Pate Aux Choux - Cabbage Pastry?

My host mother, who now officially has a broken elbow (deemed by the doctor she waited 4 hours to see today) asked me to help her make dinner tonight because I was just watching the T.V. So I said sure, what are we making? Pate aux Choux was the response, and my first translation was cabbage pastry? But no, this delicious french treat does not include cabbage, nor a real pastry sense either!
So to make Pate Aux Choux:
Boil 2 cups of water with a GENEROUS amount of butter and a small amount of salt.
Once boiling, turn off the heat, but keep on the burner and add 2 cups of flour.
Beat well until it is all combined and it forms a sticky ball in the middle of the pan.
Add 3 eggs, one at a time and beat well in between each egg. At this point it will get a gross consistency, but you keep beating and it will come back to normal.
Add some more salt (if you want salty Pate Aux Choux, for sweet add sugar at this point).
Then add GENEROUS amount of cheese and beat again until well mixed.
Butter a circular pan (a pie dish will do) and create very large balls of the Pate and put them in the dish (it's O.K. if they touch).
Put them in the oven at 200 celcius for 45 minutes, then reduce the heat to 160 for another 15 minutes.
They will balloon up!
For salted, serve with tomato sauce mixed with creme fraiche. For sugared serve with ice cream or a chocolate sauce I've heard is good.
They are very light and airy, but also very filling so be warned!
Peace, Love and not-Cabbage

Two out of Three Stars

So for this week I was in a elective class called Cuisine and Tradition. The first two classes were based around opening a restaurant in France, what types of cuisines work, which don't and finally what kind of education is needed to open a restaurant and make it successful (hint: none!). The third day was canceled due to the person being sick. Day four was presented by an old Michelin worker who helped write all the Michelin guides for several different countries, that included giving starts out to restaurants and finding new restaurants in many cities all over the world. It was very interesting to talk to him for a while, but after two hours he got a little repetitive. Finally today was the best day of the week. We got invited to go to the fanciest and best rated restaurant in Clermont-Ferrand: Emmanuel Hodanq, don't worry I don't know how to pronounce it either. But it's on the second floor, above a permanent farmers market. We got to visit there all morning while the chef was there preparing for the lunch crowd. First we talked to the owner and manager about the restaurant, what it takes for upkeep, why she went into the restaurant business. Then she pulled the head chef out of the kitchen for us to talk to. It was a really good experience, and one of my favorite quotes from him roughly translates to: If the beginning isn't good, you can't make it better by covering it up, it's the same in food as it is in life.
After several minutes of asking him questions he invited the class back into the kitchen to see the professional kitchen. And boy did it smell good! They were pan frying guinea hen and wow it made the entire place smell amazing. The chef talked to us a little about kitchen set up and how to be efficient in professional kitchens versus private kitchens, and that was very interesting to hear from a French point of view.
After talking with the chef for some time, we went back out into the main restaurant where the French students asked about internships etc. and the piece of information that I found most interesting is that they serve a menu for very cheap during lunch time. This way people can eat well, eat good produce, but at a lower cost. I thought that idea was amazing. Now if only I could find someone to go with, because without someone there it's just food - it takes conversation to turn it into a meal.
Peace, Love and Delicious Food

Fondue in France

So my second host sister (who I just met this month) is leaving to move into her apartment in Paris this weekend, so we were having a goodbye party for me and her. Also my host mom has broken her elbow so she did not feel like cooking with her left hand. So they approached me in the evening, around dinner time, and said we're going out to dinner tonight! So we got our shoes on, put on coats and left out the door to walk to the restaurant. We were walking for about 15 minutes and I was about to ask if we were lost when my host mom pointed out a nondescript building and said that their favorite restaurant was just there! We went into the restaurant and we were the only people in there, we got our menus and my host family proceeded to explain everything on the menu. Although I had already learned all these words before, or even had these dishes before, they still felt the need to explain it to me, several times from several different people. I have gotten very use to hearing the same story a couple times each night however, once from my host sister, once from my host mom and finally with my host dad.
But they asked me what I wanted, and I heard them all talking about fondue so I asked for the fondue too. It worked out perfectly because all five of us had fondue. It was the normal cheese fondue that you think of from the 70's, and with a very strange tradition. After ordering and getting a bottle of wine for the table, my host mom explained to me that if any bread is dropped into the pot you have to take off a piece of clothing, and once you are naked you run around the block. Then my host mom said we wouldn't do that tonight because I needed to practice first. I thought that was very nice of her, but my older host sister explained on her ski weekends they do that tradition all the time.
We got some bread cubes and the cheese came in a very large pot and we all dug in. We also had a plate of sausage and hams delivered to the table, and another bottle of wine! After digging in and finishing off the first pot of cheese, we got another pot and an egg came to the table. Once everyone was finished with the cheese, they cracked the egg into the pot of hot cheese and it created a cheesy scrambled eggs that we dipped the bread into.
After the cheese we then all ordered dessert. I had a pistachio ice cream topped with caramelized apples. It was delicious.
All in all, it was a very nice dinner with my host family, and I am going to miss them a lot because I go back to the states in like 2 weeks! It's crazy I feel that I just got here.
Peace, Love and Cheese!

