Girl et Galette

Once again, it’s been awhile. I promise not to make these long absences a habit, though I doubt anyone notices besides my mom! I have good reason for not writing though: I spent 3 weeks at home in sunny San Diego, California. You may be thinking “Psh, so what? You have plenty of time to write when you’re hanging out, unemployed, in a place where the only thing to do is chill out on the beach.” However, I wasn’t necessarily spending my days lazing by the Pacific, cultivating an epic tan as I had imagined I would be doing prior to the trip. The itinerary went as followed: prepare for massive party at parents house for the wedding of a friend of the family, have said party, go to said wedding, party for brother’s birthday, lunch and dinner for brother’s birthday the following day, go to LA to get visa for France and catch up with friends,  sister’s  baby shower, sister’s birthday, and generally trying to see all of my friends (some of whom I haven’t seen in almost a year) and spend time as much time as possible with them and with my family. I think I went to the beach once, hung out by the pool a few times, but mostly it was running around from place to place. I can’t complain though as all of the aforementioned events were so much fun, and I spent so much amazing time with my friends and family. I also got a massage, a manicure and pedicure, and ate Mexican food almost everyday. Hollah! So, poor me, I was just too busy being on vacation to update my blog! Life is so hard.

Some culinary highlights of the trip home: First and foremost, Mexican food! I started off the trip on the right foot by going to Mama Testa’s in Downtown San Diego immediately. This place has amazing everything, which is a feat considering that most Mexican food restaurants usually have just a small arsenal of specialties that they are known for. And, they have the most epic salsa bar ever imagined. I shared steak and pork soft tacos and taquitos with 2 other people, and it was the perfect welcome home meal. Throughout the trip I also indulged in spicy Mexican chicken soup with avocado, chili rellenos, enchiladas, tamales and endless corn tortilla chips dipped greedily and desperately into guacamole and salsa. Oh, and there was also a fish taco bar. Endless fish tacos? Yes, please! Gracias.

Besides Mexican food, San Diego is also known for its’ good seafood restaurants. And there are more and more of them all the time! Since the last time I was home over 8 months ago, 2 new fish restaurants have popped up right by my parent’s house. Good thing they’re within walking distance as they both have really good happy hours with cheap local beer and sake. At one of the restaurants, Fish 101, they have amazing happy hour oysters. Oh, des huitres! Comme je vous aime, mes chères.

At the other restaurant, HapiFish (stupid name, but amazing happy hour and good sushi) the sake was so cheap it almost seemed they were paying me to drink it. Lord how I missed it sushi! While it’s possible to find very good sushi here in France, it is astronomically priced. So I definitely relished the hamachi and tatake sashimi, hand rolls of all variations and ahi tuna in any form while I was there. Speaking of ahi, my brother made the most succulent, unimaginably delicious seared ahi I’ve ever had, and I’ve had quite a few of them. It was a massive piece of fish (pictured below, on the right) which he marinated in a mixture of shoyu, fresh orange and lemon juices, garlic and ginger. He then reduced the marinade to make it a thick, spicy, and somewhat addictive sauce for the fish. 

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate Cake by Chocolate and Zucchini

As far as savory food goes, I pretty much oscillated between Mexican food and seafood. But there was also a lot of baking involved in this trip as there were many birthdays, celebrations and barbeques. However, only a few deserts were captured by the camera before they were devoured. I was happy with every singe recipe I made, and I highly recommend them all! Particularly the Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chocolate Cake. I’ve made this many times now and it always receives rave reviews. It is incredibly dense and it literally does melt in your mouth. It’s perfect with a refreshing scoop of vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche.

Banana Cream Pie by Martha Stewart

The Banana Cream Pie was fresh and light and was also a crowd pleaser. I’d been craving it for ages, but for some reason I don’t ever buy bananas in France. They usually come packed in a plastic bag, and something about it makes me more aware of how far away. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer. I normally try to buy local and organic produce, but for some reason my Banana Cream Pie craving was strong enough to break my moral compass. Note: make sure you chill this one for quite awhile. I didn’t give it enough time in the fridge before serving and the result was sloppy, delicious banana cream goo.

