Recipe: French Kir Cocktail

Kirs were our favorite thing to drink in Paris, when we were out at a cafe before dinner, people-watching and relaxing after a long day of walking around.

This is very easy to make at home! Normally a Kir would be made with Creme de Cassis from Dijon, and a chilled white wine from the Burgundy area. If you are not using a French wine, you can simply find a 100% Chardonnay. It is important to purchase a good bottle of Creme de Cassis though, and make sure it is from Dijon (not those big plastic bottled mixers that claim to be Creme de Cassis!)

We also discoverd that you can make a red wine Kir, using a chilled red wine from Burgundy, which would be a Pinot Noir grape. We had this as an aperatif "de la maison" at a delicious and old-fashioned fondue restaurant on the rue Mouffetard in Paris.

One other variation is a "Kir Royale", which is made in the same manner, only using Champagne as the wine!

-Glass of wine (Chardonnay, Champagne or Pinot Noir)
-Creme de Cassis

Pour about 1 tablespoon in the bottom of a glass. Fill with wine of your choice. Taste, and add more Creme de Cassis if needed, depending on how sweet you prefer.

 

Recipe: Cranberry Orange Relish

Make this tangy cranberry relish and serve it alongside traditional cranberries at Thanksgiving. Use year round as a condiment for sandwiches or on grilled chicken!

1 C sugar
Juice of 1 small lemon, or 1/2 large lemon
Several TB of water, as needed
1/2 large orange - juice, plus chop remaining pulp and peel finely
1 bag of fresh cranberries, chopped (be sure to remove any stems)
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
Handful chopped parsley

Place sugar, lemon juice and a couple tablespoons of water in a large pan, and cook on high until mixture is bubbling, and sugar turns a bit darker. Add orange juice and let cook (still on high) until peel becomes softer.

Add cranberries, and cook for a few minutes - they should still be firm. Turn off heat and mix in onion and parsley. Let sit until room temperature.

Culture: The Centre Pompidou Museum in Paris

A fun part of a day can be spent at the Centre Pompidou modern art museum centrally located just north of the Seine in the 4th district of Paris. The building itself is as interesting to see as the art inside, and there is a nice restaurant and outdoor cafe for hanging out, relaxing and feeling chic.

You can easily purchase a ticket to enter the museum on the ground floor, from one of the large red machines using your bank card, to avoid waiting in line. It is also possible to purchase a ticket for €3 that will not allow access to the galleries, but just to ride the escalators up to the top, where you will have a view over all of Paris! This is where the restaurant, Le Georges, is located as well - which looks so cool with its curvy metal seating booths, and pink chairs. Outdoors each table has a single long stemmed red rose, which in the design context adds to the feeling of being modern and chic.

Centre Pompidou

19 Rue Beaubourg  75004 Paris

01 44 78 47 99 - This number can also be used for booking dinner reservations at Le Georges

www.centrepompidou.fr 

Restaurant: Best Crepes in Paris at the Creperie de Josselin!

This is a wonderful place for all kinds of crepes in the Montparnesse area of Paris. I am sure you have tried a ham and cheese or Nutella crepe from a street vendor while walking around the streets, at some point on your visits. But how about coming in for an amazing instance of a crepe, in a sit-down restaurant, that is full of charm - with traditional decorations like lace covered lamps and dark wood paneling, along with really friendly staff.

This street has so many crepe restaurants! This is supposed to be the best one, and it was really good. The menu has so many flavor choices you probably never thought of, for both salty and sweet versions. I had a spinach and goat cheese version (after seeing it on the plate of the person at the next table), while my dining companion had a ham/cheese/mushroom version. We had a bottle of traditional French apple cider to accompany our crepes, which you drank from small bowl-like ceramic cups.

 

Creperie de Josselin

67 rue du Montparnasse, 75014 Paris

01 43 20 93 50

Recipe: Prosciutto & Melon, and a Restaurant in Murano, Italy!

It is October in Paris, and it has been cold and rainy! I was thinking about Italy and my trip this summer with my parents. We ate fresh melon with Prosciutto, of course paired with cold Prosecco, nearly every day!

You can easily make this delightfully simple dish at home any time. Select a cantaloupe or other sweet orange melon, and slice it, taking off the skin and seeds - and arrange on one large serving platter, or on individual plates. Choose a thinly sliced Prosciutto (from Italy preferably!) and arrange a small piece over each melon slice. Make sure not to put too much Prosciutto on top! The flavors should complement each other, and not be overwhelmed by the salty meat. It also looks nice to see a bit of the melon beneath.

Besides the picture of this dish which I made here in Paris, the other images below are from a very lovely restaurant, hidden off the main path in a square with an outdoor seating area with cheerful yellow coverings, where we had an excellent example of this dish. If you are ever in Murano, Italy (just a quick boat ride from Venice) stop by for a nice and simple Italian meal!

