*hey there, it's christa*

Adventures in Europe, Part 2: Paris When It Sizzles

Back before Will and I were Mr. + Mrs., we were always introducing each other to a few of our favorite things...namely, the books, music and movies that rocked our respective worlds.

While we already shared many, many favorites in common, there was still a bit of a cinematic learning curve, considering he'd never seen Roman Holiday, and I had never experienced the awesomeness that is The Godfather (apparently, citing all the Godfather references from You've Got Mail didn't count).

So on our third and fifth dates respectively, we knocked those off the list and continued our educational journey by throwing our most-beloved books and music in the mix, too.

And thanks to Will, I'm a now a full-fledged fan of The Replacements, Nick Drake, and yes, even Bob Dylan, and my iPod's so much better for it.

Now I'm sure you're probably wondering what any of that has to do with Paris, but trust me, there's a method to the self-proclaimed Tangent Queen's madness. See, one of the best novels Will ever bought for me was Hemingway's A Moveable Feast, a book that easily ranks in my top five today.

For whatever reason, I'd always been of the opinion that Hemingway was overrated—nothing more than a drunken bore (I guess I was right about one of the two anyway). In fact, I'm pretty sure I was supposed to read The Old Man and the Sea back in high school, but I didn't make it past the first 10 pages. Something about the title, not to mention his prose's oh-so-languid pace, didn't exactly inspire me. Ditto for Ernest's enthusiasm for pine-scented forests and bull fighting in For Whom The Bell Tolls and The Sun Also Rises. Yawn.

But A Moveable Feast, well, that's the proverbial horse of a different color. Not only were Hemingway's observations about people so wry, engaging and at times, laugh-out-loud funny, but his description of his time spent writing (and yes, boozing) in Paris immediately transported you there. Suffice it to say, my desire to visit "The City of Light" increased exponentially after reading.

Sure, I'd always dreamed about strolling down the Champs-Élysées with my madeleine, tiny coffee and a few shopping bags to boot, but after reading A Moveable Feast, I wanted to be wherever Hem, Hadley, F. Scott and Zelda were, too, including the illustrious Shakespeare and Company and the coffee shops and bistros they frequented in Montparnasse. Plus, Notre Dame. Can't miss Notre Dame.

So needless to say, as much as I hated leaving London, I was thrilled to get to Paris. I don't know about you, but it just doesn't seem right that after a mere two hours on the Eurostar from London, you're in PARIS! As crazy as the traffic is here in DFW, two hours of travel sometimes means I've merely made it to the other side of town. Or am an hour away from Austin. Seriously those Brits have it made...

After settling into our seats with our snacks (a café crema + M&Ms=the breakfast of champions), Will had a brilliant idea of how to make two hours fly by—playing Scrabble (and yes, we have not one, but two travel-sized sets). For those keeping score at home, I won the first game, Will won the second, and before long, we were enjoying the gorgeous French countryside where even the graffiti-lined walls still look posh somehow. For all its beauty, I half expected the sky to be pink.

And while the sky wasn't pink, it didn't take long for me to fall in love with Paris's myriad of charms anyway. Not only was our hotel the cutest little home away from home (complete with the tiniest little tiled bathtub known to man and a killer mini-bar with plenty of water con gas—my fave), but all the sights and smells were truly something to behold. Frankly, Hemingway was right on the money...

To properly explore Paris, I'm thinking you just have to go ahead, take the plunge and become a local because really, there's much to experience. But since we only had a short time, we did the best with what we had, meaning they'll be plenty of reasons to come back—soon.

Now, a few random observations about our time in "The City of Light"...

