Mr. Kayser is my new frenemy

I’ve been scarfing down demi-baguettes at a ridiculously rapid pace…but they taste so good! Warm baguettes from Eric Kayser? Oui oui! And its genius to get demi-baguettes as I can (a) stuff it into my bag and (b) not eat a yard of bread. Last weekend I grabbed one after work and stuffed it with smoked salmon. And ate it. ALL OF IT. omnomnomnom.

The past week I was in the capital of the Motherland. I decided to forgo an extra 30 minutes of sleep and take advantage of the breakfast there. Fresh fruit and berries? Check. 10 different kinds of fruit and veggie juices? Check. Sausages, mushrooms, eggs, smoked salmon and potatoes? Check * 5. And breakfast pastries and all this other stuff. And red currants. Although those were used as decoration…but I took them and ate them. My hotel room was ridiculously nice as evidenced by the bathroom:

And since I’ve been eating all these baguettes and smoked salmon and pastries, I decided to go light for dinner today. After being a lazy bum all day, I finally got myself out the door (the weather was 60F!!!) and wandered over to the Marche des Enfants Rouges (one of the few markets open in the late afternoon). It’s a covered market that also sells prepared foods that you can either take home or eat at the picnic tables provided. Apparently there used to be an orphanage nearby where the kids all wore red uniforms, hence the name. I’ve been craving veggies (note to self: buy a salad spinner when I’m back in the U.S.), so I picked up a head of Batavia lettuce, a few tomatoes and a handful of clementines. I was actually surprised that it was all so cheap…and I’ve heard numerous people say that produce in Europe tastes better than in the U.S. Perhaps. But the thing is, at these markets, a lot of the produce is shipped from all over the world, same as in the U.S. It doesn’t necessarily come from local farmers or other places in France, but can come from Mexico or Peru or wherever. So I’m not sure what people are talking about when they say things taste better. Maybe its because things are more seasonal here than in the U.S.

Regardless, my salad tasted goooood (perhaps it was the olive oil from Nyons?). I had it with a pounded chicken breast simply sautéed in olive oil with lemon.

I'm not a fan of cooking for one. Yesterday I made mushroom risotto and I always overestimate when it comes to grains and pastas. So I have some left over but not enough for a full serving. But then again, I ate more than one serving to begin with...