Klancy's Potluck

Summer of Michael and Summerstage

Today was a perfect summer day.  I went to summerstage in Central Park to see Les Nubians, Asa, and the amazing Malian singer Oumou Sangare.  The Franco-African language vibe felt like an extension of my France trip.

There was also an air of Michael Jackson on stage.  Even though the musicians were all West African, playing anything but pop and R&B, each gave a musical shout out to Michael.  As I left the concert I walked past the rollerskating dancers, MJ's "Lady of My Life".  That's the song I used to think Michael was singing to me when I was 8.  I predict that this will be the summer of Michael.

After Central Park, I went to Grom for chocolate gelato and then home to eat a perfect hamburger.  Great Sunday!

From Paris to Madrid with news of Michael

On day 9 of my Paris trip I headed to Charles de Gaulle airport for a flight to Madrid.  I was on my way to Toledo to meet my mom at a conference where she was giving the keynote address.  On the train ride to Roissy I noticed that I missed a call from Seiko.  After checking my luggage and looking through the bookstore near my gate, I called Seiko and she told me that Michael Jackson died.  I was in a state of disbelief.  I was also tired from staying out late the night before and waking up at the crack of dawn for my flight.  I called another friend who I had not yet had a chance to see and then I called Tania and Shay who were sad about MJ.  As I hung up the phone I looked down at my watch and realized I had ten minutes before my flight left.  I ran to where I thought my gate was, realized I was in the wrong place, lept downstairs to the correct gate and saw that there was no one there.  The doors to the hallway leading to the plane were locked.  Merde!  I missed my flight!  And I was at the airport two hours early!

That was the start of my adventure to Spain.  Mr. Jackson's death seemed unreal to me but missing my flight seemed very real so I focused on trying to get to Spain.  I couldn't get my ticket exhanged so I stood in a line for ticketing for about an hour, produced some tears, came up with an excuse for missing the flight and bought a new ticket.  I immediately got lunch and then went to the correct gate, parked myself in a seat and waited for the flight at 2pm.

When I got to Madrid I was exhausted and my luggage was lost.  I filled out claims to have the luggage delivered to Toledo and then tried to figure out how to get to Toledo from Madrid.  I took the metro from the airport, with several transfers along the way, to the train station and then took a train to Toledo.  From the train station I took a long-ish taxi ride to the hotel and was shocked to see graffiti that said "skinheads" with a few swatstikas interspersed along the way.

Getting to the hotel was one of the happiest events of the week.  I got settled in and turned on the TV to the French station and then decided I should try to accept MJ's passing and turned to CNN for details.  I woke up and my mom was in the room, relieved to see me since she thought I was on a 10 am flight and did not know where I was.

Day 2 in Spain.  My mom gave a kickass speech for her conference.  We had lunch and then a siesta.  Later in the evening we went with all of my mom's colleagues to the center of Toledo for a stunning flamenco performance and dinner.  We were on the terrace of a swank hotel and the flamenco dancer's stage had the town and the sunset as a backdrop.  Gorgeous.  We drank cava and ate tapas like the famous Iberico ham and once the performance was over we were seated for a sumptuous feast.

Day 3. We left Toledo and went to our hotel in Madrid.  My luggage was still lost at this point.  Once we got to Madrid we were hungry.  At the hotel we had an 88 euro lunch that was borderline depressing it was so bad - canned vegetables, and fried fish.  Afterwards, we walked around near Sol, got ice cream, and walked around some more, trying to figure out what we thought of Madrid.  My mom said it reminded her of places she had visited in Latin America.  I thought Madrid had a feel similar to Rome, but on a different scale. 

