Posts Tagged ‘paris’

Wine, Tradition & Conversation

Monday, August 2nd, 2021

Wine plays an important role in my life, and I’m not alone. For thousands of years it’s been a central part of religious ceremonies: Catholic communions, Passover Seders, ancient rituals to Dionysus. As someone who studies religion and cares deeply about food, wine means a lot of things to me. A glass paired with a home cooked meal is a lovely treat to myself and friends, it makes a good housewarming gift, it goes well with late night reading, and it can tell us a lot about the place it comes from: the land that grew the grapes, the religion of the makers, the culinary traditions of its homeland. But what I love most about wine is that it can bring people together and create lively debates, conversations, and connections. Living, eating, and cooking around the world has taught me a lot about what wine can and should do for us.

From a wine festival at Sacré Cœur in Paris. We celebrated with wine, cheese, live music, and art!

In the French tradition of the salon, drinking is combined with intellectual debate. Thinkers, writers, and artists gather at a cafe and discuss: what do we value? What should we value? What are we reading, what art is in fashion, how might we make our world more just? What does it mean to be just? In my world, I’m inspired to bring this inquisitive spirit into book clubs, dinner parties, and study groups. I pour everyone a glass of deep red wine and we start talking. Ask at least as many questions as you answer. Put out a charcuterie plate or a baked wheel of brie, and let the ideas-and wine-flow.

Discussing our favorite reads: Dani is telling us about The Romance of American Communism

In Israel I learned about how important wine is in the Jewish tradition. On each holiday my professors would teach us about what we were celebrating, accompanied often by a history lesson and related treat: apples and honey on Rosh Hashanah, challah on Shabbat, latkes around Hanukkah. The Hebrew word for the blessing of wine is Kiddush, whose root means holy or sacred. In your own life try connecting to your religious or cultural heritage. Do you or your family pair wine with certain foods or ideas? Or, ask your Jewish friends if they celebrate Shabbat and-if you’re lucky-maybe you’ll get to celebrate with them. Enjoy a little kosher wine and learn about what makes wine so important in Judaism. Share your oenological practices. Ask yourself why wine is or isn’t important to you, and in what context.

A little Shabbat charcuterie with a friend from Tel Aviv at Amelie Wine Bar near campus

In my personal tradition wine is best paired with a cozy night spent reading or talking with friends. There’s nothing I love more than spending time with people I love over a bottle of wine, catching up and discussing and laughing. I’ve learned a lot about wine and what it can do from living around the world, and in my home I try to incorporate my favorite parts of different traditions. We celebrate Shabbat with a good glass of wine, gather to discuss around a bottle, and share recipes and pairings with people we love. Try incorporating nice wine into your culinary, intellectual, and religious/cultural traditions.

From a poetry reading in the park on my friend’s birthday. Celebrating her with wine, literature, candles, and cupcakes.

Please drink legally and safely. If you don’t know your limit, drink in little bits with people you trust. Wine should be something you intake in moderation, and it’s safest when we approach it with goals of cultural learning and understanding rather than to get drunk. Stay safe, stay smart, and enjoy your wine!


Cora Enterline is a senior at NYU studying law, ethics, and religion. She’s studied and worked in Paris and Tel Aviv, where she loved biking, traveling, dancing, and teaching English. She has a love for foreign languages, sad novels, themed dinner parties, and red wine by candlelight. This summer, follow her blog to learn easy, student-friendly recipes and find inspiration from around the world for your own dinners, picnics, and culinary adventures at home!


For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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The Art of Charcuterie

Tuesday, July 13th, 2021

The wind was always pleasant this time of year in Paris. Early fall and the soon setting sun was turning the grey city pink. The dark river was lit with dancing yellows. Trees were green and orange and the sound of music floated between groups of young Parisians sitting on the quai, laughing, drinking, dancing. A secret I think not many Americans discover while visiting Paris is that the most lovely dinner you can find is on the little stone pathway beside the river: a bottle of wine from a corner shop, a baguette from the boulangerie, a block of cheese, and a handful of apples, grapes, dried sausage. 

Dinner with a view!

