Je t'aime Helene, je t'aime

By far, the best dinner yet tonight. Helene's brother and his wife are in town from Provence so they came over for dinner. This was a true test of french ability and I seemed to do quite well. Helene and Thomas kept asking if they were speaking too fast, and miraculously they weren't. I think I understood about 85% of the conversation between the four of them.

We started out with white wine from Bourgogne and crackers with smoked salmon pate. After that, there was a wonderful soupe de poisson, yet it did not have chunks of fish. It was silky smooth and we put croutons, rouille and cheese on top.

Next came an enormous pot of steamed petit moules (mussels) in a fragrant broth. Helene and Thomas brought the mussels back from their trip to the coast yesterday. Thus, they were straight out of the ocean. Small and delicate, they were the exact opposite of those enormous, tough hunks of flesh normally served at seafood restaurants. We learned to eat mussels the French way. No forks or utensils involved. The only equipment used are your hands and mussel shells. Using the mussel shells like chopsticks, we pried the little guys out of their shells and popped them in our mouths. The mussels were served with a fresh mixed green salad, baked frites, and hot brown bread.

For dessert? Galette des Rois since it gets discontinued tomorrow as it will no longer be January. And who won the prize and got the glory of wearing the crown tonight? Yours truly. All in all, the perfect Sunday night dinner.

Day 15: Week in review

Classes started this week so I have not had a minute to spare. That said, I am very excited about the classes I'm taking...mostly. Language is a requirement. Foreign Politics- sounds interesting. Paris francophone- this is basically about all the different french cultures and populations within Paris. We are also going to deal with French immigration issues and compare them to the US. Art and Architecture- definitely the class I am most excited about right now. I have always loved art history and the fact that I am in such close proximity to many of the pieces we will be studying is very exciting. My most daunting class which I have not yet began is a class at l'Institute Catholique de Paris called Constitutional History of France since Louis XVI...eek! It is nerve racking that all classes are in French, but the fact that that class is all French students not foreign makes it even scarier! Further updates will come once I have officially started.

I actually joined a gym around the corner from my apartment this week. Such a lifted weight (no pun intended). Not that running in my neighborhood wasn't great, but my lungs began to feel tar soaked. Surprisingly, French gyms are very similar...except for that everything is in kilograms and kilometers. Very confusing. But all the equipment is very up to date and clean.

I had a wonderful Friday. I got up, ran a quick 5K, had a lovely adventure in the Marais with Sunni, then had a wine tasting at the IES center. Just for the record, if I don't get on the plane home in May, I can most likely be discovered in the Marais. New life goal: live in an apartment near the place de Vosges. It is simply the cutest neighborhood EVER. Little apartments in beautiful buildings above lots of tiny stores and amazing hummus. However, we did learn that we are still adjusting to Parisian life. Case in point; after we had picked up amazing sandwiches from a Monoprix( (equivalent to Safeway) for 3 euros, we decided we would give the bus a shot. We found the right line and hopped on the next bus. We soon learned that it was headed in the wrong direction. No problem, we could get off and cross the street. 10 stops later we still couldn't figure out how to get off. We finally found the exit button and decided to just take the metro. Better luck next time.

The wine tasting was fabulous. It was run by a French woman who's job title is a culinary consultant. Um, possible new career option?? She was so knowledgeable and the wines were wonderful. We tasted a Pinot d'Alsace, a Chardonnay from Bourgogne, a Côtes du Rhône, and a Bordeaux. My favorite was definitely the Alsace and it happened to be organic, although the Côtes du Rhône was delicious as well. She taught us the proper way to observe, smell, taste and describe wine. Naturally, I ate it all up. We were also served chunks of baguette and a tasty Compte Fermier cheese along with the wines. She also recommended that in late April and early May we should have a meal that pairs wine from the Loir Valley with chevre from the same region because the goats are having babies so their milk is extra flavorful and the spring wines are just coming out. All in all it was a very good evening.

Saturday was wonderfully lazy, perhaps too much so. Sonia and I explored the Latin Quarter a bit to find our text books. Much to our chagrin none of our books were in stock. That has been one area of annoyance so far, customer service or lack there of. The French feel no hurry to do anything. Tips are included in prices, mail doesn't have to be delivered on time and university book stores don't exist. Oh well, that's just a difference I must get used to.

Notable Meals:
Monday:
-smoked Haddock over steamed cabbage: very tasty, a little too salty
-amazing almond meringue dessert cake: think pieces of merignue with almond mousse sandwiched in between. heavenly

Wednesday:
-Paella: yum. yum yum yum.

