Fois Gras and Christmas Cheer

So Christmas has come to Clermont today with the start of Advent. In order to celebrate my host mom served fois gras from Bordeaux, along with a wine from Strasbourg. It was a multi-regional event with cheese from Auvergne (St. Nectaire to be precise). The fois gras was delicious, much like the fois gras my mom uses on the beef tenderloin at Christmas. Although we just ate it on a slice of bread, it still felt elegant, and delicious. For some reason (maybe subliminal) when eating a food that comes from the specific country, it tastes so much better. The fois gras came from a 4 hour train ride away. The name of the farm was imprinted on the packaging, and the name of the owner was also right next to it. The French take pride in where their food comes from, even on such a small scale. While eating lunch with my host family, we discussed various things, including the taste of the cheeses being served during the cheese course (of which there were 5 to choose from!). When my host sister commented on the taste of the St. Nectaire being strange, my host mom went into a discussion about the cheese making process and her cheese preferences! She told me that the cheese is 2 month old milk, so the cheese we eat today is from summer milk, she much prefers spring milk because the cows eat the flowers and the clovers in the spring, causing their milk to take on a different taste causing the cheese to be more perfumed. She says December is the last month she will buy cheese from the region until May (when the spring milk starts again). This internal knowledge of food is amazing, as well as the French ability to pick out the prefect baguette from a pile of 20. Unfortunately we have been out of bread for dinner for the past couple nights because my host sister has been snacking!!
On a Christmas note, Clermont has put up their huge Christmas tree, along with a ferris wheel in the center town. Lights line every single street and there is a holiday train that will ride around town taking people around to do their holiday shopping! I can't believe that it's almost December, and yet it feels like I just got here yesterday! The food is still amazing, and I already know I will miss it by the time I go home. Alas, the afternoon was a quiet time, knitting in the parlor with my host mom watching the travel channel. Although I know I have homework I should be doing, being in France has caused such a lack of motivation - there's too many other things that I could be doing instead that are much more interesting!
Peace, Love and Procrastination!

So...About That...

So that was a strange Thanksgiving. I got home and asked my host mom what she was wearing to the restaurant, because us Americans thought it would be fun to dress up. She said she didn't know, but nothing too fancy. It was at this point I half freaked out over being too fancy, and half didn't care anymore and was going to just wear what I had in mind. I picked out an orange dress with brown accessories to be festive and seasonal. Then the dinner was supposed to start at 7:30 pm. My host parents thought this was to early, so we left our house to drive (about a 5 minute drive) at 7:45, arriving around 8 by the time we found parking. Walking into the restaurant, there were two families already there and there were bisous all around, even with the professors that were there. After talking awkwardly while standing for a little while and waiting for everyone else to arrive, more bisous, we all finally sat down and were served an aperitif. This was a very sweet wine, it wasn't bad, I don't know if I could drink much more than the little bit served to us. I was seated near three Americans and some French host parents. The host parents were shocked when the Americans spoke in French to each other. We have a habit of speaking French when there are French people around - we don't want them to feel left out of our conversation, and it's a good excuse to speak French. After some "get to know you" conversation with host parents, dinner was brought out. It was:
Pieces of Turkey (everyone got something different, between breast, leg, thigh etc., the turkey wasn't that bad, other than the fact that it was difficult to get off the bone with a fork and knife and in the awkward politeness of French restaurants we could not maneuver it any other way than with a fork, knife, or bread)
Mashed Potatoes (definitely not as good as mom's, and there wasn't even gravy to put on them!)
Cranberry Sauce (which wasn't the normal gelled kind, but real cranberries that were warm and kind of mashed up to create a sauce)
Cauliflower (way too small of a portion for how much I like veggies, but none the less it was yummy)
and last but not least: pureed gizzards! (it was gizzards cooked with bread, and other spices, put into a mold, cooked then sliced, it was kind of like meatloaf)
Then after the main course, there was a cheese and salad course, and of course there was not enough salad for everyone, so everyone only took a few leaves to be polite and leave some for the other people. The cheese of course was good, but definitely not traditional American. Then the dessert was the worst ending to a Thanksgiving I'd ever had. It was a pistachio ice cream and raspberry sorbet. Beautifully presented with raspberry sauce decoratively piped onto the plate, but it was not the ending to a Thanksgiving dinner that I had in mind. After several glasses of wine, some French-ized American food, the Americans decided to go out and find a party or something else to do, to celebrate Thanksgiving in an even stranger way.
So this was definitely the weirdest Thanksgiving I'd ever had, I'm not sure if I want to repeat the experience, but it just doesn't feel like it will be December in one short week. The weather here is strangely warm (think early October in Michigan), and there is no chance of snow any time soon. Although I have been here for almost three months next week, it still feels like it's only been a short amount of time, but on the other hand, I can't find enough time to fit everything in that I want to do. I miss a real Thanksgiving, with actually decent food, and a pumpkin pie end.
Peace, Love, and Strange Times in France...

