Cake and Truffles

Rome update on the way..meanwhile I will tantalize you by talking about cream and chocolate.

Last weekend I went to Edgar’s first communion.

Zoom pic of Edgar after his first communion

The church (Notre Dame in Boulogne – not THE Notre Dame) was beautiful and the service was good. I was proud that I understood all the French, although a little less so after I found out the pastor was from Australia so he’s not a native speaker. After the service, the family was generous enough to invite me to their house for lunch. Myrtille made me try tuna sauce (I didn’t hate it but I would never cook it for myself) and we drank Veuve Cliquot to celebrate!

But, the highlight for me was the cake, which was Le Saint-Honoré from La Pâtesserie des rêves, (the best bakery in Paris according to Myrtille). This cake – OMG. What an indulgence! A base of puff pastry is covered in pastry cream (SO thick, SO creamy, SO perfect) with little cream puffs hidden throughout; then you encounter MORE cream but this time it’s the whipped variety (again, perfectly executed); there are cream puffs lining the edges, and covering each cream puff is a thin, shiny, crunchy layer of caramelized sugar, which is a great contrast to the creamy, divine middle. I’ve had many a great cake in my life and hope to have many more, but this one I will remember for a LONG time. The pain of having to babysit Sunday night, the next day, was severely lessened by the fact that there was leftover cake and I got another slice!

Crappy picture of FABULOUS leftover cake

I was invited to a friend’s cousin’s house for dinner last night. I decided I wanted to make some truffles to bring as a host gift so I flipped through one of my birthday presents, Trish’s French Kitchen by Trish Deseine. I didn’t end up bringing the truffles because I had a texture problem – I didn’t chop the chocolate up small enough, so it didn’t melt all the way and they weren’t smooth. Also, I just realized I used 200g less chocolate than the recipe called for. Oops! They taste amazing which is why I am sharing this recipe, but I couldn’t bear to offer them to someone I just met for fear they would judge my cooking skills (wow, I don’t sound vain at all!). So, don’t be like me and read everything through and make sure you have the right amounts of everything and that you follow all my instructions!

Chocolate Truffles (Truffes au Chocolat)
slightly adapted from Trish’s French Kitchen

Notes: I used 2/3 normal chocolate from Monoprix and 1/3 of a 99% Lindt and the taste was great! Use what your budget can handle, except don’t use something like Hershey’s. Trish gives the options of using powdered sugar (icing sugar in Europe), powdered pistachios, and powdered piment d’Espelette as additional coating options. If you have them available, go for it, because they look pretty! If you use all four, you will only need 1 tbsp of each (including the cocoa powder).

Ingredients

-450g or 1lb good chocolate
-250ml or 1 cup heavy cream (crème legère in France)
-4 tbsp cocoa powder

Instructions

1. Break the chocolate into very small pieces and place in a large, heatproof bowl. Very small means smaller than the squares that they will break into naturally – use a serrated knife and really chop it up.

THIS IS NOT SMALL ENOUGH. Don’t be lazy, use a knife!

2. Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir together until all the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Cream + chocolate. Magic is about to happen (except not all the way in my case).

Deceiving glossy surface hiding clumps below

3. Cool until the chocolate is hardened significantly and will be scoopable. You might need to put it in the fridge or freezer to help it reach the right consistency. (Trish says to stay away from the fridge but I had to use it because I didn’t use the right amount of chocolate.)
4. Place the cocoa powder in a bowl. Sift it first, or use a fork to break up any clumps.
5. Use a small spoon or cookie scoop to grab little balls of chocolate. Roll them in between your palms to create a smooth ball. Place the ball in the cocoa powder, then use a fork or your fingers to coat the whole ball with the powder.

Scoop a spoonful, roll between palms to create a ball shape

Coat in powder, tap against side of bowl to remove excess powder

6. Repeat until all the chocolate is gone. Store in a tupperware in the fridge or in a cool place until ready to serve.

Ugly, chunky, but delicious!

Amalfi Coast, Italy

In college, I studied abroad in Prague, Czech Republic. For spring break, my then-boyfriend and I took a week-long trip to Paris, Rome, Milan, and Budapest. There were so many disasters because we tried to fit too much in. (His mom said it would be too much but I brushed her off – mothers are ALWAYS right! Will I be that way when I’m a mother?) Ever since, I have desperately wanted to revisit those cities.

