Thursday, September 16, 2010

Travel Series: Paris Food

September 16, 2010

Continuing the Travel Thursday fun! Last week I talked about the sights in Paris and saved the best for this week; the food! Parisians are known for their food and wine. With all the sightseeing we did we certainly worked up big appetites.

 

 Le Square Trousseau is a typical French bistro near the Bastile and has food served all day. Traditional French fare and all very delicious!

 

 

La Gare is in the very posh 16th arrondissement and is located in an old train station. The place is just oozing with history! More classic French fare in a very unique and modern interior. The cocktail bar is in the old ticket booth!

 

 

 

 

Alfredo Positano was Mike’s neighborhood restaurant when he lives in Paris and even though it was Italian food it holds a special memory for him. The owner even still recognized him! It has been open almost 15 years and was packed when we went for dinner. After all of the incredible French food we had been having Italian was a nice break!

 

 

 

I saved the best for last, Bistro Du Sommelier. A restaurant with a menu that changes daily and a truly amazing wine list.

 

 

Bistro Du Sommelier is a small bistro located on Hausmann and near a few Metro stops.  Bistro Du Sommelier was opened in 1984 to celebrate the best in French cooking and wine. The owner has won sommelier of France and the World, a pretty big honor!

 

 

There are 3 discovery menu’s that feature pairings of food and wine

 

Discovery – Meeting the emerging wines – 65€
A four-course surprise menu with wines included
Appetizer, starter, main course and dessert with a tasting of 4 wines

 

Temptation – Travelling between classicism and originality – 80€
A five-course menu with wines included
Appetizer, starter, main course, cheese and dessert with a tasting of 5 wines

 

Prestige – Staging the references – 110€
A five-course menu with wines included
Appetizer, starter, main course, cheese and dessert with a tasting of 5 wines

 

Even with the current exchange rates, this menu is a deal! The food changes daily and you never know what you might get.

 

Food in Paris is a real treat, just walk into a bistro and you will most likely have a great meal! Finding the hidden gem is one of our favorite things to do on vacation but having a trusted recommendation is also a treat. We have recommended Bistro Du Sommelier to at least 10 people and everyone that goes has loved it. If you are going to Paris sometime soon make a reservation.

 

Favorite Part: Being asked to guess the wine at Bistro Du Sommelier

 

Not So Favorite Part: Having less than stellar service at La Gare

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10 Basic Camera Tips

September 16, 2010

Mike and I had the change to take the first offering of the Digital SLR 3 class at National Camera and Video on Tuesday night and learn all about shooting in Manual. I will admit that the thought of shooting in Manual is a bit scary! There is still a lot that I need to learn about photography and especially my Cannon T2. We got seated and the instructor went right into the two hour lesson, he started with a quick review shutter speed, aperture and ISO. Two hours later I was a bit more comfortable with the idea of shooting in manual!

10) Lighting

  • Time of Day: early morning and evening are generally the best times to shoot
  • Diffused Lighting: move into a shaded area
  • Direction of Light: Avoid shooting into sunlight

9) File Format

  • Jpeg: Most common file format
  • Why Raw?: You can change the White Balance setting, more choices when editing images.
  • Raw Disadvantages: You have to process the image

8 ) Drive Mode

  • Single Mode: One Shot at a time
  • Motor Drive: Bursts of shots
  • Self Time- You can get into the picture

7)  Auto Focus Mode

  • Single AF: Used for most photographs
  • Servo or Continuous: Used for moving subjects
  • Manaual: When auto-focus is having trouble, best for macro and low light

6) White Balance

  • There are several White Balance settings but RAW allows you to make changes to White Balance within your photo editing software. If you take a picture in shade but it was on daylight, you could change it in the software to shade!

5) ISO

  • The higher the ISO the more sensitive the camera is to light
  • When the ISO is above 1600 you may affect the quality of the image

4) Exposure Mode

  • Program: Camera makes the best choice it can, you can control the ISO
  • Shutter Priority- You set the shutter speed and ISO
  • Aperture Priority- You set the aperture and ISO
  • Manual- You set the shutter speed, aperture and ISO

3) Exposure Compensation

  • You know that little meter that goes from -2 to 2+, you can change that!
  • The goal of every camera light meter is to produce a neutral tone image
  • If you are photographing most light or dark subjects the meter might be fooled and adjusting one stop can make a big impact
  • Adjusting in scenes of large amount of sky or strong backlight can also make a big impact

2) Flash

  • The Pop-Up Flash can reach up to 15 feet
  • A Top Mount Flash can reach up to 30 feet
  • The Benefits of a Top Mount Flash: Less Red-Eye, Faster Recycle Time (getting more light and faster), focus assist and the ability to modify the light
  • Mixing Flash with Ambient Light can soften the harshness of a flash in lower light situations
  • A Flash Diffuser will also help soften the harshness

1) Manual

  • Find a neutral toned area in your scene (gray card or green grass)
  • Make sure the area you meter is in the same light as the subject
  • After you meter adjust the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO to either add more light or take away light
  • When the light changes you need to re-meter and make adjustments

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