Happenings around Clermont

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
We have out special Thanksgiving meal this evening - but since I have some free time right now I thought I would update about everything that's been going on in this busy life of mine. I've been having classes for the past 3 days for about 10-12 hours each day. Now this in English is enough to wipe me out, but in French I just about want to take a nap after every single one. Although I am impressed that I can still pay attention after 10 hours of work in a foreign country. Anyway, so besides classes, tests, and major projects, life has been pretty (dare I say it?) normal. My host family has gotten into a routine of me coming home right before dinner, we eat dinner together, and after dinner while helping my host mom clean up the table, we talk. Finally after that, everyone retreats to their own rooms to work, read, or watch TV. My host sister has been having some difficulties with school recently, especially math. The way that they teach trig here is very confusing, I was trying to help her the other day work through a problem in her homework. Eventually I gave up trying to show her how to do it the "French" way, and showed her the "American" way (it proved to be much faster, and efficient, go figure?) Then afterward I helped correct her English homework, and we practiced an oral presentation she has to give soon on candy! Then after wards I told her I had a huge presentation on slow food in Europe, she's like "well you will have to practice it in front of the family! we can help you out with your homework for once!" So I might take them up on that offer.
For those of you that do not know what slow food is, here's a brief synopsis. Slow food is a concept developed in Italy in reaction to the first McDonald's opening up in Rome. It is the movement towards homemade, artisan and local food. This is not necessarily an organic movement, but it is linked with it in the States. So for example, instead of buying Ragu pasta sauce, you would make the pasta sauce yourself, can it, and then use that instead. I fully support the slow food movement, and think that it's a wonderful idea - people these days just don't know how to make things from scratch, and it's a real shame!
Anyway, that's my speech for today. In other foodie news, my host mom made the most delicious soup the other day for dinner. It was a mushroom soup, with mushrooms, cream and some spices pureed together and it was so delicious! My host sister HATED it, but I think I might ask the host mom to make it with me some night again, so that I can learn the recipe.
So, after the big thanksgiving dinner tonight, I will update on how that was! and I hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving, and a food Black Friday!
Peace, Love and Turkey!

Boujoulais Nouveau!

