Experiencing the best of Paris

By far one of the best experiences I had in Paris was joining the Think Globally…Eat Locally Meet-up group.  Run by organizer, Shelley, the group’s mantra is, “Travelling the world together, plate by plate”. 

Shelley founded the group in 2008 and hosts 2 – 3 events each month.  "Think Globally...Eat Locally" is for anyone interested in sampling some of the international food available in Paris and meeting interesting people at the same time. The night my daughter, Susan, and I were there we were joined by an international mix of men and women who were in Paris for a variety of reasons and timeframes. Most had lived in Paris for 15 months or longer and hailed from Germany, Denmark, Canada, and the US.  Most spoke French fluently, of course, and were able to share insights and information that proved helpful to me during my stay. It was a great night with great fellowship and wonderful food. 

The meet-up Susan and I attended was one of her Glass Jar Dinners.  A typical invite to the dinner:

“Do you have an empty glass jar? Please bring it to dinner, as it's going to be your wine glass :) [I also have a few jars on hand if you can't find one!] This is a 3-course, sit-down dinner with a 100% vegetarian option available.”

For these Glass Jar dinners, Shelley and her husband, Andre, host in their Paris home.  Food ranges from Moroccan Chicken, lasagna, Thai or Indian, to crepes, pastries, and champagne.  But the highlight of each dinner?  Shelley’s Homemade Cheese Crackers. They are a serious cross between cracker and cookie, with a definite lean toward savory. Most of the cheese crackers I have felt obliged to try in the past have been some sort of dry, strong, American sharp cheddar sort of thing. These were moist, did not scream "cheese", and were, literally, melt-in-your-mouth wonderful. Did I mention they were served warm with tequila red pepper jelly? Also made from scratch, of course.

There are a million wonderful food experiences to be had in Paris, but Shelly’s Meet-ups are truly memorable.

Shelley is also a food instructor who has a wonderful website, One Roast Vegetable, geared toward learning the basics at your own pace. If you are interested, take a look at www.oneroastvegetable.com.