As the weather gets colder, I get more cravings for warm comfort food. Unfortunately, no matter how cold it gets here, it’s never enough for snow. We do get a lot of random hail in Normandy though (i.e. last Easter!).

Last week I made a scrumptious warm hearty soup that I love so much, I’m going to share the recipe… It’s from a book called “Les Tables du Monde” (Könemann Publishers) and I’m wondering if this soup was actually North American inspired

Corn and Cheese Soup

90g butter

2 large onions, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 T cumin grains

1 L chicken bouillon

2 potatoes, pealed and chopped

1 cup corn purée

2 cups corn

¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

1 cup shredded cheese

Salt & pepper freshly ground

¼ cup cream

2 T fresh chopped chives

1. heat butter in a pot, sauté onions at high heat, then low heat, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and leave for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken bouillon and bring to a boil. Incorporate the potatoes, lower the heat, and let simmer for 10 minutes uncovered.
2. add the corn and parsley. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 10 minutes.
3. stir in the cheese and cream. Salt and pepper. Heat slowly until the cheese melts. Garnish with chives before serving immediately.

Nat & Oscar serenading us after dinner

30 novembre 2008

I’ve decided to make a come-back to my blog as I haven’t been on here since, what’s the date beneath this post? … march 19, 2008! If any of you out there actually read this, I’m sorry for my silence, if not I guess you weren’t perturbed at all.

I don’t even know if I can call my blog A Year in Normandy anymore, as it’s my second year now living in France’s Camembert, Calvados, and crème fraîche capital. Miraculously, I have not put on weight despite this fatty diet. I think not having a car and walking around the city every day has something to do with it…

Since the account of my first year here is full of gaps, I think I have the right to fill you in on all the seasonal changes and experiences I’m having during this year. Hopefully this will paint a more complete picture of life in France.

Well what’s more American-in-France than celebrating Thanksgiving in Normandy? What’s funny is I feel like since us dislocated Americans are far from home and family, we actually celebrate Thanksgiving with more hoorah than it’s done in the states. For example, at home I used to eat one Thanksgiving meal. In Caen this year, I feasted not even twice, but three times, over a period of a week. I can safely say I have had enough turkey, thank you.

Secondly, at home the holiday is shared amongst family members. Here, there is a spirit of real sharing. Not just the fact that we all cook and provide something for the meal, but also sharing across cultures. I love showing the French how good American food can be;) And finally, instead of just having a meal and watching some football, I’ve taught my students about the origins, history, and variations of the holiday. I can now talk about how there was a 200 year gap between the first days of thanks, when colonial Puritans devoted themselves in prayer for their harvests, and the celebration of Thanksgiving as a national holiday, declared by Lincoln during the Civil War in order to unify the divided nation. I can also tell about the first female American magazine editor, Sarah Hale, who petitioned to American presidents for almost 20 years to finally convince Lincoln to observe Thanksgiving. And what about how in 1939, FDR decided to move Thanksgiving up to the third Thursday in November in order to prolong the Christmas shopping season, and hopefully therefore boost the depressed economy?

During the past Thanksgiving “week” I felt very thankful for my friends and family at home, wonderful meals prepared with love, and the fact that I’m blessed to be an American (living in France )!

]]> http://ayearinnormandy.wordpress.com/2008/11/30/joyeux-jour-de-reconnaissance/feed/ 1 ayearinnormandy Thanksgiving 2008 http://ayearinnormandy.wordpress.com/2008/03/26/pleasantries/ http://ayearinnormandy.wordpress.com/2008/03/26/pleasantries/#comments Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:02:24 +0000 ayearinnormandy http://ayearinnormandy.wordpress.com/2008/03/26/pleasantries/ ]]>  

the Inn where we at such wonderful meals!

19 march 2008  

We ate at our Auberge the first night in the Loire Valley.  I read reviews on the internet about where we were staying and every one of them raved about how good the restaurant was.  They were not exaggerating!  I have to say, I think that I ate some of my favorite meals at that restaurant.  Yes, I say meals because we decided to go back a second time, it was so good!

The first night, I started with an aperitif called the Kir de l’Auberge, which was made of peach syrup and a wine called a Crémant (it’s like Champagne but made in the Loire so it must have another name).  We were given some amuse-bouches (pre-meal tasty treats), which were little shot glasses of cream which tasted like you were eating an asparagus (crème d’asperge) with toasted pistachio on top.  This was served with a little cheese flavored cracker which felt like it was made of a thousand tiny layers of pastry (mille feuille). 

