Paris Revisited...

There are days when I wonder 

if this entrepreneur thing is worth it....

When the factory security alarm goes off
at 10 pm on a Sunday...

When I spend weeks single-parenting it 

while Tom is in Kerplakistan 

or working yet another long weekend...

When the roof leaks and we can't afford to fix 

the half dozen holes 

or to buy groceries, for that matter...

When the roller coaster 

of our business causes heart palpitations....

Oh, but then there are some perks, 

silver linings to smooth out the bumps....

Air Miles...

Sporadically, I get to tag along 

on Tommy's trips, 

redeeming some of the many miles 

he has arduously accumulated...  

Thank God for that precious mileage, 

or I might succumb 

to gallons of Aldi Pinot Grigio 

or resort to a few hours

locked in the bathroom

reading issues of The Enquirer 

about Tom Cruise
keeping little Suri all to himself...

For us, it was a quick, 

barely planned escape to Paris for a few days...

No doubt, I am grateful to be able 

to leave the lower 48...

For most of my life, I did not cross its borders, 

not even for a high school trip 

or semester abroad...

The horror of 2009 provides some rationalization, 

in my mind,

that I deserve a getaway now and then....

Why I need to justify a trip 

is a sign of our frugal times, I guess, 

but whatever...

We all have challenges in life 

and if some jamoke can skip off to Paris, 

more power to 'em!

So we did...

We joined Tommy's parents, 

who were checking out Ireland 

and the UK before we met up with them 

at a cafe' in the sixth arrondissement...

We visited Paris a little less than a year ago, 

so this getaway was about really digging into the city, 

noodling around, 

savoring the life there...

Instead of a day by day journal, 

I think it's more interesting 

to talk about different aspects of the city 

and its people... 

Anyone can find major landmarks, 

to view the Mona Lisa 

or the Champs Elysees...  

But it's the comforting warmth 

of the morning's Cafe Creme',

watching the dapper elderly Frenchman stroll by

and discovering a centuries old doorway on a hidden street...

Fashion  

Of course, Paris is a fashion capital, 

but I did not see any skeletal models rushing past, 

portfolios in hand, 

dressed in the latest ensemble...  

What I was struck with were the locals, 

who, for the most part, looked fabulous!  

In Paris, there are no flip flops, 

no glaring white sneakers, 

wife-beater tee shirts or baggy cargo shorts...

You will see them, but worn only 

by us embarrassingly tacky Americans.... 

From the littlest tot to the most senior Parisian, 

the locals dress nicely...  

The ladies wear skirts, dresses or crisp trousers, 

always with pretty, heeled shoes..

We saw many older Parisian women shopping on Rue du Cler, 

pull carts stuffed with baguettes, fruits and vegetables.  

All of them, dressed to a T...

Younger ladies favored shorter skirts 

and these women do NOT have cellulite...

What is UP with that?! 

It must be the lack of artificial feed

like McNuggets and Whoppers
that keep their gams smooth...  

And I rarely saw tattoos on Parisians...  

Apparently, long hair is in style...  

As are elf shoes for men...  

Those pointy shoes won't ever grace Tom's feet, to be sure...

Overall, the French population makes most of the U.S. 

look like the crowd  at a county fair demolition derby...  

I speak from experience as I have been to more than one...
Rock Island County Fair, Y'all....

Cuisine

You can't visit Paris 

and not fall in love with the food...  

Unless Diet Coke and Cheetos are your thing...  

Then you are out of luck, Friend!  

The French aren't fat, yet they eat, 

GOD FORBID, 

real butter, fresh cream, loads of bread 

and buckets of wine!  

Why don't they look like candidates for "The Biggest Loser"?  

Because of this crazy idea called moderation...  

They don't Biggie/Grande/Supersize 

their cappucino's or croissants for breakfast... 

They actually sit down and enjoy the meal...

Ridiculous, huh?  

They don't wolf down 1800 calories 

while driving the Kennedy Expressway, 

simulaneously putting on mascara 

and texting their girlfriends about last night...  

Nope.  

They sit in a lovely cafe or in their kitchens, 

read a paper or talk, 

FACE TO FACE, 

with another human...

It's nuts, I know....

Okay, small confession....
Tommy is on his tablet computer in this photo...
Not exactly engaging me in conversation...
Ha ha....it is hard to unplug this guy sometimes...

The French take their restaurants seriously...  

Wait staff treat their bistros like their home, 

and customers do, too, with respect...
  

Great food is to be lingered over, 

and who wouldn't savor one's meal 

when dinner is escargot, 

chicken with morel mushrooms, 

sauteed skate over mashed potatoes, 

chocolate mousse, 

or meringue over lemon curd with raspberries....

And the wine...  

Every lunch and dinner I had glasses 

of the house rose'...  

This ain't your Gallo box of vin rosie, 

as we like to call it...  

It is light and delicious and perfect with everything...

