On a recent flight to Paris I was seated next to a French businessman. Exchanging greetings we determined my French was better than his English (note: Moi French isn’t that good). He was excited about his first time in NYC and wanted to chat, so before turning to the tv series I had downloaded to my iPhone, we talked about his trip.

Seems he was on a sales call to the D&D Building, which houses many well-known NYC design firms. He is the owner of a family business, but was sure I wouldn’t know the word to describe what they manufacture. I said just say the word: I have a pretty eclectic French vocabulary:

Passementerie

Trims, tassels, fringe, ribbons: all the fancy, decorative details that turn a pillow or curtain into a statement. I’m a tassle freak! Paris bff D buys antique French fabrics and with style and passementerie turns them into pillow works of art…I have a complete collection!

I’ve spent days wandering the streets near the Marché Saint-Pierre in the fabric district of Paris. In New York I head to the garment district, and I always make my 1st stop M&J Trimming. Fringe, tassles, ribbons, sequins, buttons, belts, crystals, lace, and braids; plus all the threads, glues, nails, zippers and supplies you need to create a chef d’oeuvre (masterpiece).

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As I read the paper I tuned to the new Cooking Channel show Everyday Exotic. Today’s episode was Chinese Five-Spice and featured recipes for burgers, cucumber relish, aioli and fried onions.

I don’t think of five-spice as exotic. I’ve had it on my shelf for years. But what do I typically sprinkle it on: steamed edamame pods! I eat it like popcorn from a big bowl when I’m watching tv. Most recipes call for Five-Spice in meats and stews, but I think its great on vegetables as a spicy salt substitute. The Spice Hunter makes a nice blend and is available in most supermarkets, or online, for about $6.50 for 1.6 oz (Yes, I know its probably cheaper in Peoria, but I don’t live in Peoria)>

What are the five spices? Recipes differ, but Chinese five-spice encompasses the 5 tastes to balance the yin and yang:

• sweet
• sour
• spicy
• pungent
• salty

The most typical ingredients are cinnamon, fennel, cloves, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns. I always buy mine at the grocery, but I found this recipe on the popular chinesefood.about website:

1. In a dry skillet, roast 2 teaspoons of Szechuan peppercorns by shaking the pan over low to medium heat until the aroma of the peppercorns is released (about three minutes).
2. Grind the roasted peppercorns and 8 star anise in a blender or pepper mill.
3. Strain the blended seasonings.
4. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds.
5. Grind the seasonings until very fine.
6. Store in an airtight container.

Tips:

1. Use five-spice powder sparingly, as it can be quite pungent.
2. If desired, you can substitute black peppercorns for the Szechuan peppercorn, and ground anise for the star anise (use 4 teaspoons of ground anise).

Moi tip: This got me thinking, next time I pop a batch of popcorn, I’m going to sprinkle it with Chinese Five-Spice instead of salt!

We spent a leisurely Sunday afternoon in SoHo, browsing and people-watching. As we strolled down Broadway I ducked into Pearl River Mart for a quick pick-up from my to-buy list. I didn’t realize TBG had never been to Pearl River, so we spent a good chunk of time there.

Pearl River is a cavernous 3-story mini-Chinatown. Although Chinatown is just a few blocks further East, this is one-stop shopping for everything Asian including:

• chopsticks, tea sets and rice cookers

• crystallized ginger, jasmine tea, spices and herbs, and Hello Kitty candies

• 9 foot paper dragons,  bamboo lights, paper fans and lanterns

• brass Buddhas, Tibetan altars and rattan pillows

• jade bracelets and silk wallets and notebooks

• Mandarin dresses, silk kimonos and Mao jackets [Read more →]

How come no one ever writes a song about returning home from a great trip? Along with the tedium of unpacking comes the fun of showing off your new finds! After my recent trip to Paris I lugged home these goodies. Why? Because they make me happy!

Pylones, the fun and funky French housewares chain, had these trés cool Eiffel Tower graters dangling in the front window of their Ile Saint-Louis shop, so of course a purchase was made! If you won’t be in Paris soon, Pylones has shops in NYC, as well as an online shopping site.

