While the past week has been on the cool, cloudy, rainy side, more leaves are popping out on the trees and the anticipation of spring is in the air. An added plus - as I'm walking to the metro stop, Breguet-Sabin, I'm enjoying a marvelous fragrance from some bushes that are blossoming with tiny white flowers - c'est merveilleux!
French class and baking have been my two major activities. Last weekend I baked three different gateaux au chocolat, one a chocolate pound cake, one a Pain de Genes au chocolat and one a Gateau au chocolat Grand-Mere. All three recipes are from the Dorie Greenspan book Paris Sweets, as I continue my project of making all the recipes in that book. I went to my friend Misato's apartment Sunday evening for un petit fete with some of her friends and brought parts of two of the cakes. Everyone seemed to enjoy them immensely. Then on Monday I brought all three for my French classmates to enjoy and enjoy they did! The favorite was the gateau au chocolat Grand-Mere which is a dense, fudgey cake and very delicious. I have part of that cake in my freezer so Steve can enjoy it when he arrives the end of this week - what a lucky guy!
My baking proceeded apace through the week with a cake orange, a simple sable cookie, and an almond pastry that I made with my quick puff pastry and some creme d'amandes. Again I offered all three to my classmates who, by this time, were already salivating when I arrived that morning. My teacher commented that the cake was the best she had ever tasted, and she loved the shortbread. It is so absolutely satisfying for me to bake something, offer it to someone, and have them enjoy it right before my very eyes.
Part of my Paris Sweets project is to go to the various pastry shops from whence all the recipes in the book came, so Wednesday afternoon I took Metro line 12 up to Montmartre to the shop of Arnaud Larher. Alas, the shop is no longer selling two of the cookies that I've already made, but I did buy the cake citron, which is the lemon version of the cake orange, and the pave Montmartre, an almond cake. I also served those to my classmates, and, low and behold, everyone liked my stuff better. C'est incroyable!
For the last day of class I made a tarte au pommes, my variation of a French apple tart, and a tarte au chocolat. Again my classmates were in heaven!
I truly enjoyed studying French in Paris and feel that I was really just getting warmed up by the time my last day of class arrived. Now I must continue to practice, listen, speak and read to keep my hand in as much as possible. I have been speaking French for the most part when I enter a shop, boulangerie or restaurant, as well as with my classmates in the classroom. A few times, even though I've been speaking French, someone will respond to me in English, which I find extremely annoying.
I had the enjoyable experience of having dinner Friday evening with our Parisian friend Valerie. (She was born in Paris and works at La Defense actually) Although her English is impeccable during the meal we spoke both French and English. The food was tasty and the conversation enjoyable, especially since Val was very patient and kind in correcting me and helping me say things the proper way. She was very pleasantly surprised at how far I've come with the language since we first met at Le Cordon Bleu in 2006. Thanks Valerie!!!!
Anyway, the restaurant, La Tournelle, is a very typical, small French bistro, located on rue Hautefeuille near Place Saint Michel. They serve traditional French cuisine at a very reasonable price, 23 euros for a three course meal. Val enjoyed foie gras, followed by duck, while I had chevre chaud, a warm goat cheese salad, to start, followed by a beef entrecote avec pommes de terre et salade. We both had creme brulee for dessert, and commented that it was lighter and less dense than most we've had in the past. We shared a half liter pitcher of the vin rouge de la maison, and finished with coffee and more chatter about a variety of things. It was good to see her again, and we made plans to meet up again after Steve arrives.
Saturday I spent in a very leisurely manner, reading, working a bit in the kitchen and going out to La Librairie Gourmand, a bookstore with an exhaustive selection of culinary books. I found one for my wish list, full of great ideas for verrines, which are desserts served in a glass, as well as les petits gateaux. I just may have to pick it up before we return to the USA. I also went to a concert at the National Archives, held in a lovely small salon in a part of the building called the Hotel Soubise. The performance was by a quintet of wind instruments, bass and harpsichord, playing Handel, Hayden and Zelenka, a composer I didn't know. It was good to just sit and listen with my eyes closed, realizing that I am, indeed, so happy to be here.
The upcoming week looks to be sunny and warming up - oh boy, the gardens!!!! Tomorrow I begin classes at Le Cordon Bleu and another adventure!
Ciao for now,
Susan
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