Don’t judge my unwashed hair; I was traveling!

Three years later, I got my chance! After finishing my teaching program, I had a two week vacation. As you know, I went to Normandie for the first four days. I knew I wanted to go to Italy, and when I was planning my trip, I decided to make up for last time by going to Rome for ten whole days. It turned out to be a little bit too long (more on that in my next post about Rome)…I thought I was such a seasoned traveler, but I’m still learning so much about how I like to travel with every trip I take!

Viva Italia!

Off I went on Ryanair to meet up with one of my good friends from college: Laurel, and her friend Alison from Portland. Those two ladies are traveling for a few months, so we all met up for the first 3 days of my trip in some small towns on the Amalfi Coast in Italy.

Orange trees are everywhere in this region of Italy!

After flying into Rome on Friday night, training to Naples, and bussing to Sorrento, I finally arrived in the small city of Atrani in the afternoon on Saturday. They should charge more than 4 euros for the bus from Sorrento to Atrani; the whole one-hour-long ride is full of amazing views of the ocean from a winding mountain road. On the bus, I sat with an Australian boy and a girl from New Zealand which was fun! (Sidenote: did you know that they call bell peppers “capsicum”?)  Right down the street from the bus station, I got to-go pizza at Jhonny Pizza (C/so Italia, 255-80067 Sorrento) for 1.50eu that was INCREDIBLE – one notch down from my favorite pizza in the world in San Francisco (not telling where so that the line stays short). The crust was chewy and salty and the tomato sauce tasted fresh.

Best 1.50 I ever spent!

Our hostel was just through this tunnel.

Not the safest place to walk, but you get used to it!

After dropping off my things, we hiked up a TON of stairs to a town above ours called Ravelo. The hike was great – it was nice exercise and we saw progressively more stunning views as we climbed.

We were about halfway up here.

It was cool to see all the houses built into the cliffs, complete with lemon and orange orchards.  Also, my seven flights of stairs are NOTHING compared to these; we saw this woman carrying her groceries home!

View from the stairs

I was breathless – not just from walking

Shlepping

We paid 6 euros to gain access to the gardens of Villa Cimbrone. It was fun to see new plants native to Italy that I don’t normally see in France or California. I loved the views from this garden as well – it would be a fabulous place to get married. (Warning: I will probably say “stunning view” and “it would be a fabulous place to get married” 7000 more times in this post. Sorry, but it’s true!  Italy is a beautiful place.)

I don’t have any garden pictures because my camera died, but you get the idea!

We finished the evening with a very nice dinner at a local restaurant recommended to us by the woman working at the garden. My favorite part: free blood orange prosecco cocktail before dinner. My least favorite part was the free fried anchovy (I tried to force myself to taste it but couldn’t after Laurel told me she had bitten down on the little bones, blegh, I can’t!).  We shared some great pizza and pasta.

Day 2 brought many surprises. After a bus ride and train ride back to Sorrento, we set out to explore.

A random stop for gelato meant finding gelato art!

Mom: the mouth was a FRUIT SLICE!

Some touristy shopping yielded some delicious lemon chocolate candies. We also happened upon a fantastic organic lemon and orange grove with a free limoncello tasting stand. The woman was so generous with the tastes; in addition to limoncello, they also make basil, blueberry, and mandarin orange liqueurs. I should have bought a bottle of the mandarin orange – as Laurel pointed out, the fragrant and fresh flavor lingered in your mouth for so long, and all I could think about was mixing it with champagne and garnishing it with basil for an amazing cocktail. I see a return trip in my future! 

After our quick stop in the grove, we decided to attend this show. After eating a several course meal while being serenaded by two men singing and playing guitar, we retired down to the theater. What followed was the cheesiest Italian opera/pop/folk music-and-dance spectacle I have ever or probably will ever see! It was the perfect thing for three twenty something American girls to do on a Sunday night during their vacation.

I love watching dance

We spent Day 3 on the island of Capri.  After some initial seasickness on the 30-minute ferry ride, I began to enjoy the warm but cloudy weather.  We took a 90-minute ferry ride that went all around the island. 

Alison, Laurel, Maddy

My favorite part of the ride was our stop in the Blue Grotto.  Because the rocks don’t descend all the way down to the sea floor, sunlight enters this cave and reflects through the water and off the stones to create a glowing blue-turquoise color! 

