Sundays in Paris

I'm sure that many newcomers to Paris are shocked to see such a lively city become a silent ghost-town on Sundays.


A general calm blankets the city as Parisians opt out of public life for their quiet homes. There is a welcome pause from all of the typical weekday city noise- a temporary end to the superfluous police sirens, the constant tunnels of air from passing cars, and the shouts and conversations from pedestrians. Shops display iron grates and "closed" signs instead of new wares, and the only life on the street seems to be the street cleaners sweeping away the excesses of the Saturday night prior.

I look at Sundays as an opportunity to read the books that I neglected on Friday and Saturday night, to go on long, meandering walks, full of both empty and full thoughts, and to cook some more labor-intensive dishes. Sundays are great for leisurely picnics with friends as well.

Yet, for those craving a bit of action on Sundays, the city doesn't have to be so depressing. In fact, there's a whole quartier that's full of life. Here's a small guide for people who want some nice walking, good food, and an otherwise lively Sunday afternoon.

1) Market Action at Bastille Market


One of the most largest, most action-packed and affordable markets happens to take place on Sundays- The Bastille Market. Walk along the Seine towards Place de la Bastille or hop on the Metro (lines 1, 5, and 8) and get off on the Bastille stop (conveniently named). This market has everything- from beautiful produce to never-ending fish stands and Italian butchers. The prices are right and the crowd is a pleasant mixture of Parisians and tourists. Plus, the boulangeries in the surrounding area are open for quick, on-the-go breakfasts. This is the perfect place to start a Sunday morning.

Marché Bastille
Thursdays and Sundays, 7:30 am- 2 pm
Boulevard Richard Lenoir
75011 Paris
Métro: Bastille

2) Picnics and Sunbathing at Place de Vosges

Located just a walking distance away from the market, Place de Vosges is the oldest planned square in Paris (built during the era of Henry IV). It's hard to miss, as it's constructed from beautiful red bricks. Apparently Victor Hugo lived in a house along one of its edges. While the restaurants inside the square tend to be over-priced and touristy, the lawn is a wonderful place to sit and relax during the late Sunday morning, perhaps also to enjoy whatever market items you might have picked up earlier at Bastille. I'm sorry that I don't have a picture, but I'm happy to provide directions from Bastille Market...

Place de Vosges
From the Bastille Metro stop, take Rue Saint-Antoine away from Bastille, in the direction of the Louvre, or Notre Dame. You'll pass Rue de Tournelles, an impassé (or dead-end street), and finally your third right will take you right to the heart of Place de Vosges. Again, look for the red brick!

3) Shopping and Dining in the Marais


The Marais, or the hip Gay and Jewish neighborhood of the city is the place to be on a Sunday. Located in the 4th arrondissement and encompassing Place de Vosges, it's packed with small clothing, tea, and gift boutiques, as well as some really good restaurants. Check out Rue de Rosiers for the oh-so-famous (five Euro) falafel sandwiches and many a New York-style Jewish deli.

Rue de Rosiers

Rue de Turenne has some excellent clothing shops and a couple of good boulangeries. Rue de Vieille Temple houses lots of great bars and restaurants, as well as bookstores, galleries, and gelato spots. Wander inwards and you'll stumble upon the Enfants Rouges indoor market, replete with Moroccan, Italian, Lebanese, Caribbean, and Japanese restaurants.

A displayed menu at Enfants Rouges Market

My advice to people coming to the Marais is to use the Saint-Paul metro stop (located on Rue de Rivoli, which is the same street as Rue Saint-Antoine) as a starting point. Wander inwards along one of the major streets (Rue de Vieille Temple is a great one), and stop along the shops and cafés along the way. Carry a map, as it's quite easy to step out of the Marais. Finally, don't be afraid to ask those hip Parisians for directions if you're lost!

