If you’ve been
reading my blog lately, you probably noticed the inspiration from my recent
trip to France. The experience has
enlightened me beyond what I expected.
In preparing for my next trip (hopefully for the next holiday season), I
am trying to keep the same pace I had whilst in that country, both activity and
diet-wise. It was incredible to me that
after indulging as much as I did I returned home with 4 pounds less and a lot
of gusto for life itself.
This way the
French have for living life to its fullest directed me to my next read, a book
that I have been wanting to get my hands on for a few of months now, ever since
I started following its author’s YouTube channel. I am speaking about Lessons from Madame Chic – 20 stylish secrets I learned while living in
Paris, by Jennifer L. Scott.
Scott went to
Paris as an exchange student in her early 20’s and stayed with whom she calls
“Famille Chic” for 6 months. During that
time, she became a woman of sophistication and style. It is true, Paris – and France in general –
gives you that. Art is everywhere in
that city, and I’m not just speaking about museums. The way ordinary people dress, conduct
themselves, eat and approach life in general is a true inspiration that
everyone else should follow. Walking
through the streets of Paris one feels the power of beauty on every level, from
its buildings to the view of the Seine, and the shop windows of the food stores
that look like jewelry stores. The
French truly know how to live life to its fullest and make every day living
into an art form.
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My copy of "Lessons...", all tagged to facilitate
easy reference. |
Lessons from Madame Chic is divided into
3 main sections, each containing several chapters:
- Part 1: Diet and exercise
- Part 2: Style and beauty
- Part 3: How to live well
Although for some
the book will provide enlightment from one page to the next and one chapter to
the other, I personally found the concepts in the last section about “joie de
vivre” the most important and influential ones.
Things as simple as using your best china every day and not just for
special occasions, dressing comfortably but presentably even when at home and
valuing quality over quantity are quite a revelation for the consumerist
society in which we live today. Perhaps
it comes from having lived through two world wars that left the country with a
mentality of valuing the present and only producing its best, but if one truly
thinks about it, it becomes quite obvious that the only intelligent way to live
life is on this level.
When I came from France, my luggage was at
the maximum weight allowed for the plane before one must pay a penalty. It was full of… you guessed it – food. Not fresh food mind you (although I know
people who bring certain items and I must confess, the concept intrigues me
enough to further explore it), but quite a few cans of foie gras, condiments,
books and different accoutrements all related to arts of the table. I almost bought no clothes.
There is nothing like a good
foie gràs, paired with the correct glass of wine, that says one is truly
enjoying the moment. So for my birthday,
which happens to coincide with the holiday season, that is exactly what I
did. I opened one of the cans I bought
at Fauchon, that quintessentially
high end gourmet store in Place de la Madeleine. And nothing better than auspiciously sampling
their luxurious goose foie gràs Alsatian style, I thought, in anticipation of
next year’s trip to that region (and others.
Stay tuned!)
The foie gràs
from Strasbourg is not, I must say, like that of Périgord (I prefer the
latter). Still, goose foie gràs is goose
foie gràs, and as a delicacy, it is one that I appreciate profoundly. There is a certain kick in its flavour,
albeit slight, which leaves a happy note on the tongue. This demure sharpness makes it perfect to be
paired with a glass of the classic Trimbach
Gewűrtztraminer 2012. The minerality
of the wine, combined with a slight sweetness makes the foie gràs shine without
overpowering it and its round, whole finish gives the proper closure for each bite.
I chilled the
foie gràs for 2 days in the coldest part of the fridge, and took it out about
15’ before serving. I topped it with
just a few grains of rose pepper and served it on rye toast. I also had a canapé simply topped with crème
fraîche and salmon roe. The whole
celebration was intimate, luxurious and delicious from the gastronomical
standpoint.
Keeping in mind
Jennifer L. Scott’s adage in
“Lessons
from Madame Chic”, I used my best holiday china, showing Rudolph in the
background, and laid the table with a red satin cloth. The candle is
Forest Herb, from a store
called
Terrain. It gives a light scent of pines mixed with fresh herbs, subdued yet refreshing in the likes of a quiet pine forest.
Although my birthday dinner was intimate,
it was undoubtedly chic, and it gave me a private feeling of luxury that I will
cherish always and look forward too for more pleasurable moments. And yes, Happy Christmas.
