Yes, things have changed overnight. Coming from out of nowhere these two have managed to steal pole position already, and the viewing figures just keep rising. Well done girls! If you haven’t yet caught the hype then go ahead and check for those flicking kicks at 0.12 or that double team at 0.32 to see how to really shake your maracas.

And what a cheery performance it was too. Mexhhhico!

Other acts that we think deserve your viewing support are Stan and Lombardo.

Stan was on the way to see his son. Even though he’s a bit older than many of the other competitors he gives it literally 110% (even feeling the need to get down low towards the end!) which really is what we’re all about here at MexFactor.

Lombardo is a handsome fellow who was passing through the station with his wife and, as luck would have it, he had already performed with the band at his wedding just a few months before! He treats us to over three minutes of pure mariachi singing that makes for a truly moving performance. Check it out and I’m sure you’ll agree.

Keep viewing, and keep voting…Buena Suerte!

(…just follow the link here, http://www.youtube.com/TheMexFactor)

I parigini e le buone maniere

Un altro momento in cui la pseudo-mielosità del popolo parigino tocca il suo culmine è la pretesa del “Bonjour”.
Che c’ è di male a salutare la gente con un cordiale “Buongiorno”? direte Voi.
Il difetto morboso, rispondo io, sta nel pretenderlo questo sacrosanto saluto!!!

Mi spiego meglio: il parigino medio pretende che quando gli indirizziate la parola, per chiedere un’informazione, iniziate la vostra frase salutando con un “Bonjour/Bonsoir”; solo allora potrete formulare la vostra domanda o richiesta.
Se sarete talmente scellerati e la Vostra distrazione vi porterà a omettere la formula di saluto dalla vostra frase, il simpatico parigino non esiterà a farvi notare la vostra maleducata dimenticanza.
Se per esempio chiedete un’ indicazione a un passante dimenticando l’indispensabile incipit di cortesia e di saluto, il gentile sconosciuto al posto di rispondere alla vostra domanda vi risponderà con un …”Bonjour” in modo tale da sottolineare quanto siete stati maleducati a non salutarlo.

Caso paradigmatico di questa pretesa di buone maniere spinta all’eccesso dal popolo parigino è “Madame Bonjour”.
Si tratta di una boulangère/panettiera dove io e Valeria andavamo sistematicamente a comprare la nostra baguette quotidiana quando abitavamo nel quartiere Mouffetard.
L’arzilla Signora sembrava veramente progettata per schiaffare “Bonjour/Bonsoir” in faccia ai clienti, qualunque cosa essi chiedessero; il fatto che avesse una voce particolarmente acuta ha immortalato la sua immagine nella mia memoria.
Così se il cliente esordiva dicendo “Une baguette de tradition, s’il vous plait”, la vecchietta parigina, da dietro il bancone,  rispondeva “Bonjour” e il cliente doveva sistematicamente ripetere la sua richiesta…il tutto per la gioia di chi stava in fila ad attendere e a godersi queste scenette quotidiane.

The race is on, and temperatures are rising!

Here’s a quick congratulations to our top scorers at the end of day one.

Well done first of all to Leila who really put her back into it with a very imaginative take on traditional Mexican dancing from the waist down that’s clearly proving popular. Hats off to her, and hats off also (literally, two of them, straight off the mariachi musicians’ heads) to Amy & Amy for a super lively performance that’s got them storming up the rankings!

The top three players at the moment however are as follows – Aida, who has clearly managed to catch your attention with her winning smile and shrill shrieking tones, is in 3^rd position, whilst Luke, with his more than subtle charm (and woolly hat!), is currently sitting comfortably in 2^nd place.

BUT – at the moment Emil is your number one. His fast footwork and Movember appeal have been keeping those views coming in thick and fast. Caliente Amigo!

So there you have it. Keep checking back for updates from the MexFactor team.

Remember positions can change overnight! So whether you’re a Stan fan or you just like Lisa, it’s up to you to get them that bit closer to the holiday of a life time.

Keep viewing, and keep voting…Buena Suerte!

(…just follow the link here, http://www.youtube.com/TheMexFactor)

I grew onions. Yes. Oh, onions AND leeks. How cool is that? And lots! I had no idea I would have more onions than I knew what to do with, because I love onions and I love cooking and well most savoury dishes use onions. I also grew way too many chile peppers (an experiment from seed) but that’s completely irrelevant to this post.

