Vive la France and Paris Olympics and LV
Plus: The Ube Food Craze, LV Poetry Corner, and Parks After Dark Announcement
Since the Paris Olympics began with its opening ceremonies this past Friday, we have focused our attention on all things French. The controversial and fascinating opening ceremonies highlighted many aspects of French culture and history and the influence they have made on a global basis. We got to see the French show off such things as French opera, a headless Marie Antoinette, an Eiffel Tower laser light show, and French fashion trends. That got us thinking about what aspects of French culture and history we could find around the Linda Vista area. Hence, we took a tour around the area specifically look for things that we could consider even remotely French. Here is what we found:
First, we paid a visit to K Sandwiches, located at Mesa College Square, across the street from Kearny High School. We have previously written about their fantastic Bahn Mi sandwiches. These sandwiches are advertised on the K Sandwich website as “the perfect summary of the best of France and Vietnam in a bite.” We especially like the Spicy Mayo Shrimp Baguette. Of course, you don’t have to get a Bahn Mi sandwich to fully appreciate K Sandwiches—you can confine your purchase to taking home a fresh French baguette. They taste great! Then you can make your own sandwich and go down to the San Diego River in Mission Valley and pretend you are enjoying a picnic along the Seine River. I’m not sure, however, which side of the San Diego river comprises the Left Bank. You’ll just have to use your imagination.
Next, we went down to the Fashion Valley Mall to do some window shopping at two French stores…Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton. You can’t talk about France without talking about fashion, and both of these shops ooze evidence of high end luxury fashion. The Saint Laurent web site advertises itself as “a leading fashion House”…with its status…”fully established and recognized by a very distinctive identity and strong (DNA) codes.” It brags about competing “globally with the most high exclusive luxury brands and occupies a leading position.” Of course, Louis Vuitton is famous for its luxury brand luggage and bags, among other high end items. And at these Paris Olympics, “medals will be presented to winning athletes on a Louis Vuitton tray decorated with the French luxury house’s signature motifs.” There is certainly an air of French elitism at both stores, so much so that I was scared to enter either of these store while dressed in my common man cargo shorts and T-shirt. I merely observed from afar. Should you still have money left over after shopping at these two stores you can also stop by the nearby Christian Dior store.
Next, right in the heart of Linda Vista, we found the only place in the community that flies the French flag. The Au Claire de Lune French Pre-school and Kindergarten is located at the intersection of Coolidge Street and Tait Street. The school offers a French immersion program for young students. We published an interview with the head of the school—Anne-Laure Petit (who is originally from France)—back on June 17, 2021. . This week we asked her what she thought of the Paris Olympics opening ceremonies. She commented, “The opening ceremonies were truly magnificent, and we felt they beautifully encapsulated French culture and history. Holding the event outdoors was an inspired choice, perfectly capturing the essence of Paris—after all, no one goes to Paris to stay inside! The ceremonies were brimming with traditional French elements, from the enchanting songs performed by talented artists to the literary references that celebrated our rich cultural heritage. It was a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity, and we were thoroughly impressed.”
You may not think that the Linda Vista Skateboard Park, located at the San Diego Neighborhood Park and Recreation Center, has anything to do with France, however, as we recently found out, half of the twelve U.S. Olympics skateboard team members competing in Paris have ties to San Diego County. These six Olympians either grew up in the San Diego area, or moved here to take advantage of the numerous high quality skateboard parks in the County and be part of the local skateboard culture. Linda Vista Skateboard Park is one of those notable parks. If you’ve spent any time at the Linda Vista Skateboard Park, you will know that people come from all over the world to skate here. Who knows…the youngsters we saw skating at the park earlier this week may be on the U.S. Olympic team in 2028.
Finally, one of our favorite local places to eat happens to be Arely in Clairemont. This venue describes itself as a French Bakery Cafe. Arely is a great place for breakfast or brunch, or for buying delicious desserts. After being inspired by the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics, we stopped there for brunch this past Saturday. In keeping with the French theme, an interior wall of this restaurant hosts a big panoramic photo of Paris, which will put you in the mood to get on a plane and spend a week in the French capital, hopefully after the Olympics is over. If you can’t make it to Paris anytime soon, you can try getting an outside table at Arely and enjoy a meal while pretending you are at outdoor cafe in the Latin Quarter of Paris.
