Palmiers

Note: I wrote a lot about the dreamy carbohydrates that I endulged in this summer. But I never wrote about Palmiers.

These heart-shaped pastries were David's favorite breakfast choice while in Paris. I specifically remember the rainy morning we woke ourselves up early to go on the Monet's Garden tour to Giverny. As we walked through the crowded St. Lazere train station, we thankfully stopped and grabbed a few Palmiers to-go. I quietly ate my sugary treat and starred out of the window, watching Paris' streets glisten from rain and sun.

I was reminded of this beautiful morning the other night when I stumbled across a recipe in my favorite French cookbook. This Palmier recipe was so simple that I made it as a dessert for a dinner party (and served them with ice cream). The Palmiers were such a hit, I had to share.

Palmiers ("Elephant Ears")
2 C Sugar
1/8 tsp Kosher salt
2 Sheets Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, defrosted
Parchment paper

Directions: Heat over to 450 degrees. Combine sugar and salt. Pour 1 C of sugar and salt mixture on a flat surface (wooden board or marble slab). Unfold the first sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar mixture and pour 1/2 C sugar mixture on top, spreading it evenly on the pastry. With a rolling pin, roll pastry into a 13" square and until the sugar is pressed into the pastry on top and bottom.

Fold the sides of the square towards ther center, so they go halfway to the middle. Fold again so the 2 folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Next fold one half over the other half as though closing a book. You will haver 6 layers of dough. Slice dough into 3/8" slices and place cut side up on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Repeat with second pastry sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 6 minutes, or until carmalized and golden brown on bottom. Turn with a spatula and bake for additional 3-5 minutes until carmalized. Transfer immediately to cookie racks to cool.

Paris Playbook

June:
-Rented an apartment in Paris
-Met Frank, the landlord - got my first bisous
-Started working at Fat Tire
-Met my new work friend, Julie
-Made friends with the fruit stand guys
-Fruit stand guy gives me a free fig and beer
-Got a Navigo pass
-Luxembourg Garden idleness
-BoBun dinner
-Brochure Run through the 14th and 15th eme
-Night Bike Tour with David (Golden was our guide)
-Ate a 'Change Your Life' crepe
-2nd Anniversary picnic by Les Invalides
-French dinner party at Katy and Seb's apartment
-Glenn visits during a heat wave
-Bought 2 fans at Monoprix
-Bought jean shorts for the first time since 8th grade
-Discovered Amorino's cappuccinos and pistachio chip
-Sunglasses #1 get "picked up" at office
-Bought sunglasses #2
-Rented a Valib bike
-Fête de la Musique
-Valib bike got stolen
-Walked home from Opera to Montparnasse (2 hrs)
-Visited Notre Dame
-Visited Saint Chapelle
-Lunch Obsession: Red Peppers, Hummus, Baguette, Couscous
-Cooking Club #1: Swedish Night
-Passageway Adventures with Office Girls
-Fat Tire Monet's Garden tour (Silvertooth was our guide)
-Discovered PAUL bakery at Gare St. Lazare
-Silvertooth schools the "know-it-all" art history teacher

July
-Became best friends with a 2 year old (named Caroline)
-World Cup watching party (Go USA!)
-Tracey and Greg visit
-Day Trip to Verasilles
-Taylor Tehan! on the Champ de Mars
-Pompidou Center
-Discovered Tribeca on Rue Cler
-Ate at the Dernier Metro with Julie (changed our friendship)
-Volleyball Picnic on the Champ de Mars

-Croissant, Croissant, Croissant

-Introduced David to the Raspberry Tartlet

-Wore a bungee cord as a belt

-Dinner with J&L at Casse Noix

-Bastille Day Celebration
-Ate lunch and sipped coffee at the Tuileries Garden cafe
-Tuileries Garden carnival
-€8 Ferris Wheel Ride
-€2 Cotton Candy
-Met my favorite homeless lady
-Favorite homeless lady yells at me
-Tour de France watching party
-Became "regulars" at Dernier Metro with Julie

-Flash floods in Paris

-Sunglasses #2 fall off head while running in the rain

-Took a trip to Barcelona
-Beach, Gaudi, Bikes, Beach, Tapas, Repeat (in Barcelona)
-Bought sunglasses #3
-Set off metal detector in Barca airport with bungee cord belt
-Rescued Bikes at Baton Mouche
-Pastry dream comes true
-Drank cheap shop wine
-Scooter joy ride with Bethany and Mebane

August:

