I brought in 2009 in Paris with a lot of love

Then I moved back to Toronto and moved in with Mary, an angel who came into my life at just the right time

I was a reporter on my first documentary, which was on ticket scalpers and got me the best seats in town at hockey and basketball games

I flew home to Vancouver when my mom turned 60, as bright and beautiful as ever

My brother proposed to his love Mackenzie

I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and moved back to Vancouver

It was one of happiest summers of my life, spent with a man I adore

I even learnt how to barbeque!

I worked as a researcher for one of my favorite Food Network shows

My parents sold the house I had lived in my whole life and moved to France

I took ballet again for the first time since I was a young girl

I took part in a fashion show

I spent the last days of summer in the South of France with my parents

Then went up to Paris to start writing my first book

And had a lovely visitor come and stay with me

I worked as a bartender and waitress at a new Parisian cafe

And then moved in with some of the most kind, generous people I have ever met

I turned 23 in style with a best friend, a bottle of champagne and dinner with an amazing view of Paris

And lived my dream of going to Italy with my love

I had a close friend visit me in Paris

And celebrated Christmas in the South of France with my family and friend Yeliz

Goals for 2010: Live each day to the fullest, continue to follow all of my wild dreams and love myself and those close to me with all of my heart.

Dancing in the streets on the last day of 2009

If you want to make this girl smile, forget diamonds and pearls.

I was elated on Christmas morning when I unwrapped a madeleine kit from my dad that included a flexible baking pan and a small recipe book.

It turns out you can make a million varieties of madeleines from sweet to savory.  I was eager to get going and bookmarked several that I’d like to try.

I invited a friend’s grandsons over to help me bake so that she could have a little peace and quiet and they could have something fun to do over the holidays.

While I wanted to give the cappuccino and matcha green tea madeleine recipes a try, I went with the Nutella and honey madeleines since I was dealing with kids.

I translated the recipes from French to English, printed them out on fun paper, and set out the ingredients in an easy to use way.

The boys helped me mix up the smooth batter, and even waited patiently for an hour for the dough to chill with the help of pastels, paper and fun videos on youtube.

When the dough was ready we got started on the honey madeleines.  Since my pan is small and can only make six at a time, I told the boys the first batch was for messing up.  It turns out our oven here is extremely hot and the madeleines came out a little crisp.  After this we fiddled with the temperature and watched our madeleines carefully to make sure they would come out perfectly.

We gobbled up the first batch while it was still hot and moved on to the Nutella madeleines.  We carefully scooped out the dough, then placed a little ball of Nutella in the centre before covering it with more dough.  These were by far the most exciting for the boys.

We sent the boys home for dinner with a tupperware full of madeleines and finished making the rest after our own dinner.   I have always been smitten with madeleines, even the pre-packaged ones, but this is the real deal.  My flexible pan will definitely be joining me on my flight home so I can bring back a taste of France.  If only I could find a way to sneak some butter into my suitcase…

Nutella Madeleines

Makes around 16 madeleines

• 1/2 lemon
• 3 eggs
• 150 grams of melted butter
• 150 grams of flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (levure chimique)
• 150 grams cane sugar
• 16 teaspoons of Nutella

1. Zest half of a lemon.
2. Mix the flour with the baking powder.
3. Beat the eggs with the sugar in another bowl.
4. Add the flour mixture, the lemon zest and the melted butter until well mixed.
5. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celcius (410F)
7. Fill the madeleine molds half way with dough
8. Put a spoonful of Nutella on top and push it into the dough
9. Fill the molds up to 2/3rds full with the rest of the dough
10. Put in the oven for 10 minutes
11. Bake until the madeleines are golden.
12. Take madeleines out of the oven and let cool for five minutes before eating!

Honey Madeleines

Makes around 16 madeleines

• 1/2 lemon
• 3 eggs
• 150 grams of butter
• 150 grams of flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (levure chimique)
• 150 grams cane sugar
• 2 tablespoons of honey

1. Melt the butter with the honey
2. Zest half of a lemon
3. Mix the flour and baking powder
4. Beat the eggs with the sugar in another bowl until it becomes a mousse
5. Mix the flour with the baking powder, the lemon zest and the honey butter
6. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour
7. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celcius (410F)
8. Fill the madeleine molds up to 2/3rds full and bake for 10 minutes
9. Bake until the madeleines are golden.
10. Take madeleines out of the oven and let cool for five minutes before eating!

