Thursday, January 28, 2016

What's On in Paris for Black History Month 2016

We are on the eve of Black History Month 2016! Here are a few programs and events that are being offered in Paris (in chronological order). Entry for all events is free.

Evenings with an Author: Linda Hervieux, Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day's Black Heroes, at Home and at War


The American Library in Paris has invited journalist and photographer Linda Hervieux to talk about her book about the 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion and their role in the Normandy beach landings during World War II. The event will be held on Tuesday, February 2 at 7:30 PM.

For more information, click HERE.


Beauford Delaney: Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color


This groundbreaking exhibition is being shown from February 4-29, 2016. The vernissage (opening) is scheduled for Wednesday, February 3 at 6 PM. Registration is required.

To access the French-language registration page, click HERE.

To access the English-language registration, click HERE.

For a full schedule of events during the exhibition, click HERE.


Black Man Abroad: The Life and Works of James A. Emanuel


The American Library in Paris is mounting an exhibit in honor of the late poet and Paris expatriate, James A. Emanuel. It will open on Tuesday, February 16 and will run until Sunday, April 3, 2016.

For more information, click HERE.


The Roots of American Music

Nicole Taylor
Image from U.S. Embassy invitation to "The Roots of American Culture"

The U.S. Embassy's Cultural Service is hosting a concert called "The Roots of American Music" at the Hôtel Talleyrand on Wednesday, February 17. Soprano Nicole Taylor will be accompanied by Daniel J. Ernst on piano. Admission is by invitation only.

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Thursday, January 21, 2016

2nd Annual Award Ceremony for the Académie de l'Art Culinaire du Monde Créole - The Winners

In last week's blog post, I shared details about the festivities organized by the Academy of Culinary Art for the Creole World for their second annual award ceremony. Today, I'm presenting the winners!

Trophées de l’Art Culinaire Créole award

Eight prizes were awarded in front of a crowd of ~300 persons.

Trophée “Avenir” (“Future” Trophy): for a young culinary professional who particularly distinguished himself or herself over the course of the last 1-2 years (two prizes were awarded this year)

Trophée d’Honneur (Trophy of Honor): for persons (whether culinary professionals or not) who demystify and passionately promote the recognition of Creole cuisine

Prix de l'Innovation Economique (Economic Innovation Prize): for persons that the jury wishes to honor (students, researchers, farmers, restaurant owners ...) for innovative work which is economic in nature

Prix Spécial du Jury (Jury's Special Prize): for a person that the jury wishes to particularly honor

Trophée Entrepreneurs (Entrepreneur Trophy): for those who respect Creole culinary traditions and promote them through their preparation of traditional, modern, and innovative dishes (this year's award was for traditional cuisine)

Trophée “Littérature Gastronomique” (Gastronomic Literature Trophy): for persons who contribute to the promotion of Créole cuisine through literary works.

Grand Prix de l’Art Culinaire Créole (Grand Prize for Creole Culinary Art): for a person, institution, or geographical entity (city, region…) that has particular distinction in the domain of culinary culture.

The winners (see below) hail from Guadeloupe, Paris / Ile de France, and French Guiana.

Xavier-Guillaume Sivager, winner of the Trophée Avenir, works at Les Jardins du Marais, 74, rue Amelot, 75011 Paris.

Xavier-Guillaume Sivager
Winner of the Trophée Avenir
© Discover Paris!

Jérôme Bertin, winner of one of the Trophées d'Honneur, works at Le Bistrot Pyramide, 20, rue Pyramides, 75001 Paris.

Jérôme Bertin
Winner of one of the Trophées d'Honneur
© Discover Paris!

Sandrine Parfait won the other Trophée d'Honneur for her blog, which is entitled Sandrine Cuisine: Cuisine Antillais et Métissée. Morgan Dorvilma, winner of the 2015 Mr. Ambassad'Or International contest, presented it to her.

Morgan Dolvilma and Sandrine Parfait
Winner of one of the Trophées d'Honneur
© Discover Paris!

The Economic Innovation prize went to Alexe Adélaïde of Guadeloupe. She is the founder of Flocons d'Or - a company that transforms fruits and vegetables such as green bananas, yams, sweet potatoes, and breadfruit into gluten-free, precooked flakes. Her flocons de banane verte (banana flakes) are used as a filling for Chocolats Delgrès, a Guadeloupan brand of chocolates.

Chocolats Delgrès and Flocons d'Or - Breadfruit
© Discover Paris!

Alexe Adélaïde
Winner of the Prix de l'Innovation Economique
© Discover Paris!

