[paris breakfasts] THANK YOU CHOCOLATE & ZUCCHINI !

[ParisBreakfasts]

An Orchid for Clotilde, watercolor, 5" x 7"

Yesterday I got to meet Clotilde Dusoulier and I was not wearing my pajamas.
Clotilde was signing her brand new cookbook at Dean & Deluca in Soho.

We first met over hot chocolate in my pajamas while I was searching Google for petit dejeuner pictures.

"Un Café au Carré", photograph by Clotilde Dusoulier

Finally I found the perfect picture that captured all the intimacy of a Paris cafe breakfast-
A notebook spread on the table before a shiny black cup of expresso plus one of those the typical French water carafes I love so much.
You could so easily imagine yourself sitting at that table...
I followed the photograph back to it's owner and discovered my first blog, Chocolate and Zucchini in October 2005.
We met many mornings over a cup of hot chocolate. I found a new friend and a window into everyday Parisien life (while still in my P-Js). I became a daily visitor.
I'm sorry most of my pictures of Clotilde are so blurry :(
It's one thing to steal a shot of Laduree's macaron cart in Galeries Lafayette, but it felt a little invasive taking pictures of someone I'd only met in my pajamas...
I finally got up the nerve to take a portrait when someone else took one...
Clotilde is every bit as refreshing and natural and charming as you imagine from reading her blog.

And her cookbook is every bit as engaging and addictive.

It's full of the same sweet, funny stories and Clotilde took all her own food photographs making the book so much more personal.

It's the perfect size for reading in bed too.

We all got to taste the real Chocolate and Zucchini cake! YUM :)

The recipe is on page 166...

Thank you Clotilde for sharing your life with us, your wit, your special point of view.
How many other readers were so inspired by you to start their own blog?

Many I'll bet. Here's the funny thing...
Most mornings now, while still in my pajamas, still over hot chocolate, I'm busy painting and writing Paris stories to tell you.
Some of you even think I live in Paris (I wish!)
And that shiny black cup of coffee in Clotilde's photograph?
It's a Cafes Richard cup of coffee.
Last trip I got to visit their Paris plant and smell the coffee beans roasting. And they want to give me an exhibit in Paris of my watercolors of their coffee cups! YAY

Another funny thing is that sometimes I get emails from you telling me how you read Paris Breakfasts over coffee while still in your pajamas...
So THANK YOU Clotilde Dusoulier SO MUCH!!!!!

And have a GREAT BOOK TOUR! :)

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Posted By ParisBreakfasts to paris breakfasts at 5/16/2007 06:38:00 AM