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

The Olympics

The Olympics are here!  Well, have been for about three days now.  I will leave my NBC-is-ruining-viewing-for-Americans complaint at the door.  But srsly.  I'm not even watching tonight because I already know what happens thanks to a few international friends who can't keep their mouths' shut!   You know.  Who you are.  

What a great opening ceremony!   USA is just trailing China by four gold medals... and France?  What are they putting in their water?  

In other news... My plane leaves for CDG in a week.  So my comments for the closing ceremony (crossing fingers for Elton John mega concert*) will be in real time... from Paris!

*Spice Girl reunion okay, too. 

Dire Quoi?

"In an old house in Paris, covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines..."  and I could keep going.  Madeline held a permanent  spot in my five-year old-reading repertoire and still today I beg the children I watch to let me read it to them.  But, my (apparently American-centric) world started to crumble two days ago when I found out a French friend of mine had never even heard of the book. The book that features classic Parisian settings from The Luxembourg Gardens to the Place de la Concorde... the book that has names like "Miss Clavel"... the book that has the Eiffel Tower on the front.  How could he not know Madeline? 

I was shocked to learn that Madeline was neither published in France nor originally written in French.  It is only now that I am realizing what pitiful logic that was..."it is set in Paris ergo it must be French."  

The Austrian author, Ludwig Bemelmans was born in Italy and lived there until he moved to the United States working as an illustrator until he eventually wrote and published his beloved children's books.  Qui sait? 

Still, I feel sorry for the French children who are missing out on such a classic story about their country. Instead, they are reading these absolutely terrifying books. America wins! Just kidding...But, this same friend, was also not familiar with my favorite little elephant, Babar. Research confirmed that Histoire de Babar is most definitely French. So perhaps I shouldn't take his word for it...

La Famille Pt. II

Vergisson, France 

And now... part two of the riveting Reverchon chronicles.  Where we left off... Jacque Maximillen Reverchon has left most of his family behind in France for La Reunion, Texas.... a socialist commune inspired by Charles Fourier which is now modern day Dallas.  If you're interested in botanists and children born out of love affairs I suggest you... 

Les Films Américains

As I will be acting as the American cultural ambassador for my little French boys, it's high time I start deciding what American kid movies they really need to see.  Also, it seems to rain in Paris like.... all the time.  What else am I going to do with them?*

Note that I am thinking of more obscure movies... no Pixar here...

* I kid, I kid.  What great nanny lets her kids watch movies all day?.....  

Meatballs

I'm not going to toss around the word, "brilliant"... but, I just had a great idea.  The other night I was talking to my French family about cooking and they seemed to be  were enthusiastic about me preparing American dishes for the two boys.

So, here I was, a day or two later sitting on my bed, staring absentmindedly at my computer screen when food popped into my brain (this seems to happen more often than not).  I think the thought process went something like this...

Òu-Est La Bibliotechque?

Okay.  I know.  Another video.  But it's 2:37 am and I am wide awake for reasons unknown to me (probably because I am trying to force myself to dream about Andrew Garfield).  Like any twenty-something in this day and age, I get online when I can't sleep and I stumbled upon this forgotten pot-of-gold, thanks to swiss miss.  Amazing.  Foux da fa fa...

Straight From France!

Here are some beautiful pictures taken in Paris this evening! Tonight the theme to the fire work show was Disco! Oh là là! What do you think they listened to?  The BeeGees? Abba?  Donna Summer?  Surely Gloria Gaynor...
Thanks, Julien!

Le Quatorze Juillet

Happy Bastille Day everyone!  Today is France's National Day which commemorates the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789.  There will be lots of cool events going on today... including fireworks and the oldest and largest military parade in Europe.

A French friend of mine will be going out for happy hour, and has reservations at a restaurant where he can drink wine and watch fireworks.  And of course, will finish off with a party.... Not so different from our Fourth of July!   Click through for pictures of French fireworks, and my personal favorite version of La Marseillaise...

