Tag Archives: France

FIAC 2013

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Since my first visit to FIAC in October 1999, I have tried to go back whenever I am in Paris. To me, FIAC is an important window to the contemporary art scene that is not limited to France and the francophone world. It gives me a concrete way to witness how our globalized world is changing, and even if old European cities are still strongly represented, galleries and artists from India, South Korea and Israel are definitely gaining a solid position in the international art world.  FIAC 2013

For example, Yeesookyung is a South Korean artist living in Seoul. We saw her work at Espace Louis Vuitton in Paris in 2008 and recognized her work immediately at FIAC (she reconstructs trashed ceramic vases).Yeesookyung

Jitish Kallat is a Mumbai-based artist whose work reflects the diversified yet complex character of his home city. I am curious to know the story behind this sculpture of four men, so if you know something, please let me know! Otherwise I will pay a visit to Daniel Templon gallery.. (or ask my Mumbai friends!).Jitish Kallat

It would be difficult to make an exhaustive summary of everything I saw at FIAC, but some other interesting art pieces are pictured below:

Suenos by Jason Martin (2012): Jason Martin

Lisa by John DeAndrea (2005): Lisa by John DeAndrea

Indeed, this year we saw many real-life size sculptures of human beings, which made me leave FIAC wondering how the global crisis are influencing the artists’ works….?

PS In addition to the high-quality art, I love FIAC because of its stunning venue: le Grand Palais built in the Belle Epoque era. To see an exhibition at le Grand Palais should be on everyone’s “once in a life time” list so try to make a stop there during your next visit to Paris!

Links to the artists:

http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/yeesookyung.htm?section_name=body_language

http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/jitish_kallat.htm

http://www.artnet.com/artists/jason-martin-2/ (Note to my Finnish friends: Jason Martin exhibited at Galerie Forsblom in Helsinki 2012)

http://www.artnet.com/artists/john-deandrea/

 

Bringing a little bit of Châteauneuf-du-Pape home

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France is a very diversified country. Each region has its distinctive history and culture that translate into specific types of cuisine. Tripe and cider in Normandy, crêpes and galettes in Brittany, bouillabaisse and ratatouille in the Mediterranean, socca in Nice, snails in Burgundy, duck and foie gras in the south-west, choucroute in Alsace, etc. The list is next to endless.

Every time I travel inside the Hexagone, I discover something new food wise. And it is almost as fascinating to live in Paris, and visit restaurants, grocery stores or food fairs to discover products of those regions that I have visited. It is like bringing a tiny bit of vacation home…Châteauneuf du PapeEarlier this year we visited the Salon des vignerons indépendants and saw a stand that looked familiar. It said AOC Châteauneuf-du-pape and the bottles had Château des Fines Roches written on them. We knew immediately where they are located: 15km from Avignon, in the southern Rhône Valley. Fines Roches refers to the château around which the grapes to make this wine grow, but it is also a place where we had a fabulous lunch in August 2006!Chateau ddes Fines RochesWe started talking with the owners and ended up buying some bottles of their red. And last week we opened one of these bottles, a bottle of AOC Châteauneuf-du-pape Château des Fines Roches (2010) to celebrate our wedding anniversary. And this week the winemakers, the Mousset-Barrot family, sent us an invitation to the Salon des vignerons indépendants that will take place in Paris during the last weekend of November. Très sympa! Château des Fines Roches à Châteauneuf du Pape

Links:

Château des Fines Roches (hotel & restaurant): http://www.chateaufinesroches.com

Salon des vignerons indépendants: https://pearlspotting.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/wine-tasting-at-salon-des-vins-des-vignerons-independants-2/

Warming up for FIAC

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After my meeting in the 16th arrondissement this afternoon, I started walking toward Grand Palais, which equals FIAC this week. However, on my way, there was Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, one of my favorite museums in Paris. So, I walked in. It has been several months that I have not have my Delaunay, Dufy and Modigliani dose! Dufy, The Electricity FairyThe permanent collection of this museum is free, and the building is full of light. I describe this museum “cheerful”. It rarely is a top priority for a tourist visiting Paris, but in my opinion it makes an excellent introduction to the turn-of-the-century artists. I find Dufy’s La Fée Electricité (The Electricity Fairy) fascinating.

