The Year of Enjoy: Home Stretch

In early January, I declared this to be the "year of enjoy." The final half of 2011 was stressful, and I was longing to impose some pleasure into our lives in an official way. It doesn't quite work that way, of course, but I'm happy to have made the effort.

The things on that list did bring me joy - I love vacations and making new friends as much as the next person - perhaps even more so. But even a year filled with goodness has many moments of stress and sadness and frustration. At times I wonder about my extreme commitment to all-things-fun. Is it shallow? Completely self-absorbed? I tend to maintain that it's a tough world out there, and you need to fight for as much happiness as you can get. It's my responsibility to make things in my life as good as possible. But sometimes I think my focus should shift more toward kindness, hospitality, forgiveness.

Oh, I don't know. Let's awkwardly transition back to my catch-up on the list, shall we? For the most part, I successfully did everything I set out to do. I still need to make pate - hopefully this weekend. We have an adventurous couple coming over for dinner on Saturday night, and I think they'll be up for trying my experimentation. We're also short one weekend trip. That should happen over Christmas break, though we are vacillating wildly between being brave and doing a long road trip down to Charleston and Savannah, or just going to...Maine. I know. We need to just decide.

I'm going to try to fully embrace this last month of the year with a full and happy heart. I want to watch Elf, do lots of yoga, drink a little too much Prosecco, and go to Christmas concerts. And I want to finish up all my shopping in the next few days. For the past few years, our list of people to shop for has grown (a happy problem to have, all things considered!), but all the angst of finding the perfect thing at the perfect price point was bringing me down. This year, I started shopping in August (!), picking up the pretty great thing at the good-enough price. I know most people were clued into this trick ages ago, but I'm thrilled it finally sunk in for me. I love actually giving people their gifts, but I'm very happy that the acquiring process is nearly done. It's cleared the decks for more Prosecco!

As we turn the page onto December, I wish you all a very happy weekend. Let's all try to enjoy it.

Our Week in Paris

We are back from Paris! I put this travelogue into a single post for a selfish reason - I want one easy reference spot for the future. It's quite long, but I hope you'll enjoy it! A few more little Paris posts will likely sneak in at some point, too. XO

Sunday: We took the RER B line into Paris from the airport, and went straight to our apartment. Up six flights of stairs (102 steps!), we got to see our place. It was a cute little studio with a queen sized bed, a teeny cafe table with two chairs, a kitchenette and a bathroom.* We unpacked quickly, showered up, and headed out to stave off jet lag as much as possible.

We walked down to the Marais (about 10 minutes from our apartment in Republique). This is one of my favorite neighborhoods, and I was excited for Peter to see it. In search of the famous L'As du Falafal, I accidentally led us to a different falafal place down the street. Still delicious!

The Marais is the perfect place to go on a Sunday. It's hopping! From there, we headed over to Notre Dame to take a peak. I loved seeing Peter see it for the first time. He told me it was being built at the same time as the Mayan temples (one benefit to be married to a history teacher - lots of random facts!). We crossed the Seine and wandered around Shakespeare and Co., walked by the Lourve and into the Tuilerie gardens, and passed the Pompidou on the way home. It was Peter's birthday, and I asked him how it was going so far. "Best one yet!" he said.

For dinner, we had a reservation at Le Trumilou. They accept reservations online, so it's a good one for the first night. Many restaurants require reservations, and we were very shy about using the phone, so it was nice to be able to go into the rest in person throughout the week once we arrived. Highlights of the meal included Peter's charcuterie plate (with head cheese!), my crispy duck confit, and our first Paris cheese plate for dessert.

Monday: Before we left, I reserved a spot on the 11:00 a.m. tour with Fat Tire. I had done this as a college student with a bunch of girlfriends, and a few of you recommended it as well. I'm not much of a biker in my normal life, but Paris is a fantastic city to see from this vantage point. The guides are funny and nerdy, giving you cute little stories about tidbit of history along the way. For lunch, we stopped at a cafe in the Tuilerie gardens (cheese and baguettes!). It was a lovely afternoon, so we went to the Luxembourg Gardens after our tour wrapped up (around 3:15 p.m.). We also made a reservation at Le Timbre for our last night - more on that later.

We went to A la Biche au Bois on David Lebovitz's recommendation. One of our absolute favorites! We didn't have reservations, so we headed in early (for Paris) around 8:00 p.m. Highlights included the salade perigourdine, steak and frites, and a giant cheese tray that you get to pick selections from!

