Before I give you a recipe I have discovered in France, here are a few photos I recently took around Paris, most of the Christmas variety.

Christmas lights in one of the most beautiful passages in Paris, Galerie Vivienne.

I liked the reflection of these silver birds into a silver dish that I saw in the window of a florist in the Marais.

This Christmas window was in a hotel near the Odeon metro stop. I love the red cardinals.

One recipe that I discovered here in France is Farci. I don’t think its orgin is French but rather middle-eastern. There are many dishes around the world including in France, that arrived along with immigrants-farci is one. I tried to do a google search to find the source of this meal but the closest I came was that the word farci means stuffed. My mother used to make stuffed peppers that I wasn’t that fond of which consisted of hamburger meat mixed with rice, put into a green bell pepper and topped with a tomato sauce. Here in France I see farci offered often on menus and sold in street markets-either just the meat or already all done ready for cooking. Vegetables used for cooking are bell pepper, zuchinni-they these cute little round varieties that are good for this-tomatoes and sometimes mushrooms or onions. This recipe is from the book, On Rue Tatin by Susan Loomis. Two friends who do alot of French cooking looked at the recipe and said, “Hmm, milk and bread?” Maybe this is an Americanization of the usual Farci recipe, I’m not sure, but I know many Americans add that to their meatloaf recipes. I tried to make this recipe from memory once and, my memory being what it is, forgot the milk and bread and it still tasted great.

Stuffed Tomatoes (Tomatoes Farcies)

2 slices fresh bread
1/2 cup milk
2 pounds juicy tomatoes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 oz button mushrooms, diced
1 3/4 lb. lean minced pork (sometimes I use half pork with hamburger meat or veal)
1/4 c. fresh tarragon leaves (I used 2 Tb. dried)
1 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 425 F (220 c )
Tear the bread into small pieces, put in bowl, cover with milk, let sit about 30 minutes.
Slice the top off each tomato and remove the seeds and most of the inner pith. Lightly season with salt and pepper and place in oven proof dish.
Heat oil with the onions and garlic over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes, transfer to bowl. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl with onions and garlic.
Add the bread and milk to the bowl along with the pork. Chop the tarragon and parsley and add along with the eggs. Blend the mixuture thoroughtly-you will probably have to use your hands..
Evenly divide the stuffing among the tomatoes (or zucchini). Place the tops of the tomatoes on top. Bake until deep golden color, about 1 hour. Drizzle the tomatoes with the cooking juices in the pan.

There are a few differences here in France as to what is eaten at Christmas. The French, naturally, don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, so their big family meal is Christmas Eve. On the menu is foie gros, raw oysters, turkey or capon, and Buche de Noel. My family isn’t here, Christmas being the time when I get a little blue because of this, so Maurice and I had our own Christmas Eve celebration. We had some really good foie gros, the goose liver of an over-fed goose. I didn’t think I would like this when I first moved to France, but it is really good stuff. Maurice also had oysters. I will have one, but that’s about it. I had some shrimp instead.

Maurice’s oysters. Note the little bowl-it contains vinegar with chopped up shallots. Maurice likes these on his oysters. It does give it a great taste.

On Christmas Day we had a great turkey from Picard, a place selling really good frozen gourmet food and also a ice cream Buche de Noel, really seriously good stuff.

Another food often seen during the winter is Chacroutte, which is a variety of sausages and ham with sauerkraut, potatoes and carrots.

This is very good, but very filling. What I would call comfort food. I don’t know why but about twice a year I crave sauerkraut. We bought the items for this meal at a local market. They had cooked the sauerkraut in champagne which made it really good.

An unusual pair of Christmas trees that I rather liked. At least you wouldn’t have to clean up pine needles afterwards. I didn’t have a Christmas tree this year, just some candles. Feeling a little “Scrooge-ie”

