Tag Archives: dessert

A Baking Experiment Gone Right

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This afternoon, it started to pour. Not just rain, pour. And you knew it was coming, too. You could tell by the dark clouds that hung low across the sky and the low growl that rumbled every few minutes, waiting to attack.

Wow, I just got literary on you. I wasn’t craving anything this afternoon, but the rain (and thunder and lightning) did put me in a baking mood. In yesterday’s post, I talked about making food for no reason other than to shamelesslyfully stuff my face. Today was different. Yes, my baking stemmed out of boredom. But it was a crafty boredom. The kind where you sort of glance around around, taking in different objects and ingredients and think, “what can I make with all of this?”

If I’m baking, I usually try to follow a recipe. And while I never end up actually following it, all my creations start out loosely based off of someone else’s fail-proof instructions.

Today, in my moment of craftiness (perhaps it was the lightning), I decided to make cookies. But actually. Make cookies. I had flour. Chickpea flour. I knew a lot of baking recipes substitute applesauce or a banana for oil. I had an apple… I could make applesauce. I guess? I mean, applesauce is really just mashed apples. Sort of.

I also had chocolate chips (duh), oats, vanilla, salt, baking soda, walnuts, maple syrup, and coconut butter. These are starting to sound like really complicated cookies. They weren’t.

And they came out surprisingly well! Much better than I would have thought. And while I didn’t do any sort of nutrition fact calculations, they’re pretty effing healthy. Like when it comes to cookies.

I highly suggest you make these. That is, if you’re looking for a cookie fix that won’t break your elastic waistband but remind you that there are still healthy cookies in the world that taste good. Perhaps I’m biased because I like anything with chocolate chips in it. Except for pumpkin. Not a fan of pumpkin and chocolate.

Deceptively Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • 1 c. chickpea flour
  • 1/2 c. oats
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 apple, peeled
  • 1 Tbsp. coconut butter
  • 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/4 c. walnuts, chopped (optional)
  • 1/3 c. chocolate chips, or amount desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice and core apple, place in blender or food processor until mashed. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, salt, and baking soda. In a small bowl, combine the mashed apple, coconut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing together with a sturdy mixing spoon or, more effectively, your hands. When incorporated, add in walnuts (optional) and chocolate chips. After these have been mixed in, use a tablespoon to drop spoonfuls of the dough onto a small baking sheet. Make sure each cookie dough ball is spaced evenly apart. Flatten each ball with your hand, forming the balls into a classic cookie shape. Put tray in the oven for 9-11 minutes. When done, remove tray from the oven and let cool for a few minutes– if you can wait that long. Cookies should be solid yet moist.

When I made these, I didn’t flatten out the cookies so they turned out in ball form. And I was okay with that; in fact, I preferred it! But obviously if you’re looking for a more classic cookie, you should flatten them– they won’t do it by themselves!

While these cookies are still a work in progress, I was so excited about the way they turned out– and the fact that I created them myself– that I had to share them with you.

Enjoy!

And no, I didn’t eat these all in one sitting. I had two gooey ones right out of the oven with a small glass of rice milk. And then I saved the rest for another time!

Chocolate Chip Withdrawal

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Watching Sex and the City in a recliner while browsing food blogs online. Can’t get much better than that.

Nothing huge too report, except that I didn’t take any pictures today. Laziness, friends, pure laziness.

Tomorrow, though, I have bigger plans. My lack of chocolate chips is totally driving me insane, and thus I need some sort of dessert that will keep me from running to the grocery store (excuse me, driving) and buying all their bags.

I need something sweet. All this detox improvisation in the kitchen has been fun, but I’m itching to bake something. I want a cookie. Cake. Brownie. Blondie. Chocolate fudge.   Are you seeing a theme here?

I don’t want to sacrifice all the detoxing I’ve already accomplished, so I won’t be turning to processed sugar or wheat or anything like that. (Though, truth: I did eat bulgur today and didn’t even realize it’s a form of wheat! Oops… my stomach wasn’t too funky though, but it’s only been like 4.5 days without it.) I’ll just be mixing up a little something based off of some really yummy looking recipes on the internet. It might have some maple syrup or agave or– ideally– just dates in it. And it probably won’t have chocolate (sigh) unless I can get my hands on some raw cacao powder. And you know what? I might just have it in place of lunch or dinner, since each meal always leaves me too full for dessert.

