Soufflé

Julia Child strikes again, this time in France...  After nailing the potato/leek soup, it was time for something with a much higher margin of error... soufflé!

J did a really good job at whipping the egg whites.  A tip from J.C.... you know your egg whites are stiff enough if it can hold the weight of a whole un-cracked egg.

Of course we diligently read the instructions...  Also note that this isn't a real soufflé pan... But I don't think one can fault a twenty-four year old dude for not having one...even in France.  

Voilà! A successful first attempt.  

Watch out Julia Child, you aren't the only American who knows her way around a French kitchen. 

A Series: American Things I Miss

I was going to create one big post about the things I've come to find I really miss in America.  But then I realized that this said list usually depends on my state of mind.  For example, right now my throat is swollen shut and it feels like I'm swallowing burning gasoline... so I could really go for some chicken soup right now... but there is no chicken soup here, no chicken broth... not even bouillon cubes.   Actually, my host-dad told me that he didn't "get" chicken soup.  Uhhm?  ANYWAY... aside from a nice salty bowl of campbell's best... this will be a series about the things that I am missing most about America...First up...

Un Grand Poste

Fountain at Versailles 

Even though my boys are thoroughly exhausting, it's time for a proper post.  I've done quite a lot since I've been here... lots of traveling.  So let's jump right in shall we....

dim. 12 août

I've been in France five days now, and have seen quite a lot!  The first day in the city I did the obligatory visit to Tour L'Eiffel and saw the Place de la Concorde.  The second visit into the city, J, took me to the market in Belleville.....

Le Premier Jour

Je suis ici!  Enfin! Don't want to bore you to tears about my long plane ride and issues with the airline and airport...  How about just some highlights of my first day in France?


-On the air plane I sat next to a man from Togo.  It took me about a wine split and a half to gather up the courage to talk to him... but we had a fun conversation in Franglish with another person sitting near us who was a funny Parisian man.  At one point during the flight I got the hiccups (trop du vin?) and the African man said to me, "sept.. sept.." and motioning for me to drink some water.  "Sept!" I replied,  "Ouais! Je dis la meme!!" Or... "Seven sips of water! Yes, I say the same thing."  I guess I was over taken with surprise that Africans use the same hiccup remedie as me, because the woman in front of me told me to quiet down.  She was American.

-First thing I ate? ... baguette et l'eau.  Apres.. Dorothée (my host mom) bought some salads of carrots, beets, and rice with tuna.  Followed by more bread and camembert.  Miamm!  Miam is French for... yummy!

-Right now my house is being renovated, so pictures to come later, but there is a group of Romanian men working on it... it's funny to try and communicate with them.  Generally our conversations go something like...
-Ca va?
-Oui, ca va...ca va?
-Ca va!

-After lunch and a shower, Dorothée took me out to walk around our neighborhood.  It is quite charming.  She showed me Victor and Alphonse's school, the metro, the library, a park, the mall etc... everything in walking distance!  While walking on the main street, we passed a café with tables outside.  There was one boisterous table that was occupied with three men and a woman drinking, talking loudly, and laughing... next to them at a smaller table was a couple who couldn't keep their hands off each other and kissing.  Dorothée glanced my way and said, "un café vrais français!"

-Dorothée owns and runs a pharmacy right near our house.  We had a petite fête there in the evening to celebrate my coming and to say au revoir to one of her employees.  So we sipped on champagne and rose while eating canapés (the fois gras was my favorite) in the back.  And if you wanted to know, yes, the French do say, "ou la la!"

-Bon.  Mon premier jour en France!  Today I am going to Paris!  Ou la la!

Les Valises

Packing, packing, packing... when does it end!?  Leaving in two days... a lot to do... so.... see you in Paris!

Potage Parmentier

Three reasons to make Julia Child's classic Potage Parmentier...

1) There is a legitimate rainstorm going on, so despite otherwise stroke inducing temperatures, one can feel justified in making such a wintry dish.

2) Your hairdresser left you in a state of despair after hacking off almost, albeit necessary, four inches, and you need something to catch your tears...

3) You are starting your French culinary self-training and following others before you, start with Child's very first recipe in The Art of French Cooking.

A word for the wise... even though you may be having a bad day, don't give the poor girl at the check out a dirty look when she asks you, "are these leeks, or kale?"

For the recipe