I suppose before I continue I should apologize for my absence. Well, to myself more than anyone else, I’m not sure if anyone follows this (YET – positive thinking).

Anyway, check out these bad-ass onions.

So, I thought what better way to feature these bad-ass onions? French Onion Soup? Why not? I’d only had it once, years ago, and it sounded really nice. And then I thought “who would be a good reference for this dish?”. Well Julia Child of course. I had some beef stock I’d made and Sarah was home, we had the night to ourselves, it was set.

I did something I never do. I followed the recipe. Almost. But its the closest I’ve come. I guesstimated the amount of onions and butter I was using, only because I forgot to measure. After that it was Julia Child’s recipe. Oh, I also used brandy instead of cognac. But that’s the only other change.

And yes – the soup was amazing. Incredibly filling, incredibly good. This was magnified by the fact that I had cultured these onions in my own backyard and made the beefstock myself from scratch. In the end the soup had my name all over it, even if I used Julia Child’s recipe, and it was very satisfying.

Soupe à L’Oignon

(Julia Child)

(*Disclaimer: This soup is not a starter, it is a meal – we made the mistake of eating it after a small meal and were pinned to the couch unwillingly after. You’ve been warned.)

about 5 cups of thinly sliced yellow onions (I used a combination of leeks, red and Vidalia onions)
3 Tb butter
1 Tb oil
1 tsp salt
1\4 tsp sugar
3 Tb flour
2 quarts boiling brown stock
1\2 cup dry white wine
3 Tb cognac
Rounds of hard toasted baguette
grated Swiss cheese
s + p

1. Cook the onions slowly (after slicing them very quickly!) with the butter and oil in the pan, covered, for 15 minutes
2. Uncover, raise heat to moderate, and stir in the salt and sugar. Cook until the onions have turned dark golden brown, stirring frequently. Can take anywhere from 30mins to an hour.
3. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 3 minutes. (I think I even stirred for 3 minutes)
4. Off the heat, blend in the boiling liquid. Add the wine, and season to taste. Simmer partially covered for 30 to 40 minutes or more, skimming occasionally. Correct seasoning.
5. Just before serving, stir in the cognac. Pour into a soup tureen, top with baguette, then cheese, and melt until almost brown under the broiler.

Bon Appétit.

]]> http://coffeeeyelinermuchfiner.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/rabanda/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:42:25 +0000 coffeeeyelinermuchfiner http://coffeeeyelinermuchfiner.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/rabanda/

My world is forever changed. Banana Rabanda owns my soul

AND.

Can you believe this? I put up an open invitation for free breakfast and s’nogged coffee at my house last night on my facebook status and sent out 12 enticing text messages this morning and NO ONE WAS AT MY HOUSE TO SHARE IT WITH ME FOR BREAKFAST. It’s okay, I’m not angry… just disappointed. Yeahhh, that makes the lack of Rabanda in your life sting, doesn’t it? Hah! Jerks.

FYI: Your second opportunity arises in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia on December 26th. Contact me for more details.

Banana Rabanda

suckas!

xo.

TFish

During my holidays, I only managed to fit in two $30 lunches, Baguette being my second.  I had previously only been to Baguette for dinner, and have always liked it.  I think one of the things I like about it, other than the great food, is the décor…very open, modern but still charming.  Mismatched paintings, stainless steel ceiling fans, high ceilings, glossy tables, it all works – I can certainly see why people who choose to have weddings here.

I’d called up earlier to see if they cater for children and I was dining with my sister and my beautiful niece and they were very nice over the phone and assured us that the little ones are definitely allowed there.

We arrived just before 12 and were seated, thoughtfully at a table for four, so that Charlotte’s high chair could be comfortably placed without us feeling like a nuisance to the rest of the restaurant, often the case when a baby is in tow (or three – I have four nieces and nephew under 3).

My sister and I both order the $30 lunch which comes with a main and a dessert, both with a glass of wine or softdrink.  Interestingly enough, children are more than catered for with kids meals listed in the menu: fish and chips, steak and chips, pasta plus a drink and a scoop of ice-cream for a meager $1.50 per year of age of the child! Bonus! My sister didn’t want Charlotte to make a mess, she’s teething at the moment, so being grumpy, she’s into flinging things around the place, so she just ate her trusty mushy baby bottled food.