Peanut-Butter-Swirl Brownies by Martha Stewart

On a happy note, the Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies were almost too decadent. A little bit of these guys goes a long way, and it goes a lot further with a glass of ice-cold milk. Eating them late one night made me feel like a little girl again. My one complaint about the recipe is I felt there was too much peanut butter and not enough chocolate, and as you can see from the photo I had difficulty with the swirl aspect of the recipe. But it was still absolutely delicious and I will definitely make them again, though perhaps with a tweak or two.

But of course I did more than eat while I was home! I also spent a lot of much needed time catching up with friends and family. Voici, some photos of the festivities.

As I have so many people whom I love in the United States, it gets harder and harder to come back to France each time. But how can I not come back to the land of galettes for at least one more round as a prof d’anglais? Yup, it’s official. My contract is signed, my visa is stamped, and I am back in Rennes until at least next summer. And after that? On verra….

In the meantime, while I’m over here figuring it all out, here are some photos of San Diego to make me feel a bit closer.

My kind of video…made entirely out of chocolate. Too cute. Enjoy.

It’s been awhile. I guess that I’ve been in the summer spirit, lazing about and not doing anything productive at all (unless sleeping in and eating a lot is considered productive?). The French take the summer holiday very seriously indeed, and I want to conform to the society here of course, so really I have no choice! In France, everyone takes at least 2 weeks off work during summer, but more commonly people take a whole month off. I’m going the extra mile: I’ll be unemployed for approximately 6 weeks (I’m not proud of it, but I’ve decided to make the best of it!). My holiday started about 2 weeks ago. Here’s what I’ve used the time for so far.

My CM2 kids making volcanoes on our last science class together

1. Fêter de la fin de l’année scolaire (celebrating the end of the school year):  2 weeks ago saw me saying au revoir to my students. In general, the last week at school was full of games, fun, performances, and sweets and cakes galore. It was a welcome change after the few weeks leading up to it, which were full of exams and grading and hustling around to tie up all the loose ends. However, it wasn’t all fun and games: there were also some sad goodbyes. As they say, all good times must come to an end. Luckily in this case, the good times will resume again in the fall. Sadly though, some of my students are moving away and many graduated from Primary School this year and are off to middle school. They seem too young and innocent for the pain, drama and torture that is middle school and adolescence! But, they’ll be moving on, and so must I. The CM2 class said their goodbyes by barging into my classroom, piling on top of me, and showering me with hugs and bises (kisses). I felt like one of the Jonas brothers: they were all trying to touch me, hug me, kiss me, and in the fray I was pulled around like a rag doll. Once they had gotten their fill, they slowly filed out of the room, most of them leaving me with poems, drawings or cards. I particularly appreciated this acrostic poem:

Okay so they spelled my name wrong, but I love the sentiment.

The rolling, vine covered hills of Champagne

2. A weekend in Champagne with old friends. No pun intended when I say old friends, but they are quite a bit older than me. In fact, they’re older than my parents. At the end of my study abroad experience 4 years ago I visited Egypt, and that is where I met Michel and Annick. It was me and my American friend Emily and 40 French people on a guided tour. Michel and Annick took us under their wing, making sure we understood what the guide was telling us in his thick Egyptian accent. Ever since that trip, we’ve kept in touch through email and sporadic phone calls, and I’ve now met up with them in San Francisco, Brittany and most recently, Champagne.

The grapes a growin'. These are from the plot that Michel and Annick own.

Michel and Annick enjoying the view over the Valley de la Meuse

They welcomed me into their homes (yes, 2) in the Champagne and Ardenne regions. They gave me a tour of the 2 beautiful regions, and even showed me a bit of Belgium (they live right on the border of France and Belgium), all the while feeding me glorious food and giving me glasses of the Champagne made from their very own grapes. I especially enjoyed the opportunity to stay with a French speaking family as I made the mistake of not living with a French host family when I was a student. At the end of 3 days I had been immersed in French so thoroughly that I was even dreaming in French.

A quaint town on the French-Belgian border

Usually when I dream in French it is a very negative experience. In my dreams I am anxiously trying to convey something in broken French, painfully aware of the mistakes I am making (they say dream reflect reality, and this is proof). However, this dream was different from the norm. It goes as follows: I am in my hometown, at a party with all of my closest friends and lot of people from high school who I haven’t seen in years. I’m speaking rapid-fire French with another girl, while all of my friends are looking on and applauding me and my amazing French-speaking skills. Eh, a girl can dream, right?