*Apparently, not finishing your plate is the same as saying your food wasn't good. During our first meal at a charming little brasserie in Montparnasse, my eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach. For my starter, I ordered French onion soup because I've always been a fan and thought it would be even better in Paris than, say, Panera. As predicted, it was absolutely marvelous with a ton of gooey Gruyére and toasted, buttery baguette on top, and I finished every irresistable drop. Trouble is, that didn't leave much room for the sole meuniére that I chose for my entree. So even though it was pure buttery bliss (and I'm not even a fish lover normally), I only took a few bites, which inevitably led to my server to raise her eyebrow and ask if I liked it. Funny enough, the same thing happened again with an unfinished omelet at breakfast the next day. I guess if you don't finish, they take it pretty personally. So at subsequnt meals,  I made sure that I finished every bite—especially dessert. Mmmm.

*Eggs, Bacon, Salad? With the exception of the breakfast where I ordered banana pancakes, there was always a side of field greens with homemade vinaigrette next to my breakfast fare. Now don't get me wrong, I always love a good salad; I'm just not used to it with scrambled eggs and bacon. But hey, I guess that's not a bad way to make sure that you get enough greens, right?

*Yep, it's true...Yes, 99.9% of the French—especially the women—dress way better than we do in America, and scarves are an absolute must.

*It's okay to be a tourist, especially when your legs hurt. I'll admit, when I first got to town, I thought the people sitting on the top level of this double-decker tour buses looked silly and touristy. But when you've walked and walked and walked some more, they are an absolute godsend. Plus, even without the headphones, I felt like a got a great view of the city without even trying.

*Eiffel Tower: Cool, but...I don't need to spend half a day waiting to reach the top ever again. If I had one tiny—and I mean miniscule—complaint about my time in the fair Paris, I would've skipped the trip to the top of the Eiffel. Yes, it's one amazing view of the city, but I think I would've been okay just admiring it from afar.

*Shakespeare & Company: Nope, once isn't enough (we went twice).

*The Lourve: Looked great from the outside, but opted out of time with the Mona Lisa to shop and do a bit more exploring instead. Found a killer apron, an adorable new spoonrest for my kitchen, two cute little tees for the cutest niece on the planet, perfume and as a major bonus, stumbled upon the biggest Sephora I've ever been to. Yeah, it even puts the one in NYC to shame...didn't think that was possible.

*And the verdict is...The Barefoot Contessa has always insisted (on several episodes of her show, natch) that it's impossible to have a bad day in Paris, and you know what? She was right. I absolutely loved walking through this amazing city with my hubby by my side, and who knows, maybe our time there will even inspire our future writing, just like it did for Hemingway, Fitzgerald and the list goes on and on...

List #1: My Ten Favorite Restaurants (No Particular Order)

So I tried to get this going yesterday as promised, but Typepad was being finicky and uncooperative, so I thought I'd better try again today instead of wasting too much time trying to get my blog to do what I want. Success! (so far, anyway)...

My friend Lori, the one who got this whole crazy list thing started in the first place, began her 10 days with her favorite restaurants, so why mess with a genius move like that?

In fact, I'm all over it with one minor adjustment. I'm not gonna rank 'em. I know, I know, it's cheating a little, but it's just too hard 'cause they're all soooo good.

And now, with no further adieu...my 10 favorite restaurants:

Dos Caminos (Vegas)—Yep, that's the restaurant in the picture.

Now there's a lot of advice I probably wouldn't take from Jessica Simpson (her choice in men and clothing immediately springs to mind), but I gotta tell ya, there's a reason why she eats at Dos Caminos every time she's in NYC, and that's because it's absolutely scrumptious. Not only do they make their guacamole for you right at the table (and trust me, it'll change your life, I could just have that sans chips and be happy), but their cuisine (try the crunchy shrimp quesadilla, you'll thank me) is just so inventive and tasty. Now I've only been to the Dos Caminos in Vegas (and it's a must, whenever you're there), but I'm guessing the one in Manhattan is just as fab. I must say the last time I was in NYC, I was very, very tempted to eat there, but the hubby wasn't with me, so I couldn't do so in good conscience. What can I say? I loooove the guy.