That light is where we entered

I wish I could create jewelry out of that water!

It’s a fun little adventure because the cave opening is so small that it’s only accessible at low tide; passengers in the small rowboats have to basically lie on top of each other with heads ducked below the boat’s edge to avoid being beheaded!  (Would be awkward if you are traveling alone because you will get very close with your boatmates!)  Then, the men rowing the boats spin you in circles and tell you facts about the Blue Grotto while men in other boats sing little folk songs so you can hear the pretty echoes.

That’s where you enter…

This was what I captured on the way into the cave – it goes fast!

After the ferry ride, we took a bus up the hill (again, amazing views on the bus of the water and mainland of Italy) and got off in a little walking area.  We didn’t get far on the cute, winding roads before we stopped at L’Arte del Sandalo Caprese di Antonio Viva.

Shoelovers’ paradise!

This is the most amazing shoe store.  Antonio is sitting and working right outside, surrounded by beautiful leather sandals of every color and shape, bedazzled and plain, all handmade by Antonio himself. 

This man knows what he’s doing

Let’s get some shoes

It’s impossible to just walk by, because they are so cute and he is friendly.  Inside, we met Antonio’s son, whose good looks and charm aren’t the only thing that help him sell shoes; he truly has a great taste.  He was a great salesman, gaining my trust by telling me honestly when things didn’t look good and when something would be uncomfortable or impractical. 

Fell in love with the ones on the left but they do not stay on the foot.

Antonio and his son give really personal service. You can buy shoes that are already made, or you can have them custom made onto your feet right there in the shop! Alison and Laurel did this; they picked the soles that fit their feet the best, and chose what color and style of leather straps, then Antonio wrapped and cut them right then and there to guarantee a perfect fit!

Adjusting Alison’s sandals

Laurel’s shoes being adjusted

I am so happy with my shoes; they were a bit of a splurge, but as I am the flip flop queen (at least when home in CA), I know they will be a good investment as well as a great memory! Sorry, no picture because mine weren’t custom-made I totally forgot! I’ll upload one eventually.

Shoe shopping wore us out, so after grabbing some coffee and pastries, we headed back to Rome for the night. I had to say goodbye to Laurel and Alison in the morning, and then embarked on my 7 days in Rome…alone! Post coming soon…

Normandie

I think it’s clear now just how much I love Edgar and Gabrielle – I voluntarily went on a 4 day vacation with them two weeks ago! Who wouldn’t want to hang out with little adorable people who assume the third pedal in the car is for going in reverse (makes sense, right?), or dance around in their underwear playing air guitar, or who don’t yet know what Facebook is and need it explained to them (so refreshing!)? I loved riding the train back with them, playing hangman and letting them draw pictures in my journal.

Me, Gabrielle, and Edgar in Honfleur

Their grandmother (hereafter referred to as “Mami”) was generous enough to host the two little ones for a week in Normandie for their school vacation, where her and her husband’s country home is located, while the parents stayed in Paris to work. I joined them early Tuesday morning and stayed until Friday. I was technically working, but it was very vacation-y. We would hang out and drive around in the mornings so I could see the region, come home for lunch, then drop Gabrielle off to ride ponies and Edgar to play tennis on the beach for the afternoon. I was free in the afternoon to hang out alone, then we would pick up the kids, go home and have dinner, and go to bed. I was always exhausted from all French, all day; it really really takes it out of me sometimes, plus all the sun and kid-herding made me tired. By the end of the 4 days I had picked up a lot more French – it was great!

Ok, French people, we all agree! You even have signs like this. So now, PICK UP YOUR DOG'S POOP!

Normandie, a region in the northwest part of France, is a mixture of Mendocino or other northern CA countryside, Santa Cruz beach town, and France! There are tiny country roads, pastures with cows and horses and sheep hanging out [who create the high-quality and well-known dairy products such as crème fraîche and great local cheeses], and huge chateaux everywhere, but not ten minutes from all that is the beach, as well as little town centers complete with boulangeries, boucheries, etc just like in Paris. They live in Deauville in a beautiful country house surrounded by green fields and trees. They could totally turn it into a charming bed and breakfast or wedding house.