My friend Morgan recently visited me in Paris.

It was her first time and I was curious to see what excited her most in the city.  She is a lover of fine food, history and sweets, so I knew she would have no problem enjoying herself.

Before she left I asked her to write a guest post on my blog about the things she enjoyed most on her trip.

Here’s what she had to say…

I had the VIP treatment in Paris. I had my own personal breakfast chef, translator, concierge, photographer, and tour guide. All of these luxuries were put into one beautiful package – Miss. Gillian Young. I spent the past week in the City of Light with this wonderful friend of mine. Being a Europe-virgin, Paris was my first encounter with this famous continent. After a twenty-one hour journey that took me from the -40 degree Celsius weather of an Albertan winter to the damp but luckily sunny streets of Paris, I emerged from the metro into what could have been a painting. Beautiful, tall stone buildings with intricate details and wrought iron patios surrounded me. The streets were narrow and old and smells of freshly baked bread wafted as we passed by the many cafes and boulangeries en route to our apartment.  I loved it from the beginning…

My Favourite Neighbourhood

The Marais – hands down. The Marais is quiet enough to allow you to leisurely stroll the cobblestone streets while still being lively and hip. This neighbourhood has some of the oldest residences in Paris (many date back to the 1600’s) and it’s full of charm. Take an afternoon or two to wander the narrow streets, rest in one of the many courtyards, and browse in the cute boutiques. The areas around the Carnavalet Museum and the Place des Vosges in particular are my favourite.

Top 3 Must Sees/Must Dos

• The Ballet at the Palais Garnier

I absolutely love the ballet and I thought that attending a ballet in one of the world’s grandest opera houses would be spectacular. I was definitely not disappointed. I went to see the Ballets Russes on a special gala evening celebrating its 100^th anniversary in Paris. Boasting plush red velvet seats, gold gilding galore, and a gigantic chandelier, this is probably one of the best places to see Parisians dressed to the nines in their fur and diamonds. Bonus: Free hors d’oeuvres and champagne are served during the intermission. Buy your tickets well in advance from www.operadeparis.fr to avoid disappointment (and inflated second hand source prices). Box office prices range from 6 to 87 euros. If ballet is not your cup of tea, there’s always the opera.

• Hammam

Although not authentically French, the hammam (a Middle Eastern bathhouse/spa) was a completely rejuvenating experience. It’s a ritual in caring for yourself, and after a few days of walking and taking in the sights your body will thank you for it. Take three hours to enjoy a steam, a special whole body exfoliation with black soap, a honey and cream face and hair mask, and a neck and scalp massage in a totally serene environment. We received excellent service at the O-Kari hammam, an intimate, women-only spa. With very reasonable prices and excellent special offers, you can’t afford not to go.

• Wandering

Everything in Paris is wonderful and it’s pretty difficult to pick favourites so I decided to include everything. That said one of my favourite parts of my holiday in the City of Light was wandering the streets, browsing in little shops, and stopping for tea and a treat at a café in whatever neighbourhood we happened to be exploring. This gave me the chance to see the quieter neighbourhoods of Paris and to immerse myself in the world of the average Parisian. Gill did a great job of planning perfect days with a mix of exploring the side streets, hitting up a major sight, and stopping to relax and eat delicious food. I was lucky enough to have a friend along to catch up with but if you’re alone, a good book will also make for pleasant days.

Top 3 Shops to Seek Out

• Mariage Freres

When you step into this teashop, established in 1854, it will feel like you took a step back in time. The salesmen are all dressed in white coats and every inch of the walls is lined in large tins of tea leaves from the world over. There is a nice, but pricey, café inside where you can sample their teas and enjoy a brunch or dessert.

• E. Dehillerin

At first glance this store looks like a mix between a hardware store and your grandparent’s dusty crawl space. Then the shiny copper cookware lining the shelves and walls catches your eye. This store isn’t about glitz and glamour; it’s about down to earth, functional kitchenware. Well, maybe the copper is bit glitzy, but it does conduct heat very well. If you’ve ever wanted miniature tart molds or a huge stockpot, check out E. Dehillerin. There’s nothing like it.

