Tag Archives: Paris

Lots of flying and dreaming

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The view from our balcony was very travel-oriented five minutes ago. Lots of planes coming and going to all sorts of exotic and familiar destinations. Paris roofs at nightThis made me think about my next travels: realistic, probable/feasible and unrealistic ones.

At this very moment my list would look something like this: Finland, Italy/Greece/Turkey and India. Finland because of friends, family and summer house, Italy/Greece/Turkey for excellent, affordable food and the Mediterranean sea, and finally India for my friends in Bombay, AMAZING food and complexity mixed with simplicity.

Voila, my list. What is yours? Three categories: a) realistic b) probable/feasible c) unrealistic. Waiting to hear yours!

Meanwhile, have a lovely Friday night. I am off to eat lamb chops.

Paris Goes to Sleep

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I had hard time choosing just one photo from tonight’s walk around the Île Saint-Louis, so here you have three. The sky was deep blue and streets very quiet, but temperature was quite cool. Summer, we are waiting for you! Paris at nightParis and Notre Dame at nightParis and Notre Dame at nightParis goes to sleep now, but keep checking this blog, Pearlspotting (Facebook) and  (Twitter)! Interesting new restaurant reviews and more stories about Finland to come… and of course more of India, too!!

 

New Potatoes with Pickled Herring

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When first potatoes of the season arrive at Finnish grocery stores in June or July, people rush to find the most velvety potatoes that have skin so thin that no peeling is needed. Then when these Finns arrive at home they will most likely prepare a traditional dish of new potatoes with pickled herring, dill, spring onion and crème fraîche, and everyone at the table goes “awwww, aren’t the new potatoes just delicious”!

Yes, this is a sign of summer and happiness in Finland (at least in my childhood memories)!

Today I made this dish in Paris and it tasted as good as it would have back at home. The Bastille Market is great for almost anything and I easily found the type of potatoes I needed. As for the rest, I had anticipated the herring craving during my last IKEA visit and the rest of the ingredients never require any particular effort.

So, bring a little bit of Finland to your home by this recipe:Finnish dish new potatoes with pickled herring

  • Buy small potatoes that have almost no skin, or skin that comes off with simple brushing. Boil them with fresh dill and butter. Tip: wrap them in aluminium foil to keep them hot!
  • Serve pickled herrings in a bowl. We had herring in mustard sauce, but any specialized shop (even IKEA) has a variety of options (herring with dill, onion, pepper, etc.). Choose whichever flavor appeals to you most and serve this northern European delicacy in a bowl.
  • Cut spring onions (both the bulbs and the greens) and serve them raw in a bowl.
  • Cut fresh dill and serve in a small bowl.
  • Put crème fraîche in a bowl.
  • Have butter on a plate so that everyone can add it on his/her hot potatoes.

The only ingredient that needs to be cooked (and served hot) is potatoes. The rest should be served cold or room temperature, and in separate bowls. Eating this dish is a lot of fun (a bit like raclette dish in fact!) because everyone composes his/her own plate. Try yourself and let me know!

Seen by the Seine

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Even during a rainy week there is something joyful happening in Paris.wedding in Paris by the Seine

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@Miia_Niskanen

Sweet and Chunky Chicken Salad

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The latest lunch-break invention: sweet and chunky chicken salad! sweet chicken saladWhat you need for composing the salad:

  • chunks of roasted chicken
  • chunks of grilled artichokes
  • chunks of melon (I used Cantaloupe)
  • avocado slices
  • lettuce
  • almonds and walnuts

What you need for the dressing:

  • wheat germ oil (the best available natural source for vitamine E!!)
  • sesame oil
  • balsamic vinegar
  • mustard
  • black pepper

Mix and enjoy! And do not forget to check out Pearlspotting on Facebook, too.

 

Sunday Market

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Surely every tourist already knows this, but when you visit Paris (or any other French town), do not miss a food market! I go to the Bastille Market every Sunday and love it. For less than 10€ we buy seasonal fruits and vegetables that last entire week. The Bastille MarketNot only the Bastille market is very affordable, but the atmosphere is particular, too. Vendors shout at each other (and you) and everyone is from somewhere. A true melting pot of French regions. Fish comes from Brittany, cheese from Normandy, snails from Burgundy, beef from Limousin, etc. The Bastille MarketEven if we have our usual suppliers, every Sunday we meet new ones. Like this kind fishmonger from Brittany who took time to chat with us.Fishmonger from BrittanyAs you can see, visiting a market is fascinating, but it is also très sympa to walk home with several kilos of tomatoes, melons, onions, mint, lemons, carrots and salad. Not forgetting a bottle of Côtes de Provence rosé to celebrate the beginning of the summer! coming home from the Bastille MarketBon appetit everyone! It is 6 o’clock and I will have Greek for a late lunch. 

