le sud

recently i took a spontaneous trip to the south of france with a friend of mine... our first stop of many was in a little town called Sariannes, located about 20 minutes outside of Avignon. my friend has a family-friend who owns a bed-and-breakfast there, and i went not knowing a thing at all about what we were getting ourselves into...

i was unaware when we got to this house that the owner, the amazing Catherine, was a chef! it was meant to be... this experience showed me the typical south of france lifestyle that was just an image in my head until now... the fruits, vegetables, milk, cheese, meats was all incredibly fresh. the big bowl of almonds and walnuts we were told were from a friend's yard... as i looked out the window, i saw rows of olive trees... the vineyards were plentiful, fruit trees lined up outside... it was too gorgeous...

the sunset over the vineyards

the minute i got to talking with Catherine, i mentioned my interests in the culinary world, and she welcomed me to help her make dinner for the little dinner party she planned... after an aperitif of champagne, we got to making asparagus risotto. of course Catherine, with all her experience, made it seem so easy! and it turned out so delicious. with mascarpone and parmesan cheese, the risotto was creamy, yet not too heavy, and the big, green asparagus tasted so good and garnished the dish beautifully...

typical to a southern french meal, there was a plate of charcuterie alongside the risotto with a few different types of meats that all tasted so different, salty, sweeter, spicy, a perfect com

pliment to the risotto...

and there was a salad of arugula picked fresh from the garden that was spicy (the way arugula should be) mixed with just a bit of sundried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and a very light dressing... after this course came some cheese, each so spectacular (although it is difficult to find a cheese i don't like). with the cheese, Catherine served something a bit unusual: olive jam. at first, i was a bit hesitant as to what it would taste like. i took just a little on my plate and after that one bite i was addicted! it was too good. as it was not overwhelmingly sweet, the little bit of sugar was a perfect

compliment to the saltiness from the olives. then a light dessert followed.... each person was served a little glass filled with strawberry puree topped with whipped mascarpone that was mixed with a bit of wasabi. another unusual element to a dessert, but it was actually really light and good! Catherine also placed a gorgeous basket of bright red strawberries on the table for everyone to help themselves to...

breakfast was also a delight the next morning... me and my friend woke up to a gorgeous spread of freshly made yogurt, an assortment of homemade jams that were spectacular, bread, fresh butter, kiwis and strawberries, it was the perfect start to the day!

what a wonderful surprise i stumbled into!! a great way to introduce me to the southern french world! Catherine has cookbooks that she wrote (and she is currently working on her next one), offers cooking classes at her home, and is always busy coming up with new ideas using the fresh ingredients she picks in her yard... this was a lifestyle i know i could get used to.

adventures in colorful barcelona

since i've been in paris for the past couple of months, i have taken two little weekend trips to barcelona, spain. coming from paris, the difference in food culture was undeniable. the food in barcelona was just so fresh, and the culture takes advantage of the freshness in a sensational way...

the entrance of La Boqueria

it is so easy (and, not to mention, so cheap) to get the freshest foods at la Boqueria, a good-sized (yet not overwhelmingly large) market place that is made up of an assortment of stands where you can find anything... fruits such as coconut, strawberries, cherries, lychees (love these), and all sorts of fresh fruit juices that made for the perfect breakfast; vegetables like

deliciously ripe avocados, asparagus, peppers of any color, and the most heavenly tomatoes; you can find any type of raw meat, chicken, fish (not the most appetizing part of the market, but really any part of any animal's body was available); there were stands for just dried fruit and nuts; and one of the many chocolate stands sold the largest selection of anything chocolate you can think of!... and, buried in between all the market stands are a handful of bars that cooked up heavenly tapas, perfect for lunch! at one bar called Pinoxto (which I went to two days in a row it was so good) the sauteed calamari was divine and a dish of chick peas mixed with an assortment of spices were the best i think i have ever tasted...

another special place for lunch was found at a different market. the restaurant/bar was called Ciunes Santa Caterina, located at the Mercat Santa Caterina. this was a bit more upscale, with a beautiful decor and fabulous atmosphere. and, not to mention, every dish we ordered was so heavenly! an assortment of the most incredible tomatoes came, which made me crazy for the local tomatoes! sauteed calamari was again a favorite, flavored with green onions and delicious olive oil... and we ordered crayfish (something i would never think to order, but thanks to my uncle we did) which turned out to be so good. just looking around, i could see the colors of all the ingredients and just how fresh they all were...

i will end on another tomato dish that is a traditional catalan dish served all over barcelona. we rarely had a lunch without this... crusty, relatively thick bread is toasted. then, they take a delicious tomato, cut it in half, and with the cut side down, rub it all over the top of the bread. ! then it is brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with a bit of salt.... the juicy tomato soaks into the bread and it turns out so wonderful! such a simple concept that is so popular throughout the city and tastes delicious.

getting out of paris was a nice little break, especially in a city that serves food like that in barcelona... the colorful markets and dishes were no surprise in a city that is so colorful itself!

