One of the most disappointing realizations after living in Paris for any extended period of time is that all of the banal activities you fantasized were more glamorous and enviable in Paris are, in fact, just as banal as they are in your home country. One such activity is working in a bakery, which I envisioned to be an exhausting yet endlessly exciting role that contributes to the very construct of French identity. Very important shoes to fill.
I quickly learned from Camille Malmquist, trained pastry chef and foodie expat whom I met at one of David Lebovitz’s Paris book signings, that being employed in a bakery is not always, contrary to my fantastical imagination, all sweetness (bureaucracy, bakery hours, etc.). Camille chronicles her culinary adventures, both in her kitchen and out at restaurants, on her blog Croque Camille which I adore. But perhaps the baker’s life will improve next month as Camille becomes the executive pastry chef for Blend, a gourmet hamburger restaurant slated to open in the 2nd arrondissement by late November! Until then, some of Camille’s French favorites…
Describe what you love about France in three words.
Bread, cheese, wine.
Any juicy secrets or anecdotes about…
