ON YOUR MANTELPIECE

A postcard from a vacation. Whether a view of a deserted beach in Formentera or the Villa Malaparte in Capri.

A newspaper clipping with a witty headline.

A still from a cult film, torn out of a book or magazine.

Photos. Photos of you now (though not too flattering—nothing that screams “look how beautiful I am”). A photo of you as a child, a blurred Polaroid shot, or a black-and-white strip from a photo booth.

Movie tickets from films that you adored.

Ticket stubs from art shows you loved.

Invitations to your best friend’s cocktail/premiere/engagement party.

Mementos that make you smile (concert tickets, postcards gleaned from here and there).

Your old ID card or first driver’s license.

A quote, a poem, a handwritten letter that moves you.

An old black-and-white photo that you found in an antiques store or that was in your family.

Seashells collected from here and there.

Objects from your life that are always with you and give you pleasure whenever you look at them because they tell your story.

YOU’LL BE A MAN, MY SON

Being a feminist and appreciating gallantry are not necessarily incompatible—on the contrary. Making an effort, being attentive: it doesn’t take much and yet it makes a world of difference. What a joy to find some grace and courtesy in this world of brutes. When you encourage his chivalry, a man becomes more a man, a woman more a woman.

And so, it’s only normal that:

He hold the door for you.

He carry your suitcases and your shopping—a woman only ever carries her handbag.

He pour your wine; you should never have to touch the bottle. It suits him—that way you’ll get drunk faster.

He take you home and wait for you to close the front door. Even if he tried to come up and you didn’t let him. Making him wait—a little—never did anyone any harm.

LIGHTEN UP

Creating the right mood in your apartment is more important than buying the right sofa or the latest shade of paint from Farrow & Ball. In fact, the decoration and life of your home should be organized around natural light. It is daylight that dictates the layout of your apartment and regulates its very heartbeat.

Think of lighting the way you do your makeup. Keep it mellow to soften the contours. Never have anything neon, unless it is part of a decorative piece. The aim is to create a warm and romantic atmosphere by using several sources of light, creating different moods for different rooms.

The kitchen: this is a strategic room, as it’s where the Parisienne holds court. If you have enough space, create two different vibes: on one side the dining area, with soft lighting to inspire discussion and seduction; on the other side your worktop, with more direct light to prepare your roast lamb without cutting your finger.

The living room: make sure you accentuate the corners in a room, to open up the space. Use smaller lamps instead of a massive ceiling light, unless, of course, you’ve inherited a spectacular chandelier from your grandmother in which you can then put low-wattage lightbulbs. You can also keep a few candles here and there, but never on a low table: light from below only accentuates the bags under your eyes, and the shadow of your nose will give you a mustache.

The bedroom: keep the light low. Forget about the boring old lamp that draws attention to curves and cellulite. The only sources of light here should be the one in your closet and your reading lamp, which is never too harsh as it would only damage your eyes.

The bathroom is your best friend. Don’t let it demoralize you! Choose a flattering light—even if it cheats a little—to make you feel good about yourself.

PLAYDATE

There are no casinos in Paris—gambling is illegal. But this hasn’t stopped the Parisian tradition of playing games. Games are usually played around a table, during a dinner party or over drinks with friends (the more, the merrier).

INSTRUCTIONS

“Never Have I Ever” (the French way)

Number of players: 2 minimum
Objects needed: full glasses, to consume in moderation or liberally

The first player starts by admitting something she has never done, for example, “Never have I ever had sex with a stranger.” If the statement is true, she does nothing. If the statement is false, she takes a sip (of water, bien sûr!) to confess her lie. All other players must also answer and drink accordingly.

You then move on to the next person, whose turn it is to admit “Never Have I Ever …,” and so on.

Things tend to heat up pretty quickly.

“The Book Game”

Number of players: 2 minimum

Objects needed: a book

This is a so-called fortune-telling game.

Take a random book off the shelf, either fiction or nonfiction. Player 1 gets up and asks Player 2 to ask a question about her own life, as if addressing a fortune-teller. Then Player 1 asks Player 2 to choose from either the front or the back.

If she chooses from the front, Player 1 flicks through the pages of the book, starting from the front, until the other tells her to stop.

Next, Player 2 must choose right or left, which dictates which page will be read from.

And then Player 2 chooses a line number between 1 and 30. If she picks 14, Player 1 reads aloud the fourteenth line on the page.

This line is supposed to answer the question posed—often prophetic, it can then be analyzed by all the other players, before moving on to the next person.