We have several more days to enjoy the Paris Olympics before they conclude with the closing ceremonies, but as you can see from the paragraphs and photos above, to quote Humphrey Bogart, “We’ll always have Paris”…or at least the Linda Vista area version of Paris, no matter what.
The Purple Reign of Ube
Have you been seeing the color purple lately? Like everywhere? What is going on? Trader Joe’s, farmers markets, everywhere you look. Purple cookies, purple cheesecake, purple brownies, purple buns, purple pancakes, purple ice cream, people with purple hair. Have folks gone crazy with purple food coloring? Is the purple in your diet the new green? We couldn’t help but notice this interesting food trend going on in the local area. Here is the story about the ubiquitous Ube which is behind this purple trend.
Ube is the purple phenomena. What is ube? Where has it been and why is it now all the rage. Ube is a vegetable. A kind of sweet potato. It is not taro and is not a regular old sweet potato. Although just now coming to prominence in the West, it has been a staple of Filipino culture for a very long time. Unlike normal sweet potatoes, Ube is most often used for sweet desserts, not savory dishes because it has a sweet flavor. And its beautiful purple color makes it perfect for showcasing your favorite sweets. It has gained more attention as the world becomes more plant-based aware. Also, we now have access to more fruits and vegetables of the world as you can attest to as you browse most supermarkets such as Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and more. And, how much kale can you eat anyway?
Ube has many health benefits. We have been told our plates should look like a rainbow, the more colorful the better. What can be more colorful than the color purple? It provides antioxidants and phytonutrients, and it is loaded with fiber, vitamin C as well as calcium, iron and Vitamin A, according to the USDA nutrient database. Ube is a “superfood.” And did I mention, it is delicious.
Ube is native to the Philippines, but available in jam form (halaya) from Amazon, World Market and various Asian markets. Ube is available frozen at Ralphs, where I have purchased it to make scones. If you go to Trader Joe’s you will find ube cookies, at Thuan Phat you will find ube in many desserts such as cakes, ice cream, evaporated milk, and buns. At most farmers markets (recently seen at Civita’s farmers market), you will find ube cheesecake, brownies and crinkle cookies. Google “Ube desserts” and you will find a plethora of recipes using ube. Some recipes call for the addition of ube extract which makes your recipes even more purple. Be forewarned that the purple has a habit of getting everywhere. I have some t-shirts that now have purple streaks from wayward extract in the kitchen, not to mention my purple dish clothes.
I have used the halaya and extract to make beautiful purple biscotti, and ube brownies (no chocolate), and scones. You may wonder what ube tastes like. It does not taste like sweet potatoes. It has a sweet taste which is hard to describe, but reminds me of vanilla and some say pistachio. Whatever, it is very delicious. I have not yet tried the cheesecake, though my husband does love that dish.
So, we recommend you give Ube a try. Many of you are probably already familiar with it, since we have a large Asian population in Linda Vista, but if you aren’t, don’t be left out of the newest favorite veggie trend.
LV Poetry Corner
Standing Alongside the LV Mesa’s Southern Rim
Staring down the slope and far
into the valley.
You stand high above the
conglomeration
of restaurants, malls, hotels,
the office buildings,
markets, stores—all vying
for the consumer.
Add the apartments packed tight
against the river.
Where worker bees rest at
night, amidst a hum
fashioned by an energy
that flows from our quest
for dollars. The pulsing
sound of enterprise
rises to the mesa’s edge
as you stand aloof
from this hive of labor
and sweet production.
You listen and marvel as
the freeways cut through
the dense core to bring more
shoppers and diners.
For one
moment you
feel above it all.
Perched on your block.
Free from the bondage of
luxury buying, and the siren’s
lure of Costco-sized consumption.
The exceptionalism lingers in your
soul, until such time as the loud
engine of a blue Amazon
truck winds uphill
to your house
and delivers
the goods.Parks After Dark Program this Weekend
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