let's talk tom

the man himself.

i will never forget the day when i first saw him. standing at the airport waiting for my uncle to arrive, i was looking down the corridor where the arrivals walk towards you... one person after the next approached, appearing tired and frumpy, as one usually does after a long, international flight... but then appeared a man, dressed in perfectly fitted jeans and a white button down shirt, gorgeous brown shoes, walking so elegantly down the hallway towards us. there was a woman on either side of him, and all three of them wheeled alligator-skin luggage. he was actually breathtaking. i was in awe. and then my mom, standing right next to me, said "that's tom ford." i must have been only around the age of ten, so naturally i had no idea who that was. when i went home, i researched and read, only to discover just how cool and talented tom ford actually is...

as such an avid fan of most things tom, you can imagine how excited i was when he announced his decision to direct a film. there was no doubt in my mind that the movie would be anything less than amazing. and when i walked out of A Single Man, i couldn't help but feel proud of how he managed to live up to all of my expectations. having been in the fashion business for over twenty years, it is apparent that his experience in the industry definitely influenced how he directed the film. in typical ford fashion, the story was told with such visual beauty. yet while the entirety of the film was so visually rich (from the clothes to the set to the beautiful actors), the clothes and the style did not overpower the message of the film and the tremendous performances that ford's directing allowed the actors to make. overall, i thought the movie was incredibly stylish but also smart and thought-provoking...

Colin Firth in A Single Man... with his Tom Ford-esque suit

the gorgeous cast of A Single Man with Tom Ford (on the left)

this seems to parallel tom ford's contribution to the fashion world. ford emerged into the fashion world slowly, but eventually he became the creative director of both Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. his image really put the element of glamour back into the style world. in 2004, when tom left the women's business for his own house, Tom Ford, men were let into the world of tom. his mens wear is gorgeous and hip, funky yet classic. (really, i encourage any man reading this to look into his clothing... you will be transformed into a stylish figure every girl wants you to be!!). now, on top of menswear, there is a tom ford line of perfumes and sunglasses too... and the ads for the label are a true, fearless exploration into tom's provocative and authentic world... here are just some of them:

it is such a lucky thing to have tom as a power house in the fashion industry. he has an incredibly talented, creative mind.. and in my opinion he has significantly influenced the progression and direction of fashion into what we see today. gotta love him.

what an eating experience

wow. so last night i was treated to an insane dinner at Guy Savoy, a three star michelin restaurant in paris. we ordered the "prestige" tasting menu (one of the 3 tasting menus offered), and i can definitely say that this was one of the best meals i have had in my life so far! the food was innovative yet it still maintained that classic french style that i adore

i am going to lay out the experience of what we ate, or at least everything i can remember from the meal! (keep in mind each portion was teeny!!):

when we sat down, they immediately brought us a toothpick with mini duck foie gras and toast. along with some delicious champagne came the amuse-bouche , which was a small leek soup, served in an espresso-type cup, meant to be drank like a coffee. the "chef-surprise" was underneath the cup, a small potato stuffed with swiss chard

the first course then showed up alongside a gorgeous bottle of red wine. a poached quail egg topped with black truffles lying on a puree of artichokes. this came with three mini slices of toast with truffle butter... the second course was lobster carpaccio with a small sort of crispy cracker and chunks of lobster ceviche. this was served on a plate that lay on top of dry ice so when it was served it was overflowing with a sort of steam or fog (this was the most scientific one... the science did not add to the taste, it was just for effect)... course number three was bites of root vegetables served in a bowl of hot foie gras broth. i had never heard of such a thing, and i don't think i have ever tasted vegetables cooked in anyway remotely close!... the fourth course then arrived, and it was guy savoy's famous artichoke soup with black truffles and parmesan cheese. actually insanely delicious. even though the soup might not be relatively "famous", they have the right to claim it!..

(getting full yet?!)...

the fifth course was fish. baked saint pierre fish (a type of meaty white fish) was served on top of watercress foam. placed on top of the delicately cooked fish were mushrooms and a pasta typical of the alsace region. this pasta was it was almost like a fried pasta. so good... eventually the last dinner course came. meat. venison. served with a balsamic reduction sauce accompanied by extremely thin slices of roasted potato.

with each separate course came

bread. but not just any bread. every course was served with a different type of homemade bread, each designed to complement the dish being served... we had a dark baguette, bread made of chestnut flour, five grain, sourdough, rye, and with the cheese there was apricot bread and raisin-walnut bread. each was incredible, and so fresh...!