One of my other favorite houseware shops in the 6th on St André des Arts had these great silicon Eiffel Tower cake molds, sold in a set of 3 or individually. Of course I bought the set of 3, and will inaugurate them next week when I make individual Reine de Saba for a cocktail we’re hosting.

But not all souvenirs carry a price tag, some are found treasures! When I arrive in Paris, one of my first stops is always Monoprix. And one of my favorite aisles is la crèmerie to satisfy my craving for French yogurt. My favorite brand is La laitèrie, and my favorite flavor is citron: lemon. This yogurt is sold in charming little glass pots, and a stash of pots always accompany me home. I use them for individual servings of crème caramel, or pots de crème. (see Moi tip below) CoMo bff S uses hers as candle holders throughout the year: with a tea light inside, sometimes glittered and sparkled for the holidays, they make an easy chic table decoration.

Saint Marcellin is a yummy creamy cheese, traditionally sold in a small ceramic crock. And an empty crock traditionally makes it way into my suitcase, to be used chez Moi to serve olives, nuts, rice crackers or other little nibbles with an apéro.

Paris now boasts 35 Starbucks, and this trip I managed to visit most of them. Sadly no free wifi, but I was able to maintain my daily tradition of wandering the streets with my tall skim chai latte, extra hot (un tall chai latte, écrémé, trés chaud, svp!) and a straw. And because I can never have too much Starbucks or too many Eiffel Towers, this souvenir also smuggled itself into my suitcase:

Moi tip: I have many authentic recipes for crème caramel and pots de crème that I learned living in Paris, but I have to confess to loving this super simple recipe I discovered when Rachel Ray appeared on Oprah a few years ago, works every time. (note: I never add the mint or the whipped cream) Perfect for my little empty yogurt pots!

Rachel Ray’s Decadent Chocolate Cups with Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup whole milk
1 egg
2 Tbsp. sugar
Pinch salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. hazelnut liqueur or dark rum
4 demitasse cups
1 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp. sugar
Mint sprigs, for garnish, optional

When planning your menu, make this dessert first to allow these chocolate cups to set and chill.

Heat milk in a small pan over moderate heat until it comes to a boil. In blender or food processor or turn on blender to low setting. Pour in boiling milk in a slow stream. The hot milk will cook the egg and melt the chocolate. Process or blend 1 minute, until smooth. Spoon chocolate into 4 demitasse cups and chill. After dinner, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add a little sugar and beat to combine. Top the chocolate cups with a dollop of cream and garnish each cup with mint sprigs. Place cups on saucers and serve with demitasse spoons. If you use teacups, this recipe will yield 2 cups, rather than 4.

Fathers Day is less than 2 weeks away: June 20. These gifts have been personally field-tested by TBG and have earned the very hard to come by TBG smile of approval. One of these is bound to please a father on your list!

For the sports fan:

Cufflinks made by Tokens & Icons from authentic souvenirs of his favorite sports team or stadium: I bought TBG authentic football cufflinks from Roslyn,  276 Columbus in NYC; Spare Parts, 2947 Broadway in Chicago carries similar styles (attn Cubs fans!) But online shoppers can also find them at Uncommon Goods or Cufflinks.com. Expect to pay $130 to $150+. I’ve seen styles made from Notre Dame stadium seats, Cubs game balls, Tokens & Icons also carries pens made from Yankee stadium seats, Dodgers seat bottle openers, Boston Garden floor bottle openers, hockey arena pens and cufflinks (sorry, no Blackhawks: yet!) and lots more.

For the sharp dresser:

Living in rainy or snowy climates is not easy for the guy who always likes to look sharp. Check out Swims:  These classic, classy shoe rubbers easily pull-on over shoes and protect them from the weather. Traditional black is available, but why not step it up a notch with orange or yellow? He’ll love looking good and being practical at the same time. These stylish rubbers are made in Norway of a unique stretchy rubber (similar to diver’s suits) and slip on easily over shoes. We bought TBG’s at Allen Edmonds on Michigan Ave in Chicago, but you can also buy them at Bloomies or Nieman Marcus, or at amazon.com. Around $95 – $125.

