French Twist D.C.

Have your cake beer & eat it too!

2012-01-27T22:18:00.001Z

Apparently, I didn't quite hit my sugary limit after I out every dessert at Birch & Barley last night, so I set out to Nellie's on U Street for to see two D.C. brands get hitched, and eat more sweets ;-) Chocolate City Brewery and Hello Cupcake's union is already blessed with a beautiful (and decadent) love child: a beer-ladden cupcake with bourbon buttercream frosting topped with a chocolate covered potato. If you missed the shot gun wedding Shot Gun Wedding last night, you can still grab a taste of this sweet union at Hello Cupcake. The boozy treat will be sold for $3.50 until February 15th.

A Whole Week Dedicated to Love (of Chocolate)

2012-01-27T16:53:00.000Z

Since I'm allergic to chocolate, it looks like I might want to avoid Georgetown the week of February 13-19 aka D.C.'s first Week for Chocolate! D.C. Chocoholics (ie. pretty much everyone but me) will be treated to a 7 day chocolate extravaganza courtesy of SalesVote. For the entire week, participants will enjoy chocolate-inspired drinks, food and dessert specials offered by Georgetown merchants, when they purchase a Week For Chocolate deal Badge from SalesVote.com. This badge will serve as a ticket to obtain exclusive offerings from each participating business. Proceeds from badges will go to three local non-profit organizations in the Washington, D.C. Metro Area. Participants will utilize this badge as a key to unlock the chocolate treasures of Georgetown. Badges will go on sale Monday, January 30th, 2012 and will allow five deals to be redeemed per badge, from participating merchants. Enjoy D.C.! While you enjoy the cocoa fest, I'll be hiding back in Chinatown ;-)

Catch That Oscar Nominee - 2012 Edition

2012-01-25T03:58:00.002Z

Every year I get Oscar fever and try to see as many nominated films as possible. Even the nominated in obscure categories like best make-up or animated short films! The great thing is between the day-long AMC Best Picture Showcase, netflix and all the great independent movie theaters here in the District, it's actually not that hard to catch a lot of the nominees.

STILL (OR SOON) IN THEATERS:
Hugo and The Artist lead the nominations with 11 and 10 nods respectively. Hugo in an American film set in France, The Artist a French film set in the USA... either way, France wins righ? Sort of? ;-)

The Artist ~ All chauvinism aside, I don't think I can rave enough about Zee Artiste. It's a wonderful, lighthearted happy (silent) film that will make you fall in love with Hollywood all over again. And with the dapper Jean Dujardin too ;-) The film is still showing at AMC Loews Georgetown 14, AMC Loews Shirlington 7, Regal Ballston Commons 12, Landmark E Street Cinema, AFI Silver Theater Cultural Center, Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema, Regal Rockville Stadium 13 so you have NO excuse not to see it. (The Artist is nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor in a leading Role - Jean Dujardin, Best Actress in a Suporting Role - Berenice Bejo, Original Screenplay, Film Editing, Original Score, Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design and Directing. It is the first time a French film has ever been nominated for best picture/director. The last time a silent film was nominated for an Oscar... was back in 1930!)

Hugo ~ I haven't seen Hugo yet, but it looks like I'll be hitting one of these three theaters soon: AMC Courthouse Plaza 8 (3D), Regal Bethesda 10 (3D), Regal Gallery Place Stadium 14 (Hugo is nominated for Best Picture, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing, Original Score, Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design and Directing. This is Scorcese's 7th best director nomination, as many nods as Woody Allen. Both have only won once though. Woody for Annie Hall and Martin for The Departed.)

War Horse ~ Steven Spielberg's sweeping tale of friendship between a young soldier and a horse during WWI is still showing at Regal Gallery Place Stadium 14, Regal Ballston Commons 12, Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema (Nominated for Best Picture, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Original Score, Art Direction and Cinematography.)

The Descendants ~ Obviously, I want The Artist to win the Best Picture award so I really wanted to dislike Alexander Payne's touching character study. But I didn't. It's a good film, *le darn*. A number of movie theaters are still showing it: Landmark E Street Cinema, AMC Loews Georgetown 14, Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema (The Descendants is nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role - George Clooney, Adapted Screenplay, Film Editing and Directing.)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ~ Landmark E Street Cinema, AMC Loews Georgetown 14, Regal Ballston Common 12, AFI Silver Theater Cultural Center, Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema, Regal Rockville Stadium 13 (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is nominated for Actor in a Leading Role - Gary Oldman, Adapted Screenplay and Original Score)

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close ~ Will Oskar's search for a lock that fits a mysterious key he found in his father's closet after he died on 9/11 take him all the way to an Oscar? We'll find out. In the meantime, follow his journey through New York's 5 borroughs at the Avalon, Regal Gallery Place Stadium 14, AMC Loews Georgetown 14, Regal Ballston Commons 12 (The movie, which received mixed reviews from critics, is nominated for Best Picture and Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Max von Sydow.)

My week with Marilyn: AMC Courthouse Plaza 8, West End Cinema and AFI Silver Theater Cultural Center (Best Supporting Actor - Kenneth Branagh and Best Actress - Michelle Williams)

A Separation ~ One of the best films I've seen last year, this tale of divorce, Iranian style, is an incisive portrayal of modern iranian society. Watch the Golden Globe winner at AMC Loews Shirlington 7 or Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema (Orginal Screenplay, Foreign Language Film)

The Muppets ~ with a 50% chance of winning in a category with only 2 nominees, the Muppets have some pretty good odds of bringing a golden statue home. I mean, seriously, they couldn't come up with more than 2 nominees in this category?? In any case, catch it at AMC Courthouse Plaza 8 (Original Song) or just download the song on iTunes.

The Adventures of Tintin ~ I loved this animated version of my childhood books... The Belgian journalist still appears on screens at Regal Gallery Place Stadium 14 (3D), Regal Potomac, AMC Courthouse Plaza 8 (3D), Regal Bethesda 10 (3D) and AMC Mazza Gallery (John Williams, who composed the oscar nominated score for Tintin also composed the score of the War Horse. Those are his 46th and 47th nominations in the Original Score category.)

Albert Nobbs ~ this film opens Friday, January 27th at Landmark E Street Cinema and AMC Courthouse Plaza 8 (nominated for Best Actress - Glenn Close, Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Janet McTeer, Makeup.)

The Iron Lady ~ this is Meryl Streep's 17th overall nomination, and 14th nod for lead actress yet she hasn't won since Sophie's Choice in 1983. I certainly hope she brings home that 3rd Oscar! (Best Actress - Meryll Streep, Makeup)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ~ I caught the tail end of its run at The Lincoln Theater... if you go before January 26, you can still see it at the U Street establishment, otherwise it's playing at AMC Loews Georgetown 14, Regal Ballston Common 12, the Avalon, AMC Mazza Gallery, Regal Gallery Place Stadium 14 and Regal Bethesda 10 (nominated for Best Actress - Rooney Mara, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Film Editing, Cinematography.)

Already on Netflix

The Help (the film is nominated for best picture, Viola Davis is nominated for best actress in a leading role, her co-stars Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer are both nominated for best actress in a supporting role), Midnight in Paris (Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Directing, Art Direction), The Tree of Life (Best Picture, Cinematography, Directing), Moneyball (Best Picture, Best Actor - Brad Pitt, Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Jonah Hill, Film Editing, Sound Mixing and Adapted Screenplay), A Better Life (Demian Bichir is nominated for actor in a leading role), Warrior (Nick Nolte is nominated for best actor in a supporting role), Beginners (Christopher Plummer is nominated and should win the oscar for best supporting actor), Bridesmaids (Melissa McCarthy is nominated for best supporting actress, the comedy is also nominated for best original screenplay. If she wins over Meryll Strip, I will be very upset!), Drive (Sound Editing), Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (Sound Mixing, Visual Effects, Makeup), Real Steel (Visual Effect), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Visual Effects), Margin Call (Original Screenplay), Kung Fu Panda 2 (Animated Feature), Rango (Animated Feature), Anonymous (Costume Design), Jane Eyre (Costume Design), Rio (Music - Original Song). Additionally, two of the documentary feature nominees are available on demand: Hell and Back Again and If a Tree Falls: a Story of the Earth Liberation Front.

AMC Oscar Showcase
The exact dates and locations haven't been announced yet but if last year is any indication, you will be able to catch all 9 best picture nominees in a single 1 or 2 day event at AMC Loews Georgetown 14, AMC Loews Shirlington 7. Efficient if you need a refresher before the big day ;-) Check back for details.

National Geographic Global Glimpses
I'm a little sad neither Le Havre nor a Declaration of War got nods and of course I understand that silence is not a language so The Artist couldn't be nominated either... oh well. I'm happy to see Quebec and Belgium represented in this category and I'm looking forward to watching them during National Geographic's Global Glimpses that screens all 5 nominees over a weekend (February 17-19). Stay tuned for more details, but save the date! Other than A Separation which just came out, most of the nominees in this category are slated to come out later in the eyar, so this is kind of your only chance...

The National Archives
Don't miss the 8th Annual Showcase of Academy Award®–Nominated Documentaries and Shorts presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in partnership with the Charles Guggenheim Center for the Documentary Film and the Foundation for the National Archives. The tickets are free and seating is on a first come first served basis. GET THERE EARLY! Trust me. The documentary feature nominees will be screened at 7PM on February 22, 23. 24. 25 and at 4PM on the 26th (exact schedule will be released shortly). The Live Action Short Films will be screened Saturday, February 25, at noon followed by the Animated Short Films at 3:30PM. The Documentary Short Subject nominees will be shown at noon on Sunday February 26 (also known as Oscar day!!)

Other
West End Cinema is screening all of the Documentary Short Films on February 10th. Landmark E Street Cinema will screen the Animated and Live Action Short Films (date TBD).

I'll keep updating this list as we get closer to the Oscars on February 26th. In the meantime, please let me know if you hear anything about A Cat in Paris. As a cat owner and Parisian, I'm dying to see it!

Chinese New Year Flashmob at CDG

2012-01-23T21:50:00.000Z

I love this! Travelers heading from Paris to China today got a special treat to celebrate Chinese New Year at Terminal 2E of Charles de Gaulle airport. Now the flash mob in question doesn't have a lot to do with China and/or the year of the dragon, but it gets pretty boring waiting for your flight to board, so I'm sure passengers must have been glad to have the festive dance in question to distract them from their duty free shopping!

Oh, and CDG, I'll be boarding a flight for the US on February 12th... anything fun planned for me?? ;-)

Le Huffington Post Version Française

2012-01-23T06:41:00.000Z

Le Huffington Post launched in France today, under the editorial directorship of Anne Sinclair (before she was know as Strauss-Khan's wife, she was a famous journalist who hosted her own Sunday night news magazine.) After HuffPost UK, and Le HuffPo, there are plans for Die HuffPost in Germany and El HuffPost in Spain. In her first editorial, Madame Sinclair explained her vision for the site, a modest pebble in the information space, a contributor in the debate where unknown as well as established voices can exchange their views. I wish Le HuffPo, Anne Sinclair and her team the best and look forward to reading their contributions.

Ma Petite Liste - January 23-29

2012-01-23T04:58:00.000Z

MONDAY JANUARY 23

It's Chinese New Year, time to unleash the dragon!! There's a lot going on throughout the week, like the awesome Toki Underground pop-up with Chef Thang Le of Momofuku Noodle Bar and The Source's Scott Drewno (on the 24th and 25th respectively, Toki is actually closed for the New Year on Monday... but it doesn't matter, both nights sold out very fast.) You can still get your Chinese New Year/Scott Drewno on at Whole Foods P Street. The grocery store will have a dragon dance Monday as well as a cooking demonstration by Chef Drewno (both at 6:30PM). You can also take a more literal approach to the year of the dragon with a screening of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo at the Lincoln Theater followed by cheap chinese take-out at Dragon Express on 7th and U. The film only runs until the 26th! Then celebrate at Ping Pong Dim Sum throughout the week.

TUESDAY JANUARY 24
Not only is it $2.5 margaritas and half price bottles of wine at U Street's Ulah Bistro, but they are also hosting the launch party for D.C.'s newest international, art, lifestyle, business and fashion magazine, Ça Va magazine. A suggested $5 donation is required at the door for the benefit of St. Jude Children's hospital and there will be a fashion show by designer Katya Leoncio of La Dolce Vita Swimwear, international house beats and light complementary hors-d'oeuvres. The event will be held on the 2nd floor, RSVP to Amanda Minnie at rsvp@cavamagazine.com. Also, the Oscar nominations are announced that morning, so I myself will be busy compiling my annual list of spot to watch all the potential winners ;-)

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 25

Like Celine Dion, Garou, Corneille and many other singers from Quebec before her, Beatrice Martin (aka Coeur de Pirate) crossed over the Atlantic and took France by storm. Her song "Comme des Enfants" (I love this acoustic version) received the price for best original song at Les Victoires de la Musique (the French Grammys) in 2010 and her new album Blonde is up for Best Song Album in a few weeks. Her North American tour takes her to her native Quebec, bien sur, but also to a few select US cities like Philadelphia, New York, Boston and... Washington, D.C. where she will perform at the 9:30 Club. I'm excited, I simply love her songs!

THURSDAY JANUARY 26

Pound the Hill Bistro and Wine Bar officially opens to the public, serving creative international cuisine paired with unique boutique wines and craft brewed beers in the cosy exposed brick Capitol Hill space. Make plans to check out their new menu!

FRIDAY JANUARY 27

This has Friday-night date-night written all over it: Advance Auto Part Monster Jam to the Verizon Center. Vrooooooooum! I went last year... it was quite a cultural experience ;-)

I thought the truck shaped like a lobster was pretty cool!

SATURDAY JANUARY 28

Haven't tried D.C.'s latest craft beer? You're in luck, growlers are on sale today at Chocolate City Beer!

SUNDAY JANUARY 29

Close out the week with some of my favourite things: music, French and food! Barrack Row Main Street is sponsoring a Culinary Education Crawl on 8th Street SE. Ten Barracks Row chefs are participating in this all-day Culinary Education Crawl that includes The Art of the Pizza by Matchbox, learning to shuck oysters from the folks over at Senart’s Oyster and Chop House and (my personal picks) a champagne comparison at Chat’s Liquors and a cooking and drinking session with Chef Bart of Belga Cafe complete with beef short ribs and Stella, Leffe and Hoegaarden. Now that's my kind of marathon and the best part is most classes are only $10-20! At the end of the day, don't miss Stephane Wrembel at the Birchmere. Fresh off his success working on the excellent Midnight in Paris soundtrack, the guitarist is returning to Washington, D.C. to play the songs that put the Paris jazz scene on the map (tickets are $29.50 + fee.) Oh yes, and the official Chinese New Year Parade and Festival in Chinatown is that day too. The giant firecrackers will be lit up at 3:45PM.

