Episode 15- Attack of the pumpkin spice lattes

Friends, Romans, Cupcakes, lend me your ears (or sprinkles). I have a problem. And that problem is holiday flavor. Actually, it's not a problem per-se, but more of a teeny-tiny growing addiction.

See, in France, the holidays don't really have a flavor. Actually, that's a lie. In France, the holidays taste like FOIE GRAS and CHAMPAGNE. And they are DELICIOUS. I ate more incredible things than I could count. Oh god, French celebrations. Oysters! Roasts! Drinking! Toasts! More drinking! (See also, last Christmas and what we ate there). But there's no special holiday flavored baking section that involves pumpkin and gingerbread and cinnamon and nutmeg. Sure, there are les buches and chocolate, pain d'epices and vin chaud. You could eat your weight in desserts (I think I have). But you can't get the breadth of "holiday flavor" products that you can here. And after three years without a pumpkin spice latte, or gingerbread-scented something, I have started to over-indulge.

The thing is that I do love me some pumpkin. And Thanksgiving. And all of the warm fall-winter flavors that transition from November to Christmas. So it's been a sensory overload lately in the stores and shops. I nearly keeled over for a candle at Anthropologie (but regained my senses over the price- 18 dollars ow). And last night at Trader Joe's I went in for strawberries and left with canned pumpkin (what a novelty! I won't have to roast a squash every time I want pumpkin-something), pumpkin granola and pumpkin butter. Oops.

Cupcakes do as cupcakes will, and I have decided to approach this from a "research" perspective. Very scientific. And hopefully delicious. Not only will I find out which products are worth it, but I may overcome this growing addiction before next year due to over-saturation! Huzzah!

And if I start to gain too much weight then I'll just go ride my bike. But that's another story.

Confession- I sort of missed Starbucks holiday drinks. Mostly because they remind me of the year that Steve and I tried all of them and one day we went together to the Starbucks near campus and we had either peppermint mochas or gingerbread lattes and then it started to snow and it was beautiful. Whew. But come one, Christmas drinks at the beginning of November? It is not time yet! Leave me my fall and my pumpkin! And take those red cups away!

So... stay tuned for pumpkin beer?

Episode 14- In which we dream about opening our own business.

Oh, and grad school? Grrrr.

So maybe the key to this whole "job" thing is not to try and fit myself into a job posting that I find on the world wide web (most of which never answer me back- WHAT'S WITH YOU JOB PEOPLE?) but rather to make up a job for myself that fits me perfectly. People have suggested this to me before and I quite like the idea, but am deterred by the fact that I have no money. Which is sad.

But really, isn't America about the (American) dream and the entrepreneurial spirit and being able to do whatever you want? Shouldn't any double-grad-school-educated person be able to open their own business? Even if it's a business that no one knows about? Even if it's to make food and plan parties for other people? Even if it means I could wear a frilly apron on a professional basis? Even if most of these businesses fail in 2 minutes?

I've always harbored a dream of being a wedding planner (sigh, J.Lo, sigh) and planning extravagant affairs that were like really big formals. Sarah could make the cakes! But probably not happening any time soon. But wouldn't it be nice to plan smaller, classy parties? With cocktails and small bites and cupcakes? Would you come?

So please hire me and my pretend business! Here are things that I could make for you:

Cupakes (duh), filled with jam and topped with a rosewater glaze
Cakes, in the French savory style- goat cheese and walnuts, asparagus and mozzarella, etc
Quiches of all sorts
Tartes, savory and sweet- nectarine and vanilla sugar, portabello and bacon and spinach, etc
Half-moon bites, filled with pesto or goat cheese or anything
Tartelettes, of all sorts
Many many mini-toasts for every taste under the sun
Kir, of course

I think that this is only the beginning of the list, though

Episode 13- Which hopefully is not an unlucky number

When the going gets tough and there's still no job on the horizon, why not make a savory tart?

And if you, like cupcake, cannot roll out a round pie crust to save your life, why not make a rustic savory tart?

These were my favorite during the thesis-writing period, because they are easy, fast and can be made without a lot of pricey groceries. Any combination of meat and vegetable and cheese will work, or it could go completely veggie. Buying cuts of meat and chopping them at home instead of using pre-ground saves money and lets you control exactly what goes in. Plus, you can buy whatever meat is on special! Let's use one of my favorite examples.