We have a small apartment in Paris. When we did a bit of remodeling and made our kitchen into what is called an “American kitchen”, we added a new stove and over that stove, a ventilater that is supposed to wisp all of the smoke and grease up through a filter and outside somewhere. However, I’m starting to think the vent leads right back into our apartment as whenever I take down a painting or plate from the wall I see the shape of whatever was on the wall. Then I get a sponge and spray the area with my trusty 409, a cleaning product I bring back with me from the States for its cleaning power with grease, and when I clean a small area, I end up having to clean the whole wall which, it turns out, has a thin film of greasy dirt. One wall in our living room I have not been able to get clean for some reason and it started to irritate me whenever I sat on the couch and saw a sort of black cloudy area. I finally decided to paint the irritating wall. It has been over three years since our apartment was painted, so maybe it is time in any case.
I make a trek to Castorama in Nation near our apartment. This is a French Home Depot. When I got to the paint center I had my sticker shock when I found a gallon can of paint costs over 50 Euros. I know gas is more expensive here in France and that paint is petroleum based but I couldn’t believe the price. I finally found a brand of paint by Castorama, one of those generic type of things, and bought it for 24 Euros which still seems high to me. A new paint roller was over eight euros. I do miss my forays into my Home Depot of old where repainting, and other household do it yourself projects always seemed affordable. I must say my wall looks so much better now. I may even extend my project into our bedroom but I don’t think I have enough paint.

There are several dessets that are a custom to serve in France during the Christmas season. After Christmas, for instance, there is a cake called a Gateau de Roi, into which a small little prize is baked, usually a small figurine, and the person getting this in their slice of cake gets to wear a crown and be “the king”. The cakes can be bought in every place in town and come complete with the crown.
A dessert seen right now as we approach Christmas is the Buche de Noel, a pastry that I will never attempt. It is just too much work for me. I can tell just by reading the recipe that there are too many things to mess up, starting with rolling up a thin sheet cake into a roll. I see disaster right there. And, really, why make one when they look like this in every window of every patissere in town?

They are usually filled with a flavored, creamy interior, chocolate or grand marnier flavor, and then iced and decorated sweetly.

For those feeling brave, here is a recipe I found on the internet:

INGREDIENTS:

4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of cream of tartar
3/4 cup cake flour, sifted
For the frosting:
1 cup whipping cream
10 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 Tablespoons rum

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 375°F. with rack in the center of the oven. Grease the bottom of a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan and line with parchment paper.

1. Put the eggs yolks into a large bowl.
Remove 2 tablespoons of the sugar from the 3/4 cup measure and set aside. Beat the remaining sugar and eggs together until pale.

2. Beat in the vanilla.

3. In another greasefree, clean bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of the cream of tartar until they hold soft peaks.

4. Add the reserved sugar and continue beating until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks.

5. Divide the flour in half and gently fold it into the egg mixture in 2 batches.

6. Add one-quarter of the egg whites into the batter to lighten the mixture. Fold in the remaining whites.

7. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly into the corners with a metal off-set spatula. Bake 15 minutes.

8. While the cake is baking, spread a dishtowel flat and lay a piece of parchment paper, the size of the cake, on top of the towel. Sprinkle the paper with some sugar.

9. Invert the cake onto the paper and carefully peel off the lining paper. Slowly, roll up the cake with the paper inside, and starting from a short side. Wrap the towel around the cake, place on a rack and allow to cool.

Prepare the filling & frosting:
1. Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Bring the cream to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until it has melted.

2. With an electric mixer, beat the chocolate until it is fluffy and has thickened to a spreading consistency.

3. Spoon one-third of the chocolate into another bowl and stir in the rum.

4. When the cake is cooled, unroll it. Spread the rum-flavored chocolate evenly over the surface. Roll the cake up again, using the paper to help move it forward.

5. Cut off about one-quarter of the cake at an angle. Place it against the side of the larger piece of cake, to resemble a branch from a tree trunk.

6. Spread the remaining chocolate mixture over the rest of the cake. Using a fork, press the back side of the tines against the chocolate and lightly drag through to resemble bark.

I roamed around Paris the other day looking at Christmas lights and window decorations, mainly around the large department stores, Galerie LaFayette and Printemps. The windows are a delight full of moving creatures usually up to no good and some intriguing fashions.

These lights are outside Printemps above the doors and windows.

This was a window for children. A green giraffe has its body inside the window and its head outside.

A turkey with a diamond chocker. Not the most festive site I saw but I’m sure it made Christmas turkeys happy everywhere.

A fashion display with some space-age hair.

This huge, fabulous tree is in Galerie LaFayette where it soars up to the incredible glass dome.