 

 

 

A Season in France by the Conran Shop

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Last Thursday night I was invited to a soirée privée to celebrate the launch of the Conran Shop‘s spring/summer 2014 collection called “A Season in France”. A Season in France, Conran Shop, Paris

It was a fantastic evening full of sinfully enjoyable Billecart-Salmon champagne, mouthwatering amuse-bouches and eccentric characters approaching us with more soirée privée invitations. Very Parisian indeed!A Season in France, Conran Shop ParisThe collection was stylish and cheerful. It really seemed as if the objects had been chosen for the purpose of making gardening, cooking, playing, cleaning etc. an enjoyable moment!

Indeed, the colors and the presentation of the collection put me in such a good mood that I returned again yesterday afternoon to absorb more energy from this lovely, happy collection. A Season in France, Conran Shop, ParisWhat do you think, does it get any more French and Parisian than this?

PS During two more days, benefit from a 15% discount on selected items! Where? Here: http://www.conranshop.fr/ How? Use this promotional code: LOVEFRANCE

 

Coffee on the Balcony

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The first coffee of this spring enjoyed on the balcony. Need to turn this into a habit! Morning coffee on the balcony in Parisgluten-free chocolate biscuits

PS For months now, my husband has been buying gluten-free chocolate biscuits made of rice flour from Bio c’Bon –healthy alternative to croissants…

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Note: Due to a problem on WordPress, you probably missed the last post Perfect Weather for Hamburgers.

Perfect Weather for Hamburgers

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Maybe it has something to do with yesterday’s Last Days of Summer film (who knows in what way), but tonight I went jogging, got home, looked out of the kitchen window and decided that it is certainly the most perfect weather for making hamburgers!

Don’t you just agree? Parisian skyWhile I bake my hamburger steaks, tell me something: how do clouds trigger craving for hamburgers? 

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Home Sweet Home

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Six weeks of globetrotting is over and every place I saw during my travels was rewarding in its own way.

India was fantastic, as always, and so rich in everything: culture, history, people, food, religion, architecture etc. This was my fourth one-month-long trip to India and I enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed my previous trips. Definitely The Place to be in for me –I am very attached to India and miss my dear friends terribly. Will be writing a lot more about India in the weeks to come (hope everyone enjoy reading about India??)!

Unfortunately I was a bit sick in Dubai so I could not do as much as I had planned, but I did manage to squeeze in enough shopping and pool time. And super delicious Iranian kebabs, but more about that in another post.

My last destination was Finland, my country of origin. The country returned to winter last week and I saw snow, sleet and hail. All this felt almost pleasantly exotic after the tropics but unfortunately I was not prepared clothes-wise for this weather shock (from 38C in Dubai to barely 8C in Finland…). So, the weather directed me toward indoor activities and I took advantage of visiting museums and doing a food tour of Helsinki, but more about all this a bit later.

Now back to Paris. What is it like to return after six weeks? What did I do upon arriving at home?

First, I put fish in the freezer. My father is a keen fisherman so I usually bring “home-caugh” pike-perch and burbot to Paris, just like my parents do when they visit us in Paris (Bringing a little bit of Finnish Christmas to Paris).

Second, I checked upon flowers and plants on the balcony. Prior to travelling, we had spent a lot of time (and money) planting pansies and other plants so it was important to find them in a good health. And judging by the photos, I think everyone agrees that they were doing well! Parisian balcony in springParisian balcony with flowersParisian balcony with pansies

Third, I installed a little bit of India at home. The nine-kilo marble Nandi statue that we purchased in Varanasi found its place on the balcony. It is now part of our small Hindu temple where Nandi gets showered by flower petals and candles. We have been searching for a beautiful Nandi for a long time and are happy to have finally found this elegant piece. Furthermore, to ease Nandi’s homesickness, we placed it toward the East, India.Nandi statue in ParisAnother object we have been looking for a while is a brass bowl (urli). After a lot of exploration we finally found a lovely one in a rather touristic shop in Bombay. Urli is placed on our bathroom sink and looking very good. Moreover, this is a great way to have fresh flowers in the bathroom! urli in the bathroom in Paris

A lot of photos about flowers, but I guess it is a good sign: summer is almost here!!

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What are your thoughts on these Franco-Indian decoration ideas? Do you tend to bring design objects from your travels and does mixing styles always work? Would love to see links to your homes!! Until then, have a great week!