The Cathedrale of Reims, reflected in a modern building

The weekend went too quickly, and soon enough I was hustling through the Paris metro system on a busy Sunday afternoon to make my connecting train back to Rennes. I whiled away the ride home by reliving memories of the beautiful new places I had discovered thanks to my very generous friends, and wondering how there are so many Americans that think the French to be rude and inhospitable. Anyways, all in all is was not a bad way to start les vacances. Alors, merci bien Michel et Annick pour votre hospitalité!

3. Lazy days in the countryside. Since my trip to Champagne I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the tranquil countryside of Morbihan, about 2 hours southwest of Rennes. I absolutely love the French countryside. As most of my time in the countryside is generally spent cooking, relaxing, walking in the woods and knitting by a fire there isn’t much to say, so I will let some images of the beautiful rural landscapes do the talking:

4. One of the most amazing meals ever: My very lovely boyfriend treated me to an amazing meal at a restaurant near his home. This place has extremely high quality food that could rival the haute cuisine of many city restaurants, but for country prices.

Entrée: Rilette de poisson fumée (Paté of smoked fish)

Plat principal: Truite Merlandaise avec Crème d'Andouille

Crumble avec crème de vanille et de la glace pistache

5. Anticipating my trip home to San Diego. Mexican food, here I come. Tacos, taquitos, burritos beware…I’m coming for you. But more important than the reunion with my beloved Mexican food, is the one with my family and best friends. How lucky am I that during my 3 week return to California I will see my whole family and all of my closest friends? 6 days and counting…

I think you all know the éclair. It is after all one of France’s most renowned creations, right behind champagne and the guillotine. But, just in case you’ve been living under a pastry-deprived rock, the éclair is an oblong shaped pastry made with pâte à choux (choux pastry – the same that is used for cream puffs) and is usually filled with either crème pâtissière (the same thing used in pépitos), simple whipped cream or custard and then topped with either a ganache glaze or fondant icing. They are generally available in chocolate or coffee flavor, but the possibilities are endless if you decide to make it chez vous.  I found a blog that has a great guide to making éclairs, and the pâte à choux recipe listed is by my favorite David Lebovitz.

The Eiffel Tower and the Seine

I lived in Paris 5 years ago as a student. One glorious semester of wandering the tirelessly fascinating streets, frequenting the array of wonderful museums, munching on a rainbow of macarons, and generally soaking up the sights of the beautiful grey and blue city. I left the US for Paris as an anxious, semi-depressed bundle of uncertainty, and I emerged 4 months later: calmer, worldlier, relaxed and healthier. It sounds silly to say, but in a lot of ways Paris fixed me, and because of that it will always be one of my favorite corners of the world. So, why is it that I have been living in France for 8 months and have yet to go back to Paris? I’m the last person that could tell you. I’ve been wanting to go back for ages, but life intervened. And then, my good friend from high school (who is living in Brazil) announced she would be doing a bit of a European tour on her way to a wedding in England. Finally! After far too long I was able to see 2 old friends, Melina and Paris.

Organic covered market at Boulevard Raspail

I arrived in Paris a few hours before my friend, so I headed straight from my train to the covered organic market on Boulevard Raspail in the 6th arrondissement. I spent almost 2 hours wandering up and down the stalls, trying to decide what exactly I was in the mood for. This is a difficult feat when everything looks so delicious! I was apparently in the mood for chickpea galettes, honey, homemade jam, and a whole array of cheese, all at once. After much deliberation I finally decided to keep it simple (and cheap) with bread, goat cheese, tomatoes and apricots. I headed to the nearby Jardin du Luxembourg to enjoy my finds. The sun was out, but the cool breeze prevented any sticky discomfort. Amidst a swirl of huffing and puffing runners, intense tennis duels, lazy Sunday strollers, and families sailing boats in the massive fountain, I found an empty bench, busted out my swiss army knife and got to work devouring my treasures.

Street art in La Butte-Aux-Cailles quarter

Afterwards, I strolled from the 6th to the 13th arrondissement and found myself in the Butte-aux-Cailles, a hip and trendy quarter that feels distinctly different from the rest of Paris as it was only incorporated into the city in the late 1800’s. It was great to explore this area because it had somehow escaped my notice when I was living there. This was just the beginning of a day that was to be full of surprises and new discoveries.