Ping Pong Dim Sum Unleashes the Dragon

2012-01-23T04:18:00.000Z

The weekend begun with a dusting of snow over the District Friday. When my friend Cecile suggested we grab dinner at Pho DC in Chinatown saturday, I immediately said yes (well oui really) not so much because I like Pho DC but because the idea of ANY kind of hot soup on a cold day within walking distance of my condo combined with a light evening of girly conversation planning our upcoming trip to Paris just seemed like a great plan! Following Pho DC, we headed to Ping Pong Dim Sum to grab a "dessert cocktail" and got a head start on celebrating the year of the dragon. Ping Pong is going all out for chinese new year, with 15 days of dragon-fueled events and some fun special menu items like the dragontail cocktail pictured below and made prickly pears, vodka, fresh limes, lychee liqueur and basil seeds.)

Turns out basil seeds are super slimy. Who knew?

Here are a few of the specials being offered between Monday January 23 and February 6th:

龙 Born the year of the dragon? Enjoy a complimentary Dragon Kumquat cocktail. Made with fresh kumquats, rum, amaretto, apricots and basil seeds (those slimy seeds again) it also come in a non-alcoholic version so that the littlest dragons born in 2000 can enjoy one as well.

龙 Tuesdays are lady dragon nights... girls get a complimentary glass of champagne between 4-7PM.

龙 On Thursdays, it's generous dragon night. A portion of the proceeds from the Dragon Kumquat or Dragontail cocktails benefits the Chinatown Community Cultural Center. That's the non-profit that put on the annual Chinese New Year festival, so drink up! You kinda get used to the basil seeds, I promise ;-)

龙 On the weekends, there's a special $70 brunch for 2 menu that includes two dragon cocktails, lots of dim sums and a dessert to share. Bring a large party, make sure everyone dresses in red and get 15% off your check!

For a complete schedule, check out Ping Pong Dim Sum's What's On section on their website.

恭禧發財

Silence is Golden - Dance Party Edition

2012-01-18T13:32:00.000Z

From the country that brought you Michel Marceau (and yes, I dressed up as the famous mime for Halloween 2 years ago) and more recently The Artist come another experiment in wordless expression: a silent dance party! The latest of a series of innovative events organized by l'Alliance Française of Washington, D.C. of Washington, D.C., Silence!: Silent Art Forms will explore the world without sound on Friday, January 20th, through 4 "silent" happenings: a dance party where the music isn't heard on loudspeakers but via individual headphones, screenings of silent French films, a Marceau inspired mime performance and a silent poetry interactive performance by Gallaudet University poets (did you know French sign language is different from American sign language?). Bonus, the event is held at l'Alliance's new AFDC Downtown space in the District Architecture Center in Penn Quarter so if you're like me and you haven't gotten to check out the new space, it's a pretty cool opportunity to do so! Apparently, there's only one thing that can shut the French up, and that's art ;-)

Details: Silence!: Silent Art Forms is organized by l'Alliance Française of Washington, D.C. in collaboration with Yelp!, Gallaudet University and powered by Silent Events at AFDC Downtown (in the District Architecture Center at 412 7th Street NW) on January 20th, 7PM. Tickets are $20 ($15 for AFDC members). RSVP at francedc.org or 202-234-7911.

Silence is golden

2012-01-16T22:37:00.000Z

While I always think it's good to be French, Sunday night was a good night to be French at the Golden Globes. Case in point in pictures and quotes from the ceremony.

"I'm sorry I'm French"

Photo credit: Kevin Winter via Getty Images

"I'm not French, I have no excuse."

(though what's her excuse for that terrible fake british accent?)

Photo credit: Getty Images

"I'm French, too."

Photo Credit: Getty Images

"And the winner is: Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris"

(and then something about how he wasn't there and how he

should "come and get it Woody." That sounded weird!)

"Woof"

Uggie & his bowtie are so cute, just wanted to include a picture)

Obviously, I'm thrilled that The Artist did so well and I love that Midnight in Paris (you know the French love Woody Allen, and I love him even more for making such a sweet movie about my hometown of Paris), Tintin (not technically French...but the original comic books are in French and I read all of them as a petite fille) and even Hugo (set in a paris train station) all got nods. What were your favourite quotes or moments at the Golden Globes?

Epiphany - Part Deux

2012-01-10T05:04:00.000Z

I love that every new year starts with the Galette des Rois, one of my favourite cake! On Friday, I met a friend at the Sofitel Hotel for drinks and a slice of king cake at Le Bar.The French galettes des rois are made of two layers of puff pastry stuffed by frangipane, a sweet mix of creme pâtissière and almond cream. Traditionally served around Epiphany, it can now be found pretty much throughout the month of January in France, but will only be served between January 6-12 at Sofitel, either at Ici Urban Bistro or at Le Bar.

Best part, one out of 8 portions of galette have a fève (here a little plastic figurine) hidden in the frangipane. It's not as pretty as the cute transportation-themed porcelain favours from Paul, but on Friday, I found the feve in my slice of Sofitel galette!

And I didn't care if it was plastic or porcelain, I got a crown!!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2012-01-09T23:28:00.000Z

When I volunteered to take a group of college students on a bus tour of the Washington, D.C. for work, the weather was an unseasonal 60 degrees, it was sunny. In short, spending an afternoon away from the office, hopping around the monuments seemed like a great idea. It wasn't. An hour before the tour was set to leave our NoMa office, I started hearing rumours of snow. By 4PM, I was covered in snow, wet, cold and wondered what had possessed me to volunteer ;-) But in the end, while commuters were complaining about being stuck in traffic (DC drivers do not handle snow very well) I got to see some of my favourite sights like I had never seen them before: empty! Well, at least the ones I could see... the Washington Monument was kind of lost in the flurries...

I swear the Washington Monument is in there somewhere behind me

At every stop, we were pretty much the only ones there... and the students were amazing, they never complained, got off the bus at every stops and took in as much of the sights as they could. Some of them, coming from Miami or Texas, had never seen snow before, and it was a ton of fun watching them trying to swallow snowflakes, try to start snow fights or run to the refreshment booth on the mall for shelter and hot cocoa! Beats an afternoon in the office, that's for sure ;-)

A Snowy Koren War Memorial

A long way from Miami ~ but what's a couple of snowflakes!

Epiphany: A Sweet Ending to the Holiday Season

2012-01-05T05:39:00.000Z

With Christmas and New Year's behind us, it's finally time for my favourite celebration of the holiday season: epiphany! In French, we call the magi kings (les rois mages) and for this reason, January 6th is also known as la journée des rois (kings' day.) Since it wouldn't really be a French celebration without some kind of tasty food associated with it, we obviously have a special kings' cake for the occasion! Last year I wrote about the little differences between French king cakes and Louisiana king cakes (and how my husband and I will just have to agree to disagree). I also wrote about where to find king's cake for epiphany here in D.C. and I'm sure every place I mentioned in last year's post is still selling galette des rois. I'm planning on buying mine from Paul this year. Not only it is one of the better ones I've tasted here in Washington but I also love the cute Paul-transportation fèves.

Paul's Galette des Rois is available in Individual, 6 or 8 serving size cakes ($4.95, $24.95, $29.95)

Galette des rois is more than just a cake for me. When the first kings' cakes start popping up in French boulangeries, it means my birthday is just around the corner. And every year, I always have a king cake as my birthday cake. Well, almost every year. One year my dad got me a beautiful cake from Pierre Herme: la cerise sur le gateau. A beautiful beautiful cake... that I couldn't eat because it's pretty much all chocolate. But my dad loved it and I got my galette from Tout Au Beurre the next day ;-) When I was little, I also used to collect the little favours that are in each cake. Our local bakery, Tout Au Beurre (located at 29 rue Vielle du Temple, sadly, now it's a Lacoste Store. Is nothing sacred?), made the most amazing galette des rois but every year they also came up with a cool theme like Disney charms or porcelain zodiac sign figurines for the fève and they were fun to collect. So I love that Paul is not only giving me a delicious birthday cake but also reminding me of a great tradition I used to look forward to year after year!

Fake it 'til you make it

2012-01-04T19:28:00.000Z

Don't speak french but want to pretend you do? This hilarious video has you covered with an easy 5 steps tutorial ;-)

Dinner and a (French) Movie

2012-01-03T03:54:00.000Z

Travel to Paris this January without leaving the D.C. neighbourhood of Bloomingdale! It's French films month at Rustik Tavern, starting January 3rd, 2012 with the 8:30PM screening of Amelie, followed by Luc Besson's Nikita on January 10th and one of the funniest French movie ever, Le Diner de Cons, on 1/17. All three are excellent French movie picks (so good two of them have even been remade by Hollywood). French film month at Rustik will wrap up with some classics: Luis Buñuel's oscar winning surrealist masterpiece The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1/24) and The Professional (the 1981 film starring Jean-Paul Belmondo, not the one with Jean Reno...) on January 31st. I would have gone with some fluffier films to warp up the month, like The Closet or My Life in Pink maybe. I think they would be perfect while snacking on a Christina pizza (goat cheese, pears, prosciutto and rosemary. Miam miam) and with a glass of light red wine...

Toast 2012 with champagne...cupcakes!

2012-01-01T01:42:00.000Z

Champagne cupcakes are a perfect sweet twist on the traditional champagne toast to ring in the New Year! Since altogether the recipe calls for a full bottle of sparkly, I confess I didn't actually use champagne, but sparkling wine (I save the good stuff for my champagne flutes!!) and they still came out delicious. Here's to a sweet 2012... bonne année et bonne santé!

Fromage Friday - Cheese Plate at The Hamilton

2011-12-30T00:02:00.000Z

Cheese may not be the first item you would think about ordering from The Hamilton's menu. The Clyde's group new venue may attract dinner to its 12-seats sushi bar where former Zentan chef Jason Zheng is serving original rolls like the salmon lover roll (with roasted tomatoes and kiwi). Or they might gravitate towards one of the huge restaurant's 5 bars where the staff whips out some tasty artisanal cocktails - my favourite so far was the Aaron Burr with Leopold Gin, but I haven't make my way through the whole list quite yet ;-) The late-night bites, like the burgers or the flat iron steak poutine, I'm sure, will also be hugely popular since the new 14th & F space is planning on staying open 24 hours a day (yes, 24!!). But on my last visit to The Hamilton on December 21st for their inaugural live performance in the huge concert space downstairs I decided to give the cheese plate a try and ordered the 5th Beatle cheese plate ($23).

Nancy's Hudson Valley Camembert ~ this creamy, soft-ripened cheese was probably my favourite on the plate. It's melt in your mouth smooth with the just the right buttery texture from the triple cream. It's made with both goats (East Fresian ewes if you must know) and hormone free cows' milk.

Point Reyes Original Blue ~ I love this company's advertisement that their blue cheese is now green! Their herd of Holstein cows graze certified organic, green pastured hills overlooking Tomales Bay, in Point Reyes, California, which sounds absolutely lovely. They breeze a salty Pacific breeze which may, or may not, account for the full flavour of their blue cheese. I also really liked this cheese, which is milder than most blue cheese, but perfect for me, because I don't actually love blue cheese.

SeaHive, Barely Buzzed ~ I love creamy cheeses, so it was highly unlikely that this full bodied award winning Utah hand-make block of cheese would schave me buzzing, but I did like it. Its flavours are pretty complex, maybe because it's apparently hand rubbed with Turkish grind of Colorado Legacy Coffee Company's "Beehive blend" mixed in with French superior lavender buds.

Cave Aged Marisa, Carr Valley ~ again, I like the creamy cheeses better, but I did appreciate the complex sweet earthuness of this Wisconsin sheep milk cheese. Aged for six months in an open air cave, it's got a salty taste balanced by a high butterfat content 9which might be why I enjoyed it!)

Grayson, Meadow Creek ~ this local (yeah Virginia!) wash-rind cheese is very flavourful, with solid earthy undertone. I personally really liked it, but if you like a milder cheese, it's probably not your best choice.

There's a couple of other cheeses on the menu that weren't available on this platter. If I had to order cheese at The Hamilton again, I would order the ones I haven't tried (obviously) but also the Three Dog Night ($13) platter which had just my favourites on it: the camembert, the blue cheese and the SeaHive. The Mohogany bars at The Hamilton would make the perfect setting for a glass of wine and a little cheese at the end of a long day at work! Or at any time of day... even 3 am ;-)

Magasinage - Paris Shower Curtain

2011-12-28T21:58:00.002Z

Merci to Joanna Goddard for posting these awesome city shower curtains on her blog today! Obviously, I'm a big fan of the vinyl Paris rideau de douche ;-) and best of all, it's only $29.39 at Target and $24.99 at Bed Bath & Beyond!

Here are some other cool Paris-themed shower curtains you can find out there:

Rock the Bath Paris Shower Curtain ($15.99 at Walmart)

Trump Home "Le Bain" Shower Curtain ($70 at Neiman Marcus)

And then, of course, there's this cute little Bonjour Hello Kitty one for the girlie little Parisienne in your life (or for the young at heart).

Top 15 French Films on Netflix - According to Moi

2011-12-27T18:50:00.000Z

France-Amerique, a specialized publication for us frenchies living in the United States, sent out this neat little list of French films to watch on Netflix in their online newsletter today. The list includes comedies like Potiche, documentaries like the 2002 hit To Be and To Have and some classics like Luis Buñuel's That Obscure Object of Desire or Delicatessen. The article is in French, but if language is not an issue for you, I'd love to hear your opinion on the movies that were included and most importantly, which films you think were left out. If I had to make a similar list of the top 15 French films on Netflix, here is what it would look like:

Recent Funny Hits Available on Demand
Heartbreaker ~ this charming Gallic romantic comedy stars Romain Duris (he will come up quite a few times on this list) and Vanessa Paradis (aka Mrs. Johnny Depp) as a professional break-up artist and the girl whose engagement he's been hired to sabotage. The ending is highly predictable (it's une rom-com après tout) but it's still very cute.

OSS 17: Cairo Nest of Spies ~ before they made The Artist (which you most definitely should see) Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo made a hilarious spy-film spoof. Actually, let me rephrase that. Since OSS 17 was such a hit in France, with more than 2 million tickets sold, its director Michel Hazanavicus was able to convince studio executives in France to pretty much let him do anything he wanted as long as he could reunite Jean and Berenice on screen. And that meant letting him film a silent movie in black and white ;-) Jean Dujardin is self-mockingly charming as French secret agent undercover (as a poultry executive) whose mission is to secure the Middle East for French imperialism. Don't bother with the follow up OSS 17: Lost in Rio though. It's also available on demand, but is definitely not as good!

I Do: How to Get Married and Stay Single ~ Luis Costa leads a charmed life: he's a good looking, carefree, single 40-something, with a great job as a nose for a perfume maker and an attentive family that cooks for him and does his laundry. Until they (his mother and five sisters) decide they're tired of waiting on him and try to find him a wife. Consequently, Luis designs what he thinks is the perfect plan: hire someone to pretend to be his fiancee only to ditch him at the altar, which would make his mother and sisters feel so sorry for him that we would stop setting him on blind dates and start taking care of him again. Of course, this is a romantic comedy, so you can easily imagine that things don't quite work out the way he intended ;-)

Funny Hits Not Available on Demand ~ but Funny Nonetheless

The Dinner Game ~ Do not let Dinner for Schmucks mislead you into thinking that the original is not one of the funniest French film ever made. The 1998 Francis Veber hit demonstrates that slapstick humour can be sharp and clever, though some of the nuances and cultural references in this unmistakingly French comedy may be missed by foreign audiences. Veber has a lot of other funny films on Netflix like The Closet with Daniel Auteuil and Gerard Depardieu, La Chèvre or The Valet.

