12 May 2008

I'm so full, I can barely blog.

These days, the green lawns are covered with Parisians and tourists alike. They read, sleep, snack, smoke, play the guitar (ick), tap away on their laptops (some parks have Wi-Fi). As scarfs and boots disappear, tattoos and berry-colored toenails appear. We are wearing much less, but we are not eating any less.

At all hours, brasseries, cafés, restaurants spill over with customers. They sit under the hot sun, facing the street, sipping cafés or Coca-Cola with a lemon slice and a few less ice cubes than Americans like myself are used to. But I don't mind.

Tonight, I ate at Le Bistrologue yet again. Pastis, charcuterie, souris d'agneau, Côtes du Rhône, and fondant au chocolat. Souris d'agneau translates to lamb shank but "literally means 'lamb mice,' most probably because of their shape," writes Clotilde Dusoulier of the food blog Chocolate & Zucchini. At "The Logue," as my flatmate calls it, the lamb shank is served next to a heap of couscous with small raisins. The lamb falls off the bone; it is delicious. The fondant au chocolat was comparable to cold mousse, served in two one-centimeter slices. Not really what I was anticipating. Order the crème brûlée instead.

My neighbor Mike had the confit de canard. Back at his flat, Mike described feeling like a beached whale. Across the hall, I'm so full, I can barely blog.

Speaking of Chocolate & Zucchini, my sister arrived Paris with Clotilde Dusoulier's new book, Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris. I will let you know if her recommendations are any good.

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