So the Beaujolais Nouveau was released last Thursday and due to lack of internet at my house I have been unable to update my blog about it. So after the much anticipated wait, the new wine of 2009 has been released to much the partying of college students. For some the parties started at 10 am, for me it started at dinner with my host family. So first of all, an awesome different between the USA and France: In the U.S. we sell girl scout cookies door to door, in France they sell the Beaujolais Nouveau! At around 6 pm we got a knock on the door, and there were 2 guys that offered to sell us the new wine. My host mom bought 2 bottles. We had a semi-fancy dinner that started with baked apples and sausage on toast points, to go along with the wine. Then some rice and tomato mixture to put on the rice, and finally a chocolate dessert. So the wine this year, in my opinion, is not bad, better than box wine, but defiantly is worse than anything else I've ever had here in France. So after dinner I went to my first party, it was a school organized event, and we went to the caviste (wine seller) of a professor. There was a jazz band, lots of little things to eat, and of course the wine. It was a really cool atmosphere to be in the basement of a wine cellar, there were a bunch of wine bottles all around as well as all stone walls. The band wasn't too bad either. After 45 mins spent there, I went off to a dinner with my marketing class at a creperie. This was the same place I went a couple months ago with an American. It was really fun because there were so many of us! Although because I had already eaten dinner, I passed on food and just sat and talked with French people for the entire night. It was a really good way to celebrate the Beaujolais Nouveau, and this years wine will be really good, although I do not recommend the nouveau, it's just way too young! I'm looking forward to my trip to Bordeaux to try the new wine, and to try out all my new wine vocabulary that we had to learn!
In other news, We have also found a new cafe with several different types of coffee! It's a really cool experience to go there, very hippie-esque with lots of books everywhere, comfy couches, and all at the same time very french tucked into the back corner of a neighborhood. Ah this country is growing on me yet again, the discovery of this city is really cool. Unfortunately because exams are coming up soon we have so much more homework and more work than we normally would. It's really frustrating when French homework is starting to get in the way of me socializing with French people (friends or family).
Peace, Love and too many exams!

Crepes!

So my family likes crepes, like most typical french people do. But since we're all on a diet together now we have turned to "healthy crepes". First let me explain that you can buy crepes here can be bought pre-made in the grocery store, much like we buy tortilla shells in the States. And there are many different variety of crepes as well, made with different ingredients, each trying to claim that they are the healthiest, the most original, the traditional variety, or even exotic (sun dried tomatoes?!). Anyway, my host mom recently bought a packet of wheat crepes. And this is their healthy method of preparing the crepes. After soup is consumed, host mom goes back to the stove and melts 1/2 table spoon (about) of butter into a pan. The crepe is placed on the pan. At which point the person who will be eating the crepe chooses the ingredients to put in it. I chose smoked salmon and chevre (goat cheese) by request of my host sister (thus the packages would be open and she could have the same thing). The salmon is placed on the crepe with goat cheese sprinkled on top then the sides folded up and once cheese is slightly melted the crepe is done, butter is put back in the pan and the process restarted. So much for a diet haha.
In other news, us Americans have found a fresh salad bar that offers local salad ingredients that are sustainable. Envie has become a new place that we visit quite often, and because the owners are younger guys that are also immigrants, they like talking to us a lot and often offer us free things at the end of our meal. Their Moroccan tea is to DIE for! Then their salads (and pastas) are also pretty good, and to get them with a tartine st. nectaire (toasted bread with cheese melted on top), oh it's divine. Then the other day when we went there, there weren't any tables to sit at, so we got our food to go, and because of the inconvenience, the guy offered us free yogurt (usually 2 euros extra as a dessert) but this yogurt was delicious! it was much more liquid than normal, but it was still very good. The next time we went back we said we really liked it and he explained how to make it! Unfortunately because of pasteurized milk in the states, this yogurt cannot be made state side, but if you some how get a hold of non-pasteurized milk in the states here is the recipe:
1L milk
1L creme fraiche
Add together and sit over a low heat for 1 hour. At this point add spices/sugar/flavorings or none
Let sit for 4 hours off heat after it has reached a simmer for 1 hour.
Serve!
We plan on asking for the tea recipe the next time we go.
Peace, Love, and Non-Pasteurized Milk!!!

La Regime!