-Kellen and Lauren visit

-Watched Eiffel Tower sparkle

-Ate fried fat

-Macaroon tasting in the courtyard at the Louvre

-Met Michel Lode and got three paintings

-Dinner at Chez Gladine

-Late night stroll to Napoleans Tomb

-Disastrous picnic at Trocadero

-Met nice French man who rescued said disastrous picnic

-Watched sailboats at Tuileries Garden

-Shopped on the Champs-Élysées

-Julie's Birthday Party on Île de la Cité
-Homeless Man Pooping
-Discovered new sandwich combo: baguette, peace, tomme
-Cooking Club #3: Tex-Mex Night
-French Revolution Walking Tour (with a special tour guide)
-Visited the Louvre
-Said goodbye to David
-Visited Musée de l'Orangerie
-Fat Tire dinner party in the Tuileries Garden
-Office Girl outing to "Body Minute"
-Girls trip to Antibes, France
-Ate Moules Frites
-Ate my first anchovy
-Got a partial tan
-Montmartre Walking Tour
-Ran along the Champ de Mars
-Visited the Bastille Market
-Bicycle Ride through town
-Bought a Longchamp tote
-Visited [quickly] Galleries Lafayette
-BoBun dinner drinks with friends (closes early apparently)
-Tried a new Thai food place
-Goodbye picnic for summer staff
-Listened to a Swedish choir sing hymnals at the Eiffel Tower
-Sister and Mother arrived in Paris
-Made Tartines and coffee
-Visted the Rodin garden
-Watched it rain from the Rodin cafe
-Napoleans tomb
-Celebrated Sara's birthday at Mini Palais with Julie
-Fat Tire Tour to Versailles (Billy was our guide)
-Had the most amazing Versailles picnic
-Discovered new sandwich combo: baguette, fig, chevre, basil
-Drank a beer at the Dernier
-Packed my apartment
-Took my sister and mother on a pastry tour of Paris
-Tartlets from Secco (best one was lemon tart, obv)
-Macaron tasting at Piere Hermes in Saint Sulpice square
-Decided I still love Ladurée more
-Met up with Frank, the landlord - gave him my last bisous
-Rendevous'd with Walter, my sister's godfather
-Ate dinner at Bistrot 7 eme
-Ate snails and duck confit ... and drank some wine
-Took a long walk home, past the Eiffel Tower with Julie
-Ran across a Michael Jackson tribute dance-off
-Cried on the train back to my apartment
-Saw my last Paris sunrise

Bisous

Note: Bisous is a type of greeting or salutation performed between two friends - the traditional French "muah-muah" on each cheek. It is one small, simple thing I love about this place: touching your lips to someone's cheek who isn't your sig other is intimate and special - a small gesture of hospitality.

Paris welcomed me quickly and kindly into her arms this summer. However, my departure from the City of Lights has been a long, slow goodbye - filled with lots of hugs, lengthy strolls along broad avenues, large crocodile tears, and a final view of the Eiffel Tower from Line 6.

Goodbye, Paris! You have been more than hospitable to me. I look forward to seeing you in the future. Until then...

Bisous (bi.zu)

-Traditional French greeting between friends, family, or mutual acquaintances
-Closed-mouth kiss on each cheek of greeters (left cheek, then right cheek)

Not a bisous...

Source: google.com via Tonya on Pinterest

Farewell Tour

I have three full days left in the City of Light and there is a lot of pressure to seize every last second of it. Here is my farewell tour lineup:

Today:

-9:30 - Mother and sister land ad CDG

-10:30 - Tartines and coffee at my apartment, talk, and plan

-11:00 - Get metro passes at Montparnasse

-1:00 - Lunch at Au Dernier Metro

-2:00 - Museums (?)

-8:00 - Special Dinner for Sara's Birthday!

-12:00 - Eiffel Tower sparkel

Sunday:

-9:00 - Fat Tire Versailles Tour (8 hrs)

-7:00 - Dinner at Tribeca

-9:00 - Ice Cream at Amarinos

-10:00 - Early to Bed (?)

Monday:

-9:30 - City Segway Tour

-12:00 - Lunch at the Tuileries Garden Cafe

-2:00 - Latin Quarter for a Chocolate/Pastry Tour

-6:00 - Rendezvous with Frank, the landlord, to turn-in key

-7:30 - Dinner at Chez Gladine

-10:00 - Continue Packing-Up Apartment

Tuesday:

-7:00 - Paris Shuttle pick-up

-10:00 - Depart CDG

-6:00 - Arrive at IAH

-6:30 - Mexican Food

-8:30 - See Houston apartment for the first time

-10:00 - Bedtime in Houston

-10:01 - Dream of my return to Paris

It should be a fun-filled, action-packed couple of days - spent with my mom and sister. I can't wait to show them what my life has been like here in Paris... and to see them fall inlove with this City too.