My sister’s salmon looked completely cooked (we both like our salmon medium) but was soft and tender, she felt the crème fraiche was a bit too strong.

My veal was beautifully tender, the spinach, melting on an absolutely delicious sauce.  My sister had major food envy and needless to say, I polished off the whole lot and even wiped my beer battered chips we’d ordered as a side, in the sauce to try to get as much of it as I can (and I’m definitely not into mopping up food from my plate).

We both chose the same dessert, caramelised pineapple with coconut crusted vanilla ice-cream and pistachio crumble.  The pineapple was sweet and beautifully caramelised and the ice-cream went well with it, however, I was a bit disappointed that the pistachio crumble were burnt.

The service was impeccable, friendly and the atmosphere was relaxed and not pretentious, I do feel dinner is a bit more aloof though.  We left as the dining room were filling up with poppy-donned customers (for Remembrance Day).

Richie about town flaunting her Balenciaga. Such a versatile day bag for bohemians.

It’s no secret that the ubiquitous Balenciaga bag designed by Nicholas Ghesquire is one of many ”It” bags among celebs.  It has been for a few years and that is telling of the style’s endurance among those the Hollywood darlings that have short fashion attention spans.  Chi-chi girls collect them in every shade and trot them out like it’s not a thing.  Like the Hermes Birkin or the Fendi Baguette, it’s one that should be tucked away for safe-keeping to hand down to your daughters.  Definitely future vintage appeal. ie. “OMG, mom you were sooooo cool!” 

If Vogue was to do a feature on Must-Have bags over the century, this one would definitely be selected to epitomize the mid-2000’s.  The classic features motorcycle zippers, vintage lambskin, stud hardware and convertible straps.   There are variations of the famous style which range from clutch to two handled tote.  My personal favourite is the Giant Work style which comes in a delicous gelato rainbow of colours such as Praline, Maldives, Pebble, Raisin and Pomegranate.  Of late, I have been on my bestest behaviour in regards to fancy designer purchases but the Balenciaga has been on the top of the list of “Things to Buy When I Shame Spiral (instead of eating my feelings).”

Oh beloved Balenciaga.  How I adore thee. Let me count the ways. 

Purple Lovah: Balenciaga Arena Giant City

Which is the biggest enemy of the diet? the sweet or salty snacks and the fried food sold in the street. Never like in London you can see so many take away shops and people eating this food in the street, on the tube, in the buses and even ordering them at home!

And for how much you can try to put attention and to avoid it, there will always be the occasion in which you will have to raise a white flag to them… and it’s a classic especially in this city, where everyone drink without eating anything. After work you go to drink straight away… and at the end you are so hungry you could eat whatever is in front of you.

Solution? Burger King is trying to help with this! Some week ago, after a party, i was really convinced to come back home to cook something. My friends weren’t thinking the same and we stopped in Burger King. Surprise surprise, they made a “light” Sandwich to help all of us with the diet.

The Piri Piri Chicken sandwich is made of 3 chargrilled chicken strips, iceberg lettuce, red onion, reduced fat mayonnaise and piri piri sauce on bread baguette or sesame seeds bun. This reach an amount of 336-356 calories depending on the bread and it’s quite fulfilling.

Considering that a plate of pasta of pasta (80gr.) with tomato sauce and Parmesan is around 450 cal, this sandwich is not so bad. Ok, the fact to eat this kind of food for quality and ingredients is not the best, but at least you can limit the damages without big privations. The other alternative it could be the normal basic burger (275 cal.) or the simple cheese burger (320 cal.) but they are so little and without great taste that are not an amazing solution: you can risk to eat more arriving at home!

So, if you have one of this night where you have drunk quite a lot and you can’t wait to arrive home to eat, maybe this could be an idea to remain alive without taking a massive quantity of calories on top, and without renouncing to another little pleasure. What do you think?

PS. Mamy oggi mi sono dedicata a suggerire un nuovo panino “light” che hanno creato in una di queste catene tipo Mc Donald. Non che sia fan di questi posti, anzi! ma talvolta quando si esce senza mangiare e si beve un po’, e’ inevitabile fermarsi in posti del genere. E dato che qui di negozietti per il pesce fritto e fastfood, ce ne sono un sacco, meglio andare sul sicuro con una scelta ragionevolmente leggera. Il problema e’ resistere alle patatine fritte! argh!