• Pierre Herme

Bask in the sweet scent of macarons and other delights, even while you wait in the line spilling into the street – they’re that good. My first taste of a macaron was a Pierre Herme and I’m never looking back.

Four Favourite Treats

I would like to share this short, but most definitely not exhaustive, list with my fellow sweet tooths…

• Fauchon caramels with fleur de sel
• Pierre Herme macarons (the vanilla flavour takes the cake in my books)
• Profiteroles – ice cream, chocolate, and pastry. What’s not to love?
• Chausson au pomme- flakey and with the perfect amount of sweetness. Makes for a great breakfast.

Field Notes

• Try a new pastry each day – not to would be a sin.
• For a unique and less expensive (5 euros) panoramic view than the Eiffel Tower provides, climb the 300 spiral stairs to the dome at the top of the Sacre Coeur. I went first thing in the morning (around 10 a.m.) and I had the viewpoint to myself.
• Palais de Tokyo, a modern art museum, is a refreshing break from all the history and timeless art that you will be taking in. I highly recommend it.
• If you’re like me and you (a) don’t have a fancy camera (or a friend with a nice camera) or (b) become overwhelmed by all of the possibilities for photos, buy a couple of postcards from each sight that you go to. You are bound to get a better view of Versailles if you do this rather than try to wait for the masses of people to move out of your viewfinder.  I did however bring along an old Polaroid camera with back and white film and a Holga for fun, artsy photos.
• Chill out… I’m sure you could spend years in Paris and still not know the entire city. Take your time, decide on a few things that you must see, and don’t stress over crossing things off your list just to say you’ve done or seen them. Avoid tourist burnout and instead savour the experience. Plus, if you miss things, that just means you always have an excuse to go back!
• Take Gill along! If that’s not possible, buy her upcoming book for a pocket-sized alternative.

E.Dehillerin
18, Rue Coquillière

Pierre Hermé
185 rue de Vaugirard
or 72 rue Bonaparte

I’m not a huge dessert person.

If I do eat dessert it’s generally in the morning, which explains why I waited until boxing day to try the cake, pie and cookies from our party the night before.  In my mind, cake and pie will always be the breakfast of champions.

Christmas is a great time for trying new desserts and baked goods, and since my friend Yeliz is staying with us I wanted to make some cookies with her.

We searched through my Chocolate and Zucchini cookbook and both stopped at the page with lemon butter cookies with fleur de sel.  How could something using a ton of French butter, fresh lemons and fleur de sel not be good?

The recipe is a lot like the shortbread recipe I use, which involves making a dough you chill in the fridge before cutting into rounds and baking.  The only difference is the addition of lemon zest and a lemon glaze.

I had to use some serious restraint over the buttery cookie dough, and the lemon glaze was so good and I served it with pancakes the next morning.

The cookies themselves were perfect.  Small, crisp, sweet and salty, with just the right amount of tartness.  A whole plate dissapeared as we watched Elf on Christmas Eve.

I may be naughty when it comes to eating dessert for breakfast, but I’m pretty nice when it comes to sharing, so here is Clotide’s recipe for lemon butter cookies as can be found on her website…

Wishing everyone a Christmas full of love, good food and great company!

Things I’m grateful for this Christmas:

• Being with my family in the South of France
• Having my lovely young Turkish friend Yeliz here with us
• My boyfriend who I love and ache for every day
• French countryside
• Long walks
• Home cooked meals
• Flourless chocolate brownies delivered by a friend
• Pierre Hermé’s Christmas macarons
• Cheesy chick flicks
• A kitchen to bake cookies in
• Butter
• The price of French wine and champagne
• Love

(Not in order of importance…)

Three Santas breaking into a French home

Yeliz and Gaillac wine

The price is right

“So Chic” Gaillac wine

Yeliz with our town in the background

Yeliz meditates

Avoiding the paparazzi on our country walk

I am spoiled.

I won’t deny it.  I am constantly overwhelmed by the love and generosity that comes my way.  I don’t know where I’d be without it.

When my friend told me she was coming to Paris, was renting an apartment for us to stay in and treating me to a morning at a Hammam spa, I smiled and accepted her gift.  At this point, all I can do is be thankful and the best tour guide I can be.