We finished our stroll and went to the airport to get my luggage.  When we got back to the hotel we took a  siesta and then got up hours later at 9pm with a mission to find a dinner that would be better than lunch.  I read about a place in The New York Times called the Urban Hotel and figured that maybe there would be good places surrounding it, so we headed for Carrera San Jeronimo and the Restaurante La Catedral caught our eyes.  Compared to our overpriced lunch, the prices at this restaurant were completely reasonable: 5 to 15 euros.  I had a delicous pork tenderloin tapas and grilled asperagus and my mom had an excellent chicken cooked a la plancha with mushrooms and asperagus.  We both had wine.  The bill came to 30 euros.

After dinner, we walked along the crowded San Jeronimo and ended up at the Urban Hotel which has a lovely rooftop bar.  All the tables were full so we admired the view and then left. 

The next day was our big, full day in Madrid.  Here are the highlights:

Day 4 in Madrid was pretty much all about art.  We started the day wandering in the area behind our hotel and ended up near the Senate and the Opera.  We happened upon a gem of an antique store called Oliver Twist at C. Bailen, 7.  We meandered further and had brunch a brunch of smoked salmon at a pretty cafe overlooking the square in front of the Opera.  After eating we decided to go to the Museo del Prado so we set off for it.  We later learned that the Prado is closed on Mondays, so we went to the Reina Sofia museum instead.

The Reina Sofia museum is one of the most impressive museums I have ever been to and I would happily return to Madrid just to visit the musem again.  The building is a mix of older architecture (probably from the 19th century) and stunning modern architecture and design.  The middle of the older section of the museum houses a darling sculpture museum that is a little larger and more rugged than the MoMa's. 

My favorite exhibit at the Reina Sofia was of The Atlas Group by Walid Raad.  The Atlas Group is an art project developed by Raad with the aim of investigating and documenting Lebanon's recent history, particularly during the wars between 1975 and 1990.

Check it out: Santa Isabel, 52 28012 Madrid or www.museoreinasofia.es

After Reina Sofia, we went to Caixa Forum, a museum dedicated to North African art. This is also a beautiful must see. Paseo del Prado, 36

After the museums we both decided we wanted to get art work from Oliver Twist, so we headed back in that direction.  We made one detour before our art transaction to the three-month old food market, San Miguel (Mercado del San Miguel) in the Puerto del Sol district.  This market has been around for centeries but it recently re-opened with new local vendors selling everything from sweets to wine to seafood, tapas and cheese.  The prices are amazing.  My mom and I had two glasses of delcious wine (I forgot the names) for 6 euros!  In Paris you're lucky to get one glass of wine for 7 euros!  I also had a great tuna tapas for 1 euro.

For dinner we went to the same place we went to for brunch, next to the Opera.  Our lunch was better than our dinner but we were happy with our art buys and a thoroughly stimulating day in sunny Madrid.

On day 5, I headed back to Paris, did some speed shopping, saw friends, and prepared to head back to New York the following day.

J'ai deux amours, mon pays et Paris

I just got back from my beloved city, Paris and two new favorite cities: Toledo and Madrid.  Five years ago I moved from Paris back to the States and this trip made me seriously consider moving to Pareee again.  Each day I re-traced some of my old haunts, found new places to love and met up with lots of old friends. 

Here are some of the highlights and places that I recommend:

Day 1:  Utterly jet lagged, I roamed the 6th with my generous friend and hostess, Seiko.  We went for chocolates at Pierre Marcolini and she showed me some of her favorite bars and shops.  After all that I slept like a baby and then awoke to a lovely supper prepared by Seiko.

Day 2: Slightly less jet lagged, I met up with my friend Cheryl for a delicious Lebanese lunch at Traiteur Beyrouth at 67, rue Rambuteau 75004.  After lunch, Cheryl mentioned that she wanted to check out the 50 year anniversary Barbie exhibit and asked if I could be interested - I was game so we walked to the Marais and for the first time I visited the Musee de la Poupee.  Everyone, especially doll-lovers, should check out this museum.  It's tiny and amazing!  The best thing about the museum, aside from the dolls from every era, is that there are no crowds.  Cheryl and I were two of five visitors during the one or two hours we spent there, so we pretty much had the entire place to ourselves.  The Barbies exhibit is incredible - it includes Barbies from around the world and from each decade.  The outfits that some of the Barbies wear are better than the clothes in Vogue!  Seriously, there are some major fashion treats on those dolls.  Check it out: Musee de la Poupee Impasse Berthaud, 75003 Paris Metro: Rambuteau www.museedelapoupeeparis.com

