One of My Most Favorite Photos of Paris. Ever.

I really fell in love with this little café in the 5th during our 46-hour whirlwind visit to Paris last week.
And this photo perfectly captures its atmosphere.

I love the color of the walls and the way the salt shakers are all lined up in a neat row on the shelf.
I love that they have books.
I love the sturdy glassware and that yellow Pernod pitcher.
I love the light fixtures and old signs decorating the interior.
I love the puffy gougères they serve with an apéro in the evening.

And I loved that they happily gave us their wi-fi code, as the Internet in our hotel was annoyingly en panne during our entire stay. 

In search of the perfect morning coffee ...

I get up every morning searching for the "perfect morning coffee".

I usually have two medium cups (we'll call them small for US standards) of this delicious beverage. The flowery cup in the picture is Laura Ashley. My breakfast ritual is as follows: I get up and have a large glass of orange juice (actually 50% water and 50% packed pure orange juice not made from concentrate). Later (cannot mix the acidity of orange juice with coffee ...) I make coffee. I use a two cups French press. I have been doing this for years, however, it is never the same, a few grams make a difference, and every morning I search the "perfect coffee". I had one yesterday, but today's was not as good.
I always use Brazilian Santos coffee, my all time favorite. It's a 100% arabica coffee with a beautiful perfume and a delicate taste.Some days I toast a piece of baguette, left from the previous day and have it with one of the many jams I make throughout the year. But most days, I have a low fat plain yogurt mixed with some of my home made jam, and add muesli. I have been trying to avoid granola ... which I love because of its richness.
After lunch, I also like to have coffee, though stronger. I use an Italian percolator and drink the strong beverage in these delicate coffee cups gift from Jamini, a dear friend. I use the same Brazilian coffee, which I store in this coffee container bought in Venice a couple of years ago.

Other times, when I am inspired, I prepare the so called in the west "turkish coffee", which I learned to prepare when we lived in Baghdad, back in the eighties. I open a few pods of cardamon which I put inside. To make this coffee I buy specially ground coffee, it has to be finely ground so that the result has this creamy consistency, rich and thick. I keep the coffee in this can of "old coffee" I bought many years ago in Japan.

Oh, yes, and whenever I can, I have my early morning coffee in my deck ... I look forward to warmer days to be able to do it regularly.

What is your favorite breakfast?

Photo du Jour

The graceful staircase in our friend's house.

Only in France....

I think I need to start a series of posts entitled Only in France...
Because every so often there are these funny/bizarre/surreal moments that I have and while they're happening there's this little voice in the back of my mind whispering in amusement/shock/disbelief, "only in France..."

For example, on Thursday I was in Metro, a wholesale restaurant supply store that only allows hospitality business owners to join (luckily I have a few friends with cards).
I picked up a bottle of Kirsch in the baking aisle and put it in my cart. When I got to the check out, the young woman picked up the bottle of Kirsch, scanned it and turned to me and said, "You do not have the right to purchase this. You are not a pâtissier. You must be a pâtissier to purchase this item."

Okaaaaay

Only in France...

Sunday Links

I am the girl of 100 lists.*

France. Food. Light. Two very talented people. A delicious photography workshop in Gascony.

France. Wine. Chocolate. Two great guys in Paris. A very tempting tasting.

A collection of inspired and bold ideas. And another place to feed my blank journal/paper product addiction.

Come to a little village in the Corbières for 3 étoiles!

Fresh ricotta. I keep saying I'm going to try making it, and now I definitely will. Must try this chèvre as well.


bon dimanche!



*curious if anyone get this reference?

This Morning's Bread

It's a holiday and our favorite Boulangerie is closed. Luckily I was in the mood for a little bread making.
Now my hands are sore from kneading. (Getting arthritic hands really sucks)



Honey, Cheese and Herb Bread, hot out of the oven.


melted, slightly burnt cheese...mmmmm.....

Photo du Jour - Domino

Domino, having a calm moment.

He sleeps. He eats. He runs around like the Energizer Bunny, hunting everything in sight - my feet, the chihuahuas, the corner of the couch, his toys, the kitchen chairs, his refection in the mirror...
He sleeps. He eats. Repeat cycle.