Happy First Birthday, Mom Mom’s Apron!

Posted on by
6

When my first son was born in 1996, scrapbooking was all the rage. Ambitious moms everywhere made gorgeous die-cut pages of everything from their baby’s first tooth to their baby’s first head injury. Typical of so many interests in my life (exercise, needlepoint, a raw food diet, etc.), I liked the idea of it so much more than actually doing it. That is why there are probably $500 worth of scrapbooking supplies spread throughout the house, and only two completed scrapbook pages.

Like many other endeavors I’ve quit/failed, I rationalized why it was so stupid and I really didn’t want to do it anyway. My favorite criticism is that scrapbooking is inauthentic and designed to make mothers feel like they’re so perfect with their themed birthday parties and coordinated first day of school outfits and exotic vacations. That isn’t real life, I said. That is only the highlight reel. Where is the blow-out diaper page? Where is the bad report card page? Where is the speech therapy page?

I started this blog to record my favorite recipes, but I quickly realized it was a vehicle for recording my life. And, like a scrapbooker, I am choosing to record mostly the good parts, with a few mundane parts thrown in. While my life is incredibly blessed, it is far from perfect, and I serve no one by pretending it is. That is one of the dangers of blogging — the sometimes inauthentically perfect picture one paints. As a reader of many blogs, especially lifestyle blogs, I know that sometimes you just want to throw rotten tomatoes at Little Miss Perfect. Sometimes, in your darker moments, you wait for her to fail. And sometimes you flat out hope that she does fail. I hope no one feels that way about me, but I understand. Out of respect for my family and my kids, and out of my own stubborn pride, I am not sharing the difficult parts, the unglamorous parts, the sad parts. But let me assure you, those parts exist, too. Yes, indeedy, they do.

A lot of people have asked me if I’ve reached blogging “success.” I have no idea what that means, really, but I’m pretty sure the answer is no. I’ve yet to earn enough money from this blog to buy even the cheapest cup of coffee from Starbucks, but I’ve earned enough for a box of Altoids. Maybe by this time next year I’ll have earned enough for an entire lunch. However, I have produced a nice record of food I served my family for the last year and archived some recipes and experiences I’m sure would be otherwise forgotten. As I get older and forget more and more little details, it’s nice to go back and see a reference to a birthday or a hurricane or an ordinary day of my life in 2011.

I am so grateful for every single reader, regular or occasional, every single comment, every person who has stumbled across here through a Google search for an easy lasagne. I am honored you took the time to read my recipes and stories, and I’m hoping you’ll stay with me for another year.

To commemorate my blogiversary, I am highlighting my favorite recipes from each category posted the first year of this blog. This was harder than expected, but I’m a sucker for a Best Of list, and I thought it would be a good way to mark my first anniversary and perhaps resurrect some recipes buried in the archives.

Mom Mom’s Apron 1st Anniversary Best Of List, 2011-2012:

Best Appetizer

Best Salad

Best Main Dish

Best Side Dish

Best Sauce

Best Dessert

Walnut Arugula Pesto

Posted on by
Reply

I was so excited to see this recipe in Fine Cooking last month, and when my friends at The Bitten Word gave it the thumbs up today, I just knew I had to try it sooner than later. I have found myself with some sad looking arugula not long for this world, and this recipe looked like the perfect last hurrah.

There are certain foods throughout my life which fall in and out of favor. Yogurt, for example. I literally won’t touch it for years at a time, and then run back to it with open arms. Pesto is also in that category. I loved it, then I didn’t want to look at it for years, and now it’s back again in my good graces.

I love everything about this pesto. The basil and arugula compliment each other surprisingly well, and the walnuts add such richness and body that I didn’t miss the pine nuts at all. Oh, speaking of pine nuts, here’s an interesting pine nut story:

Several years ago, I found myself with a strange metallic aftertaste in my mouth. It was very strong and didn’t go away no matter what I did. Everything tasted awful for almost a whole week. (A smarter girl would have used this as an opportunity to diet, but I just kept right on eating.) Having earned a PhD from University of Google, my exhaustive research narrowed down the culprit to some pine nuts I had put in my salad (after eliminating my initial diagnosis of cancer and mercury poisoning, of course). Apparently, there is a phenomenon known as “pine mouth,” and it’s a taste disturbance caused from certain pine nuts usually originating from China (read this). I have enjoyed pine nuts for years with never a problem, so this syndrome can strike out of the blue. Interesting, eh? The good news is that pine nuts and I are back together after our four year breakup, but they are not needed for this particular pesto.

