Catching up on Paris before I fly🛫

A birthday surprise and a bunch of sweetness before it's au'revoir again (for now)

Bonjour! Bonjour!

Tomorrow I fly back to America, to my little family, Joshua, Linling, Gemma and VV, to my friends and to communities frayed by differences. So many people have told me stories of deeply strained relationships with partners and parents, neighbors and colleagues. I can’t remember a time like this (thank goodness!) and only hope that it won’t last so long that children will come to think of discord and disrespect as common, or worse, acceptable. I don’t think anyone wants that. I’m not sure how we are going to knit our ragged edges smooth again, how we will replace hate with kindness and fear with acceptance and generosity, but I’m going to set my heart to it. And I’m going to cook and to bake for myself and for others. It’s what I know how to do and, like you, what I love to do.

José Andres, who founded World Central Kitchen, understands the power of food and can speak about it better than anyone I know. He gives us this advice in his recent newsletter:

“Every day we should be thinking about how to make room at the table—pulling up as many chairs as are needed so everyone has a seat.”

We all have a lot to think about, but for now, some sweetness: A catch-up on Paris. And ... the corrected recipe for pumpkin pie from Baking with Dorie. Please read it. Please. 

A Happy October Birthday Surprise

I had a birthday! I’m giggling as I type this because I never fuss over my birthday and I usually don’t write about it (although I did write about Michael’s last year), but this one was special. Michael and I had tickets to see the Caillebotte exhibit at the Musée d’Orsay and reservations to have dinner with friends at Bistrot Paul Bert (which I guess is now our birthday place). And then, as I was making coffee in the kitchen, I heard someone say: “Hello! You know, if you leave the door open, anyone can walk in!” And there was Joshua! I don’t know how Michael, Joshua and Linling kept it a secret, but they did. It was truly a surprise and here’s how I know that I hadn’t had an inkling — when Joshua walked in and said “Hello!” I didn’t know it was him. I would know Joshua’s voice anywhere — of course. But this time, I actually asked, “Who is it?” Now would be a good time for the gobsmacked emoji to pop up. 😲

And he came bearing gifts: Birthday portraits by Gemma. One for me and one for Pa (Michael’s birthday was the week before mine.) That she painted Michael with hair — he’s been bald since he was in his 20s — is very cute. Gemma explained that after she drew him, she remembered he was bald. She thought it was as funny as we did.

Gemma's art

It was one of those glorious Paris days. Blue skies. Warmish. Happy weather. And we walked and walked. We walked to the Marais to see the exhibit of paintings by Keita Morimoto — we love his work! — and then to Mokonuts, where Joshua had reserved a table. Lunch was, at it always is at Mokonuts, perfect!

An egg with wild mushrooms, pigeon for me, beautifully cooked fish for the guys, and then a stack of Moko’s justly-famous cookies. With candles! The candles alone would have made me cry, but when everyone — I mean everyone! — in the restaurant sang happy birthday, I was done in. You’d think that after having as many birthdays as I’ve had, I could accept candles and song and good wishes with a simple smile, but they always knock me out. It’s a good thing I only have one birthday a year.

Although this year, I had two chances to make wishes on candles. After dinner at Bistrot Paul Bert, the lovely apple tartlet with ice cream was served as a birthday cake. And I got a present: the just-out Bistrot Paul Bert cookbook! It will be published in English next summer, but I’ll try to make a couple of recipes from it and translate them for you before then. Bertrand, who is the bistrot’s proprietor, told me that the first thing I should make from the book is the crème caramel because “it’s Michael’s favorite” — he knows his customers well.

Oh, there was a bonus outing — a sunset cruise along the Seine with my friends from Bake from Scratch. It was the capper to their Paris baking retreat and classes at La Cuisine.

Photo: Jane Bertch

And then, as quickly as Joshua arrived, he left. He was on a plane the next day and home with his family in time for dinner. Sweetest gift ever.

La Galerie Dior

While I missed the Caillebotte exhibit — I’ve now got tickets to see it in January — I went to the Dior Gallery the day before my birthday. I hadn’t been in a hurry to book a visit to the gallery because I’d seen the remarkable exhibit at the Museum of Decorative Arts, but I’m so glad I followed a friend’s advice and went. What a gorgeous place! What exquisite installations! And that staircase! As soon as you enter, you see a sweeping staircase, take a step, turn around and tell me if you don’t feel like a supermodel. Even I, who wear pants at least 364 days of the year, regretted that I wasn’t wearing a beautiful dress with the kind of longish full skirt that would swirl as I moved. Oh, and highest-heeled shoes, too.

The dresses and maquettes lining the staircase are beautiful, the materials explaining the exhibits are interesting, the current show of Peter Lindbergh photographs is stunning, but for me, the highlight was a tiny treasure, the prints by Gérard Uféras of the thimbles used by people working in the Dior ateliers. I loved that they came with a key, giving the name of each worker. I can’t explain why, but I was deeply touched by these.

Going Further

I’m wildly excited about a new travel magazine and thrilled that I got to be part of the inaugural issue. The free digital magazine is called FURTHER. It’s co-founded and edited by Peter Jon Lindberg and it’s smart, sophisticated and sumptuous. Also chic, dreamy and surprising. With stories and essays about food and drink, design, wellness, people, adventure, style, arts, culture and so much more, each issue gives you a month’s worth of good reading. My story, with the fabulous Nilou Motamed (FURTHER’s other co-founder), is a Sourcebook feature. And, not surprisingly, it’s about Paris. Of course I’ve got recommendations for pastries and chocolates and restaurants, but also for flowers and classes and wines and edible gifts. And best of all, FURTHER made a downloadable Google Map of my recs. Pretty wonderful.

[A sneak peek at FURTHER’s upcoming REEL]

And now, it’s off to finish packing. I’ll be tucking some of those edible gifts into my bags. Also — please don’t tell them — I’ve got two watercolors for Gemma and VV by the uber-talented Jessie Kanelos Weiner. I was thrilled to get them when I visited Jessie’s studio a few weeks ago. The painting of the boat basin in the Luxembourg Garden is for Gemma, who loved pushing the boats in the water when she was here this summer. And while both girls are fascinated by the Eiffel Tower, VV has a love of ladybugs, so the painting of The Iron Lady is for her.

I’ll be in touch next week from Connecticut. In the meantime, cook something good, bake something delicious, share it with people you love and hug them, too.

P.S. It's pumpkin-pie time again and this is my annual PSA to remind you that the corrected recipe for my pie — the one in Baking with Dorie — is available to all. Please, please, please be sure to use this recipe (NOT the one in the book). And please, help me by sharing it. Thank you and xoxo.

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📚 You can find more recipes in my latest book Baking with Dorie.