Thursday, June 17, 2010

Delicious Read: The Sweet Life in Paris

I'm leaving for Paris in ten days! I haven't done much planning or preparation. I have been paying more attention during French time with my preschool class. I can say the date, what the weather is like, and farm animals. I can also sing Puff the Magic Dragon. I'm sure the Parisians will love it. I've also been reading "The Sweet Life in Paris" by David Lebovitz.


Lebovitz is an American pastry chef who moved to Paris a number of years ago and has never moved back. We know he can cook as he is the author of numerous delicious cookbooks, but his latest book shows that he can also tell a great story. "The Sweet Life…" is a fun and easy read which has prepared me for all sorts of absurd happenings. Here are some things I will do in Paris:


-I will make sure to have exact change everywhere I go…according to Lebovitz not even the bank will have change for me!

-I will stand practically on top of the person in front of me in line so that no sneaky Parisians are able to squeeze by.

-I will watch where I walk because people don't clean up after their dogs.

-I will refrain from carrying a huge water bottle around town. Not only does it scream "American!" but there aren't many public bathrooms in Paris.

-I will walk everywhere.

-I will eat lots of chocolate, cheese, bread, and wine.

-I will be very happy.


Not only is the book chock full of hilarious stories, but Lebovitz also tosses in a few recipes at the end of each chapter. What better way to prepare for France than to cook some French food! Stay tuned...

Friday, June 4, 2010

Tomato and Chickpea Salad



















Here's what I did over Memorial Day weekend:


1. Picnic in Virginia wine country

2. Burgers and beers at various Clarendon bars

3. Nachos and margaritas by the water in Annapolis

4. Trivia night and more bar food at Whitlow's on Wilson


Do you see any trips to the gym on that list? Nope. Any big leafy salads? Absolutely not. Needless to say, my body was not pleased with me come Tuesday morning. There's no way to undo an entire weekend of eating poorly and barely moving, but I was determined to try.


I went to Whole Foods and picked up as many vegetables as I could fit into my eco-friendly grocery bag. When I got home I began chopping for a delicious tomato salad. I like to put cheese in all of my salads and luckily I had a whole ball of fresh mozzarella left over from our picnic so I threw some of that in. It was the perfect dish to kick off my week of healthy eating.



Tomato and Chick Pea Salad

serves 1 as a main dish


1 tomato (I like from the vine), diced

3/4 cup canned chick peas

4 basil leaves, ripped

1/8 cups red onion, diced very fine

2 oz. fresh mozzarella, cubed


Dressing:

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

salt

pepper


Toss all of the ingredients except the cheese into a medium sized bowl. Dress to your liking and toss again. Add the cheese on top of the salad. You're done…easy peasy, lemon squeezey.