Delusions of Grandeur ~ I wanted to have at least one Louis de Funès film in this category, but there are just not many of them on Netflix. (Loosely) inspired by Victor Hugo's play Ruy Blas, it's slapstick humour at its French finest. I absolutely *loved* this film as a kid. Louis de Funès is, well, his typical over the top humourous self (his nickname was the man with 40 faces per minute for a reason), and Yves Montand is absolutely charming as his valet-slash-pawn in his plot to catch the Queen of Spain in an embarassing situation after she demoted him from his job as minister of the treasury.

L'Auberge Espagnole ~ If L'Auberge Espagnole doesn't make you want to move to Barcelona, nothing will. OK, maybe Woody Allen's Vicky Christina Barcelona will. This ensemble cast film feature Romain Duris (I told you I'd mention him again) as a bookish young graduate who needs to speak Spanish before he can start a boring government job. So he leaves his girlfriend (Audrey Tautou) behind to study in Barcelona, where he befriends a group of students from all over Europe who teach him that there's more to life than what you learn in school, and sometimes, what you've been working towards for so long, isn't what you really want... the sequel Russian Dolls is not as good but it's still a decent little film and is also available on Netflix.

Would I Lie to You ~ this rag-to-riches comedy is set in Paris' garment district and could have been considered scandalous for its borderline offensive caricaturization of Sephardic Jews in the Sentier's neighbourhood. Instead, it was a hit in France and they even made a second one, which isn't bad either, but not as good (and also not available on Netflix.)

Documentaries Available on Demand

March of the Penguins ~ missing from the U.S. version was the amazing soundtrack by Emilie Simon. Nonetheless, the naration by Morgan Freeman makes up for this loss and this film about the yearly journey of the emperor penguins of Antartica is just delightful, in French or English!

To Be and to Have ~ this documentary has the slow pace of the small provincial town in which it is set. A town so small there is only one school teacher responsible for the education of a small class of mixed aged children (from 4 years old to twelve years old) whom the film follows through a single school year.

For les petits kiddies

The Bear ~ It's the classic cute kid meets grumpy old man story line, but with bears. This movie came out when I was 8 years old and I just remember crying all the tears of my little body as I followed the adventures of an orphaned cub who attempts to befriend a grizzly. The older bear initially rejects the cub, only to finally take him under his wing as they navigate the tricky mountains of British Columbia, filled with mean Canadian hunters and hungry cougars. It's a very sweet film, and best of all if you're not big on reading subtitles, the bears don't actually speak...

Two Brothers ~ same director as The Bear but different animal... this time we follow two cute little tigers who are separated and then reunited by life. The movie is mainly in Thai and English, but it's French (and super cute) nonetheless.

French Dramas
Jean de Florette/Manon des Sources ~ While Manon des Sources is a great film on its own, a lot of the plot will make no sense if you haven't seen (or read) Jean de Florette so I am counting these two films as one. Based on the books by Marcel Pagnol, they follow the sometimes tragic machinations of Provençal peasant life at the turn of the twentieth century, when access to water could make or break fortunes, destroy lives and bring peace to a village.

I've Loved You for So Long ~ I'm convinced that Kristin Scott Thomas is the best French actress around these days. Yes, I know she's not actually French, but she speaks beautiful French and happens to star in some excellent French film like this 2008 drama about a woman struggling to interact with her family and find her place in society after spending fifteen years in prison.

L'Amant ~ Directed by the man behind The Bear and Two Brothers (and produced by the guy who made Jean de Florette/Manon des Sources), this steamy drama is not quite as family friendly. I mean, what do you expect from a movie titled The Lover? Based on Marguerite Duras' semi-autobiographical book The Lover, it relates the details the illicit affair between a teenage French girl and a wealthy Chinese man in 1929 colonial Vietnam. In very explicit details... Also available on Netflix and set in the same place at the same time is Oscar-winning Indochine featuring Catherine Deneuve. A lot less skin in shown, but the movie is excellent, and would probably have made my list except I only get 15 picks and I had to make some cuts somewhere...

Au Revoir Les Enfants ~ based on director Louis Malle's childhood, this World War II drama seen through the eyes of children is a masterpiece of cinema. It's deeply moving, telling the story of a Jewish child, sheltered in a catholic boarding school by a courageous headmaster until the Gestapo raids the establishment. Louis Malle was in tears at the film's première, and I dare to have dry eyes when the final credits start rolling.

Honorable Mentions
While good French films are slim picking on Netflix, I did have a hard time narrowing it down to just 15. I wish I could have included Merry Christmas, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulain or Delicatessen, The Chorus, My Life in Pink or The Beat that my Heart Skipped (last mention of Romain Duris) but I can't so I'll just give them an honrable mention. Which French movies available on Netflix would you have included on this list? Why? As for which French films should be available on Netflix but are not...well, that'll need its own post ;-)

Paris or New York

2011-12-14T02:37:00.003Z

The White House Celebrates World AIDS Day

2011-12-01T20:04:00.001Z

Joyeux Anniversaire Pizzeria Paradiso

2011-11-07T04:07:00.000Z

Since I grew up in Paris and went to college in Montreal, turning 21 wasn't a big deal for me. At all. Turning 20, on the other hand, was an important milestone. And it was all about ME! Me having a big party. Me getting lots of presents. Me me me. But not all 20 years old are as selfish as I was. Some, like Pizzeria Paradiso, are actually very generous when it come to celebrating turning the big 2-0, throwing themselves a 20 something anniversary party and inviting anyone to take advantage of a week long of 20-something theme deals:

Monday, Nov. 7th: $20 tale out (one small + one large pizza)
Tuesday, Nov. 8th: beer glass give-away (buy a beer, keep the glass!)
Wednesday, Nov. 9th: $20 all you can eat beer & pizza (up to 2 drinks...)
Thursday, Nov. 10th: $20 small pizza paired with anniversary beer
Friday, Nov. 11th: pay just 20 cents for your first beer
Saturday, Nov. 12th: 20 cents toppings (3 toppings max.)
Sunday, Nov. 13th: bring your kids to the Old Town location between 1-4PM where they can learn to make their own pizza with Chef Ruth Gresser (first 20 kids' pizzas are free too!)

Picture courtesy of Pizzeria Paradiso - I had a little iPhone incident that evening ;-)

I had the pleasure of trying my hand at making my own pizza (with anchovies and olives, my two favourite pizza toppings, bien sur) with chef and owner Ruth Gresser at a preview event last week and it was a ton of fun! And while I typically pair my pizza with wine (like a Sangiovese), Pizzeria Paradiso - or should I say Birreria Paradiso - is known for its impressive beer list and beer pairing so I tried to be open-minded and gave that pairing a try. Perhaps even a little too open minded ;-) After a few glass of the anniversary ale I left my uncooked pizza behind. Le sigh. Oh well, looks like I'll just have to go back. Maybe even as early as Thursday for $20 pizza and a glass (just one!) of anniversary ale...

Pizzeria Paradiso is celebrating its big 2-0 anniversary at all 3 of its locations: 3282 M Street NW (Georgetown), 2003 P Street NW (Dupont Circle), 124 King Street (Old Town Alexandria) from Monday, November 7th through Sunday, November 13th.

Work-Out à la Française

2011-11-07T01:30:00.002Z

Still wondering why french women don't get fat? Maybe it's thanks to work-outs like this:

For years Contrex, a brand of mineral water, has targeted women by advertising its diuretic properties as their "slimming partner" (VF: mon partenaire minceur) or previously their "slimming contract" (ps: check out this old 1988 Contrex ad featuring now first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.) Whereas previously Contrex seemed to imply that just drinking the water was enough to keep your weight in check, it looks like they are now also promoting working out, in addition to drinking Contrex bien sur. And what a fun way to exercise! Sign me up!! (and I have a feeling a lot of the fellows at my gym wouldn't complain either!!)

Mozart's Sister Opens at E Street Cinema

2011-11-01T19:00:00.000Z

Before there was Joseph Jackson and Joe Simpson, there was Leopold Mozart. This 18th century incarnation of the stage dad was blessed with two musically talented children: Wolfgang Amadeus, bien sur, but also Nannerl, his older sister. The oft-ignored Mozart is the object of a French movie, "Mozart's Sister." The melancholic period drama imagines what life was like for Nannerl as she toured Europe's Royal Courts, reduced to accompany her little brother when she, at one point, used to be the musical prodigy put on display. It's an intimate portray of a family and of a dutiful daughter who comes to question the part she has she been offered only to eventually cast aside her dreams and aspirations and settle for the safe path Leopold has chosen for her.

The movie, which opens at E Street Cinema on Friday, was produced, written and directed by René Féret, edited by Fabienne Féret and stars Marie Féret as the title character and her sister Lisa Féret as Louise de France. It's very much a family film not just because it focuses on the dynamics of a family trying to make it together while living in cramped quarters, on the road but also because it was made by a family. It's also very much a subdued film, much to the image of the main character Nannerl, a delicate, sensitive girl whose love of music is only matched by the love she has for her family. Of course, since Féret was allowed to film at Versailles, there's also a certain lavish-ness at times, which paired with the esquisite music of Mozart makes Mozart's Sister a lovely film to catch in theaters. And catching it in theaters is exactely what I would like to help you do, by offering tickets to see Mozart's Sister at E Street Cinema next week (Monday November 7th through Thursday November 10th.) Just post any comment in the comment section (really, any... why you'd like to see the film, if you've been to Versailles, your favourite Mozart opera, or whether you think Leopold Mozart was a worse stage-dad than Richard Williams... any comment, I'll take it) to be entered to win.

Sad News: Fire at Ladurée's Flagship Store

2011-10-29T17:47:00.002+01:00

Very sad news for Ladurée's flagship salon de thé and boutique on the Champs Elysées. Luckily nobody was hurt within the staff or clients during the fire on October 27th, though it's kind of devastating to think of hundreds of macarons going up in flames!

Let's hope Ladurée will be able to reopen soon.

Liberty Enlightening the World... For 125 Years

2011-10-28T19:21:00.000+01:00

Did you know that the Statue of Liberty, this universal symbol of freedom and one of America’s most iconic monuments, is technically French? The one Nicolas Sarkozy described during his most recent trip to the US as "the statue of all these who, around the world, prefer freedom to dictatorship," was made in France by Frederic Bartholdi, a French sculptor. Its inside armature was also made by a Frenchie, a certain Monsieur Eiffel. Today marks the 125th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty and the celebrations today will pay hommage to her French roots. Right after the Star Spangled Banner and before Sigourney Weaver takes the stage to read "The New Colossus" the Marseillaise will be played at Liberty Island in front of Philippe Lalliot, the French Consul in New York, and a delegation from Alsace, Bartholdi’s home region. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will also give the consul a symbolic gift on behalf of the American people to express their gratitude. Though really, what do you get the country that gave you the statue of liberty?? OK, freedom from Germany was pretty nice already. Let's call it even ;-)

Everything is bigger in America, including the Statue of Liberty. Did you know Paris had one too? Now you do ;-)

And now, what do you get Mademoiselle Liberte on her big birthday? For one, she is getting brand new webcams that will allow people from all over the world to enjoy stunning views of the New York City slyline. She also gets to see 125 immigrants from 40 different countries get sworn in as U.S. citizens. Finally, she gets a vacation and a make-over. On Saturday, she will close for up to a year while her inside structure gets fixed up and a brand new elevator is installed. Meanwhile, her little French sister back in Paris will have to wait 3 years to celebrate her big 1-2-5! And for those who feel like celebrating in Washington D.C., we do have a Bartholdi Park here in the District...

Raise Your Glass... to Champagne

2011-10-28T17:42:00.000+01:00

This fountain, in Laurent-Perrier's Champagne house in Tours-sur-Marne, pays hommage to the Manneken Pis

Words to live by on International Champagne Day! Cheers everyone!

Save the date: Metro Cooking DC Nov. 5-6 2011

2011-10-26T20:06:00.000+01:00

Something sweet, something savoury, something spicy, something French comes to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center this November*! You could think that after planning the D.C. Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show every year for the past 6 years, organizers would get a little blasé. But for the 2011 edition, one name is enough to get them excited again... and that would be the name of Jacques Pépin. The (legendary) French chef and author will talk about his latest book "Essential Pepin" with his daughter Claudine at 4PM on November 5th. He will just be one of the many culinary celebrities showcased throughout the weekend. Others include Food Network household names like Guy Fieri, Giada De Laurentiis or Paula Dean, as well as local chefs like Dean Gold of Dino, Vikram Sunderam of Rasika or Scott Drewno of The Source.

To keep things fresh, event founder Denise Medved is introducing a couple of new features for the show this year. Like a book signing pavilion where local authors Joan Nathan, Joe Yonan, Mary Beth Albright or Monica Bhide will stand ready to personalize your hardcopies. Also ready, pen in one of his French hand, and a copy of his latest work "Sweet Magic: Easy Recipes for Delectable Desserts" in the other will be Jacques Pépin's compatriot Michel Richard (Sunday 1-2:30PM.) And even though listening to two Frenchies address each other in English was a slight torture to my native speaker ears, I did have the pleasure of watching Michel Richard and Jacques Pépin tease each other on Skype while attending a preview event at PS'7 Restaurant Monday night. That was pretty exciting, and to be fair, they did speak a little French in the beginning ;-)

Speaking of PS'7 Restaurant, its head mixtress Gina Chersevani will be battling (figuratively and literally, I think...see picture) Owen Thomson, lead bartender for Jose Andres' Think Food Group and president of the D.C. Craft Bartender Guild in the event's first Cocktail Throwdown (Saturday, Nov. 5th 11AM-12PM). Best of all? Attendees get to be the judges, sampling all the cocktails involved in the three rounds - classic cocktail, fantasy cocktail and secret ingredient. And if drinking is more of your thing, there will be a whole Beer, Wine and Spirit pavilion, as well as a wine pairing challenge involving dishes by Mike Isabella and expertly selected accompanying sips by The Wine Coach Laurie Foster (Saturday Nov. 5th 3-4:30PM). So really, let me rephrase that first sentence of the blog post to include something boozy! The 6th edition of the D.C. Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show will take place at the D.C. Convention Center November 5-6, 2011. For a complete schedule and to buy tickets, please visit the event's website.

* Also, something talented... maybe... America's Got Talent is holding auditions at the same time at the same place. The way Jacques Pepin makes an omelet qualifies as talent in my books so I hope he auditions!

Joyeux Anniversaire The Phillips Collection!

