Lone DJ

It’s officially summer and everyone is dragging to the finish line before long vacations and lazy days. In France from about early May you start to hear “let’s push that to la rentrée” which means September so motivation to do even the simplest task is pretty low by now, and the temptation of an hour people watching on a terrace or other simple pleasure is too strong.

Graced with a spare hour near Montparnasse I made my way to the Musée Bourdelle, a calm oasis with sun dappled sculpture gardens celebrating the work of Emile-Antoine Bourdelle, a sculptor’s assistant to Rodin for 15 years who taught Giacometti and Matisse before finding acclaim later in life. The exhibition on how marble sculptures came to be was particularly interesting (many sculptors don’t do the carving themselves and a lot of triangulation is involved) and there’s a gorgeous restaurant upstairs with a shady terrace to sit and have a quiet lunch or a snack before rejoining the hustle and bustle of the city.

I’m still waiting for really great tomatoes but these were the best I’ve had so far from La Ferme du Mont de Cuy, which I served up with a little burrata, blanched asparagus, crispy pancetta and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. While at the market it would be rude not to shop so I also picked up a plump chicken, a lamb shoulder (for dinner with the in-laws), all the remaining strawberries and some French raspberries so tasty I ate two punnets on the way home.

Friday night was Fête de la Musique, an annual celebration on the summer solstice where anyone and everyone plays music in the street until the early hours of the morning, so we took the kids out for a neighbourhood stroll after dinner. We saw a range of acts from quiet quartets to a raucous Lebanese Dabkeh but I was most impressed by the lone DJ under our building who was unfazed playing to nobody for over 4 hours before finally drawing a huge crown as the sun went town.

I’ve been looking for a painting for our bedroom for 3 years now and recently found the perfect piece at a brocante which was bien sûr enormously out of our price range. But you know what they say about buses… “you wait forever and then two come at once”, which is to say I found an alternative at the flea market on the weekend which might be the one.

Saturday night was spent baking and icing this hilarious cake my daughter specifically requested, while chatting with my Texan friend who was visiting about the differences in birthday parties there and here. It’s not what you’d find at most French birthday parties but I was trained in The Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book era (I still have my tattered copy with me) and old habits are hard to break.

On Sunday morning the house was full of giggles, ballon animals (I can only make a dog but luckily they all seemed happy with mini-Noisettes) and sprinkles everywhere as my daughter celebrated. While the kids entertained themselves I chatted with a few other mamans over tea and took the chance to apologise for the fact that they’d probably be finding glitter in their homes for the coming months after my face painting efforts.

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Sunday afternoon was spent basking in the sunshine in a friend’s garden, chatting about the important things like where to get the best antiques and who’s upset who in the building copropriété as ice cubes clinked. Frenchies in attendance were confused by the appearance of savoury food at 4pm (strictly l'heure du goûter) but were quickly won over and lined up for seconds. Then it was home for a dinner of leftovers, baths, books and bedtime, ready to start again.

Have a great week,

- Emily

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Cheese of France art print by Sonja Bajic

Cheese we’re eating this week:

• Beaufort - a firm, raw cow's milk cheese produced in the French alps (and commonly used in fondue).

• Hollumi - a ‘squeeky’, salty cheese from Cyprus made with a mix of goat and sheep milk, perfect for grilling and adding to salads.

• Mimolette - a hard cow's milk cheese that was produced by defiant French subjects in response to the banning of products from Holland in the 17th century.

All three cheeses were bought at our local supermarket.

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Frozen Berries with White Chocolate Sauce

The easiest (and best) dessert. I remember eating this for the first time at Daphne’s in London over 20 years ago.

• Frozen berries

• Equal portions of white chocolate and double cream (150ml of each is a good amount for 4-6 people)

1. Place the frozen berries in individual bowls or you can make a sharing style platter. Try to spread them out quite flat, not a big heap, as you want the hot sauce to cover them as much as possible.

2. Melt the white chocolate and cream together, either over a double boiler or carefully in the microwave. Whisk together and pour over the berries. The warm sauce will lightly defrost them and it’s a perfect match.

Bon appétit!

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Real Life Paris Photo

This couple exited a taxi with no bags and I assume were off to meet a photographer in the park. What is she going to change into afterwards??