La Grolla (St. Paul)—Anyone who's read my blog on a frequent basis already knows how much I love Italian food, and La Grolla totally rocks it every time. If you're dieting, this is totally the place you gotta avoid because while you can easily fill up on all the incredible antipasto, you simply gotta save room for their mouthwatering entrees (yeah, their penne alla vodka was my favorite), the dessert cart (yeah, the light as air mascarpone cheesecake changes with the seasons) and a cappuccino because if you don't, you're just missing out.

P.F. Chang's (nationwide)—I know, I know it's a chain, and it's not authentic Chinese takeout, but I absolutely love it anyway. The decor is chic, the lighting low, and everything I've ever ordered is downright yummy. In addition to the lettuce wraps (a virtually guilt-free must), I'm really lovin' the Dali chicken these days. Sure, it's sooo hot that you'll need about seven glasses of water, but it's totally worth suffering for.

Calypso Cafe (Nashville)—After I was hired at CCM Magazine back in 2000, the editor-in-chief, the illustrious April Hefner, had a brilliant idea for my first day of work lunch—Calypso Cafe—and I've been a huge fan ever since. I always order the same thing: a black bean salad with rice, two boija muffins (sweet cornbread with a toasted coconut top) and my drink de jour in Nashville, fruit tea, and I always leave happy. I liked the place so much, in fact, that I ate there at least once a week when I lived in Music City.

Mi Cocina (Dallas)—When Will and I were dating, he always raved about this Tex-Mex establishment, and I gotta say, he wasn't overstating just how good it is. Whenever I'm there I usually go for the cheese enchiladas, and trust me, you don't need any meat when they taste that good. Mmmmm....

Gino's East (Chicago)—It's hard not loving the place where you got engaged, but I'm not gonna lie, the pizza is absolutely, positively worth every minute of that 45-minute wait. As hungry as you are, don't even bother with appetizers because after eating this pizza, you'll be sooo full you'll immediately need a nap. But it'll be the best nap ever because your tummy will be full of all that deep dish love.

Bon Vie (St. Paul)—I'm still dreaming of their perfect omelets with caramelized onions and crispy hashbrowns.

Amerigo's (Nashville)—One word: Tiramisu. Yeah, they don't really do it the traditional way, but the homemade chocolate sauce makes it's worth every empty calorie.

Chick-a-Fila (somewhat nationwide, but mostly in the south)—I'm not usually crazy about fast food, but one of Chick-a-Fila's original chicken sandwiches with lettuce and tomato, waffle fries and lemonade always hits the spot.

Bread and Company (Nashville)—Whenever I had a bad day, Will would bring me their tomato basil soup, cranberry walnut bread and fruit tea, and everything would be okay. And whenever I'm in Nashville, it's an absolute must for lunch.

Honorable Mentions: While they aren't quite Top 10, I still love me some Chipotle (nationwide), Carrabba's (nationwide), Bronte (Nashville), Cossetta's (St. Paul), Gallagher's (Vegas), room service from the Four Seasons hotel on Doheny (Los Angeles), Brio (Dallas), SATCO (Nashville) and Pizzeria Uno (Chicago).

Crashing Aarti's Party

As I confessed in a recent blog entry, I was definitely rooting for Aarti to win the Next Food Network Star title.

And now that she has, I have to say I absolutely, positively love her cooking show, Aarti's Party. It's so much fun that 30 minutes whizzes by like nobody's business.

Now while I definitely love me some Indian food, I'll be honest: I've never actually tried to make any. But with Aartie's decidedly Indian twist on good ol' fashioned American dishes like bread pudding (yum!), sloppy joes and roast chicken, well, I think I'm finally ready to invest in some garam masala and cardamom (which Williams Sonoma now carries...how convenient!) and give it a try!

While I doubt I'll whip up the perfect naan or chicken tikka masala any time soon (I'll leave those to the experts), Aartie definitely makes cooking with Indian spices seem less intimidating. Plus, you gotta love a girl who cooks dinner and dessert for her weekly accountability group. Where can I sign up?

A Long, Long Jaunt Down I-35

Well, I'm officially living in the Lone Star state now, and my, my, my what a crazy journey it's been! I gotta say moving is truly not for the faint of heart.