2011-10-18T18:06:00.000+01:00

The Phillips Collection just turned 90 and has been celebrating all year long, offering $90 membership, getting D.C. area chefs to compete in creating art inspired birthday cake (you can read more about the cakes on my friend Olga's blog) and now by throwing a birthday bash on November 5th, which Mayor Gray has officially proclaimed Phillips Collection Day. In honnor of the Degas’s Dancers at the Barre: Point and Counterpoint exhibit, (which opened on October 1st and lasts through January 8th, 2012) the all-day celebration will have a ballet theme, with free admission to see the Degas paintings as well as guest ballerinas from the Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington, D.C. stretching in the galleries. There will also be children's activities (like hands-on art making), cupcakes in the morning, champagne in the evening and music all day, including a Parisian-inspired accordionist!

In addition to the anniversary bash on November 5th, there's a number of ways to celebrate the French impressionist's exhibit around town. For out-of-towners, the Fairmont Washington D.C. is offering a "Degas Ballerina" package that includes accomodation for two, 2 tickets to the exhibit at The Phillips Collection, a ballet-inspired pastry and a mini puzzle from the Phillips Collection featuring Degas' Dancer at the Barre. [For more information and/or to book, please visit the Fairmont's website] The Sofitel DC is also celebrating fellow Frenchie Degas with a Dancers Package that includes 2-nights accomodation at the luxurious laffayette Square hotel, breakfast and tickets to the exhibit. [Email: birthe.konkobo@sofitel.com for more information or for reservations] Locals -and tourists too- can enjoy some Degas themed menu items at Urbana Restaurant and Wine Bar. I missed the Phillips After 5 last week when Obi Emenyonu of Urbana demo-ed how to make the "Degas Dance" cocktail but I still made it to Urbana to try it. I'm not going to lie, the combination of Absolut Peach Vodka, peach Schnapps, Amaretto, cranberry juice, muddled plums and fresh lime juice makes for a *very* sweet drink but exhibit ticket holders can try it for free with the purchase of an entrée. Phillips Collection members will also receive a complimentary dessert that Chef John Critchley created for the exhibit: a sugar plum ice cream, that sounds as sweet as the delicate dancers Degas was fascinated with!

The sweet Degas Dance cocktail at Urbana Restaurant and Wine Bar

All dinners can also enjoy a three-course prix-fixe "Dinner at the barre" menu which for $50 includes: a complimentary Degas cocktail or glass of house wine, an amuse bouche, your choice of appetizer and main course and the house-made sugar plum ice cream for dessert. If you do make it to Urbana this fall, I highly recommend the pappardelle. I'm pretty sure ths rich pasta dish made with squid ink pasta and a luscious lobster tail is not what ballerinas eat on a daily basis, but it was a real stand-out in my ~~books~~ stomach ;-)

Jacques-O'-Lantern

2011-10-13T18:16:00.000+01:00

Paul Bakery opened its flagship store near the Navy Memorial in Penn Quarter back in May, bringing a little bit of France (as well as perfectly crunchy artisanal breads and sweet pastries) to the District. For Halloween, Paul is putting a distinctively French Twist to the very American holiday and introducing the Paul pumpkin! Now we all know how much I love French Twists (and bread) so you can imagine how much fun I had nibbling on macarons while carving a Jacques-o'-lantern out of a 3 pound loaf of bread ;-) And the good news is you can get into the spirit of Paul-oween too!

For just $15, you and a child can attend one of PAUL’s two upcoming bread carving session, which will take place at the soon-to-be-opened Paul Bakery in Georgetown on October 29th (10AM-12PM and 1-3PM). I'm pretty sure a loaf of bread that size alone is probably worth $15 and once you're done with your carving you can take it home and use it as table decoration! Or eat it ;-) At the end of the session, you'll also get a bag with the crumb of the hallowed out loaf, which is perfect for making croutons, panzanella salad or even a pumpkin bread pudding. Miam! Anyhoo, space is limited so if you're interested, reserve a spot early by emailing paulb03@paul-usa.com.

Details: Paul Bakery Georgetown will open in early November at 1078 Wisconsin Avenue, NW. Attending the Paul Pumpkin carving sessions means you get a sneak-peek into the brand new location before it opens to the general public! $15 per person + child includes a HUGE loaf of bread with the stencil to carve it out and all the proper tools as well as a drink and treat, which may or may not be one of the new delicious special Halloween treats they started rolling out in the penn Quarter bakery. The two sessions are October 29th between 10AM-12PM and 1-3PM.

L'Heure de l'Apéritif - Halloween Edition

2011-10-12T08:58:00.000+01:00

Typical post Halloween dilemma: what to do with all that overly sweet, left-over candy corn? Eating it is probably the first option that comes to mind. Of course, there's also throwing it away but that seems kinda wasteful. So why not throw it into some vodka instead and see what happens? Because I was pretty sure candy corn infused vodka wouldn't be something I would want to drink too much of past October 31st, I decided to try a small batch in a jam jar, combining just a quarter of a cup of candy with 6 oz of vodka [picture 1]. Within an hour the candy had started to melt [picture 2] and after 3 hours "infusing" the vodka had turned bright orange and the candy had practically dissolved [picture 3].

Because of the how mushy the candy corn turn, the vodka has to be thoroughly strained (I used coffee filters and a strainer) before mixed into any kind of cocktail. I didn't deviate too much from a food network recipe which called for mixing 4 oz of the candy corn vodka, 2 oz of orange liqueur (I opted for Triple Sec, but I'm sure Cointreau would have worked too,) the juice a lemon and 1 large egg white together in a shaker filled with ice.

The result is a gorgeous bright cocktail but be warned, do not try this at home if you do not like sweet cocktails! Like the Halloween treat that inspired it, this tricky candy corn martini is VERY sweet!

A la vôtre!

Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life

2011-10-11T10:34:00.000+01:00

As part of their continuing effort to educate their readers in the art of seducing women, Esquire Magazine recently enlisted the help of Sara Forestier, French Woman, to offer some advice. Les Françaises, according to her, like fakers... they like their men to be faux-romantic and faux-ugly. Like Serge Gainsbourg, who let's face it, was not particularly attractive and yet was the ultimate sex symbol in France, seducing gorgeous French actresses like Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve. While I'm pretty sure Sara never had any personal experience with faux-ugly Serge (she was just 5 years old when he died,) she did recently star in a movie about his life. Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life came out a while back in France and has finally made its way to the District, where it will open at art house independent theater WestEnd Cinema this Friday, October 14th.

I wrote about the film in a previous post, so I don't want to repeat myself too much. Serge Gainsbourg had an enormous impact on French music and even society. He's been dead since 1991, so I didn't really live through his years of successes and scandals, but his legacy is hard to avoid. In Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life, director Joann Sfar draws on his background as an comic book artist and animator to allow audiences to get a glimpse into Gainsbare's complex personality. Using a mix of fantasy, animation and artwork, he emphasizes the singer-songwriter's tormented self-image, exposing his faux-confidence and contrasting how attractive he was to so many women to how un-attractive he appeared to himself. Eric Elmosnino, the young actor who portrays l'homme a la tête de chou delivers a stand-out performance, bringing the myth, the legend of Gainsbourg into a relatable figure that audiences, French or not, can relate to. If you're interested in checking out the movie at WestEnd Cinema, I'm giving away a pair of tickets to be used at any screening between Monday october 17th and Thursday october 20th. To enter, just comment below with your favourite Serge Gainsbourg tune. And no, picking the song I was named after will not help your chances. The winner will be picked randomly by noon on Friday ;-)

Book Launch: Kiki & Coco in Paris

2011-10-06T23:00:00.000+01:00

Back in 2008, photographer Stephanie Rausser took her daughter Kiki on a trip to Paris. The little girl, of course, wouldn't have dreamt of embarking on this foreigh adventure without her MAPT (meilleure amie pour toujours), her Jess Brown rag-doll Coco. Since Stephanie is a photographer, she took a series of sweet pictures of Kiki and Coco as they "delight in the city of light," eating at café, riding old fashioned carrousels, taking the metro, visiting the Pompidou Center, strolling the Champs Elysees and climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Now the playful photographic journey has become a book, Kiki and Coco in Paris, which will be launched exclusively at M29 Lifestyle this Saturday, October 8th between 12-4PM.

Pictures from Stephanie Rausser's website.

The Georgetown boutique will welcome doll-maker and designer Jess Brown for an exclusive and chic Mommy and Me Parisian-themed play date, complete with mini-macarons from Paul and a trunk show of poupées de chiffon. A junior sized movie theater will also be set up for the little guests, their mamans and their dolls to screen the video version of Coco and Kiki's voyage.

Pretty in PINK - White House Edition.

2011-10-04T21:07:00.000+01:00

It's an annual tradition that started in 2008 during the Bush administration and continued last night when the White House took on a soft pink glow to honour Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The front of the Naval Observatory, where Vice President and Dr. Biden reside, was also lit in pink for the evening of October 3rd.

Take a Bite out of Breast Cancer this October

2011-09-29T22:56:00.000+01:00

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and this year, breast cancer awareness is served on a plate in Washington, DC. For the entire month, chefs and restaurants are donating a portion of their sales to Take A Bite out of Breast Cancer and supporting Pink Jams!, an outreach and fundraising campaign focusing on early detection in young women under 40 years old. There are more than a dozen establishments in the D.C. area that have signed on and they have enlisted the help of local food bloggers to get the word out. They have been partnered with different restaurants on different nights:

Travel Eat Repeat will kick off the month Saturday, October 1^st at Hudson, which has generously agreed to donate 35% of that evening’s proceed to Pink Jams!
Done Like Dundee...Gone like Gandhi has a touching personal story about breast cancer on his blog and is inviting you to meet him at Tonic Foggy Bottom on the 11 & Tonic Mount Pleasant on the 12.
Chef Tony is giving away 10% of sales for EVERY Wednesday nights in October, with Been There Eaten That and Lunching in the DMV acting as ambassadors on October 12th and 19th respectively.
Jill of Cuisine Queen wants you to take a bite out of Pesce October 13^th and 20^th. You can also join Katie of Well Fed and Rested at Tuscana West for bite or a drink on October 14th.
Finally if you haven’t had the chance to check out Chef Todd Gray’s new NOMA restaurant Watershed, October 23^rd is your chance! Mary of Girl Meets Food will be there to welcome you (and tell you what’s good on the menu too!)

Other participating restaurants include Proof on Sunday October 2^nd, Hank’s Oyster Bar (Alexandria location on October 3-4 and DC restaurant October 4-5), Piccolo Restaurant (October 12th), Madam's Organ (October 27th) or Bankok Joe's. As for me, I have signed on to be the Ambassador at Luna Grill and Diner. The owners, who have a personal connection to the cause, have kindly agreed to donate 25% of sales every Tuesday in October. I will be there on October 11th and 18th and I hope you will too! ;-)

Celebrate National Punch Day at Bar Rouge

2011-09-19T23:20:00.000+01:00

I personally do not need much of an excuse to head to Bar Rouge after work on a random Tuesday. This is particularly true now that the sleek hotel bar has reinvented itself as a modern wine lounge, with an impressive 50-plus wine list (many available in 2, 5 or 7 ounce pours), wine on tap and expertly handcrafted wine-based specialty cocktails. Bar manager and mixologist Rico Wisner, formerly of Kimpton-owned Poste Modern Brasserie, also created some interesting cocktails using fresh herbs from the rooftop garden of the hotel. My favourite so far is the Taurus 38 Special 9, which combines cachaça, prosecco, lemon juice with a blueberry and sage simple syrup. Bar Rouge also enlisted the help of Chef Thomas Dunklin of B&O American Brasserie in Baltimore to design some appropriate food pairings. Of course, you can't really be a wine bar and not serve cheese and charcuterie, but there's more to the menu than that, including some more substantive eats like the Bar Rouge Burger or the Bistro Steak and some small plates to share.

Summer asparagus salad with prosciutto, English peas & sherry vinaigrette

My favourite dish at Bar Rouge right now is probably not the most popular, but I simply adore white anchovies and I'm always excited to see them appear on a menu. Other tasty dishes I tried include the lamb meatballs, the truffled fries and the bacon wrapped oysters, which are perfect paired with the Sauvignon Blanc on tap. Trust me. I also loved the summer asparagus salad, picture above. (photo credit: me)

But back to needing an excuse to go to Bar Rouge on a random Tuesday... if the wine on tap, $3 happy hour sweet potato tots, fabulous cocktails and tasty small plates are not enough to lure you in, perhaps national punch day will! Tuesday, September 20th is National Punch Day and Rico Wisner happens to make a mean punch, the recipe of which changes weekly but always feature some unique liqueurs, house-made syrups and herbs grown on the rooftop of Hotel Rouge. Try a free glass of signature Rouge Punch tomorrow from 5PM to close with the purchase of any seasonal American small plate (limit two per person).

Bar Rouge is located at 1315 16th Street, NW neighbouring the Hotel Rouge (and my office, which is why I never need an excuse to drop by after work...). The lounge is open from 5PM to 10:30PM for food, and to close for drinks.

Voluspa's Macaron Classic Jar Candle

2011-09-18T21:45:00.000+01:00

Ever since I discovered Diptyque, I've been pretty faithful to their luxurious scented candles. But how could I resist Voluspa's Macaron Classic Jar Candle, inspired by the scent of my favorite Parisian treat?

No One Can Resist (Ben&Jerry's) Swcheddy Balls

2011-09-16T22:27:00.000+01:00

I just couldn't resist trying the new Ben & Jerry's limited batch ice cream flavor Schweddy Balls. The irreverently named but tasty mix of fudge covered malt "balls" in vanilla ice cream with a hint of rum is an homage to the Saturday Night Live skit "NPR's Delicious Dish - Schweddy Balls" and will be available at participating Ben and Jerry's Scoop Shops and supermarkets nationwide while supplies last. The one pictured above is from the Ben and Jerry's at Union Station. What's next? Fragrant, flavored nuts? ;-)

Pull an (Art) All-Nighter on September 24th

2011-09-15T20:11:00.000+01:00

I was thrilled when I heard that D.C. was following in the footsteps of Montreal, Miami, Riga, Toronto, Brussels and New York and throwing its very first Nuit Blanche this year. Thrilled because the all-night contemporary and performance arts festival combines some of my favorite things in any event: arts, free and proximity to my apartment. But thrilled mainly because it's a great concept that started in my hometown of Paris 9 years ago. As a matter of fact, I attended the very first Nuit Blanche back in 2002! During the night of October 5-6, 2002, I got to see my city in a completely different light. I walked up to the third floor of the Eiffel Tower (at midnight) where artist Sophie Calle had set up a bed and was reading some of her stories in her pajamas. I visited the old public swimming pool where I used to spend gym class back in middle school and checked out their red-light installation before heading over (around 3am) to l'Hotel de Ville, which was turned into a musical lounge for the occasion. By early morning, I meandered home through the Marais, which had become the stage for a dark promenade where "participants" had to solve a mystery by interpreting various clues created by performance artists throughout the streets. It was new and exciting and I can't wait to see what Washington's take on Paris' sleepless art night will be!!