After an hour or so, I walked out. But there was another “obstacle” between me and FIAC. Palais Tokyo was a few steps away, so I decided to check out its new restaurant Monsieur Bleu. I loved the interior design and thought that the green, which dominated the restaurant, was a particularly beautiful shade of green. There was also a dark grey fireplace made of marble, almost identical to the one we have at home. The lamps were massive but discreet. Indeed, I give full ten points to Monsieur Bleu’s looks!  Monsieur Bleu

By the time I closed the heavy metal door of Monsieur Bleu, my feet stopped cooperating. No FIAC today, they told me.

Mea culpa –a new try tomorrow or Saturday!

Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris: http://www.mam.paris.fr/

The Electricity Fairy (by Dufy): http://www.mam.paris.fr/en/node/359

Monsieur Bleu: http://monsieurbleu.com/

PS why not to follow Pearlspotting on Facebook, too?

FIAC is back!

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One of my favorite art events in Paris starts this Thursday!

FIAC is an annual art fair where galleries from all over the world present their collections. It is a fascinating meeting point, and a melting pot, of contemporary art. I have attended FIAC several times and have always found it very enriching.

This year the main event takes place at Grand Palais, which is one damn piece of art (and architecture)! Other outdoor art installations can be found at Jardin des Tuileries, Jardin des Plantes and Place Vendôme.FIAC Jardin des Plantes

The event of the year not to be missed! Practical information below:

Grand Palais: From Thursday October 24 to Sunday October 27 from midday to 20h. Nocturne on Friday October 25 until 21h. 35€ for adults, free for children under 12 years old.

For “Hors les Murs” events (free):

Jardin des Tuileries: every day until November from 7h30 to 19h30

Jardin des Plantes: every day until November from 10h to 17h

Place Vendôme: every day until November

Berges de Seine: every day until November

What Karl Lagerfeld and Elle UK taught me today

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What one can learn during some hours on the beach!

1. Karl Lagerfeld is a philosopher: “Personality begins where comparison ends”.

2. Prada and Dior have some crazy, extravagant sun glasses. Really.

3. Chanel is as classy as ever and they have a pair of glasses made for me.Elle UK October 20134. Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is free like a bird, and advertises Bulgari jewellery (but does not need that much of photoshopping).

5. Flats by Tod’s look so comfortable and colors are sophisticated. And they are color-coordinated with bags.

6. Nicole Kidman looked great in the Paperboy film (2012), and continues to do so in Jimmy Choo.beach time7. Thomas Sabo has totally copied my engagement ring by Chaumet. Except that his ring is gold plated and with zircon.

Inspiration source:  ELLE UK, October 2013 (http://www.elleuk.com/magazine).

Catching the last rays of the Mediterranean summer

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I spent this summer pretty much working in front of the computer and piles of papers, but to be honest, I do not mind spending the summer in Paris. Less traffic, less pollution, less people, less stress, less everything –in my opinion August in particular is the best month in Paris!

However, now that my contract is going to end in few weeks’ time, I can finally start planning for holidays. Our last trip to the Mediterranean basin took place in May (Crete), and we would like to catch some more of that southern sun before the autumn really begins…sky is the limitWhen I was preparing Sicilian Caponata: a perfect autumn dish yesterday, I was pretty decisive about  flying to Sicily and renting a car to explore the island. I am very intrigued about the culinary culture there. In addition, we could have free tickets with Easy Jet, and there are several flights per week (did you know that since last year you can use your Emirates miles to buy Easy Jet tickets?). The Sicily option sounds tempting for many reasons, but I do wonder about the weather. Would we be able to swim in the sea?

This morning I turned on the computer and there was an email from Transavia (http://www.transavia.com/hv/en-EU/home), a low-cost airline that is part of the Air France-KLM group. They have super-hyper-cheap flights to destination where many airlines stop flying around the time when the schools start, so now I am looking at returning to Crete (Heraklion 69€ one way) or flying to Turkey (Antalya 79€ one way). There is also Sicily (Palerme) for next to nothing: 39€. Hmmm… How about flying to Antalya and catching a return flight from Heraklion? How long would the island hopping take?

So many choices, so many wonderful destinations! Whether we choose Sicily, Crete, Turkey or something else in that part of the Mediterrenaen, it will be a fantastic choice, full of culinary experiences I am sure!

If you were me, where would you go and why?

PS Have you already checked Pearlspotting’s Facebook page?

Easy Saturday dinner from the Aligre Market

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I used to go a lot to the Aligre Market when I first moved to Paris, and I remember discovering anis flowers and other exotic spices unfamiliar to me at that time. However, working abroad and eventually living in different arrondissements in Paris kept me away from this charming market for years –until now. Since this summer I have been rediscovering the market and even if it is less African and Arab than it used to be, it is still more ethnic than most of the markets in the center of Paris.