Visions of a delicious Mediterranean stew were dancing in my head as we waited for our order at  my favorite restaurant in LaLa.

Before me, however, was beurre and a baguette. In days past I could not  have  resisted such am irresistible combination. But hey, it’s Bring More Bling to Your Plate Month so I didn’t bite.

I’ll let you in on another secret. The bread in the basket at your favorite restaurant may be recycled.

My locked jaw saved me hundreds of calories that would have undoubtedly ended up on my badonkadonk.

Instead I spent all of my lunch calories savoring my stew and couscous.

The Starring in Your Own Life message here is  Ditch the bread, Ditch the chips, Ditch hundreds of calories.

What’s on your plate?

This weekend was my last (tear) visit to my local farmer’s market. I grabbed a whole bunch of amazing stuff which made for an amazing afternoon of eating and drinking, but of all the things I saw, the radishes were some of the loveliest I’d seen in a long time. It got me thinking about something my mom made once as a quick appetizer for a party.

Good, really fresh radishes are smashingly peppery, and the perfect match for that natural peppery flavor is a rich spread (butter or cheese), and a sprinkling of good sea salt. It’s like the perfect salt and pepper bite, and I could eat it all the time. And I got to thinking that while it’s certainly not fancy, it would be a great quick canape option for upcoming Thanksgiving festivities. Super simple, and everyone’s bound to love it. But you don’t have to believe me…just come over to my house and check out the empty plate.

Vendredi dernier, je me suis rendu au Club Soda, juste avant le début du spectacle d’Antoine Gratton pour faire un vox-pop. Je sais pas c’est qui ce gars là, mais son auditoire est composé à 75% de filles, et 25% de gars qui suivent leurs blonde. Y doit être bon, c’est surement ça. Antoine Gratton était là pour Coup de Coeur francophone et j’y était pour Urbania. Quand j’ai entendu “Coup de coeur francophone”, tel un élève de secondaire 3 dans un cours de français, j’ai analysé le thème de la chose. J’en ai parler à Kristia(Coordo) et après une laborieuse délibération, ont est venues à la conclusion que c’était le français.

Donc on a fait un vox-pop super français, avec bérêts, gavrotte, bouteille de rouge, baguette de pain, tailleur et gilet de petit marin.

Je dois admettre que ça été plus difficile que prévus. Pas de trouvé les participants, mais bien de s’installer! On avait un rectangle d’à peu près 1 mètre par 2 mètres pour installer un background, du monde qui se font prendre en photo, l’éclairage et moi. Well. Finalement, on en est sortis vivant et ça même très bien été! Les gens ont été très participatifs, autant plus jeunes que moins jeunes.

(Clique sur la face d’Émilie pour aller voir la galerie)

Merci à Kristia et Émilie d’avoir été là!

   À quoi ressemble un français ? Si nous posons cette question à un étranger il nous répondra certainement par un cliché : un individu de type caucasien, une bouteille de vin rouge à la main, un béret (basque) vissé sur la tête et une baguette de pain blanc sous le bras… Cette image fait partie du rayonnement culturel de la France et je m’attarderai aujourd’hui sur ce dernier élément : la baguette.

   Délice à la croûte dorée et la mie tendre, la baguette est l’apanage du petit bonheur quotidien français. Sortie du four, elle présente alors plusieurs avantages non négligeables et ceci peut importe la saison. Chaude, elle réchauffe les mains et le corps. Odorante, elle éveille l’appétit. Qui, petit enfant, n’a jamais reçu de la main maternelle le croûton rompu en sortant de la boulangerie comme goûter sur le pouce ? Cette sympathique manie se perpétue d’ailleurs et augmente la taille du quignon au fur et à mesure que l’individu vieillit. Il est alors vivement conseillé d’en acheter au moins deux, puisqu’a priori elle a la fâcheuse tendance de s’amoindrir sur les 100m qui relient la boulangerie au domicile familial. Simple : farine, eau, sel, levure ; elle se mange avec tout, ou presque, nature, beurre, confiture, charcuterie, fromage…

   Ce n’est pas du chauvinisme outrageant, mais franchement, quel pays peut se vanter d’avoir un bonheur si innocent à portée de papilles ?

Benjamin GUYOT

I love this news article from News24: “French women do get fat“. So yeah, if you eat more calories than you take in, whether that be Big Macs or baguettes, you gain weight.

