The Tomato Knife

The latest edition of the Paris-based literary review, Upstairs at Duroc, is out and ready to be read!

Why am I so excited? Under the shiny green and white cover, lies my first ever piece of published fiction!

Issue 12 includes poetry, prose and photography from a varied group of international writers. If you like poetry, you’ll find a selection of contemporary work by authors such as Alice Notley. I had the chance to hear her read at the review’s launch last January and feel honored to have my own work printed under the same cover.  If you like photography, there are several crisp black and white shots that give the book a timeless, artsies feeling. And, of course, there’s fiction…

You can pick up a copy of the review tonight at the American Library as they host Upstairs at Duroc for a poetry reading. March is poetry month in Paris (aka “le printemps des poètes”) and just about everyone participates (from actors reciting in the streets to small bookshops opening their doors to poetry-hungry visitors). This year’s theme is “Infinite Landscapes” and tonight you’ll hear from poets Margo Berdeshevsky, Paula Bohince, Dylan Harris, and Sarah Riggs.

If you can’t make it to the reading, you can support the publication (and budding artists like me) by ordering a book. Contact me here if you’re interested.

Tags: events

A little over a year ago, I ate a delicious “raw thai” soup at a Santa Fe café/restaurant called Body. It was a thick cold soup with two of my favorite ingredients: coconut milk and avocado. What impressed me even more about this soup is that it was completely raw. Since then I’ve been intrigued by the so-called “raw food movement” and those who call themselves “raw foodists.”

According to Alison Bryce in this NPR article, “Raw foodists eat by the theory that when food is cooked over 112 degrees, it loses its living enzymes.” Shes goes on to explain that such people usually fit into two groups: those that eat meat, eggs and dairy; and those who eat only vegetables, fruits and nuts. Also, this type of diet generally favors unprocessed, organic foods.

I love all kinds of food (and all kinds of cooking), so I think it’d be hard to convince me to go 100% raw. I, however, can understand why it might be advantageous: enzymes can be positive little beings and help digest food and absorb important nutrients. Apparently, eating raw protein can also give more immediate energy. Plus, I’d be fun to get creative and challenge myself to make appetizing dishes, without a flame.

Since I’ve been increasingly curious about raw food, I was more than game to try the Parisian restaurant, Cru (whose name means “raw” in French). I first and foremost liked this restaurant/wine bar for its idyllic location – on a quiet street in the Marais (Village Saint Paul). Looking out the window from our table, we could see the remains of the oldest city wall in Paris (built in the early 13^th century by Philippe-Auguste, king of France).

Inside the restaurant walls, the dim lighting and sparse décor gave a fresh, modern atmosphere. I loved the real glasses and water pitcher that mimicked plastic picnic ware and the roll of green cloth napkins that you tore off like paper towels. This gave a fun, casual feeling to an otherwise upscale restaurant.

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Tags: restaurants, wine bars

Last night I went to a captivating reading at the American Library here in Paris.

Tilar J. Mazzeo was presenting her New York Times Bestseller The Widow Clicquot. Many of us know of “Veuve Clicquot” champagne, but we don’t know anything about the woman behind the name. I have to admit that I had once wondered about it – why “widow”? I casually assumed it was just an alluring name, or maybe reference to someone’s elderly aunt. I was fascinated to learn that Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin was not only a real person, but quite a legend.

Mazzeo’s eyes lit up as she shared the intriguing story with us: an early 19th-century widow succeeded in turning a failing wine business into a flourishing, international champagne enterprise. Since the author was “trained in archival research” (as she put it), the non-fiction book relies purely on the historical facts she was able to hunt down. Just as impressive as the widow’s story, is the historical context it takes place in. I left  the library feeling happy and bubbly. Yes, the glass of champagne would explain part, but Mazzeo’s talk explains the rest. Her enthusiasm toward the subject and the fact that she shared both the Widow Clicquot’s story as well as her own (how she first got interested in wine, how she got the idea to write this book, how she went about researching it…) left the audience wanting more.

Of course I picked up a copy and am already reading.

