restos can't always be on the mark and tonight they missed their mark, oh well, we had fun none-the-less.

Brief summary of my food philsophy......

I’ve been in love with food for as long as I can remember—so much so that I once went to the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco… just for fun. After retiring, I started a cooking club where we did live demos, invited home cooks and local chefs to share their favorite family recipes, and hosted plenty of delicious events. Along the way, I’ve helped chefs create menus, joined wine-and-food pairing dinners, written restaurant reviews, worked in test kitchens, and yes—even catered a few weddings. I’ll admit, I have a soft spot for Asian and other ethnic cuisines, but I’m happy to eat just about anything. Whenever I travel, my first stop is always the local market—it’s the best way to get to know a country’s culture and its people. And while I do enjoy French cuisine, I don’t see it as the “be-all and end-all.” There’s a whole world of flavors out there, and I want to taste them all.