cycling along the canals

I had one full day in Amsterdam, and very little planned. Marie (being Marie) had more musts in mind; first and foremost: rent bicycles.

Bonne idée ! And yet, first and foremost we breakfast-ed. We set out for coffee bru--which happened to be closed for construction, but (lucky for us) had set a little mobile stand outside serving caffeine and sugar coffee, tea, and cakes. Then we rented bikes.

We (read: I) haphazardly rode east until coming across a neighborhood market that constituted a quick stop. You should've seen how I struggled with my bike lock. Many onlookers did. But, it was worth it for the chance to mingle with locals and drop into cute shops like this one. From then on, I got "it." What a lovely Dutch way to soak up the scenic city streets and canals! It was also a convenient way to get to the Van Gogh Museum, where we had planned to meet Jorgie and Lorelei.

Marie and Charlotte chose to spend their afternoon in the museums. Jorgie, Lorelei, and I decided otherwise; it was just too gosh darn beautiful out. We enjoyed a food cart-lunch before Vondelpark, where my brother's soon-to-be classmates would picnic. After hellos, Lorelei and I continued on to an outdoor exhibition. It was perfect--the sun, the art, and quality time with my dear friend.

As the sun fell, Lorelei and I shared a quick glass of rosé with my brother and the other fresh new master's students. We felt a happy-nostalgia in their company. We also came up with a plan for the night: rent another bike, freshen up at my airbnb, and finally, meet Jorgie at Campo de' Fiori for a nice, care-free "ciao for now" dinner. After all that walking and cycling, we were ready to feast.

And feast we did! We laughed, and drank too much wine, and filled ourselves to the brim with bruschetta, and pasta, and tiramisu. Special because it'd been shared with Jorgie and Lorelei, the meal made for the most wonderful 3-hour parting with Amsterdam.

My brave brother and I exchanged a short but sweet goodbye. Lorelei and I went for one last Dutch beer at a nondescript pub. Before long, she left to catch a train to The Hague while I waited for Charlotte and Marie to meet me. The three of us rode back in the rain, eventually. I hadn't had any hopes or expectations for that one full day, but holy crap, how my cup runneth over.

biodynamic in bourgogne

Putting together the first draft of my master's thesis has kept my brain rather consistently scattered (i.e. the sequence of recent posts: blog curation, neobistro lunches, actual 'good' people, simple, seasonal menus?). I hope it's forgivable as I've compared the process to "knitting a quilt for a giant." Are quilts even knit? Should I ask someone? There I go again... luckily, a milestone has been reached. I just submitted it for review! And I doubt I could have done so without last Saturday's much-needed break in Burgundy.

Lorelei and I joined fellow AUP students on a day trip. Though I fell asleep soon after boarding the bus, I awoke to fields of vibrant yellow flowers as we approached the town of Auxerre. We wandered past quaint, timbered houses for two hours, stopping at all the major sites: the cathedral, tour d'horloge, and abbey. Then, we had boulangerie sandwiches by the river to bask in the gorgeous sun.

Afterwards, we went to Chablis to visit Jean-Marc Brocard's vineyard and learn about biodynamic agriculture--a system that views the vineyard as an ecosystem, accouting for astrological influences and lunar cycles. It produces a natural (not quite organic) wine.

And, as I happily discovered, it also produces a wine that is just lovely to taste on a warm, sunshine-y afternoon in the countryside. Good to know: Chablis is a white wine (almost entirely Chardonnay) from the northernmost area of the French Burgundy region. It's crisp and dry, with a refreshing acidity brought about by the fossil-rich limestone soil. I highly recommend you sip some soon :).

new american

I went out for French food once while I was home in New York--to Saint-Georges with my little brother. I saved enjoying Mexican cuisine for Christmas Eve and the country itself. Otherwise, I just sought out pizza, sushi, my mom's cooking, and New American. Those last two are difficult to come by in Paris. Understandably so, I suppose! Especially as 'New American' isn't exactly defined.

My thesis has evolved since I first announced my research in detail. For starters, I'm not going to be able to do a study of both New York and London. There simply isn't enough time. I've had to narrow my cuisine-focus as well. So, rather than limit myself to food of a particular ethnicity, I've decided to tackle the opposite. Who, what, where, why, and how is 'New American' cuisine? And what does it reveal about the changing face of America? I'm hoping my findings will be applicable elsewhere; like, say, neo-bistros.

In addition to savoring time with friends and family, I also visited multiple New American restaurants, whether they'd been notably identified by print/online publications or defined themselves as such. The fact that I "visited" them (versus "dined at") is important. An expensive menu seem to be one of the most common characteristics of New American eateries. In essence, socio-economic or class exclusion may be more prevalent than anything race-related. Other shared traits: chef celebrity and local/organic sourcing.

Interesting stuff... for which I was beyond relieved to receive right-on-track validation from my professor this past week. I even walked away with a bi-monthly research to-do list! Also, lucky for my Parisian social life, there's more to me than nerdiness. Top new haunts include Maison F and Lockwood. Enjoying them with friends as great as mine is recommended. Happy weekend :).

defined by food

A master's thesis is a fascinating beast. I've quickly learned just how much it demands commitment, passion, and tireless effort. As such, my preferred mental break--besides writing an email to friends in Paris or crossing paths with another in New York--is magazines, those same ones I thought I'd wanted to work for just a few years ago. They're mostly light, inspiring reads. There is one common thread that's been bothering me in particular though: weight loss stories that begin with a women raised on food as love.

Food as love is not "the problem." Food is how we nourish ourselves and each other, share traditional memories, create celebratory moments together. Nothing about the affectionate nature of a meal prepared and enjoyed among others is problematic. Then again, I'm referring to a degree of appreciation for the experience that is often associate with the French; a secret cultural formula to being thin on wine, bread, cheese, and cream. What we may not realize is that the "secret" is literally taught, in the home and classroom.

At the molecular level, yes, food is fuel. But the human touch adds love, and we've been cultivating it into cuisines around the world for centuries. While in the Jura, I recall Claire telling us about French researchers that led a group of overweight men and women through a weight loss program focused, not on extreme exercise nor culinary deprivation, but a conscious respect for food itself. They learned how to taste. And in doing so, they also lost a healthy amount of weight and were able to keep it off.

We're privileged to be able to choose what we eat, where, and how. From most disciplines, academics have proven that “what kind of food one eats and how – organic, healthy, local, processed, vegan, or ethnic – is a serious cultural and political issue with vital consequences for one’s cultural lifestyle and identity,” (Hirose and Pih 1483). That's why I'm so curious to look at how 'global cities' define local cuisine and who participates in the process. It's also why I loved Saturday night's dinner with my brother. Before he went back to Arizona, we dined on delectable French dishes (a shared petit plateau from the oyster bar, bowl of chestnut soup, and lamb shank with carrots and potatoes), wine, and espresso at a restaurant with his namesake. We had such a good time. I told him all about my thesis research; he shared his judgement of the restaurant... :) he's become especially opinionated since working at Fortina's. He spoke about his spring semester schedule and hopes for the future, too. What if food is, and should always be, love?