Tuesday: We bought four-day museum passes at the airport when we arrived (you can also get them at many museums) and started using it on Tuesday. If you plan on going to a lot of museums and monuments, this is definitely the way to go! I planned the days out by putting things together that were close in proximity.

We started at the Rodin to see The Thinker and the pretty little house inside. It was pouring rain, so we ducked into Cafe de Musee down the street for a bit of lunch before going to Napoleon's Tomb. The rain let up a bit, and we hustled over the Musee d'Orsay. A lovely left bank day.

We weren't so hungry after our lunch at Cafe de Musee (Peter had a hot dog with cheese in a baguette!), so we headed to Chez Prune, a wine bar a few blocks away from our apartment on the Canal St. Martin. Think inexpensive, delicious glasses of wine, four giant appetizers to chose from for sharing, and lots of darling local Parisians. Can you tell we loved it? Because we loved it. Go here.

Wednesday: We visited the Crypte archeologique - a new-to-me museum that's underneath the square at Notre Dame. It was so neat! Filled with vestiges of old houses and streets that were once there. After, we went into Notre Dame and over to the Conciergerie. We would have done Sainte Chapelle then, but it was closed for a long lunch (ahh, Paris.). We decided to follow their lead and headed over to Angelina for their famous hot chocolate and some macarons. This gave us the strength to tackle the Louvre :)

For dinner, we had a reservation at Robert et Louise, based on Ruth Reichl's Gourmet article. The food was good - very good, even - but as tourists, they relegated us to a basement room that lacked charm. Not exactly a disappointment, but definitely not our favorite. It might have been a better lunch time pick?

Thursday: It was a bit rainy early in the week, and this day looked sunny and promising, so we headed out to Versailles (with a quick stop at Sainte Chapelle first - it was near the RER C line we had to take out there anyway). The palace is amazing, but I loved the surrounding gardens most. Everything was in bloom, and so green this time of year.

We were exhausted that night (especially me, for some reason), but we rallied and headed over to Frenchie Wine Bar. It's itty-bitty, so get there early for a spot. It was full when we arrived at 7:20 p.m., but two seats at the bar opened quickly. The wine list is amazing, and the food is clean and fresh and creative. The chef previously worked at Gramercy Tavern in NYC, and the style of food is similar.

Friday: We walked to the Marais to go into the Centre Pompidou - one of my all time favorite museums. Afterward, Peter settled in for coffee at a cafe and I shopped around. Some favorite shops included Les Touristes, Reperages Maison and Compagnie de Provence. We had gelato from Amarino for lunch (eating ice cream for a meal thrills me to no end!).

In the afternoon, we went to Musee Carnavalet - a free museum with old signs from all around Paris, a lovely courtyard garden, and beautiful palace rooms upstairs. Down the street is Place des Vosges, a beautiful square park surrounded by pretty pink town houses.

Dinner that night was at Le Timbre. We've been lucky to have some very special meals out, but this was one of our best ever. The space is charming, the service is lovely, and the food is perfection. Every element of the meal was a highlight, but extra special dishes included Peter's foie gras, my duck breast served over asparagus, shallots and mushrooms, a creamy blue cheese, and rich chocolate creme for dessert.

We ended with a nighttime visit to the Eiffel Tour. It was a fantastic visit, from start to finish. I can't wait to return already!

*If anyone has specific questions about the apartment we rented and our experience there, please feel free to email me!

Paris Planning: The Apartment

(via Domino)

After weeks of research, we recently booked our apartment rental in Paris! There are so many options, I thought this process would be a breeze. And, if I had wanted to spend a bit more, it would have been.

Unfortunately, I kept thinking about all the wine and cheese I could buy with that money instead! A tiny budget meant lots of studios with futons (not real beds). I mean, I don't require a super long, bright pink bed, but a futon just wouldn't do. Being in my late twenties has made me more snobby about my sleeping arrangements!

I combed through Airbnb, HomeAway and Trip Advisor. Many people seem to have good luck with Airbnb, but I found most of the apartments had kind of dark, sketchy photos. This Trip Advisor rental in a former bakery was tempting, but I didn't love the location. We wanted to be in the 9, 10 or 11th arrondissement, based almost entirely on this old Gourmet article.*

Eventually, in desperation, I took a peak at VRBO. I hadn't looked there earlier because I didn't think they did international bookings. But they do! And they had the most affordable, pretty, real-live-bed apartments. And lots of reviews! Those sway me so much (even though I never leave them, so it's sort of hypocritical, I guess). 

