Cooking
Showing posts with label Cooking. Show all posts
What we've been eating (and drinking)
Living in Paris has given me many opportunities to try so many new foods to both eat and cook with. But, I tend to stay true to my roots which means that a craving for nachos will have me searching Paris high and low for refried beans and cheddar cheese. And, I always keep my kitchen well-stocked with all the foods and spices that I find easy and familiar to cook with, like tortillas, rice, chili powder (I make chili or taco soup nearly once a week), pasta and barbecue sauce. Sometimes I wish I was more experimental in the kitchen, and I often wonder what's being served up on the tables of other families in Paris.
I am lucky (and so is Gui) that I have a decent grasp of cooking, and I find myself trying to merge my cooking habits with those of Gui - well, his mom, at least. When Gui and I were living in Long Beach, he burned pasta while attempting to make some sort of carbonara-type dish, and that's when I decided he didn't really belong in the kitchen. Plus, he doesn't mind doing the dishes (which I detest), so it's kind of a culinary match made in heaven between the two of us. But, his mom, now, his mom can whip up some serious grub. Terrine d'asperges, roasted chicken with caramelized apples and a mean stir-fry rank high among my favorites of her culinary specialties.
Last Sunday, Gui and I managed to roll out of bed early enough to get started on what would become a day of intoxicating chocolate. Despite having taken part in another first in Paris the night before...
...(yep, a bit of absinthe after a few rounds of drinks before), we still made it to the Salon du Chocolat for our own little gourmet version of a chocolate "brunch". It didn't take much more than the lure of fancy chocolate samples to convince me to wake up before noon on a Sunday morning, and I didn't regret my choice after spending a few moments in the exposition hall.
I'm not usually very comfortable asking someone to sample a product knowing full and well that I'm not going to purchase their goods afterwards, but I eventually got over it and set off shamelessly sampling to my heart's desire like everyone else was. I was kind of upset that some of the better-known brands weren't offering any samples, which to me signified a slight arrogance in their product. It's true, I don't know how it all works, but I'd imagine, as a business, you involve yourself in such a venue to gain exposure for your products, especially new ones you're trying to usher into the market. But, the great thing is that almost everyone there was happily offering dégustations of their goods, and I found myself falling in love with new and old chocolatiers and their divine creations.
Our greatest discovery at the Salon, though was of the savory type. As good as the mango Baileys, cappuccino mousse-filled chocolate, and myrtille-flavored chocolate square were, we couldn't get the chicken molé poblano out of our heads after trying a spoonful on a piece of baguette. My mom makes an amazing molé, but hers is reddish-colored and made with peanut butter. I've (kindly) asked her to make a batch of her chicken molé and Spanish rice when we come visit in December because it's definitely on my short but growing list of comfort foods. The molé we tried at the expo was a Mexican specialty, and not completely unlike my mom's; it was made with chocolate instead of peanut butter, which produced a rich, delicious, black-colored sauce that made Gui and I go crazy. We ended up buying some of the last few spoonfuls of the pre-made sauce, rustically packaged in plasticwrap-covered plastic cups, making the complicated dish easy to reproduce the next day. For me, though, the best part of reproducing the meal was that I finally perfected my mom's Spanish rice - no small feat, mind you. It turned out fluffy and flavorful and reminded me why I'll never get tired of eating the stuff I've been fed since childhood.
I am lucky (and so is Gui) that I have a decent grasp of cooking, and I find myself trying to merge my cooking habits with those of Gui - well, his mom, at least. When Gui and I were living in Long Beach, he burned pasta while attempting to make some sort of carbonara-type dish, and that's when I decided he didn't really belong in the kitchen. Plus, he doesn't mind doing the dishes (which I detest), so it's kind of a culinary match made in heaven between the two of us. But, his mom, now, his mom can whip up some serious grub. Terrine d'asperges, roasted chicken with caramelized apples and a mean stir-fry rank high among my favorites of her culinary specialties.
Last Sunday, Gui and I managed to roll out of bed early enough to get started on what would become a day of intoxicating chocolate. Despite having taken part in another first in Paris the night before...
...(yep, a bit of absinthe after a few rounds of drinks before), we still made it to the Salon du Chocolat for our own little gourmet version of a chocolate "brunch". It didn't take much more than the lure of fancy chocolate samples to convince me to wake up before noon on a Sunday morning, and I didn't regret my choice after spending a few moments in the exposition hall.
I'm not usually very comfortable asking someone to sample a product knowing full and well that I'm not going to purchase their goods afterwards, but I eventually got over it and set off shamelessly sampling to my heart's desire like everyone else was. I was kind of upset that some of the better-known brands weren't offering any samples, which to me signified a slight arrogance in their product. It's true, I don't know how it all works, but I'd imagine, as a business, you involve yourself in such a venue to gain exposure for your products, especially new ones you're trying to usher into the market. But, the great thing is that almost everyone there was happily offering dégustations of their goods, and I found myself falling in love with new and old chocolatiers and their divine creations.
