Parisian Cuisine
“Lunch kills half of Paris, supper the other half.” Charles de Montesquieu A three hour lunch in Paris is not out of the ordinary. Perhaps not every day, but more often than you might expect. No, people don’t eat for hours. They commiserate, laugh, discuss, pontificate, negotiate, argue, teach, reflect, flirt, cajole, tease, write and read. They refresh, restore, renew, and enjoy themselves. Not once in the time I spent in Paris did I see a single individual eating ‘on the go’ as has become the standard practice in the U.S. Even when folks grabbed a croque monsieur and Orangina from a...
Read MoreParisian Landmarks
“…the whole of Paris is a vast university of Art, Literature and Music…it is worth anyone’s while to dally here for years. Paris is a seminar, a post-graduate course in Everything.” James Thurber, humorist & editor of The New Yorker Splendid, sublime… majestic, monumental…inconceivable, irreplaceable…trying to describe Paris is akin to trying to consume an elephant in one bite. Impossible. The best I can do is provide tasty nibbles around the edges of this most sumptuous feast in all the world. Last month we donned our tourista berets and skimmed the menu. This month, we’ll try to serve...
Read MoreVive la France
“What an immense impression Paris made upon me. It is the most extraordinary place in the world.” Charles Dickens Where to start in the City of Light? You could spend a lifetime meandering this magical metropolis and never begin to discover the treasures it holds. With 20 arrondissements arranged like a spiraled nautilus, you find yourself wandering down alleyways, across avenues and along boulevards, sampling a bounty of bistros and boutiques, monuments and musées, parcs and panoramas. It’s all too sumptuous and sensational. From postered kiosks to cozy cafes, from gallant gendarmes to...
Read MoreHonoring Mom
“All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” Abraham Lincoln It’s that time of year when we honor mothers everywhere with flowers, cards, gifts, and homemade tokens resplendent with glue and glitter (which we learned as adults were always mom’s favorite keepsakes). Many a handkerchief can be found embroidered with flowers or the title Mother, but today we focus on the simple and cozy, on the feeling of security and warmth the image of Mother engenders. We honor moms who sat up with you long into the night whether you were suffering from chicken pox or a broken heart. And...
Read MoreTulip Mania
“It’s spring fever. And when you’ve got it, you want—oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” Mark Twain This gaggle of giggling sprites sprinkling sunshine and happiness from corner to corner remind us to rejoice for spring has sprung. Even when trees remain lifeless and bare, the happy border of crocus and daffodils confirm spring is on its way. “A tree can be tempted out of its winter dormancy by a few hours of southerly sun— the readiness to believe in spring is stronger than sleep or sanity.”...
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