Lunchtime in Paris

My first ever tag - thanks Betty

Wow, I've never been tagged before and so forgive me if I don't really do this correctly. Betty over at Cuisine Quotidienne tagged me for a French meme that she got here (nice music included...).

So, Betty posted the questions in French and answered in English but I will post them with my English translation/interpretation/complete alteration with photo illustration and of course my answer in English and here goes -

1.  Le dernier livre que j’ai savouré – the last book that I savored (that I really took a lot of pleasure in reading):

I will pick two here. One is my favorite cookbook by Paula Wolfert  Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco (link to my rendition of the fabulous Chicken and Olives recipe) and one is a novel that I really loved – End of the Story by Lydia Davis – I really enjoyed this book and plan to read it again and again....

 

Couscous, Tunisan Style

2 ) Le film qui m’a le plus transportée – The movie that most moved me:

And here again I have several and will unfortunately have to limit myself and so I choose three – Dolce Vita by Fellini, Ai No Corida by Oshima and of course My Dinner with André by Louis Malle (no comment other than that I watch and re-watch them all three of them with pleasure).

Unfortunately I didn't have any good pasta or sushi photos available but I really would eat this again with pleasure...

3 ) Le plat que je mets au dessus de tout: the dish amongst all dishes or my favorite dish: 

Hmmm, I am so adventurous it is hard for me to choose just one dish to be faithful to...but since  I have to choose, I suppose I can never go long without an oyster…

These Brittany oysters were particularly delicious.

4 ) Mon plus beau souvenir des 10 dernières années – My most wonderful memory of the last 10 years:

the most delicious soup ever, in Sam Neua, Laos...wow, the best soup I ever had.

5 )  L’instant beauté que je préfère – my favorite moment for me or perhaps my favorite beauty treatment/moment:

This is a hard question to translate so I'll just go with the beauty theme and say that when I see beautiful things I get some inner peace, my stress levels go down, my frown and wrinkles fade, I get a sparkle in my eye and I just feel so wonderfully lovely...like here along the Mekong...    

6 ) L’endroit où  je me sens le plus moi-même – Where do I find my own real self, where do I feel most at home: 

Travelling, although I don't always eat well there...it's just that as soon as I take my seat in the plane, train, or bus I let out a sigh of relief and let myself go.....

7 ) Mes petits moments de bonheur – My small indulgences

chocolate cake?

Anyway, this was really fun and I still do have some Paris Chinatown photos to post so hopefully I will get around to that soon.

And, and all you food lovers the Salon de l'Agriculture is upon us!!! Woohoo, my favorite eating event of the year in Paris!!! and yes, I will use 487 exclamation points to describe it because there is nothing I love more.

It starts on the 23rd of February and runs through the 2nd of March. Here is a Link in English. It is just simply the most fun event of the whole year in Paris and well worth the 12 euros admission price.

Hope to see you there, Happylunching! 

Chinese New Year in Paris 2008 - part 2

Today was the big parade in the 13th arrondissement

We had excellent weather

A lot of people were out today to watch the parade

Fireworks along the parade route

Lest we forget the upcoming Olympic games

Even more colorful than yesterday's parade

Happy New Year!

The tail end of the dragon

There were huge crowds in all the restaurants so I stopped off in Belleville on my way home and got some take out stuff. These were delicious

I bought other things as well for our lunch today but I'm saving the photos for another post tomorrow

I took a whole bunch more photos that are not parade specific so I'm going to make another post on some of the interesting things in Chinatown and yes, it will be about food. Until then

Happy lunching!

Chinese New Year in Paris 2008 - part 1

Today was the big parade in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris.

So, lots of photos but not much food - there was nothing to eat...

Luckily it was a beautiful day. We got to the Hotel de Ville early to watch the preparations. People were posing for photos with the dragon.

And then there was the dragon dance with lots of fire crackers

There were quite a few dragons in the parade

More dragon

All along the parade route the Chinese shops put out offerings

I particularly like this lettuce and clementine decoration. Perhaps I will get one for my office.

These creatures were the ones to take the offerings

It got really hazy because of all the smoke from the fire crackers

Some colorful costumes

I really liked this guy in yellow

Over 1500 people took part in the parade

Paris has never been so colorful

The parade made us really hungry so we afterwards we stopped in Belleville for some lucky spring rolls.

And some lucky har kao

And some delicious lucky noodles with prawns and broccoli

Very tasty and that's it for today. Tomorrow I'm off to the 13th district where there will be another parade and of course another lunch.

Happy lunching!

Gung Xi Fa Cai!

And here to start things off, because I just can't wait until Sunday, is a link to the very interesting Chinatown Paris site and some really nice things that I bought today at Tang Freres (Tang Brothers - link in English) in Belleville on my way home from work. And please if you have the time check this out as well it's the Yellow River Concerto!

A really nice lunch of roast duck, mixed vegetables and noodles for only 5.50 euros.

One half of a roast duck with soy sauce for 7.50 euros. Very tasty.

Here is the styrofoam container it came in with the duck motif.

And I''ve been trying to increase my fruit and veg intake (5 per day for good health and a long life) so here is the very delicious, wonderfully juicy orange I had for dessert.

Tomorrow I will be going to the first of the Chinese New Years parades starting at the Hotel de Ville in central Paris at 2 pm. Let's all pray for nice weather.

Happy lunching!

Kung Hei Fat Choi

And a very Happy and Prosperous Year of the Rat!

Paris celebrations will be held this weekend and I am planning a very big post. If you are in Paris and interested in attending some of the celebrations here is the info:

SATURDAY -

For Saturday 9 February - go to the Hotel de Ville of Paris starting at 2 pm - here it is in French with a link:

La traditionnelle fête du Défilé du Dragon, à l’occasion du passage à l’année du Rat, sera précédée d’une programmation éclectique qui présentera une réflexion sur la Chine aujourd’hui et ses diasporas, notamment à Paris.    
Rendez-vous Samedi 9 février à 14h place de l’Hôtel de Ville de Paris pour le défilé.

Le défilé du Dragon sillonnera comme chaque année les rues du Centre de Paris le samedi 9 février à partir de 14h. Rendez-vous place de l’Hôtel de Ville de Paris pour un parcours qui passera par la rue du   Temple, jusqu’au carrefour avec la rue Turbigo, puis qui redescendra vers les rues Beaubourg et du Renard pour boucler la boucle vers 16h30 place de l’Hôtel de Ville.    

Rens. 01 53 01 75 23 à la mairie du 3e
Mairie de Paris Chinese New Year Parade Info

SUNDAY -

And on  Sunday 10 February in the biggest Paris Chinatown in the 13th arrondissement of Paris starting from 66 avenue d'Ivry at 1:30 pm in French of course but with a link:

Le départ aura lieux dimanche 10 février 2008 à 13h30 au 66 avenue d’Ivry dans le 13e arrondissement.    
     Le défilé prendra le chemin suivant :    

     - départ : 13h30 : 66 avenue     d’Ivry    
     - place d’Italie    
     - avenue d’Italie    
     - rue de Tolbiac    
     - avenue de Choisy    
     - boulevard Masséna    
     - arrivée : 66 avenue d’Ivry    
Mairie du 13ème Chinese New Year Parade Info

I've not taken any photos this week but in searching through my archives I found some old Laos photos that I never posted -

     

A lunch in Luang Prabang

and here is a chicken Makhbous that I did make but never posted either. And ok, it's not Chinese it's Iranian but I still think it looks good.

Anyway, please come back on Sunday evening for my report on the Chinese New Years festivities in Paris.

Until then - Happy Lunching!