 

 

Ristorante Hotel "Al Soffiador"

Viale Bressaggio, 10-11

Murano - Venezia

+39 041 739 430

info@venicehotel.it

www.venicehotel.it 

Comme a Lisbonne: Portuguese Pastries in Paris!

This is a great little bakery and store centrally located in Le Marais area of Paris. The woman I met in the shop told me she is Portuguese, from Port, and was very friendly, speaking English, Portuguese or French, depending on her customer.

There are always lines of people for the fresh baked Pasteis de Natas, which are a special Portuguese pastry, with a crust a bit crunchier than a croissant, and an egg custard filling, topped if you like with cinnamon.

Inside the shop you can sit and have an espresso with your pastry, or browse the selection of Portuguese olive oils, tinned fish, and alcohols.

Everyone knows Port, but they also have Vinho Verde, a dry crisp white wine from the northwest region of Portugal called Minho, Amarguinha, a sweet almond liquor to have with dessert and coffee, and Brandymel, which is a digestif made from honey and Aguardente.

 

Comme a Lisbonne

37 Rue du Roi de Sicile  75004 Paris

07 61 23 42 30

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Medical Center in Paris - St. Lazare

It can be difficult to find a nice and modern doctors office in Paris, let alone one that is open 7 days per week, and where you don't need an appointment!

This place is wonderful - centrally located by the St. Lazare train station, and they usually have someone at the front desk who speaks English, if you do not speak French.

You can also find a dentist (with emergency hours, if you suddenly find you need your wisdom teeth removed!) and even aesthetic services like Botox and laser hair removal, along with all the other medical departments you could find in a medical center in the US.

A regular visit costs €23 without insurance. There is a pharmacy right across the street where you may pick up any prescriptions immediately - they are also quite cheap.

 

Centre Medical Saint-Lazare

13 rue de la Pepiniere 75008 Paris

01 58 22 90 00

www.centre-medical-stlazare.com 

Recipe: Lemon & Honey Summer Cocktail

This cocktail is so simple and yet so tasty! It is like an adult version of refreshing lemonade that is always so nice in the summer time.

Ingredients:
1/4 large lemon, in large slices
2 TB honey
1 shot vodka
Pellegrino
Ice

In a lowball glass, add the honey, then squeeze all the juice from the lemon slices, and add the slices as well to the glass. Stir until honey dissolves. Add vodka and stir. Top with Pellegrino, and add a couple of ice cubes if desired.

Variation: Substitute brown sugar for the honey.

Art: Cartier Foundation in Paris

I first visited the Cartier Foundation this summer while working on a luxury consulting project for Cartier. It is a great exhibition space in Paris, serving to promote all kinds of contemporary art, ranging from painting, sculpture, photography to installations and most recently outsider / self-taught international artists.

The modern industrial building is surrounded by plants, including a large garden in the back. I loved the bright orange plastic chairs! They would be great for outdoor seating in a home setting too.

In addition to hosting exhibitions on all different themes related to contemporary art, the foundation also proposes some interesting looking evening events, "Soirees Nomades", that could be a fun activity to check out with friends.

 

Fondation Cartier

261 Boulevard Raspail  

75014 Paris, France

(tel) 01 42 18 56 50

http://fondation.cartier.com

Spa: Thermae Bath Spa is Heaven in England!

The Thermae Spa in Bath, England, must be one of the most relaxing places I have visited! It is a gorgeous facility that still takes advantage of the town's famous natural thermal mineral waters. Not only did I feel so relaxed afterward, but it did wonders for my skin! You can make a day trip by train from London, and spend the day having fun.

We spent the day floating around in the various large pools in the building. On the ground floor is a relaxing pool, where you can also find a strong stream of water that acts as a massage for the shoulders. On the rooftop is a bubbling warm pool, with gorgeous views over the town and green mountains! This was my favorite spot.

On one of the middle floors, you will find aromatherapy steam rooms - go in order of the four circular rooms as indicated by the map at the entrance, cooling off under the "rain" shower in the central space in between. Be aware that the air is very hot and humid inside the rooms, so this experience is not for everyone!

There is no need for a reservation, unless you book one of their special spa packages. A regular 2 hour session in the pools is £26 and 4 hours is £36. Bring a towel, robe and slippers if you want to avoid the cost of renting them from the spa (The cost is not too expensive at about £2 for each item).

 

Thermae Spa

Hot Bath Street  

Bath BA1 1SJ, England

01225 331234

Reservations: 0844 888 0844 (From Overseas +44 1225 33 1234)

www.thermaebathspa.com

Travel: The Charming Waterways of Venice

Venice is such a lovely place. I just loved how the light looked reflecting on all the old and colorful building facades, as they stand over the water. 

It is easy to get around via the Water Taxi (which can also take you out to explore the surrounding islands), and the Vaporetto. You can find gondolas easily as well just by walking around - although these are more expensive, and more for the novelty and fun of the ride.