D.C.'s Art-All-Night event will take place on September 24th at some twenty venues throughout the Shaw, Mount Vernon and Chinatown neighborhoods. Unlike its Parisian inspiration, it will not actually go on all night, ending at the more reasonable hour of 3am. Which is probably a good idea anyways, do really want to be wondering the streets of Shaw at 5am? I know I don't ;-) You can see a full map of the venues on the Art All Night website. One of the most interesting ones, in my opinion, is the Old Wonder Bread factory (pictured above). The abandoned bakery will host a contemporary art show with projections, edgy performances and live paintings and will also be the site of the official "Nuit de la Mode" after-party so you can expect to see all sorts of fashionable and artsy people there! Other cool stops include: an a fashion presentation at the sleek new Shaw Library (9-11PM), a tribute to Duke Ellington Flash Mob, a graffiti art street performance with German tagging and hip hop artist Scotty 76 outside the Goethe Institute and a screening of 24 Hours in Berlin inside or a timely exhibit on 9/11: 10 years later at Pepco's Edison Gallery on 8th Street, NW. Throughout the night, check into the various venues on Facebook and Foursquare for a chance to win tickets for Cirque du Soleil. A free shuttle service provided by U Street Parking will make it easier to get around too, looping 7th and L Street, Rhode Island and 7th Street and 9th and N Streets.

Gluten Free Menu at ROTI on September 13

2011-09-12T22:41:00.001+01:00

Except for when it comes to those dessert options, my food allergies haven't really prevented me from ordering pretty much any I want from a restaurant menu. But having a friend with Celiac Disease, I've recently become more aware of the challenges of keeping a gluten-free diet and how difficult ordering at a restaurant can be. For National Celiac Awareness Day on September 13th, Roti Mediterranean Grill is making it very easy though and offering a special gluten free menu. Roti Mediterranean Grill is actually pretty G-Free friendly year-round, offering gluten-free pita bread for an additional $2 and listing their gluten free menu items on their website. Tomorrow, they will offer three special G-free combinations and donate $1 to the largest non-profit celiac support group in America, the Celiac Sprue Association, if you purchase one of them. So even if you don't typically keep a G-Free diet, support those who do on National Celiac Awareness Day.

Roti Mediterranean Grill has 5 locations in the District of Columbia: 1747 Penn (1747 Pennsylvania Avenue NW), NoMa (1275 First Street NE), L'Enfant Plaza (at the l'Enfant Plaza metro station), Foggy Bottom (2221 I Street NW) and the recently opened 1629 K Street (1629 K Street NW.)

Better Know the District: Remembering 9/11

2011-09-11T15:35:00.000+01:00

Located on the southwest grounds of the Pentagon, the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial commemorates the lives of the 184 men and women who died when American Airlines Flight 77 was crashed into the DoD building during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The memorial contains a bench for each of the victims, arranged according to their year of birth.

The memorial is surrounded by a wall which rises from 3 to 71 inches tall, to represent the ages of the youngest victim, 3 year old Dana Falkenberg, and of the oldest one, retired U.S. Navy Captain John D. Yamnicky, Sr. The orientation of the benches is also full of symbolism, facing either the Pentagon, where the plane hit, for those victims who worked in the building, or away from it, facing the sky where they came from, for the passengers and crew of American Airline flight 77. Tours are not typically offered, in order for visitors to experience this place of reflection on a personal level.

In the evening, in particular, the memorial is particularly moving. The benches, which are cast from stainless steel, stand above an individual pool of water lighted at night. The trickling of the water on a quiet night offers the perfect background for solemn remembrance in the dimly lit memorial. If you're looking to visit the memorial tomorrow on the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks, you will actually only be able to visit it in the evening, after 6PM. Until then, it will be closed to the general public so that survivors and the families of the victims can gather in private.

A Most Delicious London Guide Book

2011-09-09T16:00:00.000+01:00

Traveling to London anytime soon? Leave your guidebook at home and grab a box of Pierre Hermé's macarons instead! To celebrate the one-year anniversary of his Lowndes Street London boutique, the Picasso of Pastries created a special box of macarons, much like the box les Incontournables de Paris that was sold at his Parisian stores last year.

So which London landmarks should you visit? The usual suspects: the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben... and Pierre Hermé's store, bien sur! Not on the list, however: any of Ladurée's 3 London addresses. I wonder why ;-)

The Names of Love Opens at Betheda Row

2011-08-17T21:29:00.003+01:00

A few months ago, I traveled with a couple of girlfriends to Richmond, Virginia, for the annual VCU French Film Festival. We planned our trip carefully, timing the visit to coincide with the "Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musee National" exhibit and settling on one movie that we would see at the festival. This movie was The Names of Love (Le Nom des Gens in v.o.*), a film that had opened a year earlier at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival and received enthousiastic reviews from critics accross the Atlantic. To make a long story short, the agenda was switched at the last minute and we ended up seeing a pretty forgettable movie with Sophie Marceau instead. *Le grrr.* I assumed I'd never get to see "Le Nom des Gens" since so few French films make their way to D.C. cinema screens. Luckily, I was wrong. The Names of Love is opening this Friday (August 19th) at Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema. The romantic comedy is actually quite a good fit for D.C. audiences. In essence, it's about a carefree, young extroverted liberal girl who seduces right-wing men in order to convert them to her left-wing political causes. Until, of course, she falls in love... Sounds like something Washingtonians would find entertaining non?

Sara Forestier, the young actress who portrays the carefree main character, carries the film with energy. She won critical acclaim for her role and even took home a Cesar for Best Actress (a French Oscar). She also appears, in a smaller part, as French singer France Gall in Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life and if after seeing The Names of Love, you want to see a little bit more her, you'll be able to when the Gainsbourg movies comes out at Westend Cinema on October 7th. But I digress... The Names of Love is more than its light and funny storyline, it's a critical look at French society today, touching on immigration, racial and cultural identity, anti-semitism and the legacies of WWII and the Algerian conflict. If you think you might like to check it out, I'm actually giving away two tickets to catch it at Landmark's Bethesda Row Cinema. Just write the name of your favourite French movie in the comment section and I will randomly select a winner on Friday. Bonne chance!

* v.o. = version originale

Sweet news: Ladurée to open in NYC

2011-08-04T18:10:00.000+01:00

It's been a big couple of exciting weeks for Ladurée. In April, they opened a new booth, officially called a carrosse (or horse-drawn carriage) at Heathrow. That's great news if you're traveling through London. They've also just opened a new shop in Covent Garden and one Rue Royale*. Again, great if you live in London or Paris, and I'll make sure to check out their expanded Parisian digs when I'm home in August. I'm always thrilled to see Ladurée spread the gospel of the macaron to new places but it all doesn't do me much good. I live in America, a Ladurée-deprived part of globe. At least until August. I have known about the opening for a while, and hinted at the rumours in a post on the DC opening of their sister-patisserie Paul, though I was not in a position to reveal anything... But now I am. Eater NYC broke the news and it's official! Blair Waldorfs of the Upper East Side and other macaron lovers rejoice, Ladurée is (finally) opening in the US. Hurray!!!

Ladurée's first London location at Harrod's - photo credit: me!

Ladurée labels itself as a fabricant de douceurs, a maker of sweets. It is credited with having popularized the macaron as we know it today: a colourful assemblage of two meringue discs held together with a sweet filling of flavoured buttercream, jam or ganache. Over the past ten years, macarons have gone from trendy to fashion-victims in France, and from unknown sweets to fashionable treats in the US. They're now very easy to find in New York, at La Maison du Chocolat, Bouchon Bakery or Payard for example, and even in the District too (my go to spots: Michel Patisserie sold at ACKC, Tout de Sweet and Cacao by Jacques Poulain). I'm still thrilled about Ladurée's upcoming opening in New York, because not just about the macarons. Visiting Ladurée is a luxurious and special experience, like shopping at Chanel. It's about the decor, the refined atmosphere, tasteful service, the tradition, the history. And, yes, it's also about tasting some of, if not the best macarons, in the world. Ladurée will open at 1PM on August 26th at 845 Madison Avenue. I can't wait!! (though I will, in fact, have to wait since I'll be in Europe until late August - and will undoubtly make a quick stop at LaDuree in Paris - and won't make it to NYC until at least the first week of September...)

Ladurée's original location at 16 rue Royale, near La Madeleine - photo credit: me!

* Ladurée's new parisian address, at 18 rue royale, is an expansion of their original location which opened in 1862 as a boulangerie at 16 rue royale and still operates as a salon de thé and pâtisserie.

Save the date: Aug. 19th Crayfish Party at...IKEA!

2011-08-03T14:19:00.004+01:00

The word kräftskiva sounds straight out of an IKEA catalogue. And it is. Kind of. Kräftskiva isn't an easy-to-assemble bookshelf or a affordable pull-out couch. It's a swedish crawfish party. Back in the 1900s, crayfish harvesting was limited until August 7th, so the whole month became one of crayfish celebrations in the nordic country. This year, Sweden's own IKEA is trying to break the Guinness World Record for largest crayfish party *ever* across its 19 UK stores. Why you may ask? Well, why not... Americans can join the party too, though a bit later... on our side of the pond, the kräftskiva is scheduled for August 19th.

Washingtonians can partake and eat as much crawfish as they can for just $9.99 ($2.49 for children 12 or younger) at our two local IKEAs. IKEA College Park is offering three seatings: one at 6:30PM, 7:00PM and 7:30PM. Seating is limited, and tickets must be purchased prior to the day of the event by calling Kristin at 301-345-6552 x 1203. At IKEA Woodbridge, you can come in any time between 5-8PM, but tickets must also be purchased in advance by seeing a restaurant co-worker for tickets and more information.

Ain't no party like a...crayfish... party?

L'heure De L'apéritif - Strawberry Basil Martini

2011-08-02T11:09:00.000+01:00

Seems like I'm determined to use the basil from my AeroGarden in cocktail recipes only! I came across this particular libation on Food & Wine's website and it is delicious! The perfect alcoholic dessert at the end of a meal! Mixologist Jose Zepeda of Fix at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, NV has a knack for crafting refreshing seasonal martini and this particular one, which pairs basil with strawberries is a perfect and fun summer drink!

It's also quite simple to make and calls for gin and vodka, two staples in any liquor cabinet. Start by making a simple syrup by combining half a cup of sugar and half a cup of water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then simmer until the sugar is dissolved, which should take about 3 minutes. Make sure you allow the syrup to cool completly before mixing it into your cocktail. To make one strawberry-basil martini, you only need 1/2 oz (or 1 tbsp) of the simple syrup, so you will have some left over, which can be refrigerated in a glass jar for up to one month.

Once you have your cool simple syrup, muddle 1 tablespoon (or 1/2 oz) of syrup with 3 strawberries (don't forget to remove the stems beforehand!) and 3 basil leaves. In a shaker filled with ice, add the sweetened strawberry-basil mixture, 1 oz gin (2 tbsps), 1 oz vodka (2 tbsps) and 1/2 oz (1 tbsp) fresh lime juice. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass garnished with a strawberry slice.

A la vôtre!

Fromage Friday: Brookville Supermarket

2011-07-22T17:17:00.002+01:00

Brookville is a great neighbourhood supermarket serving the Cleveland Park community. It's small, but carries all the essentials that you might need and prices aren't too inflated. It even has a great meat section, with duck confit and duck bacon from D'Artagnan or marrow bones, kosher food and a great little cheese selection. I actually had a hard time limiting myself to 4 cheeses, but here is what I selected there:

Champignon German Brie with Mushrooms ($5.98) is a double cream, soft-ripened cheese enhanced by the addition of handpicked mushrooms. There's a reason Germany isn't known for its cheeses. Don't get me wrong, it's a perfectly fine piece of cheese and it's not too expensive so I can see adding it to a large cheese tray for a wine and cheese party. Its "mushroomy" flavour is supposed to develop as it ripens so maybe I just need to wait a little longer because right now, it's kind of just bland...

Cypress Grove Chevre Humboldt Fog $7.20 - This California aged goat cheese isn't cheap, but it is worth it!! It's a beautiful lusciously creamy cheese, with a distinctive ribbon of organic vegetable ash running through the center. Humbolt Fog is a rather complex cheese, with flavours ranging from a mild center to a more distinctively goaty rind. Like many goat cheeses, it pairs well with white wines like Sauvignon Bland. I would recommend taking it out of the fridge at least a few hours before serving.

Chaumes Soft Riped Cheese $5.67 - In my Trader Joes Fromage Friday, I tried the Port Salut, a semi-soft cheese made from cow's milk with a distinctive orange crust and a mild flavour. Chaumes is a similar cheese, also characterized by a mild flavour and a distinctive orange crust. This orange crust creates a noticeable aroma, which makes Chaumes the perfect introduction to France's smelly cheeses. It stronger (and more pungent) than Port Salut but smells like roses compared to Munster ;-) I personally don't love its rubbery texture but it's a very popular cheese in France and it adds a little colour on a cheese plate.

Bucheron Soignon ($3.24) is a semi-aged goat cheese from the Loire Vallee. It is produced in short logs (hence the name: une bûche is a log, un bûcheron is a lumberjack) that are sliced and sold in smaller rounds. With bucherons, you almost get two cheeses within one: the center is creamy and mild while the edge near the rind is harder tangier and more complex that your average goat cheese. The rind is definitely on the salty side and melts very well in an omelette, while the center is perfect crumbled in a salad. All around, a great (and affordable) cheese!

Haka Militaire Pour le 14 Juillet

2011-07-14T12:52:00.001+01:00

Oui, my compatriotes could learn a thing or two from Americans when it comes to parades. Our défilé du 14 juillet on isn't exactly fun and entertaining. Then again, how much fun and entertainment can you really expect from a military parade? Quite a bit, apparently when l'Outre-Mer is being honoured! How awesome is this haka which opened the défilé on the Champs Elysées today?

Kudos too to les sapeurs pompiers for closing the défilé with hot firefighters in little spandex shorts. Was the band playing music from Pirates of the Caribbean in the background of all the acrobatics?? I think we're learning ;-)

L'Heure de l'Apéritif - Lemon Basil Blossom

2011-07-11T16:30:00.001+01:00

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When your AeroGarden gives you lemon basil... make lemon basil blossom cocktails! I debated whether to file this post in my cocktail series or cooking with my Aerogarden series, and cocktails it is!! Out of the seven herbs growing in my indoor garden, the lemon basil has definitely been the most prolific. But also the most difficult one to find a use for. Until I came across this cocktail recipe in Saveur Magazine. The recipe seemed perfect too because I still have a few bottles of rum that I brought back from my last trip to Puerto Rico.