The Marais
Métro Saint-Paul
Wander in the direction away from the Seine. The area is bordered by Rue de Rivoli (which becomes Rue Saint-Antoine) and is located in the 3rd and 4th arrondissements

How to Wash and Store Salad Greens

There are two things that are guaranteed to be in my mother's kitchen at this time of year : a bowl of kiwis and a zip-lock bag of washed, dried, and properly-stored lettuce.

The bowl of kiwis merits its own post, but essentially it's never empty and never, ever full of rotten fruit. My mom eats those little furry fruits everyday, standing over the sink unabashedly as she does it. She slices them with a paring knife, allowing the extra juices to fall freely.

The salad greens are her pride and joy. I was barred from washing and drying greens until I was deemed "responsible" enough to do so correctly (it took twenty years, folks!) Proper salad care takes a bit of patience, but it can be quite the nurturing exercise, and it pays off in the end with beautiful, delicious salads! So I thought I'd share the process with you, especially since I want to encourage you to make as many salads as possible this summer :)

To begin, lettuce is grown in very sandy, wet environments. An incomplete washing will leave unexpected gritty bites in an otherwise delicious salad. Furthermore, the greens won't hold salad dressing unless they're completely dry! So not only is a good rinse necessary, but also a thorough drying session.

So here's the step by step process:

1) Pull that beautiful head of lettuce out of your grocery bag and check the outside for spotted, or otherwise too-tough leaves. Discard those reject leaves. Don't feel guilty! Place the remaining head of lettuce in a colander.

2) Place the colander under cold, running water. It has to be cold, not even lukewarm, as the salad greens hold their shape better under a cold rinse! Peel away the layers of leaves, holding each new leaf under the water for a few seconds and using your hands to ensure that all of the sand is removed.

3) Give each washed leaf a good shake in the sink as you go and place it aside, either on an outstretched towel or in another colander designated for clean greens.

4) When the washing is finished, take a look at that glorious pile of dripping leaves! If you're like me and you don't have a salad spinner, take about two kitchen towels and begin patting your lettuce dry.... make sure that you get as much water off of the leaves as possible!

5) Place the dry leaves in a resealable zip-lock bag with a damp paper towel. Drop the zip-lock bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge. If washed and stored properly, they should last for 4 or 5 days!

Enjoy!

Color and Salads

I remember vividly the colors of Spain- the golden yellow cobblestone paths, the vibrant red walls of the tapas bars that I frequented, the chalky gray-white countertops where I'd sip from small glasses of café con leche and slice a fork through those bright yellow wedges of tortilla de patata flecked with caramelized onions.

Paris has its own color scheme- lots of grays throughout the paved streets, creamy white and pastel buildings, dark roofs, bright yellow post offices, and red awnings of brasseries, perhaps with golden letters written elegantly on their windows. Yet one thing I'm grateful for here in my color-seeking ways is the fact that there are splashes of green throughout this city. Sure, I see lots of trees on streets and in these lush parks, but the green I'm most excited to see that that which billows off of giant white plates set on wooden tables....Yes, I'm talking about salad greens.

I think that the French have mastered the art of the salade composée, or, in English, the composed salad. The very base of a composed salad is a pillow-y mass of greens. As much as I love Romaine lettuce, the French salad calls for a collection of greens so soft and gentle-looking a person might be tempted to rest his or her head against the pile and dream of frolicking through French farmland. The item to top the salad is determined by the whims of the chef. I've seen toasts with baked chèvre balancing precariously on the lettuce, draped pieces of prize jambon, little balls of mozzarella and melon, sliced hard-boiled eggs, grilled and curried chicken, you name it! Accompanied by a small basket of hand-sliced baguette, these salads are the epitome of summer to me.

In Paris, one can find these salads at almost any restaurant, bistro, or brasserie. However, I'll give you a tip for the best salad-sighting. Head out to an antique fair around lunchtime and watch as the vendors set up their midday meal. There's nothing more rustic-looking to me than a woman peeling apart layers of sliced ham on a wooden charcuterie board as her son tosses a brilliant pile of multi-colored butter lettuces and her husband mixes the vinegarette in some ancient jar. Normally, on the fold-out table will be a generous wedge of brie and some pain de la campagne as well.