Paris – Weight-watchers everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief. Contrary to their image as slim models of restraint, French women, it seems, really do get fat.

According to a 2009 study published on Tuesday, 15.1% of France’s women are classed as clinically obese, while a further 26% are overweight.

I’m certainly not celebrating Gallic gargantuaness, of course, but simply nothing that America is not unique in it’s fattening trend.

So, this is how the French see us. Thought you’d want to know :

And, this is how they think we see them…

This is in fact how we really see them…

Looks sooo much better/closer to the real thing!

Last week, on an unseasonably cold Friday night, I headed out to meet Michelle for a very exciting experience…my first banh mi. If I am going to continue to call myself a sandwich blogger, I know it’s crucial that I expand my sandwich tasting horizons, especially for a somewhat “trendy” sandwich. Because I like to do a lot of research, I clearly read more articles than necessary about the banh mi so I would be adequately prepared for the experience. If you are like me, and you like a little background with your sandwich, read this enlightening article from the Times about the banh mi craze in NYC.  In my research, it became clear that there were a wide variety of banh mi, but it seemed that some of the most traditional ones included some ingredients that made me a little squeamish, such as pate and like anchovies (or something). I was frightened, but dedicated to soldiering on. After all, it was clear they knew what they were doing when created this popular sandwich.

Michelle suggested that we try one of the places mentioned in the article – Banh Mi Saigon Bakery, which is incidentally located in the back of a jewelry store in Chinatown, giving it that extra feeling of food adventure. However, due to a particularly engrossing cleaning binge, I was a half hour late and the bakery was closed (7pm on a Friday) so this may be more of a lunch destination. Not willing to let this setback keep us from our sandwiches, we headed down the street to Paris Bakery, where I decided to order the roasted park banh mi for $4(!!!), an amazing sandwich price in NYC.

The actual sandwich was on a longish crusty baguette that was still perfectly soft. The roast pork was flavorful, with a surprisingly spicy a little kick. The first two bites overwhelmed me with their heat but after that, it was much more tolerable and even delicious. The hot pork (that’s what she said!) was nicely set off by the pickled vegetables in the sandwich which made it kind of sweet and tangy.  I felt that what the Times article said about it having the same pleasures of a great BLT was very true – I like the hot and cold contrast in the sandwich, but it also included a very distinctive Asian influence.

Overall, my experience with the banh mi was delicious and satisfying, and I can’t wait to try another one!

*not my actual banh mi, but you get the idea

“Welcome aboard Ryan Air. The world’s favorite airline.”

After getting two hours of sleep studying for midterms, spending the entire day writing essays in Italian that probably ended up being in Spanish, and running to the train station to catch the bus to Ryan Air, I was finally sitting on the airplane ready to spend my fall break in Parigi.

…

One hour later, we were like a thousand kilometers in the air when all of a sudden the plane smashed onto the ground and then BOUNCED on the concrete without having decreased any speed. We were racing down the airway like some prize horse on the racetrack. It was terrifying.

But only 5 euro.

…

We arrived at our hostel at midnight and were starving. After commenting on how perfect our hostel location was and how cute our bunk beds were, we decided to walk around the neighborhood in search of an open restaurant. We were walking for ten minutes finding absolutely nothing when we saw flashing neon lights in the distance. It was mesmerizing and alluring. So we walked towards it until finding ourselves standing in front of a gigantic building covered with large windows. Each window had a girl or two inside of them dressed in black lingerie moving suggestively over a table, or bending over, or putting on a stocking. In large capital letters it said, SEXODROME at the top.

We were in the red-light district.

Turns out we were a pleasant ten-minute walk from Moulin Rouge as well.

Day 1: “Napoleon is a douche bag.”

Our first day in Parigi was breathtaking. Every time I turned my head it was another perfect picture. The city was so pretty that it was almost too pretty, as if the entire city was manicured and made out of plastic. Turns out that that was exactly what it was. When Napoleon Bonaparte came to town, he decided to rip everything out, destroy 20,000 homes and erase the city’s history in order to rebuild starting from the sewage system up. Paris was a planned city. All the wide boulevards with the gas lamps and the piazzas lined with green and yellow trees and the gorgeous limestone monuments were all done by Haussmann, Napoleon’s right hand man.

