FoodMuse

I just realized my request was rather vague. I'd like to spend under $40 / 31 euros per person for lunch including wine and I'd like traditional French food from any region. Thanks!!

Hi I am becoming so tremendously excited about this trip. I'm working on daily itineraries most of which will, I'm sure, be discarded. Anyway I have been picking areas I want to visit and then finding good food nearby. I plan on some days just roaming around, but I've been burned in the past with this kind of travel....where I miss seeing great sites and eat badly. Are there any restaurants I should have lunch at near the Louvre. I'm planning on going on a Wednesday or Friday when it's open until 9:45. I promise to post pics of food I eat and my impressions of the restaurants. -Grace

Hi Catriona, I am not staying on Rue Blomet, but instead Rue Plumet. The street you're talking about doesn't look all that far from where I'll be so maybe I can still use your list of great places. Like New York, it's hard to get a feeling of just how big a block is. In some areas of NY I'd just as soon take a bus that walk 6 megablocks. Here is a Mappy.com of Rue Plumet where I'll stay and a route to Rue Blomet. You are the second person to think I wrote blomet, that must be a really great neighborhood. Thank you for taking time to write out your ideas. Regarding maps and such: I'll have to give some thought to how many sheets of notes and little helpful books would be worth lugging around the city all day with me. My brother just told me about all the mediocre to not very good meals he had in Paris a few months ago, because he didn't bother to think about where he might eat. Is it possible we are not related? Grace

I'll be in Paris for 9 days. Hooray. It was even fun writing that. I've started planning by just having a simple itinerary of things I want to see grouped together by location. The day I go to the Louvre, I'll have a list of other sites nearby and places to eat. I'm sure that I won't do half the things on the list, but at least I'll have options. I really like The Paris Mapguide by M. Middleditch. It's very conventiently sized and has maps by arrondissements. OK, you are the 5th person to reccomend I pick up Patricia Well's "Food Lovers Guide to Paris. I'll get it tommorow. I'd also like to hit a nightclub for at least one night, but I keep reading what misery it is to find a cab after 1pm. Anyone know where I can find a map that shows the routes of the night Autobus du nuit and Noctambus? How is the quality of bread in the city? Do I really need to have a list of great boulangeries to eat the good stuff? Grace

When I read not to touch the fruit (excellent tip) I thought, “Well then, how the heck do I know what’s ripe”. Now having John DePaula’s comment it all makes sense. How do I respond politely to “Pour quand?” Would en ce moment work? Thank god for my French/English dictionary. I will definitely be picnicking in Jardin du Luxembourg. Every board that talks about a picnic mentions it. I am getting so excited about this trip. ratp.fr is truly awesome. It's wonderful to have places to eat in the neighborhood I'll be staying in. Thanks for those recommendations. Any ideas for lovely spots along the river or canal for afternoon people watching and of course good eats? Monsieur Talbot thanks for pointing out the thread, I actually hadn't looked at them yet. They are a great resource. Bresse chicken! Oh that is so on the list. I'm also curious if the eggs will taste any different. -G

Taking note of all these comments. Wonderful. Is there anything like hopstop.com(for NY) in Paris, where you type in your starting destination and ending and you receive details for how to get there via bus and metro. Mappy.com seems to only give driving and walking directions. Good idea to eat at more expensive restos for lunch! If prices in Paris are similar to New York then does this picnic budget for two make sense? Bread $5 = 3.9 euro Ham/or other meat $3 = 2.3 euro Cheese $3 = 2.3 euro Wine $10 = 7.8 euro Fruit/vegetable $2 = 1.6 euro Thanks!

Great! I'll put it on my shopping list. Thank you

Bonjour docsconz, The apartment is in the fifteenth arrondissement. My French is very rudimentary (merci, bonjour, etc) but I am working on it. This trip is very spur of the moment, so I am trying to practice some French every day with a friend who speaks fairly good French. I’ve already been told my French sounds like I’m from Alabama (I’m a Bostonian) and they didn’t mean this in a good way. Oh, well. Thanks for watching my video blog, I’m having a good time with it! I think I’d like to stay in Paris most of the trip, and I’ll go anywhere on the Metro. I live in NY so public transportation is …… oh, wait let me use a French phrase here……. de riguer. I would like to take a train out to a pretty town where I don’t have to rent a car and maybe stay overnight and drink some great wine. I’m still working out the food budget, I’ll post it when I have my math figured out. Margaret: Thank you for responding. The person I’m swapping apartments with sent me an email with the address. It is definitely Rue Plumet and I’ve seen it on a map. It’s between Rue des Volontaires and Rue Bargue just south of the Institut Pasteur. I was just talking with someone today about wanting to use the bus as a way of getting a feel for the city. I’ll just get off when something looks interesting. I can’t wait to picnic. Great to know I can buy only what I think I will use. I would rather frequent smaller mom and pop stores. I’ve put L'Ami Marcel on my to do list. Can I admit here I’m a little nervous French people will be annoyed with my attempts at speaking French? Thanks, Grace