The main house in Deauville

Cute, rustic and charming guest house - I could have stayed here alone but it seemed too lonely

Former stable, now ping-pong table house

My favorite little town we saw was Villerville. It was RIGHT on the beach, with tiny little roads meandering around and a few bars and restaurants. The tiny roads ascend up a steep hill, with long trails on the small country roads that would be perfect for running, and great ocean views. It would be a great little honeymoon spot, or a fun place to rent a house with a group of friends for a relaxing vacation. Other towns we explored were Honfleurs and of course Deauville.

Friends: let's rent one of these one summer, k?

The houses in Normandie all have a specific look to them – they remind me a lot of my sorority house in college. What I gathered from Mami’s lecture was that they make the bottom half out of brick, and the top half is made with wood stripes with some sort of cement mixture in between. Because it rains so much, the wood sort of soaks up the water, and that’s why it often looks bent and crooked, because the house will bend, but the brick part keeps the foundation from rotting and collapsing. (Anyone who knows more about architecture than me, which is everyone, can chime in with more information here if you have it!) Anyways, Mami told me that many people in the area build or rebuild their houses in the same way to keep with this classic style. I did see several construction companies advertising this.

Pi Beta Phi in France!

This one exemplifies the style I described in the above paragraph. can you see the 2 sections in the walls?

Another thing I saw signs for everywhere was Calvados! Calvados is an apple brandy – it’s strong and tasty. On my last night there, Mami and I watched Mère et Fille (a film set in a beach town on the east coast of France featuring Catherine Deneuve, my mom’s fave actress) while drinking un trou [a shot] of Calvados. She was eager to inform me of the following: a true Normandie-raised person or waiter will bring you hot water mixed with Calvados if you request a l’eau chaud [hot water] in someone’s home or in a restaurant; it is usually served in between dishes in Normandie to help digest the heavy, cream-based meals they often serve here; and finally, it is also made into sorbet in the summer. Yum! It was so cool to hang out with her and learn things about the Normandie culture.

Please ignore my sunburnt nose! I would like to insert a pic of the tray of Calvados shots and bottle, but the moment was too special for me to run and get my camera. This is where we drank it so you can imagine it.

Mami was also nice enough to buy me a French book to help me improve even more. It’s called L’Amant de la Chine du Nord by Marguerite Duras. Apparently, the author lived in Deauville and we even saw her house on the beach! She has a simple writing style so Mami was enthusiastic about me reading it. I am always looking for books to read, and I’m excited to read my 2nd French book this year!

I believe her house was this one or somewhere near it, but I might have misunderstood her so don't quote me on it!

Hanging out with an older French woman is a great diet strategy; if I even so much as looked at the gelato, gaufres, and crêpe stands lining the pier on the beach where we picked Edgar up every day, she would exclaim, “No Madeleine, la villaine!” So, I had no “evil” snacks until my trip to Italy immediately following my stay in Normandie, (even though I was on vacation Mami!). Check back here in a few days for a post about the rest of my vacation!

Teaching Job Over. What next?

Can you believe that I am officially done with my teaching job? I knew it would go by quickly, but I am still sad that it is over, especially because in the past few months I have become much more comfortable in my position. I don’t feel like I got to do all that I wanted to do with my students. I will miss working with the teachers and hanging out with them in the staff room. I also don’t like change in general, so I’m upset that my daily routine of commuting and being in the school will be gone (although I won’t miss sitting on the metro for 2 hours every day).

I was given a peanut butter and jelly party in one class, and another class of only about 10 students surprised me with cupcakes and banana bread a few of them made, and a TON of beverages:

So much liquid sugar!

I was touched – it was so sweet!!

It sounds like I was extremely lucky to have such a great school to work in for the past 7 months. I have heard stories from my assistant friends that are contradictory to my experience in Levallois. This program is the opposite of organized and consistent, so there is no surprise there. I am just grateful that I got the long end of the stick (can you do that with that expression?) and was reimbursed for my Navigo pass, paid on time every month, and treated with respect and friendliness by all the teachers in the school. Yay! So, I am giving the program (TAPIF=Teaching Assistant Program in France) a good review and already applied to do a 2nd year of this program. But, if you or someone you know is looking into TAPIF, be warned that it doesn’t always work out like it did for me.

But, don’t delete this blog from your bookmarks yet! I am still going to be working as an au pair through June, and I have already started tutoring kids in English for extra money. Plus, with all my free time, I can start baking more so I will have some more recipes to share on here.