The "I just came back from Spain and I want to use some of this delicious smoked paprika" tart

1 pie crust (made with love at home or purchased if you are in France and can purchase a decent crust)
2 boneless pork chops (they don't have to be huge, the idea is to not use very much meat)
1 yellow onion
mild melty cheese, grated (I've used emmenthaler and comte)
a few teaspoons of aforementioned smokey paprika
salt and pepper

*Preheat your oven to 350, if you're the Fahrenheit type
*Cut the onion into quarters. In a food processor pulse into the onion is finely minced. Set aside.
*Cut the pork into several large pieces and chop in the food processor until the pieces are the approximate size of ground pork.
(Alternately you could just mince the pork and onion by hand, as long as the pieces are fairly small.)
*Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat, and when hot add the pork.
*When the pork starts to release some liquid throw in the onions. If the pork is too dry add a little olive oil so the onions don't stick.
*Cook the two together until the onions are soft and the pork is done but not dry (it'll cook a bit more in the oven).
*Add paprika, salt and pepper and stir to mix. Taste and re-season. Repeat until it's delicious.
*Roll out that pastry! (or unroll the store-bought from the box)
*Dump the pork-onion mixture into the middle, leaving about a 2 inch radius around the edges.
*Fold the bare sides of the pastry up onto the middle, creating the edge-crust. It will look like a rough circle unless you're perfect and then it will look like a perfect circle.
*Sprinkle with the cheese
*Put the whole thing into the oven until the crust is golden, the cheese is melted and it looks ready. It can take anywhere from 20-35 minutes.

This serves 3 easily, or 2 very hungry people (or boys)

Episode 12- where we talk about music...

... specifically this playlist, unremarkably titled "songs about g"

Amour du Sol- Yelle
Je chante en français, des années 80, je n’aime pas le passé, mais c’était quand même bien

Say Yes! To Michigan!- Sufjan Stevens
Yes Michigan, the feeling forever....

Clark Co. Record Fair- Saint Etienne
Only the best from the SE, from a stupidly hard-to-find album

Hey Eugene!- Pink Martini
For a long time, I told people that this song was about Eugene, Oregon. Fail.

Plasticities- Andrew Bird
Strangely enough, a huge inspiration for my MA thesis

That's Not my Name- The Ting Tings
I would like to be in this band.

L'Homme aux Bras Ballants- Yann Tiersen
Ready for a little waltz?

En Cendres- Emilie Simon
The percussion group I worked for collaborated with Emilie, and after they introduced me to her music I realized I was the last person in France to know who she was.

The World is a Disco Ball- Future Bible Heroes
As Matt would say, "Moses on guitar!"

Love Generation- Bob Sinclair
The (old) Star Academy song!

Those to Come- The Shins
The best Shins song, ever. For cupcakes.

Merry Happy- Kate Nash
Oh, Kate Nash. I listened to this cd straight through approximately 10 million times after buying it.

Episode 11- Taking stock of Tucson, or, get me away from here I'm dying

A wise cupcake once said that you can't go home again. But then another instructed to get back to where you once belonged. WHICH IS IT THEN CUPCAKE????

Sometimes the hardest thing is going home again, and realizing that it's not exactly what you had planned. Sometimes you can realize that nothing is ever going to change in this city and that the only thing that can change is you. And sometimes that means just picking up and getting out, as soon as you can.

Let's face it, this job market is no good, especially if your cupcake logic inspired you to get degrees in French, music, French, and Arts Management. And Tucson is mostly horrible for trying to job search in anything but science, health or missile stuff at Raytheon. Plans to leave by the beginning of September slowly fall apart and become October. So it is time for action! It is time to choose a city! And I choose you, Portland! (do you choose me too?)

So until further notice, all actions and energy will be directed towards getting cupcake and Ninja back to the Northwest. Will jobs be found? Will there be a scouting trip? Will this take time away from embroidery time? Actually, this is all just pretty confusing. Please choose me Portland! I love you!