Walnut Arugula Pesto by David Bonom, featured in Fine Cooking (June/July 2012)

1/4 cup walnut halves
2 cups loosely packed fresh arugula (2-1/2 oz.)
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil (about 1/2 oz.)
3 Tbs. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 medium clove garlic
5 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the walnuts, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and a shade darker, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly on a plate, about 3 minutes, and then transfer to a food processor. Add the arugula, basil, Parmigiano, and garlic and process until the mixture is very finely chopped, about 1 minute. With the motor running, slowly add 4 Tbs. of the oil until well combined. If you like, add 1 Tbs. water to thin the pesto. Transfer to a bowl and season to taste with salt.

Crème Fraîche: Almost As Easy As Boiling Water

Posted on by
Reply

I just love crème fraîche, with its cute little circumflex chapeau above the î that whispers, “I am fancy. Pay lots of money for me!”

Even if you are the kind of person who might want to spend $8.00 for eight ounces of cream, it’s not always easy to find in stores. And even if you find it cheaper online, don’t get too excited — shipping will be at least twenty bucks! Quite a pickle.

I was so surprised to learn that making your own crème fraîche is the easiest thing in the world. With the summer fruit season upon us, a lovely dollop of crème fraîche over fresh fruit or dessert is a simple and elegant touch. I prefer it unsweetened, but you certainly may add some sugar if desired. Crème fraîche also adds richness and panache to everything from sauces to seafood to salad.

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon plain yogurt or buttermilk

That’s all! Can you believe it?

Place heavy cream in glass container (a measuring cup is fine). Stir in buttermilk or yogurt. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave it alone for 24 hours in a room 70 to 75 degrees. Stir it once or twice. If it’s thick like mayonnaise, voila! You are done. If it’s not thick enough, give it another five or six hours, then stir and refrigerate. Store it covered in the refrigerator and use in ten days or less.

Blueberry Crumble

Posted on by
4

Even though I’m no stranger in the kitchen, there remain a few areas I’ve yet to conquer. I still cannot bake a respectable pie, and since Ed learned this important life skill in college, I rarely bother to try. How many pie bakers does one family need?

I am a big fan, however, of that show-off Pie’s less glamorous step sisters, Crumble, Cobbler and Crisp. Unlike fussy pie, which can taste so bad when not done properly, crumbles, cobblers and crisps are kind of hard to screw up. I’ve had good ones and I’ve had great ones, but I’ve never had terrible ones. This recipe I’m sharing is a great one.

Nate and I made this lovely blueberry crumble yesterday, and it’s as easy as it is delicious. Sous chef Nate suggested adding some cinnamon to the crumble, and I thought that was a marvelous idea.

Blueberry Crumble adapted from The Farm: Rustic Recipes for a Year of Incredible Food by Ian Knauer, original recipe posted on Leite’s Culinaria here

Filling:

12 ounces (about 1 pint) fresh blueberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Crumble:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a nine inch pie plate. In a medium bowl, gently combine blueberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine all ingredients in crumble except for butter. Thoroughly wash and dry your hands, even if you just did so recently. This is important! Now, with your clean hands, smoosh the butter pieces into the dry ingredients until well combined but still clumpy.

Pour blueberry mixture into buttered pie pan. Top with crumble mixture. Bake about 30 minutes, and allow to cool slightly before serving. Serve plain (boring!), with whipped cream or with vanilla ice cream. As you can see, our family easily devoured this in one sitting — the true mark of a winner!

Tomato and Sourdough Bread Salad by David Lebovitz

Posted on by
3

I just finished reading The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz, and I highly recommend it. I have found his observations about life in Paris so validating. Apparently it was not just my paranoid imagination — people really were playing chicken with me on the narrow sidewalks while simultaneously judging my wardrobe. In addition to his witty and astute observations, this book contains several wonderful recipes which I can’t wait to try.