Gustave Monpierre, proprietor of the Alfortville restaurant called DouDou Kréyol and chef for the 2015 award ceremony, had the pleasure of announcing that his professor and mentor, Joël Kichenin, won the Jury's Special Prize.

Joël Kichenin and Chef Gustave Monpierre
Winner of the Trophée d'Honneur 2014; Chef for 2015 Ceremony
© Discover Paris!

Joël Kichenin
Winner of the Prix Spécial du Jury
© Discover Paris!

The other laureates are as follows:

Trophée Entrepreneur - Cuisine Traditionnelle
Clotilde GUIOSE (Cayenne, Guiana)

Clotilde Guiose
Winner of the Trophée Entrepreneur for traditional cuisine
© Discover Paris!

Trophée Littérature Gastromique for Le Fruit à Pain dans tous ses États (Breadfruit in all its forms), published by MOUV TROPICAL Éditions in 2015
Eddy BABEL (award accepted by his aunt, Mme Paule LACKLMY)

Paule Lacklmy accepts Trophée Littérature Gastromique
for Eddy Babel
© Discover Paris!

Grand Prix de l’Art Culinaire Créole
Association Gastronomie Guyanaise (Cayenne, Guiana)

From left to right: Minister George Pau-Langevin,
Association President Rosange Lhuerre,
and two additional members of the Association Gastronomie Guyanaise
Winner of the Grand Prix de l’Art Culinaire Créole
© Discover Paris!

After the ceremony, all the laureates returned to the stage for photos.

The winners
© Discover Paris!

Then everyone went back to the reception area to enjoy thick, delicious hot chocolate and brioche.

Hot chocolate and brioche at the bar
© Discover Paris!

It was a superb evening!

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Thursday, January 14, 2016

2nd Annual Award Ceremony for the Académie de l'Art Culinaire du Monde Créole - The Festivities

Last January, I reported on the first award ceremony to celebrate the best of Creole cuisine in the Francophone world. Organized by the Académie de l'Art Culinaire du Monde Créole in December 2014, it was a great step forward in fulfillment of this group's mission to safeguard, promote, and defend Creole gastronomy.

On December 19, 2015, the Academy gathered Creole food lovers at the Espace Reuilly for the second annual Trophées de l’Art Culinaire Créole (Trophies for Creole Culinary Art) award ceremony. This time, I was able to experience it firsthand!

Monique at the 2nd Annual Trophées de l’Art Culinaire Créole ceremony
© Discover Paris!

While we waited to be ushered into the dinner theater, we enjoyed Camille de Riverie Champagne, freshly pressed cane sugar juice, and lovely hors d'oeuvres, including sweet potato mousse and cherry tomatoes dusted with various toppings.

Champagne and cherry tomatoes
© Discover Paris!

Pressing sugar cane
© Discover Paris!

Sweet potato mousse
© Discover Paris!

Once seated, we dined on a sumptuous three-course meal created by Chef Gustave Monpierre, who won the Trophée d'Honneur in 2014. The entrée (first course) consisted of puff pastry shells filled with cod and smoked salmon. This was followed by rack of lamb with passion fruit sauce, baby potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Dessert consisted of a pineapple-coconut cake roll served with a raspberry sauce. All were divine!

Table #1
© Discover Paris!

Puff pastry shells filled with cod and smoked salmon
© Discover Paris!

Lamb with passion fruit sauce
© Discover Paris!

Pineapple-coconut cake and raspberry sauce
© Discover Paris!

The award ceremony proceeded as we ate. Jimmy Menage, the engaging Master of Ceremonies, kept the spirit of the evening light and festive as various individuals and groups entertained us with song and dance as awards were given.

Jimmy Menage
© Discover Paris!

Performers
Images and collage © Discover Paris!

George Pau-Langevin, France’s Minister of Overseas Territories, was called to the stage to talk about her childhood remembrances of Créole food in Guadeloupe and how she preserves that memory in her household today.

Jimmy Menage interviews Minister George Pau-Langevin
© Discover Paris!

The 2015 award categories are as follows:

Trophée Entrepreneurs: Cuisine Traditionnelle (Entrepreneur Trophy)

Trophée “Avenir” (“Future” Trophy)

Trophée “Littérature Gastronomique” (Gastronomic Literature Trophy)

Prix de l'Innovation Economique (Economic Innovation Prize)

Trophée d’Honneur (Trophy of Honor)

Prix Spécial du Jury (Jury's Special Prize)

Grand Prix de l’Art Culinaire Créole (Grand Prize for Creole Culinary Art)

Ceremony attendees
© Discover Paris!

Next week, I'll present the winners!