Our greatest discovery at the Salon, though was of the savory type. As good as the mango Baileys, cappuccino mousse-filled chocolate, and myrtille-flavored chocolate square were, we couldn't get the chicken molé poblano out of our heads after trying a spoonful on a piece of baguette. My mom makes an amazing molé, but hers is reddish-colored and made with peanut butter. I've (kindly) asked her to make a batch of her chicken molé and Spanish rice when we come visit in December because it's definitely on my short but growing list of comfort foods. The molé we tried at the expo was a Mexican specialty, and not completely unlike my mom's; it was made with chocolate instead of peanut butter, which produced a rich, delicious, black-colored sauce that made Gui and I go crazy. We ended up buying some of the last few spoonfuls of the pre-made sauce, rustically packaged in plasticwrap-covered plastic cups, making the complicated dish easy to reproduce the next day. For me, though, the best part of reproducing the meal was that I finally perfected my mom's Spanish rice - no small feat, mind you. It turned out fluffy and flavorful and reminded me why I'll never get tired of eating the stuff I've been fed since childhood.
Redefining holidays
I'm discovering during this first year of living abroad, that the holidays and how they are or aren't celebrated here will contribute to the most difficult part of my transition. Halloween has never been my favorite holiday, and it's not one that I think I'll miss celebrating, yet it feels somewhat odd for a year to pass without carving a pumpkin and handing out candy to eager trick-or-treaters. It's cool to see all the costumes that my friends and family back home donned for the holiday, but I can't say that I was overly nostalgic over missing out on the typical festivities. Maybe it's because costume parties are a little more of the norm here (well, in our circle of friends, anyway), or perhaps I simply don't appreciate the fun in dressing up in costume as much as I did when I was younger.
As a kid, I can't recall if I loved dressing up for Halloween, but I do remember that I loved to pretend I was a witch - specifically, the wicked witch of the West. Blame it on my mom's (and consequently, my) obsession with the Wizard of Oz, which I can still recite verbatim from beginning to end. I think I always felt like I resembled the green-faced, black-haired villain, who many of us now endearingly call Elphaba. I've never felt so comfortable in pretending to be someone else as I did when I was a witch. Reflecting on this now makes me wonder if there's an underlying psychological reason for that. Hmmm.
This Halloween, there wasn't a witch in sight. In fact, besides a few random youngsters dressed as zombies and dead clowns, hardly anyone seemed to notice it was Halloween night. (Did I just use the word youngsters?!) I didn't even see one packet of fun-size M&Ms, Skittles or Tootsie-pops. Instead of handing out candy to ghosts and ballerinas, Emily and I caught an early evening showing of Mamma Mia, which I happened to score free tickets to from Gui's dad. It was such a great movie. Normally, I cringe during musicals; everything's so happy and smiley and terribly contrived. Call me uncultured, but there's something that makes me feel awkward when I'm watching a movie and the cast bursts out in song and dance mid-sentence. But, this movie really changed my mind about all that. After the first episode of random song and dance, an overwhelming feeling of happiness came over me and I started singing along. I knew about half of the songs they sang and after the movie ended, Emily and I were talking about downloading the soundtrack (or digging up mom's old Abba albums). It's one of those movies that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and I highly recommend seeing it if you haven't.
We ended the night discussing the next un-celebrated holiday (Thanksgiving) over frozen margaritas and a delicious platter of fried, Tex-Mex finger-foods. Unlike Halloween, Thanksgiving is a holiday that, for me, I expect will be difficult to replicate or forget. The one year I spent Thanksgiving away from home, I found some comfort in familiar foods at the Texas Embassy, but the rest of the year still felt slightly askew. That November holiday is the one day when I can expect to see cousins, aunts, uncles and friends that I otherwise rarely see during the course of the year. My dad has nine siblings and my mom, eight, so seeing all of my extended family is nearly an impossible task. Thanksgiving is usually the day when my relatives near and far get together to reminisce over one crazy big meal. Not everyone shows up, but I find that each year I see someone I haven't seen in ages, and catching up on the time in between is what Thanksgiving is all about for me.
This year, although I don't expect to see any long-lost family members, I'm looking forward to celebrating the holiday like I never have before, and that makes me super excited. I feel like it's time for me to start new traditions with my family and friends here, all of who I'm grateful to know and spend time with. This year, Gui and I decided to host Thanksgiving dinner chez nous, so I'm a little worried about how everything will turn out (man, I hope I don't burn the turkey). But I guess new traditions have to start somewhere...
As a kid, I can't recall if I loved dressing up for Halloween, but I do remember that I loved to pretend I was a witch - specifically, the wicked witch of the West. Blame it on my mom's (and consequently, my) obsession with the Wizard of Oz, which I can still recite verbatim from beginning to end. I think I always felt like I resembled the green-faced, black-haired villain, who many of us now endearingly call Elphaba. I've never felt so comfortable in pretending to be someone else as I did when I was a witch. Reflecting on this now makes me wonder if there's an underlying psychological reason for that. Hmmm.