A very simple decoration that I saw in the walk-way at Place des Vosges.

There seems to be more and more graffiti in Paris and I hate most of it, but a few are interesting and even amusing. Some of these graffiti “artists” have become famous in Paris and are culture pop stars invited to parties, that sort of thing. One of these is Nemo. What I like about his graffiti is that is is always different. He always has the same objects: a man in a hat, a cat, a blue bird, an umbrella and a red ballon. However, they are always doing something different.

Here he is in the corner of a Marais building.

This was also in the Marais.

Lollipops is a chain of stores in Paris selling fashion assessories such as purses, belts, shoes, scarves and hats. I have a personal interest in Lollipops in that it is the creation of my husband’s daughter and her husband. I am amazed at the creativity behind it all and feel so proud when I see one of her purses being carried by someone on the metro. I want to tell them my connection and that I know who designed the purse they are carrying although I have nothing at all to do with it all-none of my genes at play there. There are 5 locations of the stores in Paris and many all over the world-except for the States. Marjorie, the designer, recently renovated the store on Rue Tiquetonne and we came to take a look and watch a photo shoot being done there for the summer catalogue.

This is a corner inside the store with its cute couch and some of the accessories here and there.

Here is the model in front of the store. I especially like the dog. It obeyed his owner and stood there all perky and cute, although shiverying. It was a freezing day and I’m sure the model froze in her short shorts. As soon as they gave her a break, she dropped the leash and rushed inside the store leaving the dog just standing there. Its owner hurried over to pick it up. She gave me several dirty looks while I was taking my own photos. Maybe she thought I should be paying her.

In the Marais is an old Jewish Quarter although it is mainly only one street, Rue de Rosiers, that people visit. I think it is probably quickly losing its ancient feel and becoming modern as there are now a few fashionable shops there but it is still fascinating to visit.

There are several bakeries that always draw my eye. I love the look of this bread. There are also fabulous looking desserts that I haven’t tried yet but I have had a few sandwiches on bagels that were great.

There are many falafal places on Rue de Rosiers. This is the best one according to clients I’ve had there before. A falafal is pita bread stuffed with mainly shredded cabbage and fried balls of chickpeas. It’s very good. The one with chicken is even better. This place is always crowded and people are always in line outside to get their falafel to go.

It’s hard to tell, but this sign is on a shop that also sells falafal. I think the shop must have started as something else. Maybe mexican food?

This store, Goldenbergs, is a very famous and well-known Jewish delicatessen. It was started by a Jewish refuge from Hungary so they have Hungarian dishes in the restaurant in the back such as Hungarian goulash and Beef Stroganoff, both of which are very good. The place has recently changed ownership after being in the family for years but they have kept the menu the same. It was closed for renovation last week and I am wondering what changes they will be making. In 1982 there was a shooting(probably anti-Jewish) in which 6 people were killed. They never caught who did it. There is still a bullet hole in a wall there and a plaque on the wall listing the victims.

This is a tiny little Jewish synogogue down a side street. Rather interesting looking. I once had a male Jewish client invited to some sort of religious ceremony as we stood on Rue de Rosiers. His wife and I stood there with no invitation. I thought, “What are we, invisible?” I think probably just unimportant to very religious Jewish men.

The Marais is a fabulous neighborhood little visited by tourists. It became a very fashionable place to live after the king, Henri IV, built a residence there at Place des Vosges. The whole area is peppered with Hotels, or mansions, and not alot was destroyed in the name of progress, although there had been plans at one time.

This is the back entry to the church, St Paul St Louis. The interior of the church is truly lovely and worth a stop. Note the concrete objects going along each side of the alley against the walls-these were to stop carriage wheels from hitting the walls. I imagine a few people used them to protect feet and knees as well as a carriage passed.

Up another alley further down rue St Paul, is one of my favorite fountains. I seldom see water going into it, but I love its elegance. Nearby is a memorial to a family who lived here and of which five family members where taken to a Germain concentration camp where they died.

The reason I’ve put this photo up is to show something common in Europe. The little shutters underneath each window are there as they allow air to enter a little chamber on the other side. This is where items such as milk and butter were kept to keep them cool before the days of refrigeration. We had one in our apartment as well but blocked it off when we remolded our kitchen as air, dust and bugs came in.

