Paris at a Certain Age

L’esprit d’escalier

Supposedly the English language contains more vocabulary words than does the French language (400,000 vs 200,000). Despite this, it can be difficult to find just the right phrase in English for a situation while the French nail it with a zinger, le mot juste.

Case in point: L’esprit d’escalier (staircase wit or ‘afterwit’)
This refers to the clever phrase or comeback that only occurs to you on the stairs after you’ve left the provocative encounter.

It’s such a universal plight that there’s even a l’esprit d’escalier website devoted to capturing the rejoinders you should have made.

Oh, how I wish I had l’esprit présent, the ready wit that flashes, entertains and skewers. Instead I’m a lifer in the coulda/woulda/shoulda club.

Fat in France

Last year the book French Women Don't Get Fat was the watchword on weight.

This year there's a campaign in France against obesity.

According to a recent article in The New York Times, the duration of the average French meal has decreased over the past 25 years from 88 minutes to 38 minutes. And the French are eating more fast food. The author says McDonald's is more profitable in France than anywhere else in Europe and that its sales have increased 42% in the past 5 years.

Will Paris, France start looking like Paris, Kentucky?

As for me, I always lose a little weight in Paris, probably from walking the streets in awe and wonderment.

Fractal Food

I noticed this vegetable in a Paris marché a few years ago but didn't have the French language skills to ask what the heck it was. I've never seen it in the US, even here in Northern California, foodie capital of the West. I especially love its geometry and rosettes that are fractal formations. Is it broccoli? Cauliflower? After a little research, I've discovered it's called Romanesque Broccoli here in the US and Chou Romanesco or brocoli à pomme in France.
Although I'm not much of a cook, I definitely plan on buying one and tasting it. If my attempts to prepare it fail, I'll stick with using it as a centerpiece or vegetable sculpture.

Girl Groups

There is a growing body of medical literature on gender differences in stress response. Most folks are familiar with the concept of "Fight or Flight". Turns out those well-known fear and aggression reactions are far more dominant in men. Women have a completely different response to stress called "Tend and Befriend". The female hormone oxytocin promotes the tendency for women to form stable, close attachments to each other, especially during times of stress.

Thus, after male mammals in a community under stress are done fighting with each other and busy fleeing, the females are left to tend the young and vulnerable. Fortunately, Mother Nature endowed us with oxytocin and its calming, beneficial effects. Instead of going postal, we go to lunch with each other.

So when a boatload of family trouble docked on my doorstep, I had my Girl Groups to help. In addition to my beloved quilting group, The Quilt Queens, and my brilliant writing group (no name), I was lucky enough to join not one, but two French conversation groups. These groups are brimful of oxytocin and all women of a certain age.

Merci mes amies. You are helping me survive.
Tend and Befriend: it works for me!

Sixty Million Frenchmen and One Petaluman

The author couple of this volume (Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French by Nadeau & Barlow)had a grant to live in Paris to research and write the manuscript. If that statement makes you jealous, this is the book for you.
They explain everything from the reason French stores have sales (les soldes) only twice a year (dates back to Middle Age guilds) to the school system (and as a result you'll better understand how the head scarf ban relates to the Revolution and égalité). Each page is dense with discoveries about the culture and society. I read a borrowed copy but now want my own book to re-read and keep as a reference.

Paris Wish List: Food

National Public Radio recently ran a story about Saveur magazine’s annual list of "favorite restaurants, food, drink, people, places and things”. I’m more of a People magazine kind of person than a Gourmet or Bon Appetit gal, but my son has a chef’s soul and a subscription.
So I was able to read about the oldest chocolatier in Paris, Debauve & Gallais.
They carry stamp-sized wafers of chocolates that are 99% cacao which makes them more bitter than typical sugar loaded chocolates. Supposedly they are sublime when paired with sip of whiskey or cognac.

On past trips to Paris I’ve enjoyed the chocolates at Cacao et Chocolat (they have Aztec-petroglyph style gold designs embossed on them).

But now I’ve put bitter chocolate and cognac on my Paris To Do List.

Fare Envy/Bragging Rights

I married into a family that hates paying retail. They have trouble enjoying a purchase at full price, but double their pleasure when it’s a good deal. I’m no good at haggling, but I’ve caught a big dose of Bargain Fever when it comes to airfares. Traveling coach cross-country is modern steerage; it’s cruel and unusual punishment to pay a penny more than necessary to endure sardine seating. So I’ve been checking round-trip San Francisco-Paris fares since November and was thrilled to find an Orbitz fare of $487 with all fees included. It’s probably not the cheapest, but enough to temper my resentment at being cramped for hours in the air. Since the next lowest fare was $200 more, I’ve been dreaming of what I can do in Paris with the savings. I know, I know: that’s bubkes in Paris. But it helps extend the dream.....

Another Gift Idea

Right after wondering what else I could make and bring to Paris as gifts, I stumbled upon Clotilde's blog entry about Wine Glass Charms. I've made these before, most usefully for my quilt group. At our Quilt Queen sessions we break out the wine after lunch (and the quilting goes so much better) and then forget which glass is which. I made litle shrinky dink charms with our names on them. Why didn't I think about these before? They are affordable to make and packable, too. After Chocolate and Zucchini's Paris Stamp of Approval, I made a few to get back in the flow.

These are for funky, young folks. The next batch will be more elegant.

Un petit cadeau

What should I bring to Paris as gifts for those I will meet?

Pour l'expat:
I've heard that Americans miss goodies like brownies, muffins and junk food. I can't see myself packing ding-dongs, though.

Pour les parisiens:
What could the French possibly like as a gift from the US? The usual Northern California gifts are a little like bringing coals to Newcastle.
Sourdough French bread?
Local chocolate?
Napa County wine?
Sonoma County wine?
Local lavender?
It doesn't make sense to brind wanabe products to the Food Capital of the World; they'd laugh or be insulted.
I made a few 'bread bags as gifts (thank you Elizabeth for the idea and the pattern). These are light and packable.


But I need to bring a few other types of gifts that are also light and packable. Help! Any suggestions?