For the camera or electronics buff:

These handy camera accessories are practical, inexpensive, and useful: a sure homerun. TBG is a huge camera buff, and has bags and cabinets of high-priced accessories. But accessories are usually heavy and bulky, so not always practical to carry on a long walk, a bike ride, or an outing to the park or zoo. Check these gadgets out. I bought TBG’s online at delight.com

Bottle cap tripod: this tiny tripod screws easily onto a pop or water bottle (better filled so it doesn’t tip over) to provide some distance and stability for your subject: no more stretching your arm as far as possible to try include yourself and that great spot in your shot! About $9.50

Powercup On-the-Go Power Supply Cup: Cameras don’t work well when the battery is dead. Same for mobile phones. Traveling buy car requires multiple adapters and accessories to charge the iPhone, Blackberry, camera, and baby bottle heater. What’s a guy to do? This clever latte-cup shaped adapter plugs into the car’s cigarette lighter and rests in the cup holder. Brilliant: it charges both 120 volt and USB ports. Around $32.50.

For the gourmand:

Wine or chocolates: decisions decisions. Why not combine both with these decadent chocolate covered wine grapes: grapes infused with wine and coated in dark rich chocolate from chocolateur Bissingers? Indulge him! $16 plus shipping.

And what is TBG getting the Fathers’ Day? Shhhh, I’ll never tell. But I will share a shopping tip: I’ve been shopping Mantiques from Treasures by the Antiques Diva!

My morning mail yielded a gorgeous watercolor postcard of a Japanese harbor from CoMo bff S.

S lived in Tokyo, and she and her husband were reliving their Tokyo days. The postmark is Tsubuka (I had to look it up: Tsubuka is a planned city known as the Science City, about an hour NE of Tokyo). The card of the Mount Tsubuka harbor was so charming, and her note so cute, I had to share.

Dear Moi -

Konnichiwa!       Life in Japan is great. I’m sitting at a Starbucks drinking a matcha green tea latté… Rest after a full day of shopping.

Hot fashions right now:

- black tights under peter pan-style shorts

- country garden rompers

- fake nails with each finger a different color

Don’t think I’ll waste suitcase space on any of these trend setters!

S

Now you know why we’re bffs!

After a morning of shopping, we bid adieu to Paris with a cruise on the Seine, followed by a nighttime visit to admire le Tour Eiffel sparkling in all her glitter.

Wandering the banks of the Seine with warm, runny crepes oozing with nutella (for la fille) or fromage (Omaha bff J and Moi), we chose Bateaux Parisiens for our cruise, because it was right in front of us and ready to depart.

Then at 10pm, as the late Paris dusk settled on us, a final nutella crepe to bid à bientôt to Paris, the City of Light, under the Eiffel Tower lights.

Á la prochaine!

Every girl needs a castle! We took the train from Paris to Melun to visit Vaux le Vicomte, the masterpiece 17th century chateau and gardens that were the inspiration for Versailles.

And after, a visit to the Chateau’s fabulous gift shop!

Bonne Fête des Mères!

This trip to Paris was planned to celebrate the 10th birthday of a very special girl who was born in Paris but moved away when she was just weeks old. Omaha bff J and Moi reserved a celebratory lunch at my favorite restaurant anywhere, Le Grand Véfour.

What could be more memorable than a 3 hour, 9 course (5 desserts!) meal at an exquisite historic French restaurant impeccably prepared and served? Having the birthday girl served her dessert complete with candle, flowers, and a commemorative photo.

I believe all her dreams have come true! Merci bien, Le Grand Véfour.

Bonjour a tous!

Zara came to the US a few years ago, but we’ve yet to see Zara Home or Zara Baby. I’ve already been to both twice on Moi fave shopping street in Paris, Passy (in the tres BCBG 16th arrondissement).

Zara Baby has baby clothes that are cute, trendy, practical and reasonably priced. Look at this fab wax candlestick I found at Zara Home for 14euros. I’ve seen similar candlestick candles in the US for over $75! Zara Home features dishware, linens, and home accessories.

More Zara, svp.