Wondering what my plan is after June? Join the club! I have some ideas for next year that I am playing with, so stay tuned…

Tomorrow morning, I am leaving Paris to head 2 hours north and meet Gabrielle, Edgar, and their grandmother at her house in Deauville, a small town in the Normandie region in the northwest of France. I suppose I will technically be working, but at this point the kids feel like my siblings so I am genuinely excited to spend the next four days with them! The only thing that I am not excited for is the weather; it’s supposed to be around 30 degrees Farenheit and raining the whole time. I would be more upset if I wasn’t going straight to ROME, ITALY on Friday night after I get back to Paris!! I will be there until April 30. I am traveling alone, but I will be meeting some friends for a few days here and there, so no need to worry!

I will be absent on sweetmaddy for awhile but back in May with an update about my vacances. Bon avril! <3

Scavenger Hunt/Chasse de Trésor

Last weekend was FABULOUS! On Friday night, I found the courage to wear my bright pink lipstick in public, and I met up with my friend Phoebe for a drink at Candelaria. That place has not disappointed me yet. This time I got a drink made with beet juice and St. Germain, complete with beet chip garnish. Genius.

But the most major part of my weekend was the CHASSE DE TRÉSOR (scavenger hunt) in Paris. A few months ago I received an email from another language assistant informing me that she was organizing a scavenger hunt for all the language assistants, as a way for us to all meet each other and have a good time in Paris. Being the major dork that I am, I immediately signed up. I am so happy I decided to take part, because Saturday was one of the best days ever!

It was simple: she created teams of 5 people and gave each of us a packet with 97 clues. Each clue was worth 10, 25, or 50 points. The more creatively we interpreted the clues, the more points we were awarded. We had to get photographic or videographic proof of the clues and send them into her as the day went on. We had 5 hours to get as many done as possible. Then all the teams reconvened at a pub to see which team won, receive prizes, and drink and eat bar food!

I will end the suspense now by announcing that MY TEAM WON!!!! It felt AWESOME to win, especially because the team in second place was about 100 points behind us! BOO YA! Our prize is tickets to a hit show: “How to Become Parisian in One Hour” (some sort of comedy show here) AND we got an extra drink for free at the team meetup at the end of the hunt on Sat night.

Below are some of my favorite clues that my team [Team SHOTS] completed! Although we were randomly placed together, we ended up having the perfect combination of historical and Paris knowledge, guts and confidence, creativity, and willingness to look ridiculous. [Note: I'm too technically UN-savvy to figure out how to post the cell phone videos we took on here, so you'll have to imagine some of these. ]

#5 – (video) Minimum 2 team members perform and earn at least 1 Euro on the street. I sang “Amazing Grace” and earned 50 centimes and 1 compliment. 16 years of singing experience right there, people!

#8 - Group photo with a tourist with a fanny pack

#12 – Je m’baladais sur l’avenue/Le coeur ouvert à l’inconnu/ J’avais envie de dire bonjour/À n’importe qui = The Champs-Élysées

#16 - 1 team member making a crêpe du sucre

#20 - Toute l'équipe devant un jardin verticale/The whole team in front of a vertical garden

#21 - The Bard

#14 - Find an iconic striped shirt and #34 - 1 team member next to a/the "Thinker"

#46 – (video) minimum 3 team members stage a Kung-Fu battle on the sidewalk outside a prestigious hotel

#48 - (should have been the) Best Group Photo of Team Shots taking shots

#51 - Entire team's reflection in something other than a mirror

#52 - Vous êtes ici

#54 - 2 team members hugging a stranger

#59 – (video) A little kid singing “Frère Jacques”

#60 – (video) The whole team sings a famous song from a famous movie while standing in front of a movie theater We did the Titanic theme song.

#61 – (video) Minimum 2 team members doing the Macarena dance together in a very public place, with +5 points for every stranger who joins in. We got 15 German teenagers to dance with us outside the Louvre, earning us over 100 points! Here’s a picture of the video:

Everyone in the world knows this dance!

#63 – (video) At least two teammates hanging upside down on monkey bars singing the Marseillaise My first time on monkey bars in YEARS.

#64 – (video) an unknown couple telling the story of how they met We found a French man and a Thai woman who had been together for a year.