Tags: books, wine

I knew I was back in Paris this morning when I got on the metro. At 7:30, the cars on line 6 aren’t the sweaty, crowded bunkers you encounter later in the day. Actually, this morning, still caught somewhere between sleep and awake, I had to remind myself I was in public transportation on my way to work and not in a library. That’s the atmosphere that reigns on a sulky Monday morning. My fellow travelers are about a dozen students on their way to school- lectures, exams, orals- there’s always something. A shy handful might be high schoolers, but most are university students, deep in their hand-written notes. The guy to the left of me was focused on long math equations; the girl en face was lost in Spanish; the skinny man to the right was highlighting something that looked like economics; even the curly red-haired woman near the door (who didn’t look like she was stressed about a test) was reading some thick French novel. I’m wondering what they’re all doing now- at 7 in the evening. I’m sure their day of classes at la fac is finished. Maybe they’re at café terraces, under outdoor heaters and bundled up in thick winter scarves. Maybe they’re buying cheap spaghetti and tomato sauce for dinner. Maybe they’re in a real library. Or, maybe they’re on their way back home.

That’s where I am- home. Sipping a cup of tea and gathering up my notes from San Francisco. I’m going to jump right in and tell you about the very best foodie find ever: Bi-Rite Creamery and Bakeshop. I’d been hearing about this spot for a couple years and, finally, got to go. Located near Dolores Park in the Mission District, Bi-Rite has (I’m being very truthful here) some of THE BEST ICE CREAM I HAVE EVER HAD. The unique flavors will reel you in: orange cardamom, brown sugar with ginger caramel swirls, salted caramel (I get this wherever I go), roasted banana, cinnamon with snicker doodles (I learned these where little sugar cookies rolled in cinnamon), earl grey, Meyer lemon… Oh yes, I tried every one of these! To top it off, I’m giving Bi-Rite some of my “sustainability kudos”: compostable cups and tiny wooden spoons.

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Tags: ice cream, restaurants, San Francisco, travel

I just marked my calendar for the Paris Cookbook Festival 2011!

Next weekend, March 3-6, over 200 publishers will gather in Paris to present their cookbooks to professionals (March 3-4) and then to the general public (March 5-6). I can’t wait to go and check the collection of recipes and enticing food photography from around the world. Apparently over 50 nationalities will be represented.

The festival was launched last year by Edouard Cointreau (founder of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards) and continues this year with Alain Dutournier (Michelin-starred chef, Carré des Feuillants) as the President of Honor. There will be author signings, photography exhibitions, wine tastings, conferences….

For useful information in French (hours, vélib stands, etc.) and other interesting articles click here. Otherwise, visit the English site (and reserve tickets) here.

Tags: cooking, news

According to an article I just read on Audrey Garric’s ecology blog for Le Monde, “Les OGM reculent-ils vraiment en Europe?”, GMO use is on the decline in Europe – thanks primarily to the public.

In fact, in 2010 only 0,06% of all European agricultural spaces were subject to GMO use (a 23% decrease since 2008).

This is promising news.

Garric goes on to explain that only two GMO products are grown in Europe: corn (MON 810, from the American company Monsanto – no surprise) and potatoes (Amflora, from the German company BASF – approved by the European Commission just last year). I started getting tense as I read this, then learned that France (among seven other European countries) bans the use of MON 810 (a small sigh of relief). Such banning is part of the reason GMO use is declining in Europe, but the main reason, as the article highlights, is that 61% of the population opposes genetically modified products and chooses not to consume them.

That all sounds great, but the story isn’t quite so simple. Even though Europe isn’t growing many genetically modified produce, we are importing it from elsewhere – mostly to feed animals. Even though I, and the rest of the anti-GMO Europeans, don’t actively consume genetically modified products, traces of them end up in the animal products we consume (my homemade yogurt suddenly doesn’t sound so appetizing).

I’m against the use of GMOs in large part because we are not aware of potential dangers. I also don’t like the idea of agricultural and chemical companies dominating the production of seeds. You can argue that using GMOs can contribute to reducing the use of pesticides and, thus, our dependence on fossil fuels, but I don’t quite buy it. I don’t think replacing one evil with another is the ideal solution.

Since we’re on the topic, I’m reading Michael Pollan’s book The Omnivore’s Dilemma. The entire first part is dedicated to corn and how it has changed the face of American agriculture. Really interesting! Let’s hope Europe doesn’t end up there, too.

Tags: everyday life, news, vegetables