Paris' local one-stop shop

Paris has quite a few marchés ... well, quite a few in each arrondissement (and there are 20 arrondissements in Paris). Most of them are open twice a week, some all week long, and others just one exceptional day to show off their fresh produce and goods. Luckily the one near me happens to be open on one of my days off. Like any "farmer's market," they have the typical fresh fruits/veggies/meat/seafood/prepared food.

colorful peppers liven up the spread

romaine, red leaf, green leaf, mesclun, roquette, baby greens, spinach, you name it.

custom-made trail mix with dried fruits and mixed nuts, anyone?

I think the sign describes exactly what they're selling.

the peppers aren't the only things brightening up the place!



seafood!


you can either get some fresh fish for your dinner that night...


... or some freshly ground meat.


or even some pig ears, feet, or snouts.

And for those of you leading hectic lives that leave little time to prep dinner, you can also get food all ready to put on the table!

all-you-can-order buffet... pay as you go

fresh pastas

don't forget the dessert!

And remember, since this is a one-stop shop, we can't forget the other goods.

if all the food shopping wears a hole in your sock, get a new pair tout de suite!

40€ for a pair of Converse?? What a steal!

Ladies, you can never have enough lingerie...

nor bags or hats! Time to stock up :)

i love my apartment

several glimpses of the apartment that I am so happy and thankful to live in.

my view once I step out of the shower... (thanks to a strategically placed mirror)

multi-colored rose from one of the guys in gastro ADPA

a little touch to brighten up the place: ornamental detail along the edges of the ceiling

love the ironwork of my "balcony"

newest -- and most appropriate -- member of ma cuisine: cute cute floral apron (merci, kristin!)

although I miss the gorgeous sunsets over the ocean, I guess this can stand-in for the time being.

a year unlike any other

A couple of weeks ago, I celebrated one of the most relaxing birthdays. I knew it would be a good one when my eyes saw the light of day at the comfortable time of something past 07h30, when I would naturally awake during my days off.



Although some might dread doing errands and consider going grocery shopping a hassle, I, on the other hand, love it (as some of you know). After a lazy morning, I left the apartment in search of a few key ingredients of the day, including at Eric Kayser for a delicious tomato and mozzarella panini on olive bread. With the perfect weather on that gorgeous sunny day, I munched on my sandwich and fresh juicy peach in the park while listening to music and reflecting on my experiences within the past 10 months. Wow, 10 months. Can you believe it? I don't think I've stayed in one spot for this long (without going home).

Anyway, let's get back to this wonderful day :). Lunch in the park made me regret wearing jeans so before heading back out to do more errands, I changed into a sundress and made my way up toward school where I tried out a newish pâtisserie, La Patisserie des Rêves.

their famous Paris-Brest, in cute puffy flower form

umm, can you say adorable packaging?? 1st, they put the pastry in an innovative (albeit awkward to carry) pink triangle box with a handle. 2nd, they tuck in a cloth napkin, not even made from the thick paper that's in fancy bathrooms. 3rd, translated to the Pastry Shop of Dreams, I'd have to say P. Conticini was pretty spot-on with the name and his goods!

La Pâtisserie des Rêves
93 Rue du Bac, 75007 PARIS

last puff of the Paris-Brest. Normally just filled with crème pralinée (praline buttercream), Conticini brings it up a notch by adding some oozy goozy chocolate praline in the middle!