After the museum we wandered around the Marais and then near the Hotel de Ville to admire the newly restored Tour de St. Jaques.  Another site worth taking in.  I would recommend buying some cherries (as Cheryl did), sitting down on one of the benches that surrounds the monument and eating the fruit while looking up at this enormous and intricate masterpiece.

Since it was only the second day of my trip, I was eager to walk around and see my city.  We got up and walked along the Seine and then decided it was time for an aperitif.  We ended up at Cafe de L'Epoque at 2, rue du Bouloi 75001 where I had a kir and Cheryl had a fantastic Sancerre.  Afterwards we walked through the lovely Passage du Galerie which is attached to the cafe and then through les halles where we went our separate ways.  I wandered a bit more after that.  I needed to see more of the city, walk next to the Seine and remember what I love most about it.

Day 3: I went to see the Beatriz Milhazes exhibit at Fondation Cartier and fell in love with both the place and the artist.  Milhazes is a Brazilian artist who uses colors that I adore and the Fondation Cartier is one of the most elegant art spaces I have ever seen.  The building is entirely made of glass, about seven floors tall and has a lovely unmanicured garden surrounding it.  This is definitely a new favorite of mine in Paris and a place I think everyone should visit: 261, boulevard Raspail 75014 www.fondation.cartier.com

For lunch, I went to a great new Japanese place called Kilali where they serve your meal in a bento box.  I had a nice chicken and rice meal with pickled vegetables.  This was probably the first day that I started to realize just how expensive Paris has become.  My lunch was 29 euros, the equivalent of about $40.00 USD.  I had chicken, rice, a glass of water and a cup of tea.  Wow.  3-5 rue des Quatre Vents 75006

Day 4: I went to Saint Mande to see my dear friends and former roomies Tania and Shay and their gorgeous daughter Jasmine.  I brought delicious cherries, strawberries and a melon and Tania made a sumptuous vegetable tarte and we ate and talked, talked and talked and then I went with Shay and Jasmine to go to a nearby park and then to get a tour of the neighborhood's patisseries.  I got one of the best chausson aux pommes ever.

After spending the afternoon in Saint Mande I went to get a phone at FNAC on the Champs Elysees and then to Pershing Hall for a coupe de Champagne.  I used to love Pershing Hall.  It's a hotel decorated by one of my favorite designers, Andree Putnam.  When it first opened it had a very serene, luxurious, sophisticated feel.  The colors were calming palate of grey, taupe and silver.  Now, the place has accents of red (bright red chandeliers and glasses) that seem a bit too much.  Nevertheless, the Champagne was nice. 

Day 5: I met up with Seiko for lunch and then went to the Espace Culturel at Louis Vuitton for their exhibit called "Ecritures Silencieuses" (Silent Writings).  This was a cool (and free) exhibit with artists that include: Claude Closky, Tracey Emin, Ni Haifeng, Jenny Holzer, Idris Khan, Joseph Kosuth, Barbara Kruger, Ernesto Neto, Giuseppe Penone, Robin Rhode, Marco Nereo Rotelli,Charles Sandison, Lawrence Weiner, Guyton\Walker, and Sun7.  The extra bonus of the exhibity is taking the elevator up to the gallery.  The artist Olafur Eliasson designed the elevator for the exhibit and it is completely without light, all black - it is a very unique elevator ride. 60, rue de Bassano 75008 www.louisvuitton.com/espacculturel