Weird Things I'm Bringing...

I'm starting to pack for France.  Well... starting to think about packing for France.  Since I am limited to only two large bags, space is a precious commodity.  Yet, I am sure there will be some things that just have to come with me.  My Clemson Tervis Tumbler (one of many), for example.  Do I think that the French have managed to develop cups where cold liquids stay cold and hot liquids stay hot, keeping condensation at bay? Probably.  Am I willing to chance that they don't?  Hell.  No.  

Une Autre Vidéo

So I feel like I have been posting a lot of videos rather than writing some insightful posts.  My last excuse was that I was on vacation. This time, my excuse is that I am suffering from a minor medical procedure and the pain meds aren't quite as strong as I like.
Alors!  Here is a great video of Paris shot entirely on an iPhone.  Enjoy.

La Famille: Part I

 There are many things I am looking forward to in France... eating, drinking, reading, museuming etc...
But one thing that I may be the most excited about is continuing on my research in regards to my French ancestry.
I knew I had a bit of Frenchy floating around in my blood due to my grandmother's maiden name: Calliet.  But, once it was decided I was off to grande Paris, I began snooping around the ol' gene pool to see what I could find. And boy!  What didn't I find?  Revolutionaries, socialists, the child of a love affair...  Très Français, non?

God Bless America

So it was July fourth two days ago, America's Independence Day for any of my Continental readers out there.  I certainly was feeling nostalgic for my home I haven't left yet.  I was a little worried that the waterworks would start whilst watching fireworks.  But, we had a pitiful view from our beach house, and I was "fluish" from drinking the obligatory Bud Lights in the scorching sun for hours.  You know what did make me cry?  When my Aunt Diana gave me a card that said, "don't forget where you come from," alongside a Clemson University mug.  Woof!  But I digress... I just finished a book about American's favorite past time, baseball and it got me thinking about some of the American things I am truly going to miss...  

Louvre

Live the Language

Hello darlings.  I am on "les vacances" right now.  So not much coming in the way of interesting posts...but the video... oh this video... it kills me.  It's actually an advertisement for some language school that I am not affiliated with in anyway, but damn, what marketing!  I get butterflies in my stomach every time I watch it.  

J'apprends encore...

When I get to France I won't just be eating croissants, drinking wine and lounging by the Seine all day after a trip to Shakespeare & Co.  Not so.  I'll actually be doing stuff, like going to school kind of stuff.  Before classes start in September I will have to take a placement test, so I have been studying a lot.  Not just to make communication easier upon arrival, but to avoid getting placed in a class where we start with "un, deux, trois..."  

If only I had studied this hard in French 204 in college... It feels as if my elementary knowledge of French is taking over my life.  I have found that I am starting to say things in English as I would in my basic and infantile French way. Today, a friend of mine made a funny comment, to which I replied, "Oh!  This is so funny!" (probably nodding with a huge grin on my face) Rather than something ordinary such as, "haha"  or "funny, dude," like a normal, native English speaker would say.  

I stumbled upon this article where a teacher had her Japanese students create "rage comics" to help them with their English... I can't help but think that this is what I sound like to all of my French friends when I attempt to parler avec eux....completely bizarre and hilarious.

French Wedding

Okay, so any of you who know me, know that I love weddings.  (Including planning my own nuptials  that is being held at a date TBD).  You also know that I love French anything.  So when I saw these photos of this classic French wedding by Marion Heurteboust I couldn't not post them... 

Photos via Bridal Musings

Travel

Still sick.  Still up to my elbows in kleenex and lukewarm tea.  Still daydreaming about travels.  While I of course plan on seeing what I like to call the, "euro-pass fratastic cities"... London, Rome, Prague, etc... I am dead set on seeing countries that most don't ever make it to...