Our first three tomatoes of the season just turned red, so any recipe with the word tomato in it immediately catches my eye these days. Believe it or not, I have never made a panzanella (bread salad) before, probably because I’m not that keen on soggy bread. But for some reason, this recipe appealed to me yesterday, and I’m glad I went with my instincts. This salad was so flavorful and light, yet filling enough to stand alone for dinner on a hot summer night.

Salade De Tomates Au Pain Au Levain
Tomato and Sourdough Bread Salad
from The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz

Ingredients:

4 cups roughly torn 1-inch pieces of sourdough bread
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/4 tsp coarse salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
6 tbsp red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to taste
8 medium tomatoes
1 large cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and seeded (as you can see, I thinly sliced)
3/4 cup pitted black olives (the author prefers kalamata olives)
1 red onion, peeled and diced
1 packed cup mixed coarsely chopped fresh basil, mint and flat-leaf parsley
1/2 pound feta cheese

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spread the bread pieces on a baking sheet and toast until deep golden brown, about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice as they’re toasting. Set aside to cool.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, salt, pepper to taste, garlic, vinegar and olive oil.

3. Remove the stems from the tomatoes, slice in half and squeeze out the juice. Cut them into 1-inch pieces. Cut them into 1-inch pieces. Cut the cucumber into 1/2-inch pieces.

4. Add the tomatoes and cucumber to the bowl with the dressing. Mix in the olives, onion, herbs and bread pieces and toss well. Taste and add more salt, oil and vinegar to your liking.

5. Crumble the feta over the top in large chunks and toss briefly. Let stand 1-2 hours before serving.

My Trashiest Recipe Ever: Cap’n Crunch French Toast

Posted on by
2

First, we need to get a few things off my chest. This was ED’S idea, not mine, as if that wouldn’t go without saying. Secondly, one piece of this french toast is 829 calories. One piece. 829 calories. I will let that sink in for a minute. Finally, writing Cap’n (sic) Crunch would just make me look like a pompous ass, but I briefly considered it. I know how to spell captain and feel no need to abbreviate it, but that’s how the marketers of this fine cereal spell it. Considering the fact that the “junkie” cereal I usually buy for the kids is Honey Nut Cheerios, you can imagine my humiliation from the perceived judgement of my fellow shoppers seeing a gigantic red box of Cap’n Crunch atop my quinoa and organic apples. The only thing missing was a big blue bottle of Hi-C juice drink.

I never make french toast myself, but my Mom is famous around here for her french toast and makes it for the kids for breakfast whenever she visits. They love french toast! Not one to be outdone, Ed heard of this recipe from a coworker and decided it would be fun to try one day. He is Mr. Breakfast most Saturday mornings, a tradition the kids and I love, and as any mom knows, you don’t mess with your husband when he’s making breakfast. If Mr. Breakfast wanted Cap’n Crunch, I would bring him Cap’n Crunch, no questions asked (but maybe a little silent eye rolling).

Turns out Cap’n Crunch French Toast is pretty awesome, even though you need to sweat one hour on the treadmill to work off one measly piece. I would definitely categorize this as a special once or twice a year treat, for obvious reasons. The kids loved it, and I concede the texture and flavor was absolutely (and, okay, surprisingly) perfect. Mr. Breakfast never steers us wrong, even if he’s not a real Cap’n.

Cap’n Crunch French Toast by chow n groove, Food.com, printable recipe here

Ingredients

    • 6 large eggs
    • 5 tablespoons sugar
    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
    • 1/2 cup butter
    • 1 (16 ounce) boxes Cap’n Crunch cereal ( don’t use the cheaper brands)
    • 1 loaf Texas toast thick bread

Directions

  1. Pour Cap’n Crunch into a gallon-size ziplock bag and crush to a course meal — make sure there are a few good size pieces in the mix. Pour into a 9×13 pan in order to dredge properly.
  2. Combine eggs, sugar, cream, vanilla, and spices in a large bowl. It will have the consistency of custard.
  3. Soak each slice of Texas Toast in wet ingredients, 30 seconds each side. Be sure the edges are moist, too.
  4. Dredge in Cap’n Crunch, lightly press onto each side, and around the crust. Place on parchment paper until all slices are coated.
  5. Heat 2 tbs. butter in large skillet, then gently place slices in pan; two at a time.
  6. Cook three minutes per side. Place on parchment covered baking pan in a warm oven.