After Vuitton, I wandered around and ended up in the 16th arrondisement.  At a certain point I ended up next to one of the most beautiful hotel particuliers I have ever seen.  Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was the Baccarat museum and boutique.  "Hurray!" I thought, "Another free beautiful place to visit!."  If I were to throw a fancy party in Paris, I would want it to be at the Baccarat boutique.  The place feels more like an opulent (yet modern-ish) palace than a store.  There are enormous, gorgeous crystal chandeliers everywhere yet the place is dark, in a sexy way.  The walls are unfinished grey concrete which is a lovely contrast to the sparkly chandeliers, crystal and jewelry.  There's also a great looking restaurant by Guy Martin but it was not open when I went.  11, place des Etats-Unis 75116 www.baccarat.com

Day 6:  This was one of the best days in Paris.  I had a deliciously long lunch with my friend Mike at Le Cambodge, one of my favorite restaurants, next to Canal Saint Martin.  Mike told me all about his upcoming album, played music for me and then we parted ways.  I strolled around and then met up for drinks with lovely Richard at Place des Vosges.  He made me laugh a lot.  After that I went to a dinner party with Tania and Shay at their friends' house in the 19th.  Claire made the best beef curry ever!  I must get the recipe.  We drank lambrusco and prosecco, talked about some of everything, listened to great music and I felt like I was re-living my earlier Paris days the whole time.  After a great dinner in the 19th, I met up with my dashing friend Sylvain for drinks at Le Fumoir and then at another place near Saint Michel.  I was out until 4am and could not have had a better time.  Good friends are golden!

Day 7: I met up with Tania and Shay to do the sales.  We started at Habitat, then went to Pierre Herme for special treats (I had an amazing Isphahan croissant filled with raspberries and covered with a litchi glaze and bits of rose petals - incredible.  I also had a great pistachio macaron) and then to Conran Shop and then La Grande Epicerie de Paris for lunch and more treats.  Tania and Shay are my gourmet soul mates.  When I lived in their apartment, we used to have themed eating gatherings.  An afternoon of hot chocolate and pastry.  A color-themed dinner party.  When I went to Pierre Herme's tasting events I would bring back boxes of treats that we would all eat together.  Pierre Herme was/is a temple of sorts.  72, Rue Bonaparte 75006 www.pierreherme.com

After lunch with Tania, I met up with my wonderful Australian friend and former work collage, Kaye.  Our rendez-vous was at Cafe de Flore, which is one of my favorite cafes in Paris.  We caught up on old times, talked about restaurant recommendations and saw Bernard Henri Levy leave and re-enter the cafe a couple of times.  I was very excited about the Bernard sighting.

After Kaye and her sister left, Seiko and a friend of hers joined me and we had aperitifs.  We tried to get reservations at Philippe Starck's new place, Mama Shelter, but it was booked.  Later on, Seiko and I ended up eating at one of her friend's restaurants, Spice and Wine, in the 14th.  This new restaurant has the best Thai food I've had in Paris.  It's great!  142 avenue du Maine 75014 Paris Tel: 01 43 20 61 27

Day 8: I had a light snack with Richard at Cafe de L'industrie and remembered how great that place is, and so cheap - even with the euro it's totally reasonable.  After that I met up with Simon and his adorable family to take a stroll at Chateau de Vincennes.  Later on I went for dinner at Mama Shelter with Seiko and Allan.  They did not love the place, I would like to go back.  Mama Shelter is a design-y inexpensive hotel with a restaurant on the bottom floor and a roof deck.  The day we went though it was raining so we ate in the first floor restaurant.  Seiko's dish was the best: Parmentier de confit de canard (15 euros).  I had a papillote d'aubergines which was less exciting. 

Day 9:  This was a big adventure day.  I left Paris to go to Toledo to meet up with my mom.  I will start the tale with this: I missed my flight...and I was in the airport two hours before my flight left.  To be continued...