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Thursday, January 7, 2016

Art and Food Pairing™: Wifredo Lam and Une Histoire at the Centre Pompidou; Le JIP'S - Afro-Cuban Canteen

An impressive, ~300-work retrospective of the art of Wifredo Lam (1902-1982) is currently on view in Galerie 2, Level 6 at the Centre Pompidou in central Paris.

Galerie 2 - Entrance to Wifredo Lam exhibition
© Discover Paris!

Wifredo Lam
1952-1961 Paris, Caracas, Havana, Albissola, and Zurich
© Discover Paris!

Organized chronologically, the exhibition traces Lam's career from his classical training in Cuba and Spain to his love affair with ceramics in the mid-1970s and beyond.

Self-portrait, II
Wifredo Lam
ca. 1938 Gouache on paper mounted on canvas
The Rudman Trust
© Discover Paris!

View of exhibition space -
Umbral (left) and La Rumeur de la Terre (right)
© Discover Paris!

View of exhibition space
© Discover Paris!

Paramount in the exhibition is the magnificent oil painting The Jungle, which was loaned by the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

La Jungle
Wifredo Lam
1943 Oil on paper mounted on canvas
Museum of Modern Art, New York
© Discover Paris!

Also on display are dozens of documents and photos, including invitation cards for exhibitions, personal letters, and illustrations that Lam created for books and magazines.

Outside the gallery, visitors can watch a video of home movies of Lam and his family. Several minutes of the video reveal the artist at work.

Video - Wifredo Lam drawing
© Discover Paris!

Video - Wifredo Lam painting
© Discover Paris!

Downstairs, on Level 4, the exhibition entitled Une histoire. Art, architecture et design des années 1980 à nos jours (A History. Art, architecture and design from the 1980s to today) presents paintings, sculptures, installations, videos, films, drawings, photos, and architectural models that evoke the phenomenon of globalization as seen and portrayed through the eyes of various artists around the world. Many of the works shown have been newly acquired by the Pompidou Center and many others have been brought up from the reserves to be shown for the first time.

Grace Jones in 1982 video "A One Man Show"
Directed by Jean-Paul Goude
© Discover Paris!

Slave Auction
Jean-Michel Basquiat
1982 Acrylic, oil pastel, and collages
© Discover Paris!

MetroMobilitan
Hans Haacke
1985 Fiberglass, hardboard, photograph, polyester, aluminum, acrylic dye
© Discover Paris!

Wifredo Lam runs through February 15, 2016.

Une Histoire runs through January 11, 2016.

For information on hours and pricing, click HERE.

Roughly a five-minute walk from the Centre Pompidou, Le JIP'S - an Afro-Cuban canteen - serves a menu of tapas throughout the day. While best known as a nightspot for enjoying African and Cuban rhythms, the plates that emerge from the kitchen merit attention as well.

I arrived here at around 4 PM on a Saturday and was seated on the terrace that faces rue de la Ferronerie.

Le JIP'S façade - rue de la Ferronerie
© Discover Paris!

I ordered a mojito and studied the menu.

Mojito
© Discover Paris!

It was refreshing, but contained less rum than I had anticipated.

From the sixteen items listed on the tapas menu, I selected three that I thought would provide a good indication of the talent in the kitchen: Samossas et nems légumes (vegetable-filled pastries), fritas de patates douces (fried sweet potatoes), and ailes de poulet (chicken wings). For good measure, I decided to try their ti punch as well.

Hot pepper sauce was served as a condiment.

Samoussas et Nems légumes, Fritas de Patates Douce, and Ailes de Poulet
© Discover Paris!

I received far more food than I had anticipated and wished I had a partner with whom to share my bounty!

The samoussas and nems exuded not a drop of excess oil. They were light, crispy, and delicious. The fried sweet potatoes were tender and flavorful. And the chicken wings were juicy and had just the right "kick" with regard to seasoning.

Before leaving, I took a couple of photos of the interior decor.

Le JIP'S bar
© Discover Paris!

Le JIP'S lounge
© Discover Paris!

The ambiance is perfect for music and dancing!


Centre Georges Pompidou
Place Georges Pompidou
75004 Paris
Metro: Rambuteau (Line 11), Hôtel de Ville (Lines 1 and 11), Châtelet–Les Halles (Lines 1, 4, 7, 11, and 14)
RER: Châtelet-les-Halles (Lines A, B, and D)

Le JIP'S
41 Rue Saint-Denis
75001 Paris
Telephone: 01 42 21 88 74
Métro: Châtelet-les-Halles (Lines 1, 4, 7, 11, and 14)
RER: Châtelet-les-Halles (Lines A, B, and D)

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Entrée to Black Paris!™ is a Discover Paris! blog.