Eating in Paris is an expensive enterprise, 

so we planned a picnic for one night...  

There is this massive lawn 

across from the Eiffel Tower 

where the locals picnic, 

Ravinia style.  

In July, it doesn't get dark before 10:30pm, 

so we saw many little kids 

still frolicking at eleven pm, 

all surprisingly well behaved, too... 

Mine would have scaled the tower, 

sending spitballs into the crowd at that hour...   

To plan this picnic, we needed a little help 

and the kind staff at the little hotel 

we stayed at, 

They lent us utensils, blankets 

and other sundries to make it happen... 

Then we hit the Rue du Cler for food stuffs...

  

Rue du Cler is allegedly the street 

upon which Julia Child 

shopped for her ingredients...

 

It is quite picturesque....  

Cobblestone streets lined 

with every kind of food shop imaginable....

Produce, 

poissonnerie, 

fromagerie,

chocolates,

l'epicerie, 

wine... 

I nervously repeated a sentence from one of my app's, 

"Nous sommes un pique-nique. Que dois-je acheter?" 

(We are having a picnic.  What should I buy?)

Just making the attempt seemed to warm up 

even the weariest proprietor... 

It was late July, just days away from vacation 

for most of France... 

These folks have put up with us obnoxious Americans 

all summer and they were ready for a break... 

You could sense that these lovely people 

were just tolerating us, 

counting to days to their holiday... 

We ran into plenty of Americans 

and I am sad to say a number

were annoying, to say the least... 
 

Note: Tommy on his phone, AGAIN...
Sigh...

So we bought brie, 

Camembert, sausages, grapes, 

apples, baguette, chocolates, five bottles of wine, 

pate of two kinds and macaron cookies... 

We surprised Tom's parents 

with the picnic bounty 

and we ate with Parisians on the Champ de Mars 

as the sun went down.  



Sorry about the butt crack
 that snuck in this photo...
I guess the French do have wardrobe malfunctions now and then....

At the top of the hour, 

the Eiffel Tower sparkles like diamonds 

for five minutes...

 

It is breaktaking.  

One last note about food....  

The French have figured out ice cream 

and Amorino is one of the best.  

They have several stores throughout the city...  

If you order a cone, they form the three flavors 

you choose into a rose...  

How gorgeously delicious!  

Banana was my favorite, followed by coffee...

All you have to do is leave the U.S. 

to discover what a bunch of PC, uptight, 

over-regulated bunch of buffoons we are... 

Life is much more relaxed 

in some other parts of the world...

I am proud to be an American for many reasons, 

but I gotta say we could learn a few things 

about the French way of living...

They enjoy food... 

Cheese is allowed to sit out on the store counter

 to breathe instead of being wrapped in 99 layers of plastic, 

chilling in the refrigerated case....  

The fish monger can lay out the fresh fish on ice 

for you to see and touch instead 

of walling it behind glass 

only approved by the local health department...  

Kids manage to stay up late 

and still know how to behave 

with some measure of decorum... 

Lots of people ride bicycles or mopeds, 

thus easing traffic in the city... 
gasp! Without helmets...!

People can sit outside at a brasserie 

and drink and socialize without shouting, 

fighting or causing a ruckus...

Now the incessant smoking I can do without, 

but on the whole, life seemed more civilized....

I love Chicago and all it offers, 

but it was good to get away 

to witness another window of the world...

Julia Child turns 100 next week...
  

After reading her book, "My Life in France" and visiting her haunts, 

I can now understand her love and fascination with Paris...  

And with that, let's celebrate with one of her classic recipes: her Mayonnaise....

Julia Child's Mayonnaise in the Food Processor

By Mike Janssen

Julia says, “Certainly the easiest way to make mayonnaise is in the food processor, where in 2 or 3 minutes you have 2 or 3 cups. Regardless of method, the best mayonnaise is made from the freshest and best ingredients, since nothing can disguise a cheap-tasting oil, a harsh vinegar or a fake lemon.” I would add to that that nothing can substitute for fresh farm eggs either — who knew mayonnaise is supposed to be yellow!
For about 2 and 1/4 cups:

• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 or more teaspoons strong prepared mustard
• ½ teaspoon or more salt
• 1 tablespoon or more fresh lemon juice or wine vinegar
• 2 cups best quality light olive oil or salad oil — all one kind or a combination (I use half Bertolli olive oil and half canola oil)
• Pepper to taste

Using the metal blade, process the egg, yolks, mustard and salt for thirty seconds. Add lemon juice and process another 30 seconds. Finally, in a very thin stream, pour in the oil very slowly until the emulsion forms. You can add the rest ever so slightly faster.
When oil is completely added, stop machine and check for flavor and consistency. Add the pepper to taste. You can add more lemon juice or vinegar for flavor and a few drops of water to lighten the mixture if it seems too stiff. Pulse several times to incorporate the new ingredients.