The Highline

The Highline is now open!  The old railroad trustle turned floating green garden is truly an urban treasure.  Last night I wandered up to the park at the Gansevoort St. entrance and strolled the wooden and stone path to 19th Street.  This is my official rendez-vous spot for the summer!  It's the perfect setting for a long overdue talk with a good friend, or for a romantic stroll with a paramour.  It's also the ideal place to clear your head, get some fresh air and take in the city from a different height.  Everything about the Highline is beautiful - the garden, the scale, the chairs, the colors.  And there are snacks and beverages provided by City Bakery! 

Fruiting and updates on Le Fooding

There's a great article in yesterday's New York Times Dining Section on urban fruit foraging and fruit trading taking place throughout the country.  The picture above, taken by Noah Berger, is of Asiya Wdud, who launched Forage Oakland, a neighborhood fruit-exchange community.  People gather low-hanging fruit within their neighborhood and share it with others for free or for a small fee.  Most of the fruit foragers sound like they are west coast based but apparently there are 5,000 public fruit trees around the country.  How cool is that?  Makes me want to make another strawberry galette!  Check it out: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/dining/10Fruit.html?pagewanted=2&ref=dining

And now, more on our favorite food event ever...

Le Fooding d'Amour Paris-New York will take place at P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center on Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th of September 2009 between 6PM and 10PM.  From 6pm to 7pm, people who purchase the high roller tickets ($60) will enter the venue and enjoy a Champagne reception, on tablecloths - picnic style, in a intimate atmosphere with the chefs.  From 7PM to 10PM, the rest of the public (30$ tickets) will be welcomed.  The $30 tickets do not come with Champagne attached, but fear not, there will be beverages.

Le Fooding is welcoming six Parisian chefs and six New-York chefs. The Parisian chefs booked are Yves Camdeborde (Le Comptoir du Relais), Inaki Aizpitarte (Le Chateaubriand), William Ledeuil (Ze Kitchen Galerie), Alberto Herraiz (El Fogon), Stephane Jego (L'Ami Jean) and Christophe Pelé (La Bigarrade).
The New-York chefs will be David Chang (Momofuku Ssam Bar), Julie Farias (who was at Beer Table, and is now at The General Greene), Daniel Boulud (DB Bistro, etc.), Wylie Dufresne (WD-50), Sean Rembold (The Diner) and Riad Nasr (The Minetta Tavern) working with star butcher Pat LaFrieda.

Le Fooding D'Amour will also feature two star mixologists from both cities: Thierry Hernandez (Le Plaza Athenee) and Jim Meehan (PDT).

A collector's program of the event will be created especially for the event by twelve graphic designers and artists from Paris and New York. Each chef will have his or her own page designed by a different artistic director. Among them : Ich & Kar, Change is Good, Gianpaolo Pagni, Helène Builly, Nicholas Blechman, Tim Tomkinson, Jan Wilker, Paul Sahre, Jeanne Verdoux, Christoph Niemann and So Me.

People, start getting excited...Le Fooding D'Amour is going to be very exciting!

The Roots, Mos Def, Le Fooding (encore!) and The General Greene

Today's story began last night.  I went to see The Roots with a good friend.  This required preperation.  As a nine to fiver, going to a concert at midnight is a daunting task.  What was easy at 20 requires more effort in the thirties.  After work, I took a disco nap, made a quick stir fry, ate, dressed, splashed some water on my face, brushed my teeth and then ran (running late) to get the subway and headed downtown to meet Salamishah.  When we got to the Highline Ballroom, where The Roots were playing, the line was down the block.  For some reason we did not expect this, but we already had tickets, so we waited.  Once inside the venue, we checked out the crowd.  "Who were these people?" we asked.  Who are The Roots' (new?) fans in New York? 

As a Philly native, I am very familiar with the legendary Roots crew, at least one of the band's members used to live down the street from me.  Back in the day (late 90s), I used to overdose on The Roots concerts.  For whole summers at a time I would go to all of their concerts in Philly, New York and D.C.  When The Roots family started the Black Lily night at a club in Old City, featuring mainly women independent artists, I was there for the shows practically every Tuesday.  Jill Scott performed, Kindred sang, Jazzyfatnasties sang, and I'm pretty sure Dwele and Bilal popped up at least once.  Those were the first days of nu-soul and the last good days of hip hop.  The Roots were at the vortex and the forefront. 