Though Napoleon conquered Venice thereby taking away their Republic, he was still referred to as The Liberator by the Venetian Jews. Then in a shocking political maneuver he handed the city over to the Austrians in the Treaty of Campo Formio, committing the Venetians to foreign rule and betrayed them all. I related this story to Jordan as we walked through the Piazza Signori in front of the beautiful Hotel de’Ville to which Jordan responded, “What a douche bag.”

The rest of the day was spent in La Saint Chapelle, a gorgeous church  made out of stained glass depicting the Bible stories starting from Genesis and the Notre Dame where we failed to find the Hunchback. We avoided the random spurts of rain by ducking into the Louvre and the Musee d`Orsay – both of which were the most enjoyable museum experiences I have ever had. According to my very pessimistic, opinionated, passionate Italian boss, the Louvre was “destroyed” when they decided to place the “stupid pyramid” in the center of the piazza, which is actually only 30 years old. I liked it. It reminded me of The Da Vinci Code. We saw the Mona Lisa, the portrait of Van Gogh by Van Gogh, my absolute favorite painter, and Dum Dum! You know, the gigantic stone statues of gum chewing heads from Easter Island who are also featured in the great family film, Night At The Museum? My fav.

Then at night I met with Hannah Cho, a high school friend who I literally haven’t seen in over three years. We went to Les Éditeurs, a library turned cafe stuffed with red lounge chairs. With wine and olives we talked for three hours straight about high school and college, boys and our respective stances on marriage, and where our post-college lives will take us.

How much time has gone. We are already 22.

Day 2: Hannah Day

So the day before I was leaving for Paris and also the day before my dreadful midterms, I Facebook messaged my dear friend Hannah Lee. She had spent the last Fall semester in Paris and so I asked her for some recommendations. I figured she would send me a few things to check out that I could research with the hostel’s internet. Two seconds before leaving for Paris I printed out her reply which ended up being three pages long filled with the numbered bests of Paris, and their respective addresses, directions and commentary. Screw Rick Steve. Hannah Lee’s Guide to Paris was an amazing gem. The hidden stores in alleys and delectable delights of the city that would have taken months to discover were all neatly listed in numbered format. Simply fabulous.

So Hannah Cho and I set off to fulfill the Hannah Lee Best of Paris List.

“8. EAT A BAGUETTE. Pop into any boulangerie (there are tons on every corner) and just order a baguette, some pretty-looking pastries, and enjoy!! Trust me when I say that you will never find as good a baguette here as you will in France.”

I met Hannah bright and early for our picnic breakfast in the Luxembourg Garden. I bought a baguette for € .90 euro. It was half my height. We coupled it with some soft garlic cheese and rose wine and had a fabulous morning eating and talking amidst the fall trees. The Garden was beautiful.

“1. FREE PSTAR. this is a must!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i went here at least four times a week–there is ALWAYS going to be different stuff in the store because they’re constantly restocking. … it’s located in my favorite neighborhood–le marais. Le Marais is the Jewish/gay neighborhood filled with lots of art galleries, boutiques, and vintage stores and LOTS AND LOTS of hip people. i think you’ll love this area, too.”

We spent the afternoon shopping in Marsais. I think we spent over an hour inside of that tiny little store. It was literally the size of my bathroom, with a makeshift ledge that overflowed with feathery boas, purses and a hundred dead furs still with their paws and heads. It also had a tiny spiral staircase that led to an underground room lined with fur coats and dresses and blazers. The place was everything that Hannah promised and more. It was shopping heaven.

We then caught lunch at Les Philosphes, a hip Parisian cafe where I had steak tartar with a raw egg. Amazing? Yes.

“4. Laduree. This is the ultimate French patisserie that EVERYONE goes to. It is especially famous for their macaroons, which are delicious!!!”

We walked down Champs Elysee, a street comparable to LA’s Rodeo Drive, and bought nothing. =) But right when I was getting tired of walking and not shopping we found Laduree.

Laduree is the epitome of French extravagance. Though a pasticerria, the walls and tables and floors are all marble with golden statues and gilded columns. There was a restaurant upstairs and downstairs and had a bar stretching through the expanse of the room filled with tiny beautiful concoctions of colors and fruits and cremes. We ordered 4 mini macaroons each and a pot of hot chocolate.

