Emily in France 🇫🇷 I'm Back!
Is this thing on?
I really left you hanging there, didn't I?
I swear, I didn't succumb to butter-related injuries. After sharing my galette ranking from sixth through tenth, I quickly absconded to the mountains where I wholeheartedly leaned into the no-Internet lifestyle.
(Please see exhibit A below.)
Upon reaching the end of a week of skiing, I embarked on a week of driver's ed, which was harrowing and altogether awful (for me. I think that the 19-year-old I was paired with fared much worse.)
But I'm back and, if not better than ever, I'm at the very least no worse for the wear (or... like... not too much worse for the wear...), and I can think of no better way of getting back into gear (ugh. Flashbacks.) than to share galettes number five through one with you all!
5. This tasty little number is admittedly looking far more photogenic in the day-lit photo up top, but it was far tastier than this sad, dark picture lets on. The whole pistachio galette from Liberté was far more interesting, to my mind, than the individual one I started the month with, and it didn't hurt that this slice was enjoyed warm. It was simple, yes, but very, very tasty.
4. Sain is a strong contender for my favorite bakery in Paris full-stop, so I'm not surprised the buttery galette made a bid for my top choice. The pastry here was just as perfect as I've come to expect, and I loved the dense, skin-on almond frangipane filling studded with whole almonds. The only bémol: a kind of pervasive sour flavor that made me think of lemon but was a little too overpowering to be a benefit to the galette itself.
3. The individual galette from Utopie definitely had me eating my words vis à vis this galette format. (I usually prefer a slice. Better frangipane-to-pastry ratio.) Dense with vanilla-scented, skin-on almond frangipane and a buttery bottom layer that was crisp and rich and heady, it almost pushed out the next contender for second place.
2. One of my first galettes of the season proved to be the one to beat for buttery pastry. Every galette I tried after this one from Mamiche had the flavor and quality of its pâte compared to this frontrunner, and every one was found wanting. The frangipane was simpler and not quite as flavorsome as some others, but somehow, with pastry this good, it didn't quite matter.
1. This year's Holy Grail of galette-dom was taken by a pastry I hadn't even planned to sample! When an attempt to track down the galette from Maison Aleph proved fruitless, I stumbled upon this monster of a pastry sold, not by slice, but by weight. See how dense it is? No air gaps between the buttery pastry and the lightly rum-scented almond filling. A real winner, for sure!
Cheese of the Week
I'm a day late (I'm sensing a theme, with this newsletter...) but Happy Valentine's Day! This week, I'm sharing one of my favorite bloomy-rinded cheeses with you: Norman Neufchâtel (no relation to the low-fat cream cheese). According to legend, this cheese was the preferred gift bestowed by local Norman maidens on their English occupying soldier lovers during the 100 Years War (which actually lasted 116 years, but who's counting?) Despite resembling Camembert on the outside, this cheese is quite distinct from its fellow Norman cousin, with a punchier, saltier flavor and a crumbly, almost chalky interior.
To discover more of my favorite cheeses, be sure to follow me on Instagram @emily_in_france.
What I'm Eating
I've recently been attempting to revisit some of the classic bistro options in Paris to see if they're worth their salt. (My life is so hard.) This was how I found my way to Joséphine Chez Dumonet, a venerable old bistro with all of the pomp and circumstance you'd hope for (and a price tag to match). The wait service is lovely; the clientèle is almost 100% Anglophone; the food is pretty good.
This spot proves to be more about the experience than the excellence of the cuisine, which is perfectly fine but not necessarily anything to write home about, with two exceptions: the massive shards of garlic in the fried potato side that accompanies the chateaubriand steak (oh that I could write a poem to those garlic shards...) and the Grand Marnier soufflé, which is astounding. More on the blog.
Discover more of my foodie finds via Instagram @emily_in_france.
What I'm Writing
1. Speaking of bistros... there's some evidence that this once-pervasive restaurant style is falling by the wayside. Locals find them unfashionable; the ones that remain seem to cater mainly to tourists. I separate myth from reality for Life & Thyme.
2. Do you know which fork is which? How about how to ask a dinner party guest for help without committing a major faux pas? I delve into hosting tips your grandma wishes you knew for Mashed.
3. Climate change has a whole lot of very visible effects ranging from unseasonable freezes to horrific fires, but there are also some we can't see that are just as worrisome. I take a deep dive into the increasing presence of mycotoxins in the food system for Sliced.
What I'm Saying
Navigating the French is back for a new season! This week, I'm talking culture générale with Mathilde Caër, a former bookseller and staff member at Paris’ museum of music. Together, we delve into this category of French culture that encompasses everything from French comic books based in Ancient Roman history to the newest cinematic masterpieces to which wine you bring to a dinner party.
What I'm Reading
1. I haven't been watching much TV of late, for two reasons: either it's too dark (there's enough of that in the world) or it's light but mean. Joyful TV that manages to be funny without being cruel is my jam (hey, Ted Lasso; 'sup, Schitt's Creek.) So I really appreciated this story in the Washington Post (admittedly about a show I have yet to watch, Bel Air; see point 1 above) that reminds us how invaluable smart comedy can be in grappling with weighty concerns and explores why the Fresh Prince got it so right back in the 90s.
2. This heartwarming story about a man who decided to give (er, sell) the books he loved back to the world instead of keeping them behind locked doors in one of the quirkiest approaches to a used book store ever, in the New Yorker.
3. Why translating French swear words is so effing difficult (see what I did there?) for The Local. (Also, if anyone wants to come chat gros mots on my podcast, drop me a line! I have questions!
A bientôt !