clean for kitty

Always keep your rooms tidy and your dress presentable, my mother used to tell us girls, just in case the Queen Mother decides to pop in for tea. She had the right to be so silly, for one day when my mother was still a young impressionable child, the Queen’s mum actually did pop in for tea. And she stayed the night too! Or at least that’s how the story goes.

Well, I have another reason to be clean: Au Lait. My silly cat in a strike against hunger (I’m trying to help her lose some weight) has taken to licking—nay eating—my clothes if I forget to put them away. At first it was just ribbons and plastic bags, then woolly hats. Now if I leave the closet doors open, she’ll start hacking on the hems of my lovely skirts at random. Dear God, if the Queen Mother ever does come to tea, please don’t let her wear lace.

I found Au Lait chewing on the sleeve of my favorite jacket today. Does it taste good? I can’t imagine that it does. I said, “No!” very sternly (just how I learned in self-defense class) and squirted her with the water gun. That’s the fifth time in two days and now I’m beginning to think she likes it. Am I creating a mutant? The other night she almost tried to jump in the bath. Who ever heard of a sea-faring kitty? In any case, I still love the little beast dearly. I need her and she needs me.

And now for the moment at least we’re both clean.

just like my mother

I want to be just like my mother. I've always wanted to be like her with that cool English accent, warm and huggable mummy personality, and unique aesthetic—classic, yet always approachable. She always wears a scarf. She can write. She can stitch. She can knit. She can draw and always seems to know the perfect way to sketch a twinkling eye or a moss-covered eve. She's always inspired the artist in me. She sings. She can play the guitar, the flute, and the piano beautifully. In fact, everything I know about music, the arts and the crafts, I can say I learned from her. In the old days, they'd say she was quite the accomplished young lady.

When I was younger and feeling despondent, I would say, "Mummy, can you please, please play me the Moonlight Sonata?" And she would always oblige. She would sit down at our old stand-up piano that was given to us by one of the church-members. She'd lift up the creaky lid, flip to page 72 in the old yellow book, and she would start playing. She would would lull me into a quiet slumber. And then, without warning, she would transition abrubtly into bouncy Bach and swift 16th note progressions. Just to make me laugh I guess. It's that sense of humor that always keeps me smiling.

Now, I realize that it's not quite normal to always love your mother and smile when you recognize bits of her in yourself. In fact, I think usually it's quite the opposite. But tonight as I was going through some old photos of her (she'll turn sixty in a couple of weeks), I found one that was taken of her when she was about my age. She and my dad were living in Manchester, Vermont at the time. She was probably working at the Equinox life-guarding in the summer (they still use the logo she designed way back when) and teaching skiing at Magic Mountain in the winter. I wasn't born yet.

As I look at that picture, I see bits of me in her. By deduction, I guess that also means that I see bits of her in me. And yes, it truly does make me smile.

paris: pictures

Here's a whole bunch of pictures from our fabulous New Year's vacation!

Paris New Years 2007

paris: food

We went to Paris with the mind and appetite of a true gourmand. Full appreciation for flavor and culture and atmosphere. Revisiting old flavors and discovering new ones. There wasn't much that we tasted that we didn't like, but here's a list of our favorites and where to find them in Paris.

1. baguette - any corner bakery in town. Some boulangeries also offer (or only offer) an artisinal baguette. These have a thicker crust and taste a little more hearty. Both versions are equally good.

2. fromage - Cheese. We loved the cantal from Fromagerie Quatre Hommes on rue de Sevres, where they carry fresh truffles in season. We also loved the beaufort from the local Shopi grocery store.

3. wine - any wine you drink in France is normally good. This time around, we were exploring the low-budget variety and were very pleased with the Nicolas brand of wines that run between 2 and 3 euro a bottle. You can find a number Nicolas wine stores around the city. In restaurants, we liked ordering wine "en picher" in a pitcher. Just for fun.

4. hot chocolate - you'll find the best you've ever had at Angelina on rue de Rivoli. At 6 euro a pop, it's pricey but worth it. They also offer Mont Blanc, a meringue topped with whipped cream and lovely chestnut cream. You might as well order both while you're there, but the Mont Blanc (named after a mountain in the alps) is very sweet.

5. creme brulee - any old cafe will do for this. But we especially liked the version at Cafe George V. It had mangoes in it and they caramelized the top right in front of you by pouring liquor on top and lighting it on fire. It was pricey, but large enough to share.

6. galette des rois - the only time you'll find this delicious almond pastey-tasty treat is during the holidays until January 6 (Epiphany). They sell it at the grocery stores, but you should really spring for a fresh-made one at a pastry shop. The galette des rois is a traditional food, in which a bean or porcelain figurine is baked right in. The person who gets the bean wears the crown. They'll give you a crown at the pastry shop.

7. croques - toast with cheese baked on top. The most common is croque monsieur with ham or croques madame with ham and egg. They have a delicious Croque Monsieur at Cafe Beaubourg. We liked the croques at Le Cafe, a tiny little cafe where they let you choose your own toppings. Try salmon with chevre (goat cheese) and honey drizzled on top. Yum!

8. cafe - you have a few options: cafe creme (same as cafe au lait), expres (espresso), allonge (american style), cappucino... we liked the plain espresso (that's what you get when you order "un cafe") with a little bit of sugar.

9. crepe - with nutella and banana or my favorite: lemon, butter, and sugar. You can find crepe stands all over the city. There are a few on Boulevard Montparnasse.

10. les huitres - oysters. We reallly liked the restaurant Le Petit Lutetia on rue de Sevres. A wonderful selection of oysters (you can get a tasting platter of four different kinds). They also have a delcious menu to follow. Try the Beaumes de Venise wine!

11. chevre chaud salade - one of my absolute favorites, it's a green salad tossed with dijon dressing with toast and baked goat cheese on top. Our favorite version was at Le Petit Lutetia on rue de Sevres.

first day back in paris

Thank you, my gracious city, for staying just the way I left you! We arrived in Paris on the 28th of December, just after Christmas. Our hotel, a fabulous little find on rue Mayet, was the perfect welcome with a colorful lobby and cozy little room with a view of Montparnasse.

A relaxing promenade around Saint Germain brought us to the typically Parisian Cafe Saint-Peres. It was cold, we were hungry. So we settled down to some warm and toasty croques (they would be the first of many) and coffee.

We were finally there, in Paris together.