your new chic French friend!
Sylvie recommends food, music, literature, and a tv series
Hooray! This post is free for all!
hey-hey and bonjour,
Ah, life! It seems in these early weeks of 2025 we all have a dark wing hovering over us. I’ve seen this cancel subscription quote all over social media… between fires and fears about the new administration, I get it!
"Hi, I'd like to cancel my subscription to 2025. I've experienced the 14-day trial and I'm definitely not interested."
According to Merlin (yes, the magician) “the best thing for being sad is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails.” I’ve been trying to learn new things my whole life. Hence I’m a bit of a jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none. Things I've tried:
Romance languages (Italian/Spanish/French)
poetry
ukulele
guitar
flute
tap/ballet/jazz
crochet/knitting/macramé
collage
throwing pots/pinch pots
charcoal drawing
surfing (okay, only 2 lessons)
mixologist (a brief stint during the pandemic)
bread baking (see above)
very minor home repair
gardening
And, while I can knit a mean blanket, force some paperwhite bulbs, make an old fashioned, and unclog a bathroom sink, I’ve pretty much thrown in the towel on everything else, except French. Which brings me to your new French friend. Sylvie is the best French tutor. We meet once a week over coffee and she’s funny and gracious and patient while I butcher her lovely language with my bad conjugations, poor pronunciation and repeated mistakes!
Why am I introducing you to Sylvie, aside from her obvious fabulousness? On a recent ramble through my neighborhood I got to thinking about Sesame Street (as one does), particularly about the song, “The people in your neighborhood.” We’re all surrounded by interesting and thoughtful people, and since building and nurturing community is my goal for 2025-2029, I should be paying closer attention to people around me.
And, by extension, perhaps from time to time, I’ll introduce you to people in my “neighborhood.”
Voila! I’ve invited Sylvie to steer this week’s newsletter! To share her favorite French novels, snacks, recipe, tv series, music, and je ne sais quoi?
Thank you paid subscribers!
If you’re a free subscriber maybe you’re looking for a way to say merci… it’s easy, become a paid subscriber. I’d love that for both of us!
read:
Sylvie: Livre favori : Tous les livres de Virginie Grimaldi. Si je dois en choisir un, je dirai “Il Est Grand Temps de Rallumer Les Étoiles”. Elle aborde des thèmes délicats tels que la maladie et la vieillesse, tout en nous parlant d'amour et de l'importance de la famille.… (All books by Virginie Grimaldi. If I have to choose one, I would say “It’s High Time to Rekindle the Stars”. She addresses delicate themes such as illness and old age, while speaking to us about love and the importance of family.…)
Natalie: I am so delighted by Sylvie’s selections because first off, I’ve not heard of Virginie Grimaldi (what a fantastic name, no?), and second, her English translations are published by Europa Editions which is a terrific publisher. Though Sylvie’s favorite isn’t yet translated to English, you can find A GOOD LIFE in translation.
Grimaldi is a best seller in France and I think she, along with the romance writers in the states, could be keeping publishing alive!
Another very French novel with themes of forbidden liaisons, political power, hidden family, and youth is THE MARGOT AFFAIR, by Sanaë Lemoine. In the novel, the situation between the mistress and wife of a powerful man come to a froth over a pair chaussures chères et à la mode! How very French! The NYTs said of the main character, “One of the worst things about being 17 is the gulf between how much you feel and how little you know. You mistake your nascent power — sexual power, disruptive power — for real power. You are angry, passionate, misunderstood, restless for some amorphous thing you cannot define.” Hmmm… sounds exactly right.
Do you have a book in translation that you love? Please, do tell!
Want more community in 2025? We have zoom r.w.e. book group! For February we are going to be reading DIALOGUE WITH RISING TIDES, the poetry collection by my friend, the amazing poet . We are so lucky that she will be with us to discuss her poems, her writing, and whatever else she feels like!
We will also be reading, HOUSEKEEPING, a novel by Marilynne Robinson.
The book group is a perk for paid subscribers and let me tell you we are a lively bunch!
Go ahead, upgrade to paid and claim your spot. I hope to get to know you better!
Check my read.write.eat. Bookshop Store, where you will find many of the books I've recommended in the newsletter. Buying books from my shop is a way you can be a friend to the newsletter.
watch :
Sylvie: Emission de télé préférée : Lupin. Pourquoi? Le choix du casting (je suis fan de Omar Sy), les textes originaux, les lieux où la série sont tournées (la France est vraiment magnifique) et la réalisation, la façon dont les scènes sont filmées. (Favorite TV show: Lupine. For what? The choice of casting (I'm a fan of Omar Sy), the original text, the places where the series is filmed (France is really magnificent 😉) and the direction, the way the scenes are filmed.)
Natalie: I too am a fan! LUPIN is sophisticated, sexy, and yes, Omar Sy plays a gentleman thief, a “charming rapscallion” out to revenge the death of his father at the hands of wealthy villains. The show is clever, satisfying, and full of eye candy… both the man and the locations.
And, if you’re seeking a little more French immersion, I loved ENTRE LES MURS, released in the States as THE CLASS, which won the Palme d’Or in Cannes. The real life teacher and novelist François Bégaudeau plays a version of himself as he negotiates a year with his racially mixed students from a tough Parisian neighborhood.