Orzo with Chicken, Cherry Tomatoes and Gorgonzola

Posted on by
Reply

It was yet another, “Oh, lord, I have to feed these people AGAIN?” kind of day, and this recipe came across my Facebook feed just in time to save dinner. Thank you, Fine Cooking, for the inspiration. Their original recipe, the foundation for my creation, can be found here.

If you’re not a fan of strong cheese such as Gorgonzola, move along…this recipe will not be for you. And don’t even THINK of substituting it with any other cheese! I highly recommend splurging on some sherry vinegar, which my newly appointed cooking guru David Lebovitz favors over balsamic. But I do think for this recipe, any old red wine vinegar will do if you don’t feel like running out to buy a sherry vinegar, which is not always available in every store. Aside from the dressing and the cheese, this recipe is very open to improvisation. The combination of sweet cherry tomatoes and strong Gorgonzola is just perfect.

Orzo with Chicken, Cherry Tomatoes and Gorgonzola

Kosher salt
2-1/4 cups orzo
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
1/3 cup sherry vinegar, more as needed
freshly ground pepper
3 cups halved cherry tomatoes (preferably a mix of colors and shapes)
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
1 to 2 cups cooked cubed chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 thick slices of red onion, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
olives (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook per package instructions. Drain the pasta and toss it immediately with 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Let the pasta cool completely in the refrigerator.

Put the sherry vinegar in a small bowl and gradually whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and additional sherry vinegar or olive oil as needed.

Put the cooked, cooled orzo in a large serving bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes, Gorgonzola, chicken, onions, olives and the vinaigrette and toss. Taste and season as needed with more salt and pepper. Serve within an hour or two of making.

Bob Blumer’s Maple Salmon

Posted on by
Reply

Before I set off for Paris, I figured I would return home super excited to cook again after my long break from servitude daily meal prep. However, I am still finding my groove again. As it turns out, dining out in Paris for many days only inspires one to return home and…order pizza? dine out more? serve cereal for dinner? All of the above. Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s the post-vacation blues, but I’m really not all that into cooking these days.

So, anyway, congratulations Mr. Bob Blumer, you have the honor of having created the recipe which I used for one of the first real post-Paris meals I bothered to cook, and the only one worth publishing. First and foremost, this salmon passed the Andrew Test. Andrew is my picky one who some days likes salmon, some days does not like salmon. He seems to like salmon only when I’ve not bought enough of it and counted on him NOT liking salmon that meal.  We had enough salmon last night, so he was gearing up to not like it, but he was immediately hooked after one bite and declared it his favorite new salmon. I agree with Andrew.

This recipe uses 3/4 cup of real maple syrup, which I realize can be kind of pricey. DO NOT USE FAKE SYRUP, THOUGH. NO MRS. BUTTERWORTH! If you want to use less maple syrup, start with 3 tablespoons of syrup to 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and then increase proportionately until you have enough marinade. Also, please give this at least 24 hours to marinade. It makes a huge difference. I made this once before and only marinaded a few hours, and it wasn’t nearly as good.

This recipe calls for the grill, but I cooked it in the oven at 450 for about three minutes a side.

Bob Blumer’s Maple Salmon from Glutton for Pleasure by Bob Blumer

¾ cup maple syrup
¼ cup soy sauce
4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed
¼ cup coarsely ground black pepper (Grind it yourself, or purchase “cracked” pepper at your grocery store.)

In a small deep bowl, or a resealable plastic bag, mix maple syrup and soy sauce. Add fillets so that marinade completely covers fish. Marinate in the refrigerator for as long as possible (a minimum of 4 hours, but ideally 24 – 48). Turn salmon (or bag) every few hours.

Preheat grill to medium-high direct heat.

Place pepper on a small plate. Remove salmon from marinade and pat top side into cracked pepper to coat.

Grill for approximately 3 minutes per side, starting with pepper side down, or until salmon is just on the verge of turning opaque.

yield 4 servings

The Food Groups of Paris

Posted on by
6

Writing about the food of Paris is almost as overwhelming as writing about my wedding day or the birth of a child — so filled with wonder, joy, sublime layers and feelings, but I can barely manage to choke out more than tired cliches when attempting to describe it, and those tired cliches will never do it justice. What shall I include? What shall I omit? Anything I write will be woefully inadequate, but I feel compelled to try.