I'll definitely share how it works out after we return!

*Much of our trip planning is based on this old Paris issue of Gourmet. I'm mentioning this only because when planning a vacation, we usually latch on to no more than two or three magazines/articles/books total and call it day. It's too easy to get overwhelmed otherwise! Usually one of the other planning tools is the NY Times 36 hours article, too. Just thought I'd share that little tip :)

Wedding gift (one year late!)

I have a habit of giving Peter gifts that benefit me as well. One of the best in this category was his wedding present. I purchased this one year ago today, and kept meaning to tell you about it, but then I'd have to chat about sewing or pizza or some other nonsense. So today is the day!

Over the years, I had given Peter a watch and monogrammed cuff links and such -- traditional, easy wedding presents for men. I put my thinking cap on, knowing that I had to avoid flasks and embroidered handkerchiefs (What was I going to do with those?!).

During planning, I heard a fun idea for an engagement gift: a bottle of wine for the couple to celebrate with now, one for the wedding, and one for the first anniversary. Brilliant, no? I basically just expanded on this idea and got Peter a case of wine -- one to have around our wedding, and then for anniversaries 1-10 and 15.

If you want to see a very happy and excited wine store employee, tell him that you need a case of wine with a mix of things to drink at varying times in the next 15 years. This is like an awesome puzzle for them to put together!

Make sure you tell that happy wine store employee the price you want to stick with for the total cost. When we buy cases of wine, we typically stay in the $10 to $15 range per bottle. But the wines you want to age will be quite a bit more expensive than the ones you'll drink during the first five years. Go cheaper for the early wines, and expect to spend a fair amount more for the wines you'll age.

I'm so excited that we'll get to drink our first bottle this weekend! We're going to pay the corkage fee and take it to a fancy dinner at Eleven Madison Park. Anniversaries are so fun!

P.S. It's sort of turned into a mini anniversary week around here -- sorry about that! I'll back to normal next week :)

Notes on food and wine pairing

The food and wine pairing class we took over the weekend was taught by the charming owner of Vine Wine in Williamsburg. Here are a few bits and pieces from notes taken during the class:

• Everyone has a dominant nostril that's better at sniffing wine. To find yours, tilt your head to the left and breath deeply into your wine glass. Then do the same with your head tilted to the right. Kind of an odd thing to know about yourself, right?!  I'm a left nostril lady.
  
  
• It's easy to fall back on the same old descriptors when tasting wine (citrus, floral, earthy, etc.). Here are a few of the fun new-to-me wine descriptions we learned: fig, red cherry, rose, juniper, black pepper, asparagus, mushroom, hay, mint, wet leaves, walnut, cedar, wet wool, buttered toast, tar and marmalade.
  
  
• When in doubt about what to pair with a wine, think about the region it's from. An easy example: Italian Chianti pairs well with rich tomato sauces.
  
  
• Avoid sweet wine with sweet things. Dessert wines are best paired with a cheese course, not a cup cake.
  
  
• And finally, if you are looking for a new get-the-party-started wine, I'd like you to meet Blanc Pescador. This was the first wine we tasted that afternoon, and I loved how crisp and effervescent it was. It's the perfect $10 bottle to celebrate the start of summer!

Attacking the list

(Via cambriacove)

List makers are always quite proud of their status. We love crossing things off! So satisfying. Hence, the NYC list has been making me twitchy lately. There's still so much we need to do!

This weekend we are attacking that thing with a food and wine pairing class at Brooklyn Kitchen, a picnic in the park with my lovely book club (last meeting, sob!) and a brunch visit to Diner and/or Marlow & Sons. Have you been to both? Please vote for your favorite, in the event that our stomachs can't handle both in one day!

Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Worried over nothing

We have lived in our apartment for a little over two years now, and we have seen our landlords (who happen to live above us) shift from couplehood to parenthood first with one little girl, quickly followed by a second little girl.

It's been a big two years for them.

I provided a little sustenance during trying early days, but we've been hesitant to invite them over. I love babies, but I'd never actually had one in my home. I wasn't worried about destroying anything precious here (because seriously, we don't have anything that precious). I just had so many questions. How should we set up chairs? Do we feed the children, or will they eat before? Is Murphy's Oil Soap safe to use on floors that crawling babies wiggle across?!

