A Toast from Paris to New York
L'heure de l'apero is the mellowest moment of a day in France, a delightful interlude between the day's activity and a pleasurable meal: l'heure de l'apéro. Last week we adopted this tradition as our own as guests enjoyed the second of Barbara-jo's Paris apéros. We sipped on a lovely pink sparkling wine from bordeaux (Crémant de Bourgogne, available at Viti)and nibbled on gougères (a delicious recipe from Michel Roux's Pastry) while Barbara-jo shared some of her tales (from Turkish baths to lunch at the Ritz) and secret haunts of her favourite 'home away from home'. Guests took home a copy of Cooking for Me and Sometimes You. For those either planning a trip to Paris or simply dreaming, Barbara-jo also shared a few of her favourite websites: mylittleparis, iknowalittleplace, davidlebovitz.
So inspired by the enthusiasm for all things Parisienne, along with some classic old & new books featuring Paris, we've decided to for the first time give our next Eating Between the Leaves Book Club a Paris theme.
Barbara-jo is often asked where else she travels to for culinary inspiration and excitement. Another city close to her heart (and appetite) is New York City. A natural choice for our next apéro. On Thursday, June 23rd at 6:00 p.m., Barbara-jo will share stories about her favourite NY bars, eateries, parks, and shops. And, in keeping with this evening interlude tradition, guests will enjoy a pre-dinner Big Apple-inspired beverage and snack. Guests will also take home a copy of Up in the Old Hotel by Joseph Mitchell, a collection of tales of New York characters that is one of Barbara-jo's favourite reads.