Episode 10- Let's go to Mexico! (a letter to e)

Dear e,
So, it was just a cupcake birthday, which usually means "special food" (and this year it also means that I'm coming to see you in 2 days!). There was a lot of hemming and hawing going on around here, until I exclaimed, "I want to go to that restaurant in Nogales that everyone talks about and that we've never been to because I've only been to Mexico once!" That's right kids, Nogales, Mexico. And although it may seem like a vague description (notice that I didn't even know the name of the place), there really is a restaurant right across the border that everyone talks about. The part about me only having been to Mexico once is sadly also true. Worse: never been to the Grand Canyon.

So, without a care in the world (except for when I thought my skirt was too short), we headed southward from the Old Pueblo towards our destination. We had good information that the key was to park on the US side of the border (at a McDonalds) and walk across. Shady? Well, sort of, but not really. Walking across the border into Mexico was ridiculously easy. Not easy was seeing that stupid wall, but that's a whole different story. We walked around a little, then started to look for the restaurant. Clue: the restaurant, La Roca, has huge magnolia trees in front of it. Bigger clue: the restaurant is built into a cliff. Behold:


That huge iron bird in the window was a little scary, but we kept going. You know that feeling when you've reserved a table and then arrive at the place only to find out that you had absolutely no need to reserve? Yeah, that was us. But it did get us a prime seat by the window, looking over at this:


For anyone who thinks Mexico is all fiesta and pinatas, welcome to Mexico. La Roca has a very Spanish colonial feel, probably due to the huge Spanish colonial influence in the area. The waiters all wear white jackets, which is also pretty awesome. Once again, the cliff wall:


Then, problems arose. We were presented with this:


How do you choose? One of everything? Two of everything? Make friends with the table next to you? Also, I have to congratulate myself on the blurry photo before I had really even made a dent in my (ahem, first) margarita. I'm pretty sure you would die just reading the choices. And thinking about how delicious they'd be. And I wish you'd been there to eat this:


Ok, so chips and salsa aren't too orignal, or even authentic, but they were good. I really meant that I wish you'd been there to eat this:


Queso la Roca. Melted cheese (I'm guessing cotijo?), like a queso fundido, but with thinly fried potatoes (almost chips), cilantro and salsa verde. If man could live on cheese and potatoes alone, I would eat this every day. And probably have really high cholesteral. I know that you're a guacamole fan, so e, this guacs for you:

We alternated eating it with the tortilla chips and the fresh tortillas they brought to the table. Sorry. But we were only getting started! (also on the margaritas)

La Roca is known for its seafood, and Dad said his sea bass, or cabrillo was excellent. What am I talking about, I tried it, it was excellent. Mom's chicken mole was to die for, but the picture wasn't. Apparently you can also get really good shrimp around there, so I decided to test the waters (ahahahahaha, I'm so punny).

Shrimp la Roca was huge shrimp envelopped between jalepenos and onions and then BATHED IN CHEESE. I loved it even after I ate a half jalepeno that I didn't realize still had the seeds. That is why margaritas were invented.

Unfortunately, I "forgot" to take pictures of my surprise birthday flan and the singing that accompanied it (with a guitar!). I don't even like flan, but this particular diversion had me at hello with its carmelness. I know, all flans taste like caramel. But this flan, it was special. It was my flan. Sadly, the night had to end, and we had to leave la Roca to walk back across the border (this time they checked our passports) and drive back to little old Tucson. Sigh.

So that's the trip to Mexico. I'm pretty sure you would have loved it, and also been slightly freaked out by the giant bird. But for the first time in years I get to say, I'll see you in a few days! Don't worry, I won't forget the tortillas.

Love, g

Episode 9- Waxing poetically about Breton seafood...

...with pictures
Ooooh

Ahhhhh

Ahhhhhh

I mean come on, Arizona has no ocean. For the best seafood, Cupcakes recommend traveling to Bretagne and eating any of the above- lobsters (served cool, with homemade mayonnaise), crab claws (same way) or mackerel (grilled on a plancha and served with lemon). The views help too. And the wine. And the French. Oh France, I'm so not over you yet.

Episode 8- Which is really just dinner from yesterday

Dinner for Sarah means French dinner! Ahem...