Friday morning we bundled up for the cold weather and made our way down to the O’kari Hammam.  To be honest, I was a little nervous about pulling off my layers and having a stranger scrub me down, but all of those fears went away once we entered the O’kari oasis.

From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed and well taken care of.  Upon entering we were greeted by a radiant smiling woman in white kakhis and a white blouse.  “It’s cold outside, come in!”

She showed us where to change into our bathrobes and sat us down with small cups of fresh mint tea, medjool dates stuffed with walnuts and almonds wrapped in colourful marzipan.

Here she explained the importance of Hammams in Muslim cultures and how it became tradition to go before going to church.  She said in every major muslim city it is most important to have a school, a church and a Hammam.

Afterwards we were led into the spa where we we sat in the warm steam room before being rubbed down with black soap by two young women.  The Hammam is women only, and although I was hesitant in wearing nothing but small cloth bottoms, I felt completely at ease.

After returning once more to the steam room, the young women came to get us and the real spa treatment began.  We got a full scrub down, had our bodies wrapped in a clay-like mold made of yeast, our faces and hair covered in masks of honey and chamomile tea bags laid on our eyes.  I loved that everything was natural and even licked a little honey off of my face.

After lying like happy corpses on the heated rock until we both started to fall asleep, we were rinsed and cleaned. With our skin and hair smooth as babies we were led back to the steamroom and then to a small lukewarm pool where we were served lemon and orange water cocktails with fresh mint and fruit slices.

At this point I was trying to figure out how to make enough money to do this every week.  I never wanted to leave.  But eventually we made our way out of the spa, changed into our clothes and admired our glowing complexions in the mirror.  To ease us back into real life, we were served a complimentary orange and carrot juice alongside some traditional pastries made from cornmeal and dates before leaving.

The owner, who looked thirty but is apparently fifty, told us we looked beautiful, and said that Arabic women usually go home to make love to their husbands after a day at the Hammam.  Since we’re not married and our boyfriends are miles away, we decided a good stroll around Paris with our fresh complexions would have to do.

Before we left we bought some traditional soap to take home with us, and made a vow to come back as soon as possible for a little pampering.

“My taste buds are simple,” says my friend, perfectly content with her croque monsieur she just finished for lunch.

While I love anything bitter, spicy and exotic, my friend Morgan is more of a French woman, and is happy if butter, cream and cheese are involved.

But, like  a French woman, her tastes are not simple.  She likes the good stuff.

I have taken her to my favorite food stores, stationary stores, cafés and restaurants, and I love that she never hesitates to buy exactly what she wants and order the dessert that appeals to her most.

She has great taste, and is already wearing her new Longchamp purse in deep purple with her dark brown wool jacket and heeled leather boots.

If you had told me five years ago when we first met as room mates at university, that she would one day visit me in Paris wearing heels, I might not have believed you.

She has always been elegant and loved good things, but back when we took journalism together she would laugh at my determination to wear heels to class every day.  She would shake her head when I put on make-up and a light jacket to face the snowstorm going on outside.  She is from Alberta, and understands the true power of a good jacket, long underwear and proper footwear.

Back then we bonded over a love for steak, whiskey and country music.  We liked to share meals, avoid most university parties, and read the newspaper in our common room.  We talked about our problems, laughed about our differences and celebrated our similarities. From the day I met her I was happy she came into my life.

It is a pleasure to share her company again.  We’ve stayed in touch over the years and now she’s here in Paris.  She is as beautiful as ever.  And because some things never change, we’re both still not big on parties and are enjoying cozy nights in the apartment after days of walking around the city.

Today she bought some beautiful copper pans from a great cooking store, E.Dehillerin, to take home with her.  I hope some day she’ll show me how to make her decadent chocolate mousse and desserts in her well equipped kitchen in Alberta.

Tonight I’m making granola bars, writing Christmas cards and catching up on some work while she watches the Russian ballet at Opera Garnier, because, as she says “You only live once.”

While she says she has simple taste buds, I think she simply has good taste.

E.Dehillerin
18, Rue Coquillière
Established in 1820, Dehillerin is Paris’s most famous cookware shop. It is lined floor to ceiling with every kitchen and pastry utensil you could ever dream of. The basement is filled with beautiful copper pots small enough to cook sugar in and big enough to boil pasta for all of Paris.