I Prefer Paris

Sweet Week 4, Day 4: Paris My Sweet by Amy Thomas

I decided to end Sweet Week 4 with a sweet read: Paris My Sweet by my friend Amy Thomas. Amy is from New York and in 2009 had the good fortune of transferring to Paris for a golden job opportunity working for Louis Vuitton. Amy is a sweet freak (in fact she writes a blog called Sweet Freak) miles beyond me and makes me practically look like an amateur when it comes to uncovering the best sweets and pastries.

Paris My Sweet is a memoir about Amy's adventures living in Paris for two and a half years, the highs, the lows, and in-betweens, all set against a backdrop of methodically and obsessively uncovering the best sweets in Paris. Not only does the book constantly compare the differences between Paris and New York, it also pits the favorite French desserts and pastries against American ones, for instance macarons versus cupcakes, madeleines versus muffins, and pain perdu versus French toast. I can so identify with her constant angst about New York versus Paris, wrestling with which is better, constantly going back and forth, then finally coming to the conclusion that maybe there isn't a definitive answer.

 She covers many of my favorites- Jean Paul Hevin, Pierre Hermé, a l’Etoile d’Or, and du Pain et Des Idees, but I have learned about some new places I don't know about-Ble Sucree and Au 35. Now I have some new places to investigate for my next Sweet Week and to possibly add to my chocolate and pastry tours. The other great thing about the book is that Amy writes about some incredible sounding sweet shops in New York, many which have opened after I moved to Paris, which I will now have to try on my next New York trip. Amy smartly puts a full address list of all the Paris and New York sweet shops so you can rent a Velib bicycle and track them just like she did.

 Thanks Amy for making my sweet day and a perfect end to Sweet Week 4.

 Click here to order Paris My Sweet on Amazon.

http://dessertfordinner.blogspot.com/

 

In addition to my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, we now offer Eye Prefer New York Tours, 3-hour walking tours of New York's best neighborhoods including Soho, Meatpacking/West Village & Tribeca. Tours cost $195 for up to 3 people and $65 for each additional person.Come take a bit of the Big Apple on an Eye Prefer New York Tour!

Come experience my blog ìliveî with my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I lead. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris. www.eyepreferparistours.com
 

 

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

New Cookbooks and Pastry Books

There’s an endless flow of books about Paris and France and I am sent many new books all the time. Here are three that I think are worthwhile checking out.

 Pastry Paris by Susan Hochbaum

I almost yawned when the publisher of this book said she was sending me yet another dessert book about Paris. Been there, done that, could I stand another book about an American falling in love Ladurée macarons? Well, she proved me wrong because Pastry Paris is a total delight for the senses and the palate and deserves a place as one of the more unusual French pastry books. Author Susan Hochbaum, from New York, took a year sabbatical in Paris and spent much of it indulging in pastries. Every other page has a description and sometimes a history of some of the more well-known and obscure pastries. In between are some of the most sumptuous, clever, and mind-blowing photographs of pastries I have ever seen. A white domed pastry on Place Trocadero with the Eiffel Tower in the background, a religieuse (a type of creampuff) capped with violet colored sugar icing set on a stone ledge in front of Invalides, and a barquette (a pastry resembling a boat) sitting on the bridge overlooking the Seine are just some of the imaginative ways the gorgeous pastries are shown.

 On sale now for $13.97 for a limited time http://www.littlebookroom.com/pastryparis.html

 

How to Cook Bouillabaisse in 37 Easy Steps- Culinary Adventures in Paris & Provence by Diane Shaskin and Mark Craft

Two Canadians Diane Shaskin and Mark Craft, made the moving to France dream happen much like me a few years ago. They started in Paris and then tasted and cooked their way France throughout the next several years. Their tasty jaunt takes you from Christmas in Provence, to a cheese shop in Belleville, a cooking class at the Ritz while listening to Motown music, a truffle plantation near Carpentras, and finally to Avignon where an eccentric chef teaches them how to make Bouillabaisse in only 37 steps. Along the way they share some of their best recipes including foie gras sliders (I'm dying to try this one), polenta soufflé with chevre, Rosemary beef stew with roasted parsnips, and crème brulee with lavender honey.

 $17.95 from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Bouillabaisse-Easy-Steps/dp/0986824100/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319049532&sr=1-1

The Chez Bonne Cookbook by Wini Moranville

I had written about the wonderful Chez Bonne Cookbook and also gave a copy as a prize for my last contest. Wini Moranville is an American who has spent the last 20 summers living in various small towns in France and has lovingly put together a book of every day French women's recipes. Easy to follow and practical, the recipes have no more than 6 or 8 steps and ingredients are fairly easy to come by. As I said before, Wini has inspired me to cook again and I can't wait to try some of the dishes like salmon with wine, leeks, and garlic, Pomegranate Pot-au-feu, chicken, Comté, and spinach salad with apples, and most of all the strawberry- caramel crepes with Marscapone ice cream.

$15.80 from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Bonne-Femme-Cookbook-Simple-Splendid/dp/1558327495/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318338491&sr=1-1

Eye Prefer Paris on Twitter

I just launched a fun new daily Twitter post- Paris Photo du Jour. Every day I will post a photo of Paris. Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.com/eyepreferparis
 

Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 17 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my courtyards, doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Eye Prefer Paris Contest: New Subscribers

I realize it's been a while since I have had a new subscribers contest and figured it was time for one. I know many of you forward my blog posts to friends, family, and fellow francophiles and many thanks for that. The next logical step would be for them to subscribe.

