Emily in France 🇫🇷 An Unapologetic Workaholic
It's easy to be a workaholic when you eat cheese for a living.
“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at something worth doing.” – Teddy Roosevelt
If you've met me, you probably know that I'm a bit of a workaholic. It's a constant battle, I'll admit. But if I'm still in its throes, it's because honestly, it's rarely an unhappy one. I love what I do.
Since travel bans were lifted, I've divided my time fairly evenly between journalistic and tour guiding pursuits, with some fiction writing thrown in there for good measure. Every day is an adventure; every interaction paves the way for something new. And while I won't pretend this freelance life is perfect (giving tours in the rain isn't super fun; neither is invoicing), for the most part, it's pretty phenomenal. Yes, balance is sometimes a challenge. Yes, sometimes I feel myself cracking under the pressure of saying yes to one too many things. That old adage about loving what you do so you never work a day in your life couldn't be more wrong... but sometimes, it also couldn't be more right.
Just today, I walked past Notre Dame under construction and traversed two gorgeous bridges; I discovered a new (to me) cheese. I met some lovely kindred spirits, and I spent the afternoon writing in a café, people-watching whenever I needed a break from the screen.
Paris isn't perfect every day, but today it is. And I'm so happy I get to share it with you.
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Cheese of the Week
I've made it clear multiple times in this newsletter, and in no uncertain terms, that British cheeses are near and dear to my heart. And one such specimen is Stilton. I love it for its crumbly texture, for its nutty flavor. I love it for its perfection as a pairing with port. And I love it because in a land of a thousand cheeses, it stays special and elusive, something I regularly track down in London, but also something that brings me pure joy when I stumble across it in Paris, like encountering an old friend.
To discover more of my favorite cheeses, be sure to follow me on Instagram @emily_in_france and tune into the Terroir Podcast, where Caroline Conner and I delve into France's cheese, wine, and more one region at a time.
What I'm Eating
I have bemoaned the dearth of tasty, reasonably priced sushi in Paris more times than I can count, and while that white whale is one that remains at large at time of writing, I have recently been inculcated into the fan club of izakaya Jinchan Shokudo. With a host of small plates served in a vibrant atmosphere and an extensive sake menu to peruse, it's scratched the Japanese food itch... for now. More on the blog.
Discover more of my foodie finds via Instagram @emily_in_france.
What I'm Writing
1. Continuing in last week's mustard theme, North America's foremost expert on the condiment shares his day-to-day duties, as well as his favorite mustard pairings for InsideHook.
2. Queso fundido topped with green chorizo is one of the stars of the menu at El Alto – and I snagged the recipe for InsideHook.
3. From the archives: After reading this Eater piece about the end of minimalist menu descriptions, I couldn't help but think about a piece I wrote a while back on why menu translations are often so awful. For Atlas Obscura.
What I'm Saying
1. Brittany boasts some of France's most beautiful coastline, so it's no surprise that it's home to some phenomenal seafood. But this region, which has taken great strides to ensure its independence and uniqueness, is also known for its crêpes, mead, and "white gold" – a flaky sea salt that will blow your mind. Discover these delicacies and more on the Terroir Podcast.
2. Wine bar, bistro, café, bouillon… it seems Paris is rife with a panoply of categories to which restaurants can belong. To explore the reasons why the culinary landscape seems so divided – and why the modern nomenclature is a bit outdated – I'm chatting with culinary educator Allison Zinder about a word that’s far more than just a cube: bouillon. Tune in here!
What I'm Reading
1. I loved Virginia Woolf's Orlando for so many reasons, but specifically because I had an expertly annotated edition, so I could flip to the back and more deeply understand the nuances and references in this rich roman à clef. I would have loved to have this book taught to me by an expert; I'll have to content myself instead with talking about it with any Woolf fan I encounter.
2. I've always found it fascinating to consider whether having a word for something means we're better able to intellectualize it. Lists of untranslatable words are viral for a reason – emotions evoked by the French word dépaysé or the Tagalog kilig are familiar even to those whose language cannot express them. This exploration of the universality of emotions takes the concept and pushes it to the brink. in the New Yorker.
3. If you're looking for the perfect wines to discover as summer draws to a close, Bon Appétit has got you covered.
A bientôt !