Hi, This will be my first time in Paris. I guess I should see a few touristy sites, but mostly I'm interested in eating. I'm actually dieting now to lose 10lb, so when I gain 10-15 in France it won't be so distressing. In late September I'll be staying in an apartment on Rue Plumet near Volontaires metro in the Pasteur area. If you know any great spots nearby please chime in. Here are a few things I'd like some advice on. I'm working out my budget and want to eat most breakfasts and lunches on the cheap to spend more on dinners. I also expect I'll make a dinner or 2 in the apartment. I haven't been able to find out what I can expect to pay for the classic picnic ingredients wine, bread, cheese, ham and fruit to take on picnics. Any thoughts? Are supermarkets cheaper than little shops? I'm also, obviously interested in quality. Merci, Grace

HI John Is this A-Z of French Food portable? I'm planning on carrying Sandra Gustafson't Great Eats Paris that does have a small list of common foods you might see on a menu, but since eating and drinking are my primary focus for this trip maybe I should have something more comprehensive. I like that her book is broken down by arrondissement so whereever I end up during the day I can find a great glass of wine and a bite to eat. merci Grace

I'm really interested in finding more about "goat heat". Does that make me a strange girl?

Thanks for so many great replies. Thought I ought to check in with this thread. As it turns out I found an apartment to swap in Paris (also where I've never been) on Rue Plumet in the Pasteur area. Grace

Hi I've swapping my apartment for an apartment in France next month. First time in Paris for me, so maybe I should post here for suggestions of where to eat. Anyway, I found this restaurant and thought it would be fun to start learning Menu French, by plugging it into babelfish. I think the results are pretty funny. Crystallized cucumber anyone? I would love to get a pot of foie gras! I'm sure there is one of you here who ordered what you thought was one thing and turned out to be something completely different. Well, cough it up....figuratively. Here's the French: Carpaccio de saumon mariné au concombre confit Croustillant de chèvre chaud sur lit de salade Soupe du pêcheur, rouille et croûtons Tête de veau tiède sauce gribiche Salade d'avocat aux crevettes et pamplemousse Terrine de foie gras de canard et sa petite salade Here's the very odd translation: Carpaccio of salmon marinated with crystallized cucumber Crusty of goat heat on salad bed Soup of the fisherman, rusts and croûtons Tepid calf's head sauce gribiche Salad of lawyer to shrimps and grapefruit Pot of duck foie gras and its small salad http://www.aumoulinvert.com/Tmenu34_50.htm

Great timing for this post. I'm considering swapping my NY apartment for an apartment in Amsterdam I'm told it's near PRINSENGRACHT 653 at MOLENPAD. Would I be near good eats, breakfast, lunch, dinner spots? It is an apartment so probably breakfasts would be eaten in to save up $ for dinners. Also, I've never been to Amsterdam. Is this a safe area? Keep in mind I live in New York's Hell's Kitchen, so I suppose safety is all relative and staying aware of one's surroundings is always important. I guess I'd like to know if anyone could give me a general impression of the area. Maybe it's near a tasty market.. ... she asked hopefully? Grace

Congrats on the show. Can't wait to read your stories and learn more about smoking. I've never done it, mostly because I only have a baby Weber on my small NY terrace. As for a team name, it doesn't reference NY specifically, but I do think sinning could be considered a NY state of mind. SINNERS WHO SMOKE You could have a cool logo of devils hovering over a pit. -Grace edited for atrocious grammar.

What kind of wuss cook would I be if I ran to the ER for a little bit of missing flesh? What I really wanted was recipes for Thumb and maybe some plating ideas. -G

I'm looking forward to posting more of my kebab exploits. ellencho: I really like your recipe. Thank You! I look foward to making it. Yes! mint and parsley, now I just need to buy some good flat metal skewers. spaghetttti: amazing photo. I will have to work hard for my food to look that glistening and delicious. :> Jason: I'd like to hear more about Cauliflower Teriyaki! Sounds great. For dinner tomorrow I'm marinating 1lb pork bits with a little yogurt and about a 1/4 cup of Patak brand Tikka Masala paste and a 1/4 cup cilantro. I'll grill it up and serve it with a lime/cilantro/mint chutney from my Madhur Jaffrey cookbook and a simple cucumber raita. -Grace

