Thursday May 27th: A Parisienne Picnic for Deux

After reading a passage from Fodor's Paris Guide 2010 on how to spend the perfect day in the St. Germain, I was set on following their itinerary.  They suggested hot chocolate at Les Deux Magots, a very famous (and charming) cafe on the Blvd. Saint Germain.  This was to be followed by a walking tour of the neighborhood with culinary destinations whose products would combine to create a delightful picnic to be shared at Luxembourg Gardens.   I couldn't resist this!  It seemed both a little less structured and rushed than our three previous days had been, but it was also satisfying knowing that the shops we would stop in had come so highly recommended.  

Enjoying a cup of chocolat chaud: the hot cocoa there is outstanding!!  It tastes like a melted hershey's bar.

Our first stop was Le Grand Epicerie.  I'd be absolutely broke if we lived in Paris for many reasons, but this place would bankrupt us for sure.  It was the Bergdorf Goodman's of grocery stores where the items look so beautiful on display you can't imagine they could get any more appealing anywhere else.

The charcuterie selection was first class!  Mark got a few slices of prosciutto, some sausage, and a thin slice of duck liver pate that was to die for.

If only our spice collection at home could be this diverse and neatly presented...

The expression "like a kid in a candy store" had never had a truer meaning...

Our next stop was Quarterhomme where we selected a small wedge of a soft blue cheese, a small wedge of Camembert, and a small version of the St. Felicien I tried yesterday with Paule.

We were so taken with Poilane and couldn't have been more excited that it was on our picnic planning itinerary.  I couldn't wait to go back again just to smell the intoxicating aroma of their freshly baked breads. 

We bought a brioche, a few slices of their famous sourdough, and a slice of flan (which if you were a McKenzie's Bakery fan tasted just like their custard pie - my favorite item from there!).

The last stop on our sightseeing picnic planning route was Pierre Herme.  Wow!!!  What a beautiful shop.  It would be my dream to be able to create pastries as stunning and tasty as these.  With my new found love of salted caramel, I selected a large salted caramel macaron.  Mark went with a beautiful chocolate and hazelnut dessert that came in the most precious little box!

From my journal:  I had so much fun walking around the St. Germain today with Mark.  While we had a destination in mind, it felt like we just kind of let the neighborhood lead us on our way.  And I think the drizzle and the gray skies added a little romance to the excursion since it kept the streets from being overcrowded.  For the first time since we had arrived, we would find ourselves walking together with no one else around.  That was the Paris I had imagined - private, and quiet, and peaceful.  We had finally found it.

Because it was raining, we opted for a picnic on our balcony versus one in the Jardin du Luxembourg.  I'd say it turned out quite nicely!

That's my kind of spread!

I'd give anything to be back on that balcony about to dig in to the little picnic we had created!

From my journal: Just as the rain forced our picnic inside, a parade started rolling down the street across from the hotel!  They aren't throwing beads, but there are bands, and people in costumes, and floats.  For the first time since we left the states, I feel at home here.

Wednesday May 26th: Promenades Gourmandes - A Foodie's Paradise

Today was the BIG day!  My Christmas gift from Mark was a unique culinary experience with Paule Caillat of Promenades Gourmandes.  The day is broken into four segments: the market tour, the cooking class, the cuisine, and the gourmet tour.

My class had eight foodie pupils from the US, Canada, and Brazil in it.  We were instructed to meet at Patisserie Stroher on Rue Montorgueil.  It was here that I was first introduced to my instructor Paule.  

THE MARKET TOUR:

From my journal:  I arrive to meet Paule and my classmates at the patisserie.  Paule is friendly and warm and welcomes me into the group immediately.  She takes us through the markets that line this beautiful and charming street.  She knew everyone in the bakery, fish market, cheese shop, and produce market we visited.  Oh, the produce!  The leeks were wonderful: green and plentiful.  The fennel smelled of licorice as I passed them on their shelf.  The asparagus, whether white or green, were fat and fresh. 

Here is a collage of photos from our market tour.

THE COOKING CLASS

I could not have been more excited to get cooking.  We learned we would be making bechamel sauce, twice baked souffles, roasted pork, glazed pork roast, Moroccan style vegetable tajine, strawberry tart with almond cream featuring the Caillat family pastry crust, and a flourless chocolate cake.  That's a pretty astounding menu, right!