#74 - French toast

#89 - Knock knock knockin' on Paris' door

#96 - find the Plaque that marks the spot where Henri IV was stabbed while stuck in a traffic jam

Other of my favorite clues: 1 team member walking a stranger’s dog, Entire team: “I can’t believe we all fit in here!”, 1 team member fait la bise with a soldier carrying some heavy artillery.

The whole experience was so fun. I made some new friends, saw a new part of Paris, and was very daring all day. Can you imagine doing one in your hometown?

Fights

Recently I witnessed two arguments that were very French in nature.  If someone was video taping me you would have seen some very wide eyes!

Metro Fight

I was riding the metro for several stops and had been hearing a loud conversation for awhile. I had been tuning it out but after awhile I looked up to see what was going on, and realized it was a loud argument. This is abnormal because usually the metro is relatively quiet, especially during commuting hours (most people are zoning out on their phone/reading device/newspaper or are listening to music). After I started paying attention, I saw a young woman around age 18 on one side of the aisle in a group of 4 seats that face each other talking to a much older woman around age 65 who was in the same spot across the aisle. After I started watching, their voices got louder and louder. I don’t know what they were arguing about, they were talking too fast, but suddenly, the young girl stood up, and after getting around the man next to her who physically held her back, she started hitting the older woman repeatedly with her purse! I and others watching (i.e. everyone on the train) were shocked, and the people closer to her started yelling at the girl to stop. Eventually she did, and the older woman started saying she was going to call the police…then I got to my exit so I had to get off the train. Anyways, what shocked me the most (besides seeing someone hitting an old lady! who DOES that?) was hearing the young woman use vous when addressing the older woman. Even though she was physically assaulting her, she still didn’t dare disrespect her by using the informal tu form of “you.”

Teacher Fight

Christina and I were having our usual Thursday afternoon English-French lesson last week. Sometimes, we are momentarily interrupted by our colleagues for whatever reason and we end up chatting for a few minutes with other people in the lounge. Christina started talking to a history teacher, François, in French. I was feeling pretty tired that day and my French was very slow, so I started to tune them out instead of attempting to join in. After a few minutes, I wondered why they were talking for so long. Then I noticed that François was shaking! I turned my French brain on and deduced that François was really mad at Christina and she was acknowledging his anger but standing firm on her position. Their quiet discussion escalated after several minutes into a full-on shouting match, with me sitting there listening! Because I had stayed so long, I felt awkward doing anything but staying put, so I did, for the TEN MINUTES that it continued. Then I felt really awkward, so I got up and left the room to refill my water bottle. When I came back, they were still yelling, but shortly after they stopped. It turned out that he had placed a flier for a very extreme political party in every teacher’s locker as well as several fliers on all the tables in the teacher’s lounge. Christina took offense, especially because there is a “no politics or religion” rule in French schools, and reported it to the school principal. François was very mad at her for doing that. At the end of the fight, they suddenly stopped yelling and François said, “et, autrement, ça va?” and she responded, “Oui, et toi?” which basically means “By the way, how are you doing?” “Good, and you?” which would have made me laugh out loud if I hadn’t been super scared to get involved. I have never said anything so polite when I am in the height of fury. I suppose French people never forget to be polite, even when they are yelling at each other!

I don’t know why, but this kind of thing just fascinates me.  I like observing other humans…I guess I should have studied anthropology!

Banana Bread au Régime

Régime=diet

Banana Bread

As a single eater, I should have known better than to get a bunch of FIVE bananas. After eating two of them, the remaining three began to brown. The sight of brown bananas makes me think of only one thing – banana bread! If you bake, you know that bananas with spots on them are great for making bread or cake because they are soft and easier to mash.

So much baked-good potential!

I usually use either my mom’s recipe or this one from Smitten Kitchen, but because we are entering spring (aka I can’t hide under 7 shirts, tights AND jeans, and a giant coat anymore) I decided to try out this recipe.

I, as well as Edgar and Myrtille, call it a winner! It’s the perfect thing to make if you have browning bananas, want something homemade, but don’t want to go to some crazy cardiojazzstripperpole class to make up for it! I will say, it’s slightly…plain tasting. This could be remedied by adding some more spices, chocolate chips (although that would negate the régime part of the equation), or nuts (if you are a weirdo and like nuts in your baked goods, ew). I experimented with adding some fig jam swirled into the top on one part of the bread. This enhanced the flavor, although you could totally just put the jam on a slice after it’s baked. I would love to try to make this in muffin form with halved figs nestled on the top, but I didn’t have figs or a muffin pan (although I do have a muffin top) – that would be a project for another lifetime, when I actually have a kitchen counter/oven/tools of my own.