Friday:
-Monoprix sandwich: pumpernickel baguette with lots of whole grains, smoked salmon, cream cheese, lettuce and tomato
-mocha from McDonalds: don't judge. McDonalds here is so different. It is actually respected. Very nice atmosphere and decor. Good quality food and mostly coffee. Their coffee is actually delicious.

Day 11 continued: the birthday FEAST

Well Helene Maurice truly went overboard tonight. Not only did she prepare an absolutely fabulous meal, she got me a present which she should not have done! It is a book of Monet's history at Giverny through food. Apparently, Monet loved to cook and based much of the design of his house around his kitchen. The book also includes recipes of his own invention. It is scary how well she knows me already. It's a truly remarkable book. On to the menu:

First course: spinach and arugula salad with balsamic dressing, homemade bread with raisins, goat cheese and mint. It was truly unlike anything I have ever tasted. It had a texture similar to panettone, a bit more crumbly and a very mild flavor. It struck me as a sort of French Irish soda bread but not as heavy or buttery as soda bread, but used for the same purpose. So delish.

Main Course:
-Filet Mignon en croute- I am not one for red meat or things of this sort but it was truly spectacular. Cooked to perfection, the crust had tons of herbs and the flavor was fantastic.
-pureed carrots
-mashed potatoes
-spiced, stewed apples

Dessert:
Chocolate fondue with: apples, bananas, pears, kiwi, tangerine, marshmallows, and cubes of cake in which she inserted candles.

I am truly stuffed, but it was a phenomenal birthday feast.

Day 11: Weekend Update

Part of the reason I love this city is because you can be walking in an average looking neighborhood something beautiful is always lurking around the corner. For example, I went on a walk to the mall yesterday (which is the most beautiful mall I have ever seen. really it looks like a church) and I came upon these:




There are also little things about Paris that you would NEVER see in the US. It's to be expected that everyone carries a Longchamp bag, then you see a mid 20s guy in a cafe with a Longchamp computer case. I have also managed to sniff out a completely organic boulangerie/patisserie...and I literally mean sniff. A wonderful scent caught my nostrils on the way to class one day and I happened upon a very extensive bakery and it happened to be organic. I got an absolutely fabulous financier but I am itching to try their apricot brioche.

So on our first day, Helene served amazing french macarons sent to her by a company who's cookbook she had been the lead publisher on. I realize now that the bakery was La Duree, the most famous macarons in Paris. Pretty awesome that she is responsible for that book.

We all went out to celebrate my birthday last night. The intended restaurant apparently requires reservations which the Zagat guide failed to mention. However, we are definitely going back. It smelled too good. No big though, we just crossed the street kitty corner to Pause Cafe and it was delicious. The food was good, the atmosphere was festive and the service was very prompt (a very rare discovery in Paris). After that we went to the Bastille. An area conveniently close to us with lots of little bars on a tiny cobblestone street with no cars...very European. We ended up befriending the professional basketball team from, get this, Biarritz which I found very amusing considering my studies there. They got the whole place to sing to me; that is certainly one rendition of "joyeux anniversaire" I will never forget.

Helene is cooking a special birthday dinner for me tonight. Menu t.b.a. I know there is chocolate fondue involved.

Notable meals:
Pause cafe:
Salade Italienne: mixed greens tossed in a wonderful creamy lemon dressing. Prosciutto, mozzarella, olive tapenade (with anchovies...delish), parmesan and a marinated artichoke.
Dense choco cake split 3 ways with candles.
Mango Mojito: best drink I've had so far. I know it didn't at all go with my meal but I get a bday free pass.

Day 8: could this week BE any longer?

Not that I'm not enjoying every minute of it, but this same two hour class everyday is getting quite tedious. Though I will say that I managed to write a 550 word essay in record time... perhaps my French is improving? And I noted today that the snow ball has started: I have begun to think in French. While this is a cause for celebration, it is also quite annoying. Due to the fact that I'm not fluent, it makes thinking a much slower process. I must pause to think of the word in French when I could just continue in English!
Attempted shopping today, but on account of the freezing wind, we gave up rather quickly.

Meal:
Madame only cooks for us Sunday through Tuesday so we fend for ourselves the other days. I have rather missed our little family dinners the last two nights. That said I made a wonderful salad tonight. Fresh greens and avocado tossed with some olive oil and red wine vinegar topped with slices of gouda and rolled up salami. Picked up a fresh baguette on the way home from school. Nom nom.