How was the food and dining experience in Paris? Spectacular. Wondrous. Magical. Artistic. Satisfying. Fresh. Delicious. Loving. I am so happy that my fancy, dress-wearing events occurred at the beginning of my time in Paris and not at the end, because I’m pretty sure none of my dresses would have zipped up by days 5 through 10. Needless to say, we ate well. Very, very well.

I am intrigued, almost to the point of obsession, about how a country can remain so slim and chic, yet eat like they do. After careful study, I have concluded a few things. One, like many city dwellers throughout the world, they walk a lot. Lydia estimated that she walks about five kilometers a day (about three miles), and I believe it. They are not a sedentary people and yet most do not seem overly occupied with le sport and working out, as we do.

Two, they are not snackers. French people savor every meal, eating slowly, always putting down their forks between bites. Meals are never rushed. That was one of my favorite things about my time there — the ability to feel like I can sit, relax, eat, and converse through multiple courses. The fact that much of the country is still eating multi-course dinners at 9:00 pm does not seem to hurt their waistlines, so our old American maxim of “no eating after 7:00 pm” is heartily disproved in France.

And finally? Portion, portion, portion control. I loved eating an appetizer, main course, salad, dessert or cheese, followed by coffee or armagnac, and never once feeling like Miss Piggy because it really was a little bit of everything and most places did not serve giant American portions. I was satisfied without feeling like a glutton. Considering how well I ate, I really didn’t gain that much weight — about two and a half pounds. I am quite sure most Parisians would struggle maintaining their weight if they ate twenty-seven restaurant meals in row, too. I have a feeling if I ate as many American restaurant meals for ten days straight, that number on the scale would be much higher. In any event, only an idiot would go to Paris and attempt to keep any sort of diet. The food is as much a part of the landscape as the museums and monuments, and missing out on that would be missing out on Paris itself.

I love escargot so much that it hurts. It is truly one of my perfect foods, and having escargot in Paris was one of the greatest experiences of my culinary life. I think I ordered escargot four times during the course of my visit, and they were spectacular every time. The picture above is from a lovely restaurant in Le Marais called Carrette. Most of the time, they were served as pictured above, but I did order them once in puffed pastry, too. The simple preparation using garlic, wine, butter and herbs is my favorite.

Croissants are a big part of daily life in France, and even though I am not a big bread-in-the-morning fan, skipping croissants seemed like skipping the Eiffel Tower. This picture of my daily French breakfast was taken from my neighborhood cafe, a spot which was cordial but not especially friendly. However, the price was right — under 4 euros for a coffee and croissant, while my hotel charged three times that amount for the same plus cereal and fruit. It was a nice start to my morning, sitting outside with my leisurely croissant and coffee while planning my day. I will miss my daily croissant, but my jeans will stop fitting if I continue this tradition.

Salads are a popular choice for lunchtime, and I ordered a slightly different version of this carpaccio salad at least three times that I can recall. It was incredibly flavorful and satisfying without ever feeling heavy. I am going to attempt to make something like this at home very soon.

If I ate escargot every chance I got, Ed ate some version or another of salmon tartare: he had salmon tartare topped with avocado, he had salmon tartare topped with cream, he had salmon tartare topped with crab, and, shown above, he had salmon tartar topped with quinoa and herbs. Each version was delicious, but this one was probably my favorite.

Finally, no food post about Paris is complete without mentioning macarons, the petite French almond cookies filled with ganache. Macarons may have been around since the de’ Medicis, but they just came on to my radar recently. (Also, I recently discovered a hot new band from England called The Beatles, have you heard of them?) The two great places to purchase macarons in Paris are Laduree (pictured above) or Pierre Hermé, which was conveniently located around the corner of our hotel. I am still trying to process how I feel about macarons. For one, they are pricey — about $1.60 a piece, which is certainly one way to help exercise self control while eating cookies. This tiny box, which any of my children could single-handedly consume in one sitting, was about $28. Like many other delusional American home cooks, I think I will attempt to make them myself one of these days. Julia Child has taught me to be fearless in the kitchen.