Tartelettes aux champignons, echalottes et poireaux (Mushroom, shallot and leek tartlets)

Parmentier du porc aux figues et miel et polenta (Polenta layered with roast pork and figs in a honey balsamic sauce)

Granite du cafe, creme chantilly a la canelle (Coffee granita with cinammon whipped cream)

Cupcake says, 2 thumbs up! The first two recipes come from two lovely Marabout editions- Tartes and Parmentiers. They arrived, finally, in the boxes from France along with many other cookbooks and other treasures. It looks like most things made it, but claims still have to be made with one of the two postal services for the things that were broken. After worries that the Oregon diploma was lost (it's already traveled across the ocean once!), there it was, nestled in its case. It's currently living at the framing place, awaiting its future home surrounded by mats and a frame. Then the world can delight in my Masterness, part 1! Ahahahaha.

Episode 7- Thank you Barack Obama

"America, we are better than these last eight years."

Yes we are.

Episode 6- In which cupcakes support the arts

Now, anyone who is a friend or acquaintance of this cupcake knows how much I care about arts education. It is one of my biggest passions, and something I hold very close to my heart. The arts are for everyone. They should not be only for those who can afford expensive class fees or visits, or those who live in areas with a high density of arts offerings. No, the arts belong to all of us, and the younger we start the better it is. They round out a complete liberal education, and should not be cut just because schools are aiming to perform higher on standardized tests or because budgets are low. This could go on forever, so I'll just get to the point. Americans for the Arts, a great national arts advocacy organization, produced these incredible tv spots. Please watch. And laugh! Because children screaming Johannes Brahms! around the breakfast table is funny. Real funny.








Both are produced by Americans for the Arts and the Ad Council. Thank you Americans for the Arts.

Episode 5- Pastries cupcakes like

Let's talk about butter. Cupcakes love butter. And are often largely composed of it. But butter, our friend, also plays a part in many other lovely things in life. One of those is Kouign Amman.


Kouign Amman, a Breton specialty, is composed of butter, bread dough, butter, sugar and butter. Oh, and maybe some more butter. During the baking process the sugar caramelizes, making a chewy crunchy top. Some of us may or may not have eaten our weight in this during our recent trip to Bretagne. Good thing the same trip included a lot of walking. Kouign Amman is sort of like crack- it is addicting and a hard habit to break. I STILL HAVEN'T GIVEN YOU UP KOUIGN AMMAN. It would be an easier habit to keep up if cupcakes were better at making bread dough. But you know, we cope. We mostly cope by eating other things made out of butter. Like,


You know, butter, it's what's for breakfast. As it should be. (Side note- even though you may think it to be true, not every croissant in France is good. But they all have butter) Sometimes we liked to take croissants to yet another level and slather them in butter enriched with sea salt crystals. That's right, sea salt crystal butter. It's every bit as fantastic as it sounds. Is it available in America? This butter, delicious in its own right, also makes a mighty fine pie crust. Actually, it can be used for just about anything. Maybe even to put an end to war and pollution. Look into that Obama, please.

This would be a good place for a recipe, but this cupcake doesn't know how to make Kouign Amman or croissants. What am I supposed to do, put up a recipe for how to slather butter on bread? Actually...

Breakfast
Take one baguette. Still warm. Cut of piece of said baguette. Cut piece in half. Cover knife in sea salt crystal butter. Transfer butter to baguette. Transfer baguette to mouth. Enjoy.

Episode 4- A lovely French music video

Giant. Dancing. Appliances.

From last year. Not the 80s. Cupcakes support Yelle for President. Of France.

Episode 3- In which the cupcake makes Cosmos

Cupcakes, like most other people/pastries, enjoy a delicious cocktail. And seriously, the only thing better than a delicious cocktail is a delicious pink cocktail (see also: delicious purple lavender martinis only available in Portland, Oregon). The ur-cocktail of the pink lineage has to be a Cosmopolitan, made even more famous by its frequent guest-star roles on Sex and the City. Frankly (franchement), if this cupcake could bathe in cosmos, she would. France marked a dry-spell in the Cosmo department. And even if France has so many other things (wine, Chartreuse, Chambord, other things of the non-alcoholic variety), it does not really have that same fondness for Cosmos. And that, France, is why we are broken-up. Just kidding, I love you.

