I do enjoy torturing my husband. On our way up to Boston for a friend's wedding this weekend, I tried to get him to eat a Devil Dog. I do this occasionally - try feeding him Twinkies or Twizzlers or orange mac and cheese out of the box, just to give him a glimpse of my all American childhood. After all, shared cultural references are important in a marriage. So when we stopped for a bottle of water, I thought I'd try my luck with Hostess cakes. Getting a Frenchman to eat anything from a US highway rest stop is a bit of a stretch, but when you put it under plastic, and let him see the expiration date in 2038, failure is almost guaranteed. I love him anyway. 
Lunch in Paris is the April book of the month on CommitmentNow.com - and after a weekend alone in a hotel with my husband (hurrah!), I am feeling very committed indeed. The hotel had an aquatic theme - so along with the sailboat carpet and coral sculptures, the "Do Not Disturb" sign said "I'm marinating", which made me feel like a hanger steak. That said, 8 months into parenthood, a girl can't get picky about her "Do Not Disturb" signs.
Thank you to friends and fans for Boston restaurant recommendations. The Neptune Oyster Bar was at the intersection of several lists. Your oyster picks go clockwise from the lemon. (I do like a restaurant with a well oiled system in place.) Our clams with garlic and white wine were simple, plump and briny. The baby octopus with Israeli couscous was a treat - it's a texture I adore - totally unavailable in France. The highlight of the evening was "Neptunes on Piggyback" - toasts of duck confit and spicy mayo topped with a juicy fried oyster, served with on a bed of marinated raisins and topped with a tangle of delicate greens.I'm off to NMH, my old high school, today. I'm having lunch with my former theatre director - slightly odd to think that the last time he saw me I was wearing a corset (and had a 24 inch waist)...
I spent almost a month in France last year. When I came home, there was nothing I could eat that wouldn't make me sick. I feel your husband's pain. You need to be raised on unnaturally orange mac&cheese to be able to even attempt to handle it in later life!
ReplyDeleteDo you ever crave all that yucky (cough yummy!! cough) food when you're in Paris, or have your taste buds adapted?
ReplyDeletePlease come to Arizona to do a reading, we may be far away but we love your book!
We just went to Neptune Oyster last week (twice!) It was really delicious, and those fresh oysters were so fantastic! I loved the excerpt of your book in Leite's Culinaria this week.
ReplyDeleteYes, but the French eat these weirdo packaged good sugary treats too! For breakfast!
ReplyDeleteThe best thing about the Devil Dogs is the ingredients on the back of the pack. 5 types of oil (soya, palm, other things), sugar, coloring stuff... and nothing else recognizable. Ah, yes, "less than 2%" (sic) egg whites!
ReplyDeleteG.
Sounds like you and G are livin' the good life there, Elizabeth!
ReplyDeleteI just read on FB (or was it Twitter? Oh man, keeping up in this webby world is a chore, lol) that the NMH talk went really, really well. I am so glad it did!
Continued safe travels to you both and hope your journey back to Paris goes smoothly. :)
Hi - Your old theater director, David Rowland, was my college roommate and we have been doing long motorcycle rides each summer for many years! He called and read excerpts from your book, which I immediately ordered!! Saw the giant meat ball recipe and will try them soonest. Hope to run into you at NMH sometime!! Good work!! JR
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