Next came a HUGE cart of cheese. i mean, there must have been at least 20-30 different types of cheese... goat cheese, blue cheese, comte, camembert, brie, roquefort, epoisses... unfortunately, i cannot remember the names of each cheese we tried (as we did try quite a few!). but needless to say, each was unbelievable, and i was in heaven :)

Then, came dessert: !

first we were served a blood orange sorbet with an orange reduction sauce and thin, dried slices of blood orange (oh my god, this was so good). then the waiter carried to our table a block of ice. sticking out of the ice were two types of frozen lollipops for each of us. one lime and citrus, the other chocolate and coffee. with these we were served a little frozen kumquat filled with kumquat sorbet and a candy-type concoction. this was something that i have no idea what to call...it looked like a marshmallow, with more of a meringue texture, but it tasted like pineapple? whatever it was, it was so so delish...

believe it or not, the waiter proceeded to roll over a cart of other dessert options... a lemon marshmallow, chocolate marshmallow, and a coffee-hazelnut marshmallow... a mini pistachio cookie/bar... a warm and incredible (and when i say incredible, i mean incredble) coffee sponge cake... then came creme caramel with caramel ice cream... and then a little piece of chocolate tart served with the absolute best chocolate mousse i have ever had. ever. to follow this came the smallest slice of apple tarte tatin that was to die for. and finally, there was earl grey sorbet to finish us off...

along with the wine and the sauternes, this meal was actually insane and truly unforgettable.

while the michelin guide gives this restaurant three stars, my uncle, aunt, and i decided we are giving this place FOUR "kalatchi stars".

give yourself about five minutes to check out the video on the website for the restaurant... www.guysavoy.com. it is worth the time, an it can give you a sense of what this restaurant is really about... fresh, creative, simple, elegant, and fantastic food.

cheers to one fabulous meal, and many more to come....

dedication

having just tried on an incredible Alexander McQueen masterpiece-of-a-dress yesterday, i feel it necessary to dedicate a post to Mr. Lee Alexander McQueen, who died today in his London home. This loss comes as a devastating shock, as McQueen was only forty years old. McQueen dropped out of school at age sixteen to work for two of England's most famous tailors... it only took a few years at design school for his entire line to be purchased by Isabella Blow (a style icon and famous name in modeling and all other things fashion)... from then on, his controversial and unique collections for Givenchy and then for his own line continuously made fashion history while being overtly fashion-forward....

The work of Alexander McQueen will forever be revered as inspiration to the design and fashion world.

barefoot in paris

anyone who knows me knows that i oh so enjoy watching the food network... ever since i discovered it years ago, i always have it on the tv. most of the time it's just background noise; the only time i actually stop what i'm doing to watch is really when Ina Garten and her show Barefoot Contessa comes on. when i would come home from school "back in the day", 5:00 would be time to chill with mom and catch ina doing her thing (and what a fabulous thing!) on the show. forever she has been an icon for me, and recently she has become a role model.... about four years ago when i ran into her on the streets of paris, i was convinced it was fate. sitting in cafe de flore eating an omelet and drinking champagne, she just happened to walk by... let me note that she states in interviews that having an omelet and glass of champagne at this exact cafe is her favorite thing to do in this remarkable city! so, fate or coincidence, i got to meet her for the first time then and there. a few more "bumpings into" later, i have become so influenced and inspired by her.

Yesterday, as i was dining with one of my new friends Ida who i met here in paris, we began to talk about her. ida had never heard of her, but she was a huge fan of the movie "The Barefoot Contessa". as shocking as it may be, i had never heard of the movie, so she let me borrow it... starring Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner (as the barefoot contessa herself), the movie ended up being fantastic! (here is ava gardner from the film)...

and, after a bit of research on my end, it turns out the Barefoot Contessa specialty food store in the Hamptons is named after this movie...

this research also led me to find out some more "coincidences" about me, ina, and paris: by reading an interview, ina mentions that the open-air market, Marche Biologique Raspail, (open three times a week, this organic market is incredible) that i pass on my way to class is right by her parisian flat (in other words, she lives like around the corner from where I'm staying?!) also, she mentions La Grande Epicerie at Bon Marche (when i first walked into this place i was in heaven... no joke) is one of her local favs.

once again, this city brings me to ina!

just like ava gardner in the movie, garten's style is elegant and earthy at the same time...

Here is her website... everything we need to know

http://www.barefootcontessa.com/

Ina's cookbook "Barefoot in Paris" is so great... amazing recipes in there.

what an inspiration.

sonia.sonia.sonia.

i have the pleasure of living in saint germain des pres right now... and being in this area means that i wake up every morning and walk to my corner, which just happens to be the store of Sonia Rykiel. as one of my favorite labels, this is just icing on the cake for this fabulous neighborhood. day after day, the windows never get tiring (and neither does the selection inside... i'm not going to lie, i go in all the time!). the clothing, bags, and various other accessories- not to mention the Rykiel Woman boutique down the street, where Sonia Rykiel sex toys and other sensual accessories co-mingle with clothes and gifts- and are just so playful and fun, encouraging women to adopt their own individual personality through fashion... "la demode" (or the "un-fashion) is what Sonia's philosophy came to be called in the '70's...

http://www.rykielles.com is the line's own blog, created by Nathalie Rykiel, the current pres of the company... for sure check it out.

here is the runway collection for spring/summer 2010. this is the way fashion should be...