All this being said, one thing is evident: cupcake in US= obligatory consumption of cosmopolitans. How convenient that BevMo had even supplied the cupcake household with berry vodka. Nice Bevmo, nice. However the shaker gods/stars were not aligned, and the deliciousness had to be made in a make-shift shaker (not that shaking drinks in a glass with tin foil over the top is make-shift...) And they were still DELICIOUS.

Now you shall make your own....

Cupcake's Favorite Cosmos (from Shag's "Around the World in 80 Drinks")

1.5 ounces vodka (regular or "special", although this blog claims no responsibility for injuries incurred if you try chile vodka)
.5 ounces Triple Sec, Cointreau or Grand Marnier (to be determined by budget)
1 ounce cranberry juice
.5 ounces lime juice (or just squeeze some into the shaker)

Add all elements to an ice-filled shaker. Shake. Strain into classy glass. Enjoy.

Episode 2- In which we muse about foie gras

Oh foie gras, how I love thee. I know that many many people think that you are inhumane, and that you have been illegal in places. But I'd like to put that all aside and talk about how much I love you. With pain d'epices. In ice cream form. On Christmas Eve. On special occasions. Anytime.

Due to recent relocation to America, I think that I'll be on a foie-gras-free diet for a while. Unless you have any...

Episode 1- An alcohol Haiku

Oh, America
And your microbreweries
I miss Carrefour wine

Projet culturel

I found out today that the project I've been coordinating at work is going to be one of the main and thus most-advertised projects in the region for the Journées du Patrimoine.  This weekend of cultural heritage events is one of the biggest times for people to get out and go to museums, visit places that aren't usually open to the public (like government buildings or privately-owned places), and do other things that they basically ignore all year.  We had always planned the project for presentation in the six regional parks that weekend, but then the regional branch of the Ministère de la Culture (la DRAC) stepped in and mentioned that they'd like to feature it heavily in their documentation.  I'm so excited- everyone throughout the parks and the collective has been working so hard to make this project work, and it's going to reach so many people now.  I'm working on a press kit now, and seriously, I get to put pictures of the churches and CASTLES where the cinema concerts will be performed in it. And really, who doesn't want to go to a concert in a CASTLE? 

Sarah's blog

For everyone to read...

My CSA adventures

Go now!

Fluffer nutter cupcakes, or feeding peanut butter to the French

This is a special dedication to the wonderful E, one of the best people you could ever hope to meet, who I was lucky enough to go to college with.  E has become not only one of my favorite experts on sociology (I would turn to her over Bordieu any day) but also one of the best chefs I know, as evidenced by the lovely Foodaphilia.  (This is a side note, but it's funny- our senior year we lived across the hall from each other (I know, in the dorms!) and since people called me G and her E, and there was a window in between our rooms, we seriously considered putting a F on the window.  End side note) 

Anyways,  she went to Philly to get a doctorate in Sociology, I went to Eugene and then came here, and long story short we haven't seen each other or cooked together AGES. Really, oodles and oodles of time.  Mega oodles.  So we've talked about, but never gotten around to finishing, a "thing" where we cook the same thing, but in our separate places of residence on opposite sides of the ocean (far far away).  A little while ago, though, E told me that I should make her famous fluffer-nutter cake, yes, based on that sandwich, and then give it to French people and see what happened.  I took this as a DARE. 

This presented several challenges which I will now list-

I've never eaten a fluffer-nutter sandwich

I don't own a cake pan (here)

Access to marshmallow fluff and peanut butter is rather slim and expensive

I might kill some French people in the process from sugar overdoses

Ok, though, I had to at least try. It was a dare! So I decided to make cupcakes instead, to try and limit the sugar and make up for the lack of cake pan. Then I had to assemble the ingredients. Did you know that this fakey American store in Lyon sells marshmallow fluff but that it is over FOUR EUROS for a jar? I knocked that one off the list. I was left with this... 

I made a basic yellow cupcake and E's peanut butter frosting (cutting down on the sugar a little), but was then left with the problem of what to do with the marshmallows.  I wanted them to be a surprise, so on top was out.  Making sandwiches seemed like a one-way trip to a mess.  So I finally decided to cut a hole in the cupcakes, then stuff marshmallow in, stuff the top back on, and try to cover it up with frosting.

