Emily in France 🇫🇷 I'm a Book Cheat.
Bookish.
I've never been someone who reads more than one book at once. I prided myself on clinging to the pages of a tome – even one I wasn't particularly enjoying – until the bitter end. Because I'm also a serial book finisher. Because I can't start a task – even one that's meant to be enjoyable – without finishing it.
But recently, somehow, that's all changed. My currently-reading pile is spilling onto the floor, with a book for every time of day, a book for every mood. I have morning books and evening books. I put down a longer book to read something short that, nine times out of ten, is due back at the library. I return half-finished books (taking a photo of the page I'm on first) and put myself back on the list to borrow them again, hoping I'll be able to pick up where I left off when finally, finally the book comes back around to me.
I have a book in my bag and one under my pillow. I'm forever reprioritizing my to-be-read pile: something new and shiny to take the place of something that's been kicking around for a while; a book borrowed languishing until suddenly its whereabouts are called into question and it's a mad dash to finish it so it can be reunited with its owner.
I've become a book cheat.
And while sometimes, it makes my brain feel scrambled... there is, occasionally, something nice about settling into bed at night and considering:
French or English?
Contemporary or classic?
Literary or instructional?
I'm not sure this new approach will be with me forever. For one, I keep confusing one book for another. But for now, I'm embracing the massive pile of books I've somehow accumulated for the last few weeks of the year, and I'm sinking my teeth into whatever pages are closest to hand.
Cheese of the Week
If you don't think you're a fan of washed-rind cheeses, Petit Saint Point might be just the one to change your mind. This semi-pressed cheese from the Jura (aka home to Comté) boasts a fairly elastic texture and has lovely nutty aromas beneath a very mild washed rind funk. It would be a lovely stand-in for Reblochon in baked dishes like tartiflette, but frankly, I prefer to eat it all on its own.
To discover more of my favorite cheeses, be sure to follow me on Instagram @emily_in_france.
What I'm Eating
The 7th arrondissement is not usually my favorite area in Paris in which to eat, but Milagro changes all of that, with a menu of dishes frequently accented – if not wholly inspired – by Chef Justin Kent's native New Mexican. After a recent beer-and-food pairing lunch there (with none other than Deck & Donohue), I am sold. More on the blog!
Discover more of my foodie finds via Instagram @emily_in_france.
What I'm Writing
1. One of the most surprising offerings on a Niçois Christmas dessert table is a tourte des blettes – a sweet pie filled with apples, raisins, and... Swiss chard. (No, that's no typo.) Find out more about this seasonal treat in Food52.
2. Since this summer, DC has become home to quite a few delightful new restaurants; here are the five to watch, for InsideHook.
3. From the archive: As we move briskly towards winter, root veggies are on the menu. But did you know that some stalwart American staples have long been absent from French tables – and all because of World War II? More in Atlas Obscura.
What I'm Saying
1. In France, some Black people describe themselves as Noir; others choose Black. To delve into the difference – as well as the myriad communities and cultures that make up Black France and Black Paris – I'm speaking with Dr. Monique Wells, founder of Entrée to Black Paris. She's discussing everything from why Josephine Baker is so revered here to the movement for justice for Adama Traoré this week on Navigating the French.
2. On Chez Toi, Caroline Conner and I pair your home-cooked recipes with the perfect wine and most complementary cheese. This week's recipe comes from Christian Holthausen. He's sharing his most-requested plat en sauce recipe: beef bourguignon. Caroline and I consider regionality and more in our pairings.
(And if you want your recipe featured in a future episode, shoot me an email! We're always up for a challenge.)
This month, I'm teaming up with Jacqueline Menoret (aka the founder of Paris' Immigrant Book Club) to pair books with tasty treats – the ideal gifts for any literary minded foodie! if you're interested, be sure to follow me on Instagram.
What I'm Reading
1. John McWhorter's newsletter in the New York Times, which explores contemporary culture and politics through the lens of linguistics.
2. This celebration of Josephine Baker on the occasion of her internment in the Pantheon in the New Yorker.
3. This exploration of – I can phrase it no better – the "high-stakes world of Christmas tamales" in the Atlantic.
A bientôt !