So, my host family is on a diet. I didn't think that those existed in France. But my host father has been diagnosed with high cholesterol and thus his doctor is prohibiting the consumption of French cheese (the cause of much debate within in the family). Unfortunately because I am still viewed as the guest, my host mom still buys me french cheese, and "puts out the cheese" for me, but unfortunately I feel bad during the cheese course when I am the only one eating. Alas! Other than eating a lot of soup and less cheese, nothing has really changed about their diet. The butter consumption is still at an all time high, and steamed veggies are not to be seen. My host family wants to have me cook for them one night. My host sister seemed really excited about garlic bread because they bought 1kg of garlic. Also I suggested making a pumpkin pie around thanksgiving time. My host mother agreed, but was very confused about the concept of a pumpkin dessert. When I tried to explain it to her she was like
"and this is a main course right?"
"oh no, we eat this after everything else, it's the dessert"
"but it has pumpkin in it?"
"yes"
"so is it healthy?"
"well, that depends on what else you put in it, but it has vegetables in it"
"Well you must make that! and cookies! invite your friends over!"
I think she wants to meet the other Americans on this trip, because she keeps wanting me to invite people over to the apartment. Not really sure though if it's just French politeness or curiosity that's driving this.
Finally, I had a lovely weekend where I watched a hockey game, almost went to a basketball game and studied Italian and did a bunch of other homework. I'm also really close to being all set for travel plans through winter break, and now looking forward to February for my last real adventure. I can't believe it's almost all over!!
Peace, Love, and Pumpkin Pie!

Cookies!

So while us Americans dream of the perfect pain au chocolat, the bread, or the croissants. The French dream of American chocolate chip cookies. They can't make them here, they don't have the right ingredients, but us Americans got some pretty tasty cookies out of experimentation today. First thing the French don't have is brown sugar. Such a strange concept right? Well our brown sugar is made with molasses, they don't have molasses here, although they do have caramelized sugar here (it looks brown) so we ended up using that. then they don't have baking powder here, they do have baking soda (but they call it bicarbonate). Finally the metric system is hard to convert into our system, so things were just kind thrown into a bowl, the batter tasted and the ingredients adjusted according to the taste. We first made a traditional crunchy chocolate chip cookies. After running out of brown sugar we substituted creamed honey for the brown sugar and made cakey sugar cookies that were delicious. After sitting around for several hours, baking, eating, listening to Christmas music, I started to really miss the holidays in Michigan, where it actually gets cold. But alas, I will be in France for Christmas and Thanksgiving. Apparently the program will give us a "Thanksgiving dinner" on Thanksgiving, at a restaurant. Although I am told not to get my hopes up and that it's no where near as good as at home. Alas, I will have to wait till next year to make another delicious Thanksgiving dinner with my boyfriend!
Peace, Love, and Missing Mashed Potatoes

First Week Back/Chateaux/Vitamin Meal!

So I successfully got on a train back to Clermont (missing Monday classes, but it was worth it!). After arriving home at 10 pm, I fell asleep, but had to get up early again the next day to continue the silly thing called "school". Anyway, because it was the first week back, everything was crazy, classes all the time again, just trying to get organized and back into the swing of things. Thankfully, things have started to slow down again this week. Nothing eventful happened, other than being served a half cooked omelet for dinner one night. And other than the crazy fits that my host sister has started to throw (oh to be a teenager again), nothing is really happening at home.
Then this weekend was a visit to the Loire Valley to see 3 different chateaux, and spend one night in a small town. So the weekend started early on Saturday morning and ended late on Sunday night. After meeting our guide (a Greek guy who was about the same age as us Americans, oh and did I mention that he spoke no french?) we then got on the bus with a driver who only spoke french. This was going to be an adventure. We get to the first chateaux (which I've already visited in high school) And we explore, wander, and after we got bored got back onto the bus to go find our hotel and eat some dinner. The dinner was at a semi fancy restaurants, they served us chicken with a honey sauce, these delicious mushrooms, and hash browns?! But anyway, this was followed by a course of cheese on a plate of lettuce (do we eat this lettuce or not?) then a banana flambe with graham cracker crumble and a sweetened whipped cream (all in all it was too sweet). The atmosphere was nice if not a little awkward because us Americans could pick a language to talk in (English and the Greek could understand or French and the bus driver could understand), so we ended up switching back and forth all night. After wards we went back to the hotel and fell asleep early. The next day we went around and visited 2 more chateaux. There was a misconception with the lunch arrangements (while we were originally to eat lunch in a market in Amboise, we ended up leaving Amboise early to arrive at another small town). We found the only restaurant open on a Sunday, and ate there. I had a French pizza with chroizo, parmesian, and black olives. It was delicious. Then after visiting the final chateau, we left for Clermont where I returned home once again tired and fell promptly asleep.
Then this week I have found out that my host dad was diagnosed with high cholesterol and can no longer eat a lot of French cheese, which has caused high tensions around the house. So my host mom in her effort to put more veggies into his daily diet created what she called "the vitamin meal!". It started with a beet and garlic puree that was chilled. This would have been delicious if it were summer and not freezing cold in the house. But anyway, onto the second course which was a creamed spinach and ham concoction that was put over rice. This was decent as well, but the color was not appetizing in the least and after a few bites my host dad declared that he wanted something different for dinner. Then a frozen pizza was brought out and we had that for dinner. After wards we had small amounts of cheese while my host dad ate a non-fat yogurt. Then finally for dessert there was an apple tart, which was delicious except for the crust which was difficult to cut and was a little tough. But the cooked apples (from the country house) were soft and delicious!
Anyway, all in all it has been a good week back, and I'm looking forward to my next break when I can travel around Europe a bit more. And with that, I am all caught up!
Peace, Love and Yay for Real Time!