I had a lot of cupcakes left over (I wasn't going to make a zillion of these cupcakes, just in case), so I jammed them. I mean I basically did the same thing as with the marshmallows, but with raspberry jam, some with a rose water glaze. Then I served them to a friend's family. They seemed happy. Also, that's my law final under the cupcakes. 10 points if you can answer a question!

I luckily had a captive audience to try these cupcakes- my coworkers.  I expected revolt, but it actually went ok.  Jérôme ate 3. But it was sugar-overload, and some people wouldn't touch them because of the peanut butter. I ate one, and enjoyed it, but then felt like I might get a cavity.  But it could also be the ingredients, since I find marshmallows less sweet in the states.

This is the original recipe from E.    

I can't wait to cook with E for real, but until then maybe she'd like to tackle pig's feet?

Sunny pont days...

... should not be for writing inside.  But writers beware!  Taking a macbookpro out on your sunny balcony with the intention of writing (sigh, only a little more than a page) could cause the metal to become HOT thus causing discomfort on your bare legs and difficulty reading the screen. That means it's time to go back inside.  

On the subject of writing, I'm finding it harder and harder to write this piece in the order in which it will be presented.  I keep wanting to jump to another part instead of write about the history of the Arfi, for example.  But yes, it will be easier if I just stick to this outline (it was approved twice, after all) and keep going! 

Luckily I inherited this taste for cultural geography.  If not I would be rather dans la merde right now.

Aix en Provence

Lazy Sunday morning, sitting at a café Rue d'Italie where there were other people by themselves.  Grand crème, wind blowing leaves onto the tables, smell of roasting chickens from across the street.

This is the part of France that is going to be hard to leave behind.

An introduction to a mémoire...

... is better than no mémoire at all.  But it's a long journey to those 80-90 pages.

I've decided to (try to) turn it in for the first session in June, since the second is in September and I won't be here. But that leaves, oh, 6 weeks.  I've done most of the reading, but since the project I'm coordinating is in progress I have this nagging feeling that I'm going to be changing a lot of text as I go.

This is the point where I realize that amounts of sleep are going to be low for May.

Tonight on the American cooking hour...

Eggs Benedict and strawberry shortcake from my cherished Better Homes and Gardens retro cookbook, handed down by Mom.  We did cheat and use hollandaise from a mix, but only because after 9 hours of work I did not think I was primed to take my first stab at hollandaise.  Rachelle poached the eggs, since I was too afraid.  I still don't have too much of an appetite though, after being sick.

This conversation then followed...

Gina: We should totally go on Pekin Express.

Rachelle: Especially if they took it to the US- we would win!

Gina: I know! They'd never know what hit them.

Rachelle: You know that you'd have to wear pants and sneakers though.  No skirts.

Gina: What about leggings?

Rachelle: No.

Gina: I don't think I'd be very good at this after all.

Childhood tv...

On Youtube?  No, really.  Rachelle and I got talking about all the PBS shows we watched when we were kids (even though she swore she didn't watch PBS- how is that possible????) while we were at a hippy-type bar (hey, it's 2 minutes from my apartment) on St. Patrick's day, with no green beer.  Because who could forget the Voyage of the Mimi or Ghostwriter?  And now my childhood, including Square One and 3-2-1 Contact! is available on Youtube, making reminiscing that much easier. I'm not going to pretend that I didn't sing along, because you know I did...

This one is worth it for the music alone

kitten...

Ninja is a textin' fool!

Still being sick is...

...hard when you're supposed to be working

...rather annoying in general

...wanting to stay in bed all the time

...wishing I didn't have lessons to give tomorrow morning.

Gina to Gege, at office..

"Yeah, sometimes I like to pretend I'm Alice in Wonderland when I'm sitting here..."

I do have a very big chair.

It also rolls very easily, so if I sit down in it with too much force, I roll into things, like my desk, or the always-ready-to-tip-over bookcase behind me.  I also think the office floor is slanted. 

Side note...

The granier cheese, from the Chartreuse, was worth the walk across town in the snow.  Ok, so the walk across town was 5 minutes, but still...

Fake spring

And then it was winter again...

brioche blunder?

It is not unknown that I'm not a fan of brioche.  I try and try, but something about it just keeps me away (except saucission brioche, but that is an entire different game).  So is it wrong that I like the sliced brioche sold in packs at the grocery store? (like sliced bread...)  