Here are some of the blogs I’ve been stalking lately. They all have such awesome recipes, I can’t wait to try some of them!

Choosing Raw: Check out the Sweet Bean Dip and the Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies!

Minimalist Baker: Check out her Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pancakes!

Foodgawker, Detox Edition

Pastry Affair: She has delicious recipes, and recently started to eat vegan!

 

 

I’ll save you all the boring details of detox day 5… especially since there are none. I just feel good!

Vegan Spongecake

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I found this recipe while flipping through the dessert section of Rose Elliot’s The New Complete Vegetarian.

[source]

I was itching to bake something, and conveniently, a 15-year-old boy lives at my house. My brother.

Since he is a growing boy, he has no concept of calories (thank goodness) and is constantly hungry.

So I would have no temptation to eat the whole thing by myself.

I got this cookbook for my 20th birthday from my father. I love it because it’s not only vegetarian, but it’s also filled with many vegan recipes– and Elliot specifies this. As a former “official” vegan, I always appreciate when people recognize that vegetarian food can also be, coincidentally, vegan. Things don’t always have to include eggs and cheese.

There are so many amazing recipes in this book, and I can’t wait to try out more of them. But today, I opted for the Vegan Spongecake. It seemed light (a benefit of its vegan label), and thus perfect for the hot weather we’re having in the Northeast. Plus, we could put whatever we wanted with it. Ice cream, jam, fresh fruit– and for my brother, salted butter caramel. The kid eat it like crack. Though one doesn’t eat crack, do they? I wouldn’t know. Not sure I need to.

As you can see in the photo, I warmed up some sugarplum jam (Stonewall Kitchen) and drizzled it on top before giving the plate to my brother. Oh, don’t worry. I had a small slice beforehand.

It’s delicious! And since it’s made with a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flours, it has a more complex flavor than a normal spongecake. When I asked my brother if it tasted healthy, he said, “eh, not really.” So that’s a good sign, since this kid has a genuine fear of tofu and anything else associated with a vegan diet. We’re working on him.

The recipe said pour the cake in two small 7-inch pans, but we only have 9-inch at my house. So I did one 9-inch cake. It would have been nice to have two layers and then spread something in between as filling, but I suppose the single-layer makes it more universal.

It’s also not overly sweet, so I didn’t feel the need to keep going back for more. It’s sweetened only with dark brown sugar, so it has a more subtle sweetness than that immediate sugar spike you find in most desserts.

If you’re looking for a simple summer dessert, I say go with spongecake. I’d give you the recipe, but… I probably wouldn’t be around afterwards to continue giving more. So I’ll suggest you check out Rose Elliot’s cookbook. If you’re a vegetarian (it’s not 100% vegan), it’s a great resource to have for cooking basics and easy and forgiving recipes. Just my kind of thing.

Practicing Mindfulness

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By now, you all must be relatively familiar with some of my food frustrations in France. Well, here’s another rant for ‘ya. But it’s not all negative, I promise! In fact, I’d like to talk about some positive changes I’m instating in order to avoid some negative choices I’ve been making. How’s that for a great song lyric?

Working in a bakery definitely has its perks, and it definitely has its downsides. And coincidentally, the negative and the positive are often both baked into the same 3-layer, frosted cake. As an intern, I don’t get paid. I don’t really need the money right now, and I’m just happy to be doing work that I enjoy. Using the espresso machine gives me a sense of purpose! And, the cherry on the cake: I can eat as much cake as I want. Actually, I can eat as much of anything as I want: scones, muffins, cupcakes, rice krispies, hello dollies, caramel bars… the list goes on. As does my extending waistline.