I have so much more to share — I could easily go on (and on and on and on) for weeks more, but I do believe it is finally time to stop and focus on the present. I will leave you with one of my favorite pictures taken from a market in Le Marais, and it sums up Paris perfectly: the ordinary is beautiful, and there is beauty everywhere you turn. Everywhere. I am so incredibly fortunate to have had this experience, and I know it will always be with me in a thousand different ways. I have changed for the better.

I’ve seen you, beauty, and you belong to me now, whoever you are waiting for and if I never see you again, I thought. You belong to me and all Paris belongs to me and I belong to this notebook and this pencil. — Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

Postcard from Paris #3

Posted on by
1

Another highlight of my trip was an afternoon of lunch and shopping with my aunt’s cousin Lydia. It was nice to spend the day with a real Parisian, and a lovely one at that. I could exhale a bit and let someone else do the talking and expert maneuvering around Paris. Our first stop was the rather intimidating 24 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, home of Hermès. I simply could not go to Paris without stopping in there — if for no other reason than to say that I did — but I was happy to have my new French friend for backup. I considered buying a tie for Ed, but the one I liked the best is only available in the heavier silk twill, and I know that he would not have liked the thicker weight. The legendary window display was a vibrant yellow, with Kellys in offbeat combinations of red and green, orange and blue. If we’re shopping with my imaginary money, I’d still probably get my Kelly in a practical black color. See? Even imaginarily rich, I retain my good sense.

After Hermès, Lydia treated me to a fabulous outdoor lunch of beef carpaccio salad with shaved parmesan and mille feuille for dessert, and we headed to the world-renown Galeries Lafayette in search of a new handbag for moi. When we arrived at the Longchamp boutique, it was literally take-a-number-line-forms-here busy. Lydia told me that the Longchamp bags are really nothing special and not highly regarded among fashion savvy Frenchwomen, but very favored by foreigners. I read between the lines. She directed me to the Lancel section and told me Frenchwomen appreciate this brand which has been around since 1876 even though they have no presence in the US, and I immediately was drawn to the totes of their French Flair collection. Beautiful leather, beautiful hardware, and reversible (which I told myself would rationalize significantly blowing my self-imposed budget to Ed — if we think of it as TWO handbags instead of one, it’s almost a bargain, n’est ce pas?). I was happy to go for a bag which just felt better quality and aesthetically more “me.” It was a joy to shop with Lydia (don’t even get me started on the shoes! and the mustard!) and I look forward to her visit to the US later this summer.

My neighbor had recommended an English speaking wine tasting class by Ô Chateau, and we signed up for this one. From the website:

Ô Chateau’s Wine and Cheese Lunch has become a landmark for any gourmand traveler. We designed this tasting as a fun and different way to spend a meal in Paris. Instead of going to yet another restaurant, our Wine and Cheese Lunch is a great opportunity not only to taste good French products but also to get an education about them.

The tasting starts at noon in a beautiful tasting room. We’ll taste five different wines, coming from five different regions of France. From Champagne to Bordeaux, from Sancerre to the Rhone… just sit back and enjoy this tasty Tour de France of wine and cheeses – O Chateau style!

Most of the presentation will be focused on wine. Yet, your sommelier will suggest pairings, will explain to you why this cheese might work better with that wine. While you indulge in two of France’s best delicacies, you will learn about French wine, how to read a French label, how to pair it with food; you’ll be taken through a tour of France’s main wine regions…

A day spent walking around Paris can sure create an appetite, so servings of wine and cheese are generous. Plus we add some charcuterie (smoked ham from the South West of France, saucisson from Corsica…) to bring even more joy and color to the table.

I can assure you that this was every bit as fabulous as it sounds and definitely worth every euro. Sure, I am going to be absolutely insufferable at cocktail parties now, what with all my new found knowledge and dramatic affectations, but I accept that.

The weather in Paris was on the rainy side during our visit, but it rarely ever rained for long. Sunday was our first truly legitimate 100% sunny day, and the Parisians finally shed their coats and scarves and lounged en masse at the Jardin du Luxembourg. It was lovely to see so many people at rest, soaking up the sunshine and relaxing so openly. Like so much in Paris, the scene below felt right out of a movie. On the way to the gardens, we saw a man riding a bike with his little dog in the basket. Then we walked by a woman resting her head on a man’s shoulder while he read a book of poetry aloud. Can I make up a more beautiful French scene if I tried?

Next time: Food, fashion, whimsy and au revoir