My entrée (appetizer) had several elements to it: baked foie gras on a bed of guinea fowl breasts, covered in a paper-thin pastry, with a light volaille sauce.  I really enjoyed this because I had never ordered neither guinea fowl nor foie gras before.  The fact that the foie gras was baked made it better I think.  I’ve had patés and I prefer that type of meaty, velvety flavor when it’s warm.

The plat principal was scrumptious!  I had rabbit with polenta, roasted artichokes, and olives from the South of France.  Everything was cooked perfectly and the olives weren’t salty so everything had a smooth finish.  You know the feeling an artichoke leaves in your mouth- not so much its taste, but a kind of smooth, relaxing feeling?  The polenta and olives felt the same way.  The tastes and textures were well married. 

We ordered a wine from the Loire as well- a red (Domaine Philippe Tessier, Cheverny).  It was so good that we decided to find the vignoble (vineyard) the next day.  It was an unassuming mas (farmhouse) in the middle of some fields.  You had to have a reservation though and as we showed up at noon, the proprietor refused to see us because she wanted to eat lunch.  Tant pis, c’est la vie.  We found other good vignobles later!

Anyway, back to dinner.  Dessert was actually heavenly!  Mine was chocolate mousse, surrounded with a coconut macaroon frame.  It had a cherry in the middle and then cherries steeped in alcohol placed around the plate.  There was also lime-coconut ganache that came on the side.  Mmmm.  Everything was so rich but they didn’t serve too much of it so it was perfect. 

As if this wasn’t enough (and my stomach wasn’t going to pop), we were treated to a final amuse-bouche which was a pineapple crème with vanilla biscuity-flakey bits crumbled on top.  This was served in shot glasses as well.

Vive la France et sa gastronomie !  This is what makes strikes bearable ;)

I guess some people didn’t get the striking out of their system because I went to the grocery store the day before Easter (yes, you guessed it, with the rest of the city), and some rowdy group of spoiled whiners decided that they wanted to hold a protest INSIDE the grocery store.  This meant that in the perfect acoustics of the building which carry sound like a concert hall, customers were treated to repeated renditions of La Marseillaise, to the tune of shouts and whistles.  I have to say, the flag bearing, handing out of flyers, and even the yelling was not very annoying… the thing that really threw me over the edge was having my eardrums permanently damaged by the grating whistle blowing.  It was like a troop of 5 year olds had escaped from their daycare, ate too much sugar, and then were given the horrid instruments.  But seriously, it wasn’t that disrupting… we just waited in line for about half an hour while the cashier got confused and her cash register crashed.  Oh, I really do love France, it even remembered to wish me an early “happy Easter”.  Thank you!

February 4^th  

I went to Bretagne this weekend with some friends.  I enjoyed the trip because it wasn’t too long- no training into Paris, through Paris to the airport, flight, then public transport to a hotel.  We simply took the inter-regional train which is brand new.  This took us through the beautiful countryside of Normandy and Bretagne- and past Mont Saint Michel (from a distance it’s still impressive).  Our base was in Rennes- the capital of Bretagne as well as a big university town.  I was instantly amorous with the city!  The cobblestone streets and half-timbered houses were so romantic.  Their historical buildings weren’t ruined during the d-day invasions so they have many more than in Caen- and they are kept up really well.  Bretagne (Brittany) was once an independent region from France, and Rennes was where the capital and parliament were.  

My favorite part of this trip was taking the TGV just 40 minutes to the shore and visiting the town of St. Malo.  It’s a medieval walled city on the coast.  We had a great lunch and then wandered along the beach and ramparts.  I was also really excited because the author René de Chateaubriand is buried out on one of the islands right off the coast.  The tide was in so I couldn’t walk out there, but did get some pictures of it!  

I tried some new French cuisine at a restaurant in Rennes called la Tire-Bouchon (you can never go wrong with a restaurant named “the corkscrew”- this was the name of my favorite restaurant in Nice too).  My culinary discovery was les rillettes.  This is cooked, shredded meat which has been spiced, then put into a mold.  It’s not too different from a terrine.  I had rillettes de canard (duck meat) with toasted bread and a great red wine from the Loire Valley.  