Silly questions, but still questions.

We finally bit the bullet and cooked dinner for them last night. And of course, I was worried over nothing. The little girls are charming and sweet, and I adore their parents (though I knew that already). The oldest sang multiple rounds of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and we chatted about wine and Park Slope and the best new restaurant in town (seriously, you should go there!).

Sitting at the table after dinner while the baby dozed, I was amazed by how alive the house felt with children in it. There was constant motion, and even when they were still, playing or chattering to themselves, there was a warmth present that is very different than when a home is filled with only adults.

It was lovely. Absolutely lovely.

* * * * *

Everything really came together for this party, food-wise. Most hostesses can attest to the rarity in that. Usually there's one clunker in the bunch, you know? I highly recommend all of these:

• Spiced pumpkin, lentil and goat cheese salad
• Mustard herb-crusted pork tenderloin
• Artichoke potato gratin
• And for dessert...

French Almond Cake

Adapted from the Newlyweds Cookbook

You will need:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 extra large eggs, beaten

1 cup ground almonds

1/3 cup flour

1 tablespoon milk

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Put the butter, sugar and eggs in a large bowl, add the ground almonds, flour and milk. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Spoon into a greased 8" cake pan.

Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, or until the cake just springs back when lightly pressed. Run a knife along the edges and turn onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to five days.

The epic wine tasting of 2010

Sunday was epic!  We tried and tried and then re-tried twelve different wines.  I know this is going to sound insane, but it was hard work!  Here are the winners:

• Sparkling (pair with hors douvres): El Vin Prosecco Extra Dry
• White (pair with salad): Apaltagua Chardonnay
• Pinot Noir (pair with salmon): Primarius (my favorite!)
• Red (pair with lamb): Chateau Segondignac Medoc

I also learned some fun things from Pete, like Brut is the driest sparkling, not extra dry (confusing wine people!).  I can't wait for everyone to try them in a few short weeks!  I hope they love them all as much as we did.

Just drink it

Someone gave us a lovely bottle of champagne over the holidays, and it has been sitting patiently in our wine rack ever since.

Last week, Peter suggested we just drink it.  So we did!

He picked up some Iberico jamon from Brooklyn Larder and I made a few tapas to munch on.  In a happy turn of events, we also both brought home a bouquet of flowers.  I literally have flowers in every room of the house right now.  Even the bathroom!

Here's to more flower-filled, champagne evenings!

Happiness found in a bottle for around $10

Peter's Dad Pete gave us a case of wine for Christmas.  Such a lovely present. 

There are four different wines in the case (three bottles of each).  Pete takes pride in finding delicious, affordable, versatile wines.  And lucky for us, he also loves to share. 

So far we've opened the Vina Zaco Tempranillo and the Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Both delicious.  The Oyster Bay is a touch sweet for the first sip, but then it gets a lot more complex and citrusy.  

Anyone else discover a yummy new wine lately? 

Wine Tasting

Peter and I invited our families to Tanglewood over Labor Day weekend to see John and Bucky Pizzarelli at the Jazz Festival. We had so much yummy food -- Pam's famous potato salad with lots and lots of dill, very rare steaks, and Peter's favorite-of-all-time ameretti cookies from a bakery in Litchfield, CT.

Peter's dad Pete owns a lovely wine shop called The Bridge in New Milford, CT (You should visit!), and he nicely led a little wine tasting at our picnic. It was so fun. Pete always gives amazing recommendations, and he gets a special satisfaction out of finding really great bottles that are also really cheap. Below is a list from the Italian tasting we had that afternoon, with Pete's helpful descriptions:

• Saladini Falerio: clean, dry crisp wine made from a blend of three rather obscure white Italian varieties from the Marche region. $6.99 per bottle.
• Amerini Falerio: 100% Sangiovese from Umbria. More "Old World" in style. $5.99 per bottle.
• La Cacciatora Sangiovese: 100% Sangiovese from Publia. Bright red berries on the front of the palate, more "New World" in style. $7.99 per bottle.
• Priore Campotino Montepulciano: 100% montepulciano from Abruzzo. More weight than the other two Sangiovese's above, best food wine of the three reds. $9.99 per bottle.

Aren't those prices amazing?! You will love them, I just know it.