The macaroon is a realized fantasy. Two delicate pieces of airy cookies sandwich a flavored filling: pistachio, praline, caramel, dark chocolate, raspberry – you name it. All different, all subtly flavorful and perfectly crisp. With one bite the macaroon melts in your mouth in a mix of crunchy and creamy with flavors bursting. I sound so melodramatic. Wait till I get to the orange blossom.

When I bit into the orange blossom I almost cried. It was that good. I couldn’t eat any more of it and just kept repeating over and over to Hannah how good it was. The cookie was orange with a lime green filling. It tasted strongly of oranges but then simultaneously infused with a burst of lime. I’m not even sure how to describe it. You just have to eat it for yourself. It was oh my god amazing. I can’t believe I’ve lived my life for 22 years without it.

We ended up spending two hours in there until the sun set. Then we walked to the Arc de Triomph (got in for free cause the lady thought we were EU citizens) and hiked it all the way to the top. (P.S. I hate winding staircases, you can never see how much more you have left.) The view was incredible. Afterwards we ran to catch the Eiffel Tower for its hourly lights show. So, so, so pretty.

“5. Le Pot de Terre. If you are ever hungry and want the ultimate French meal, you should go here. This is a cozy restaurant that I found while I was in Paris, and I instantly fell in love with it…”

Menu:

Soupe á l’orignon gratinée
(Onion Soup that isn’t called French Onion Soup because we were IN France!)

escargots de Bourgógne au bennre d’aul
(Escargot, better known as snails, boiled in olive oil and garlic and spices in individual slots on a pot. It was so good but the snail gave a slight bitter aftertaste.)

magret de canard au miel
(Duck with a honey glaze. It was amazing. So soft!)

And for dessert, creme brulee. Obvi.

A three course meal for only €16 euro. I was so stuffed I could barely walk to our next stop: The Frog and Princess Bar.

So the other night we were walking to the Les Editèurs Cafe when Hannah started telling me how the street we were crossing was called The Princess, and there was a bar on the street that was called The Frog and Princess Bar. That’s so cute, I said, and then I thought, wait a minute – I know that bar.

“Does that bar have coasters that are actually postcards?”
“Yea! How did you know?”

When Hannah Lee was in Paris she had sent me a postcard. I remembered thinking how odd it was that the postcard was actually a coaster she had picked up from a bar.

So that night we went to the Frog and Princess bar and I grabbed a handful of those postcards.

Day 3: Goodbye Parigi

The next morning we walked up the hill to Sacre Coure, a church that sits on the highest point of Paris and also where they filmed Amelie.

I met up with Hannah for lunch and after visited the original Shakespeare Co. It was the cutest vintage bookstore in the world. It was basically a tiny tiny house that was converted into a store. Books were flowing everywhere with armchairs and sofas tucked into corners for readers. There was a piano on the second floor that you could play if you promised to be good and a wishing well under the floor.

The last thing that I did in Paris was #10 on Hannah’s list.

“10. EAT A CREPE.”

So I ate a crepe. You could order a crepe with any flavor ranging from Nutella, to hazelnut to plain sugar or jam. We got the creme de marron, which is cream of chestnut. It was so good. The French crepe is the equivalent to Italy’s gelato. You haven’t had a gelato until you’ve had one in Italy, and you haven’t had a crepe until you’ve had one in France.

Paris was amazing. People who would return from a trip to Paris would always exclaim how much they loved it, how beautiful it was, how they vow to spend the rest of their lives there; and I always thought, “geez, what a drama queen.”

But it’s true.

I can’t wait to go back.

One of the few buildings that Haussmann didn't touch. Beautiful.

The "stupid" pyramid at the Louvre. I love it.

O.M.G. So there was a STARBUCKS in the Louvre. A STARBUCKS. SIOFEDKCGIORFKND!! I got a Venti Soy Vanilla Latte just because I could. It was bliss.

HAhaha It's Dum Dum!!

A real Van Gogh. I can't believe it.

"Marie! The baguettes! Hurry up!"

That's a lot of baguettes.

Having fun inside PSTAR.

Can you believe this is real? At Laduree.

Macaroons and hot chocolate. The pale beige one with the green filling is the orange blossom!

Hello Eiffel!

Bye Parigi.

