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City Market, Paris Style
gourmet articlesarchivecity market, paris style
Well the English don't have too many good things to say about the French. The French have nothing good to say about the English, a happy agreement. However after my latest trip to France I had to rethink this policy......


Rue Mouffet
The Street To Visit

Rue Mouffetard is a small city market that two Irish friends recommended as a must see when in Paris. Bert and Noreen had fell in love with this street during their happy days working in Parisian kitchen's. Their words were enough for me and a few pals to make a mini gastronomic trip and see what the fuss was all about.






Neal and Charcuterie
This Guy Knows About Sausage

The street market is only about half a mile long, rather narrow and packed with people. It is a pretty cool place. The products on sale cover a broad culinary spectrum. Fabulous cheese, fruits vegetable, charcuterie, herbs, nuts, olives; all things French. There is a guy kicking out some French tunes on his squeeze box, all he needs is a beret, moustache and a string of onions and the picture would be complete.The smell of baking brioche and brewing coffee fills the air. As we walk down the cobbled street things start to warm up. There are ducks and geese for sale, hot sausage and cabbage (Choucroute), wild mushrooms, fantastic artichokes. It is now that I really start thinking. There would seem to be a sea of, dare I say 'house wives here' or bonne femme as we would say back in college days. Busily buying provisions for the weekend. I don't ever remember my mother coming home with a goose, nice piece of sausage, two artichokes and half a pound of chanrelles. I will write no more on this family issue as I know my Mum has started to check out the web site, even though she resides in England and I in Chicago, Mother's wrath is still just as fierce via digital connection. This is the point though where the French set them selves apart from many other nations. The icing on the cake went to the gratin potato (pommes dauphinoise) sold hot for your convenience.

Dude Selling Herbs
Sustainable Agriculture That's
My Bag

The reward for the one mile walk up and down the street comes in the form of a pain au chocolat with a smoking hot coffee. We sat outside the cafe brandishing the pastry that had been bought at the boulanger across the street, a concept that I am sure Starbucks will not be embracing in the near future..

Knackered from the walk, I pondered on my nation's view of the French with its reciprocal agreement. Would this culinary find change my view? Nah, they are still French but they do have a nice market or two!

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