Oh and Happy Birthday Evan! You are a wonderful brother and I'm sad I can't be there to celebrate with you.
That's all for now. Hopefully the weekend will make for some more exciting entries.

Day 7: survived week one!

So, I've been here a week, but it has felt so much longer. This is probably because we do the same.thing.every.day. We have three more days of french intensive until real classes start, which will hopefully be much better. It is also very cold, thus making me lazy and tired. I have confidence this will improve.

Sunni and I visited the Sacre Coeur today which was truly breathtaking. Unfortunately there were so many people that we didn't have the energy to go inside. However, that is the luxury of staying here for three months; we can go back and go inside another time.

Tonight was the first time we had to cook for ourselves. I rather missed our little family dinner. I made mini basil ravioli with pesto and salad. It was quite delicious, but not really the same. Madame has theater rehearsal on Wednesday nights which I find to be amusing.

Day 6: rain-boo, dinner-woo

Our Musée d'Orsay trip got cancelled today due to problems none of us could understand. They say it will be postponed. Thus, we got out of class at 1:30 and it was pouring freezing rain. So, Sonia and I scuttled on home and made a big pot of coffee, lounged around in the warmth and did some homework. By 5 I was feeling antsy and knew that dinner was a ways a way, so I decided to go for a run. What was meant to be a run soon turned into a brisk walk on account of the frigid air and the fact that I became totally and utterly lost. This wouldn't have worried me ordinarily, but as it was getting dark fairly quickly I made sure to keep up the pace. One good thing about this adventure, I further discovered my neighborhood and find it even more charming. There are two Picard's very near by. Now, Picard is a genre of store we most certainly lack in the US. Fact 1: The French are OBSESSED with frozen food. They flash freeze it so it is very often fresher than grocery store food. In addition, pre-made meals here do not stoop so low to the quality of Jimmy Dean or Hungry Man, but are very gourmet, authentic, natural meals that can be grabbed and heated up for a wonderful meal. I also discovered two yummy-looking sushi places.
Oh and I also had my first pain au chocolat today...j'aime beaucoup

Meal:
Sonia and I were very skeptical of the first course today but not for very long. We sat down to a grated carrot salad (no problem) but it was topped with rolled up slices of something we could not identify. I was nearly sure it was steak tartare...one of the few foods I will not eat. After asking what it was, I was still very skeptical: reindeer. I still did not know if it was cooked. So I hesitantly took a small taste. Not only was it cooked, but the thinly sliced Rudolph had been fumée-d...smoked! The carrots had a light mustard dressing and the whole dish was simply wonderful

Next we had smalled salmon steaks wrapped in foil and baked with tomatos, lemon and herbs. Fantastic
Steamed spinach on the side
Candied chestnuts for dessert

one of my favorite meals yet
the salmon and live scallops in shell at a market near my school. they kept opening and closing!

Day 5: la propédeutique

Started our week of intensive French today. Teacher's cool, class is good, yea yea. After a wonderful lunch with Sunithi, which consisted of the most fabulous omelette I have ever tasted and an etherial cafe creme, we both came to the realization that we will be truly spoiled by the end of this trip and it will be very difficult to return to terrible American coffee...and food for that matter. After lunch, we were given a tour of the neighborhood where the IES center is located. Right in the center of the 6th arrondissement, rue Daguerre is a true microcosm of Paris. Everything one could ever need is steps away and the smell of fresh pain au chocolat lingers in the air from the morning. There are a multitude of little chocolate shops, a greek cafe and a small store that consisted solely of an enormous case FULL with freshly made pasta waiting to be taken home and thrown in boiling water.

It seems to be getting colder and unfortunately is supposed to snow on my birthday, whomp whomp. However, Madame informed me that I am more than welcome to invite another friend over for dinner on that day. I'll give you one wild guess to who l'invitée will be. Came home to another wonderful dinner. Everyday I am pleasantly surprised by her cooking. After tonight's dinner, we were all sitting around drinking tea while she pointed me to her STACK of France's most popular culinary magazine. It is so interesting. Absolutely full of recipes I have never heard of.