“THE DICTIONARY GAME”

Number of players: 4 minimum

Objects needed: a dictionary, paper, pens

Player 1 chooses an obscure word in the dictionary that she believes no one will know the meaning of.

After spelling it out, the other players must then invent and write down, in dictionary jargon, a definition for this word. Player 1 writes down the real definition and then collects everyone else’s, making sure not to let the other players know who wrote what.

Player 1 then reads out all the definitions, including the real one. Each player then votes for the definition they believe to be the most credible.

Those who guess correctly win a point. Those who write such a convincing definition that others vote for it win two points. The winner is the player with the most points at the end of the game.

“THE NOVEL GAME”

Number of players: 4 minimum

Objects needed: paper, pens, several novels

Following the same format as the Dictionary Game, this is played with novels.

One player reads the first line of the novel, and the others must invent the last line.

Little Big Treats

The Parisienne spends the same way she diets—the stricter she is with herself, the more likely she is to slip up. And that is when she decides to make a well-earned exception, convinced that she urgently needs one of the following:

A bouquet of white lilies, just because. She loves treating herself to flowers.

A first edition of a classic. It’s the same story as in the more recent edition, but somehow the pleasure of reading it is not the same at all.

A dish of sea urchins. They cost nothing in the South of France but are horribly expensive in Paris, which gives them an added taste of their own.

A pair of oversized sunglasses to hide her tired eyes the morning after.

An aromatherapy massage. But this isn’t really a luxury, it’s an investment in her well-being.

That rare vintage piece she found on eBay and which she simply cannot live without.

A romantic night at a hotel. Love is priceless.

A nice candle, so she can feel the extravagance of a hotel at home—especially since a hotel is often beyond her means.

A lacy lingerie set. On second thought, maybe just the bra. She’ll figure out the bottom later.

Sunday Recipes

Parisians love to go to outdoor markets on the weekend, to find fresh produce that has undergone as little transformation as possible. Here are some easy, light, and delicious recipes.

These are quite simple recipes for Sundays—as you have plenty of things to do, you don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen!

FOR A SPRING SUNDAY / ASPARAGUS WITH PARMESAN

Fresh asparagus, approximately 4 stalks per person

Olive oil, for drizzling

Juice of 1 lemon (optional)

Freshly shaved Parmesan

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.

• Trim the asparagus. Place on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and drizzle with the olive oil. Cook for 15 minutes in the hot oven. Soak up the oil with paper towels. Squeeze the lemon juice over the dish, if using. Sprinkle with the shaved Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

FOR A SUMMER SUNDAY / EGGPLANT CAVIAR

Serve as a dip or with a meat dish.

A drizzle of olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan

2 fleshy, large eggplants

½ shallot, minced

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper (4 turns of the mill)

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.

• Grease a roasting pan with olive oil. Place the whole eggplants in the pan and bake for 25 minutes. They are done when they are swollen and soft.

• Remove the eggplants from the oven and let cool.

• Halve the eggplants and remove the pulp using a spoon. Place the pulp in a bowl and add the shallot. Add the drizzle of olive oil and the lemon juice and with a wooden spoon mix until the eggplant has absorbed all the oil and you have a smooth puree. Add the salt and pepper.

FOR AN AUTUMN SUNDAY / BAKED APPLE

This dish makes an excellent side dish (for meat or blood sausage).

If you want to serve it for dessert, prior to baking, fill the cored apple with a mixture of lemon juice and honey. Bake as before. While the apples are still warm, sprinkle with powdered sugar so that the sugar caramelizes. Serve warm, with or without ice cream or crème fraîche.

1 apple per person, preferably Renatta from Canada or Belle de Boscop varieties

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

• Preheat the oven to 400° F.

• Rinse and core the apples. Place them in a baking pan, add a little bit of water, so the apples don’t stick, and slide into the oven. When the skin begins to crackle and the flesh softens (approximately 30 minutes, although it depends a bit on the size of the apples), take the apples out of the oven and serve them immediately.

FOR A WINTER SUNDAY / PEA AND CARROT SOUP

1 medium can of peas and carrots

Wasabi

Serves 6

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

• Separate the carrots from the peas. Blend the carrots into a puree.

• Blend the peas together with the water from the can, into a soup.

• Heat them both, separately.

• Pour the carrot puree into the middle of a wide, shallow bowl, like an island.

• Then pour in the pea soup, all around the island.

• Make little wasabi balls, in the shape of peas, and arrange them around the rim of the bowl.

Date: 2016-01-14; view: 849