Shotgun, having moved into a loverly new condo with 24-hour access to one of le best grocery stores, said something the other night about cooking like she lives in Paris — each day, she just buys what she needs to make dinner that night.

(This is not unlike the corner-market lifestyle in New York, but my experience with that was less…er…decadent than I imagine a semester in a Parisian flat might be.)

Inspired, I have taken to eating like I live in Paris, too — bread, stinky cheese, fresh produce, and coffee at odd times. Add in a good Bordeaux, and it’s a rather romantic way to live.

Of course, that also means making a vegetarian casserole for dinner. French women don’t get fat because they can walk to the market; the rest of us have to muddle through as best we can.