I've been making my own composed salads recently with wedges of tomatoes, cucumbers, eggs, and parsley. I also had quite a nice one with nectarines, mozzarrella, and Parma ham... all tossed with peppery arugula. While I'd like to leave the salad creativity to you, I thought I'd link to this wonderful recipe for a French vinaigrette, courtesy of the amazing David Lebovitz. Make sure you get your hands on a really good Dijon mustard for it!

Bon Appetit!

A Quick Culinary Thought

I promise a more substantial post soon, perhaps with a recipe for a beautiful composed French salad, but for the moment on this Parisian July 4th I thought I'd dispense just one whimsical glimpse towards my homecoming.

The dinner I am going to prepare when I'm home:

Caprese Salad with heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozarella (perhaps buratta?)

Grilled Asparagus tossed with a lemony-mustardy- tribute-to-France vinaigrette

Grilled lamb chops or chicken- Armenian style, served with some brown rice or pilaf

Dessert: Mango sorbet accompanied by a dollop of pistachio ice cream....a crazy and delicious combo that I've just discovered.

Happy Grilling!

Same City, Another Paris

As I was stumbling through the freezing streets in January and February, wishing that my route home was just that much shorter so I wouldn't have to face the biting winds any longer, I swore to myself that when the weather improved I'd explore all of the areas of the city away from the Seine....from the bottom roots of Paris to the very top reaches.

If there's one unfortunate thing that I've learned, it's that it's entirely possible for someone to live here in a little English-speaking, Hemingway café-going, Bon Marché shopping bubble. The sheer diversity of lives within this microcosm is incredible, and just dipping into the shallow pools of those of the wealthiest lifestyle can only leave you shivering with cold. Those who follow such a lifestyle don't know this diversity of this place, and to their detriment, they never will.

I stopped worrying for them. And I also realized that for a tourist here for a week, it's essential to see all of those sights that the guidebooks extol and the famous artists and writers of our time have captured through words and works. If you're here for only a bit, by all means go to the museums, walk along the Seine, stand under the Eiffel Tour, walk up to Montmartre, eat a croissant from a famous bakery (best experience is sitting on one of those parked city Velib bikes while doing it so you can see the crowds go by, go for it!), take a stroll around the Jardin de Luxembourg, hit up lots of open-air markets, eat out, and, if you're lucky to know some people here, eat in at their apartments, check out all of the ancient bookstores, and tiny galleries in the winding alleys... because that's Paris. There is no doubt about it!

But recently, I've discovered a different area of the city, lively, yet full of calm patches... I thought I'd take you along on the trip and give you the addresses of the sites so you can make a day of it if you're here!

1) Belleville Market

This is no ordinary market. Stretching for blocks upon blocks, it's filled with people and goods from all over the world. With roots from North and West Africa to China, the vendors carry fruits and vegetables unavailable at the markets closer to the Seine, and at very reasonable prices. This is the kind of market where you're enveloped by the smells of melons as male vendors yell out sales and dole out slices, and those older French, Arab, and Chinese women jostle you as they pass along with their little French shopping baskets. It's a one of a kind experience, expect a good haul!

Le Marché de Belleville
Tuesdays and Fridays, 7:30-2pm
‪63 Boulevard de Belleville‬
‪75011 Paris‬
‪Métro: Couronnes ‬

2) Canal Saint-Martin

I remember talking to a Parisian friend about my favorite places in the city, and as I rattled off my list, I noticed that she was shrugging ambivalently... apparently I hadn't mentioned one of the best, and most Parisian picnic spots! This canal is tiny, located in the 11th arrondissement, but it's a spot not to miss. Walk or bike along its banks, only to take a quick stop for a home-packed picnic, movie at the theater alongside, or a meal at one of the bistros or restaurants in the area.

