dreaming of a french kitchen shop...

e. dehillerin

have you been? do you love to cook? if so, when you are in paris you must go. must must.

I had read about this historic store in the heart of paris in one of ina garten's cookbooks. I knew when I saw her photos that I had to go. no question.

it did not disappoint. I could have spent hours there, shooting the endless beautiful silver whisks, pots big enough to store #4 in, endless copper, beautiful serving platters.

dehillerin is not a fancy shop. it is not a showy shop. it is rustic. it is functional. it has history in it's aisles. it is busy.

I used a LOT of constraint (seeing as I had very little space in my suitcase to be carting every simple kitchen gadget I had ever dreamt of home with me...) but did bring home a couple little treasures that I use nearly every day.

you leave your purchases in a queue on one counter, they write up your order which you take to a second counter. there you will pay for your items while they are being carefully and beautifully wrapped in lovely paper. you will then return to the first counter to collect your package. it was truly the best kitchen shopping experience I have yet to have. le sigh...

next time, I shall be leaving a lot more empty space in my suitcase when traveling to paris...

xx

France jour 6 - saying goodbye, and saying hello

The strangest part of online friendships is when the opportunity presents itself to actually meet someone you have "known" for some time. Maybe you have talked on the phone, exchanged endless emails, supported each other through difficult moments or joyful occasions. When that moment actually happens though - when you are face to face for the first time, at least for me, it is like looking at a long lost friend. I have experienced it many times. I tend to be emotional so when I connect with these friends, there are always huge hugs, lots of laughter, and even occasionally a few tears from me.

Such was the case in the south of France. You see, Chicago bestie and I were to part ways on Monday morning. We had had the MOST MAGICAL week together - a week that I will go back to time and again and feel such joy reliving. We drove our little car to the train station in the rain, listening to music - but nothing slow or sad - no way. We returned our car and walked up to the station to find our trains. I felt so sad knowing she was leaving. My heart was heavy as, even though we may travel together again, this really was a once in a lifetime trip. I should also mention that I don't do "goodbye" well. I nearly always cry, especially at airports or train stations. And of course, this time was no exception. I hated to see her go...

So, she had her ticket, but mine had been purchased the night before at the hotel so I needed to pick up my physical ticket when we arrived. I waited in line but had a sinking feeling as I watched people who seemed rather frustrated working with the women at the counters. When it was my turn, I learned that, thanks to the french belief in the right to strike, there would be no train to Toulouse that day. There would be no trains westward bound at all as a matter of fact. Hhmmm... Now what to do...

And this, my friends, is where the rubber meets the road. It is where the boys are separated from the men, where the cream rises to the top. It is where you learn who your true friends are - strike that - *family* is. Because in this moment of "I'm stranded in the train station in Avignon which isn't necessarily the worst place to be stranded but being stranded in general isn't a great thing to be" , my blogging friend became my french bestie. She DROVE all the way from Toulouse, on a moments notice, to PICK ME UP. FOUR hours - F-O-U-R. Each way. Honestly. And the moment she arrived, I threw my arms around her and that was it. Family.

I only have one photo from that day. We stopped to take one of Pont du Gard - an incredibly old, amazing aqueduct constructed by the Roman Empire - originally they thought it was built in the 19th century, but now think it may have been the middle of the first. Yikes! It is one of the Unesco world heritage sites and it really is amazing to see something that old and imagine the lives that have come in contact with it over the ages.

What I do have, if not lack of photos, are memories of talking for four hours straight about everything under the sun. We had no problem filling the drive back with all of the things we wanted to catch up on or share. It was fabulous. But not as fabulous as the moment we arrived at her home. Picture this~ French countryside, rolling hills, old French farmhouse, sun just setting. But wait - it gets better.

When we went inside, her husband (who from here on in will be referred to as "french husband" - not because he is her french husband, but because he is now also *my* french husband) and three children were sitting at the table having dinner. I sat down and was IMMEDIATELY a part of the family. Seriously. It was as if I had known the children forever when they greeted me with "we have heard so much about you". French husband poured us a glass of wine, and that was that. Really, I should have seen it was the beginning of the end for me - the end of thinking I didn't belong right there. Maybe not in french family's house, but in the french countryside. Because as wonderful and warm and fabulous as that first night was, it continued to get even better for the entire week I was there.

But that is a story for another day...

fine dining, or daily dining in france...

While I am due for another post from the magical france trip of 2010, I need to take a moment to insert a bit about the food I enjoyed while I was there. You see, while editing the photos from my second week where I stayed with my french bestie, I realized how absolutely utterly stunningly gorgeous (not to mention DELICIOUS) the food was. You see, french bestie is an incredible cook. marvelous, really. And of course, being me, I had to photograph every single thing we ate. I was lucky french husband was so patient and understanding of my constantly whipping out the camera at a moments notice... and waiting to eat. or drink his wine. or champagne. See - I really was fortunate~

So, I thought I would share a few photos of the meals that have now spoiled me when it comes to dining. And please believe me when I say that I miss this food every day and try to recreate part of the magic that was "eating chez frenchies"...

