Bonjour!
I landed in Paris five days ago and have lucked into the most spectacular weather – sun, blue skies, cool breezes. The air is like champagne, sparkling and crisp, and I feel quite astonished to be breathing it in, me, whose days are usually filled with the grimy grind of treadmill runs, cooking family meals, and working in desperate spurts before the afternoon school bus. When I’m away from Paris, I avoid thinking about how much I miss it, but when I’m here, I feel intoxicated by it the city and all the tiny details of French living.
I will say that Paris seems changed by Covid, even since my last visit in February. Whereas it was half empty then, the sightseeing boats rattling along the Seine, now the city is heaving with tourists, tons of Europeans, Americans, and Canadians. Lots of shops have closed – little places like my neighborhood bookstore, or a favorite papeterie (stationery shop). Many restaurants have outdoor seating areas, which are in high demand. Café de Flore has a velvet rope and a long queue of people waiting to sit on the terrasse, but inside it’s empty. (Not to be outdone, Les Deux Magots has the same. Haha.) The public transport is packed to the gills and almost no one wears a mask there or anywhere else. It’s so crowded, I’ve started walking everywhere, which is wonderful because walking in Paris is my favorite thing to do, but also takes ages. It’s all been very lovely because the weather has been so magnificent, but next week they’re predicting a heatwave, so we shall what happens!
Here’s what else I’ve been up to…
What I’ve been eating
–Before I flew to France, we dropped our daughter off at summer camp and oh my goodness, Maine! Where have you been all my life? I seized the visit to taste as many lobster rolls as possible, and my favorite was from Bite into Maine, which has a fleet of food trucks, and is deservedly lauded, the lobster meat heaped on a soft toasted roll, and simply drizzled with butter.
–Cherry tomato pasta is such a summer staple, no one really uses a recipe. But Alexandra Cooks changes it up with pine nuts, shallots, and tiny pearls of mozzarella in her Instagram video and it’s great! I tried it and loved it, but recommend sprinkling the mozzarella on top, as mine melted into an unpleasant blob.
–Baking with blueberries this season? If you add a pinch of coriander, it heightens their flavor and makes them even more blueberry-y. Epicurious has the scoop.
–Have you tried cherry plums? I saw them at Trader Joe’s and bought them on impulse. They’re a delightful little tangy fruit, more plum than cherry, from a tree that’s generally considered more ornamental than fruit producing. Read more from Minneopa Orchards.
What I’ve been reading
–Born in Jamaica, raised in the Bronx, Sutanya Dacres met and married a cute French guy and moved to Paris. It seemed like a fairy tale – until the marriage crashed and burned. She tells her story in Dinner for One, a clear-eyed memoir about cooking your way through a broken heart in Paris, and a refreshing examination of what it means to be a Black American woman in France.
–Bruce Holsinger is one of my favorite writers – I loved his scathing 2018 novel of manners, The Gifted School. Now he’s back with The Displacements, a gripping story about a Florida family in a category 6 hurricane. The book is getting rave reviews, including in this week’s New York Times and I can’t wait to read it.
– Are green potatoes dangerous to eat? The short answer is yes! Epicurious explains why.
–There’s a new way to pass down family recipes: engrave them on your tombstone. New York Times
–Just in time for summer reading, the e-book of my novel The Lost Vintage on sale this week for only $1.99! It includes a sneak peek of my new book, Jacqueline in Paris. Goop called it “a made-for-vacation read” – and if you’ve already read it, why not tell a friend? Thank you for your support.
Au revoir
This month will be filled with long walks, photography, and immersing myself in the French life I love so dearly. I’m making a brief trip to Geneva next week, and I also can’t wait to pick my daughter up from camp, and hear about all her adventures. If you’re curious about what I’m seeing and eating, please come say hi on Instagram!
I hope your summer is off to a good start. Thanks for reading and see you next month!
XO Ann
I love your news letters, I wait for them to pop up. I try many of the recipes you share. Always a surprise. I miss France very much. You always help me keep connected. Thank you.
Definitely going to try the coriander in blueberries.
Enjoy Paris...we hope to travel back there from NZ eventually. Exploring the city on foot was my favourite pastime when we resided in the 7th arrondissement.