From the NYTs review: “With their cellphones and pouts, these bored, restless junior high students look pretty much like the fidgety progeny of Anytown, U.S.A. One difference being that these African, Arab and Asian Parisians live in a country that insists its citizens have only one cultural identity, even if it is an identity many of these same young people don’t feel welcome to share.”
Hmmm…”Force-feeding a cultural identity” hits pretty close to home just about now (hello banned books, restrictive immigration laws, intrusive values about whom we love, and government intrusions on my body). I loved this film and just writing about it now makes me ready to schedule a re-watch.
💫💫💫If you enjoy r.w.e. will you kindly pause to hit the ❤️ at the top left or bottom of this post? It sure does help in the substack scheme of things and gives me a lift! xoNatalie 💫💫💫
eat/snack:
What does Sylvie ask her French visitors to load in their suitcases when they come to visit? A secret pleasure of course! And, there is nothing like them here… wah-wah (sad trombone!)
Sylvie: J’aime la texture légère et croustillante de ces chips. Ce sont des chips que j’aime déguster à tout moment de la journée. Ces biscuits soufflés sont un savoureux mélange de saveurs salées qui raviront vos papilles à chaque bouchée. (I love the light and crispy texture of the chips. These are the chips that I like to eat any time of the day. They’re puffy and a mix of savory and salty which make your mouth come alive.)
Natalie: I’m more of a popcorn snacker, but anything that makes me come alive, I’m in!
And, a French song to get her dancing in her kitchen?
And, her favorite French meal?
Sylvie: Mon plat français préféré : la tourte aux poireaux de ma belle sœur. Je n’ai malheureusement pas de photo, mais une recette à partager avec vous. (My favorite French dish: my sister-in-law's leek pie. Unfortunately I don't have a photo, BUT a recipe to share with you.)
Natalie: I found this recipe to share with you all! It’s sort of a savory tarte tatin with carmalized leeks instead of apples.
Upside Down Leek Tart
1- 14oz. package frozen puff pastry, thawed
All-purpose flour (for surface)
6 leeks, root ends and dark green parts removed, cut in half lengthwise
2T extra-virgin olive oil
½t kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, plus more
¼c white wine vinegar
2T unsalted butter
1t sugar
1-2t thyme leaves, plus more for serving
2T Dijon mustard
2 oz Parmesan, finely grated (about ½ cup)
Flaky sea salt
Place rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°. Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 12" square. (If you have 2 sheets of pastry, stack and gently roll out to adhere.) Using a 10" cast-iron skillet turned upside down as your guide, trace a circle with a sharp knife around circumference of skillet. Reserve scraps for another use. Prick pastry round all over with a fork. Roll dough onto rolling pin, then unfurl onto a rimmed baking sheet and chill until ready to use.
Toss leeks, oil, kosher salt, and a few grinds of pepper on another rimmed baking sheet. Arrange leeks cut sides down and roast until tender and lightly browned in spots, about 20 minutes. Let cool. Remove tough, leathery outer layer, then transfer leeks to a cutting board.
Meanwhile, bring vinegar to a simmer in 10" cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add butter, sugar, and thyme. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until butter has melted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Arrange leeks cut sides down and side by side in rows in vinegar mixture, trimming as needed so they all fit snugly in skillet. If there are any gaping holes, fill in with small pieces of leeks. You may have a leek or two left, but better to err on the side of having too many than not enough.
Brush leeks with mustard. Sprinkle with parmesan. Drape chilled pastry over leeks, tucking edges inside skillet with a spoon. Cut three 3"-long slits into pastry (cutting all the way through) to let steam escape—this will help the pastry cook more evenly. Bake tart until pastry is deeply golden brown and puffed, 35–45 minutes.
Let tart cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Carefully place a large plate on top of skillet. Using towels, invert tart onto plate. If some of the leeks get left behind in skillet, use a butter knife or offset spatula to release and nestle them back into tart.
Top tart with more thyme and more sprinkles of parmesan. Season with sea salt and pepper.
Sylvie: Je vous recommande de l’accompagner d’une salade verte croquante et d’une vinaigrette maison. (I recommend you accompany the tart with a crisp green salad and a house vinaigrette.)
La Vinaigrette de Sylvie:
Sel (salt)
Poivre (pepper)
2 cuillères à soupe de vinaigre (2T red wine vinegar)
1 cuillère à café de Maille moutarde (1t Maille mustard)
3 cuillères à soupe d’huile d’olive (3T olive oil)
Mélangez la moutarde et le vinaigre. Ajoutez ensuite l'huile d’olive. Selon vos goûts, sel et poivre. Mélangez bien, voilà c'est prêt ! (Mix the mustard and vinegar. Then add the olive oil. Per your taste add salt and pepper. Mix well. Voila! It’s ready.)
In case this dish sparks a yearning for more French cooking. Try these two fabulous cookbooks: LE SUD: RECIPES FROM PROVENCE- ALPES-COTE d'AZUR, by Rebekah Peppler and Joann Pai. Come for the photos, stay for the food!
And in constant rotation chez moi, BISTRO COOKING, by Patricia Wells. Come for the potatoes gratin and stay for everything else.
To keep you dancing and cooking a playlist:
un peut de Paris:
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