We often think of charcuterie as a high class food, the type of fancy appetizer you’d find only at a nice wine bar, artistic and delicious but ultimately too expensive and time-consuming to do on our own. But this absolutely is not true! One of my favorite things to prepare is a charcuterie board. It’s beautiful, built for sharing, and easy to mold to any dietary restrictions or pallet you want. And there are absolutely ways to do it without breaking the bank.

All three of these cheeses are from Trader Joe’s; the herbed cheese at the bottom is especially interesting. And the crackers are gluten-free!

After my year in Paris I was determined to return to the states with an expert knowledge of French cheese. This, it turns out, takes more than a year to acquire. However! I did learn a lot while I was there, and though it isn’t quite the same here, I’ve continued to try new cheeses and expand my knowledge since I’ve been back. And good cheese is not lacking in New York City; Trader Joe’s alone has dozens of options from around the world. You can also try Whole Foods, West Side Market, or–if you’re looking to splurge a bit–The French Cheese Board in SoHo has the best imported French cheese I’ve found. Even on a student budget, they have affordable options (like a goat cheese for only two dollars!). 

The fig jam is always a centerpiece!

Building a good board is as much about the taste as it is about the look. Start with two cheeses then lay out crackers, fruit, veggies, and spreads between them. Some of my go-tos are raspberries, green apples, cucumbers, and fig jam. Try mixing different sweet and savory flavors and go for seasonal ingredients! A handful of mixed nuts is a great filler; in the fall I go for roasted pumpkin seeds and in the winter I candy my own walnuts. I love dried sausage and prosciutto (folded and arranged neatly), but if you’re meat or even dairy-free check out Whole Foods for vegan cheeses and pâté. Try different sauces and dips: jalapeño pepper jelly, honey, whole seed mustard, whatever you want. You really can get creative and incorporate flavors from all sorts of different cuisines. I’m usually inspired by French foods, because it’s what I know and love, but I also have fun trying new ingredients and combinations, and as long as it fits aesthetically onto a little cutting board, I call it charcuterie (though the purists might get mad at me for that one).

Everything on this board is vegan: one soft and one smoked cashew cheese, and a veggie “pâté” from Whole Foods.

When I have friends over for dinner I love starting with a charcuterie board because it welcomes people in. When we’re sharing food from the same plate, we’re close and talking and enjoying our time. Charcuterie boards are also beautiful and your friends will appreciate the effort you put into preparing one. They are also a great way to start a date night. And what a lovely way to treat yourself and those around you with food that looks as good as it tastes. My favorite way to care for others is through delicious and beautiful food, and the charcuterie board is the perfect way to do it. Don’t forget the wine!

I love the combination of a soft cheese (Brillat Savarin) and a hard (Irish cheddar). Paired with truffle sausage, prosciutto, dried mango, greens, and raw honey!

Cora Enterline is a senior at NYU studying law, ethics, and religion. She’s studied and worked in Paris and Tel Aviv, where she loved biking, traveling, dancing, and teaching English. She has a love for foreign languages, sad novels, themed dinner parties, and red wine by candlelight. This summer, follow her blog to learn easy, student-friendly recipes and find inspiration from around the world for your own dinners, picnics, and culinary adventures at home!


For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

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From New York to….Paris

Wednesday, July 5th, 2017

Paris is known for a lot of things…the lights, the romance, those little Eiffel Towel trinkets, but nothing compares to the food. From the most delicately prepared escargot to the finely aged wine and cheese, the French know food…though that’s not to say New Yorkers don’t.

http://therealwinejulia.com/

http://therealwinejulia.com/

https://www.sandaya.fr/

https://www.sandaya.fr/

So, how does a perfect night of food in Paris compare to one in New York? Usually I just give you tips on how to tackle a variety of issues in New York and another city with the hopes that if you like New York for one reason, you’ll fall head over heals in that other city for the same reaosn. But since food is close to my heart, I’ve instead listed two “perfect” nights of food for you to fall in love with, one for the city of love and one for the city that never sleeps. I hope one day you’ll get to compare the two:

A Night in Paris

So you’ve found a way to Paris and experienced the romance of kissing at its center and walking alone the Seine and now you’re hungry. Do I have a night for you. The credit for most of this goes to NYU London’s Tony Skitt, but I’ve made a few modifications from personal experience. An aperitif is a dry alcoholic drink taken before dinner. A kir is a traditional French aperitif and some of the best can be found at Chez Georges (get there early, it opens at 6pm but it’s hard to get just kir when this place gets crowded) on the rue des Canettes in the Latin Quarter. Then for your main meal try Chez Fernand around the corner. Now that you’re stuffed, you have to get dessert. The Île de Saint-Louis behind Notre Dame (quite the sight at night) boasts to have the best ice cream in the world. For this you have two options: Berthillion ice cream, which claim to be the best, or my personal favorite, La Brasserie de l’Isle Saint-Louis. It’s not an ice cream place, but their chocolate ice cream is amazing nonetheless—and if Chez Fernand left you wanting, the escargot is pretty good too. From here you could do one of two things. One option is going to a jazz club called Caveau de la Huchette (on rue de la Huchette) which is the place for swing dancing in Paris and a way to dance off all those carbs (the place really starts picking up at 11pm). Another is to buy a nice bottle of Parisian wine and a a box of chocolate (or if you’re a broke college kid, like me, a cheap bottle of wine and the smallest box of Lindt chocolate you can find) and sit by the river across from the Eiffel Tower. There’s a small parking lot directly across from the tower along Port Debilly that has steps leading down to the river that provides the most stunning view.

Ice cream at La Brasserie de l'Isle Saint-Louis. Taken by Jainita Patel

Ice cream at La Brasserie de l’Isle Saint-Louis. Taken by Jainita Patel

La Brasserie de l'Isle Saint-Louis. Taken by Jainita Patel

La Brasserie de l’Isle Saint-Louis. Taken by Jainita Patel

View from across the river. Taken by Jainita Patel

View from across the river. Taken by Jainita Patel

 

A Night in New York

Paris is beautiful and expensive and charming, but nothing says food and fun like a night out in New York City. Not only does New York have the ability to provide a fun and stunning night, but the diversity in New York is also one of its biggest assets. In place of an aperitif to get the appetite stirring, I suggest getting your stomach grumbling by stopping at La Churreria in Nolita sometime in the late afternoon. This place has the best hot churros and chocolate I’ve ever had. It’s a small venue, but cheap and delicious. Now for the entrée. Where to even begin? Well, since we’re all trying to save, I would recommend Momofuku Noodle Bar or Superiority Burger if you’re starving. Both are cheap eats that will fill you up. If you’re saving for dessert, you can save with left overs and what college kid doesn’t love leftovers? Another option is also HandCraft Kitchen and Cocktails, which the Campus Clipper intern team recently visited and has some of the most unique dishes I’ve ever had. For dessert, a lot of places will claim that they’re the best, but me, a stranger on the internet, is telling you definitively that Veniero’s in the East Village is the best. It’s right next to Momofuku, so you might need to go for a walk before you come back here, but it has the best Italian pastries and gelato I’ve ever had. Even Eataly doesn’t come close (when it comes to dessert I mean). It’s open until 1am so you’ll have plenty of time. After (or maybe before) dessert, there are a few things you can do to digest. You can go dancing or drinking in some of the fun venues I’ve mentioned before, or you can take a pastry to go and sit in East River Park to see the lit up Empire State Building to the left and Brooklyn straight ahead.

 

Handcraft Kitchen and Cocktails http://gitr.com/wp-content/

Handcraft Kitchen and Cocktails
http://gitr.com/wp-content/

The best place in the world. http://media.yellowbot.com/

The best place in the world.
http://media.yellowbot.com/

There you have it. Two foodie adventures in two amazing cities. And who knows? If you like New York or Paris mainly because of its food, maybe one day you’ll get a chance to visit the other.

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By Jainita Patel

Jainita is a Campus Clipper publishing intern who is double majoring in English and Environmental Studies at NYU. Though writing fiction and painting are her two main passions, she also has a love of travel and adventure that has taken her across the globe.  Jainita writes under the pseudonym Jordan C. Rider. If you like her posts, you can find more of her work here or follow her on Twitter. For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourage them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015. 

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