I am obsessed with increasing my subscriber numbers for a myriad of reasons but one big reason is to attract advertisers. Right now I have 5522 subscribers and my goal is 6500 subscribers by the end of the year.  So please support my obsession and subscribe everyone on the planet you know to my blog.

I will make it simple for you: Please send me a list of the e-mails you want me to subscribe and I will personally subscribe them. My email is rn88@rcn.com. Once I sign them up they will receive an email saying this:
Please check your inbox for a verification message from “FeedBurner Email Subscriptions”, the service that delivers email subscriptions for Eye Prefer Paris. You will need to click a link listed in this message to activate your subscription. If you don't see a confirmation e-mail in a reasonable amount of time please check your bulk/spam folder.

The winner of the contest is the person who has the most people click the activation link. The grand prize is a copy of The Bonne Femme Cookbook: Simple, Splendid, Food that French Women Cook Everyday by Wini Moranville. I just received a copy of The Bonne Femme Cookbook and I have not been this inspired to cook again since my catering days in New York before I moved here. I spent an hour looking through the surprisingly easy to execute recipes that are the staples of most French women. I highly recommend buying this cookbook with 250 mouthwatering, no fuss recipes which are easy to prepare with ingredients that are readily available at your local market.

Wini Moranville, is a food and wine writer and restaurant reviewer. She has spent over 20 summers in France learning the art of simple French cooking which she lovingly shares.

Click here to order from Amazon. Also check out Wini's yummy blog http://chezbonnefemme.com/

I will announce the contest winner next Wednesday, so send me your list right away.

Love the cover

 

In addition to my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, we now offer Eye Prefer New York Tours, 3-hour walking tours of New Yorkís best neighborhoods including Soho, Meatpacking/West Village & Tribeca. Tours cost $195 for up to 3 people and $65 for each additional person.Come take a bit of the Big Apple on an Eye Prefer New York Tour!

Come experience my blog ìliveî with my Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I lead. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris. www.eyepreferparistours.com
 

 

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

Updated Edition of Hungry for Paris

My friend and superb restaurant critic Alec Lobrano has updated his bestselling book Hungry for Paris. Hungry for Paris was first published in 2008 to rave reviews and has become an indispensable source for avid foodies combing the city for the best restaurants.In the 2010 edition Alec has removed some restaurants that are no longer worthy of his 102 favorites and has added some welcome new finds. Mon Viel Ami has failed to make the grade again and even though Alec still likes the food, according to many readers complaints the service is poor and reservation system problematic. Also axed were Bath's, which has closed, and D'Chez Eux, where the ownership changed hands and had a big effect on the food and atmosphere. Jadis and Frenchie are new entries and they feature modern bistro cuisine with rising new chefs. A la Biche au Bois serving classic French food at budget prices was also added. The new edition pretty much sticks to the old one, which offers a carefully hand picked list of 102 of most delicious restaurants, bistros, and brasseries in Paris from haute cuisine to down home cooking.

Alec was my Parisian of the Month last February. Click here to read the interview.

Click here to order Hungry for Paris 2010 on Amazon.com

 

Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale

I am happy to announce the sale of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos.  I am offering 17 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my courtyards, doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great holiday gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.

Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.

 

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotteís professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 195 euros for up to 3 people, and 65 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com

Little Books with Big Paris Ideas

I received a big box a few weeks ago with some of the cutest, small books about Paris. Linda Hollick from the publicity department at The Little Bookroom, who publishes- what else? - little travel books, was so generous in sending most of the books in the series.

The books are on all different topics but needless to say I was immediately drawn to the food ones. I coiled up with a strong coffee and a pastry, as I got lost in Patisseries of Paris. Of course the color choice for the cover, an enticing mint green that is the exact shade of Laduree boxes, was probably not coincidental. It’s broken down by arrondissement, and surprises of surprises, there were some I didn’t know about. The authentic, but not too glossy photos, made the pastries look good enough to devour. The short, mostly one-page descriptions usually give a brief history of the shop and what they are known for. The books are an easy read and more of a reference guide. I’m the kind of reader that will methodically go from arr. to arr. and will probably end up in a diabetic coma after I check off the last one. There’s even an interview with the candy and chocolate buyer at Fauchon.

Markets of Paris not only has food markets but also lists stamp, crafts, antique, stamp, book, and fabric markets. A list of daily suggested daily itineraries is a bright idea so you can map out your destinations without being overwhelmed.

Shopaholics will almost overdose on the smart, small clothing and home boutiques in Chic Shopping and Paris Chic & Trendy. The books list mostly shops that are exclusive to Paris and/or France and there are insider tips on how French woman shop. Highlights include a Left Bank shop that only sells umbrellas, parasols, & walking sticks and a boutique with handmade hats worn by Yoko Ono and Justin Timberlake. The authors and I share the same great taste, as some of my favorite boutiques I’ve written about, Canzi, Lobato, and Astier de Villatte, are in the book.

Other titles in the Paris series include The Best Wine Bars & Shops of Paris, The Authentic Bistros of Paris, and The Brasseries of Paris. I’ve delighted in pouring over the books making a list of the places I’ve missed or ones I’ve been to and now inspired to try again.

The books are authentic, charm filled journeys into the best that Paris has to offer. The only drawback is that they are not small enough to fit in your pocket or to pack the whole series in your luggage.

The Little Bookroom also publishes the invaluable, well-revered restaurant reference guide Pudlo.

Checkout the online bookstore at http://www.littlebookroom.com/

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour
includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com