2023-01-12 17:45
For the last 18 years I've explored French food, culture, wine and cheese through this blog. Now heading in an exciting and natural new direction, as of spring 2023, I will be offering an in… Read More
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2020-12-11 17:10
If you've read this blog for any time now, you know how much I love cheese! And after weeks of working out a new (for me) way to share this great passion with you, I've finally don… Read More
2020-11-29 13:08
As I mentioned in September, I teamed up with Context Conversations and presented an online French cheese tasting seminar that was offered a few more times over the last few months. And more… Read More
2020-09-17 17:00
I resisted. Boy did I resist!The idea of going virtual with cheese "tastings," both during and after the lockdown in France, was completely overwhelming to me and I just didn't know how to m… Read More
2020-08-14 12:41
August means stretches of long, hot days with bright skies, followed by days of heavy air and storms. We're finally at the end of a week-long heatwave and the last two evenings have given us… Read More
2020-04-26 09:31
1) We have a great fromagerie around the corner, so we're still able to enjoy French cheese. Phew!2) The nuns at the Catholic maternity clinic across from our apartment have been coming out… Read More
2020-04-18 08:07
As life has thrown us all a curve ball and we're advised to stay inside as much as possible, I'm heeding that advice. With that, I'm being extra conscious about not wasting food (something I… Read More
2020-04-15 11:26
It's been one year since Notre-Dame de Paris was almost destroyed by a devastating fire. Sadly, the re-construction has been temporarily put on hold due to the Covid-19 virus lock down in Fr… Read More
2020-04-02 07:21
The New Normal.Life has completely changed since France closed non-essential businesses and asked its citizens to go into confinement in mid-March. It was supposed to last for two weeks, but… Read More
2020-04-01 14:55
The New Normal.Life has completely changed since France closed non-essential businesses and asked its citizens to go into confinement in mid-March. It was supposed to last for two weeks, but… Read More
2020-03-27 10:41
It's World Cheese Day! My favorite day! Read More
2020-03-21 12:39
Wishing I could be as chilled as Enzo Read More
2020-02-17 20:01
In California visiting family for a week. Makes me realize how much I miss the ocean! (and good tacos!) Read More
2020-02-09 08:39
One of my favorite cheese shops in Paris. And her selection of Comté is incredible! Read More
2020-02-02 08:09
The covered passages in Paris are worth exploring! Especially on a rainy day Read More
2020-01-22 08:11
One of only two remaining, farm produced Camembert de Normandie is made by La Fromagerie Durand. It is worth the extra €2! Read More
2020-01-13 15:40
As a person who gets cold quite easily, I love it when cafés offer blankets when it's cold outside Read More
2020-01-06 14:08
A Corsican ewe's milk cheese sprinkled with aromatic Mediterranean herbs and sold in a perfect state of affinage. Heaven! Read More
2020-01-02 08:26
We kicked it off with a long walk through the quiet streets of Paris and ended it with the holy trinity - cheese, wine and bread. A good start to the new year!Wishing you all a very happy 20… Read More
2019-12-17 19:02
Cheese + Mold. Is it safe to eat? This is a question I get asked a lot!This article on the Bon Appetit website came across my radar the other day (even though it was written in 201… Read More
2019-12-15 17:25
A Haussmannian building that houses a café named after Baron Haussmann located along the Boulevard Haussmann Read More
2019-12-13 11:38
The minute I started to unwrap this one, I was in heaven! SO lusciously smelly, oozing and sticky. We haven't tasted it yet, but I expect wonderful things.Oh, and for those of you who are cu… Read More
2019-12-12 07:45
Les grèves in Paris continue...*I've been averaging seven miles a day on foot since last Thursday to get to and from my food tours, but this morning I had a long walk across the… Read More
2019-12-10 21:06
Les grèves in Paris continue...*I've been averaging seven miles a day on foot since last Thursday to get to and from my food tours, but this morning I had a long walk across the… Read More
2019-12-09 12:43
"You are the love of my life." Read More
2019-12-05 09:43
Isn't it a little early for spring flowers? It's not even winter yet! Read More
2019-11-28 06:45
Paris details Read More
2019-11-24 10:10
Sunday mornings in Paris mean waiting in line at la boulangerie Read More
2019-11-22 10:25
Shopping at Laurent Dubois for one of my favorite Alpine cheeses, Tomme de Chartreuse Read More
2019-11-21 08:18
Under the arcades along the rue de Rivoli. A great spot for people watching! Read More
2019-04-07 13:57
Located just a block away from La Grande Épicerie in Saint Germain, la Ferme d'Alexandre doesn't feel "off the beaten path," but I wanted to share it with you anyw… Read More
2019-04-02 06:36