Fig Jam

Banana Bread au Régime
adapted from Joy the Baker’s Low Fat Oatmeal Banana Bread

Ingredients

- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar [didn't have brown sugar, use it instead of white if you have it]
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp canola oil [I was low on oil so I only put 1 tbsp, orig. recipe calls for 3. Mine was fine but a tad dry (easily remedied with peanut butter or butter when eating), so if you want it more moist add a few tbsps of oil]
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 medium egg whites, beaten
- 3 large bananas, ripe
- 1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
- a few tbsps of fig jam, or other fancy jam

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients.

Flour, sugar, bp, bs, salt, cinnamon, oats

In a smaller bowl, mash bananas with a fork. Add oil and the whole egg and mix thoroughly.

Bananas, egg, oil

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well into a thick batter.

Exciting wet ingred. into dry ingred. photo

Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer or a stand mixer until medium stiff peaks form. [It takes longer than you think. The white will start out transparent and gradually become more opaque, glossy, and they will increase in their total size. You will be able to see the tracks made by the beaters, and when you lift them you will see a little dollop that stays in place attached to the beater.] Fold the egg whites into the batter. *Optional: Place a few dollops of jam on top of the batter and swirl with a knife.

Start out with egg whites...

Almost there...

There we go!

Pour batter into pan and bake until top of loaf is firm to touch, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and cool, then flip out of the pan onto a wire rack. Slice and serve!

Enjoy with crême Chantilly and new spring flowers

Silence, Curry, This

I’m sure you have heard the news about the shooting in Toulouse, France. Naturally, everyone here was talking about this tragedy in the past few days, and yesterday at 11am all the schools were asked to observe a moment of silence in honor of the victims. I happen to have a class from 10:15-11:10 on Tuesdays, so I participated. This group of students isn’t my worst, but there is always an incessant buzz of chatter going on, no matter how many times I ask them to stop talking. I was worried they would completely ignore the moment of silence, but sure enough, the bell rang at 10:59, signaling that it was time to begin, and it was quiet. Nobody spoke for 3 or 4 minutes and everyone was serious. I was proud of them and at the same time a little bit ashamed that I expected misbehavior from them. It made me respect them much more!

In memoriam

I have less than a month left of teaching! The year has gone by quickly, and I have frantically begun to search for another part-time job to finance the rest of my stay here as well as my flight home this summer. I will update on here as I find new things but for now my life is only planned through June 30.

My initials - I am taking this as a sign that I am meant to be here!

I have immensely enjoyed my experience here. I have accomplished almost all of my goals; the major one being learning French. I in no way consider myself fluent, but I would describe my level as maybe conversational. Lately I have been quite surprised and pleased with my brain, as I will be talking in French and say a phrase or word that I have never used before. I used to learn a word and then use it consciously, but now things just pop out, and then I look them up and realize I said what I meant to say! This is so satisfying I can’t even begin to describe it. However, it’s still hard and there are plenty of times when I don’t understand things or can’t say what I mean. The other day I was frustrated when I ordered a curry chicken sandwich. My pronunciation of the word “curry” tipped off the dude who worked at the boulangerie that I wasn’t French and he switched back to English – the first time this has happened in months! So annoying, especially because I don’t think curry is even a French word. Grr. My initial thought was to boycott the place but it’s too delicious/conveniently located so I just resolved to say curry like a French person would (only while I am here though!).

We're still working on eating neatly...

I have begun to REALLY enjoy my au pair job, so much so that I actually look forward to going to “work.” It really just feels like hanging out. We have a lot of fun together and have bonded so much. I get to act like a kid and play, and it’s très amusant! A recent triumph was teaching Edgar how to say “this” correctly. The “th” sound has given him trouble the entire time I have been working with him, and today and yesterday he finally was able to do it! I was so proud of him! I also realized how lucky he is to have someone like me to say “put your tongue between your teeth and blow air through, now say ‘ih’ and pull your tongue back and say ‘ssss.’” This is the sort of thing I learned in my Diction for Singers class in COLLEGE, and he is 9 and getting a personal lesson on how to create English sounds.

So proud of him!