Cooking for One!

So tonight is my host sister's big party where my host parents are chaperoning so I am all alone for dinner tonight! This means that I get to cook! Now my host mother also left a bunch of things in the freezer that I can reheat if I don't feel like cooking up something, but I think that I will enjoy actually working over a stove to prepare a dinner. I am thinking about a breakfast for dinner theme. I am going to make an omelet with lots of vegetables in it and no cheese and no runny eggs! I also noticed there is some whole wheat bread in the kitchen so I will toast that as well without butter!! I know to some of you this sounds like a really plain dinner and why would I make something like this while I was in France with access to all the wonderful cheese and bread in the world. Well I'll tell you, after eating in restaurants for three weeks, then coming home to the butter and bread household it's been really tough! I'm craving just plain vegetables still!! Tonight I was also invited to another American's host house for a crepe party. I think I will go just for desserts so that I am not missing out on a party nor on crepes, because the French crepes are so much more delicious!
My first week back has been very busy and I can't believe that I only have two more weeks here in Clermont and only one more week of intensive classes. I am starting to get ready to go home, but I am also going to be very sad to leave this place, I feel that my French has improved so much, but has so much further to go. I also have been thinking about summer opportunities in France, but I will have to see about school and timing.
So, I wish that everyone had a restful week, and is looking forward to the three day weekend in the States. Happy Martin Luther King Day!
Peace, Love and finally cooking again...

Arrived in Clermont!

After several weeks of travel, I have arrived safely back in Clermont-Ferrand. I got in really late last night and went almost straight to bed. Then woke up early for a full day of classes. I just wanted to update that I have posted all the pictures from my vacation on photo bucket - and have organized everything into albums of where they were taken (by request of my mother), so this way you can see which pictures are from which city (check old albums because some new pictures might be in them!).
Also, I have taken a day-by-day account of the past three weeks, and if i do say so myself they are humorous, over the past couple entries they have been taken from the document. If you would like the entire document to read, laugh and enjoy please leave a comment here with your e-mail, or send me an e-mail and I will gladly send it along!
Hope everyone's new decade has started off well!
Peace, Love and Sleep!

Paris Still

We expected to wake up again with gusto and exuberance, but then we all wanted to slightly sleep in after the long day before. It probably didn’t help that it was pouring buckets outside and the weatherman said it wasn’t going to clear up. So we hung out in the hotel room for a while after breakfast and watched some news (the only TV that was in English, although my mom has a new fondness for the Italian channel). Then we decided to just go to museums, because that would be indoors and out of the rain. But once we got outside and started walking towards our metro station, it was clearing up and there was a slightest hint of sun in the sky. So we dumped the museum plan and went to the Eiffel Tower!
When we got there, there were so many lines weaving this way and that way, with men hawking fake Eiffel Towers all over the place. We eventually found the line to walk up to the first and second floor and got in line behind a bunch of Russians. They did not move for several minutes, and we could see the rest of the line moving. It was then that we realized they were just hanging out so we skipped around them and got into the real line. What a place to hang out! Once we got tickets, went through metal detectors and started walking up the tower, the views were amazing. It was a little scary at first to be able to look down while you were climbing up! Finally we made it to the first floor (the equivalent of a building’s 23rd floor) and we were walking around. This is the point my mom got chicken and decided to stay inside and me and the boys went up to the second floor (the equivalent of a building’s 43rd floor!). Once up there we discovered the views were pretty much the same, once you were over the roof tops of Paris nothing changes much. So we went back down to find my mom.
It being afternoon, we decided to wander towards Napoleon’s grave and also find some lunch on the way! We started out along the seine, but being bored with the scenery we turned down some side streets and continued walking in the general direction of the grave site. We found a small Chinese restaurant where we decided to pop our heads in. It seemed like a very local’s only place, and was very fun. After way too much good food and some hot tea, we set out again for the grave site. We passed by several car show rooms where the boys drooled, and several top designers of clothes where my mom and I drooled. We eventually found the cutest little street which was lined with food markets and cafes, the thing you expect to see everywhere in Paris! So we bought some cheese (from my region of course!) and some bread and continued walking in order to find a place to eat. We eventually got to the grave site and sat on the wall around the outside of the building and ate our bread and cheese. It was deliciously unpasteurized! Then we went into the building, walked around for a little bit, decided against the museum and left again.
We then took the metro up to Montmartre (the artist district back from the early 1900s). I had the bright idea of walking up the main street (which is very touristy) but it has the best upcoming views of the place, so that we could walk up to the Scare Coeur (which is a huge white basilica). Unfortunately several con men were there to try and get some money from the tourists. The idea is that they would say they have a bracelet where the donations will go towards the church, but really it’s a thug scam where they try and rob you of all your money. They were trying to get the pieces of yarn around the boy’s wrists, but we were all able to get away without much harm done, just some scariness. Then we got into the church, wandered around, saw enough and got over to the artist square. Now this is my favorite part of Montmartre. Everyone enjoyed walked around looking at the paintings and also who was being sketched in the square. My mom had me get my profile cut out of paper, which was pretty cool. Then I bargained for two paintings for my cousin. After wards we decided to walk back to the metro station, drop off our things at the hotel then return to the cute market street for dinner that night.
The market street really became quiet without the fruit stands and other things being sold on the street, but there were still several cafes open and we chose one and sat down to order. Strangely enough, our waiter was from Miami and could speak perfect English, so everyone was speaking English and I didn’t have to be a translator for our last night in Paris! I ordered a delicious goat cheese salad with spinach and olive oil dressing. But my cousin decided to try out the hamburger in Paris. It apparently wasn’t as bad as he had expected! So he came to Paris, only to eat a hamburger and French fries, oh well, you can’t convert them all!
After dinner we took the metro back up to the hotel, wandered around the quarter a little more until it was a little after midnight. At this point when we wanted to reenter the hotel, we needed to show our hotel cards. Finally we got up to our rooms and crashed so that we would be all ready to take the Eurostar over to London in the morning.