Fall Break Part 3 (I swear I'll catch up to real time again one day!)

Ok, so after the fancy Italian dinner, and packing up we wandered around Helsinki at night for some time, finally deciding to go to bed, then waking up late the next morning. We had breakfast at Cafe Engel (which was delicious) and wandered around some more, seeing things that were closed the day before. Then shopping! Finally eating a late lunch/early dinner at a hip restaurant which is kind of a coffee shop/bar combo. Very fun! and dropping off my American friend at the bus station to get on her place to London, I went in search of a post office to send my post card home. Going back to cafe Engel for a tea and dessert later in the evening (Btw - it was a heavenly chocolate torte/cake with a raspberry sauce and homemade whipped cream), while sitting, eating and knitting, I decided that I would one day return to Helsinki and that the trip was well worth the travel of the previous day. The next morning I woke up bright and early to catch my plane out of Helsinki and over to Nuremberg. I made the poor decision to eat breakfast at the airport, but other than weak coffee and a bad danish, all went well with getting to the airport and getting on my plane. Also I've decided that Finnish security at airports is a little bit of a joke, the man in front of me to board the plane brought his daughter's passport by mistake, they let him on the plane no problem! Ah, to be in Finland again, but anyway I went on to Germany and a stay with my cousin.
Nuremberg:
After landing in Nuremberg, I was greeted at the airport by my cousin and her husband and whisked off to their apartment in what I believe to be is the "little Italy", after putting down my things, we then went into the center town by subway and walked around, showing me the sights briefly, before returning to the apartment for dinner and some quiet German television. The following day we went on a real tour of the city that included going inside most of the buildings, as well as Starbucks coffee and a traditional German lunch. Of which I had basically breakfast, it was scrambled eggs, sausage, onions, and potatoes. And it was delicious! Of course with this I had a delicious beer (that was made on site). Also this day I walked around the castle in town, explored the gardens, and had my first German pretzel - it was addicting! The following day was spend in Munich exploring the city as well as the German science museum. After a full day, returning to the apartment and a pizza was the prefect ending. The pizza was really delicious (I think the cheese makes all the difference). Finally the next day was All Saints Day - so the entire day was spent on the couch watching T.V., on the internet and just general chilling out. With these delicious sandwiches with goat cheese for dinner.
The following morning I left Nuremberg for Clermont again because there's this silly thing about Study Abroad, sometimes we actually have to study and go to class. So not cool! But I was excited to get back and hear everyone's stories about break and thank goodness there weren't any horror stories! More to update on my week after break coming soon - I have to do it before this weekend when I leave for the Loire Valley. I'm almost all caught up!
Peace, Love and I miss the Pretzels already!!

