What "Emily Eats In Paris"

Any chance you have yet to see Emily Cooper strolling down the streets of majestically elegant Paris? We're sure you’re already familiar with witty, creative, and beloved social media sage - Emily Cooper. She has been on our radar since 2020, when the first season of the famous tv-series by Netflix - “Emily In Paris'', came out, instantly driving viewers crazy for all the different reasons. For us, it was the unbridled appeal of all the French food she indulges herself in: Pain Au Chocolat, afternoon crepes, oh-so-Bleu steak, and tripe à la Normande - Normandy-style tripe made by chef Gabriel, persistent and very confusing love interest of our favorite content creator & social media influencer from Chicago!

Source: Carole Bethuel/Netflix

And Emily herself was very much enchanted with French cuisine, too; do you remember how many food-pics she took?! We’re thankful her Instagram account isn’t really published, or else Emily would have all of us chained to our screens, while hearty bowls of Bouillabaisse and maddeningly moreish Madeleines would be trying to lure us to Paris. Although we wouldn’t be one to complain - everything food-related is kind of our passion, if you’ve not guessed it yet!

Adoring the city while searching for love and new experiences, Emily certainly stumbled upon her fair share of exquisite French food we also would like to enjoy someday, so why not today?! While we’re patiently waiting for the third season to take over the world once again, we can’t help but wonder, so here are our best guesses on what Emily really eats in Paris behind the scenes when cameras aren’t rolling. So, if you’re ready to track down the daily menu of Emily while she’s in Paris, come along, but beware of spoilers!

While food isn’t necessarily in a leading role, we can’t help but imagine all of the traditional flamboyant French meals Emily got to enjoy while working for a partner luxury-goods marketing firm in Paris. Everything important happened at dinner tables, too; if you don’t believe us, just go back for a rewatch to see for yourself. We will be waiting. There’s something special about French food - not only is it famed around the world for its marvelous melding of flavors, but, as it turns out, it also makes things deliciously complicated.  

We have a good reason to believe that Emily stays in Paris to work with Sylvie and put her happiness before her career back in Chicago. She will definitely come across even more flavorful traditional meals and maybe even more heated arguments over dinner tables. Another thing we can say for sure is that her menu will be filled with luscious Parisian aromas, soothing me-time snacks, and hearty dinners to tie her over her not-so-easy decisions.

As we’ve already mentioned, we’re on the team Sylvie with Emily’s work drama; but we have to admit her work ethic wasn’t always exemplary. However, Emily is too in love with her life in Paris to leave, and the unmatched gastronomical traditions of France help, too. So isn’t that enough of a reason for staying? While we guess she will be sticking with Sylvie, helping her build a new marketing company, it’s certain, Emily will be charging up herself for a job with the same old friends and maybe, new favorite dishes.

Just like back in the old days, we know for sure, Emily will be determined to get first to the office - some things just don’t change, right?! Her workaholic determination is one of them! Her typical breakfast most likely will stay the same - it’ll be light, quick, and refreshingly luscious. On days whenever she has early errands to run, she grabs Pain Au Chocolat from the famous patisserie we’re all so familiar with - the one that introduced her to the first Parisian - real Pain au Chocolat, remember? However, we’re more than sure; whenever she’s running late (yep, that can happen, too), she always has a slice or two of soft French bread, guessing it’s brioche or baguet; embellished with butter and her favorite French chestnut spread. What can we say - the girl has mastered the classic Parisian breakfast toast.

Source: Netflix

However, whenever she’s leisurely early, we’re sure she usually slow-dances in the kitchen to Mindy’s tunes, making her ultimate favorites - classic crepes with fruit jam. According to Matthieu (the head of business affairs for Pierre Cadault), French crepes are the absolute best rendition of pancakes - elegantly thin, buttery, and still warming inside. We can’t help but agree. And, remember how Emily is SO against sharing her crepe, saying she needs buttery sweetness entirely to herself? We get that, too. That’s why her teeny-tiny pantry is definitely stocked with the finest quality French flour, eggs, and milk. Voila! That’s all it takes to treat yourself to (compared to breakfast pancakes) gigantic French crepes.

Also, we think it goes without saying - Emily is a sweet crepes kind of gal, not the rustic & savory type - so her breakfast treats are definitely slathered with rich and slightly tangy mandarin jam! After that, she fuels herself up with French chicory coffee and storms right out of the door with maddeningly bold outfits!