Most of our lunches were eaten outside in the sunshine in the french countryside. And please note - when I say "lunch" I am referring to a meal that most would consider a formal dining experience in most other places. We enjoyed wine with every meal (lord knows I could get used to that...) and the freshest ingredients in every meal. It truly was one of those times when you REALLY don't want it to ever end.

Cheese was served at nearly every meal and it was the most magnificent selection of cheeses I have ever enjoyed. I fell in love with M. Jeannot - their cheese man~

Okay, I'm hungry... Time to go peruse my favorite cookbooks in search of some inspiration for the coming week~

Enjoy your Sunday mes amies!

xx

France jour 5 - the girls go brocanting!

I think we shall call day five "le jour de Kasey" as it seems I have a number of photos of her. And honestly, could this girl not be a supermodel? I mean, really. She is so. incredibly. comfortable. in front of the camera. This would be one area where we are NOT alike... Thus, endless darling photos of her~

Jour 5 was brocante day! We ventured about 45 minutes away to Isle sur la Sorgue - the *most charming* little town in the south of France. It was a gorgeous day and perfect for perusing fabulous old treasures.

We had such fun, found some wonderful items to bring home, and then enjoyed a fabulous lunch. The outdoor dining area was situated right on the river - beautiful blue water flowing by. We were entertained by a very animated accordion player who seemed to really enjoy his job!

After our lunch, our glass of wine, and our cafe creme, we wandered the streets taking photos and peeking into various little shops. I think we could have stayed there for days - it was that cute~

I would like to take this opportunity to point out that while I did the driving, Kasey was definitely the calm voice of reason. I admit, I will, on the *rare* occasion, get slightly stressy. Kasey - not so much. That is yet another reason that she is one of the perfect travel partners for me.

On our way back to the Mas, we stopped in St. Remy to walk around and - yes - take more photos. We headed into the first patisserie to buy a treat for ourselves - and met this darling garçon. He was so lovely and happy to pose for photos for us~ He was friendly and had the cutest smile. What is it about those french men...?

St. Remy is an absolutely fabulously sweet little village. It has gorgeous buildings with beautiful doors and windows. It has cute shops, delicious patisseries, and even the people are darling. If we hadn't already fallen in love with the south of France, we did that day~

I also found my next home - right in the very center of St. Remy. They were even kind enough to have my car parked and waiting for me. Aannd... it matches the shutters. I know, perfect. I would look fabulous driving that car!

France jour 4 - les filles head south~

Paris had to end, as there were trains to board and gorgeous southern french villages to visit!

We hugged Simone goodbye (yes, there were tears on my part - aren't there always?!?) and headed to Gare Lyon. While there was a strike on, many of the trains, ours included, were still running and on time. We grabbed a cafe and boarded our train. It flew through the French countryside, with beautiful homes, chateaus, and rolling hills. Before we knew it, we were pulling into the station in Avignon and leaving the train in search of our rental car. We signed on the dotted line and loaded up our luggage. We were off to St. Remy!

As neither of us had driven a stick shift in a number of years, it was decided that I would drive as I felt a bit more confident at that point. Kasey was the designated navigator and she was truly a pro when it came to navigating the round-abouts and spotting local patisseries! What else did we need?

We stopped for a snack and to ask directions in St. Remy and as we sat at our little table, in the sunshine - with our quiche, croque monsieur, and eclairs, we both looked at each other and sighed. We were HERE! We did it!

After we enjoyed our dejeuner, we hopped back into our car and headed for our French Mas. We were so excited to see it, and we were not disappointed. If you are ever in St. Remy de Provence, Mas de Carassins is the place to stay. It is fabulous! The mas itself is beautifully done, the grounds are amazing, and the food - honestly, divine.

~the gorgeous entry

~the beautiful courtyard where tea is served every afternoon

~the name of our room "magnaneraie"

~we *loved* our room!

~the sitting area of our room - complete with wine

~every afternoon was spent sitting next to the pool...

~the dining room was beautiful - we fell in love with the linens

~the menu the first night - it was superb!

~everything was so rustic, and this beautiful shade of grey - and goregous.

While there, Karine took such good care of us. She provided us with maps to the brocante, as well as endless information. We were however so. very. sad to have not had the chance to meet Pierre. We had many conversations prior to our trip about our beloved Pierre, as I had talked to him before the trip and oh, that lovely French accent... Next time Pierre - we will book our stay for when you are there!

a give-away!

This set of flower shots was taken at a gorgeous flower shop in the 6th. Kasey and I loved how they had flower petals scattered all over the ground, and that they had THE MOST BEAUTIFUL bouquets.

I plan on listing these shots in the shop when I get myself organized enough to do so. For now however, I am doing a give-away. I have a HUGE collection of craft items - ribbon, beads, glass, small mirror pieces, etc that is sadly neglected in my home. Thus, I want to re-home it with people who will use it! It is all a part of my attempt to focus, something I am finding difficult when every day I stare at so much excess. I will put together two packages and (happily) send them off to two lucky readers next week! Please simply leave a comment - followers will have two entries, three if you tweet/post about it. Please MAKE SURE TO TELL ME how many entries you have so that I make sure and credit you~ I will draw the names next Wednesday.

I am sure there may be some vintage french pages in both packages - have I mentioned that I came home with a "few" very old books?

Have a lovely Thursday mes amies~

xx