Bretagne is another example that each region of France is worth visiting and special in its own way.

The First Wife of France

On February 2^nd, one of France’s most popular singer/songwriter’s, Carla Bruni, married M. Sarkozy.  I don’t know if anyone has lost fans so quickly for something that has nothing to do with their artistic talent.  I have to say that Carla was one of my favorite French artists.  Her lyrics were not depressing, I could actually understand what she was saying when she sang, and her raspy voice sounded like an old friend.  She’s a household name in France, but the general consensus is that she has sold herself out for power and spotlight.  She can’t be regarded in the same unfettered artistic light- she’s too opportunistic.  

After her first public appearance with M. le Pres, at EuroDisney this fall, I discovered more about her personal life (as it was published in all of the papers, discussed on the news, talk shows, and in cafés) and it turns out that she was born Italian, and grew up in France.  She is a former super model, and has dated a whole string of powerful, illustrious men, such as Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, and Donald Trump.  Despite the fact that she’s been with so many men (the tabloids know of at least 11 relationships with celebrities), this is her first marriage.  For the president, on the other hand, this will be his fourth.  I wonder if they will keep counting?

 In one of her recent interviews, Carla stated “I’m monogamous from time to time, but I prefer polygamy and polyandry.”  (Time Magazine)

Way to go Carla, high five.

January 13, 2008

My proprietor went on vacation last week to Vienna, then straight off to the Dominican Republic.  This would have left the house lonely and empty, so in order to avoid this sad state of affairs, I was asked to watch over it.  This meant replying to emails about the b&b, watching the cat, staying over in the rooms of the b&b, and generally keeping the house company.  I could not refuse, as the house is basically out of a cute French film.

I enjoyed hanging out with the cat- who is a male adolescent, so apt to getting himself into trouble.  He’s all white with a black and gray striped tail and a couple little black spots on his body.  So cute, but too curious for his own good! 

I also invited some friends over, so we each got our own room in the b&b for the weekend.  I stayed in a room called Albane, which is decorated in white and deep ruby red.  It has antique furniture and the ceiling boards are visible, as is the tradition with Norman architecture.  

During the weekend, we had a little dinner soiree with some other friends, got to watch dvd’s on the big screen tv, and had room to actually move about (as my studio fits only one person comfortably).  

 Who would have thought, when I first arrived here as a guest with my parents, that at some point during my year here I would get to actually have the house to myself with friends!  

December 20, 2007

I have the song “Santa Baby” permanently stuck in my head, as it’s played in all the stores over here.  While the singer is wondering if she will get her wishes fulfilled at Christmas, I already know mine are.  I’m going home tomorrow!  Being at home with my family for Christmas is so important for me and I’m soooo excited to go back for a 2 week visit.  I’m also really excited that I will be coming back to Caen in January.

For my last night here, the “Vanvan’s” (the family from whom I rent my studio) invited me over for dinner.  We started with “apero’s” in the lovely red salon.  I had a Martini- which is not the cocktail we think of at home- its name is from the brand called Martini & Rossi, and it’s just an aperitif drink, which is served best on the rocks.   I haven’t ever seen the gin/vodka cocktail on menu’s here so if you order “un martini” you will surely get this served to you.

Sylvie had up a lovely Christmas tree with one lonely present underneath it.  I found out that this was for me!  She got me a gift set of one of the popular French perfumes- Lolita Lampicka.  She also gave me the gift receipt incase I don’t fancy the scent I thought the dinner was so good that it was worth posting about, so here it goes.  This was supposed to be a “simple” meal but I found it scrumptious!

After the apero, we moved into their breakfast room, where they had lit a fire in the large fireplace, glowing and warm.  We started with a velouté de chataignes which is a creamy soup (been put through the blender) made with chestnuts and crème fraîche.  Then we had a roast pork loin, which was marinated in earl grey tea!  This was cooked with prunes and spices and retained no tea flavor but was so tender and moist, it could melt in your mouth.  The prunes provided a sweet kick.   To finish off the meal, we had a tarte à l’orange- a pastry shell filled with orange citrus-y gooiness.  I also offered some bouchette de Noël which I bought at a bakery.  If anyone took high school French, they have eaten a bouche de Noël (a “log” of cake)- these were just baby versions.  This meal was so tasty that I asked Sylvie to send me the recipes, and I’m going to try my hand at them over the holidays.  I’m thinking chestnut soup to start off Christmas Eve dinner

Now as if this wasn’t enough, before I left their house tonight, Sylvie stacked up my arms with smoked trout (artisinal- made by a friend of the family), Normandy cheeses (Camembert and Pont L’Eveque), and an aged Grand Cru Bordeaux!  I have to figure out how to pack all of this in my luggage so that it isn’t ruined in transport. I’m so excited to go home with all these goodies!