After a bus ride, a wander around an area I didn't know too well, and a couple changes on the metro, I finally made it home in time to sit down and rest up before my fabulous birthday dinner chez Ece. Home-cooked with the some of the most amazing non-Parisians I've met here, I ended the night with a tricky finish (re-lighting candles...)! Thanks, girls :)

on my way to work

Usually I get to enjoy a quick (and efficient) 12-min. bus ride to work, however, on Sundays just like everyone else, the bus also needs to sleep in. That's when I cross the mayor's square and head up to the metro.

some of the joys of taking the metro early Sunday mornings...

taken just before descending into the depths of the tunnels of Paris' public transport

view from one of the 3 trains on my way to work

And one night, after a long day of work (starting before 07h30) and staying later to practice making gaufres (waffles), I came out to see the Eiffel Tower sparkling, as it does every hour in the evening...... at 21h.

whirlwind with the girls

It's been awhile since I last posted, but all for good reason. I recently returned to Parisian reality from a whirlwind trip around Spain & France with my mom and grandma who came to visit! Because I have 3-day weekends, I was able to hop around with them, beginning in Bilbao, Spain to see the Guggenheim Museum. We toured around Hondarribia (where I went with my class trip in June), San Sebastian, and Bilbao.

Hondarribia, España - revisiting the town that I'd gone to a couple months prior with my class

San Sebastian, España

Getxo, España - this was a pretty awesome car/passenger transporter, taking people from one side of the river to the other

colorful windows around Bilbao

the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum, featuring Henri Rousseau and Anish Kapoor (new favorite)

colorful metallic sculptures outside the museum

the "puppy" - made entirely of flowers, in the main entrance of the museum

3 generations!

red sculpture on the bridge next to the museum

of course we had to go into a grocery store - in Bilbao, it seems like you can make your own blend of frozen veggies....

Po Po! (in the uber-modernly-chic hotel)

Mom and Po Po in front of a church on a hill somewhere...

Upon returning to Paris, I resumed my work schedule for the next 4 days, meeting them for dinners afterward.

Let's make the move from ultra-modern Bilbao to ultra-luxe Paris. Breakfast on the last day in Paris.

During my next weekend, we drove through Giverny to our final destination in Normandy. Mont-Saint-Michel was beautiful and charming, however it's crazy crowds will definitely make it a memorable experience. The American Cemetery was a sight to see with all of the white crosses/stars lined up in hundreds of rows.

hello, we meet again.

Monet's Garden in Giverny... this time with all the flowers in blooooooom!

as you can see, it wasn't the sunniest of summer days, but it still was gorgeous and charming

the one, the only Mont Saint-Michel! View from the long line of traffic all the way to the mount

I guess all the car traffic led to this huge mob of people trying to exit at the same time... it was a nightmare.

Balleroy Castle, from behind the gates... too bad there was so much traffic at Mont St-Michel we didn't make it back on time

the queen and princess in front of their summer home :)

American Cemetery in Normandy

Before returning to Paris, we quickly stopped to see the Bayeux Tapestry - an amazing piece documenting history. I left them at the train station in Paris while they headed up north to see the annual flower carpet in Brussels. Those 10 days flew by, and I wish I could've spent a few more days with them in the land of chocolate and fries (with a giant flower carpet).

Their last-minute decision to come to Europe was one of the best yet. I hadn't realized how much I missed my family until I spent almost 10 days touring around avec elles. Our 3-person group was composed of 3 generations... yup, 3 females representing each generation traveling around. However much I anticipated the day I had to drop them off and resume life in Paris, it was harder that day on the train platform than leaving them the day I left home last November. So happy my mom and grandma were able to come over ♥

can I get used to this?

The 3 week mark. What to say... some highlights since I've been there:

- since ADPA (Alain Ducasse à Plaza Athénée) and Relais Plaza are closed for about 5 weeks in August - along with the rest of Paris - we have less work, so we've gotten out around 18h or before each day! Out the door at 17h on Sunday and Monday... yes!

- the lab is a little under stress whenever Chef walks into the room and plays around with new recipes or designs... everyone is rushing around, trying to accomplish their respective tasks along with those that Chef has thrown at them on the spot. I guess it's kind of like a 'rushed' order that jumps the line, when you already have a long line of orders to fulfill. This is the time when I have to be really on guard and make sure to NOT mess up nor ask too many questions nor get in Chef's way...