As in the States, the stores in Paris start gearing up for Christmas in November. One of the pleasures of living in Paris is walking down the streets and looking in windows at the Christmas decorations.

This is in the window of our neighborhood Printemps Department Store. The larger store in the opera area has fabulous windows with all sorts of moving characters. These little bears had wires attached to various arms or leggs so did some moving, as in lifting a teacup or something similar. I love the little bears and they are for sale in the store but I balk at the price of 25 Euros. They are very soft and I’d love to get one for my young grandchildren but I don’t think it will happen. I saw some darling clothes as well by the designer Kenzo, such as a little pajama with roses strewn all over but it was 90 Euros. I have trouble spending 90 Euros on myself much less someone who will outgrow their clothes in a matter of months, so I passed.

This isn’t very Christmasy, but I like this paint can looking container holding four small bottles of Champagne. Veuve Cliquot Champagne is just about the best you can get and, when my ship comes in, it will be my champagne of choice.

Normally, Fauchon, a high-end gourmet food store, has really great decorations for Christmas but I don’t really like this post board. The gold lips just don’t do it for me. There is another one across the way with ribbons flowing across the face of a man and they look like they are coming out of his nose. I thought it was rather disgusting looking. In the evening nearby Madeleine church looks really great with lavender and gold lighting. And Hediard across the way is decorated in white lights and red bows.

On an interesting small street leading into Place des Vosges named Pas de la Mule (this was a step used to get up on mules or horses, now gone) is a little store simply named Andre Bissonnet. The owner came from a family of butchers which once operated out of this store. He, however, is a musician with a love of ancient musical instruments. In fact, inside the window, up above, is a metal bar which meat used to hang from, now holding various horns. I always look in the window when I pass as it is full of musical instruments that I either don’t know or they are very oldsand made of wood and painted beautifully. One day I looked in and he opened the door and invited me in. He normally opens in the afternoon for a couple of hours, starting at two. I asked about a couple of instruments and he played them for me. One of them was the hurdy gurdy. For some reason, I have heard this name before. I think in an old song. Here is a description of the hurdy gurdy:
To describe the hurdy-gurdy is a challenge; one might call it a sort of mechanical violin. It is strapped to the midriff of the player, who can be seated or standing. Whereas a fiddler draws a bow across a violin’s strings, a hurdy-gurdy player uses the right hand to turn a crank, which is attached via a metal shaft to a wheel (usually of wood) mounted within the instrument. As the wheel turns, its edge, which is coated with rosin, rubs against the strings causing them to vibrate: a continuous circular bow. This steady bowing action, when applied to the drone strings, helps create the hurdy-gurdy’s bagpipe-like sound. The player’s left hand, like that of the fiddler, produces the melody. Instead of pressing strings against a finger board, however, the fingers press sliding keys which cause the melody string(s) to be shortened and therefore to increase in pitch.
Anyway, he played it for me, using a violin bow on the right side, and playing a small keyboard on the other.

Here he is playing the hurdy gurdy. His store is number 6.

And here is a shot of the nearby Place des Vosges that I changed in photoshop.

There are many interesting street markets in Paris. The largest one in Paris is at Bastille on Richard Lenoir. The stalls stretch out for two blocks and besides fruits and vegetables, you can find cheese, meat, chickens being grilled in huge grills, Italian food including home made pasta, and even cheap clothing to choose from.
I like the market on Nation as well where Maurice and I usual go to shop as we can walk there. One of my favorite markets, however, is at Place d’Aligre, not far from Bastille. It is smaller, louder and more crowded than most and the best part is that it is opened every day except Monday. Something unusual here is that there is a permanant covered market that I love to walk around. There are the usual butchers and cheese sellers but also a gourmet olive oil store with large casks that are full of olive oil from places such as Provence or Italy that are decanted into bottles of three sizes right there in the store. There is also a man there who sells fruit and vegetables who is in the Guiness World Book of Records. He has made displays of fruit and vegetables as large as a football field. He has a scrapbook of photos of all he has done and once spent about 20 minutes with me showing it to me. Sometimes there is a huge pig at a nearby bucher being grilled whole, head and all, tail stiffly browning as well.

One of the butchers in the covered market of Place d’Aligre.

Some lovely pigs feet for sell there