I was fed a constant diet of sugar while in the womb (thanks, mom), so I’ve got a pretty nasty sweet tooth. It runs in the family. I do my best to keep my cravings under control and make healthy substitutes, but I also make sure to get some sugar in me every now and then. (ok, like once a day.) But what do you do when you’re working for 8 hours and there are no customers for 2 hours and you’re stuck behind the counter twiddling your thumbs? Um, really, you had to ask? You eat some effing cake. (or other baked good items: see above)

I’ve been doing better now with controlling some of these impulses to mindlessly eat everything in front of me. It doesn’t always work, but I do my best– and considering I’m spending 8 hours in front of a literal sugar shmorgasbord, I’d say I’m doing a pretty respectable job. I find that restricting myself immediately leads the opposite result, so I try to only eat one dessert a day, and mindfully.

I really felt like I’d been doing a great job with this “one dessert a day” thing. Sometimes I didn’t even want dessert! And because I’d recently realized how many little things I’d been eating each day, I went about writing down everything I ate for 1 week. I didn’t do measurements or count calories– ew– I just wanted to make sure I was aware of every little thing I was eating, as all those little things can really add up.

Well, here’s where the frustration kicks in. I’m the kind of person that expects immediate results, and I have a hard time realizing that my goals won’t happen in a week. But it wasn’t even that I was expecting my pants to fit a little better, it was that I was just expecting to feel better. Lighter. Calmer. But I felt completely the opposite. And after running 13.1 miles on Sunday (more on that later), I felt like I was completely the opposite of what I was feeling… and how I should be looking. I didn’t feel like a runner, I felt like a blob. And I realize a lot of that has to do with how much stress and fatigue that I had to deal with from a huge workload. But something had to give. I felt that for all the effort I was putting into leading a healthier life, the equation wasn’t adding up. And as frustrated as I can get about not having a lot of food choices here because my host mother feeds me 13 meals a week and it’s hard to find really clean, whole foods for a quick student lunch, I knew also that a lot of the frustration was coming from me. From how I was dealing with everything.

They say (who does?) that your body is the first thing youshould take care of in life, because if you don’t do that, you won’t have a life. And while I’m lucky and have no real health problems, the amount of stress I was putting myself through wasn’t good for me. And because of the stress, I was tired, and because I was tired, I made poor food choices.

But the problem wasn’t what I was eating. Like I said, I had been a lot more aware of what I was putting into my body. The problem was how I was eating. I was just eating whatever was in front of me without thinking about the actual process of nourishing my body.

I wasn’t being mindful.

I would wake up in the morning, exhausted, and stumble to kitchen where I would half-consciously eat breakfast. Then at lunch I’d wolf down a sandwich and try to deny my dessert craving, which I’d end up satisfying anyways. Dinner, well… that’s a different story, because my host mother eats SO FAST and even though I eat much more slowly, I still have to eat more quickly than I would like.

So I needed to make some changes. I needed to be mindful. But you can’t just wake up in the morning and say, “hm. I think I’ll be mindful today.” Sure, that might work for breakfast, but by lunch you’ve already forgotten what your intention was for the day. Like many other things, one must practice mindfulness. While it may come naturally to many people, there are many more– like me– who have a really hard time with this concept. But the more you try to implement mindful practices into your daily life, the better choices you make with regards to food and your body, At least, that’s been my experience.

It’s surprising how much effort it takes to be mindful, even about the smallest things. But I’m trying to make some small adjustments, and I already feel like they’re helping me:

