Emily in France 🇫🇷 August (Not) in Paris
I'm outta here!
Southern Europe these days is a loaf of sourdough, a chicken-under-a-brick, a Neapolitan pizza. It’s 93 ºF in Cannes, 89 in Naples. And yet here in Paris, it feels like October, with endless rainfall and mid-60s temperatures that have me pulling my jeans and boots from storage.
But not for long.
I’m a resolute aoûtienne, outta here the second August begins, or nearly. I’ll be departing tomorrow for Wales, the first leg of a six-week journey that will have me in Paris for mere hours of the month of August. (I write this from the American Library of Paris, which has furnished me with reading material for these sojourns for years.)
It’s easier to leave rainy Paris than it is when the city is sunny and hot and sweaty, which I love and feel I’ve reaped all too few benefits of, this year. What I wouldn't give for one more picnic by the Canal, one more glass of rosé, before la rentrée ushers in the next exciting adventures.
Not that I’m complaining… not really. I’ve got so many fun things in the pipeline, and I can't wait to bring you along for the ride.
Cheese of the Week
Seeing as the first stop on my journey is Wales (and to report on cheese, no less!) it seems only apt to share this luscious washed-rind delicacy I discovered in Pembrokeshire last fall. Saval is a luscious washed-rind cheese made by Caws Teifi with a dense texture and rich, super-savory flavor.
To discover more of my favorite cheeses, be sure to follow me on Instagram @emily_in_france, subscribe to my YouTube channel, 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
Shinjuku Pigalle’s approach to contemporary Japanese street food definitely sent me back to some of my favorite bites of 2019, with takoyaki, okonomiyaki and more on the menu at this super vibey spot not far from Montmartre. More on the blog.
Discover more of my foodie finds via Instagram @emily_in_france and on the blog.
What I'm Writing
1. Doubling as a delicious maths problem, France's easy-to-make yogurt cake recipe relies on volume measures facilitated by the ubiquitous 125g terracotta yogurt pot. For the BBC.
2. Meaty concoctions are taking over SF drink menus. Here’s where to try cocktails infused with wagyu fat and more. For InsideHook.
3. Diet culture is toxic but what about clean eating? In Dr. Will Cole’s latest book, Gut Feelings, he explains why we need to recalibrate our relationship with ourselves and the choices we make. For Organic Authority.
What I'm Saying
The French love to speak in negatives: not bad instead of good, not false instead of true. This week on Navigating the French, I’m joined by Phineas Rueckert, an investigative journalist who is particularly intrigued by the way the French wield the phrase c’est pas évident – and what their understanding of it means regarding their relationship with facts and how they’re presented.
What I'm Reading
1. Unpopular opinion, perhaps, but I’m not super keen on works (books, TV shows) about food that are focused on someone whose career has not at least abutted food. (One of the things that frustrates me most about Somebody Feed Phil is how infrequently he actually describes what he’s eating. I far prefer Fred Siriex, though he doesn’t have nearly Phil’s budget. And so I watch.) But I was pleasantly surprised by this memoir through food from Stanley Tucci, which started with an illustration of a childhood straight out of any Italian-American kid’s wildest dreams and managed nevertheless to weave an intricate narrative that is honest about loss, connection, and the ways in which food is instrumental to our humanity.
2. This upsetting – nay enraging – news that bouquinistes will be sidelined during next year’s Olympics. In the Guardian.
3. This oldie-but-a-goodie that imagines the pitch meeting for Wishbone and makes me wish I had even a fingernail’s worth of this creativity. In the Toast.
A bientôt !