I'm really glad I'm not gluten intolerant
- By Robyn Lee
- Sep 29, 2006
- Comments
"Non, non, madame...merci!"
Physically, I briskly walked away from Bagels & Brownies; psychologically, I fled to another country and got cosmetic surgery to change my identity. It was my first time being informed that I couldn't take photos of a shop's foodstuffs through their outside window, and while I could understand their rule (hey, it's only a thin layer of glass from taking a photo inside the shop, which can be a no-no), I wasn't prepared for it. Because it never happened before. And it never happened before because most people don't give a crap if I'm taking photos of something from outside their establishment. Or maybe they do and they just don't catch me in time...
The woman wasn't mean about it (I've felt more disdainful vibes from shopkeepers who may have been merely handing me a sandwich), but if my camera is unwelcome, I also feel unwelcome. (That's just my take; I'm probably over-sensitive and overly possessive of my baby—I mean, camera.) For anyone else who has been asked to not take a photo of a window display in a foreign country (which I'm sure applies to so many of you), how did you feel about it afterwards?
- storefront
- donut's
Of course, I did get some photos. Bagels & Brownies is a cute place with cute plates stuffed with cute desserts. I can't recommend or not recommend it since I didn't try anything (after I left, I got a swift case of appetite loss), but if you do go at least you know 1) what it looks like and 2) that you shouldn't whip out a camera since it might cause a lifetime ban against your admittance to the shop.
(It may seem rude of me to take photos without asking permission, but if I had to ask every store I pass whether I can take photos of their windows, I wouldn't take photos at all. My life would be more pointless than it already is.)
bread, bread, bread and other stuff
I bought three baguettes this week. That means I ate three baguettes this week. There is baguette matter digesting in my stomach as I type this.
- punitions
Of course, I supplement my baguette diet with other necessities, such as these cookies. If you can't get to Poilâne you may be able to buy their punitions from Casino, which is what I impulsively did while buying groceries there last Friday even though I do live close to a Poilâne. Punitions are addictive, small, round shortbread cookies that are 75% butter and 150% delicious, making them 225% awesome (yeah, I can do math). Sweet, slightly crispy, slightly tender and conveniently bite-sized so that you can kill 10 of them in one sitting, these babies are great if you're looking for an easy way to incorporate more fat, carbohydrates and sugar into your diet. I managed to make the 200-ish gram bag (19.90€ per kg—it's a steal!) last a week, but there were definitely times when I mindlessly popped them into my mouth until I had consumed roughly one stick of butter in the form of cookies.
- pile of macs
Last Sunday I tried my assortment of Fauchon macarons (72€/kg) a day after carrying them around in damp weather for a couple of hours. Such an environment is not conducive to keeping those lovely "crispy shell and "light yet moist innards" characteristics that makes macarons awesome intact. Oops. They were good, but I knew they could've been better. Although the flavors (pistachio, caramel, passion fruit, and the non-pictured fig) were better than average, I was distracted by the nearly cloying sweetness. Are they abnormally sweet, or were my taste buds off? Overall, the macarons were good, but nothing I'm dying to go back and try.
- I have no shame
Now I understand why it's important to live near a good bakery; if it takes you more than 5 minutes to get from your bakery of choice (Poujauran) to your home (not next to Poujauran, thank god), you may find yourself tearing into your fresh baguette while waiting for the metro (which isn't a bad location if you want lovely gray backgrounds for your food photography). There's nothing terribly wrong with this. I mean, it's not an act that will keep you out of heaven. I think.
- mm, bread for lunch
Poujauran didn't make Steingarten's top baguette list, but I'll keep it on mine for the time being. Their 1€ baguette tradition transported me to a world where I believed that nothing else was important as long as I had a constant supply of fresh, thinly cornflake-crispy crusted baguettes with soft and chewy innards riddled with holes of all sizes. Nooothiiing. My god, it's like a drug. Beware of bread that is so tasty it makes you think that the joy received from human relationships can't compare to that from the symphony of wheat and yeast.
When I'm old and alone, instead of being surrounded by cats I will be accompanied by baguettes.
