Monday, February 20, 2012

A Little Piece Of Paris...

Last night I began reading The Sweet Life In Paris ~ Delicious Adventures in the World’s Most Glorious ~ and Perplexing ~ City, by David Lebovitz. If you love food…and you love Paris…you’ll LOVE this book!

So I woke up this morning dreaming of crunchy whole-grain toast with creamy butter and glistening blackberry jam, and a Café noisette (espresso with a touch of milk) and perfect poached eggs in cream, with lots of pepper.

My growling stomach urged me into the kitchen…I opened the refrigerator and reached for…no eggs. And, for that matter…no bread, butter, or glistening blackberry jam. l'horreur!

I could have gone to the market right then, however grocery shopping on an empty stomach never turns out well for me. The only thing left to do was go out for breakfast. We actually have a French café close by, so I decided to take my book with me and enjoy a Parisian moment in Irving, TX. Comment fabuleuse!

I was seated at a small table in the back next to a young couple. She was French…he was Japanese…and they had an adorable little girl. They spoke to the waitress in English, but their conversation with each other was in French. The young lady had shoulder length, caramel-y brown hair and beautiful skin, was wearing no makeup, and was dressed stylishly in dark jeans, a fitted navy jacket layered over a gray sweater, with a long multi-colored scarf wrapped around her neck two or three times. He was wearing black jeans and a leather jacket. His hair was long-ish, thick, dark, and shiny. I listened to them talk…lovely, lilting French…occasionally laughing quietly or coaxing a giggle from the child.

This is what I love about living in a big city. The variety of languages…the different cuisines…lots of people who aren’t produced from the same mold…all brought together in a thriving urban environment. It reminds me of what a vast world we live in, made smaller by means of communication and modes of travel, but still culturally rich and diverse.

One of my biggest fears in life…right behind dying a slow, miserable death, or everyone seeing what a horrible house-keeper I really am if I drop dead unexpectedly…is to become one of those jaded people who don’t experience joy and wonder around every corner. Yes, I may be a little goofy….but I’m always fascinated by people, and food, and life…and I’m never bored.

The poached eggs were as wonderful as I’d hoped they would be….the toast crunchy and buttery…the jam sweet and tangy…and the coffee strong and swirled with cream. I’m off to the grocery store now, and then I'm going to Grenada Market to have an espresso and read about Paris! Bonjour! C

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