I love Paris in the springtime

Some surprises are sweeter than others and this one is pure delight. Delight like plum tart with crème fraiche. And champagne. I am more than silly happy about this.

For the last couple weeks, I've been engaged in a reluctant winding down from film fest exhilaration. The circuit is ending. The schedule is slowing. I'm seeing the posters — the new crop of posters for a new series of films. But now we have another screening of Florian Riegel's documentary HOLDING STILL in a place no less glorious than Paris. In an understatement, my spirits are buoyed. 

I was in Paris a very long time ago. I camped inside the city, not far from the last Métro, when camping was crude and campers sparse, and I was near a river loaded with noisy construction equipment and I didn't care. It beat a hotel. I froze. I wore every layer of clothing I had, which wasn't much. The weather shouldn't have been more than chilly. It was freezing. My feet decided to itch maddeningly at night. I did not sleep. I rode the avenues on the back of a motorcycle with a Brit nicknamed Curly in the company of a guy whose moniker (sobriquet, eh?) was Hassle Bebop. My husband was WizKid during those few magical days. Hassle and Curly were returning to London after a sojourn in Spain setting up sound for a rock concert in a cave. All together, we checked out Curly's exhibit in a Parisian gallery.  The precise point of the visit was viewing a manquette of an inflatable dwelling. Inflate a room: Enter. Exit: deflate the room. This was an energy conserving home and it was Curly's design. Curly was ahead of his time and brilliant and out of his mind. We were kids then and everything was possible. I recall also high ceilings from which spun an installation of harlequin metal circus performers. I saved those photos. Somewhere. We made forays throughout the city and shot and lost rolls of precious film. On our last night together, over a tiny butane grill, I seared at least four lamb chops, boiled new potatoes, and tumbled Brussels sprouts in a beurre noisette and served it all to these beautiful, creative, engaging, generous, unshaven, hippie artist/musician/bikers. They thanked me that fourth night for the best meal they ate in that fine city. High praise indeed! I remember it well. You cannot forget what you ate in Paris.

Now HOLDING STILL is in competition again at FranceDoc and screens on Saturday, May 7, 6:00 PM, in the Key Cinema and Wednesday, May 4, 12:00 noon at l' university Paris 8.

If you are in Paris, your schedule is:

Samedi 7 mai à 18h au Cinéma La Clef

Mercredi 4 mai à 12h à l'université Paris 8

Again we have a super fantastic poster to grab. Here's the top. Get it!

While I'm crowing, I'd like to thank David Gerber and Herbie Cassavetes for the memories, memories of Paris, great food and wine, lots of pot, conversation, debate, a zippiest and harrowing ride, late nights, new found friendship, and nicknames. I forget what mine was.

I give you Hassle Bebop (l), Curly (right), moi (centre) et Paris —

And I thank you for the ride of a lifetime, Florian Riegel. 

Now, go see HOLDING STILL in Paris! I would.

Fewer than 70°

And the sheets are flannel. Everyone is pulling on sweaters at the beach.

People are eating filet mignon in lieu of shrimp...

....and reading.

The Cinnamon Peeler

...by Michael Ondaatje. You really might want to read it.

We all have a renewed and substantial hunger.


You could eat 15 bean soup. Acorn squash + olive oil + butter + garlic + salt/pepper. Cranberry scones. Feisty Rooibos chai from Pekoe Sip House (order by phone). Walnut halves in a cast iron skillet + butter + kosher salt. Cauliflower gratin. Roasted beet salad. Risotto with winter squash. Roasted asparagus + parmigiano reggiano with scrambled eggs. Pan seared scallops. Sweet potatoes + sour cream + caramelized onions. Rustic fruit tarts. Toasted marshmallows. The ultimate: David Eyre's Pancake. Look at the photos. You'll need to make this. And then you'll need to make it again.

Kiss 'em goodbye for a bit

Say farewell to the briny-sweet Apalachicola Bay oyster for a few months. Sublimate with boards of Gorgonzola dolce + honey + prosciutto + melon until fall. Make lunch of tomato + mozzarella + basil caprese with olive oil and baguette. Halve avocados, splash on the hot sauce, sprinkle with diced Vidalia onion and salt. An avocado is its own bowl. Get trays and pop out ice cubes of ruby pomegranate juice. Buy a seltzer water bottle and spritz fruity syrups. Eat after sundown. Drink a lot of sangria. Drink a lot.

It's hot out there. Even now, it's hot.



PS Most bottled waters are somebody else's tap water so get a filter for your kitchen sink. Plastic bottles are forever. Save a dinosaur.