-G

Well, I've never heard of "Disco Fries", but I have taken a "Disco Nap" which is a 20-30 minute nap taken before going out to the club. Maybe "Disco Fries" are snacks eaten just before a night of alcoholic indulgence? A sort of base line for the belly....if so, I approve! -G

Oooh me first. Dinner tonight was Chicken Kebabs. Here’s my stab at kebabs. I had a party last week and a guest left behind 1 lb key limes, so I threw the juice of a few in a baggie with the following for a fast Lime, Chili, and Cilantro marinade: 4 key limes, juiced 1 clove garlic, minced Heaping tablespoon and a bit more of Chili powder 1 teaspoon, maybe more freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon freshly ground Cumin Handful, maybe ¼ cup fresh cilantro, minced A good glug of Peanut oil ¼ teaspoon salt Next time I’ll add some minced green onion Squished the marinade in a bag with strips of chicken breast sliced against the grain. I would have preferred thighs, boneless and skinless, but they didn’t look very good at my local butcher shop. I let this sit at room temp for 45 min. to soak in the goodness. I use bamboo skewers soaked for a bit in very hot water. I skewered the chicken with hunks of green pepper and seasoned with more salt. They didn’t take more than 6 minutes over a hot grill. They looked very pretty and green on the grill with all that cilantro. These kebabs were really tangy, thanks to the key lime, with lots spice and a nice cilantro/chili bite. It would have been perfection with some green onion in that marinade though. I was happy I managed not to overcook them, because by the time I had dinner going it was very dark on my terrace. I had to keep grabbing a kebab and hitting it with my giant mega-watt flashlight my father gave me as he said, “In case something bad happens in Manhattan you can grab this flashlight and run”. My poor Dad. I served them with a rice recipe I make often from Chris Schlesinger’s License to Grill(awesome grilling cookbook by the way) with garlic and cumin seed that is so fast and tasty. I also had a bit of roasted eggplant from the night before, avocado and a lettuce/cuke salad. I didn’t have a problem with my bamboo skewers burning. I just soaked them for maybe 30 minutes in very hot water. I think maybe hot water permeates the wood a bit faster. I’ve even microwaved water until boiling and then soaked the skewers in it, but I very hot tap water works fine for me. I also have never heard of spiedies, but I'd like to get to know them better. Next is some sort of lamb kebab! -G edited to add photos

OK, my fave so far had been the little boy with the tingling pee pee. I think we have a child with a refined palate. I've got to try this drink. Here's my contribution: I brought a first date to a great BBQ joint, Redbones, in Somerville, MA a few years back and was mortified by his behavior. Keep in mind this was a first date. We hadn't spent more than a few hours together and after polishing off our ribs he picked up his hot BBQ sauce in the tiny paper cups and drank it. I'm talking tipping the head way back to get every drop. OK, that was weird, but maybe I could roll with it....until he picked up my little paper cup and drank my hot sauce. So odd, even if he had asked "can I have that?". I caught a look from a waitress and had that little female eye contact moment where it was clear this date was dead. -Grace

Thanks everyone, I'm really surprised at how by the next day I already had a nice dry, tremendously ugly scab over it. I sliced a good bit of the pad of my thumb off so I didn't have a "hanging chad" to put back on. I can almost count the rings of skin I took off. I've got to remember that! Thanks for the link, those were some fun stories. -G

I searched for "never again" in the site search and nothing turned up. Could you post the link? Thanks, -G

Yup, thumb still bleeding quite freely. I guess I’ll have to bag it for sleeping, so I don’t ruin my bedding. Prasantrin: This is exactly why I was picking through the shrimp looking for my flesh. I thought I’d find it, give it a quick rinse and stick it back on. Lucky you, that yours was still attached. Years ago I sliced myself, but like you I was able to slap the bit of skin back on and it healed nicely. Ahhhhhhh! At this moment that sounds really, really painful. Open wound….pour in salt…..pass out in pain, I’m sure days from now I will take your advice though. Thanks everyone and keep your own knife horror stories coming. I love reading them. I’m not alone in this misery. PS I ate the shrimp. Hmmm, soylent green is people and so was my badly rolled California type roll with shrimp+me. -G

Really fascinating! Thanks for the post. 2 firsts for me: Any thoughts on why a lamb's innards would be called "Pluck"? I've never heard this term. Maybe because the guts are plucked out of the body cavity? I've also never seen the windpipe used as a siphon for anything icky that might be in the lungs. Great Job, -G