Last night, The Roots put on one of their classic old school shout out shows, with songs from NWA, Run DMC, EPMD, Erik B and Rakim.  They rocked the house.  And then, as if things could not get any better, Mos Def (love of my life) came out on stage and made that moment of good hip hop all the more sweet.  It's been such a long time since I went to a hip hop concert and loved it, I realized how much I had taken great music for granted when it was in abundance.

Got home at 2am or so, went to bed at 3 and woke up rushing to go meet the awesome people behind Le Fooding.  I was, again, running late and not entirely sure of where I was going but found the spot: The General Greene in Fort Green, Brooklyn.  Fortunately, my lateness was barely noticed at all!  We launched right into talking about Le Fooding, the chefs who are booked, sponsors, flow of the event, positioning Le Fooding, restaurants in New York versus Paris, the gorgeous graphics for Le Fooding D'Amour Paris-New York, as well as the hilarious proofs for Le Fooding's Paris Guide.  All the while, we could not have been better fed by General Greene's lovely chef, Julie.  The chicken salad sandwich with arugula, avocado and sauce on toasted multi-grain bread reminded me of a yummy cozy sandwich I would make for myself.  The dessert was just as delicious: one scoop of honey vanilla ice cream and another of salted caramel ice cream with pretzels.  Addictive.  And, to top it off, Nicholas, the owner gave us some insanely good gianduja, the chocolate equivalent of crack. 

As we left, I peeped a jar of cookies and asked Nicholas if they were chocolate chip (my favorite), he said they were and gave me a bag of them to take with me.  These are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever eaten.  Ever!

I will be writing much much more about Le Fooding D'Amour Paris-New York.  In the meantime, take thyself to The General Greene, eat and be delighted! 

229 Dekalb Avenue at Clermont 718-222-1510

 

Gordon Parks, Ace Hotel, Salted Caramel and a Smashed Cake

Delicious things to see in New York right now:

Over the weekend I went to Hermès to see the Gordon Parks exhibit called "Portraits."  Located on the store's fourth floor and running until the end of the month, the show features 42 stunning black and white portraits that Parks took over the course of his career. 

Gordon Parks is one of my heroes.  He represents someone who packed a lot into his life and made prolific contributions in return.  He was a photojournalist for Life magazine, a fashion photographer for Vogue, and a filmmaker!  He made Shaft and The Learning Tree.  Parks was also a poet and author of several books. 

I give Hermès props for having something beautiful and accessible for non-customers and customers alike to enjoy.

Check it out: Gallery at Hermes 691 Madison Avenue 10-6 Monday through Saturday, until 7pm on Thursday

Today I toured the new Ace Hotel.  It's very cool.  Located on west 29th, just off of Broadway, not far from Herald Square, this hotel is really different from the average design-y hotel.  Everything has a vintage feel.  The place is not done up in shine and gloss.  Instead, there's a darker, more understated tone.  The staff wear white button-ups and polka dot black ties.  The lobby feels like a big living room-meets-hunting lodge.  The rooms are luxuriously understated: large windows with shutters painted black, hardwood floors.  Each room has custom art work that's got a graffiti edge - black paint on white canvas.  The blankets on the bed are plaid and kind of look like flannel.  The bathrooms are gorgeous in white tiles, with old fixtures and pedestal bath tubs.  The cheaper rooms are $189 and the lofts are $1400.

Salted Caramel.  I had some cream that was on the verge of going bad within the next 48 hours so I decided to make some salted caramel.  I had not made any kind of caramel in a while and have definitely attempted caramel that just became a big hard blob so I was thrilled that this one came out just right.  Can't even give the recipe as I did it all by eye.