I doubled the recipe to make enough for the husband and I on a recent hot summer night. You basically start of by making a lemon-basil syrup using 1/4 cup of lemon basil, 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Boil until the sugar is dissolved, cool and strain. You'll have some left-over syrup that you can just store for use in future cocktails. Cut a lemon in half and cut two pretty lemon slices to use as decoration when you're ready to serve your cocktail. Then zest the lemon. Zest another lemon and reserve the zest from both aside. Juice both lemons. Take 7-8 lemon basil leaves and muddle them with the zest in 2 collins glasses. In a shaker, mix 6 tablespoons of white rum, 4 tablespoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the lemon-basil syrup. Shake with ice and strain into the collins glasses. You've got yourself a refreshing summer drink (though the name blossom is a bit misleading)!

A la vôtre!

Joyeux Anniversaire Alexandria!!

2011-07-08T03:27:00.001+01:00

You only turn 262 once!! The city of Alexandria, VA is celebrating its birthday (and America's too... though she's younger, just 235 years old) in style this weekend, with a concert by the Alexandria Symphony orchestra, poetry, food, a birthday cake and fireworks.

I personally don't love crowds, especially when they involve lots of families with kids. So rather than catch the fireworks at Oronoco Bay Park at 9:30PM with everyone, I like the idea of watching them from the rooftop. Like BRABO's. The Alexandria restaurant is hosting a $50 all-inclusive rooftop celebration this Saturday from 8PM-10PM with wine, beer and sangria (BRABO's sangria is pretty tasty!!) as well as hors d'oeuvres from BRABO's chef de cuisine Chris Watson served with a side of panoramic views. You can visit the restaurant's facebook page for more information.

Aux Armes Celebrations Citoyens...

2011-07-06T15:36:00.035+01:00

Every year I celebrate my national holiday (known simply in France as La Fête Nationale or le quatorze juillet but better known everywhere else as Bastille Day) at the French Embassy, with my compatriots. I wrote about the event last year, and hope to post a quick recap of the 2011 edition as well, but thought I'd also include a quick round-up of other events in the area...

July 7th (through July 15th)
If there's one thing the French are most proud of, it's our gastronomy. The French hotel Sofitel, and its famed restaurant Ici Urban Bistro, celebrates Le Quatorze Juillet all week long with a special So French So Good menu. The three course lunch menu with wine pairing (for those of you who can take a European lunch break) costs $49 while the evening three-course menu with wine pairing is $65. Both menus sound pretty amazing! Lunch features a bouillabaisse with rouille paired with rosé and a raspberry mille-feuille paired with Gewurztraminer. Dinner offers escargot bourguignon* paired with Vouvray to start the meal on a decadent note, coq au vin and a Paris Brest for dessert, paired with Sancerre. Miam miam.

July 13th
Even though Americans technically consumes more wine than the French now, you can't have a celebration of France without a little wine. After celebrating the Red, White and Blue last week, Bell Wine & Spirits is turning its attention to the Red, White and Bleu, with a French themed wine tasting between 5 and 7PM. There's also a wine tasting at the French Embassy feature summer wines from the languedoc-Roussillon region, but it's not really related to Bastille Day ;-)

July 14th
Brush up on your Marseillaise (I recommend this scene from one of my favourite movies - Casablanca) and celebrate my Fête Nationale, which contrary to what you may hear, is not in fact, our independence day, but just our national holiday. I personally will be in Georgetown, at the French Embassy, but if I weren't, I would certainly venture out to H Street for Stephane Wrembel's Bastille Day concert at

Atlas Performing Arts Center. If you've seen Midnight in Paris, you may be familiar with some of the guitarist's work. His song Bistro Fada is the theme of Woody Allen's latest film. Ticket prices range between $25 and $40 and include a pre-concert French wine tasting led by the wine experts from Paul's of Chevy Chase. The wine tasting starts at 6:30PM, with the concert kicking off at 8PM and ending at 11PM. Which means there's no heading out to Bistro du Coin afterwards. And that's unfortunate because the restaurant always throws one of the best Quatorze Juillet parties in town, so much so that it's turned into an un-official after party for the Embassy crowd. If you're thinking of heading there, book a table NOW, the line typically wraps around the corner as the place fills to capacity. Or you can head to Napoleon Bistro & Lounge for a "revolutionary" underground party courtesy of Jubilee Mo and Navbox, dinner special and half priced champagne all night! Other noteworthy events: French cheese tasting at Whole Foods P Street (3 cheeses will be sampled - Florette, Reblochon and Scharfex Max - between 5-7PM); 50% off all French wine at BLT (as well special French desserts for just $5); Dirty Martini's Bastille Day Tour de France of wine and hors d'oeuvres ($30) and the DC Road Runners' Bastille Day Four Miller. Hum... not sure running is the French-est thing but pourquoi pas...? And if running is your thing, you may consider joining one of the Baguette Relay Race team at Paul's. The race will take place at 11:30AM, in front of PAUL's flagship store in Penn Quarter. Relay team members will be led by a Paul employee and take turns running a lap around the plaza of the US Navy Memorial with a baguette in hand, in lieu of a traditional baton. Who wants to be on my team??

July 16th

Most of the big events celebrating July 14th happen on July 16th this year, since it's a Saturday. During the day, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Garden invites you to go back to 18th Century France with a French Festival July 16th and 17th. The family-friendly affair will bring visitors back the French court of the time, with tours of the lush gardens, lessons in courtly manners, miniature-18th-century furniture decorating and of course, music and dance with the New York Baroque Dance Company and Opera Lafayette. For grown ups, L'alliance Française will host the after-party in a more contemporary atmosphere, with crêpes, cheese, champagne and a DJ mixing traditional French music with top charts hits of today. A handful of lucky participants will even get to ride from Hillwood to L'Alliance in a classic Citroën (my grandfather use to ride one of these!!). Tickets for the French Festival can be combined ($41 for members and $59 for non-members) or bought separately (between $12 and $18, free for children under 6 for Hillwood only and $35 to $49 for the after-party only). And then of course, there's the Bastille Day Gala at La Maison Française at the French Embassy.

I could name all the restaurants that are participating in the la vie en rose themed soirée, but basically every French (or somewhat French) restaurant in town, from Citronelle, to Café du Parc, Et Voilà, Bistrot Lepic, or Ici Urban Bistro, Paul and Petits Plats will be there to take you on an imaginary trip through Paris' arrondissements. I'm from the 11th, in case you were wondering, the very arrondissement where a certain stormed prison used to be located ;-) The event at the French Embassy isn't cheap ($100, though you can save $10 by buying your tickets before July 7th) but it will be great food, French music, an open bar and the lovely (if kind of remote) setting of the French Embassy. All proceeds from the event benefit Le Comité Tricolore — a coordinating committee of French and French-American associations in the Washington, DC metro area that provides healthcare support to the sick and elderly in the local French and French-American communities.

Marchons, marchons... to the July 14th celebrations...

* since escargot is written in singular on the menu, I shall assume there will only be one on the plate. It is a starter afterall...

July 4th in Washington D.C.

2011-07-05T13:55:00.005+01:00

Even though I've been in DC for the past few July 4ths, this year was actually my very first time catching the fireworks from the National Mall. Worth doing at least once in your life! Did you celebrate? How? Where?

Postcard from: Toronto, Canada

2011-07-01T17:15:00.002+01:00

I recently traveled to Toronto for one of my best friend's wedding. How I got to Toronto deserves a post of its own but let's just say it involved a VERY long (but very cheap) bus ride. I lived in Canada for four years but I am not very familiar with its most populous city, though I've done most of the big tourist attractions like soaking in the view from the top of the CN Tower and catching a Blue Jays game at the Rogers Center. As a bridesmaid, my agenda was pretty packed with wedding-related activities, but I did manage to squeeze in a little sight-seeing and (of course) a little eating. Here is a round-up of my Toronto picks:

Toronto is HUGE but between the subway, streetcars and buses, it's actually very easy to get around and explore the city's many neighbourhoods. The newest addition to the public transportation system is the BIXI, a Canadian version of our Smartbikes. As long as you ride for less than half an hour, a CAN $5 24-hour or $12 72 hours subscriptions allow you to travel as much as you want.

Poutine with Short Ribs at Jamie Kennedy's Gilead Cafe & Bistro

And ride our bixis we did, all the way to Corktown, a newly residential neighbourhood just South of Regent Park. We rode through the Distillery Historic District, a re-developed pedestrian-oriented arts, culture and entertainment area with numerous cafe, restaurants and shops housed in restored Victorian Industrial buildings. Corktown, which owes its name to its past as an Irish enclave, is one of the latest neighbourhood to be revitalized. It's also where Toronto-based Chef Jamie Kennedy decided to open his latest restaurant: Gilead Cafe and Bistro. Gilead Cafe is a warm and inviting spot, with seasonal menus that changed daily depending on what is fresh. Of course, I couldn't be in Canada without ordering a little poutine, so while I was tempted by the artisanal cheese plate, I settled for the JK Poutine with braised beef and cheddar. Well worth the detour to this not-too-touristy-area! Gilead Cafe

also offers some 12-15 Ontario wines by the glass, and I highly recommend giving them a try if you're ever in the area. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to visit the Ontario wine region, but one of my college friend who kindly invited us over to his place for dinner, had just toured the Niagara Falls wine region. I'd never been really impressed with Canadian wines beyond ice wine, so I was pleasantly surprised with the lively 2008 Red Paw Vineyard Syrah from Coyote's Run Winery and the 2008 John Howard Cellars of Distinction Cabernet Sauvignon Megalomanic Bravado. I was also impressed by the macarons from MoRoCo Chocolate which my friend served us for dessert. One of his friend, Jen Chan, wrote a wonderful macarons map of Toronto on her food blog Food Pron, which I'll be sure to read intensively before my next trip up North ;-)

But enough about food and wine! Toronto is home to a number of great museums. For all you shoe lovers out there, I highly recommend the Bata Shoe Museum. Yes, shoe museum. This unique museum holds a number of interesting items, from one of Elton John's 12-inch platform shoes to scandals worn by former prime minister Pierre Trudeau as well as a comprehensive overview of the history of footwear and changing exhibits on shoe-related topics. Since I had already visited the shoe museum on a previous trip, and with the Stanley Cup finals underway at the time, we chose to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame, where I posed for pictures with the Stanley Cup. Located at the corner of Front and Yonge streets in downtown Toronto, this kid-friendly museum is probably not that interesting unless you're a hockey-fan. I personally loved checking out a replica of the Montreal Canadiens' Locker Room as well as soaking up the architecture of the building, a former Bank of Montreal branch.

The "scramble" at Yonge and Dundas streets.

Last but not least, I just enjoyed walking around the downtown area. I learned that a few years ago, Toronto got a "scramble" intersection, similar to the "Barnes Dance" crosswalk that we have in DC's Chinatown. We played around this new attraction, crossing diagonally back and forth, in between stops at some of my old favourite stores like Roots, Jacob or Club Monaco. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by my trip to Toronto. I actually can't wait to go back, perhaps when I have a little more time so I can combine the trip with a stop in Niagara Falls and in the Ontario wine country. Until then, since today is July 1st, I'll close this post with a simple Happy Canada Day everyone!

L'Heure de l'Apéritif - Basil Gimlet

2011-06-22T17:29:00.001+01:00

My husband and I had been talking about catching up on the past four seasons of Mad Men for ages. Finally, on a rainy sunday, we took the leap and watched the first three episodes. Getting the episodes one DVD at a time from Netflix means it will probably take us a while tog et through all of them, but apparently the 5th season has been postponed to 2012, so we're not in a rush...

Mad Men takes place in the 1960s' Madison Avenue, at the fictional ad agency of Sterling Cooper, where sexism reigns and the cocktails flow, even during work hours. Seeing so many martinis and old fashioned on the screen made us crave a little something alcoholic to sip on as well. Since the basil just sprouted in my Aerogarden, I really wanted to incorporate the herb into a cocktail. Basil mojitos came to mind, but felt a little too exotic so we settled for basil gimlets. We searched through many different recipes and ultimately settled for this one from Rye, a cocktail bar on Geary Street in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco.

Ingredients: 5 fresh basil leaves, 1/2 ounce agave nectar, 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice, 2 ounces dry white gin

I used a mix of Genovese and lemon basil since I had a little bit of both, but I'm sure any regular 5 leaves of basil would have worked. We muddled the basil in a pint glass with 1/2 ounce of agave nectar and 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice. We then topped that mixture with 2 ounces of Bombay White Gin and some ice, strained into a glass and garnished with a slice of lime and a fresh basil leaf. Basil's spicy flavours give a nice kick to this refreshing cocktail. I'm not typically a gin drinker but I actually really enjoying this cocktail.

A la vôtre!

Adventures in Aerogardening Part Deux - Basil

2011-06-21T15:03:00.001+01:00

For the past three weeks, I have been carefully monitoring the progress of my Aerogarden. After a few days under their protective domes, most of the pods sprouted, with the genovese basil and the lemon basil sprouting the fastest.

My Aerogarden 3 weeks after planting the seeds

I pruned some of the lemon basil to use in a thai basil chicken curry recipe, adapted from a 2007 Bon Appétit magazine recipe. The ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil, 3/4 cup sliced shallots, 1 3/4 oz can unsweetened
coconut milk, 1 3/4 tsp Thai green curry paste, 2 tsp fish sauce,
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast halves cut into thin strips,
1 red bell pepper, 1/4 chopped fresh basil, 2 tbsp fresh lime juice.

Once all the ingredients are prepped the dish doesn't take long to prepare. Start off by heating the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat to cook the shallots and curry paste. After 2 minutes, add the coconut milk and the fish sauce and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and bell pepper and stir until the chicken is just cooked through. Finally stir in the chopped basil and lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with more basil and some lime wedges. Serve with hot steamed rice.

My Thai basil chicken curry looked nothing like the one in original recipe.
Oh well...

The original recipe just called for basil, but I think the lemon basil worked out fine. Has anyone made anything good using lemon basil?

Americana - Crawfish Boils

2011-06-16T17:18:00.005+01:00

Crawfish. Crayfish. Crawdad. Louisiana mudbug. However you call them (we call them écrevisse in French but I'll stick with crawfish for this post if that's ok), the season for enjoying the little crustaceans is almost over. In France, écrevisses typically play a supporting role to oysters and lobsters on a plateau de fruits de mers (check out this LA Time article on how to assemble your own or try the Plateau a la Beck at Brasserie Beck if you're curious about this typically French tower of seafood). It was a very new experience for me the first time I enjoyed crawfish in a lead part at one of Acadiana's crawfish boils. And I loved it!

Playing with my food at one of Acadiana's crawfish boils

Crawfish boils are typically backyard affairs in Louisina. While the husband is from the Pelican State I haven't had a chance to attend one out there. His family relocated to Florida shortly after we got married so we don't have the opportunity to go to Louisiana very often anymore. Luckily, we live pretty close to Acadiana and my husband has come to rely on the Penn Quarter eatery to get his Louisiana food fix, while I've come to relyo on it to discover the cuisine and traditions that my husband grew up on. We try to go at least once a year for the crawfish boils on their patio because they're just a ton of fun. Crawfish season typically peaks around Lent, in March-April, with crawfish available until May and a little bit of June. Which means that crawfish season is coming to an end for the year.

