Paris, France

What would be on your Top Ten List in Paris?  It was difficult to hone ten fabulous days into a compact list, but here it is.  Then enjoy a simple pairing of peppers and manchego cheese, which is an outstanding appetizer that is easy to prepare.  Keep the ingredients in your pantry and freezer for impromptu entertaining.  

 

MAPPING THE DAY

Ten days in Paris elasped so quickly.  Each day was filled with sightseeing, walking and of course, extraordinary dining.  Our strategy to stay in one hotel for the entire visit and venture out each day was a good one.  We thought we would be able to explore the city fully.  Who knew we would leave so many things on our list undone.  Well, that’s a reason to go back to one of our favorite cities on earth very soon.

LOCAL STORY

Here’s our  TOP TEN IN PARIS list for this visit:

10. French beer.  What a pleasant surprise that the French produce some wonderful, very drinkable beers.  We enjoyed them often in some great little bars along our walks through the city.

  

9. Sunday afternoons in the city.  The image of a child playing with a toy sailboat at Luxembourg Gardens captures the essence of a Parisian Sunday afternoon.  So delightful.

8. Small plates dining.  We were thrilled to find so many great restaurants offering small plates.  Not terribly big eaters, we were well served to share many small plates for a wide variety of spectacular French food offerings.

  

7. Wine tour in the countryside south of Paris.  See our blog at Passion for the French Way.

6. The Louvre.  This museum is so massive and impressive, but it was the little things made our time there memorable.  Mona Lisa is really quite small you know.  Small is Big in Paris.

5. The street market at 6 PM in the Latin Quarter.  This market is real life in Paris.  Rotisserie chicken kitchens, cheese shops, butchers, vegetable stands, crepe makers, bread bakers, patisserie shops and charcuterie makers are lined up on one street.  Parisians gather their fresh ingredients and prepared items for their evening meal.  There are markets all over the city on every day of the week.

  

4. Musee d’Orsay. Galleries of Impressionists paintings wow visitors.  The highlight for us however was a temporary exhibit called The Man Suicided by Society. The exhibit featured 40 paintings by Vincent Van Gogh and the writings of Antonin Artaud.  It also made us think about vulnerability in the creative process.

  

3. Notre Dame. Of all the cathedrals we have visited throughout the world, Notre Dame is truly spectacular.  We will never forget the stained glass windows, the architecture and the amazing choir music as we passed through the sanctuary.

2. Montmartre. The view, the art, the museum and the food on this hilltop neighborhood still captures our fond memories of Paris.  See our blog post for more details: Steps to a Parisian Diet.

1. It turns out our first night proved to be the best.  Tune in next week for a final post about this trip Paris.

VIEW FROM THE TABLE

Another one of our small plates in Paris paired roasted red peppers and manchego cheese.  It also reminded us of a dish we had in Fort Worth, Texas of smoked brisket stuffed piquillo peppers.  Our recipe here is a fusion of the two for a delightful small bites appetizer.  It is easy and goes very well with a cold beer.  We have found the French offering 1664 here in the U.S.  So good.

MANCHEGO STUFFED PEPPERS

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