  • Wake up, drink tea/hot water with lemon. This helps me wake up slowly, and I can check my emails in the process so I’m not distracted later.
  • Do anywhere from 15-20 minutes of yoga practice. I find that even when I just do a short yoga routine, I help bring my attention to my body, which continues for the rest of the day.
  • Eat with all 5 senses. Ok, I probably don’t use all 5. But instead of just using taste (because let’s be honest, my eyes are barely open in the morning), I try to incorporate sight and smell. I’ll really look at the food in front of me, and I’ll take a smell of whatever I’m about to eat. This way, I make my meals more of an experience, and I’m more likely to appreciate the moment– and slow down– more.
  • Find gentle ways to get moving. I got so burned out during half-marathon training. I wanted to go for a long walk without feeling guilty that I should be running! Now that the half-marathon is over, however, I’m letting myself do whatever I want. It’s not that I don’t want to move, it’s that I don’t always want to feel like I have to run. I lovelovelove to run, but every now and then you have to take a break, or else you won’t remember why you love something so much. Plus, I don’t want to get the same knee injury I did last time I ran a half-marathon when I pushed myself too hard after the race. An hour-long power walk will burn the same amount of calories as a 3-4 mile run (depending on how fast you go), and it lets you appreciate your surroundings in a different way than you would while running. Trust me on this one, I used to wear a pedometer every day.
  • Asking myself, “does my body want this?” Because my mind definitely does. But sometimes just internalizing the question, and directing it towards your body, will help you realize that no, in fact, your body really has little interest in eating that chocolate eclair. While it might look really good to our brains, the food isn’t going there– it’s going to our stomachs. And if our body doesn’t want it, then we’ll only end up regretting our food choice later.
  • Stretching before bed. Nothing too serious, just bringing awareness back into the body at the end of the day. I also try to take a few full deep breaths before going to sleep, just so I can practice breathing.

So there you have it. I only started this practice earlier this week, so I’m nowhere near perfect yet. And to be honest, it’s impossible to be perfect at “being mindful.” It’s not a competition– it’s only the best you can do. There will be days when you slip up and you will get angry and frustrated at yourself, but just look ahead to the next moment. Because what matters is how you move forwardd, how you forgive yourself and strive to make a better choice in the next moment.

Scaling Mont Blanc

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It’s freezing here. I never thought I would consider any place other than Clinton, NY as cold, but Paris is certainly climbing the charts (though dropping in temperature). Luckily, it’s only a cold spell and the temperatures will be back in the 40′s by the middle of next week. Unfortunately, Clinton will be back in the 40′s mid-May. Bring on Senior Year…

Anyways, this weather has lent some interesting sights around Paris– most namely, the frozen fountains. To be fair, I’ve only seen one frozen fountain, and that’s because I have to cut through the Lux (oh, excuse me, Jardin du Luxembourg) most days on my way to and from class.

Check this out, will ya?

No ice skating here. You’ll have to go to the Hôtel de Ville for that. (Is it even still open?)

A better look…

The poor birds!

In honor of the cold weather (and also because I’m like a polar bear and don’t shy away from gaining any extra layer of fat when it’s really  [excuse my french] cold out), I picked out an extra special dessert at lunch.

The Mont Blanc. Ever seen it? I guess you’d say it was modeled after the Mont Blanc. But I just thought it looked really interesting. I’ll admit, the vermicelli freaked me out (all those tiny tiny stringy-things), but when I learnt that it was made of crème de marron (chestnut cream), I thought I would give this pastry a second chance.

*Apologies for the photos. I keep my windows shut at all times now (#recluse) because it’s so cold out, so there is literally no natural light in my room.*

It’s also much smaller than these pictures make it look. I promise I’m not a huge glutton. Only a little one.

I can’t even begin to describe to you what this thing is, other than deliciousness. And it’s a lot of fun to eat. Contrary to what I thought, the dessert is not made entirely of these chestunut strings– that’s only the cover. Literally. On the inside, held in place by a buttery tart on the bottom, is a mix of whipped cream, crème de marron, and marrons glacés (sugary chestnuts). The dessert is garnished with marrons glacés atop the mound of vermicelli.

It’s delicious. And definitely something you’ll only want to have once in a while.

Oh, and I’d suggest a plate and a fork. You may not need as much equipment as an actual mountain climber, but you’ll want to be prepared.

La Galette des Rois

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Not many people in the states celebrate Epiphany, much less know what it is.

When I was little, I think my brother and I just used it as an excuse to get extra presents. We’d read about it in Tomie Depaola’s illustrated book, “The Legend of Old Befana,” where an old woman hears of the birth of baby Jesus but is late to the party and flies on her broom all over the world delivering gifts to children (actually, in the book it was cookies), hoping that she’ll find the baby Jesus.

I can’t give you any better historical significance than that.

Actually, I will say, in translating the name for you (the cake of kings), that it has something to do with the 3 wise men. Ok, now google the rest. That’s all I have.