Brètagne

I am feeling very sick indeed, so I have been daydreaming about my vacation to Brittany with my host family a week after I arrive in France.  I can't wait to taste crêpes (they originated here) and local seafood, take in some chateaus, and meander along tiny seaside villages.  

Le Poéme

My college advisor lent me this book so today I have been reading about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis's Junior year in France with Smith College.  I stumbled upon a pretty little bilingual poem she wrote...

Who knows why an April breeze                            Qui sait pourquoi une brise d'Avril 

Never remains                                                          Reste jamais 

Why stars in the trees                                               Pourquoi les étoiles dans les arbres

Hide when it rains                                                    Se cachent quand il pleut 

Love comes along-- casting a spell                           L'amour vient-- jetant un sort

Will it sing you a song                                              Est-ce qu'il vous chantera une chanson 

Will it say farewell                                                   Est-ce qu'il vous dira adieu 

Who can tell                                                             Qui peut le dire (Qui sait?)

Charming, n'est pas?

Les Films

In order to bolster up my French skills before I depart, I have been doing a lot of studying with my old college textbook.  But mostly, I have been watching French movies on Netflix to re-acquaint my ear with the language.  And save your, "yeah, that really sounds like studying..." because I think it does wonders and I have even started dreaming en Français. 

So, here is a list of my favorite French films I have found on Netflix... 

La Paperasserie

After what seemed like months of document accumulations, translations and preparations, today was the day for me to report to the French Consulate to apply for my visa.  I was terrified.  The French are notorious for being extremely scrupulous (yet, oh so plodding) about their paperwork.  If the tiniest thing had been done wrong I chanced having to start the process all over again, and maybe even face some serious travel rearrangements.  But, after looking everything over about ten times, I was confident that everything would go well.  And everything was going fine (a traffic jam on 75S not withstanding) until the nice office worker asked me for my travel itinerary. The frantic look on my face prompted the young man to ask, "you do have a ticket right?  How else will we know you're actually going to France?"

Nouveau

As you can see things have changed a bit around here.  Decided to do a bit of overhall to give the blog more of an identity and focus.  "Le Cahier" is French for notebook, so I am sure you can figure out that "Le Red Cahier" is Franglish for, "The Red Notebook."  My favorite notebook is a red moleskin I have that the likes of Papa Hemingway (pictured above) would have written in.  I'll allow you to develop your own ideas for the metaphorical meaning(s) of the new title.  Still haven't finished with all the changes... not sure what they might be, but for now, this is the new look of the blog.  Enjoy.  

French Handwriting

When I took French in school, I remember asking my teacher if their handwriting was much different than Americans.  She pulled out a postcard she had from friends in France, and it was amazing to me how different their penmanship looked.

With such a rigid school system, handwriting is still an art form to master in grammer school.  I remember practicing cursive in elementary school, and even though I hated it, how I wish I was forced to have such beautiful script....

Les Fleurs

Parisian flower markets.  Just because. 

Le Goûter

The French don't snack.  Another thing I need to add to my list entitled "huhh?"

You eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner ...and that's it.  However, there is something known as "le goûter" a snack or small meal you eat around 4pm.  My research has proven different as to who enjoys what I think will be a life saver pour moi.

A frenchman I have been consulting has told me you only eat a goûter if you're under the age of 12.  I think it usually consists of something like a piece of bread with nutella.  Other resources have informed me, that anyone can take part of this late afternoon nosh session.  I would imagine that I will be eating a daily goûter since the French don't eat dinner until about 8pm... That's going about six to maybe eight hours between meals.  Mon Dieu!

The official French stand on snacking is that it's bad for your health... snack food advertisements are required to have a warning (not unlike their cigarette packaging ) that mentions the health risks involved with snacking.