- objects in hand are as large as they appear
For another 2€ I got a macaron au chocolat (hell yeah, my meals are balanced) to accompany my carbohydrate feast. The bag it came in felt oddly heavy—could the woman have given me two macarons instead of one? I turned the bag upside down and out plopped what looked like a whoopie pie. Damn. It didn't look that large through the window.
- innards
I never thought I'd say this, but I think this macaron was...too big. The problem with little macarons is that by the time you've decided that you want more of the bite-sized taste, you've already digested the whole thing. The potential problem with large macarons is that after eating 75% of it, you may feel like you've had enough, but must force yourself to eat the last 25% since not finishing a macaron is a crime punishable by the suffocating guilt of countless food-loving people who have never even been in the presence of a macaron and would glady trample over a few babies to get to yours. It's too much of a good thing. Of course, I finished it anyway because it's tasty. Besides that it has a large diameter, Poujauran's macaron (the chocolate one at least) is quite heavy. It might be somewhere in between a macaron and a whoopie pie in size and consistency.
- McArons
Macarons. At. McDonald's. Or McCafe, to be more specific. Only in France, I tell you. Pete excellently noted that they should've been called MCarons (or perhaps McArons?). Maybe they thought the name would've reinforced the McDo brand too much.
No, I didn't try it. Do you really want me to? Also, is "I'm lovin' it" really "C'est tout ce que j'aime" in French? It looks like the motto grew by 100% in translation.
- Au Bon Pain (not the chain)
There are a few boulangeries within walking distance from my apartment (how I wish I had that in NYC), the closest one being Au Bon Pain on rue des Belles Feuilles. I figure if I go there enough times they'll start to recognize me and maybe look forward to my carbohydrate refills. Or loathe them. One or the other.
- demi-baguette
I bought a demi-baguette (half baguette) for 0.40€ since I knew that the presence of a whole baguette outside of my stomach would eventually result in the presence of a whole baguette inside my stomach, even if its taste was just okay as this one was. My partial baguette after slicing it's belly and slathering it in butter turned into...
- sammich time
...a camembert and lettuce sandwich. Mmm, tasty. I honestly had no idea how stinky camembert was until I opened the box and was asked by my homestay mum to leave it outside on the window ledge. Now if I see cheese hanging outside someone's window, I'll know why. It smells like feet (thankfully doesn't taste like feet, although there is some subtle pungent stinky cheese flavor), but has the runny consistency and gooey texture of any "normal" melted cheese; I suppose if you heated it, it would turn into cheese soup. I made another camembert and lettuce sandwich for dinner tonight and upon unwrapping the cheese found that after a day its runny innards had exploded all over the wax paper lining. I could've scooped it up with a spoon.
- tuna sammich
The tuna sandwich (3.80€) I got from Au Bon Pain on Tuesday tasted better than the sandwich I made. Maybe I need to be more generous with the butter or slather on some mayo. Or maybe sandwiches always taste better when someone else makes them.
- palmier dissection
Au Bon Pain's palmier (1.60€) is so far the most impressive item I've eaten from there. Something that never amazed me much in the states has become mindblowingly delicious in Paris, either because it's much better here or because I'm biased against America. It's the opposite sensations all packed together (along with the 50 layers of dough) that make me want to tightly hug whoever invented such an awesome thing. Think crispy and tender puff pastry, light on its own yet dense when rolled together to the 100th power, buttery layer upon...buttery layer. Yes, that last one wasn't an opposite. What's the opposite of butter? Sadness?
- the balanced meals just keep on a-comin'
Pretend I'm not going wildly out of sequence and go back to when I fled the Bagels & Brownies scene. On my way to my next class I filled my tummy with a nutella and banana crepe from the crepe stand at the corner right outside the La Tour Maubourg metro stop. I know there's such a thing as salty crepes, but I can't bring myself to actually try one when I'm naturally programmed to go for the sweet stuff. The crepe man (who automatically spoke English to me because I am PAINFULLY AMERICAN) happily presented me with a warm, thin, floppy crepe whose folds oozed with nutella smooshed with banana slices. I ungracefully chomped it down while sitting on a bench outside my classroom's building. Thankfully there weren't too many students around on a Friday afternoon to watch the crepe massacre.