- I've been able to make the appareil (batter) for the financiers multiple times now... yes that's a good thing in that I am getting more comfortable with the recipe, however making 5600 grams of beurre noisette while also weighing all the other ingredients is a little stressful, especially when the chef-de-partie is rushing me and I still have to sift over 10kg of powdered sugar...

- If I'm not too tired, walking home takes about 40 min, it beats waiting for the bus, and I get to walk by the Eiffel Tower (and all the American tourists on bike tours)!

- listening to the chefs-de-partie try and speak English... teaching them that steel doesn't mean "metal tray"

- running up and down 3 flights of stairs during our 30 min. lunch break to change our laundry

- walking into lab and knowing exactly what to do. Definitely a better feeling than the first couple of days...

- cleaning the lab at least 2x a day

- the anticipation of what tasks are given to me after lunch... make cremeux caramel, l'appareil financier, fold boxes and package hundreds of chocolate bars, clean the corners of mini-loaf pans with a toothpick (thank goodness Chef saw that and said it was a waste of time), or dip marshmallow gummy bears in pâte à glacer (like chocolate used for glazing)

- trying to sleep by around 22h30 so I can get up in time to catch the 2nd bus of the morning...

- speaking and hearing French all day long

- looking forward to Monday afternoon, when it's only Friday morning...

3 of the 6 stagiaires who are currently there are going to be leaving within 2 weeks... it'll be different without them, however, maybe that means no more weekends Tues-Thurs?

it has begun!

(photo from Michalak's site)

I've finally started. 2 weeks in, I already feel much more comfortable than I did that horrible first day at Plaza.

Quick notes below:

- work 4 days/week (my current weekend is Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday)
- 12 hrs/day
- started with another anglo-Ferrandi pastry student at the same time... and am fortunately overlapping with a former anglo-Ferrandi student this first month before she leaves
- they provide us with uniforms, which we get to change everyday (no need to do our own laundry!)
- don't have to bring our own tools, except for a pen and a corne de pâtisserie (plastic scraper)
- since I'm working more than 3 months (6 months, actually), they provide me with a minor stipend, from which my daily lunch is taken out of... luckily lunch is only 2-3€, but only about 30 minutes long :(
- currently there are 5 stagiaires, 3 apprentis, and a bunch of different chef-de-parties or commis... makes for a busy lab in a tight space. We definitely have to make sure to keep our respective stations clean at all times!
- in the mornings, we prepare 6 different petits choux/mignardises (little puffs filled with cream) and petits gateaux.
- after lunch the chef-de-partie will assign each of us 1-3 different tasks which we get to do by ourselves! That's when it can get really ugly though, especially if we mess up and it's busy and crowded...
- while we get to wear a toque (tall chef hat), it can get quite in the way with the plastic drapes hanging in the doorway of the walk-in frigo... and somehow I don't think my head is suited to wear one - I keep having to readjust it!
- I've been able to make and churn ice cream moi-même... but then again, I've spent countless minutes (yes, only minutes, but they're looong minutes) in the walk-in freezer. I think I had frostnipped fingers for a few days. ouch!
- don't work much with Christophe Michalak, the main chef and 2005 Champion of the World Pastry Cup but get to work alongside the 2009 champion
- take the 1st or 2nd bus of the morning at 6.50am... at least it's direct and only takes about 20 minutes!
- "vas-y, vas-y, vas-y" ("go go go!") and "dépêche-toi" ("hurry up") are two of the main phrases I hear all day long... yup, definitely not a place for those who need to take their time...
- haven't dared to bring in my camera to take photos of the creations in lab... maybe one day?
- for some reason last Monday afternoon, we got to try some leftover petits gateaux, including a salted butter caramel religieuse to die for!

Although these are just a few tidbits of my stage, I hope to enlighten you all more in the details once I get into a rhythm! It'll be a long 6 months but well worth it. I hear what other people have been able/not been able to do in their stages, and I'm glad to know I am at a place that allows their stagiaires to do things themselves. More importantly however, I'm just so thankful that I came early last November to freshen up on my high school French... bon courage à tous!