Yesterday we were tired after another wedding, and decided it was going to be a quiet dinner at home. My husband, a loyal follower of Le Fooding restaurant reviews, had recently read about a butcher’s shop/restaurant called Les Provinces at 20 Rue d’Aligre, so we decided to eat some beef for dinner. Les ProvincesOne of our favorite dishes, Côte de Bœuf (ultimate French meat dish), usually sells for a bit less than 30€/kg. The butcher at Les Provinces presented us with two options: Irish beef with a very small bone for 26€/kg and French côte de bœuf with a much bigger bone (as we usually buy our beef) for 36€/kg. Following the butcher’s recommendation, we opted for the Irish piece of 700gr for two. Butchery Les ProvincesAfter taking notes of the butcher’s cooking tips, we purchased some tomatoes from the covered market (I did not know they are open so late!) and headed to the next address: the wine shop. One of the important things I have learned in France is that a good, well-prepared meal always deserves to be served with wine, and this rule can only be broken under specific, rare conditions….

If you read one of my previous posts Food shopping around the Aligre market, you may remember that one of the few remaining places in Paris where you can purchase your wine directly from an oak barrel is situated near the Aligre Market. Le Baron Rouge is an institution in Paris, and highly recommended. In addition, there is a bonus for oyster lovers, as they serve oysters during the winter months (this year they will start in the early October). Le Baron RougeInside the wine bar, we returned the old bottle to the bar tender and he filled a new bottle with organic Côtes du Rhône (5.20€ for one liter). I find this tradition so cute, and I hope they keep their oak barrels for many more years to come! Le Baron RougeTomatoes, beef and wine in our bag, we returned home to prepare the dinner. Doing groceries in France can be so much fun, and if you know the right places, you can buy fabulous products for a very decent price. Even in Paris. Vive la France!

The Aligre Market (Le Marche d’Aligre): Place Aligre, 75012 Paris (http://marchedaligre.free.fr/) Metro Ledru-Rollin

Restaurant Boucherie Les Provinces: 20, rue d’Aligre, Paris 75012 (http://www.lefooding.com/restaurant/restaurant-boucherie-les-provinces-paris.html)

Le Baron Rouge: 1 Rue Théophile Roussel, 75012 Paris (http://www.lefooding.com/restaurant/restaurant-le-baron-rouge-paris.html)

Back to work (motivation help from rosé wine)

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It was very hot in Paris last week and the heat wave will make its return tomorrow. At the moment, most of my friends are at exotic beach destinations from Elba to Greek islands, and yes, receiving text messages while trying to put together a publication is not easy! I do love my work –do not get me wrong- but there are periods when the beach sounds more tempting than at other times…

So, how do I get myself back to the work routine after three weeks’ holidays? By establishing my own After-Work that consists of drinking rosé and eating good food!

Our caviste, like everyone else, is on holidays, so we have been returning to Monoprix (a French grocery store) for wine purchases. It has been fun experiencing different rosé wines and honestly, I think Monoprix’s price-quality ratio is better for rosé wines than for reds and whites.

Yesterday we tried Les Embruns Gris Sauvage (IGP Sable de Camargue): organic rosé wine from Languedoc. More precisely, this wine comes from the western part of the Camargue region, the largest river delta of the western Europe (if you have a chance to visit it, do not hesitate! It is stunning and very authentic). The wine tasted lovely: agrumes, peach and other fruits. Easy and pleasant to drink. A very good choice for 4 Euros. And it is organic.  Les Embruns Gris SauvageWe also bought a bottle of Eléphant Rose Lubéron for 5.50 Euros but it is in the fridge at the moment, unopened. Perrin family makes excellent, rather affordable wines of all three colors in Provence and Rhône (South and North). This particular rosé we bought comes from Caromb, near Mont Ventoux (north east of Avignon). Eléphant Rose 2012 (Luberon)

If you are curious about these wines, please see the links below, and do not forget to check the new Pearlspotting Facebook page, too!

Les Embruns Gris Sauvage (IGP Sable de Camargue): http://www.jeanjean.com/3_5.cfm?p=18-les-embruns-vin-de-pays-des-sables-du-golfe-du-lion-marque-jeanjean&f=0,0,0,0,171,0

Eléphant Rose Lubéron: http://www.clubperrin.com/product.php4?product=53&category_id=Lub%E9ron

Image copied from here: http://www.vin-sable-camargue.com/vindessables-1-62-Laire-de-production-La-zone-geographique.html#3 (Courtesy to the Union of Vin des Sables)

Crêperie du Port, Cancale

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Over the years, we have been to three different crêperies in Cancale and there is one above the others: Crêperie du Port.