Don't worry, I haven't fallen of the baguette train.  It's just this brioche problem...

Little bunny foo foo...

would probably not have eaten lamb.  But it's Easter, and it's France, so it's practically a law here. I used this recipe, Bon Appetit sourced through Epicurious.com.

There's really nothing special about the way you cook the lamb, but the sauce is incredible.  I feel like I want to eat it on everything now. Maybe even ice cream. Or not.

I halved the sauce recipe and it still was more than enough for one.  I also had no cardamom, and forgot to buy parsley, so that went out, and didn't pour the drippings out of the pan before making the sauce...  I swear, I tried to follow the recipe to the letter, it just didn't work out that way...

this is what Epicurious says to do to make Lamb chops with dried cherries and port

Go to the store and buy...

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 4-5 ounce lamb chops

1/3 cup chopped shallots

3/4 cup ruby Port (yum!)

1/2 cup low salt chicken broth

1/2 cup dried tart cherries (mine were from a Mejer trip in Indiana last year!)

3 tablespoons cherry jam

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (finished the bottle, need to remember to buy more...)

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (if, you know, you remember it...)

chopped fresh mint or parsley (again with the remembering...)

*Heat oil over medium-high heat.

*Season the lamb with salt and pepper and cook to desired doneness.

*Take the lamb out of the pan, add the shallots and saute for about a minute.

*Add the rest of the ingredients, except the mint or parsley, and simmer until the cherries plump and the liquid is syrupy (mmmm, syrupy...).

*Spoon sauce over lamb and sprinkle with mint or parsley (actually, spoon the sauce over everything and then take a bath in it)

If you're still hungry...

...try these

Tomato and onion salad with almond emulsion, Jose Maria, Segovia

Roast suckling pig, cut with a plate, Jose Maria, Segovia

Cafe con leche, Segovia

If you wanted to eat in Spain...

...these would be some ideas


morcilla at Casa Alberto


Roasted eggplant baked with a ham and shrimp cream sauce, Domine Cabra


Confit de canard, Domine Cabra


Chocolate con churros, San Gines


Vermouth on tap, Jose Maria, Segovia

If you're having an apero...

...some ideas (mostly for mom)

*pesto and mozzarella tartelettes (if you don't have tartelette pans you can use a cupcake tin!)- par-bake the crust till it's golden (which you can do ahead), then cover the bottom with pesto and a slice or two of fresh mozzarella. Put them back in the oven to melt the cheese.

*pain d'epices toasts with chevre and honey. Cut your pain d'epices into triangles, put a slice of chevre on each, and toast for a few minutes in the oven. Drizzle with honey.

*And from one of my most favorite cookbooks, Concentre de delices, toast slices of baguette, then rub them with a clove of garlic when they come out of the oven. Sprinkle chopped shallots over them, then drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and basil (fresh if you have it, dried if you don't). Top each off with a slice of sausisson sec.

There are no pictures, we ate too quickly!

Of varying importance...

To note-
Ginger ale with Jamaican ginger can be found in one of the large Chinese grocery stores in Lyon (the store with the nicer staff but lesser-quality pork steam buns).
Turner Classic Movies always has the VO.
Starbucks in Lyon is only crowded in the late afternoon, and almost deserted in the morning.

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mise a jour

gina likes...
cupcakes
minimalism
grey and black and purple
champagne
petits fours
kitten ninja
orange blossom and fig
silver jewelry
markets
stuffed robots
poppies
daffodils
d&co
collecting shoes
macbookpro
leggings
cookbooks

Nouvel an, nouvelle vie?

This is what I would like to do in 2008

*Make decisions based on what is best for me
*Be true to myself
*Be true to my friends
*Sort out what I really want to do
*Find a job (finally) that will make me happy in a place that will make me happy
*Strengthen the relationships I already have and meet new people
*Take care of myself
*Be happy
*Accept life changes as part of life

and also...
*Write a very long thing in French
*Take up music again
*Figure out what the people who work across the street do
*Read a lot, and not only for the memoire
*Convince Ninja that clawing is not nice
*Try at least one new recipe a week
*Wash my face every night, even if I'm tired