- another baguette
After walking by Poilâne on blvd Grenelle and sadly thinking, "My god, that bread is ginormous; there's no way I can eat it," while peering through the shop's windows (no photos since I was a bit apprehensive after the morning's experience), I went to the Maison Kayser near my apartment at the corner of ave Raymond Poincare and rue Saint-Didier (can't find the address on their website for some reason) and waited in line for a baguette de monge. Crispy, chewy, soft, with a hearty wheaty taste, if ye know what I mean (the translated MK page describes the bread as having "a hot cereal taste, and an odor of harvest", which is probably not the best translation, but sounds infinitely better than anything I could come up with), I rate it as "very awesome". Another awesome thing is that they have little baskets of samples around the cash register. Five of them. You could eat a loaf of bread before you even buy one. They'd probably frown upon that kind of behavior, but hey, it's free and god knows how much leftover bread they have at the end of the day.
addresses
Bagels & Brownies
12 rue Notre Dame des Champs, 6th
Metro: Saint-Placide
Fauchon
30, place de la Madeleine, 8th
Metro: Madeleine (8, 12, 14)
Poujauran
18, rue Jean Nicot, 7th
Metro: La Tour-Moubourg (8)
Au Bon Pain
somewhere on rue des Belles Feuilles, a bit past Galerie Saint-Didier, 16th
Metro: Trocadero (6, 8)
La Tour-Maubourg Cafe something-or-other (aka, crepe stand)
Corner of rue de Grenelle and blvd de a Tour Maubourg
Metro: La Tour-Moubourg (8)
Poilâne
49, boulevard de Grenelle, 15th
Metro: Dupleix, Bir-Hakeim (8) - I don't know if there's something wrong with the map or the address, but it's definitely between those two stops
Maison Kayser
Corner of ave Raymond Poincare and rue Saint-Didier (maybe...it's somewhere around there)
Metro: Trocadero (6, 8)
London, where are youuuu
- This is how Eurostar is enticing Parisians to go to London
UPDATE (10/1): I'm most likely not going next weekend because I want to check out Nuit Blanche, which I so far can't figure out much info about (translating the page only helps a little bit). I definitely have to go at some point!
I was thinking of going to London next Friday for a night or two, was thinking because I realized I should probably plan these things more in advance. Haven't bought tickets or made accomodations, obviously. I don't suppose there's anyone who lives in London and would offer their couch in exchange for some macarons or other French goodies? I'm serious. I could spend the same amount of money on a hostel, but then no one would get macarons. And that would suck. Next weekend is still open for me (I figure train ticket prices will increase the more I linger, doh); it just so happens that my second Friday class is cancelled, thus I could leave early Friday afternoon, and do...something...
...See, I don't plan things well. Maybe I should just go on a Saturday morning, visit the museums I haven't visited yet, fill up on Jaffa Cakes (I forget what tasty things I ate the last time I went) and come back on Sunday afternoon.
totally random
- damn, huge tower blocking my view
This is my favorite view on the metro, line 6 between Bir-Hakeim and Passy. Not this frame in particular, but for those few seconds over the Seine I have a tendency to crane my neck towards the window. :)
parting words
I had a grumbly "I feel like crap" session while walking around today since having too much time to myself results in much self-loathing (I constantly debate whether I should just eat at restaurants by myself or wait until someone else can come with me since eating out is almost always more fun accompanied by another human), but I'm too tired to get into that now and I'm actually not terribly alone since I got a new housemate who's from Park Slope, of all places, thus I have someone to relate to NYC with.
...sodamntired...
OH WAIT I remembered something! Magnet is touring the US this November and December to open for Imogen Heap. HE IS ONE OF MY MOST FAVORITE HUMANS. He makes me happier than food, for god's sake! You should considering seeing him and Imogen. And then you should record his performance and give me bootlegs. I'll remind you again later.
Comments
I have nothing special to say at all except I LOVE all your Paris posts. I'm so jealous that you're there! Have an amazing time and don't be down about eatting alone- take yourself out and have a blast!