Welcome to Paris - First Time

Today was our last morning in Bordeaux, I explained the game plan of how we were getting to our hotel in Paris to my mom in the morning over breakfast at the hotel. We both agreed it would be best to go to the hotel before picking up my cousin at the airport in Paris (since he was flying in today). We ate breakfast, went back up to our room to pack and checked out of the hotel. Good thing the tram station was right next to the hotel, because we were able to take that to the train station. After waiting for a little while for them to post the train dock number, then following a huge crowd of people towards the train, we got on our train to Paris and were on our way. For lunch I had picked up two sandwiches at Paul (a delicious chain of sandwich and pastry shops). We ate on the train and admired the French countryside as we passed by. My mom slept for most of the train ride and at the Paris station we joined everyone getting off and found our metro station to start trying to get to our hotel. We had to transfer metros, and by this point in the trip we’ve started to get use to lugging our luggage around town, up and down stairs and everything! We finally got to the ride station and looking at a map in the metro station I thought I had it figured out of where to go to get to the hotel. But as soon as we were top side I got turned around. We started going up one street, couldn’t find it. Looked at another map and chose another street, couldn’t find it. Finally we stopped into a bakery in the area and the woman brought out a huge map and showed me exactly how to get to the hotel. It was so easy! So when we got there, it was actually a very cute street and a very nice neighborhood, so we went into the hotel very cheerful.
Unfortunately as soon as I saw the help I knew things were going to be trouble. I go up to the front desk and a guy who was hanging out with his buddies comes over to check us in. First he didn’t know what to do with me because he couldn’t figure out that we had reserved a triple when there were only two of us (at this point). Finally though he gave us our room keys and my mom and I went up in the tiny elevator to our room. The tiny elevator should have been an indication for the TINY room. Now, French hotels are notoriously small. This is ridiculous small though. There was barely enough room for the three twin beds and our luggage, let alone the one table and chair they tried to squeeze into the room. The bathroom was small and badly kept, and above all? It smelled! So, then after dropping off our things, my mom and I left for the airport to go pick up Brian. When the sleazy guy who was smoking out a window in the lobby asked for our keys when we left, my mom and I knew – we needed to check out of this hotel. We managed though to go get Brian and pick him up from the airport though. Because he was a last minute addition to the group, he knew that he would have to wait in the airport for a little while. We didn’t think it would be this long though! His plane landed early and our train came in late! Just before he was about to call us to ask where we were, we found him and whisked him back to the hotel. We all agreed at that point that we needed to move hotels. Thank goodness that I had stayed in Paris earlier that month because I knew of a nice hotel, a little further away, but it ended up being a lot cheaper for two separate rooms! So that evening before dinner, we all went out to the other hotel, got a reservation and then set off for dinner.
We ate in the Latin Quarter that night because I knew there was tons of restaurants right next to each other, all different types of cuisine too. We ate at a Greek restaurant; I had the moussakka, which was really good for being in Paris. Also the salad was very fresh. Unfortunately the dessert of crème caramel was too sweet and did not live up to its expectations. The décor in this restaurant was fantastic though! Think T.G.I. Friday’s, with the “flair” but Greek style. It was pretty fantastic.
Finally after staying out late by walking around the Notre Dame and other famous monuments at night, we all went back to the sleazy hotel, got our key from the desk clerk who was now drinking with his buddies in the lobby and watching a soccer game. We fell asleep – after sanitizing the pillows and everything else in the room and setting a door alarm (Thanks Grandpa!). All packed up and ready to move into the next hotel.