Paule gave us handouts that contained the recipes for each dish as well as helpful tips for reference to use when we want to recreate this delicious feast at home.  We learned that a good souffle must contain egg whites perfectly fluffed and lightly incorporated into the bechamel base so that the souffles remain light as air.  Paule taught us that a good pork roast must contain a decent amount of fat in order to keep the pork moist and flavorful.  Morocco and France are sisters in the culinary world and their use of herbs and spices marry well together, especially in vegetable dishes.  Finally, a pastry crust and flourless chocolate cake are NOT impossible to create on your own!  A little patience and, most importantly, the highest quality ingredients make it  something you can do all in your own kitchen!

Paule seasoning the pork

The pork is about to go into a low oven - take note of the scoring on the fat

The base of any good French jus we learned was onions and carrots

A perfectly risen souffle!

This was the best tarte I have ever tasted!  I am sooo happy to have a good pastry crust recipe!

THE CUISINE

As you can imagine, we were all very excited to taste these amazing creations.  Before we got started with the meal, we had a cheese tasting.  Holy cow!  Actually, in this case, I should also say holy sheep!  The cheese we sampled were both cow and sheep's milk cheeses.  Paule taught us that a cheese tasting should begin with the most mild sample and progress to the most pungent or flavorful cheese.  We had:

In the picture start with the grey goat cheese log and go clockwise:

1. St. Maure de Tourine - a soft, mild goat cheese
2. Crottin de Chavignol - a second goat cheese, a bit firmer than the first and also a bit more flavorful
3. St. Felicien - my favorite one!  It is a very soft cow's milk cheese that is served with a spoon.
4. Coulommiers - soft cow cheese like brie but much stronger than the brie we're used to
5. Cantal - a sharp cow's milk cheese much like Parmesan

I loved the cheese tasting!

After a morning of hard work, we were all excited to enjoy each other's company.  The food was delicious, but the company was even better!

THE GOURMET TOUR:

Mark joined us at 3:00 for the gourmet walking tour.  I am so glad that we decided he should come along for this part of the day.  Paule introduced us to the most wonderful shops that would have never found on our own!

Our first stop, Goumanyat et Son Royanne, was a spice shop that made its own spice blends.  It's here where I bought my first Paris souvenirs : fleur de sel, herbs de Provence, and Raz el Hanout du Roy (a fragrant blend of spices we used in out Moroccan veggies).

We also went to G. Detou, a gourmet grocery store that sold Valhrona chocolate in giant bags!!, and E. Dehillerin, a professional kitchen supply store.

Our last two stops were our favorites!!  The first was Legrand Filles et Fils.  This combination specialty foods shop/wine shop/wine bar was filled with rows of wines and jars of beautiful candies.  The walls were made of wine crates and the ceiling of corks.  We loved it here so much, we came back the next day for  a glass of wine!

And finally, Paule took us to Poilane.  You could tell from her excitement that this bakery was something very special!  Paule knew Lionel Poilane personally, and she had some wonderful anecdotes to share with us about what made Poilane bread such a high quality product.  With Paule we were able to go downstairs to meet one of the bakers and see the beautiful oven where these breads are made.  It was the highlight of our tour!

This day was as perfect as I could imagine!  I was sad to say goodbye to Paule, but I felt so lucky to have met her and learned from her.  It was truly a dream of a day!

Tuesday May 25th: Musee Rodin and Boeuf Bourguignon

Mark and I hopped of our tour bus at Les Invalides and walked to lunch at Cafe Varene (also just a short walk to the Musee Rodin).  I had my first croque monsieur and it was yummy!  There was no bechamel sauce which made me a tiny bit sad, but the frites more than made up for it.  They were perfectly crunchy and delicious!  I would suggest this as a lunch spot for anyone considering the Musee Rodin, but who might want to avoid museums restaurants.

The Musee Rodin

The tippy top of Les Invalides peeks through statuesque trees at the Musee Rodin

From my journal: The statues here are stunning as are the gardens.  I am so grateful to have come to Paris while the flowers are still in bloom.  My favorite statue is The Thinker.  Rodin really captured such strong emotions in the sculpture.