December 16, 2007

Christmas time has come to Caen- every street has twinkly lights strung over them.  In the “squares” the light strings start from four or five buildings and meet in the middle with a big ball of lights.  The Hotel de Ville (town hall) is completely decked-out, with a changing color light display.   I’m really quite impressed!

But I thought I need even more of a Christmas kick, so I decided to go to Strasbourg this past weekend.  Strasbourg is in the Alsace region of France, which has changed hands from the German to the French several times over the last couple hundred years.  Now it’s firmly in French hands, but it still retains much influence from the Rhineland, such as a world class Christmas market. 

I took an early train from Caen on Friday into Paris.  Then I had to change stations from Gare Saint Lazare (serving Normandy and Brittany) to the Gare du Nord, where I hoped on my TGV (train de grande vitesse- it moves fast).  The TGV are pretty fun to travel on since they are so fast but also they are kept up really well so you feel that you are traveling in style. 

When I got to Strasbourg, it just smelt like Christmas.  Once again, it seemed the whole world had descended upon the city to enjoy the Christmas market, along with the decorations, hot mulled wine, and gingerbread cookies.  I made my way out of the crammed train station to my hostel.  Then it was time to explore the city!  I was shocked to find out that they have a canal system running through the city, which gave it a slight Venetian feel.  Also, as I wandered, I realized that there is not just one market, but markets of varying sizes pocketed throughout the city.  Therefore, you can just let yourself get lost and you will inevitably stumble across one.  This was really good news for me, as it was about 20 degrees and I needed a constant flow of warm wine to keep me from freezing. 

I decided to sit down at a café and had a pot of tea with the best crêpe ever!  It was just a normal crêpe, but with gingerbread ice cream, warm caramel, and chantilly!  Then I checked out Place Gutenberg (he was from Strasbourg), and the square around the famous medieval cathedral.  I have seen so many old churches since I’ve been here but this one really was stunning.  It is so high, with so much detail, and it’s constructed entirely in pink marble!  My kind of building   There was a large market spread out around its base so I did some shopping there. 

Then I met up with a friend who had just arrived in the city.  We found even more markets, along with a humungous Christmas tree in the middle of one of the squares.  It was covered in lit up Christmas presents.  There were also amazing decorations in every street, such as a series of 20 life-size chandeliers strung down one alley.  It felt like a winter wonderland. 

We had dinner at a great restaurant which specialized in Alsacienne cuisine, such as bouchée à la reine (puff pastry filled with a creamy mix of chicken, mushrooms, and onions), spaetzle (little fried pastas from Germany), sausages, choucroute royale (sausages, ham, and sauerkraut slow-cooked in Reisling), and plenty of other dishes which were heavy and smothered in cheese.  I was so happy eating here! 

The next day included much of the same wandering in and out of markets, gawking at fabulous decorations, and sipping on mulled wine (vin chaud).  I bought tons of goodies for my family (including Reisling, fois gras, spicebread, anise cookies).  I really enjoyed my lunch too, which was country sausages (very big!), sautéed potatoes, and salad.  For dessert, I had a baked apple, which was stuffed with spices and raisins, then drizzled with cream.  I really enjoyed my glass of Gewurztraminer, which was dryer and sweeter than a Reisling.  One thing I noticed about their wines is that when you order a white from the region, they serve it in a specific glass with a green stem.  For a Reisling, it was a more oval shaped bowl, with a long green stem.  The Gewurztraminer was in a shallow, broad bowl, with a shorter green stem.   

I must also mention that a must see in Strasbourg is the area called “La Petite France”.  It was inhabited by tanners back in the medieval times, but is now probably the cutest quarter.  It is full of timbered houses, painted in bright colors, and has plenty of little bridges crossing the canals which pass through it.  I found some great little artisanal boutiques in this area for my present shopping.

My trip there was so pleasant, I really love this region of France and all of its specialties- but when do I not?