Last week France feted its National Day of Cheese, a day I love to celebrate. (yeah...who am I kidding...I celebrate French cheese pretty much every day!)But it got me thinking about the fro… Read More
2019-03-27 07:36
March 27 is la Journée Nationale du Fromage, or National Cheese Day, here in France. Today we will be honoring rare, small production, farmer produced, raw milk cheeses.You can be sur… Read More
2018-12-03 16:46
Over the last (almost) 13 years I've covered a lot of topics here on Chez Loulou, and the one that I still love to talk about and am most passionate about is French cheese.But lately ch… Read More
2018-05-22 08:29
1) Oozy grilled cheese at Paroles de Fromagers2) goat and goat and goat3) Emballage4) Merci to the monks for making such delicious cheese!5) Garrigue Read More
2018-03-02 13:55
Hello? Is there anybody out there?I know it's been ages, so I decided it was time for a quick catch up. The last couple of months have presented us with a few ups and downs, and I haven't be… Read More
2018-01-22 19:35
I've always loved the subtle flavors that leaves, bark, ash and herbs lend to cheese. Montrachet is no exception.It is wrapped in a chestnut leaf and is one of… Read More
2017-10-08 10:42
When my family gets together it means many things; laughter, dancing in the kitchen, good wine and lots of cooking and eating. And the one thing we always cook together is a big batch of my… Read More
2017-08-08 16:45
Train travel spoils you. No need to get to the airport 2+ hours before your flight, no waiting in long security lines, no strict weight and size limits on your luggage. You arrive a bit befo… Read More
2017-07-26 13:11
Walk into any fromagerie in France during goat cheese season (April to November) and you will be faced with a tempting array of wrinkly rectangles, fresh drums, blue mold covered cylinders… Read More
2017-06-20 15:03
PSA: Paris is expensive! (or does that go without saying?)When we were at our place in the Minervois last autumn, we sat down at one of our favorite cafés in Olonzac after r… Read More
2017-06-11 10:06
1) Monti2) Fontana delle Tartarughe3) A difficult choice!4) Oculus5) The classic Read More
2017-06-03 09:24
Our old house in Normandy, which is now a charming rental cottage. We highly recommend this place!For the first 10 years that we lived here, whenever I was visiting the U.S. and met someone… Read More
2017-05-20 12:51
1) On the terrace2) Along rue Montorgueil3) Aperitivo in Bologna4) A generous apéritif dinatoire in Montmartre5) At our neighborhood café - they could stand to be a bit mo… Read More
2017-05-13 08:07
Oh, Bologna! What have you done to me?You had me the minute I stepped up to the counter at that busy neighborhood café and ordered an espresso - it was deep, deep brown with notes of… Read More
2017-05-07 13:34
1) Shopping in the Quadrilatero2) A quiet street in Florence (not an easy thing to find!)3) Tortellini - to be eaten "in brodo"4) Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca, located in the hills a… Read More
2017-04-26 16:28
We have friends visiting from the States, so this morning I had the chance to wander around the Île de la Cité while they were inside Notre Dame. I had read about the Place Daup… Read More
2017-04-20 12:11
Juveniles Wine Bar - for the food, the atmosphere, the lovely owners, and the wine!Pictured is the duck breast with roasted Brussels sprouts and carrot purée that I had the last time… Read More
2017-04-15 10:31
We usually do something in March to celebrate our anniversary of moving to France, but it kind of snuck up on us this year.14 years. I can't believe it's been 14 years. How did that happen?L… Read More
2017-04-05 07:55
Nostalgia is a funny thing.Over the weekend I was looking over my Flickr stream and came across all these lovely photos of springtime in the Languedoc.Wow!I had forgotten how beaut… Read More
2017-03-24 09:57
Take a class.Thierry Givone owns Wine Tasting in Paris, a charming tasting space in the Latin Quarter. I'm a big fan of this guy! He helped me arrange a private Champagne tasting for my… Read More
2017-03-15 09:36
Myth: The French hardly ever work and go on strike all the timeReality: The 35 hour work week is true for some, but according to French government statistics, in 2010, 50% of full time worke… Read More
2017-03-04 14:46
3,2,1, GO! Quai VoltaireA post shared by Doorways Of Paris (@doorwaysofparis) on Mar 1, 2017 at 2:53am PST I've always had a thing for doors.The sun shines on Languedoc this morning. A good… Read More
2017-01-19 17:07
I've avoided posting here in the last couple of months because I'm really struggling to get a grip on what's happening in America. I'm having a hard time gathering my thoughts and deciding w… Read More
2016-11-19 15:16
We just returned from 2 weeks in the Languedoc, and let me tell you, our trip couldn't have come at a better time. The day before we left I was grumpy and frustrated with Paris.Yes, it happe… Read More
2016-09-21 09:41
1) Surrounded by deliciousness2) Under the porticoes3) I had one for breakfast every morning (with espresso however, not a Heineken)4) Too many to choose from5) Part of the Sette Chiese Read More