After finishing up the packing (whew!) and officially saying goodbye to my downtown St. Paul abode, my friend Krista and I (along with Blackjack, Will and I's trusty black Toyota Highlander and Gretta, Krista's bossy but oh-so-helpful GPS) made the sizable trek to the place where everything's supposedly bigger and there's mouthwatering salsa and guacamole around every corner.

And thanks to our 16-hour journey down I-35, I crossed off two more destinations from my list of "States I've Never Been To" (Kansas and Oklahoma, for the record) and enjoyed a steady diet of classic rock (given how many times I heard Boston's "More Than a Feeling," you'd think it was a current pop song) and really bad country music where the lovelorn mourn the loss of their dog, their wives, their sanity etc. etc. 

When I wasn't tracking down the next totally bad song for Krista and I to listen to on our severely limited selection of stations, the people-watching and regular truck stop visits kept us plenty entertained for the duration. Truth be told, for such a long trip, the miles totally whizzed by, and before I knew it, we were finally in my new hometown.

In addition to taking a super fun road-trip with a fabulous friend,  I FINALLY got to see Will after nearly a month...a reunion we celebrated with a downright fabulous meal at Mi Cocina (try the cheese enchiladas there, and they will change your life, I promise) and a late-night showing of Eclipse, the guiltiest of guilty pleasures, I know. 

Since we're still waiting for our stuff from the movers, (don't even get me started on that), I still sort of feel like I'm on some sort of bizarro vacation when I wake up every morning. Dallas doesn't really feel like home yet, but I hope as I start getting our house in order (by the way, I love saying "house" instead of "apartment," I feel all grown up now), it will, y'all.

In the meantime, Will and I are thankful to have a place to stay while we wait (something I'm not very good at). When we moved to St. Paul four years ago, we slept on the floor for a good two weeks. So needless to say, a comfy bed in a lovely air-conditioned abode is definitely a blessing. Well, that and a huge supply of anti-frizz cream for my hair. Since it's humid and about a thousand degrees, my hair definitely looks worse for the wear without a little help from my friends at Aveda.

Lemme just go on the record and say I'm thankful for them, too. And I'm sure anyone who's forced to hang with me would agree.

A Change of Scenery

It was one crazy week of travel last week, y'all...

As you probably guessed from my opening line, I spent the majority of my week in the South.

While most of my movie press junkets involve a 3+ hour plane ride to the bright lights of Hollywood, my latest assignment involved a 3+ hour plane ride to somewhere I'd never been before—Albany, Georgia, (see pic on the left) better known as the birthplace of Ray Charles and one of my favorite Food Network chefs, Paula Deen, the queen of butter.

So you're probably thinking, why exactly was I in southern Georgia? Well, I was checking out the set of Courageous, the new movie from the folks at Sherwood Pictures.

For the uninitiated, they're the people from Sherwood Baptist Church who came up with (and starred) in Facing the Giants and Fireproof, family-friendly fare on a shoestring budget that happened to do very, very well in theaters.

So to give our Crosswalk readers the behind-the-scenes scoop on their latest work, I packed my bags and headed south along with one of my best Nashville pals, Jessica.

Coincidentally, one of my favorite things about writing for a living is the opportunity to travel. For whatever reason, and maybe it's because I lived in the same small town for so many of my pre-college years, I happen to thrive in new surroundings. I love the new sights, news smells and of course, the people watching. And those varied experiences can't help but inspire my writing, too.

In fact, while sampling my first sweet potato turnover (a culinary triumph, I must say) and talking to the people of Albany, so many interesting new story ideas were swirling through my mind. And while I'm not sure if they'll ever see the light of day in my actual WIP, it's always good to get outside of the world that's so familiar to me in the Twin Cities.

And really, that's just one of the great things about writing fiction, isn't it? Whether we're writing from our home office or at the local coffee shop, we get to provide a glimpse into a new world for our readers—one that's vivid and new and exciting and eventually transports them somewhere they've never been before.