Technically, Epiphany falls on January 6th, though many French choose to celebrate on the following Sunday. Easier, I guess. In honor of the fête, many boulangeries and pâtisseries– and maybe your host sister, if she likes to bake– make a special pastry known as la Galette des Rois. They actually start making it weeks in advance, and don’t stop making it until weeks after. Case in point: it is now January 26th and I still see tons of galettes des rois in local boulangeries and pâtisseries. Who knows when they’ll stop.

La Galette des rois is a circular cake made of puff pastry, with frangipane on the inside. That’s pretty much all there is. If you’ve ever had an almond croissant, the taste is similar. But be careful– though delicious, these cakes are pretty heavy!

Recently, two camp friends– Caroline and Cordelia– came to Paris for a visit. Caroline is studying in France for the year as well, in Rennes– so she knows how big a deal this cake is. Cordelia, however, had no idea. So of course, we made her eat one.

But we let her share it with us.

We got the smallest size, which usually works for one person– but we shied away from gluttony. They also come in larger sizes, up to cakes that can serve 16 people. Huge! But so good.

If you’re ever in Paris for Christmas, be sure to stop by a boulangerie and ask for one of these! And it’s even better if they’ve been warmed up. Happy (late) New Year!

Photo credit: Caroline Cunfer. (thanks Caroline!)

*Addendum: I can’t believe I forgot to talk about the whole tradition behind La Galette des rois! When you buy your cake (though this doesn’t usually apply for the individual sizes), whether it’s January 6th, the Sunday after, or just a normal, run-of-the-mill Wednesday, you should know that there’s a surprise inside! It’s called a fève, or a broad bean, which was actually what was hidden inside in the olden days. Nowadays, however, the fève refers to a little tiny baby Jesus figurine– though I once saw a panda version. Ah, secularism.

When everyone sits down to eat the cake, the youngest person at the table must, in fact, go under it. Or, if you don’t want to have as much fun, one can keep one’s eyes closed. Then, whoever is in charge of cutting the cake will ask the youngest person to announce which piece is for whom. Example: “This piece?” (“Henry.”) “And this next peace? (“Helen.”)

This continues until everyone at the table has a piece. Obviously, someone is bound to find the fève by the end of the meal– whoever this is becomes the King (or Queen) of the evening, and must choose the Queen (or King) from the other members of the table. You’ll notice, when buying a Galette, that they often come with a paper crown. This is used to crown the reigning member of the party when they find the fève.

Up in A’dam

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This past Wednesday, I took a little trip up Amsterdam way with a friend, Emily. We’re both studying in Paris for the year, and we wanted to travel somewhere in between semesters.

So, we opted for Amsterdam! It’s a pretty standard city on the “European travel” list, but now I know why. Other than the  various well-known reasons, of course.

I’m completely obsessed with this city! I’ve always been a huge nerd for home design, both exterior and interior (I still get as excited as my 10-year-old self whenever I see the latest copy of HouseBeautiful on the dining room table), and this city is full of it.

From the beautiful indigo-painted brick houses to the huge windows (through which one can see all the sweet ceiling beams and Ikea-esque white paper lanterns), this city knows what’s up, design wise.

And the food wasn’t so bad, either.

Our first night there, we went big. Mind you, this wasn’t with our own wallets, but as a treat from Mom and Dad.

The restaurant at which we ate, Le Zinc et Les Autres, had a section on their menu of vegetarian dishes. And not a hippie in sight, mind you. That’s saying something.

I opted for a curried vegetable dish wih a tofu wonton and rice. Hard to describe in a phrase, but it was very good.

For dessert (you thought we were going to pass that up?), we chose something called “Chocolate Caviar.”

Wow.

The next day, after visiting the Anne Frank house, we decided to check something else off our list. The best apple pie in Amsterdam! It can be found at Winkel, a coffee shop on Westerstraat.

 

It was absolutely delicious, and made the perfect lunch! We got our vitamins with all the apples, duh.

For dinner, we decided to get some veggies. Decided/just really needed to. When one eats apple pie for lunch, one has to make up for it other ways.