This salad has always been a hit in my home because A) it’s hearty and filling, and B) it’s great left over, unlike most leafy salads. I think it actually tastes best after it has been in the fridge for a day or two.  Today I modified one of the key ingredients in this salad. Instead of canned chickpeas, I’m now using dried chickpeas, in an effort to make it healthier and to minimize salad lovers exposure to processed canned foods and synthetic estrogen. Say what?!?

Today I read some disturbing research in an eye-opening  Op-Ed in the New York Times about  a chemical researchers are finding in our food and our bodies. The chemical is called bisphenol A, or BPA. It’s a synthetic estrogen that United States factories now use in everything from plastics to epoxies. According to a recent report posted on the CDC website, 92% of Americans have BPA in their urine, and scientists have linked it — though not conclusively — to everything from breast cancer to obesity, from attention deficit disorder to genital abnormalities in boys and girls alike. What’s even more frightening? Consumer Reports magazine tested an array of brand-name canned foods for a report in its December issue and found BPA in almost all of them. Ahh, that’s enough for me to want to stay away from canned foods, including canned chickpeas!

On a lighter note (or should I say heartier note), this recipe is high in protein, low in calories and fat, and it’s filling enough for a main dish. One more bonus?  You can eat this leftover salad for days, which might help you resist that can of soup or frozen meal…

Recipe Title: Hearty Chickpea and Vegi Salad

Serves: 8 as a side salad, 4-6 as a main dish

Meaty Monitor: Great as a side, but also filling enough for a meal

Ingredients:

• One medium red onion, diced or thinly sliced
• 2 or 3 cups of dried chickpeas (soaked overnight, then simmered for 40 minutes until tender)
• 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped in half
• 1 tablespoon olive juice brine (from the jar/deli)
• 2 pints of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup champagne vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or less, you can use olive oil to taste to make a lower-fat version)
• Juice from a 1/2 lemon
• 8 to 9 ounces fat-free feta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons parsley as a garnish (optional)
• 1/2 diced whole wheat baguette, toasted into croutons
• Cooking spray (Pam, Smart Balance or Trader Joe’s are all good options)

Directions:

The night before, soak your dried chickpeas to rehydrate them. Then, simmer them for 40 minutes until they are tender, but not totally mushy.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice and dice your baguette into croutons (I prefer larger bites because they tend to be crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside). Lightly spray your croutons with olive oil or cooking spray, or for a splurge toss them in 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Bake them on a cookie sheet for approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove them when they are crispy and golden.

Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Leave the croutons on the side and toss them in at the last minute to keep them from getting soggy. Enjoy!

- Lizzy

Neon Indian [Alan Palomo]
[original article] [myspace]

Alan Palomo of Neon Indian has had a very interesting past couple of years. He started making chilled-out beats in his Denton band Ghosthustler a few years back, getting considerable blog love. It wasn’t until he moved to Austin and went solo as VEGA, however, that people really began to take notice.

Over the summer, he branched out creatively and began to experiment with different sounds that appealed to him — and how timely, since the affectations for lo-fi, hissy “tape music” are now at an all-time high.

Neon Indian was the result: undulating, optimistic, warm vinyl music perfect for a night of watching 70s horror movies and reminiscing about days you never had.

What’s your favorite sandwich?

I had this amazing sandwich in Zurich, in this great breakfast nook — it’s a freshly baked baguette bread, tuna with mixed-in egg and a soy-based wasabi mayo. Really mildly spicy but still so tasty.

Background:

Here are two tracks off Neon Indian’s debut album, Psychic Chasms, which has just been released.

Recipe for Pan con Chocolate

INGREDIENTS:

4 bars of dark chocolate, chopped
Pan Pugliese bread, sliced
Olive oil, to drizzle
Good quality sea salt crystals, to sprinkle

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Place bread slices on baking sheet. Drizzle top of each slice very lightly with olive oil.
3. Place into oven to warm for about 5 minutes.
4. Divide chocolate evenly over tops of both baguette slices. Place back in oven for just a minute or two, until chocolate is barely melted. Remove from oven.
5. Transfer slices to a serving plate. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and top each slice with a pinch of specialty salt.

There are reasons why I’ve never make lasagna but the good news is that I made tomato sauce from scratch for the first time. It’s really simple and it tasted better than Newman’s tomato sauce because it wasn’t as salty. Newman’s has so much sodium in it so every time I have it with my spaghetti I’m always so thirsty.

We had a roommate reunion last Wednesday