Search of Food in Helsinki

Second day of Helsinki:
After waking up on Sunday, not really sure where to eat breakfast we left the hostel in hopes of finding something cheap. Would a croissant be too much to ask? But we found this place called Hesburger, which is like the Finnish version of McDonalnds or Burger King. We got a doughnut (or rather a danish) and coffee (IN A TO GO CUP!!!). Then at the restaurant we discussed the meal plans and the day trips for the rest of the vacation. After leaving the breakfast place a little before noon, we went on to search for our lunch spot. This is when we found the first really good restaurant. It was a prepared sandwich/soup/salad place with a coffee theme. I had a delicious Salmon and Dill soup that I ordered without knowing what I ordered (ah, the joys of the language barrier). After the delicious soup, more coffee and another Danish, we sent off to leave the city to wander around an island close by. I can't even spell the name of the island, but it's about a 20 minute boat ride away from Helsinki city. After following the path for a couple minutes, we started following along the coast to keep walking along the water. After walking around for several hours, we decided to head back to the mainland and find dinner! We tried to go to several restaurants, but being Sunday most were closed. Finally we went to Cafe Engel, which then became the hang out for us for the rest of the time. After having a delicious salad with goat cheese, a tea, and a dessert we rolled home and slept for a long time! The next morning, we woke up, and went to Cafe Engel for breakfast! Which was delicious like the previous night. Then after that we took pictures of every site around the city, and visited many other places. Finally going to a bar for a cider before heading to dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant. The fancy night was almost over as we headed home to sleep again before packing up because my friend would leave the next day.
Peace, Love and I need to go now! more later!!

Four days, 100 Euors, and Nowhere else to go but...FINLAND!!!

So I am on break of Toussaints (All Saints Day) that lasts for a week and I can't be at my host family's house the entire time. So presented with this fact, I decided to do a trip to Helsinki with a friend, then proceed on to visit my cousin in Germany. This post will detail my trip around Finland, then afterwards I will post about my trip in Germany.
So Finland was a crackpot idea between me and another american on study abroad in Clermont. We just said to eachother one afternoon, "hey want to go to Helsinki for break?" Then we just started planning, or some lack there of. We bought plane tickets out of Charles De Gaulle (Paris) and a guide book, and you'd think this would be an easy feat getting out of the country now that I have my Visa. But no, this is France.
1) I had to wake up at 5 am, to catch a bus to get to the trainstation in Clermont
2) Take the 6:30 am train into Paris
3) Take the RER (subway) blue for 1 stop
4) Take the RER Red all the way out to the airport
5) Take the CDG shuttle over to terminal 1
6) Determine which hall I was flying out of
7) Print tickets
8) Run through security
9) And finally make it ontime to the plane!
But barely. If the plane hadn't been delayed or the RER was late, the entire plan would have been foiled and I wouldn't have been able to see the motherland!
Anyway, after getting into Helsinki at 4 PM local time the next step of the journy was to:
1) Take the 615 bus into downtown Helsinki (which the busdriver was the perfect example of how people in Finland are different than France, I tried just giving him my money (ashamed not to know any Finnish) and he starts jokeing with me! and manages to get me quite embarressed in the mean time by his perfect English.)
2) Take the 4 Tram towards "Mannerheimintie" (try and say that 5 times fast)
3) Get off at "Katajanokka"
And this is where the plan FINALLY was foiled for the entire day. The stop of "Katajokka" doesn't exist, it was replaced by another stop name, so after I rode the Tram up and down 4 times and getting frustrated at just wanting to find the Hostel, we got off the tram in the general direction and started walking using the tiny map in the guide book. When a burly older gentleman started speaking to us in Finnish. We stared at him like deer in headlights and said "English?" He chuckled and in an accent that reminded me of the UP "What do you search for?" He was able to point us in the direction of the Hostel (Which was across the street from where we were) and we got checked in and we were able to sit down for a bit after the very long day.
Then came the next fun part, trying to find dinner without a plan or a guide book. We started wandering around attempting to find a semicheap restaurant that was non-american and not fast food. You have no idea how hard this is in a new city! We ended up settling for a Napalese restaurant near the train station. There I had delicious curry califlower and potatoes with naan. Afterwards we trudged home and fell asleep promptly and slept in the next day.
More to come...
Peace, Love, and Curry in Helsinki?