That's precisely why it's good from time to time to get re-inspired and switch up your surroundings. That way, you can provide that experience for your readers. Even if you don't have the time or resources to travel somewhere exotic, sometimes inspiration is found in the unlikeliest of places—like Albany, Georgia where the fried chicken and southern hospitality are nothing short of top notch.

P.S. During my trip to Albany, I also found out that Will and I are in for a new adventure ourselves this summer. Thanks to a job transfer (and a promotion to boot...woo hoo!) for Will with Wells Fargo, we're heading to Dallas. I'm thinking the move should provide plenty more fodder to write about (not to mention some seriously terrific Tex Mex that's sorely lacking in Minnesota).

Welcome to Summer Movie Season! (Finally!)

I don't know about you, but don't you think movies have been a tad on the stinky side so far in 2010?

I mean, aside from Alice in Wonderland and How to Train Your Dragon and a couple of cute scenes from Valentine's Day (and a couple is really stretching it), I've pretty much seen one dud after another.

And while things generally get a bit dumb and action-y this time of year, I must say I'm really looking forward to this summer at the movies. It already got off to a great start last night with Iron Man 2.

Sure, there were a few too many things going on, but overall, I thought it was a satisfying sequel, thanks to Mickey Rourke as the requisite bad guy, the addition of Scarlett Johansson as the Black Widow (her fight scene was awesome) and of course, Robert Downey Jr. in all his snarky glory.

Now with no further adieu, here's the rest of the flicks I'm looking forward to (in order of release date)...

Robin Hood: Yes, I know, I know...this movie has already been made a gazillion times. But that last version with Kevin Costner doesn't even count. After all, any movie with a Bryan Adams' song as its theme is automatically disqualified for sheer cheesiness. I'm guessing Russell Crowe would never let that happen. And I'm thinking that he and Cate Blanchett will be a class act together in this latest installment.

Knight and Day: Other than playing Ethan Hunt in the continuing adventures of Mission Impossible, we really haven't seen Tom Cruise in this sort of role for a while. And while it could possibly be really, really bad, Will and I will love spotting all the Tom Cruise-isms anyway. Ever notice how in every film there's always a sequence or two or ten where he's running? Or snacking on peanuts? Even better is when he tries to be all over-the-top dramatic, and it's so uncomfortable to watch. Yeah, that's what we love!

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: This is actually my favorite of Stephanie Meyer's books, so I'm hoping the movie will rock, too! It's already good to know there will be more of Edward than in New Moon.

Inception: I'm intrigued by the sheer lack of information on this movie, but with Christopher Nolan behind the lens, I'm thinking it's going to be good. Plus, it'll be fun seeing Ellen Page not in snarky, Juno mode for a change.

Salt: I'm not a huge Angelina Jolie fan, but if forced to watch her, this is the genre I like seeing her in. Could be a fun popcorn flick...

Ramona and Beezus: Yeah, I know I'm way, way out of the target demo for this one. But as much as I loved Beverly Clearly's books growing up, I feel like I have to see it.

Anything that's missing from the list? Feel free to weigh in...

Book Comment: "The Opposite of Me"

After a bout of serious literary A-D-D, I have finally found a novel that I absolutely love—Sarah Pekkanen's fantastic debut, The Opposite of Me.

Now considering it has the always-coveted endorsement of another author I've always enjoyed, Jennifer Weiner, I knew there was a good chance I'd probably like it. What I didn't know, of course, was how much...

It's always a good sign when I plow through a novel in just a couple of days. Not only was the sisterly component an interesting twist on the whole smart VS. pretty debate, but I really appreciated Pekkanen's unfussy but engaging prose.

And unlike many stories where you see the ending coming from a mile away, I was actually surprised by how things turned out for the protagonist, a girl I could definitely enjoy a cup of coffee with—a nice change from most chick-lit heroines who only have shopping and boys on the brain.

Rating: **** 1/2 out of ***** stars

File Under: Random Movie Musing

I don't know why, but every time I've seen this movie trailer (or even just the poster), I get a major case of the giggles. I mean, c'mon Hot Tub Time Machine? How dumb is that going to be?