A picture of The Thinker with Les Invalides in the background

The Gates of Hell:  Mark loved this piece

Here are some shots of various flowers from the gardens:

Mark and me at the gardens of the Musee Rodin

The Musee Rodin gardens was one of my favorite things we did in Paris.  While it costs more to enter the museum, it is only one Euro to enter and tour the gardens.  What a bargain!

After a full and amazing day in Paris, we could not wait for a romantic dinner at Chez Josephine Dumonet.  It was just the perfect French bistro.  I mean you could not design one more French if you tried!  The chef came out to our table to welcome us with a glass of champagne and some gazpacho.

After sharing the fois gras, Mark ordered the steak tartare which was prepared table side - notice the Tabasco! We felt right at home!

I ordered the Beouf Bourguignon.  It was rich and flavorful and absolutely delicious.  Julia Child would have been proud.  I told the chef when he came to check on us that "this dish alone is why people come to Paris."

The Grand Marnier souffle was as light as air!

The perfect ending to a wonderful day!

For more on the trip click:

HERE - for Sunday May 23rd: Our first day in Paris
HERE - for Monday May 24th: Walk a mile or two in my French shoes
HERE - for Tuesday May 25th: L'Open Bus Tour

Tuesday May 25th: L'Open Bus Tour

From my journal: Perhaps it was the excitement of seeing the Eiffel Tower at night for the first time or my sweltering sunburned skin, but I could not sleep Monday night.  I woke up the next morning very sleepy, so we opted to book two day passes on the L'Open Tour.  It was the best decision we could have made given the state of my blistered feet and my general weariness.  Also, we have wandered around this beautiful historic city for a day and a half, but without the appreciation for the history behind what we are seeing, I think we both felt we needed a more structured and informative tour of Paris.

The tour has four lines: The Paris Grand Tour, The Montparnasse tour, The Montmartre Tour, and The Bastille Tour.  We started off on the Montparnasse line since there was a stop just up the block from our hotel at the Jardin du Luxembourg. 

We loved learning more about the area where we were staying: The Saint Germain des Pris.

 The St. Germain reminded me in many ways of the Upper West Side in NYC with its beautiful homes and decorative flower boxes.

Of all of the neighborhoods, this one felt most lived in.  It was quiet and peaceful and perfectly charming.

This route took us past the Invalides - the residence Napoleon set up for wounded soldiers.  We were impressed by the beauty of its golden dome.

It is now a collection of museums, and most notably, it is the burial site of Napoleon Bonaparte.  We exited the tour here and had lunch and visited the Musee Rodin (next post) and re-entered on the Grand Tour line later in the afternoon.

The Grand Tour took us past many of the monuments Paris is most known for. 

Here we passed the National Assembly, which was once a private residence, but is now home to - you guessed it- the National Assembly.

The Arc de Triumph was so much bigger in stature than I had ever imagined. 

The Luxor Obelisk was given to France from Egypt and was moved to the Place de la Concorde in replace of the guillotine which stood there during the French Revolution.  It has no political leaning or significance which allows the square to have a feeling of belonging to all people.

The fountains at the Place de la Concorde were absolutely beautiful!  Across the street you can see two of the eight statues located in the square representing the cities of: Bordeaux, Brest, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes, Rouen and Strasbourg.

The Opera was just beautiful!  It was amazing to read the names on the placards of the musicians who had played there!

We'll be paying the Petit Palais a visit later in our trip - can you guess why?  YSL!!!!

After the two hour tour of historic Paris, we switched to the Montmarte line.  I had no desire to visit the area around the Moulin Rouge, and we knew we wouldn't have time to visit Monmarte and the Sacre Coeur (although I wish we had).  So, taking this leg of the tour was a good way to see the area without having to add an extra trip up this way.

I know some people are opposed to "touristy" things, but for us this was perfectly worth it.  We learned so many interesting facts on our rides, and in one day we were able to enjoy such a variety of sights that would have otherwise had to spend days trying to see. 

A two day pass is 32 Euros per person (only three more Euros than a one day pass).  It was a wonderful adventure and well worth the expense!

For more on the trip click:
HERE - for Sunday May 23rd: Our first day in Paris
HERE - for Monday May 24th: Walk a mile or two in my French shoes