Les Petits Plaisirs — Vol. 1
Oh CIder! We love you so much!
Les petits plaisirs. The little pleasures.
The ones that do not make the highlight reel but make the life. This is a series. Every month a collection of small beautiful moments — mine, and yours, if you send them. One sentence is enough. What made you stop this month? What made you notice? What made ordinary life feel worth paying attention to? Send your petit plaisir to maisonlumiel@gmail.com with the subject line Petits Plaisirs. First name and city only for a chance to be featured in next month's volume.
Here are mine for this month.
1. The first cup of coffee in my Starbucks cup, before anyone else is awake. The kitchen is quiet; there is a soothing play list in the background. Fifteen minutes that belong only to me.
2. The smell of brown butter on a Sunday morning, which reminds me of my childhood, if it could have a smell! Sharing a little secret, brown butter is so easy to make. Try it! Melt unsalted butter in a light-colored pan over medium heat.
As the water evaporates, the milk solids at the bottom begin to brown.
When the butter turns a deep golden-brown and emits a nutty, toasty smell, remove it from the heat immediately. This happens very quickly!
Enjoy the whole thing, butter and toasted milk solids, that is how you get the distinctive ‘noisette” flavor.
3. Finding a recipe in my mother's handwriting I thought I had lost. This makes me want to write a book that collects all these family recipes.
4. Walking my puppy while listening a podcast and stopping every 10 feet to say hello to a stranger, a friend, or another puppy.
5. My daughter calling the dining table the long table because she has decided that all important meals happen at long tables. She is not wrong.
What are yours?
One sentence. hello@maisonlumiel.com. Subject line: Petit Plaisir.
— M.