Food(AKA…Life) in Paris

Food in Paris is important.  And, it is excellent.  And, obese people are few and far between.  And all of those svelte people start drinking wine at noon.  Why does this matter?  Well, it’s interesting and delicious and maybe its smart.  Our October “holiday” was last week and we ate and ate and ate.  And I didn’t care because we’re never in France, so I kept eating and even with all of that eating I probably only gained a pound or two – only because no normal person would eat in the quantities I did, just ‘because.’  And with the food comes a lot of walking – A LOT!  Yes, there is the Metro, but this is a walking city despite that.  And a lot of people run; really much more than I’ve seen in other big cities I’ve been in.  (Which reminds me, I need to get off of my pastry and cheese filled bum and get out there and start running again, ahem!)  So, they’re healthy despite the butter and cream and wine; they move, too.

Enough with the health/food rant.

Some photography, people:

Before the lunch rush, just chilling.

Some fantastically runny, smelly, strong cheese – never pasteurized and made with natural bacteria(be jealous America; this is real fromage!).

Crusty baguette with some weird lighting situation happening here in my friend, Leo’s dining area. Look at the “crumb” of the bread.

Some Wine to go with that cheese and baguette.  Yes, sir, very good indeed.

Something Italian.  My friend Leonardo is from Rome, so we had his Lasagne al Pesto.

Some impressive market produce; you cannot get artichokes like that in most places in the world.  The best I’ve seen, of course, are in Italy and in France.

An afternoon beer.

There they all are.  Just about across the street from Leo’s apartment.

And, what you get when you visit a real Creperie.  Some cider in a bowl!

And this is what it looks like when they light the alcohol for your crepe on fire, and then pour it on top (sorry, I didn’t have a great angle here).

Leo’s into buying and trying the strange and wonderful.  This japanese whiskey is not too shabby.

Oh, look, more bread. (My husband and youngest daughter.)

And a close-up of said bread; baguette.  Crispy on the outside; warm and chewy on the inside.  Fresh from the patisserie.

Look what else they sell at almost every patisserie in Paris.

We visited the Japanese grocery store called ‘K-Mart.’  For those of you from America, you will understand the humor in this.

Hey, look!  Cans of spam!

Ooohh!  More crepes!

And then you need some dessert after a honey-filled crepe, right?

Rue Daguerre – I need not say anything else but, if you love food, go here.  You can buy Fois Gras, Fromage, Baguettes, Greek, Italian, fresh fish, olive oil, honey.. everything.  Oh, pastries, bread and meat as well.

On Rue Daguerre.

Typical fruit and veggie shop in Paris – this on on Rue Daguerre.

You can even have a before-dinner beer on Rue Daguerre.

Did I mention how much I love Rue Daguerre and that you should go there?

And, then after the beer.  Go to, Au Vin de Rues because, even Travel+Leisure had something to say about it.  And it was some of the best food I’ve had – no, it’s in my top three.  So, it’s really that damned good!

Below is Fede’s(my husband’s) Canard(duck) with potato gratin.  Amazing and I’m not even a duck person!

Oh, and my Entrecote(really amazing steak) at Au Vin de Rues.  On the right, there, in the small ceramic dish.. yes, that is melted bleu cheese.  And, yes, I dipped my luscious steak and my hand-cut fries in to it and practically licked it clean(well, I would have it were socially acceptable).

Oh, look!  Au Vin de Rues also has really typical French desserts that you probably won’t find anywhere else, unless you are incredibly lucky or know a guy.

île flottante (floating island)

And some desserts you might find almost everywhere you go, but the quality is never matched.

If you hadn’t guessed, that is a creme brulee.  If you don’t know what a creme brulee is.. I have no words for you.

Hmm.. Baguettes again.  This is where my weight gain is probably rooted.

(that is my handsome husband, there on the left)

And, for breakfast, a trip to the patisserie – you know, just pick one – and a chocolate tarte for the little one!

You know what this is by now….

And to end this very tasty blog post, I would like to show you the crowning glory of French creation.

A locally made wheel of fromage(yes, cheese), made from whole, unpasteurised milk, made with natural bacteria, and put atop our table, oozing and wonderful.

Cheers, all!

-Cassie

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