Emily in France 🇫🇷 Being in the World
A must-see Paris exhibit plus a countryside jaunt
This year, I set myself a goal that has since become a bit of a mantra, imbued in most every day, nearly every decision I make:
Be in the world.
Look, it should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I’m a bit of a workaholic, something that’s only gotten worse since I became my own boss in 2013. And Covid-19 didn't help matters. The reality is that I often feel like I need to “earn” my play time, and because my passion is my job, so much of what I consider play and what I consider work is a foggy grey area that means I’m never really “off” – and I’m never really offline.
So I’ve been endeavoring to go against the grain of my instinct, which often sees me filling any small bit of time with one more pitch, five more minutes on an article. I’ve been trying to be a bit more analog in my adventures, to be a bit more face-to-face in my encounters.
So far this year, I’ve taken myself on countless walks through Paris, often with no particular goal. I’ve sat in parks and watched leaves fall; I’ve become a regular fixture at spoken word nights and live music evenings.
I sat and read the first chapter of Les Faux-Monnayeurs in the Luxembourg Gardens, only to gleefully find that that’s where it takes place. I documented things, not for social media, but on a pad of paper with a pen. (I don’t think I really know how to be in the world if I’m not documenting it… but that was true long before social media, and my documentation never needed an audience, back then.)
Being in the world doesn't come all that naturally to me, as an introvert who's always been happiest in worlds spun of words on a page. But it’s been one of the most rewarding challenges I've set for myself. And friends… I’ve never been quite so happy.
Cheese of the Week
This montagnette is a pressed sheep’s milk cheese hailing from the Aspe Valley, in the Pyrenees. Washed in Jurançon wine for a touch of funk, this cheese has a lovely flavor but truly shines in its texture. The inside layer is chalky and fudgy, a bit like Caerphilly, tomme crayeuse, or Wensleydale, while the outer layer, just beneath the rind, is melt-in-your-mouth creamy thanks to the rich ewe’s milk at its core.
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
In a former railway station in the southern 14th arrondissement, le Poinçon is bringing an explosion of international flavors to the Petite Ceinture. My boredom with small plates was elided completely by the flavorful choices here, like a sea bass ceviche with sweet potato purée and Cancha or a perfectly cooked cuttlefish stuffed with mushroom duxelles and served with creamy piquillo sauce. Choices for vegetarians and pescatarians abound, and with prices ranging from 7 to 15 euro for a far from middling small plates portion, the value for money is there too.
Where I’m Going
1. To judge the Coups de Coeur contest, a competition that seeks to discern ten phenomenal dairy products submitted to a panel of expert judges (including yours truly!) for the Salon des Produits Laitiers.
2. To Frankfurt, where I’ll be doing it all again – this time at the Frankfurt International Trophy! (Check me out at last year’s contest here.)
3. To see a production of l'Education Sentimentale, one of four 19th century French novels I studied for my pre-Master's degree at the Sorbonne back in 2011.
What I’m Doing
1. Our next TERRE/MER retreat is on the books! Join us for cooking, ceramics, and yoga overlooking the Mediterranean from April 11 to 14. Book before December 31 to secure your spot – and to take advantage of 10% off.
2. Signups for the next edition of the Nantes Writers’ Workshop are open! In the meantime, be sure to sign up for our newsletter to keep those creative juices a-flowing.
What I'm Writing
1. Spend a day behind the scenes with Laurent Dubois in his artisan cheese shop, complete with access to the aging cellar in the basement. For France Today.
2. Tequila sommelier David Ortiz shares his top 8 mezcals. For InsideHook.
3. Brasserie Laurel’s Burger au Poivre was a staff-meal favorite before it hit the menu, and we scored the recipe. For InsideHook.
What I'm Reading
1. Louise Kennedy’s Trespasses does a marvelous job of setting the reader in a distinct setting, and one that I'll admit with the exception of Derry Girls I knew very little about: Northern Ireland at the height of the troubles. At its core, its story is one that has been told many times: A young woman falls for an older man; the relationship is doomed from the beginning. But this well-trodden trope is explored through a wholly unique light by Kennedy, with the difficulties in the relationship linked as much to the age gap as to the religious differences as to the man's role in the world and in society. The main character's other struggles – with her alcoholic mother, caring but overbearing brother, and students bearing the fullest brunt of the violence – set in relief this one "bad" choice that renders Kennedy's protagonist so wonderfully realistic, young, and human.
2. Seeing as I accidentally became an apologist for the empire during my French citizenship interview, I loved digging my teeth into this ultra-complete portrait of an emperor who, over two centuries after the fact, still is not met with unanimity. In the New Yorker.
3. This story about cheesy neighborhood gatherings that almost has me wanting to defect back to the Left Bank. In the New York Times.
A bientôt !