Picture from Acadiana's website. A typical crawfish boil includes crawfish,
lemons, potatoes and corn cooked in boiling water with some seasonings.

You can still catch the last boils of the season at Acadiana this Friday or Bayou Bakery on Saturday. Acadiana (901 New York Avenue, NW) hosts the boils on its patio between 3:30-6:30PM ($13/pound with Abita beer specials: $12 for bucket of 4 or $15 for pitcher) so if you can skip out of the office early, I highly recommend it. Or you can wait until Saturday. Bayou Bakery, located right around the corner from the Courthouse metro stop in Arlingon (1515 N Courthouse Road) offers a taste of the "real deal, shipped straight from the mud of the bayou" between 5-7PM. Last call for crawfish!

Royal Wedding - Monaco Edition

2011-06-14T15:44:00.001+01:00

Two months after Will and Kate, there's another European royal wedding grabbing headlines. On July 2nd, Prince Albert will marry Charlene Wittstock in the tiny Mediterranean principality of Monaco. The lavish two-day-long nuptial festivities will feature a religious ceremony in the palace's courtyard, a light-and-sound show by Jean-Michel Jarre and a free concert by the Eagles, a dinner by Monegasque Chef Alain Ducasse and a post-festivities brunch for which Ducasse will get a little assistance by Chef Joel Robuchon. The Champagne will be French, of course, and in honour of the bride, the red wine served with dinner will be South African. Other than that, the ingredients used to prepare the 3 course menu will be sourced from a 6-mile radius from the rock: honey from Monaco's bee-hives, fishes line-caught in the mediterranean that morning, and vegetables from the Prince's own farm. I'm not sure what will be served for dessert, though if I were the bride, I would go for a macaron croquembouche by Ladurée. Especially if Ladurée created two unique flavours just for my wedding!

Photo credit: Ladurée

Ladurée, which has a presence in Monaco with a boutique at the Galerie Métrople, is offering two exceptional macarons to honour the couple. The macarons will be red and white, the colours of the House of Grimaldi since 1339, with delicate flavours of guava and raspberry-anise, and presented in a limited edition gift box in ivory and gold, decorated with the two first names of the future husband and with the princely arms, symbols of the Principality. *le swoon*

Fête de la Musique 2011

2011-06-12T11:42:00.002+01:00

Every year, the French welcome summer with music. On June 21, the first day of summer in the northern hemisphere, amateur and professional musicians offer free performances in public places. This music day, known as la Fête de la Musique, allows the public to discover new styles of music, popularize obscure genres and even help young people from all social backgrounds enjoy a free concert by one of their favourite international band. I remember attending a free performance by Lenny Kravitz Place de la Republique back in 2002... Above all la Fête de la Musique is an opportunity for people to communicate and share a special moment through music. In Washington DC, the French community also celebrates music, though not necessarily on the 21st.

The program in DC hasn't really changed in the past few years, with the usual suspects, L'alliance Francaise and La Maison Française organizing the two biggest events much like they have every year for the past few years... L'alliance Francaise kicks off the celebration on Friday, June 17th with 6 hours of musical programming, some of them family friendly. The next day, the French Embassy opens up its garden for a fun soiree filled with music, drinks and food. Last year I wrote at length about the merguez. They'll still be there and they will still be tasty. The real fun stuff, I'm afraid, will be in New York, which is gearing up for its 5th Fête de la Musique with a big free concert in Central Park. It's a lot harder for me to keep up with who's hot and who's not on the French music scene since I live in the US. I have access to French iTunes, which is helpful, and I listen to French radio stations online too, but I also rely on on some French twitterers and bloggers based in France to keep me in the know. I discovered Ben l'Onlce Soul thanks to the blog Lost In Cheeseland and I was thrilled to hear he would be performing in the big apple for la Fête de la Musique. Also performing is Catherine Ringer of Rita Mitsouko fame, which I think is I kinda cool. But since I can't make it to New York that weekend, I guess you can expect to see me at the French Embassy. And I'm looking forward to it. The fact that we, as a country, appreciate the musical arts in all their incarnations, enough to dedicate a full day to celebrating them, is one of the many, many reasons I am so proud to be French.

The program for La Fete de la Musique 2011 at l'Alliance Francaise

** La Fête de la Musique @ SummerStage is located at Rumsey Playfield, in New York's Central Park (enter park at East 72nd street) on Tuesday, June 21, 2011, 7 pm (free). Ben L'Oncle Soul and Catherine Ringer will take the stage and there will also be a showing of "Gainsbourg and his Girls," a documentary on (yes, him again) Serge Gainsbourg, seen through the eyes of his many muses.**

** La Fête de la Musique at L'alliance Francaise is June 17th, 2011. 5:30-6:30PM is the children's program, followed by an open stage and tribute to local musicians until 10PM (free) and then a DJ will close the night until 11:30PM. L'alliance Francaise is located at 2142 Wyoming Avenue NW. **

** La Maison Française celebrates La Fête de la Musique on June 18th, 4PM-12AM. Admission $8, free for children under 10. La Maison Française is located at the French Embassy, 4101 Reservoir Rd. NW**

Just Desserts - Whisked!

2011-06-09T06:26:00.000+01:00

I'm actually really bummed to be missing out on my monthly Just Dessert tour today. *le sigh* After visiting Casa Nonna in March and Againn in April, I was really looking forwards to getting together with some of my favourite fellow sweet-toothed bloggers and sink my teeth in classic French desserts at Central Michel Richard and Paul Bakery. Luckily, I still got my sweet fix this week when I got a taste of Whisked! at an event hosted by 1905 Restaurant. Whisked! is the labour of love of Jenna Huntsberger and Stephanie Willis, two DC food bloggers who turned their passion for baking into a full time pursuit. Interestingly enough, they met each other at the DC Food Bloggers Spooktacular Bake Sale back in October 2009, which was also when I first met them. Now they're back where it all started, the 14th and U Farmers Market, selling classic American treats on Saturdays between 9AM and 1PM.

Brownie Sandwich Cookies - photo credit Whisked! Washington DC

Strawberry Jam Filled Hand Pies - photo credit Whisked! Washington DC

Of course, I didn't grow up on brownies and cookies and all of the other classic American desserts that are Whisked! specialties. But that just means I now have the perfect excuse to try them. All of them ;-) Well, at least the ones with no chocolate or peanut butter.... I wasn't actually able to try the brownie sandwich cookies, as I thought they might just have a little too much cocoa for me, but everyone else around seemed to really enjoy them. I did try (and even took home) the strawberry jam filled hand pie, a cute - and portable - take on the pop tart, and the strawberry rhubarb pie, which was absolutely delicious. Another stand out was Stephanie's Red Velvet Cake. The South can be proud to claim her as one of their own! And because not everything can or should be sweet, Stephanie and Jenna also sells a variety of quiches and other savoury pies. I tried the spinach, basil and sun dried tomato quiche before diving into all the sugary offerings. It was trés tasty, I completely understand why it sells out so early at the market every Saturday!

To get your own taste of Whisked!, head to the 14th and U Farmers Market this Saturday. Of course, I should thank Jenna and Stephanie for baking such lovely desserts, and inviting me to sample them, as well as Tony Lucca of 1905 Restaurant for being such a gracious host and reminding me of how much I like his restaurant. I'm looking forward to the roof deck this fall!

It's Raining Cats & Dogs Kittens ;-)

2011-06-07T22:50:00.002+01:00

I used to make fun of crazy cat ladies. Once. A long time ago. Before I became a crazy cat lady myself when I adopted a very vocal little black kitty named Chloe. Well, to be honest, her name was Heidi. But it's Chloe now. Which doesn't really matter because it's not like she answers to anything but the sounds of a can of wet food being opened anyways. We adopted her from the Washington Animal Rescue League which is truly a great shelter where abused, abandoned, and forgotten animals can transition from lives of hardship to being cherished members of a family. June is the height of “kitten season” for animal shelters, and the Washington Animal Rescue League is seeking help in caring for the scores of kittens they will take in, raise, and find homes for. So they're hosting a "Kitten Shower."

Help the Washington Animal Rescue League this Sunday, between 12-2PM, by donating some of the items every new cat-parent needs: kitten formula, cotton balls, feeding bottles, towels or heating pads. You can also learn about becoming a foster parent to one (or more) of the cute little purr-balls. Or you can even drop by the Cat Room to see if there's a special cat in there that could turn you into a crazy cat lady (or crazy-cat gentleman I guess).

The Washington Animal Rescue League is located at 71 Oglethorpe Street, NW. Additionally, June is Adopt-A-Cat month and the Washington Humane Society is waiving adoption fees for all cats over two years old.

Air France's A380 Finally Lands in DC!

2011-06-07T21:59:00.000+01:00

After New York (yes, New York always gets everything first... the A380, Ladurée...), Johannesburg, Tokyo and Montréal, Washington just became the 5th city served by Air France's A380, the world's largest commercial passenger jet. Pretty cool non? I thought so, until I realized what bigger planes actually meant. More passengers per flight means there will be less departures towards the City of Light. As of June 6th, the weekly number of flights from IAD to CDG dropped down from 21 to 14. Your options are now two flights a day out of Dulles, the 4:40PM or 9:50PM (my personal favourite because you can just sleep through) and two direct flights out of Paris, at 10:50AM (too early!) or 4:40PM. But on the plus side, you get to travel in a double decker plane...

My friend Kévin happened to be at Dulles on Monday to witness the event and was kind enough to share some pictures with me. Look how tiny the people look next to the giant plane! I can't wait to get on one of those A380!!!

Somehow, he also happened to be in Orlando the very next day when Air France inaugurated its very first nonstop air service between MCO and CDG. Though, no A380 for you, Orlando, you'll have to contend with a Boeing 777-300 ;-)

Air France's Inaugural non-stop flight from CDG-MCO - Photo credit: Kévin Patrice Régis Hennerez

In other Air France news, the airline is also marking the 25th anniversary of its San Francisco-Paris route by upgrading travelers from a tiny bity regular Boeing to a super jumbo A380 from June 6 to September 2011. Afterwards, back to the small plane SanFran so book that summer vacation now!! Or I guess, after that date, you can still fly to Frankfurt on Lufthansa's A380 planes... but why would you want to go Germany when you can go to France?? *

* this last sentence is actually only kind of funny if you know that I'm flying to Frankfurt soon on Lufthansa - though not on an A380 plane. This will be my first "trip" to my German neighbour, though I put trip in quotation marks because I won't actually be leaving the airport. Germany is only a quick pit stop en route to another rather exciting European destination where I will be spending my summer vacation. But more on that later...

Concert Sandwich & Macaron on the Avenue

2011-06-07T20:05:00.002+01:00

Starting tonight and through August 30th, the US Navy Band will be performing "Live music under the Stars!" every Tuesday from 8-10PM at the US Navy Memorial Plaza. Now I've lived in DC for almost 8 years now and I can't say I've ever made it to one of Navy Memorial free summer concert on the avenue. But it looks like this might change this year ;-) Paul Bakery, which also happens to be located on Pennsylvanie Avenue between 7th and 9th street, is tempting me with a yummy picnic dinner special that can be picked up from 5PM to 9PM every Tuesday before or during the concert. And yes, the picnic dinner special includes ones of Paul's dessert sized macaron!!

Sesame Paulette with Camembert - PHOTO CREDIT: Jason Colston for PAUL USA

Paul's Picnic Dinner Special will be available for $11.95 every Tuesday (5-9PM) and includes a baguette sandwich (I currently love the pavot jambon cru made with Prosciutto on poppy baguette), a cold drink (like Orangina) and slice of tarte or a macaron! Tarte or macaron... now that's a difficult choice!!

Americana - National Donut Day!

2011-06-03T15:44:00.003+01:00

Today is one of my favourite American holidays: National Donut Day! I mean, is there anything more American than a donut? The "holiday" was originally established in 1938 by the Salvation Army to honour the female volunteers who served donuts to soldiers during WWI. You can celebrate at home by making your own Salvation Army Doughnut Lassies using the original recipe. Or you can drop by national chains Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme for a free donut (DD requires a beverage purchase in order to get your freebie though). If you're prefer a slightly "fancier" donut, a number of DC area restaurants offer their own spin on breakfast's sweetest treat. Claudia of Brunch and the City wrote a great recap a few months ago.

You can also celebrate the sugary holiday in a healthier way, just by learning a little bit about America's obsession with donuts. I enjoyed ready this Huffington Post Food Article that features cool ~~pie~~ donut charts and maps. For more information, there's also Sally Levitt Steinberg's The Donut Book. As the grand-daughter of the inventor of the donut machine, she knows a thing or two about this sweet oh-so-American indulgence...

Happy donut day everyone!! How are you celebrating?

Bradley Cooper... Version Française

2011-06-02T18:16:00.000+01:00

Did you know that Bradley Cooper speaks French fluently? Me neither ;-) The star of Very Bad Trip 2 (yes, that would be the French title of "The Hangover") dropped by the TF1's 8PM newscast to promote the film - and put my husband, who still doesn't speak French, to shame.

* le swoon *

Minuit à Paris - Part Deux

2011-05-31T17:19:00.001+01:00

Dinner at Coco Sala: 45 dollars.

Movie ticket to see Midnight in Paris at E Street Cinema: 10 dollars.

Glass of Woodbridge Sauvignon Blanc at E Street Bar: 6 dollars.

Cole Porter album downloaded from iTunes when I got home: 7 dollars.

Hemingway books purchased after seeing Woody Allen's film: 32 dollars.

Falling in love with my hometown all over again... priceless.

Adventures in AeroGardening - Part Une

2011-05-31T13:55:00.000+01:00

Being a city girl has some advantages like not having to worry about car payments, being in great shape because you walk everywhere and having easy access to great restaurants, bars and cultural events. But it also has some disadvantages. I live in a condo in downtown D.C. I don't have a balcony, ledge or even a window sill on which I could grow a few plants. So I was thrilled when received an AeroGarden as a gift, pretty much out of the blues.

The AeroGarden is an appliance that uses aeroponic technology to grow herbs or plants without using any dirt. Instead, the plants are develop inside a grow chamber that contains oxygen, water and nutrients. It doesn't take much more space than a kitchen aid, though I can't keep mine in my kitchen because it is a little too tall to fit underneath my cupboards, grows pretty fast and is relatively mess-free. My 7-pods AeroGarden came with the starter Gourmet Herb Seed kit: 3 different kinds of basil (Genovese, Lemon and Globe), dill, thyme, mint and oregano.

Right now my herbs are in the first stages of their growth and still under their protective plastic domes. I can't wait to see my basil and my dill sprout! I'm already thinking of all sorts of recipes I will be able to make with my fresh herbs! Stay tuned for updates...

