Café du coin

Another frequented corner café in Montmartre, closed until further notice.

Tables for two

A Montmartre café.

Le traiteur

In Paris, the neighborhood traiteur - translated into English as "caterer" and similar to a deli but not quite the same concept - along with supermarkets, boulangeries, and butcher shops, is remaining open during the now prolonged confinement. Purveyors of prepared dishes to take away that date to the middle ages when homes lacked kitchens, French traiteurs are frequented mostly by a discerning elderly clientèle and feature delicacies from entrées to desserts, making them an overlooked - and welcome - meal alternative. A google "search nearby" around an address should reveal where they've been hiding themselves - but be sure and call first to make sure they're open. BPJ

Hearts within

Façade of a small house in the 11th arrondissement covered with hearts, now symbolic of le confinement.

Persian rice

...is very nice.

With home-cooked meals on the table every night, I've been varying cuisines, veering from my usual repertoire of what I call "Mediterranean-French," influenced by much time spent in the South of France, living in Spain and of course, my father, who loved to cook - and loved to cook Caribbean rice, its crisp gratin at the bottom of the pot the most coveted bit.

Back when I was at college in the U.S. a group of Iranian students, homesick for their favorite dishes, would get together and prepare feasts almost every week, and no matter what else appeared on the table - exotic salads, roasted meats, flatbreads from scratch - one dish, Tahdig, was always present, and always stood out. For this crunchy buttery rice dish I took the liberty of adding dillweed, an ingredient whose odor brings back a flood of memories associated with those days, and with this cuisine. On this night, the rice paired perfectly with caramelized souris d'agneau (below), chopped parsley salad and a full-bodied AOC Côtes du Rhône. BPJ

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Recipes in April newsletter

Soupe du jour

With le confinement in force we've been making a different soup every day.

Above: soupe de poisson à la provençale with its grated gruyère, garlic-paprika rouille and croutons

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Recipes in April newsletter

Pietons

Pedestrians only.