This week's Mega-Bite showcases one of the fabulous things about food: the fact that so many of our memories are tied to it.

I've been to Paris twice.

The first time, I was in high school and traveled there with other members of the Spanish Club. (Yes, we went to Spain too.) We spent a few days there, and the thing I remember most about the food is actually the breakfast we were served at the hotel. Those breakfasts sparked my love of real, buttery, not-to-sweet croissants.

The second was a day trip from London, with my then-boyfriend, now husband, Steve. We were both studying at Ball State's London Centre at the time, and took the opportunity during a break from classes to spend a day in Paris. The only thing I remember eating that trip was a baguette and some Laughing Cow brand cheese.

It's a startlingly beautiful city, but it can be a bit abrasive and overwhelming, too.

But reading this week's featured Web site, Clotilde Dusoulier's Chocolate and Zucchini, overshadows any negative feelings I still carry and reminds me of what is fabulous and beautiful there.

Chocolate and Zucchini is a great place to go to get inspiration and recipes. It's almost a diary of Clotilde's daily kitchen adventures. And the discussions tagged onto the blog entries usually feature Clotilde bantering with her readers, passing on knowledge or discoveries or just sharing the wonder of an especially good dish. I'm sure she quickly becomes like an old friend to frequent readers.

Clotilde also recently produced a beautiful book based on her blog. It's on my wish list of cook books to buy.

If you've been to Paris, I'm sure you'll find memories flooding back too. And if you've never traveled there, her blog will fill your imagination with intriguing scenes and inspiration for great dishes to try.

The Web site:Chocolate and Zucchini

Originally posted to The Grub Report by Patricia Gibson on July 6, 2007 09:30 PM

Comments
At July 9, 2007 11:00 PM, Bill Lewis said...
Mon Dieu, mon Dieu, you're in Paris, the capital of the country that produces the best wine and cheese in the world, and you're sampling La vache qui rit (Laughing Cow)? Laughing Cow (gasp) is a processed cheese and the French equivalent of Cheez Whiz.
I agree with you that Paris is a "startlingly beautiful city". On my first trip to Paris I stayed at the Hotel Voltaire which provides a fantastic view of this startling beautiful city. (I am not recommending the hotel since it is currently undergoing renovation.)
I've noticed that the better French hotels usually bake their own croissants daily and that accounts for the "fresh baked" flavor. They really are fresh baked. The same is true of the bread and pastries.
Having grown up in the cultural "backwater" of Marion I was surprised at the high quality of the bread in Paris. My first visit taught me that all bread is not the "doughy" white bread I was accustomed to in Marion. We "manufacture" and "process" bread and cheese here of course but they are not really on the same par as the French products.
I enjoy your Blog very much. Please keep the recipes coming.

At July 9, 2007 11:18 PM, Steve Gibson said...
Bill,
The saddest part is that doesn't even scratch the surface of our culinary atrocities while in Europe. That was back in a time when we were into the "cultural experience" but hadn't yet figured out how it all comes back to the food. Tricia and I were just talking the other day about how we'd love to go back and slap ourselves for not seeking out great food during our time there. I only hope that one day we'll have the opportunity to go back and right all of those wrongs!

At July 10, 2007 12:18 AM, Patricia Gibson said...
I know, it's a travesty. But, in our defense, we were totally out of our element and ran into some testy workers at the metro and the grocery (who refused to serve us if we couldn't converse in French -- I hate to perpetuate a stereotype, but I can attest that it's true in this case). So we grabbed what was familiar on the go, since we only had a day for our whirlwind sightseeing. (No excuse, I know! I wish, looking back, that we would have at least taken the time to stop in a restaurant. But money and time constraints dictated otherwise, and, like Steve said, we didn't know at the time how much we were missing.) To this day, though, Steve won't eat anything with a laughing cow on the label!

At July 10, 2007 9:58 PM, Bill Lewis said...
Steve and Patricia Gibson, I hope you didn't interpret my comments as being critical. That certainly was not my intent. I wanted to point out the humor and irony of your situation. I realize the French can be intimidating to Americans, especially, when it comes to language.
Again, I'm not attempting to be critical but it's always helpful to understand some basics of the language of the country you travel to. For example, I speak a passable French and have not had any difficulties in France or their "departments" in the Caribbean (Martinique and Guadeloupe). You have a very good idea about returning and visiting the attractions you missed the first time. Particularly the great restaurants Paris and Europe has to offer.
I Have currently been traveling in Italy and find it both interesting and educational. However,I feel a little bit at a disadvantage since I don't speak the language. You mentioned that Paris can be a "little bit overwhelming" I found that to be true in Florence. After spending a few days in the Uffizi I was struck with a minor "epiphany". This relatively small area (Tuscany), was the birthplace of the Renaissance, the most significant contribution to culture in world history. No small feat.
My niece just returned from the Ball State London Center and enjoyed the experience so much she didn't want to come back. I think its a very good idea to learn at a young age there is more in this world than Elwood, Indiana. But the experience, for some of us, can be both educational and overwhelming at the same time. But maybe that is not a bad thing.

At July 11, 2007 7:28 PM, Patricia Gibson said...
Bill:
No offense at all taken! The irony is well-recognized on our end. It's a running joke, really, with us that we traveled to what is arguably one of the culinary capitals of the world and didn't manage to take advantage of it!
As far as language barriers go, a mission trip to Mexico kind of revolutionized my outlook on that. As we were crossing the border back into the U.S., a border guard, half in jest, initially insisted we converse in Spanish with him. I've taken several years of Spanish classes, but only a rudimentary grasp of the language has stuck with me. And in an intimidating situation like that, even that knowledge escaped me. Once the guard gave us a good scare, he relented. But it really opened my eyes as to how selfish it is that we assume everyone should be able to speak perfect English, here and anywhere we go in the world, if they want to converse with us.
(But I'd never let that stop me from traveling, if I had the means. I'd like to think I've become a little more savvy along the way since our day in Paris, and I think today the experience would be quite different.)
I agree wholeheartedly about traveling at a young age. It is amazing how much you can learn about the world and yourself. And you'll never find a better deal than those student trips! I always tell people considering overseas study to go for it, if they can afford to at all.

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