Smashed Cake.  After Ace Hotel, I took a walk into the West Village, looking for the new restaurant Hotel Griffou and happened upon the old, empty Pong space, the former dessert restaurant owned by pastry chef Pichet Ong.  I really liked the bakery component of Pong, Batch.  Oddly enough, there was a fresh, smashed cake right outside of Pong.

Before you go to Paris - A letter to the Obama Girls

Dear Sasha and Malia,

When I read that you would be visiting the City of Light (for the first time?) this week I got so excited that I had to write you a note about places to see and things to eat in Paris.  When your Dad was elected President I sat down to compose a letter to you all proposing that I tutor the entire Obama family in French for your trips to France.  Unfortunately, I didn't send the letter.  I would love to be your guide in Paris but since I won't be there during your trip allow me to be your virtual guide here.

I'm going to guess that you both like sweets.  You will be totally in love with the patisseries (that's the word for pastry shop in French) in Paris.  All of the cookies, cakes, tartes, and candies seem more colorful and prettier in Paris.  They are also delicious and often less sweet tasting than in the U.S.  If you go to Laduree, I think you should try the macarons.  In the States, macarons are like little coconut pyramid shaped sweet chunks.  In France, macarons are cookie-sized confections that come in lots of different flavors like lemon, raspberry, pistachio, chocolate - even licorice.  They have the basic form of an oreo cookie in that they are two cookies that sandwich a cream.  Macarons come in great colors depending on their flavor: pink for raspberry, green for pistachio, purple for lavender, brown for chocolate, black for licorice and the list goes on and on.  I think you will love macarons.  You should eat them at Laduree, or go to Pierre Herme where he has really unusual/original flavors like olive oil macarons.

Do you like ice cream?  If so, and I hope you do, you should try Berthillon ice cream on Ile St. Louis.  First off, by going to Ile St. Louis you will be near one of the most popular Paris tourist attractions, Notre Dame - and second - you will have a great view of the city.  Berthillon has great ice cream.  Any flavor will be delicious.  Generally speaking, there's a lot of good ice cream in Paris.  My favorite place is on rue Mouffetard in the 5th arrondisement - they scoop out your ice cream in the shape of a rose!  It's so pretty!

If you like pancakes, you will love crepes.  I think your parents should let you pop out of the limo and stop at any of the hundred million crepe stands (they are usually on street corners, next to or a part of a cafe) and have a crepe with butter and sugar, or with your favorite jam.  Or, if you like bananas - Nutella and bananas on a crepe are a big favorite, though you might get an upset tummy because they're so rich and it would be a shame to get a stomach ache because your whole trip should be filled with lots of eating.  Paris has amazing food!

Moving onto the savory side of things, I think you might love a Croque Monsieur.  It's like a grilled cheese sandwich with ham and lots of melted cheese on top.  It's delicious!

I think you'll probably go to very fancy three star restaurants with your parents (they rate the fancy restaurants with stars by the Micheline tire man).  If you eat at Jules Verne, in the Eiffel Tower, you will enjoy one of the best views of Paris from it's most iconic landmark.  If you don't like what's on the menu, just order sphaghetti.  When I worked at a fancy three star restaurant in Paris, the chefs would make pretty yummy pasta for the kids - sometimes they would even braid the pasta so it looked really elaborate.

Places to go:  Go to Centre Pompidou - it looks like a giant, glass catepillar and next to it there's a great colorful sculpture fountain.  After you check out the art, go to the restaurant Georges at the top of Centre Pompidou.  The views are great!

Of course, you will go to the Louvre - it's huge, you won't see all of it in a day but it's kind of a "must."  In the Louvre you will see the famous Mona Lisa - it's so much smaller than you would expect.  Near the Louvre, you should take a stroll on the Champs Elysees.  You should also go to Montmartre to see Sacre Coeur and some of the best views of Paris.  You would make some illustrator's day if you let them draw a picture of you - there is a little square near Sacre Coeur with tons of people waiting to draw or paint tourists.  Normally, I don't recommend touristy things in Paris, but if it's your first time in the City of Light, it's the best time to be a tourist to the fullest.

