Breakfast In Paris

Around mid-morning, French cookbook author Anne met us at a classic French boulangerie- a place that only uses sourdough, she explained, so their bread has less gluten and is healthier. “Us” meaning myself and three other lovely American tourists, who had each paid about $70 through Airbnb’s new experience feature for Anne to show us how a French breakfast is done.

Anne ordered piles of pastry and a baguette for the group, and we headed off to her place to start cooking!

Her table was beautifully set for our little group, and we sat down to get acquainted over croissants, pain au chocolats, and pain au raisins. We sipped her homemade blood orange juice and fresh coffee, savoring each different flavor. Anne also poured us some delicious hot chocolate, which I loved dipping pieces of my croissant into.

After the first part of our meal, Anne showed us how to make little pastry cakes- I’ve completely forgotten what they were called, but they were delicious! They remind me of making “fairy cakes” as a kid. We also learned how to make butter in France, which is actually super easy- it’s harder to find the proper ingredients in the US, though, sadly.

On the savory side of things, we soft-boiled a few eggs, seasoned them a bit and then dipped freshly-buttered slices of brioche in them. What can I say? Delicious.

We spend a while chatting about France and fresh produce and the different lives all of us attending lived, as we stuffed ourselves on some of the best and freshest delicacies France could offer. All in all, it was an absolutely glorious morning. Anne made sure to point out that this was not a typical French morning- but we loved it all the same.

At the end of our little adventure we climbed up to her rooftop, took a look around and posed for a quick photo.

I’m usually not one for spending close to $100 on anything while travelling, but if you’re going to splurge, splurge on an Airbnb experience. These are local people that really know their stuff, and it’s such a cool way to get to know a city from the other side.

Thanks again to Anne for her wonderful hosting and an amazing morning.