But our dinner was hardly punishment. We ate at a delicious vegetarian restaurant, Holboed, recommended to us by my mother. It was a great recommendation– and even got the seal of approval from Emily, who’s not the world’s biggest frequenter of vegetarian restaurants.

I opted for the Vegan dish of the day, since I just generally need a break from cheese and dairy. Delicious.

 

Emily opted for a casserole, which she still raves about.

One of the best parts was the cat in the restaurant (a common theme in Amsterdam!). 

 

The next day’s weather was absolutely awful. Calm one minute, rainy (even hail) and windy the next. And when you have a cheap umbrella that insists on reversing itself every 4 seconds, it’s even worse.

So we both were in the market for some warm soup. For some reason, we were picturing some delicious fresh baked bread as well. We came across this little place, Letting. Not sure what that means in Dutch. But the soup was delicious!

I got a delicious carrot ginger, while Emily opted for a creamy potato leek. And both came accompanied by fresh bread.

And for dessert, something called “Lady Kisses.” They were delicious, but the cookies were pretty crunchy. I’m not sure what that actually says about lady kisses. Hm…

 

Oh, and how can I forget the fresh stroopwafel that we found (and purposely sought out) and the Albert Cuyp Market?

 

And now, it’s back to Paris. I still find it bizarre that I breathe a sigh of relief when I get back to this familiar city. And that I even think it’s familiar. But that’s the way it is, and I’m not fighting it.

Latest and Greatest: Christmas Edition

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What I’ve got my (imaginary) sights on:

Spicy Squash. This looks like just the thing I need to get over my cold!

Veggie Chicken Noodle Soup.

Cider Glazed Beets. Yes Please.

This tofu bowl from an Athens, GA restaurant. Ah, Georgia on my mind.

Vegan Bûche de Noël (did they know that it has been my life dream to make one of these?)

Chocolate Peanut Butter cookies. I love these kinds of cookies.

Maple and Sweet Potato Pie. Just combine the two things I love the most, why don’t you?

What I’m listening to:

I’ve just found out about 8tracks, a sight that has pre-made playlists for any mood you’re in. Including a wide, wide variety of Christmas music.

Christmas Oldies. Let it be known that “‘Zat You, Santa Claus?” is my all-time favorite Christmas song.

Indie Christmas. Great if you’re looking for a change of pace from the same old song versions that you hear over and over again everywhere you go.

What I’m watching:

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. If only my friends were here to watch it with me, it’s our favorite!

The Holiday. Christmas. Jude Law. England. HOW COULD YOU NOT LOVE IT.

The Family Stone. This is, hands down, one of my favorite movies. No one understands why, but I love the pure New England Christmas thing they got goin’ on.

What about you? Are there any things you like to do to get you in the Christmas spirit? Any new traditions you’re excited to try out?

Guen Mai

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Yesterday was the last day of November. Which means it’s the first day of December, a month filled with cookies, cakes, chocolate, and generally about a gazillion other forms of sugar. Hey, I’m not complaining! I’m currently suffering from cookie-baking withdrawal. It just means that I’ll have to balance out my month of sugar with some healthy veggies whenever I can. Lucky for me, I love vegetarian restaurants almost as much as I love chocolate shops.

So I decided to check out a restaurant that frequently pops up on “Paris Vegetarian restaurants”  lists online. Guen Mai.

It’s a little restaurant in the 6th arrondissement that doubles as a health foods store– lots of vitamins, supplements, nut butters, seed oils, cleanses, etc. And what health foods store would be complete without a juicer?

Guen Mai is tucked into a little side-street right behind Boulevard Saint-Germain. It’s hard to miss it once you see it with it’s trellis-covered exterior, but you have to find the street first! I first stumbled upon it a few weeks ago when I was aimlessly walking through the 6th, so this time I had to make sure I knew where I was going!

The restaurant features two or three specials for the day, depending on the day. They’ll tell you what they have for the day when you walk in, but if for some chance you’re not really understanding French, the menu explains it as well. Out of the Wednesday choices– Cooked fish (macrobiotic restaurant), Tofu Ravioli, or Seitan brochette (assuming that means some sort of kebab?). I went with the Seitan brochette. Great choice.