I'm jealous of the carb-fest (and Paris). Sandwiches taste better when someone else makes them. Just my hypothesis. :D
Wait, minus sandwich-lady and sandwich-man-trainee at one my cafeterias at work. Good grief...methinks they were demoted from fire/heat related cooking activities as they cannot even handle making a simple sammich. >=(
Bonjour "La fille qui a mangé tout!" I've been an avid reader of your blog even thoughI live all the way in San Diego! I'm so glad you are having a great time over in Paris. I also studied abroad at AUP in Fall 2005 so your pictures got me so nostalgic. Make sure you take the opportunity to travel!!!! It is cheap with RyanAir or by train! (my friends and I would travel with food in mind...like spain for Paella and churros dipped in thick hot chocolate; Italy for gelatto and yummy pasta...)there is a butcher shop on Rue Cler that on days would sell dLISH sandwiches with all types of sausages! Make sure you visit Café du Marché across of Ed's on a nice day for a long lunch and get the Confit de Canard!! AHH i do miss Paris!
God Robyn, I love your posts. They always make me smile ...not to mention I totally feel you on eating an entire baguette. I often do in one sitting then sulk for being such a damn pig. Portion control Mona, portion control!
Keep on the carb-ing (even if it's by yourself! who cares!!) and take TONS of pictures so we can live vicariously through you. Smile, we love you over here =)
Yeah, I've tried the thing where someone doesn't want me to take pictures with my camera. That's why it's pretty hard for me to take sometimes; it's traumatizing. I guess I've almost gotten over it though.
Those baguettes (and your commentary) were awesome. I've never tasted a baguette myself. Or a macaron for that matter. Oh gosh, how much of life am I missing?
Take care over there, and enjoy yourself!
I too have done that with baguettes, but not, unfortunately, in Paris. My JYA food experience was in Glasgow with haggis/neeps/tatties, chip shops, and cheap curry, though I wouldn't trade it for the world.
And I kept telling you to go to Bagels and Brownies!!!
Well, I can totally understand not feeling like going in and trying their foods. It is however, a wonderful food shop and I was lucky enough to pass it everyday on my way to class while in Paris!
I had a similar experience with camembert. I didn't realize how potent it could be and it turned my tiny fridge into a stink bomb!
when I was in London, I think I ate camembert with every meal. I swear. Haha.
jaffa cakes? those abbhorent pieces of sponge with silly jam and fake chocolate?
do come to london, but as I live in family home, my landlady strictly forbids sleepovers....
and wasn't I right about the giant macarons?
don't worry about the self loathing phase, I have it too, it's called hypoglycemy, after a sudden intake of heavenly sugar.
take care man.
Can't offer you a mattress in London, but if you're ever in Oxford …
If you do go to London, check out Harrod's food hall and the V&A
[quote] I honestly had no idea how stinky camembert (cheese) was until I opened the box...it smells like feet...[/quote]
If it smells that bad going in,I can imagin what it would smell like coming....er......so you say you got caught in the rain the other day?
rEd *
Further up the Rue Notre Dame des Champs, there is a great cultural/arts centre with 3 cinema screens, little theatres and a restaurant/café type thing - it has a good range of film in English and French, if you are ever in the area again and fancy something a bit different.
If you do go to London - try Wagamama if you haven't been before. It was one of my favourite cheap eats when I studied there.
I've totally had the same photo-taking problem -- especially in France and Japan (and always when taking pictures of food displays). At the time, I never even considered asking permission, because my crappy point-and-shoot was so obviously not being used for professional purposes, plus I was really young (13 to 16). I guess I would understand if people wouldn't want me to take photos inside if I wasn't going to buy anything (which I always did), and maybe they really did have a lot of people trying to steal their ideas and they were just safeguarding their IPR? I have no idea, but I was always pretty disappointed that I couldn't take home a photo of that day's strawberry tart; sometimes the way they ask you to stop is embarrassing, too -- in that exaggerated manner: yes, ma'am, we don't speak the same language, but "no" kinda sounds the same everywhere, thanks.
