Meet my Parisian friend Marie-Caroline!
Marie-Caroline is one of my dearest friends, we met about 20 years ago in mid school (this is so weird, it seems like it was yesterday) . She's a real inspirational woman in many ways and after a coffee with her, you always leave with a kind of fresh new air. She's making a great career in the Photography industry, working for the most famous luxury brands, she's always aware of what is hapening in the city and she's enthusiastic about almost everthing. On the one hand she's this kind of "popular" girl, knowing everybody, invited to dinners and parties all week long and on the other hand she's got this so humble and generous personality, paying a very special attention to others and never putting herself forward .
But let's be totaly honest : cooking is not her passion and she doesn't like to waste time in the kitchen as she's got so many other things to do. So she's sharing a very accessible and useful recipe for convivial moments with your friends: her tuna dip!
You're living in Montmartre, what do you enjoy most in this area of Paris ?
I feel very lucky to live in this amazing place of Paris. Of course if you stay on the top of Montmartre it's very crowdy and touristic but as soon as you take small streets all around you can feel the real Parisian life. I love all the little shops and bars we have here. And it's a very young and dynamic neighbourood so I have a lot of friends living here and we join very often for a drink in terrasse.
Which other area of Paris do you enjoy for a stroll?
The best way for me to enjoy the city is to walk. This is not a myth, Parisian people walk a lot and to me the best places are Les Jardins du Palais Royal, the Tuileries and of course Montmartre!
How do you usually spend your week-ends?
First I need to decompress from the week, seeing friends on Friday night. We usually have dinner in the 9th or 18th arrondissement, have a drink and we never know in advance where we'll continue the night! But no way for me to stay in bed on Saturdays, so I wake up not to late to enjoy a coffee in terrasse with a great book and then go for a shopping afternoon with my mum in Opéra or Madeleine, and in the evening I meet my friends for a drink or a restaurant. My Sundays are more relaxing, doing some sport, having lunch with my family to end with a little stroll in Paris.
What region or city would you recommend to people wanting to discover something else than Paris?
For a long week-end I would recommend :
- 24 hours at La Rochelle to visit the historical heart of the city and enjoy the beautiful harbor.
- 48 hours on Ré island (a bridge is connecting La Rochelle to Ré) with charming white little houses, beaches, small harbors and bike strolls. A great contrast with the stressful Parisian life.
Marie-Caroline's good tips in Paris :
L'hôtel particulier : for a romantic dinner
La brasserie Auteuil : for girl friends lunch
Le baton rouge : to have a drink with friends
L'hôtel Providence : for a Sunday brunch
Which recipe are you sharing with us ?
A quick dip recipe, perfect when you have surpised guests for a drink.
Market check list for 6 people :
- 100 gr of cream cheese
- 125 gr of tuna (canned)
- 2 little spoons of cumin
- chives
- vegetables and crackers to serve with the dip.
Drain the tuna (to remove a maximum of oil you have in the canned tuna), and crumble it. Add the cream cheese little by little to check the consistency. Season to taste with the cumin and the chive. You can also add a touch of lemon juice or some capers.
Serve your dip with crackers and raw vegetables (baby tomatoes, endives, radish etc...).