As you can see, the plate of the day also comes with all of the other sides that are displayed in the case at the front of the store/restaurant. So I got some brown rice, tofu/rice noodles, millet, cooked onions and carrots, Dal, grated beets and carrots, and of course, the Seitan.

Naturally, I got some juice. Carrot ginger, and it hit the spot. Just look at that color!

I was starving before I went into the restaurant, so I had a hard time stopping after I finished the main plate– I was still hungry! So what to do? Get dessert, obviously.

They had a few selections of the day, mainly fruit tarts. Apple crumble, Apple/Apricot, Apple/Hazelnut, and cooked apples. I’m sensing an apple theme here, but maybe that’s just me.

I randomly chose the apple/apricot, not knowing exactly which one it was in the display case, but I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be disappointed.

Very good, but very simple. I mean, don’t base your opinion of French desserts off of the tart. But if you’re in the mood for something simply sweet, light, and healthy, then this hit the spot! Also, the restaurant managed to pull off a great flaky crust. I was impressed.

It’s not the least-expensive place, but it’s also not the most-expensive place either. And if you’re someone who believes in putting their health before their wallet (okay, if you just love good, simple, healthy food), then it’s worth it. Entrées were around 5 Euro, as were the juices. Main plates were around 10-14 Euro (mine was 12.50), and desserts were around 5 Euro.

I got to the restaurant at 1:30, and it was already bustling, though I was immediately seated (I guess the benefit of eating alone?). The crowd was mainly (okay, all) women, except for the man waiting on the tables. Based off of the way they addressed each other, I gathered that the man was married to the woman at the counter, who was also keeping an eye on their little girl.

When I asked her what Guen Mai meant, she said it was a traditional ancient rice soup from Japan. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s what she said. I made out rice, soup, and Japan.

So there you have it!

Guen Mai, 6 Rue Cardinale, 75006.  Métro Mabillon (10), Saint-Germain de Près (4).

The Foodie Weekend

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Note: A very special thank you to Brooke Camarda for the fabulous photography! It’s true… everyone does look better when it’s not a point and shoot.

From Thursday to Saturday I had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with one of my oldest camp friends. (Seriously, I have 10-year-old pictures to prove it.) Brooke is studying abroad in Italy and decided to visit for a few days, so I naturally offered up the trundle bed I have here and encroached on my host family’s hospitality since I will hopefully be leaving in less than a week. Though they don’t know that yet. Shh. Except it wasn’t really a problem because Brooke and I were rarely at the house– we had much more important things to do.

Like EAT.

While Brooke is definitely enjoying the day-to-day luxury of eating Italian food, she came to Paris with a purpose:  to experience French food! A welcome goal, since I tend to tire of the usual tourist circuit pretty early on. Though we did hit up the Musée d’Orsay. (don’t do it in heels, you’ll just want to hit yourself with them.)

The Eiffel Tower to Brooke’s Foodie checklist was Boeuf Bourgignon, which we think probably came from a recent viewing of Julie & Julia.

But let’s start at the beginning. 

I met up with Brooke at noon on Thursday, a reunion facilitated by two American tourists who happened to guess that I was looking for a friend, whom they had just sent in the other direction. Probably one of the weirdest moments of my week, though it might make the yearlong list.

We opted for lunch, and headed to Little Breizh Crêperie in the 6th Arrondissement.

Brooke opted for a galette (savory buckwheat crêpe) with ham, artichoke hearts, cheese, and tomatoes.

I chose the vegetarian salad which was topped with artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes, surrounded by galette rolls filled with hot chèvre. Magnifique.

11 Rue Grégoire de Tours, 75006. Métro Odéon.

While I went to class, Brooke stopped at Le Musée de l’Orangerie, located in the Jardin des Tuileries and home to Monet’s famous waterlilies.

We met back up for dinner, and decided to explore the area around my house– right on the border of the 8th and the 17th– to find some relatively inexpensive dinner. That’s not an easy feat in the 8th arrondissement. We stumbled upon Un Air de Famille, a cute family restaurant on a little side street that sounded like it had plenty of good things on the menu. And for a light dinner, it wouldn’t be that expensive.

