Contents
September 2008
Volume LXVIII Number 9
Magazine / Features
20 Letter from the Editor: The Last Time I Saw Paris
For one rainy week this spring, our editor in chief stayed in cheap hotels, wandered the streets, rode the métro, attended free cultural events, and had some of the best meals of her life. And she discovered that you can live stunningly well in Paris on very little money. Here’s how.
Every time we land in Paris, we find ourselves bowled over by a charming new city. In this issue, we head deep into the double-digit arrondissements (okay, we include the 9th). If you do the same, you’ll be rewarded with not just spectacularly good food but with a glimpse of the quartiers that the French themselves consider the Paris of the 21st century.
Recipes on page 70.
Recipes on page 70.
This area—always one of the more anonymous in the city—has been reborn as a dramatic place that begs you to wander its banks or linger over a bottle of wine.
Countless young chefs have chosen to set up shop in this slice of the city, and it’s become one of the trendiest destinations—especially for those who want to taste what’s new without spending a small fortune.
There’s definitely something stirring in the bawdy working-class neighborhood that runs along the Rue de Belleville. And now is the perfect time to catch its wave of energy and edginess.
One of the city’s least known neighborhoods, this is also one of its most intimate. But don’t be fooled by its appealing sleepiness—there are lots of surprises and hidden gems among those backstreets.
78 A Parisian Room of One’s Own
Check in, check out. Check in, check out. Repeat. That’s what our travel editor did as he went from one hotel to the next—and from one extreme (no bathroom) to another (painted fresco ceilings).
118 Smooth Operator
At her restaurant, Le Baratin, Raquel Carena seamlessly melds French bistro cooking with the flavors of Italy, Spain, and beyond. Taste the results in recipes for fennel with almonds, raisins, and saffron; braised duck legs and sautéed duck breast; vanilla panna cotta with fresh mango compote; quail escabeche; celery root and potato purée with chervil; and mocha mousse with Sichuan peppercorns.
140 An Antique Table
In a tradition as old as their wares, flea-market vendors continue the oh-so-French habit of putting lunch before work, and it’s inspired us to take some classic dishes and update them with a global flair. Among them: country pâté with mango and pineapple chutney; butternut squash soup with chestnuts; fricassee of game hen with creamy leeks and vadouvan; and chocolate-glazed chocolate tart. Plus: our favorite flea markets.
Magazine / First Person
116 Benedictions
When a romantic failure inspires a uniquely Parisian sort of hunger, one young woman and her dog set out to satisfy it in a way only this city can.