Anyway, love your posts. I'm living vicariously through you while stuck in Beijing til Christmas (where I snap photos and run, but only because they might think I'm from sanitary inspection or something).
but if you were (gluten-intolerant, that is) you could still eat some wonderful food - check out this site:
http://linuxmigrations.hd.free.fr/glutenfree/index
and although your entry makes me long for an amazing baguette - I did learn that Pierre Herme macaroons do not contain flour - think that could be true?
www.couchsurfing.com
Read, and be amazed.
And maybe find a place to stay in London.
one girl: Thank you! I had an awesome time today...shall blog about it soon. :)
Manda: I've heard that hypothesis! It's true..most of the time. The cafeteria sandwich makers may not count. ..Although in high school I thought even those sandwiches were pretty good. I always got turkey salad (which may or may not have been made of turker...serious, ye couldn't tell) and shoved in potato chips to make it crunchy. Mmm.
Jade: You reminded me that I should change the name of my site so it's...er, French! Oops. (Maybe I will do that soon.)
Oo, former AUP student! Small world we live in. I would love to travel, but there's no time! They don't give us vacations..warh...well, besides that one. Which is normal. BUT STILL! :( I have class every day and I'm already behind on my homework, (groan).
But at least I'm going to Rome and I WILL GET MAH GELATO, yes.
Thanks for the suggestions! There's so much on rue Cler, yet I haven't taken advantage of the wide food heaven-ness of it all. I TOTALLY WAND A SAUSAGE SAMMICH.
Daisy: TRAUMATIZING! Yes, it is. I need a thicker skin.
Put "eat French baguettes and macarons" on your life's "to do" list. I don't want to overplay their awesomeness...they're like simple pleasures. Not all baguettes and macarons taste great (they usually look great!), but when you get the good ones, they're SO GOOD. I guess you could say the same about a lot of things.
Mona: Today I luckily shared a baguette with ANOTHER HUMAN. Must less guilt inducing that way. ;)
Rhi: ...Whoa, I wanna go to Glasgow.
Rose: Suggestions are good! You'd never know about their anti-photo policy, hehe. :)
Did everything in your fridge end up tasting like cheese?
Ilana: No reason not to! I think I may get sick of it if I do that though.
Alexa: Thanks for the offer. :) HOW'S THE FOOD IN OXFORD?
I luckily have been to the food hall once (I visited a few years ago); yes, that was awesome. And ridiculous! I didn't go to Harrods to see Krispy Kreme, yet...there it was. Whoa.
red rhino: Everything smells bad when it comes out!
L'ecossaise: Oo, that sounds nice, thanks for the rec. I've also been told to go to the Cinematheque Francaise. Need to see a moooviiiee...
Daniel also recommended Wagamama. Tasty cheap eat sounds good.
Ashley: Another friend told me about her problems with taking photos in Japan! What a shame, as they have some of the most beautiful food I've ever seen. :( And I thought Japanese people liked taking photos of their food, hehe...hmwell. I hate the exaggerated manner thing too.
Beijing must have great food too, eh? I've love to eat it! Mraah!
Emily: Ah yeah, there is still good stuff ot be eaten...BUT NO BAGUETTES, HOLY CRAP.
However, macarons are not (supposed to be) made of wheat flour; the base is almond flour and egg whites. :)
Angela: OHHH YEAAAH holy crap, I've been to that site before, but totally forgot about it. Thanks for reminding me!
Yup. Not being allowed to take photos in a diner gets me down. It's a bummer.
My god, that is the MASSSSIVEST macaron I've ever seen - I would have gladly helped you out with that one! I'm so happy you're attacking all the pastisseries with such gusto, how I envy you...while I sit here contemplating my business law case homework (bah!) My dad would fall out of his chair if he ever had the opportunity to have so many baguettes, that's his single most favorite food item.
The point you made about sandwiches tasting better when someone else makes them? SO TRUE! I could never figure out why so now I just accept it as a fact of life!
PS - you're photos are getting better with every post (if that's even possible!) Enjoy the rest of the semester and hopefully I'll see you back in nyc during spring break. Another full week of glorious fooding? :)
Bummer about the whole taking photo problem. It's upsetting when people assumes you are doing something bad because you are taking a picture. Don't worry about it too much and don't be put off of taking photos because of it. People will always be jerks about you taking photos at one point or another.