Little did we know that the waitress would declare it mandatory to order the 22 Euro Dinner formula. And at that point, there was no turning back. I’d already used their bathrooms.

So we grinned and beared it. I chose the appetizer + entrée option (though entrée in France means appetizer), while Brooke opted for the entrée + dessert option. Smart girl. My curried mushroom salad on a bed of spinah was good, but not amazing. It did, however, help me fulfill my vegetable quota.

For the entrée, I chose a feta salad. A note to all the hippies out there: they DID have an organic quinoa appetizer! But I didn’t order it.

Brooke chose a grapefruit, avocado and smoked salmon salad, though was thoroughly disappointed when her avocado came out smothered in an orange-colored mayonnaise sauce, which she promptly scraped off. So don’t say anything about the ugly looking avocado in the background, kay?

And we think that maybe it’s a good thing we forgot to take a picture of the dessert. (I may or may not have cavedandgotonetoo after I saw Brooke drooling over hers. Actually, after I started drooling over Brooke’s dessert. I believe the it was called a Petit Coulant on the menu, but was the American equivalent to a small chocolate lava cake. Delicious.

Rue des Dames, off of Rue de Lévis, 75008. Métro Villiers.

After a Friday afternoon spent at the Musée d’Orsay, Brooke consulted her guidebook (such a tourist) for potential dinner restaurants. She found a wonderful review of the Polidor, which would check the Boeuf Bourgignon off of her list. This girl was determined. Also, the prices didn’t seem that bad on the website, and that’s always a plus. 

And what did we notice in the window upon our arrival?

That’s right. MIDNIGHT IN PARIS WAS FILMED HERE. I love Woody Allen movies and I love Paris, so naturally, anything that combines the two is a winner in my book. Brooke’s friend Mic remembered the restaurant from the scene when Owen Wilson’s character first meets Ernest Hemingway.

So that pretty much made my night. Forget about the food.

But let’s not.

Although the entire restaurant was filled with the smell of Boeuf Bourgignon (while I am a vegetarian, I love the smell of meat cooking), I opted to stay vegetarian, and chose the Crème de Potiron, or Pumpkin Soup. Yes, it was mentioned alongside the Boeuf Bourgignon in the guidebook, so THERE.

Brooke, of course, opted for her beloved meat.

The portions are small, which was a nice change from some of the meals I’ve experienced here. Simple, traditional French cuisine.

And how could we pass on dessert? The guidebook raved about the chocolate and lemon tarts, though I went with the chocolate mousse. I’ve always had a hard time abiding by recommendations.

Brooke went with the lemon tart, while her friend Mic chose the Tarte Tatin, a warm apple tart.

Delicious to the last bite.

Maybe I’m biased because it was in one of my favorite movies, but you must go. Yes, it’s touristy, but subtly so– the restaurant does a wonderful job of keeping the old world charm intact, and you wouldn’t notice the tourists except for the fact that there are a lot of different looking people and different languages being spoken.

Also, an important note. The restaurant has never accepted credit cards, and they still don’t. Make sure you grab some cash beforehand.

41 Rue Monsieur Le Prince, 75006. Métro Cluny La Sorbonne or Odéon.

To top it all off, we enjoyed a wonderful picnic for lunch on Saturday in the Place des Vosges, a gorgeous park located in the Marais, the Jewish quarter. Victor Hugo’s apartment overlooks the Place des Vosges, so if you have time, stop in for a visit!

Rue de Rivoli marks the border of the Marais, which one gets to from the Métro Saint-Paul. There are wonderful little shops on Rue de Rivoli, especially if you bypass Starbucks and all of the other larger chain stores.

After meeting up with a camp friend, we all headed to a Fromagerie where we picked out a sheep’s cheese (my favorite, Fromage de Brébis), and a very, very gooey goat’s cheese. Of course, there was a Boulangerie right next to the Fromagerie, so we picked up some bread as well.

Picnic success. I think this proves that I’m definitely not a vegan anymore. Vive la France!