I’ll start the day with a decadent hazelnut crepe. (This is not an every day occurrence, mind you, but a special treat for this Paris-in-NY experiment!) Just after I’d returned from Paris, over 8 years ago, I bought a crepe maker, and was surprised at how delicious and nutritious crepes can be. I admit that my favorites involve Nutella, but my other personal fave includes asparagus and goat cheese. Mmmmmmm.
I had no idea how easy crepe making could be – so, so simple. The recipe below suggests a mixing bowl, but I just throw it all together in a blender.
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.
The women of Paris know the importance of being beautiful. This is different from New York City, where the women understand the importance of being trendy and professional. Beauty is more than fashion, it’s an innate je ne se quoi mixed with the ideal blend of sensuality and confidence.
Before I get dressed, I spritz on my favorite fragrance. I am an enormous fan of all things Christian Dior, and currently wear (after years of being a self-proclaimed Anik Goutal junkie) the light, embodied Hypnotic Poison. You simple can’t have a fantastically French day without the right perfume.
There’s a certain daring to daily French style. My favorite color is red, and I’ve never been one to shy away from red lips. Besides, what else would go with my springtime staple, classic red trench? Oh, yes – the perfect scarf! Mine is not quite Hermes, but precious to me, as I found it in a tiny shop off a Roman cobblestone road.
Then, I might skip over to Park Slope where my fantastic friend Brion often dresses his Shi-poo Marcel in these adorable French berets. You can see by the look on his face that he loves every second of it.
When I’d first arrived in New York in 1997, I was ecstatic to discover a Francois Truffaut festival right near where I was living – and felt as though I was in my own private ciel watching double features of my favorite filmmaker’s life’s work. While each and every cinematic endeavor is fantastique, I am a sucker for the Antoine Doinel series, my favorite of them all being “Stolen Kisses.”
There are many places to catch a Paris film in New York, but the most appropriate is—where else?—the Paris cinema, doused in its perfect shade of deep scarlet.
I saw the magnifique masterpiece “Amelie” there, and (ask my old roommate!) had it on essentially every minute I was home from 2002 - 2005. I loved getting lost in the saturated cinematography, and, bien sûr, the fantastical story.
Ideally, a French movie would follow a lovely dinner at my favorite NYC French restaurant, Danal.
What would a Parisian day be without the ideal Provencal mas—or, farmhouse—city escape? Luckily, I have my sweet chateau just outside the city. It’s Pennsylvania, not Provence, but if I light one of my favorite French candles (always in a light fig scent, se vous plait!) it’s just about perfect.
I love Paris. I love just thinking about Paris. And now it’s been over 8 years since I dansé through the streets of the city of light.
.JPG)
As this blog is devoted to all things beautiful, it could easily have focused on all things Parisian. If so, I would have had to change the name from Che Bella to Cela Est Beau!
So, Paris until we meet again, I will see you in New York. Always remember -- j’taime!
No comments:
Post a Comment