Later that afternoon, I met up with my friend Melina and her friend Priya and we strolled through some of my favorite old stomping grounds: Saint-Germain and Saint-Michel (also known as the Latin Quarter). These quarters are both full of adorable cafes, quaint store-fronts, and narrow, winding cobblestone streets. One alleyway leads to a centuries-old Cathedral, while the next is clamoring with shoppers frequenting some of the oldest and most renowned shops in the world, such as Shakespeare and Company bookstore and Mariage Frères tea house.

Enjoying my long-desire gelato in the Latin Quarter

You can actually feel the history emanating from the stone walls and streets. But most importantly, the Latin Quarter is home to Amorino, one of the most amazing gelato shops I’ve ever encountered. While Paris is chock-full of delicious gelato, Rennes is depressingly void of it, and I’ve been having serious withdrawals! I ordered pistachio and salted butter caramel (my all-time favorite!). It was worth the wait.

Friends on a boatLes péniches (barges) along the Seine

Next, we hopped on the metro to head over to the Northern part of the city. Another area where I hadn’t spent much time, this part of town is mostly residential and is split in two by the Saint-Martin canal. It was on the canal that we passed our night: invited last-minute by yet another friend of my friend to join in on an Armenian feast hosted on one of the many barges parked along the canal. These barges, called péniches in French, are house boats of a sort that often function not only as homes, but also as cultural center, restaurants and bars. Our hosts welcomed us, even though we were strangers, and proved to be so kind and generous that it left me buoyed with faith in the human race. After a feast of dolmas, hummus, guacamole, baba ganoush and many other delightful treats, we danced our food bellies off and then headed to the deck to enjoy the warm breeze and the view of the lights reflected on the canal. It was such an amazing night, one which none of us could have envisioned or predicted. But, eventually the call of the closing metro lulled us back to our hostel and into bed.

Some of the goodies at one of the many Yiddish bakeries

The next day we lazily strolled along the Champs Elysée (if that’s possible with the swarms of people buzzing around) and then headed to my favorite part of the city: the Marais. The Marais is a well-preserved quarter that has gone through some drastic cultural makeovers throughout the centuries. The ancient place des Vosges was where the Parisien nobility dwelled during the 17th century,  then it became a predominantly Jewish quarter during the 19th century and today is known as the gay neighborhood. The result is a melange of Yiddish bakeries and falafel houses, crammed and musty thrift stores, haute-courture shopping and chic bars and cafes.  I was more than content to pass the rest of my last day perusing the sights of the Marais with 2 friends who were seeing it through fresh eyes.

Rue des Rosiers, one of the most famous street in the Marais

And guess what else is in the Marais? Amorino gelato. We sat on a planter in a beautiful courtyard and enjoyed yet another cone (this time I chose hazelnut, walnut and dark chocolate). Sadly, I finished my last bit of gelato, bid my friend adieu, and headed down the stairs to the metro station. For one reason or another, the line I needed to take to get to the train station was blocked, so I had to sprint to a different line, then connect to another, arriving 5 minutes before my train was to depart, suffering from a wicked gelato-induced stitch. I took my seat, sweaty and red, glanced at my neighbor and we both chuckled. “Ligne 4?” she asked, also sweaty and out of breath. “Oui” I nodded. “C’est Paris, n’est-ce pas?” She smiled and did one of those infamous French shrugs. Yes, that’s Paris. Crowded, stressful, but so living and steeped in culture, history and vibrance. It can be cranky, it can be confusing and absolutely infuriating. Mostly though, it’s just completely wonderful. I’m going back the next chance I get!

The pépito is a new discovery of mine. I had heard a friend mention them before and only remember thinking what a strange name it was for a French pastry. I finally tried one recently and can happily report that there is much more to this pastry than a funny name. The pépito is a magical combination of pastry dough and small bits of chocolate all cemented together lovingly with crème pâtissière (pastry cream). They usually resemble pain au chocolat in shape and size, but as you can see from the picture above the one that I recently enjoyed looked more like a cinnamon roll.

If you want to try pépito chez vous, here’s a recipe.

Check out this amazing video. Am I weird that I consider this to be one of the most inspirational things that I’ve seen in a long time?

Photos by Clemens Poloczek