2016-08-10 14:38
So I was at one of those Brooklyn-style coffee places and apparently committed the ultimate faux-pas; I asked for a dry cappuccino.Oh my god, you should have seen the contemptuous look I got… Read More
2016-07-24 17:05
We love our big terrace with its views over the 15ème and feel very lucky to have a few square meters of outdoor space to enjoy. We know that this is a rare thing in Paris.And as an a… Read More
2016-07-18 14:36
1) At the Sunday market 2) Little goat cheese buttons 3) La Basilique de Notre-Dame de Fourvière 4) Too many choices5) Strolling in the shade Read More
2016-07-02 07:15
Living on the 8th floor has its advantages. (but boy does it suck when the elevator breaks down!) Read More
2016-05-08 13:47
But for the last week the weather has been perfect.The kind of lovely spring weather that makes you notice your legs are so white they glow in the dark, that you desperately need a pedicure… Read More
2016-04-21 13:46
Let's talk about mold.When it comes to food, mold is a major turn off. But when it comes to cheese, it has a purpose. Mold* imparts flavor and gives cheese its texture, its tang, its ar… Read More
2016-03-21 09:26
It's not every day that you get invited to spend an afternoon sitting in a small room overlooking the Seine with an MOF or two, the president of la Chambre professionnelle des artisans boula… Read More
2016-03-18 15:01
This is the photo that got me through the door.Every year, in addition to a handful of industry professionals, the Mayor of Paris chooses 6 members of the general public to sit on the jury o… Read More
2016-03-14 08:29
"Jamais dans le réfrigérateur!," la fromagère firmly stated as I was buying this wedge of Tome du Ramier at the Pari Fermier market today.Concerned by that adv… Read More
2016-02-27 13:30
1) Crab cake po' boy, and the most amazing onion rings!2) French Quarter colors3) On the float, beads and booze at the ready4) Dancin' in the streets5) Royal Street Read More
2016-01-19 17:43
We've been living in Paris full time for three months now (after my 1.5 years of commuting from Normandy), and I have a few observations to make:There is a lot of dust. And I mean a lo… Read More
2016-01-11 16:47
1) La Petite France2) Tarte flambée - cream, bacon and onion perfection3) Dusk4) Bûche de Noël - classic and not so much5) Almond studded kugelhupf Read More
2015-11-01 17:38
Boxes are unpacked and everything (for the most part) is finally arranged and in its place.Even though we don't have a lot of stuff, finding the space for it all after moving from a small, 3… Read More
2015-09-21 18:20
Just a few things to share...First, we would appreciate your help.We're moving next month with a chihuahua who will celebrate his 15th birthday in January, so we would love any recommendatio… Read More
2015-09-13 16:36
As my husband said the other day, "here we go again, off on another adventure."It's a big one this time. We're moving to Paris.Enfin bref, we're moving on and leaving Normandy… Read More
2015-08-24 14:59
Could it be true? Have we finally found our own little home* in Paris?And one with a pretty spectacular view, I might add.Fingers crossed!*No, that isn't the building, though isn't it beauti… Read More
2015-08-09 15:58
Get up early, head to la boulangerie for a croissant or a brioche, and go wander.You'll beat the heat, you'll beat the crowds, and you'll feel like you have Paris all to yourself.It's as sim… Read More
2015-07-27 16:51
Clams and sea snails and delicious, tender salicornes.Sign for the locally made fish soup. I love his face!Low tide.It's étrille season, a tiny local crab that tastes like lobste… Read More
2015-07-20 12:05
We looked at renting an apartment on a charming little rue in the 5th, with a view of this. Which would have been amazing, had it not been for the rowdy British pub across the street. We're… Read More
2015-07-19 09:12
Seems that I haven't had much to say lately.Numerous, half-finished blog posts are waiting patiently for me to find some inspiration and write. Until then, photos and few words Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
Something about those chairs against that battered, cobalt blue door caught my eye Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
1) Les gariguettes 2) An indoor picnic3) A face full of character4) Un panier de panais5) Paris blue Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
I can never resist tulips Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
Looking up in Paris Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
2015 was an interesting year.I spent a large portion of it living a half life - half in Normandy and half in Paris. When that finally came to a close in October, I couldn't have been happier… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
Last Friday, after a three hour lunch with three very inspiring and intelligent women, I started walking. I walked and walked. And WALKED.From the Galerie Vivienne through the gardens at le… Read More
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