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Monthly Archives: December 2011
Tacos, pho and banh mi – eating in Orange County, CA
I usually come back to Southern California, where I grew up, to visit my family during the holidays. While most people are at the mall frantically shopping for gifts for everyone on their list, you can find me at the various restaurants and grocery stores, eating my way through California Mexican and Vietnamese food and stocking up on everything I can’t get in Paris. Every time I come back, I’m reminded of all the things I will always love and miss about this area of the US.
Now, the Mexican and Vietnamese dining scene here has been meticuously documented, and there are tons of great sites to get you started if you’re hungry and in the area. I’m not going to try to compete with their exhaustive and impressive efforts. Instead, I’ve included some at the bottom of this post and I’d like to take you on one of my typical shopping/eating trips for necessities. Continue reading
Posted in California, Travel, USA
Tagged banh mi, Banh Mi Che Cali, Boulangerie Pierre, California, Candlearia, cooking, El Nopal, food, Le Versaille, Lee's Sandwiches, Little Saigon, Mexican food, Northgate Market, Orange County, Phở Thanh, pho, shopping, T&K Food Market, tacos, Tacos Jerez, Thanh Binh Jeune, Today Plaza, Top Baguette, Van's Bakery, Vietnamese food
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La Bûche de Noël and a California Christmas
When I think of Christmas with my family a few things come to mind: Unpacking my mother’s dishes with the little trees for their once-a-year appearance. Croissants and sausage and egg casserole on Christmas morning. Opening stockings before the rest of the family arrives. My grandmothers trying to save all the wrapping paper from their gifts (“But, it’s so pretty!”). And, the bûche de Noël. It’s a Christmas fixture at my family’s table, a tradition that my grandmother brought over from France and one that I’ve carried with me from sunny California to freezing Beijing. Continue reading
Posted in California, Food, France, Restaurants, Travel
Tagged Bûche de Noël, Christmas, cooking, food, French holiday traditions, Little Saigon, Paris, shopping, Van's Bakery, Yule log
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La rue Jean Pierre Timbaud: Food, music and reflections on an identity crisis
Rue Jean Pierre Timbaud runs through the 11e arrondissement, from the boulevard de Temple to the boulevard de Belleville. It’s a slice of Paris populaire, a hodgepodge of immigration, gentrification, hipsterisation, and all the good and bad that go with them. It’s a good place to grab a bite, and to be honest, it’s not infrequent that I wind up poking around here even if I had another destination in mind. Continue reading
Posted in Food, France, Restaurants, Travel
Tagged food, Paris, Paris music venues, Paris neighborhoods, Paris restaurants, shopping. 11e arrondissement
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Buying Meat in France – Le Lapin
[caption id="attachment_298" align="aligncenter" width="360"]
Un Lièvre, Eduard Manet[/caption]
Un Lièvre, Eduard Manet[/caption]
For as long as I can remember, my sister and I have called our maternal grandmother Mémère. I’m not exactly sure how it started. But, isn’t that always how those things go? Mémère’s from a small French town near the Belgian border, where she lived through the German occupation. Growing up, she told us stories of the rabbits her father raised, that kept her and her family alive and well through the lean times and severe rationing. But despite this family connection, rabbit and I have a particularly tortured history.