Next time it happens to you again, just look at them smile, take two more shots, smile again, give them a thumbs up and walk away, confuses the hell out of them and you got your shot.
Digging your Paris posts alot.
Those baguettes look so light and fluffy - I'd be eating one a day if I were in Paris!
Well,and all the other carbs I could shovel down my throat. Oh God, are there tons of choices of butters???
Ho une vision eclectique et sympathique des gourmands plaisirs parisiens, je ne connaissais pas cette boutique de donuts dans le 6éme il faut absolment que j'essaye.
I lived in Rome for six months... you've got to check out these amazing food places (they're all in Trastevere near Piazza Santa Maria en Trastevere just steps away from each other):
Augusta.
Via della Pelliccia where it opens into a small Piazza (near Via del Cipresso, possibly Piazza de Renzi). This place is AMAZING. It's all locals that eat here and no one really speaks English and there's usually not a menu (also, watch out for the turkish toilet). The hours are incredibly funky but they're almost always open for dinner and it gets packed quickly. Great hearty authentic Roman fare.
The best bread place EVER (whose name escapes me). Via del Moro at Via della Pelliccia. They're pretty much open all the time. Amazing breads of all kinds and my favorite pizza in all of Rome (you've got to try the potato). All very cheap. Keep your eyes peeled for a great little chocolate store on Via del Moro nearby filled with wild art by the owners' grown-up children.
The best dessert place EVER (whose name also escapes me). Via del Cipresso at Vicolo de Cinque. If you only have enough room in your stomach to eat at one of these places this should be the one. They open at about midnight and are usually filled with drunk locals. The best pastries I've had in my entire life- enough said. Open sparadically, also super cheap.
Also worth checking out: Artu- somewhere on Via della Paglia, west of Piazza Santa Maria. They have the best zucchini blossums and tiramisu in the world.
Also, my favorite gelato place (not in Trastevere):
San Crispino-
Via Panetteria, near the Trevi Fountain
Hope this is helpful!
im sorry to hear you had that fucked up experience and didnt get to taste the food you took pictures of! wtf!
I really love all the pictures that you take. especially the european cafes and your appreciation for the beautifulness of a macaroon. haha.
many of these become desktop images for me!
so keep em coming! i adore your blog and your pictures! much love from Seattle,
Roxanne
1) Do not try to make cheese soup out of camembert or brie. It will become whey (bleccch) and one huge rubberized curd (even more blecch).Take it from one who knows.
2) Whenever I'm told I can't take pictures a small irrational part of me wants to throw my camera at their head. Irrational. But it still exists.
The "no photos" people are a strange bunch. Whenever they do it, I always ask, "Why?" (of course, this wouldn't work where there's a language barrier). But the answers vary with everything from: we only give out photos from our corporate office (Penzey's), to, I don't want you writing about me on the internet (Indian joint in L.A.).
No matter what the response, it hurts. It's intimidating. Especially for those of us who usually write really nice things. But as a foodblogger, you have the power to sway people to or away from their restaurant, and business owners who understand that are usually more than accommodating. And if they don't let you take photos in the store, I just buy something, take it outside, photograph it, and let my hurt-and-biased tastebuds interpret what I find.
Great post by the way, I agree with the other commenter who said that your photos just get better and better - plus, you're way more interesting to read than any of those snobby food mags... and your pictures are much prettier too!
Ivan: You've been prohibited from taking photos in a diner?!
Kathy: Damn right, it was like a baby's head. But tastier.
Dad loves baguettes? WHAT AN AWESOME DAD! He needs to come here.
Oh my god omg you're coming back in the spring? We'll food like never before. WE CAN OUTDO LAST YEAR! Bwahaha!
Keith: Taking photos MAKES ME A TERRORIST.
Or I can try the confusion thing..hm..
Albany Jane: I wish I could eat one every day! But then I wouldn't be able to eat much else. ...Which may or may not be a problem.
I haven't looked for lots of butter, actually (aside from what's in the supermarket). :O I'm sure there are lots of types.
astridcmoi: Okay, I need to translate that...but surprisingly I know some of those words! Just need to look up the other 50%, haha.
one girl: Uhh I LOVE YOU, you're awesome! I'll try to go to all your recs! Maybe more than once. :D
Roxanne: Ah well, eating less calories isn't the worst thing for me. ;)
Glad you like the photos! I could make a huge collage of MACARON NESS when I'm done here. Bwahahah.