Remember

Today is special. It is not only one of my last days in Paris - but it is the 5th anniversary of Walker's death. I feel unusually fragile today - the stillness of this morning brings tears to my eyes. Every year I'm amazed at how I feel both deeply happy and utterly sad on this day. But this year, this day is special...

This year, I get to spend today with Walker's best college friend, Jack. You see - Jack is the manager of Fat Tire Bike Tours in Paris. Jack generously hired us to come work for him this summer in Paris - making a small dream of ours come true. Although, both David and I were friends with Jack in college, Walker was truly the linking nexus between us all (as he commonly was).

I had never talked to Jack about Walker's death; I had only hugged him tightly on August 26th 2006 at a small gathering at the F&A house. And then another hug again at Muster later that year. Jack and I often crossed paths that school year on campus - it only took a slight nod and smile from far away to know that looking at each other reminded us both of Walker. Even now, here in Paris, the first day I walked into the FT office, Jack stood up and gave me a huge hug - only reminding me of our embrace back in August of 2006 - and of course, of our sweet friend, Walker.

But this year, more than ever, I realize that this is how we remember Walker: through the unspoken love, generosity, and comradery between those that knew him well. Just being with the people who knew him best and loved him most, like Jack, has brought comfort, joy, and healing in my life.


Walker, you are forever in our hearts and our lives.

Robert Walker Best

Muster 2006

Lessons Learned

At my first job out of college, my boss would make me do a self and team assessment at the end of every project. Our team would spend time together and individually, reflecting on our performance on the project, what we did well, what we could do better, and just things we must remember going-forward. We called this exercise "Lessons Learned".

Here are my Lessons Learned for my time as a Fat Tire Office Girl:


1. Be Nice to Everyone
Oftentimes this summer, I asked myself, "Why are people so mean?" I've never really been in the customer service industry before - but, man, those people really get pressure from all angles (customers and bosses). It was important for me to remember to Be Nice to everyone... even the people who ask stupid questions, even the neighborhood gypsies, and yes, even the mean people that came through our office.

It is interesting to me that I felt more inclined to help the people who were nice and kind to me - than the ones who were not. It might be naïve of me to say, but I believe being nice goes a long way.


2. It's OK to Not Know the Answer
Ever since 3rd grade, I've been scared of being wrong or sounding dumb. You see, I was working off the notion that there was no such thing as a stupid question. And yet, when I asked my teacher a question pertaining to Pangea and modern day continents, the class laughed at me. Ever since then, I've tried to ask the least amount of questions as possible and yet still somehow be great at what I do. And let me tell you, that's a pretty hard way to learn.

Because my time at FT was so brief and fast-paced, you either learn by mistake (which I did, trust me) or you learn by asking the stupid questions (which aren't so stupid after all). And instead of being tripped-up when something came up that I didn't know, I would politely and humbly admit that I didn't know the answer and that I would need a few minutes to figure it out. If the customer was nice (see #1), this usually worked. It's a great technique.

3. Have Fun
Point blank: life is too short not to laugh and have fun every day. Even at work! Although I respect the consulting industry, it was nice to act like a 20-something and not try to pretend to be older that I really am. You could oftentimes find the Office Girls playing volleyball outside, having bike races, practicing our British accents, picnicking for lunch, and just having good conversations - as long as our other office duties took priority.

I know that most jobs will not be as blatantly fun - like my mom always says, "work is work". But to find a job where you love the people you work with and love what you do is truly priceless.

FT Office Staff - Summer 2011

Antibes

My goal for the end of August was to squeeze one more short trip in before I leave sweet Paris. And I did it! This past weekend, I spent two FULL glorious, perfect days in the south of France (in a town called Antibes) with two friends from work (Julie and Katy).

Antibes is an old, old port city on the French Riviera - tucked nicely in between Cannes and Nice. It is a fortified city, with large stone seawalls that line ~48 different beaches. It has long been a city for the rich and famous to holiday - including many artists like Picasso and Guadi, in the mid-1900's.

To maximize our beach time and minimize impact to our wallets, we took a 10-hour night train from Paris and slept in little railroad couchettes. We pulled into Antibes on Saturday just as the sun was rising over the Mediteranean Sea...we had found paradise! After a quick cafe stop, Julie, Katy and I lounged on the private Royal Beach for hours - frequently dipping in the clear Mediteraean waters to cool off. We only breaked for food and wine. We had a lot of great conversations, short naps under our beach umbrellas, and lots of sunscreening. It. Was. Perfect.

Me & Julie on the Royal Beach

Me, Katy, & Julie ready for dinner

Sunday looked an awful lot like Saturday (sunscreen, beach, nap, dip, repeat). But we sadly had to say goodbye to little Antibes and headed back to Paris. It was a great escape from the big city and the perfect way to end my time here in France.