Instant Classic, Part 3

Birds and Rooftops

Crafters At Work

Last Saturday I visited a bunch of ateliers for Journées des Metiers, a three-day event where the public can check out the studios of specialized craftsmen and -women of the city. My two favorites were the stained-glass atelier and the workshop of artisanal parasol/umbrella/cane makers/restorers.

It was fascinating to watch the process of stained-glass makers drawing, cutting colored glass, and soldering it all together.

JE L'ADORE!

At the parasol shop, there were tons of beautiful, fancy umbrellas, parasols, and canes to be admired, and in the back, the workshop with silks, threads and umbrella skeletons to behold.

I'm glad there are still people out there who study, perfect and uphold these fine old traditions. What a gorgeous and interesting way to spend the afternoon!

Say What?

I appreciate your sentiment of love, Paris, but how about you just stick with French for now, mmkay?

Vanves

Last weekend I took advantage of the rare fact that I had temporarily readjusted my schedule to "normal time" and was up by 8am to go to the absolute opposite end of Paris, the south edge called Porte de Vanves, and its bustling flea market. I'd heard it was the best, with the funkiest and greatest old stuff, but it's open only on weekends and only from 7am-1pm, which is, well, not usually doable for my schedule. But I'm so glad I made it there, because it was awesome. I spent hours there.

Absolutely crawling with history. Can you imagine all of the stories tucked into every nook and cranny of these treasures?

It was a haven for someone like me, who loves a good old-fashioned treasure dig and not just any old crap, it has to be beautiful old crap. This place had it in spades - vintage clothes, old concert posters, turn-of-the-century postcards, jewelry, books, dishes, "Vogue" magazines from the '20s, etc. etc. etc. I'm glad I only brought 20€.

I loved these gorgeous teacups, created so long ago that it was when all men had mustaches, and therefore needed a special extra "lip" on the cup to protect their mustaches from getting wet. In the back there, the white cup had a caption beneath the illustration that said "Ann Hathaway's Cottage." I am kicking myself for not getting it. I totally should have gotten it. Logistics be damned.

These books were insanely beautiful and came as a 90€ set (a steal, considering I just found them online for 180€). Otherwise I would have bought one to make into a hollow book. They had gold-lined pages with locks on them, "for the children" said the vendor, which I could only assume meant there were saucy illustrations inside not meant for young eyes. But I'll never know, because I accidentally locked one of them and the vendor had trouble unlocking it. I slowly backed away.

I could have decorated an entire house with treasures found at this market, but I restrained myself, buying only what I couldn't live without (a different book to hollow out = 3€, a couple of 1940s ladies' wear and sewing magazines for some art projects = 1€ apiece). And this pin, purchased for 1€:

It says "CRAZY Success". I figure it's good luck to wear on my lapel.

Rare Treat

Onion soup and white wine lunch out... loved every bite!

Could It Be?

No, it's gonna be freezing again this week. But there is hope.

Jour du Macaron

 Wandering around Saint-Germain, seeking out free macarons... not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

This lady knows what I'm sayin'.

Déjà Vu

My quartier, a few months apart, in an accidental double-take. Different seasons, different light, different color temperature... but nearly the exact same vantage point.

Montmartre. I'll never get sick of the sight. (Obviously.)

Night Shot Of The Day

Passage Molière

Through Electricity

This book drives me wild! So beautiful - I know it's not the clearest photo but I saw it at an exhibit about the way electricity changed the world culture and I had to have it, even if I can't have it.

Les Toits de Paris

Secret Supper Club

Last Sunday, I had the last-minute good fortune to have been invited to the inaugural dinner of Crave, a new supper club in Paris run by three chefs in the apartment belonging to two of them. As these chefs spend the week working at very expensive and famous restaurants, they wanted to have a bi-weekly opportunity to experiment with flavors and foods and serve it in an intimate setting.

Along with 7 other people (all of whom are writers and/or have culinary backgrounds), I got to try out their first new dishes. Allow me to show you.

We started out with grain bread and homemade miso butter.

Moved on to an amuse-bouche, which was comprised of radish, kimchi, caviar and a cilantro leaf.

Our appetizer was this super-fresh salmon carpaccio with a citrus sauce, olive oil and fried capers.

Okay, then was the main course. It was homemade mustard, sweet tater tots, a fried vegetable I forget, and 7-hour braised pork snout.

Pork snout.

PORK SNOUT.

I believe this qualifies me in the field of culinary bravery.

It actually tasted very good; soft and buttery and full of flavor. But it was, without a doubt, a dish that I had to eat while carrying on conversation, so as not to think about what I was actually eating.

 Then, for the (necessary) palate cleanser, a lemon-cream ice.

To finish, a chocolat fondant with fresh whipped cream sprinkled with powdered chili pepper. Delicious! As with most meals, the dessert was the best part.

Except the champagne to toast Crave's new adventure! A lovely (and adventurous) evening indeed.