Annie: Uhoh, had experience with curdy soup? :(
Yes, violence always sounds good in our heads. Thank god we don't go through with the frustration-relieving act of throwing things!
Colleen: I never ask why...I'm usually too freaked out by that point, haha. Funny that a place wouldn't want an Internet trail...I mean, you think they'd like more business. Or maybe not?
It weirds me out a bit if a place doesn't let me take photos (or maybe I weird THEM out because I do want to take photos?). Hurt and biased, yes. :(
I'm glad my photos are gettin better! I reallly need a polarizing filter though. I'm surprised people haven't suggested that to me. And I "need" a new lens..merharah CAMERA EQUIPMENT, WHY SO PRICEY?
Hi! I live in NYC and for several months now I have been enjoying your website and want to thank you for the spot-on recommendations and tempting photos! I was just in Paris in early September for a short visit and when I returned I was so excited to see that you are now in Paris! Now I can’t wait to go back there to try all your Paris recommendations! I also like to take photos of food and feel it is outrageous they wouldn’t let you take photos of something they are showing off to the public anyway. Especially a place with doughnuts. You would think people who sell doughnuts would be of a more generous nature. So I wanted to tell you about La Grande Epicerie (www.lagrandeepicerie.fr), a market I strongly urge you to visit right away in any case because of its fantastic array - but also because when I was there last month, I was snapping photos like crazy and no one made a peep. Some of the staff even posed for me (the ham guy especially was sweet about it). The pastry counter alone is worth the trip (check out (and eat of course) the block of cakely goodness that is Le Gateau.)
Sigh. Paris seems like the happiest place on earth for carb and cheese lovers like me.
I got the waving finger in one shop on rue Bonapart - I got the shot anyway. I was leaving that day and felt bold. Is there a law about this? Do they OWN the sidewalk? Besides if you came after they were closed..I've learned to be a little clandestine. I ALWAYS take window shots before I enter, just in case they say non, non. non once inside. Always in sets of 3 with the Fr. Really these salespeople UGH! You could try being terribly arrogant and insisting you are a journaliste du NET, which you ARE. Do they think you are stealing their cake ideas? As if that was a possibility when the flour is different and altitude is a factor.
HEAVENS! This post is too beautiful...
Tita: People who sell donuts SHOULD be more generous! Good point. I feel like drawing that into a comic for some reason.
Ahh La Grand Epicerie is on my list. ;) I WILL GET THERE, yes, especially knowing that they won't detain me for taking photos. Me want some cake...
Ani: IT IS.
PB: They do own the sidewalk! And they let their dogs poop all over it!
I could carry around a card like for people who have bladder problems and need to use bathrooms right when they're bladder says so, thus stores should let em use the potty...except mine will say I need to take photos.
Wait that sounds weird. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, maybe.
It'd be cool if I had a magic camera that could steal recipes. Hmm.
I could not live without gluten. You know that scene in the new x-men movie where the people disintegrate? That's what would happen to me.
*pfft!* Dust.
OH MAN! im nuts about doughnuts! that was cheesy, but its true! they look sooooooooo good! mmmmm :)
Bah! I have dealt with the same problem. I'm not usually someone who walks around with a camera all the time, but since I got to Paris, I thought it would be fun to blog some nice photos. I never *ever* take pictures of humans, so I thought I'd be okay... I've been really surprised that people don't want me taking pictures in museums or stores.
Part of me wants to get a tiny spy camera so I can take pics without people noticing. But that would be wrong, I know. I guess I'll have to stick to photographing my own food.
hey, there is this amazing butter that you can slather on baguettes. You can probably find it in a conventional supermarket (Champion, etc) it has large flecks of sel de fleur inside and it is shaped like a dome inside its packaging. the satisfaction of crunching into tiny bits of salt while eating a crunchy chewy baguette is well worth the search, i promise.
Robyn!
How are you? I just wanted to say hello and see how everything is going abroad. take care and lots of love