There have been lots of books and articles written about how superior French parenting is to our own.   I believe there is a chapter in "Bringing up Bèbè" that talks about how we Americans are always giving our kids snack*.  Going to the Park?  Better bring a snack.  Taking a long car ride?  Grab a bag of gold fish.  And Jesus, Mary, and Joseph... don't forget the juice cup.  I don't have an opinion on this yet, since I have successfully  used snacks to quiet fussy and cranky children.  And haven't the French heard of food bribery?  Seriously, a kid will do anything for a cupcake.  I even use it myself.  In college, I would reward myself with *three* cheezits for every page of a reading I was supposed to get done. This no snack thing is also in direct conflict with my idea of healthy eating which is basically to eat all day long without ceasing... that way your metabolism doesn't stop.  Right?



*Okay, I haven't read that book yet.  There is like ten holds for it at our library.  

Les Bons Mots

I had a post planned today for more phrases.  But then I talked to a real French person, telling him about all of the obscure French I have been teaching myself...  He didn't understand anything.  Err....

After telling him about all the reading I've been doing to educate myself in the ways of "Les Français" he said to me, "well, I'm sure there are tons of things that are in your books that won't prove to be true.  You're just gonna have to see for yourself."
At this point, I don't know if he imagined me across the Atlantic ocean looking like Barbie up above, or if I just want to be French Barbie (well, who wouldn't?).

Alors!  My new French phrase I learned from a real Frenchmen, not a book...

Putain
fuck. 
My Larousse translates this as "whore."  Not unlike one of my favorite Italian dishes "Pasta Puttenesca" which basically means Slutty Spaghetti.  But this words meaning has been transformed into the ever loved F*@$!

Upon researching (I know, who researches foreign explicatives?)  I found this funny video.  Enjoy!

Les Macarons

Before the idea of moving to Paris even entered my mind, it seems like the entire world was going crazy for  les macarons.  Brides were incorporating them in their wedding cakes, books were being published solely about these pretty little cookies.  I was tempted to buy a print of one and I've never even tasted them.  Luckily, I am about to move to the city that is the mecca of macarons:

Les Bons Mots

While perusing the French Language section at my library I stumbled upon the book, "Les Bons Mots: How to Amaze Tout le Monde with Every Day French."  It is basically a collection of sayings or colloquialisms in French that don't translate out word for word en Anglais.  I thought it would be fun to read through it every now and again to pick some phrases up.  So for lack of better posts, I will post a few "bons mots" that I particularly enjoy....

il y a loin de la coupe aux lèvres 

there's many a slip between cup and lip

The message is clear: "nothing is certain til you have it in hand"; literally, "it's a long way from the cup to the lips."  So maybe it's a good thing to take your stock market profits from time to time. 

être noyé

be all at sea

Also translated as "be out of one's depth," more literarily as, "fail to understand."  A state I plan to be in consistently.  

casser les pieds à quelqu'un 
bore someone to death 
Less dramatically translated as "wear someone out," "bore someone stiff," or "get on somebody's nerves."  The literal translation is "break someone's legs."  The French take boredom seriously.  

Bon Appétit!

I just finished "My Life in France" by Julia Child last night.  It is part of the informal "education" I am giving myself before I flit off to Paris.  It was a very interesting and entertaining book, but did not offer much in the way of getting around Paris as an American.  Not that it would matter now; it was set in the 50's and 60's and was about her culinary training and "cookbookery" as she called it.  There are lots of stereotypical French dishes I am dying to try... Croissants and Pain du Chocolat, Les Macarons from Laudrèe, Boeuf au Bourguignon, and Coq au Vin just to name a few... But Child has inspired me to try a few other dishes like Dover Sole à la Meunière.  The Dover Sole can only be found in European waters, and this dish in particular was the first Child had in France, and also it was the dish that changed her life.  The sole is lightly flowered and sautéed in butter and topped with a beurre blanc with lemon and parsley.  I think I can put my poisson-phobia aside for once.

La Mode

  If you were inclined to snoop around my computer, you may find a google search (or variation there of) for "how to look Parisian."  Embarrassing, I know, but when one sees such images like the one above or these...

...you can't help but feel a tad shabby.