Canal Saint-Martin
Métro: Juarès

3) Le Parc des Buttes Chaumont

I never, ever, ever thought that I would discover a nature area so beautiful and pristine in this city. I get nostalgic for California every time I come, and then I find that the nostalgia quickly dissolves into an absolute love for Paris and the Parisians that keep this place a secret to all of those colorful tourists out there. One can romp along the steep, grassy, untamed hills, or meditate on a serene patch of green, or watch as little kids climb up the grand rocks to the small lookouts above. Ah, tranquility in this hurried city.

I have yet to go, but there is apparently a really neat bar here called Rosa Bonheur. So if you're in town, check it out!

Parc des Buttes Chaumont
Métro: Laumière, Buttes Chaumont, or Botzaris
or, take a stroll up the Canal Saint-Martin and a make gradual right turn to get there.


So my advice to any visitors here (for longer than a week) is the following: Take a Tuesday or Friday, get up and head out to the market, buy some nice fruit (you won't get much cheese or prepared meats here, but just stop by one of those nearby, always ubiquitous boulangeries to buy some sandwiches for lunch!) Gather your picnic materials, walk along the Canal Saint-Martin up towards the Parc des Buttes Chaumont, and make a day of it there... lay out your goods on the grass and be ready for some good conversation, meditation, or reading time!

Enjoy!

Corners and Ratatoullie

When I step outside the big blue doors of my apartment building I find myself on one of the many busy, bustling streets of Paris. Sirens sound as police cars swerve through traffic, a melange of languages permeates the airwaves in great planes of sound as crowds of tourists idle in front of shop windows, and the normal bangs and clashes of street cleaners sweeping their way through an abandoned marketspace ring through the air. As I make my way down the street I often find myself trapped between quickly moving Parisian businesspeople and the slowly stumbling tourists. The stop-and-go nature of the whole thing is more nerve-wracking than one would imagine!

So as time has worn on, I've begun to search out the little corners and tiny streets distributed sparsely throughout the madness. I like to sit in these tiny impassable streets, slightly removed from the cacaphony, and read a book as the smells of the city woft overhead. Perfumes from flowers in the windowsill above float gently down towards me and the savory scents of cooking vegetables and meats from lunch seem to curl around in the spaces between the apartments. I like to glance up at the tranquil, curtained windows of these apartments and imagine how many tiny living compartments exist in this city, and how many people must cook and sleep and carry out their lives in them.I like to think that sometimes, maybe, just perhaps, one of these lunchtime cooks is preparing the oh-so-famous French plate of ratatouille! It's certainly not the most exciting of dishes, and even though every chef that I talk to here seems to have a "special" recipe of his or her own, the majority of ratatouilles that I've seen are pretty much the same. There's no other way to describe it except a colorful array of vegetables set to simmer in a pot with some oil for an hour or two.So I tried a version of my own. It's great as an accompaniment to meat or as the center of a fritata...

Ratatouille

1 eggplant, sliced into half-moon pieces
2 zucchinis, ditto
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 medium-sized shallot, diced
a good handful of cherry tomatoes
a handful of chopped parsley

Heat a good glug of olive oil in a deep pan over medium heat, add the eggplant with some salt and a bit of water and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the eggplant and do the same with the zucchini. Remove the zucchini as well, then cook the garlic and shallot until the shallot is translucent. Add the pre-cooked zucchini and eggplant and the handful of tomatoes. Here's the fun part, squish the tomatoes gently with a spoon as you stir the vegetables. Add a bit of water, cover and cook for about 40 minutes to an hour.... you want to check on things and add either water or oil every so often until things are sufficiently cooked-down. At the very end add the chopped parsley.

Serve alongside a main, or with a poached egg on top!

Bon Appetit!

Je Reviens!

Bonjour my friends! I took a bit of a hiatus there, but I just wanted to say that I'm coming back. I've had some great inspiration, namely in the form of some dear friends that came to visit and with whom I some wonderful conversation over excellent food. Here's to some new posts!