And, of course, typical lunch breaks are the perfect time for catching up with Mindy, the most talented La Dame Pipi ever known! We dearly hope that her musical career is taking off, so we’ll even get to see girls enjoying (occasional) celebratory lunches here and there. But, isn’t every lunch in Paris a celebration in itself, though?! Anyways, we have yet to see Emily having proper French lunch - leisurely, long and luscious!

While dinners are usually simpler and smaller, French lunches are, to not exaggerate, endless. Some say they are way over 45 minutes long, so you’ll get a nice break from whatever it is you’re doing and refill yourself with energy. We understand the idea behind if every boss is like Sylvie.

Source: Stephanie Branchu/Netflix

Now for the menu - a typical French lunch would consist of a starter, a protein-packed main course, and a quick dessert - something Emily has already learned to grab on the go.

We doubt she can go any longer without tasting classic French chicken confit for lunch. The name of the dish is inspired by the French technique for preserving or slow-cooking meat in fat. By slowly braising chicken in the most refined French olive oil, meat is brimmed with deep rich flavors and crispy golden skin. You might be wondering what makes this dish French? Well, we knew you’d ask that. Of course, it’s a generous sprinkle of French Herbs de Provence - the ultimate mixture of dried Provencal herbs and spices, capable of adding myriads of tempting flavors instantly to your meal. So, with just a plate of chicken confit with a side of Lyonnaise potatoes, we think Emily will frequently be indulging herself with a little bit of France and reminiscing about home.

While most French, at least adults, skip having a 4 pm snack, we have more than enough reasons to believe that Emily doesn’t! Why would she - France is home to one of the most snackable treats in the world - colorful macarons paired with black coffee, tiny chocolate eclairs, or even generously sized galettes. So, it’s very confusing why France looks down on snacking culture when it is filled with temptations - and, let’s be honest, Emily isn’t very good at resisting them either.

Source: Carole Bethuel/Netflix

However, we’ve been told; the French usually keep a box or two of sweet treats in the office to quell any cravings and fuel creativity. That’s why we anticipate seeing Emily sneak snacks in the office. We think the culprit will have classic French cacao truffles - they just reflect her personality perfectly, don't you think? It’s easy to picture how Emily quietly tiptoes around with chocolate truffles, trying to come up with yet another mind-blowing campaign, while Julien stares from a distance, dissatisfied with her snacking incident but even himself looking tempted. Yep, we can already bet on her to break yet another French rule...

While lunches go on and on and on, pretty much endlessly, dinners in France tend to be simpler and lighter. So, remember that chicken confit with Lyonnaise potatoes and a forbidden snack Emily had earlier? That was more than enough to tie her over the dinner, which will be made by one and only, the superstar chef from Normandy and Emily’s neighbor - Gabriel. While the whole love triangle drama is too unpredictable, even for us, one thing is clear to see - during this chilly winter, Camille, Mindy, Gabriel, and Emily will definitely be having quaint Soupe a l'oignon - it’s French for onion soup! Okay, that might have sounded a little underwhelming, but, trust us, it’s delicious and old as an ancient Roman civilization! Traditionally, it’s made with meat stock and, of course, onions and is served with croutons or a classic French bread slice covering the bowl. Oh, and, of course, we can’t forget about cheese floating atop. It’s the ultimate French comfort food whenever winter gets too rough.

Source: Netflix

Traditional dinner would serve a platter of cheese or charcuterie board with a side of dips and fruits, too, and, of course, Emily wouldn’t skip over it for anything in the world. If we had to take a guess, we’d say Gabriel usually packs all the goodies from Normandy, such as Livarot, Camembert, and, hearty Neufchâtel - trio of real stinkers, but in a cheese-connoisseurs way!

However, the real show stoppers are the dips for the platter. The onion soup can double for a dip, it's true, but in our selection of classic French condiments, you will find the ultimate gourmand-approved dip - French mustard is just as fancy of a dip as any other. The subtle kick of the Dijon variety brings out all the flavors of fromage - try & taste for yourself!

And, to avoid a dramatic ending, friends will have Frangipane tart - nothing can go wrong when there’s a classic French pear tart on the table, right?! The ultimate favorite dessert is made with sweet-tart dough, almond cream, and poached pear slices baked into the concoction as filling! We think this dessert might end the bad blood, too!

Before our favorite social media guru from Chicago pops on our screen once again, armored with more drama, bold outfits, and enticing-looking dishes, we’ve gathered every very-much-possible idea on how to breakfast, lunch, and dine just like Emily would, not only in Paris but back in Chicago, too, if she knew about our French grocery store online! So, what are you waiting for? Let’s give your menu Emily Cooper-Style makeover, shall we?