81 Rue de Loo

Alright, I am getting way behind on my blogging... so much for my New Year's Resolution!  I think I'll just have to spend my free Friday's prepping up some hot stuff to discuss... especially since my recent move to Pah-ree!

So, as a super die-hard, probably born in the wrong time period FAN of Julia Child, I was just ravie to have #1 on my "To Do in Pah-ree" list "Visit Julia Child's 81 Rue de Loo Apartment Building".

Well, because my hours are usually between 9am to 6pm Mon-Thurs, and Bri isn't free until 7pm on Fridays; that leaves us the weekends to run errands, visit, enjoy a bit and discover Pah-ree.

Thus the reason we found ourselves at a little Café in the 8ème plotting our mission to see the infamous 81 rue de Loo.

First off, Pah-ree is amazing.  I keep finding these incredible little pockets of America and cultures popping up all over different areas of the city.  I have discovered that the 8th Arrondissement is sort of evolving into an American sub-culture.

Take for example the whole onset of Cupcakes in Paris; I remember cupcakes were big when I left the States- all the big fund raising events would have the classy Cupcake Jones; and now Paris has caught the drift.  A search for these American delights leads us to many American cafés located, none other than, the 8ème.

Which is how we found ourselves in the Sugar Plum Café, located at 68 rue Cardinal Lemoine.. yup... 8ème.

My horribly shot photo of the barista at Sugar Plum Café

As soon as we entered the shop my ears were buzzing... something wasn't right.. everyone was speaking in.. ENGLISH!  All the menu- English!  All the people spattered about- English!  Amazing experience that I hadn't had in over a year and a half.. so of course I did the first thing I could think of.  I ordered a slice of good ol' American style Carrot Cake.

Cake 4€, bottomless crap coffee 2€

And did I chow down?  I forgot how much I loved carrot cake until I was downing fork after forkful of the stuff.  Bri ordered some weird chocolate thing.. was a bit dry- but his Valrhona Hot Chocolate? To die for.

After I was all fattened up and American-ed out, I decided it was time to go see Mrs. Child.  A quick métro ride later we found ourselves in the Métro leading up to Julia's street.. I imagined her taking the métro everywhere.. she had walked where I was walking. Her and Paul had strolled where WE were strolling.

Métro Roo de Loo

I was almost beside myself with excitement!

As we climbed up onto the street I started feeling like I did when I visited her exhibit in the Smithsonian, excitement... sadness (wishing she was still around and that she'd wanna meet me.  She'd like me, I'm no Julie Powell!)

On the corner, why was it TAGGED?

And then, of course, I got to my destination.  Ladies, gentlemen, die-hard fans of Julia Child, I present to you 81 Rue de Loo, her residence during 10 years when she begun The Book in France:

81 Rue de Loo

It was amazing.

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Inspiration from Julia Child

As I was re-watching yet another episode of “The French Chef”, I couldn’t help but realize that I was literally following in the same footsteps of “The Chef” herself.  See, according to her book, “My Life in Paris”, (which I’ve only read, let’s say 5 or 6 times… until it got destroyed by a toilet flood.  I was willing to save it, but the wilted cover and the reeking pages told me not too.) Julia Child has to follow her love Paul around the world for his government attaché position.

Granted Julia had about 25 years on me, a gigantesque apartment overlooking the waterfront on “Roo de Loo”, and a much larger disposable income for all of the beautiful copper pots and pans Paul was willing to indulge, I find myself coming to the end of a séjour in my own little Paris.  In less than 3.5 weeks I will find myself kitchenless, gadgetless and about 200 sq ft less in the actual city of Paris.. for what other reason than to follow my Government workin’ Bri… and of course to discover new opportunities of my own… I could never be “one of those American housewives that sit around the house WONDERING what to do!” Like Julia I must be kept busy, find my passion.

What’s fabulous however is now I get to discover the “Real Paris”.  My fear, however, is that the Paris painted in such a romantic way by Julia’s interpreter (she was older when she got around to talking about her life) will only leave me exasperated and gulping for air.  All of the culinary delights that I would have wanted to discover have only been publicized and commercialized.  I looked at potentially going to that famous Cordon Bleu, but unlike Julia Child, when faced with the price I couldn’t just say, “Le prix est peu important!” I quickly clicked the x button on that window.

Bri keeps telling me that I have a talent, that it’s more than just “You cook because we have to eat, it’s like you cook because you love to cook!”, It’s true that I have always had a passion for cooking.  I remember being a toddler and crawling into my mother’s spice cupboard to stick my little nose in the spice rack.  I’d close my eyes, take a deep smell and remember the name… of course there were times it was a bad idea (like the big whiff of Cayenne Pepper). So maybe this change will spark even more of the passion in my soul, perhaps I will shout from the Parisien rooftops “Bon APPETIT!”

So as the countdown continues and my days in Lyon are numbered I am trying to look through the eyes of Julia Child… I mean Julia would never have been Julia without her perseverance, intelligence, ability to adapt to any situation, optimism… and of course Paul Child.

Who knows, maybe I can become the next generation of Julia… of course it would only transpire the passion and never be capable of meeting the same level… there are just too many wanna-be gastronomes… although I would love to be the founder of the next Gourmandes, except this time for the young gourmands.

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