But after watching him in some truly lame roles (see 2012, Martian Child, that scary hotel room movie with Samuel L. Jackson), maybe everybody's favorite everyman John Cusack will be in fine Better Off Dead form.

Here's hoping anyway...

My Inaugural Visit to Trader Joe's

Now I realize that I'm hardly the first person to profess my love for Trader Joe's. Truth be told, my friends have told me about the cheap wine and tasty vittles for a while now. But for whatever reason, I thought it was simply Whole Food's trendier cousin. A cool place to buy all things organic, and before you know it, you've spent $300.00 at the grocery store.

Um, no thank you.

But when the hubby and I were in Maple Grove on Saturday, a Trader Joe's was in walking distance from where we were, so I thought I'd finally discover what all the hub bub was about.

Ok, now I get it, I promise. The reason that everyone was patiently standing in line (especially in the wine section) is because everything truly was inexpensive—and decidedly gourmet at the same time. In fact, I picked up a huge bottle of marsala for a mere $5.50 (a bottle not even half that size sets you back $3.50 at Target), and I already love the stuff. And I'm guessing I won't even have to buy more for a while.

Turns out the wine cellar was the equivalent of a delicious appetizer, by the way. Not only does Trader Joe's have gorgeous organic produce for what I'd probably pay for a lettuce leaf at Whole Food's, but all the other food is just as reasonable—and diverse. Since it's been so darn cold here lately, I picked up a couple of boxes of soup—Latin black bean and butternut squash—and both were delicious. And trust me, the same goes for their frozen sweet potatoes fries. Just bake, sprinkle with a little sea salt, and you have the perfect guilt-free complement to your ordinary sandwich.

If the whole Trader Joe's shopping experience wasn't already fun enough, the cute tote I got for future visits sealed the deal. Never again will I have to answer "paper or plastic" with a sack this adorable...suffice it to say, I'll be back.

Panini with Panache

I can't believe we're already 11 days into 2010, and I haven't blogged yet.

I promise there have been plenty of fantastic reasons...

First it was New Year's, and then my birthday (on the 2nd) for one. And then after all that celebrating, it took probably a good three days to get fully organized post Christmas (I have this funny, okay, anal-retentive habit of liking to get rid of everything we don't need, restocking my office supplies, the pantry, etc).

It also took quite a few hours to vacuum up all those Christmas tree needles (yeah, I broke the vacuum in the process, too) and get the decorations put away. And then I went to La La Land for a movie junket with Will this past weekend, and before I knew it, it was Monday, January 11.

Now that I'm back in the blogosphere, I just had to dish on one of my favorite discoveries as of late...the 'wichcraft balsamic onion marmalade spread from Williams Sonoma. See, I don't about you, but I absolutely love making panini (as I learned from watching Giada regularly on "Everyday Italian," panini is the plural form of panino....Italian for pressed sandwich). My sister bought me a fab panini press a year ago, and I've used it again and again. Really, if you've got some good rustic bread (I keep mine in the freezer for a long shelf life and defrost when needed), the possibilities truly are endless.

I don't know why, but I've never cared much for cold sandwiches (I always order my subs toasted from Potbelly, Subway and the like), so a piping hot panini is really the perfect quick lunch. But like anything good, it can still get old if you don't switch things up, so I'm always on the lookout for tasty but figure-friendly (it is the New Year, after all, and watching the calories is a must) toppings.

Enter the aforementioned 'wichcraft spread.

Slightly sweet thanks to the caramelized onions (a process that takes at least a half hour if you're doing it yourself) and aged balsamic vinegar, it's also got great texture that perfectly complements turkey, sweet, smoked ham or salami. Today, I tried it with brown sugar ham, mixed greens and a slice of mozzarella cheese with rustic bread, and it was just divine. And thanks to it only being 10 calories for a tablespoon, I'm guessing I'm going to find a lot more ways to make it work because it's that good.