Tech Death and A Visit Home

A few weeks ago, my precious portal to all forms of entertainment and my main connection to friends and family laptop would not start. It defiantly flashed a folder symbol with a question mark inside. If you are an Apple user, you know that this is a terrible sign, akin to Harry Potter seeing The Grim everywhere in book 3!

When I took it to the doctor Genius Bar here in Paris (next to the Palais Garnier!), I was told the harddrive, battery, and motherboard were toast. Both luckily and unluckily, I was headed back to the USA the week following this emergency event, so I decided to wait until I could buy a new computer with dollars instead of euros. It was lucky because I only had to wait a week to get back online, and it was unlucky because I had a week of vacation with only 2 hours of au pair work in the afternoon, no teaching, and NOTHING TO DO! Very little money either, so no all-night clubbing which would then allow me to sleep the days away and not need as much internet time.

It’s sad that people of my generation “can’t live” without the internet, so I set out to make us look better by trying (and failing) not to complain, reading lots of books and newspapers, exercising every day, and deep-cleaning my apartment. The week passed and I survived! Plus, when I got home and had my computer checked out again, it turned out only the harddrive was dead, so I only had to buy a new harddrive and not a whole new computer. Phew!

Long story short, that’s why I have not updated here since early February.

I haven’t written about the following topic here yet, but I’ve decided to share now: My dad has throat cancer. He gave me the news right before Christmas. I’ll be honest, it was a tough experience to go through so far from home. I was so scared and all I wanted to do was be with my family. All I could think was, WHY had I decided to stay in Paris over the holidays?

There was nothing to do but wait for him to start treatment, so I took a deep breath and kept living. One piece of advice given to me that I immediately embraced was that you are not a doctor (well, YOU may be, but I am not!), and since you can do nothing in terms of actually treating the cancer, you might as well do the only thing you can that will help: stay positive. I tried not to dwell on the fear of what was to come, and simply let my dad and family know that I would do what I could to help, even if it just meant providing distraction through emails and Skype conversations.

My dad started chemotherapy and radiation in early January. Soon after, it became clear that he and my mom would have to cancel their trip to come visit me. Instead, I went home for a week of my February vacation. I had seen my dad on Skype, so I knew that he would look different than I was used to, but it was still a bit of a shock to see him in person. Weight loss, hair loss, a feeding tube, bruises from the IV, burns from the radiation. Cancer treatment is brutal, but at least it works.

I had plenty of opportunities while I was at home to go out and do some shopping, see friends, eat, run and enjoy the California sunshine. But, I also spent time at home with my dad and took him to his appointments. Not surprisingly, he slept a lot, so I used the time to play on my mom’s iPad (addictive, people!) and bake! Even though he couldn’t eat, I thought maybe the smell of a baking cake might cheer him up. I made a recipe for Fresh Ginger Cake from David Lebovitz’s book, purely based on the fact that in the notes he mentions that it is one of his most-praised recipes. [And indeed, it was a winner! I am not posting the recipe here because I did not modify it at all, so you will have to look in the book if you want to make it.] When I finished and the cake was cooling on the counter, I don’t recall my dad saying anything about it. This was fine; I just wanted him to do what he needed to do to feel at least ok, which I think much of the time meant not talking and sleeping.

My dad had his last radiation treatment the day before I left. My mom and I went with him to his doctor’s appointment. His doctor spent much of the appointment lecturing him that he needs to eat and drink more so he can get nutrients. He looked sheepish, almost like a little boy being scolded, while she was talking. He spoke up to protest, “but I’ve been craving fruit, fresh fruit! I even tried to eat peaches but I just couldn’t.” Suddenly, his face lit up. “And my daughter made a ginger cake, my wife made a cherry pie, and I just wanted to eat them so bad.”

The doctor proceeded to spout a bunch of ridiculous ideas (something about blending up solid food, blegh) to help him get food down, but I was only half-listening. Seeing and hearing my dad speak longingly of baked goods and other food gave me hope that he will one day, soon, again be able to enjoy the pleasures of a healthy human life!

We think the tumor is gone, and in a few weeks his throat should be recovered enough to see for sure. Here’s to hoping!

Stay Tuned…

Just wanted to make a quick note here that I have not disappeared – my computer broke a few weeks ago, and then I was back in the US for vacation! I am babysitting tonight, so will be posting an update in the next day or so! <3