Google D.C. Talks - The Art and Science of Beer

2011-05-27T21:33:00.000+01:00

When you google "beer," Greg Engert ought to come up in the results. The Beer Director for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group has an impressive knowledge of brews. I know a lot about wine but I am still developing my palate and understanding of beers. I had previously attended a beer tasting with Greg Engert at ChurchKey back in October with Robyn Webb's DC Foodies Do Good group and was impressed with his encyclopedic knowledge of beer and passion for its history. So I jumped at the opportunity to attend another one of his tasting yesterday, this one thrown by Google as part of their Google DC Talk series. Rather than follow the traditional wine tasting rule of ordering the samples from lightest to more full bodied and fortified wine, Greg introduced the brews in a "historical" order, starting with a traditional fruit lambic from Belgium and closing with an IPA from New York. Lambics are "blended" beers that have been brewed near Brussels for 500 years, whereas Indian Pale Ales only came around in the 19th Centrury. So we started with a Kierk from Oud Beersel Brewery. We were off to a tart and funky start!

The colours of the beers sampled ranged from dark pink to golden orange and very dark brown.

In order, we sampled the following brews: Kierk from Oud Beersel Brewery; Aecht Schlenkerla Marzen from the Heller-Trum Brewery; the Bruery "Ochard White" Witbier from California; Porterhouse Brewing Co.'s Oyster Stout; Weizenbock Aventinus; Weyerbacher Brewing's Insanity and Southern Tier Brewing's unearthly Imperial IPA.

A couple of tasting notes... I loved how different all of the beers were. While not my favourite, the smoky Aecht Schlenkerla Marzen was one of the most interesting beer of the evening. This very dark brown lager is characterized by a strong smell and taste of smoke that overwhelmed, for me, any other sensation. It was definitely different from any other beer that I've tasted. Another interesting one, and one that I actually found quite tasty, was the witbier, a Belgian-style unfiltered yellow-coloured wheat beer, which is flavoured with a blend of spices that give it a sweet coriander, citrus peel and lavender taste. I also enjoyed the vigorously hopped Unearthy. If you don't like hoppy beers, you definitely won't like this one ;-)

The seven beers sampled during Google DC Talk's The Art and Science of Beer

More than anything, I enjoyed Greg's enthusiasm, knowledge and stories. I learned that Porter gained popularity with the transportation workers of London in the 1800s and that oysters were a common food for these same transportation workers, typically paired with oyster stout. I'm pretty sure I'll stick with my Chenin Blanc when I have oysters, but I liked the anecdote. I found out that most of the cherries used in Krieks these days come from Poland. That beer was never black until 1817 when black malt was patented by Daniel Wheeler. Greg also has a clear admiration for brewers, whom he compares to chefs, experimenting with flavour profiles and techniques. He commanded some for their commitments to craft beer, noting that "Orchard White" had become too popular for the taste of its brewers and would be discontinued so they could concentrate again on experimenting.

Greg closed the tasting with a bried Q&A. When asked what brews he drinks on a day-to-day basis, he confessed to "sucking from the draft teet" at Rustico or ChurchKey but also recommended a $8.99 12-pack of Sierra Nevada Torpedo as a great value beer or anything from Victory Beer. Duly noted...

Fromage Friday - Trader Joe's

2011-05-27T12:58:00.001+01:00

This week's fromage Friday is brought to you by Trader Joe's in the West End. Trader Joe's actually has a good selection of cheeses at affordable prices (the boursin there also retails for $3.49, one of the cheapest price in the city), including their own store brand. Here's the cheese tray I came up with after my trip to TJ:

Saint André $4.20 - If you're calorie conscious this triple cream cheese with 75% butterfat is probably not for you! Saint André is a soft-ripened cheese in the tradition of brie and camembert made from cow's milk and enriched with pure cream. It's 50% richer than the average camembert but has a similar mild taste, with a whipped yet buttery texture. The rind is edible but may be a little too tangy for some. It also gets tangier as the cheese ages.

Trader Joe's Cambozola $4.20 - I'm not a big blue cheese eater so Cambozola, a triple cream cross between Camembert and Gorgonzola is the perfect compromise for me. This soft ripened blue cheese, often marketed as the "blue brie," is a cow's milk combining a french soft-ripened triple cream cheese and Italian Gorgonzola. It has the best of both cheese: the sharpness of blue cheese and the moist, rich creaminess of Camembert. I'm a big fan!

French Abbaye Ste. Mère $4.03 - This Trappist cheese, made by the sisters of the Abbaye de Belval, is not the faint of heart. Aged for at least 60 days, this soft pressed, uncooked cheese made from Normandy milk, has a zingy, pungent and aromatic taste, a yellow-ish color and a solid, semi-soft texture. It has a distinctive aroma and a salty taste that's not for everyone.

Port Salut $4.37 - Another Trappist cheese, this one from Mayenne, in the Loire region. Port Salut is a semi-soft cheese made from cow's milk with a distinctive orange crust and a mild flavour. It's supposed to have a strong smell, though the one I bought from Trader Joe's just made me think of creamier Babybel, with an almost plastic texture and very little smell. I would recommend Port Salut for those looking for a mild cheese.

Trader Joe's Goat Milk Brie $2.49 - You can't beat the price of this cheese, but you could probably find a similar cheese with more flavour and creaminess. I found this cheese worked perfectly melted in an omelette but didn't really bring much to my cheese plate. When I think of brie, goat or regular, I expect a certain run-iness that this cheese completely lacked. Still, it's very affordable, and I could see it be quite pleasing for american palates when mixed on a cheese plate.

Stay tuned for Cowgirl Creamery next week!

Save the Date: InternsRock! June 10-19, 2011

2011-05-26T15:32:00.003+01:00

June is just around the corner, which means that 8th grader season is coming to an end and interns from all over the country are about to flock into the District. Every summer some 20,000 college students or recent graduates descend on the nation's capital to test drive their career paths, develop real-world skills, build their resume, gain a competitive edge over their peers, network, and maybe even get a full time job offer. They come to discover the city we call home. Yes, they crowd our metro and can be overheard saying all sorts of silly things, but they're not all bad. They come to learn from us and also help us with our workload. They contribute to the local economy too. Shouldn't we try to make a good impression on them and thank them for their hard work?

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars* thinks we should! The educational non-profit, which brings some 1,500 students to D.C. every year to participate in academic internship programs, is organizing an intern appreciation week June 10-19, 2011. Anyone interning in DC this summer can take advantage of Interns Rock! by picking up a wristband at one of two locations between June 7-10:

Highlights of InternsRock! include:

Intern Movie Night with NoMa on June 15 (7PM, with the film Slumdog Millionaire starting at 9PM. For more information on NoMa's Summer Screen series visit their website)
$15 tickets to DC United game against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday, June 11 (bonus: the first 10,000 fans get a free Andy Najar bobblehead courtesy of Volkswagen)
Discounts at local eateries like MadHatter, James Hoban's Irish Restaurant, the Diner, Tryst Coffeehouse or Funxion
Special offers for cultural activities and museums such as the National Crime and Punishment Museum (buy one ticket get one free), Madame Tussauds (also buy one ticket get one free), Washington Walks.
Free admission to the Newseum that week. Tickets are typically $21.95 plus tax, so this is a pretty great offer!
Pay your age at Arena Stage. Catch For Whom Southern Belle Tolls, The Glass Menagerie, Elegy for a Rose or a Time for Kill for just $19, $20 or $21, depending on how old you are.
A free cupcake at Sprinkles or buy one cupcake, get one free at Hello Cupcakes Barrack Row.

If you are hosting interns this summer and think they rock, spread the word in your office!

* In the spirit of full disclosure, I should mention that I do have a professional connection to this event.

Fromage Friday - Whole Foods P Street

2011-05-20T19:54:00.002+01:00

New feature on FrenchTwistDC: spotlighting cheese plates from various fromageries around the metro area. It's not just a stereotypes, the French do love their cheese. Obviously, it's a little harder for me to find a good selection here than it is in my hometown. But it's not impossible and there are a number of good spots to get the smelly stuff around D.C. First up: Whole Foods P Street.

Boursin Garlic and Herbs $3.49 - For some reason, Whole Foods has one of the lowest retail price on Boursin. My local Safeway sells the exact same product for $7.69, more than twice the price! If you haven't been introduced to the wonderfulness that is Boursin yet, you're missing out. It's a delicious (mass produced) soft creamy cheese, that's excellent on bread (the brand's slogan is "Du Pain, Du Vin, Du Boursin" or "Some bread, some wine, some Boursin" which in my opinion is pretty much all you need to live) as well as baked in dates wrapped in Prosciutto or instead of sour cream in your mashed potatoes.

Pont l'Eveque $6.00 - Made from cow's milk, this washed-rind cheese traces its origins back to the 12th century and is one of the oldest cheese in the country. Like many French cheeses, it bears the name of the village where it is made: Pont L'Eveque in Normandy, and its taste is supposed to remind you of the lush green grass of the region. It's a rich and full bodied creamy cheese that pairs well with robust red like St. Emilion or Pinot Noir. Feel free to eat the crust too on this one.

Brin d'amour fleur du Maquis $3.90 - Brin d'Amour means breath of love, though not everyone will love this corsican sheep's milk cheese. Brin d'Amour is an uncooked and unpressed cheese that requires a maturing period of at least one month and has a slightly sour taste. Its natural rind is covered with rosemary, thyme, fennel seeds and other savoury aromatic herbs found in the underbrush landscape of the mediterranean island. I love it, especially paired with Côte du Rhône or a Tempranillo.

St Marcellin $7.99 - This cheese is kind of like St Felicien's little brother. They're both made from pasterized cow's milk, and have a similar texture and shape, though St Felicien tends to be twice as big. Both come in a little ceramic dish that hold them together as they become runnier and creamier with age. The little crock can also double up as a crème brûlée dish afterwards. Score! Pairs well with Côte du Rhône, Chateauneuf du Pape or a spicy Syrah.

So these are my Whole Foods P Street picks. Any particular cheese you love at that store?

Bonjour DC

2011-05-17T15:37:00.000+01:00

Nouvelle ressource pour la communauté francophone de Washington, Bonjour DC est ouvert à toutes les personnes intéressées par le Français! Gratuit, Apolitique et non commercial, il offre de nombreux outils innovants qui vous permettrons de partager des informations, d’informer ou encore de découvrir les cultures francophones à Washington!

There's a new online tool for the DC francophone community: Bonjour DC. The blog, open to anyone interested in francophone cultures in the metro allows you to exchange, inform, contribute and debate about questions and interests related to enjoying, promoting and discovering the French Culture and those who share it all around DC!

Minuit à Paris

2011-05-11T19:10:00.002+01:00

"For reasons that remain mysterious to me my films are appreciated more in Europe - and in France in particular - than they are back in the U.S. Could it be that the subtitles over here are incredibly brilliant?"

Woody Allen

Maybe it is the brilliant subtitles. Or that his humour plays well in the Old Continent. Perhaps it's also that he represents that we think the archetypical New Yorker to be should be like: cultured, intellectual, appreciative of all of the good things Europe has to offer, and yes, a little neurotic too. Maybe it's also that we are less judgmental of his personal life. Whatever the reasons, the French love Woody Allen and the American director seems to love us back. After a brief Manhattan interlude in "Whatever Works", he is returning to Europe with Midnight in Paris, a film set (you may have guessed) in my hometown. Described by Festival director Thierry Frémaux as a "wonderful love letter to Paris," Woody's 42nd feature film is opening the Cannes International Film Festival today. If the beautiful poster is any indication of what the romantic comedy will be like, we are in for a treat. I can't wait to see it!!

Midnight in Paris opens in LA and New York on May 20th. Washingtonians will have to wait a little bit longer. The film will come out on May 27th and show at the E Street Theater. You know where I'll be that Friday night ;-)

Hello Dusseldorf... Washington Calling!

2011-05-11T15:51:00.004+01:00

Explaining Eurovision to audiences that may not be familiar with the European-wide singing competition is kind of tricky. The best I could come up with is that Eurovision launched the career of ABBA. And it hasn't changed much since those days. Held once a year, Eurovision is typically hosted by the country that won the previous year. Last May, the adorable Lena Meyer-Landrut of Germany won the intra-European singing affair in Olso with her catchy tune Satellite so Dusseldorff gets to be the site of the 2011 edition. In the past, I've had to watch the competition online but this year, the Goethe Institute, that little German cultural bastion here in DC, is hosting a watch party. Wie aufregend!!

If you missed Lena last year, you're in luck, she'll be back to vie for the tittle on May 14th. One person who will not be back, however, is that terrible singer who represented France last year (the song: Allez Olla Ole. Just plain embarassing.) France, which was one of 7 countries present at the very first Eurovision back in 1956, was once very successful at the competition. Once. We've won 5 times. But sadly, the last time was in 1977. This year, we've learned from our mistakes. No repeat of the white pants bootie shaking debacle of 2010. Instead, we're playing it safe with Sognu, a corsican balad performed by Amaury Vassili, a Gallic Josh Groban. He'll have some tough competition, notably (and I'm kind of excited about this) from the UK's Blue. Yes. As in the British boy band that brought us All Rise and One Time back in the early 2000s. Wie aufregend again!!

So... can Lena keep her crown? Will France break her 34 year dry spell? Can Blue stage a comeback? Find out Saturday at the Goethe Institute!! Attendees are encouraged to dress up in creative outfits representing the colours of the country they wish to represent, so come up with something good. Oh, and go France, bien sur!!!

The finale of the Eurovision contest is Saturday, May 14th at the Goethe Institute, located at 812 7th Street NW. Co-hosted by the lovely Kate Michael and Christoph Röckerath, a correspondent for ZDF German television, the live screening of the finale will begin at 2:30PM. Tickets $5. RSVP to (202) 289-1200 ext. 173 or rsvp@washington.goethe.org.

French Garden Party at the Wilson House

2011-05-05T11:57:00.001+01:00

Wondering where you can wear that hat or fascinator you bought especially for the Royal Wedding last week? The Kentucky Derby this weekend comes to mind right away of course. The Willard InterContinental's historic Round Robin Bar will once again host an "Afternoon at the Races" at its annual Bonnets and Bow-Ties Kentucky Derby Party, Saturday May 7, from 4-7PM ($75). Longview Gallery in Shaw will be transformed into Churchill Downs for the “most exciting two minutes in sports” where seersucker and big hats will, of course, be encouraged while guests sip on bottomless mint Julep during the "A Derby Day P’arty" ($75, May 7th 5-8PM, proceeds benefit Pediatric Care). But if horses and bourbon are not your thing, there's also a little hat worthy event at the Woodrow Wilson House on May 11th. The garden outside the Kalorama residence will be transformed into a French jardin for the grande fête, aka their 23rd Perennial Garden Party. I love that the event has a French theme this year, to coincide with the new exhibition "American Women Rebuilding France, 1917-1924," a collection of over 25 vintage photographs and rare silent film footage that bring to life the extraordinary work undertaken between 1917 and 1924 by 350 American women - all volunteers - who left comfortable lives in the United States to help the war-ravaged civilian population of northeastern France. Back in the garden, there will be a fun (but fierce) competition, with fabulous prices, for the best Spring chapeau in categories from best French themed to classic for men and women. Oh, and instead of bourbon, there will be champagne and a French inspired menu provided by Occasions Caterers. Sounds très amusant non?