Meals:

Sunday dinner (always more fancy):
pumpkin soup w/ coconut milk, curry and cardamom-->so good
calamari curry over rice
some sort of cake/mousse beautiful dessert that Sonia and I bought for madame at our local Patisserie

Dinner tonight:
Celery Root soup--> delicious
Pounded grilled pork (i think) with mushroom sauce and pasta

Day 4 and 5

Woke up to beautiful sunshine yesterday, the first we've seen yet. My first attempt to run in the city can be considered very much a failure. I can see now why most people belong to gyms, my lungs felt like they were coated in tar. That said, I became much better acquainted with my neighborhood! Apparently I live right around the corner from Le cimetière du Père-Lachaise where Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf and Oscar Wilde among many others are buried. The thick wall of the cemetery provides a perfect focal point for navigating my way around the neighborhood because it is easily spotted and i can follow the perimeter if I get lost. On this, run I also discovered a large organic market around the corner. Compared to this culinary menagerie, Whole Foods is an embarrassment and a complete rip off. Everything from organic nutella to 50 cent whole grain baguettes, to pull apart baby fresh ravioli. I got a large jar of fresh pesto for 2.5 euros...a steal!!

After this adventure, Sunni and I met up and explored the lavish St. Germain des Pres. Possibly the greatest thing about this city is not the tourist attractions or historic monuments, but getting lost and discovering true Paris. We spent two hours walking around gushing about the beauty or charm of this or that. Finally realizing we were starved, we stumbled into a cafe. I had a fabulously fresh salad of lettuce, tomatoes, blanched haricot-verts, cubes of swiss cheese, chicken very lightly drizzled with mustard vinaigrette and a crusty baguette. Nothing could have been better.

This being our first Saturday in Paris, a group of us decided to explore the night life a bit. Going off a recommendation from a friend previously in Paris, we sought out le crocodile. A whole in the wall bar with blurry windows and loud music that could be heard from down the block. Timidly entering, we were soon engulfed in a tiny, crowded bar full of local young adults. With 13 pages of cocktails, there was so much to choose from and so much french eavesdrop on. All drinks come with a tiny gummy crocodile as a garnish, certainly making them memorable. The music was good and the people were friendly. We were actually complemented on our french! A rarity in Paris to be sure.

Had a lovely and leisurely Sunday with Sonia (my housemate) today. It was wonderfully sunny yet again. We did some grocery shopping and explored the neighborhood a bit more.

Day 3

Orientation continues. And it seems to just get more boring. Most of the topics covered are either common sense or can easily be found in a guide book. Clearly, many people have not done their homework and continue to ask mundane questions and keep us there for hours. Oh well, my seat mates make it entertaining nonetheless. The whole group went and had dinner on a Seine river boat. Not all together that thrilling because it was pouring rain and in a pretty ugly part of the city...we passed a trash chute that puts garbage on barges. Case in point. Tomorrow Sunni and I are going to explore St Germaine des Pres and Notre Dame...should make for an exciting day. Unlike today.

Meals:
le petit dejeuner: Same as yesterday
le dejeuner: same but with a smoked salmon baguette and a canelle
le diner: salmon with rice and petit deserts, salmon was dry but with a yummy lobster bisque-esque sauce

Day 1 & 2: Planes, trains and automobiles

Literally.
Took a 747 to a 777 to a train to a taxi (after searching for 20 minutes in the rain). Host mother is very welcoming and sweet; a wonderful cook as well. The apartment is no thrill but clean and spacious and in a very safe building. Can't wait to explore the neighborhood. Helene (host mom) took Sonia and I on a tour of the neighborhood, her main point being that we must not go to the patisserie across the street because it is far inferior to the one down the street. Ended the day completely exhausted then woke up wide awake at 2am.

Meals for the day:
Omlete/Soufflee with ratatouille with a gruyere cheese crust
Butter lettuce salad

Cabbage and mint soup with creme fraiche
Shrimp with rice
Eggplant mash

Day 2:
First day of orientation. Much happier today. Met some awesome people...and some...not so awesome. The IES staff is really funny and nice. So excited to explore more. We had a 2 hour conversation about pick pockets and honestly I don't think some of these kids knew they were coming to Europe. They were freaking out about getting mugged and sold into sex slavery. Two words, common sense. Had first cafe creme of the trip with Sunni in le Cafe d'Orleans. So so yummy. Helene cooked a most exceptional and indulgent dinner.

Meals:
Fitness (basically fiber cereal)

Box lunch provided by IES. Most sophisticated and delicious box lunch ever. Baguette sandwich with chicken, lettuce and tomato. Carrot and cabbage salad and a fantastic brownie.

Dinner was endive and apple salad.
Duck confit and herbed slivered potatoes
Galette du roi