Also, since your dad was just in the Middle Easst, you should take a trip to the Musee du Monde Arabe.  It's a beautiful museum dedicated to Arab culture and history, right on the Seine.

Parks you should visit: Jardin de Luxembourg, near the famous Sorbonne; Bois de Boulogne, Buttes Chaumont, Jardin des Plantes. 

Are you studying French in school?  I hope so, but if not here are some basic terms that will serve you well.  Of course everyone will be showing off their English to you, but it's always nice to make an effort with someone else's language.

Wherever you go, always say: Bonjour (say Bonjour to everyone, otherwise they will think you're impolite)

Another important one: Excusez-moi (it's excuse me in French)

S'il vous plait (Please)

Merci: Thank You,

Merci beacoup: Thank you very much

Everyone will know your name so there's no need to say: Je m'appelle Sasha/Malia.

You might want to buy (or eat) some things - so you would say: Je voudrais ( I would like...)

I'm guessing you will be surrounded by a ton of people who will cater to your every need, so you probably won't have to worry what to say or do, but those phrases are the very basic, essential things to say. 

Well, dear Sasha and Malia, I hope you have a wonderful trip to Paris.  I know the French people are very excited about welcoming your family.

Bon voyage!

Obama's Menu

According to New York Magazine, there is a new book out called Obama's Menu that focuses on Obama and his presidential campaign from a culinary perspective.  A blurb from the book's jacket is below:

One of the innovations of the Obama campaign of 2008 had a surprising culinary angle. The campaign’s famous fundraising and "person-to-person" dinners took place in people’s homes, in restaurants, and in hotels, and ranged from the humble to the extravagant. The Obama Menu includes not only the menus and dinner plans from these events, but also the stories, first-hand accounts, photographs, and recipes. The result is a unique view of this American candidate for president — from a culinary perspective.

A Very Good Hamburger

Usually, I do not prepare meat at home.  I cook and eat fish on a regular basis but that's it.  For some reason, the red meat I eat is usually in restaurants.  Last night however, I craved a burger.  Since I've made a pledge to myself to cook more and eat out less, I decided to make my own hamburger.  Here's how I made it:

First, I went to Fairway and got some grass fed ground sirloin.  A quarter pound was enough for one perfect burger.  At the moment I am obsessed with chipotle chili powder so I added about a 1/4 teaspoon of that, 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, two cloves of minced garlic, and a little less than 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt (which is my salt of choice).

For condiments, I sliced half of a red onion and sauteed it in olive oil - in the same pan with the burger.  My ideal burger-friendly onions are crispy, almost burnt, so they must cook for a while.  I also had some left over canned diced tomatoes and once the burger was almost done, I heated about a table spoon of the diced tomatoes in the burger-onion pan.  The diced tomatoes replaced ketchup, which I was missing.

I had a challah-like bun, but sturdier and less sweet and I toasted that in the pan.  I plated the burger with the bun on the bottom, then the brown crispy onions, then the burger on top, with the tomatoes on top of the burger topped off with the pretty bun.  For greens I ate blanched sugar snap peas that I picked up at the farmer's market.  I should have had another vegetable and a beer, but it was the perfect burger (spicy) and I was happy.

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
a little less than 1/4 tsp salt - Himalayan is my preference...I like the color pink
1/4 lb ground sirloin
1 TBSP olive oil (no more than 2 TBSP if cooking onions as condiments in the same pan)

Mince the garlic, put on a plate or in a bowl.  Add the chipotle pepper, black pepper and salt.  Add the ground sirloin and make sure all the dry ingredients are incorporated in the meat, shape the meat into a patty.  Heat olive oil in a frying pan, add hamburger patty.  Cook until desired done-ness.

If you're cooking onions to go with this and you want them extra crispy, add the sliced onions to the frying pan before you add the burger - they take a while (10 to 15 minutes) to get properly brown and crispy.  I recommend red onions.