The service is always very friendly and fast, and atmosphere cosy. The restaurant seems very all-kind-of-people friendly, and I have seen them making effort to welcome everyone, no matter how much space a customer may require (wheelchairs, prams, etc.). Crêperie du PortDuring the coquille Saint–Jacques (scallop) season, I love to order the scallop and leek-fondue galette (made of gluten-free buckwheat flour). I think it is my all-time favorite savory galette!

Sadly, it was no longer the scallop season in Cancale last week. I asked the waiter and he said they only serve scallops when they can get them fresh. I searched the menu and found an other galette that seemed similar. It said pétoncles, and my husband said pétoncles are similar to coquille Saint–Jacques, but just smaller (if you are curious, type these French names on your Internet search, and see the English translators: they are both translated “scallop”… confusing!)scallop and leek galetteSo, I ordered my pétoncles galette and it was delicious. It was as good as my usual favorite galette, and the only difference was that the scallop pieces were a tiny bit smaller, and there was no leek (instead, there were mushroom). I loved it.petoncle galetteMy husband ordered his usual choice: galettes à l’andouillette, which is basically a coarse-grained sausage of pork, intestines or chitterlings, seasoned with pepper, wine, onions. Yep! Sounds hmmm interesting! I don’t eat pork, so I find this disgusting, but I tell you, many people love it. If you are adventurous, go for it (but please just keep the plate close to you, as it smells strong).

We ate our galettes with local cider (see the first photo), which was such a delight! I loved how it tasted so natural, with just the right acidity. It was real cider (not filled with chemicals and sugar)!

PS a tip: This time we did not have dessert, but I strongly urge you to taste the crêpe caramel au beurre salé (crêpe made of white wheat flour, with salty butter caramel). This crêpe is the best dessert ever invented in the world (no exaggeration!) and it is DIVINE. And the best is that if you cannot or do not want eat gluten (white wheat flour), you can ask the crêperie to make this crêpe with buckwheat flour! Do not hesitate to ask. I have done it many times and usually there are no objections. I personally find the buckwheat flour and caramel combination not bad, but see it for yourself!

Address (the main street, by the port): La Houle, 1 Place du calvaire, CancaleTel: +33-(0)2-99 89 60 66

L’huitrière, Cancale

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We walked by L’huitrière many times during our visits to Cancale before actually trying it. I guess we thought it cannot be good if the prices are so low. We were wrong.L'huitrière CancaleL’huitrière is run by a family of local oyster farmers. There are different menus and the prices start at 12€ (starter, main course, dessert), but one can also order outside the menus. Last week I ordered a fish soup for a starter and it was served with rouille, emmental cheese and croutons. It was a pleasure to eat my soup. fish soup L'huitrièreFor the main course I wanted to order the house specialty,  the skate fish served with cider-soaked cabbage and capers, but unfortunately I was told that the cabbage season ended some months ago! What a big disappointment. I love this dish (it is called raie aux câpres et son embeurré de choux au cidre and you can see it in the photo below). Instead, I chose the normal skate fish, and I did not like it. It came with an 80’s style white sauce, boiled vegetables and tagliatelle…

My husband ordered mussels and french fries, and loved the mussels (les moules marinières).raie aux capresAs dessert I chose sorbet and one cannot go very wrong with that… Previously I have had Ile Flottante but I was just not that hungry any more. Next time however I will return to the “floating island” made of meringue.

I do think that for this low prices (12€!), it is worth eating at L’huitrière, but one should know something about ordering. My rules for future are these:

1) Stick to local ingredients (mussels, fresh oysters, whelks (boulots) and fish soup. Do not go for exotic options like squid –it is not native to Bretagne.

2) Ask for seasonal recommendations.

3) If the house specialty is available, have the skate fish with capers and cider cabbage. It is very tasty and a good combination of ingredients. Just be careful how to eat it (it comes with bones that can be tricky).

4) Mussels are available at most times of the year and are “always good”! They are a very safe choice.

L’huitrière,

14 Quai Gambetta, Cancale. Tel: +33-(0)2-99 89 75 05.

http://www.huitres-cancale.fr/fr_huitres-cancale/restaurant-a-cancale-p0-C27.html