Flaner

I read that "flaner" means "stroll" in French. I think I read that in Paris Made by Hand (if you don't already have it, it's a wonderful book about unique, beautiful Paris shops). We've been doing lots of strolling and I think it's the best way to explore a city, to wander and get lost in the nooks and crannies and see sights and find things you weren't expecting. I especially think that's the best way to find interesting shops, but we've also been going to some larger (more touristy areas) like the Tuileries for picnics and playground fun and seeing the Eiffel Tower light up at night.

In the Kitchen with La Tartine Gourmande

Recently I bought La Tartine Gourmande, a wonderful cookbook. I'm so excited that I'll be taking a photography and food styling class from the author, Beatrice Peltre, along with Lara Ferroni this May. And I was really excited to get a copy of La Tartine Gourmande. I've made a few dishes from the book including some amazing buttermilk, lemon, poppyseed pancakes. I think I've made them 4 times so far, and the last batch was the best. They're made with rice flour and quinoa flour instead of wheat flour. They also include quinoa flakes, which gives them a bit of a nutty flavor and crunchy texture. They're really delicious! We don't have an oven in our temporary apartment, so I'm a bit limited to what I can make from the the book for now, but what I have made has been great. Beatrice also has a lot of recipes on her blog. More pancakes coming up tomorrow!

Paris Days

Carousels. No shortage of carousels in Paris! We always stop when we see one. This one above is at the Hotel de Ville. I've gotten a little behind in posting our Paris outings. I have a lot of catching up to do! We usually go out once a day to a park or playground, but we also try to check out a few other places, like bakeries or shops, for as long as Lois will let me anyway. Here's some of what we've been up to the last two weeks.

Mamie Gateaux

A few people have mentioned Mamie Gateaux, a tea room and cafe, which is just around the corner from our apartment. I've walked by a few times, once when it was open and packed, and once when it was closed. There are some really great photos of Mamie Gateaux in Paris Brocante, an adorable Paris Brocante guide book, which unfortunately for me is in Japanese, but it's still super cute, and all the addresses are listed so it's still a good guide. Today I thought I'd take Lois there for a lunch date.