This Halloween, there wasn't a witch in sight. In fact, besides a few random youngsters dressed as zombies and dead clowns, hardly anyone seemed to notice it was Halloween night. (Did I just use the word youngsters?!) I didn't even see one packet of fun-size M&Ms, Skittles or Tootsie-pops. Instead of handing out candy to ghosts and ballerinas, Emily and I caught an early evening showing of Mamma Mia, which I happened to score free tickets to from Gui's dad. It was such a great movie. Normally, I cringe during musicals; everything's so happy and smiley and terribly contrived. Call me uncultured, but there's something that makes me feel awkward when I'm watching a movie and the cast bursts out in song and dance mid-sentence. But, this movie really changed my mind about all that. After the first episode of random song and dance, an overwhelming feeling of happiness came over me and I started singing along. I knew about half of the songs they sang and after the movie ended, Emily and I were talking about downloading the soundtrack (or digging up mom's old Abba albums). It's one of those movies that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and I highly recommend seeing it if you haven't.
We ended the night discussing the next un-celebrated holiday (Thanksgiving) over frozen margaritas and a delicious platter of fried, Tex-Mex finger-foods. Unlike Halloween, Thanksgiving is a holiday that, for me, I expect will be difficult to replicate or forget. The one year I spent Thanksgiving away from home, I found some comfort in familiar foods at the Texas Embassy, but the rest of the year still felt slightly askew. That November holiday is the one day when I can expect to see cousins, aunts, uncles and friends that I otherwise rarely see during the course of the year. My dad has nine siblings and my mom, eight, so seeing all of my extended family is nearly an impossible task. Thanksgiving is usually the day when my relatives near and far get together to reminisce over one crazy big meal. Not everyone shows up, but I find that each year I see someone I haven't seen in ages, and catching up on the time in between is what Thanksgiving is all about for me.
This year, although I don't expect to see any long-lost family members, I'm looking forward to celebrating the holiday like I never have before, and that makes me super excited. I feel like it's time for me to start new traditions with my family and friends here, all of who I'm grateful to know and spend time with. This year, Gui and I decided to host Thanksgiving dinner chez nous, so I'm a little worried about how everything will turn out (man, I hope I don't burn the turkey). But I guess new traditions have to start somewhere...
The stuffed jalapeños reminded me of the ones from Sonic (delish) and the onion rings were surprisingly good!
à table
Food is pretty much my favorite, non-human thing in the world. I've posted about a few meals here before, and I've been wanting to start a regular post about my cooking/baking/eating adventures/disasters for a while now, but always thought it was a little weird to post about. I don't know why. Maybe because nowadays more than my mom and sister are reading my blog (thank God because then I wouldn't have any friends), and although it might intrigue them to know what we're serving for dinner chez nous (my love for food is a genetic thing, I suspect) some unknowing person might not be so interested.
But, then I remembered that the whole point of my blog is to archive events and topics that are important to me and to communicate to my loved ones (and a few random peeps here and there) the daily happenings in my life, however mundane they may seem. Not to mention that I live in FRANCE now and let's face it, who doesn't associate this country with something food-related (escargot, frog legs or cheese, anyone)? So, voila, the first of what I anticipate to be a fairly regular, and mostly visual post about food.
But, then I remembered that the whole point of my blog is to archive events and topics that are important to me and to communicate to my loved ones (and a few random peeps here and there) the daily happenings in my life, however mundane they may seem. Not to mention that I live in FRANCE now and let's face it, who doesn't associate this country with something food-related (escargot, frog legs or cheese, anyone)? So, voila, the first of what I anticipate to be a fairly regular, and mostly visual post about food.
I've discovered my new favorite fruits. Thanks to my preferred local celebrity food-blogger I've discovered so much about my new city - things that I'd never know to see, do or visit, and these Reine Claudes and mirabelles are a favorite among my discoveries. They are filled with the sweetest flesh that's seriously like candy - I ate nearly this entire bowl in one sitting. Love 'em!
Lentil and red bean soup that I've made twice already. I really am in love with this soup and expect it to make a weekly appearance at our dinner table as winter approaches.
I was dying to make stuffed peppers for some reason but nearly died when I was asked to fork up 6 euros (read: nearly 8 bucks) for four of these babies at the marché!
In the end, they were worth their price. We had two delicious stuffed peppers one night and I simply grilled the others with shallots in olive oil another night.
Martha's mac 'n cheese. I took the recipe from Smitten Kitchen and tweaked it a bit, changing the pasta and adding parmesan to the mix of yellow cheddar we found at Auchan (it was really good and really cheap, too) and soft gruyère. I made entirely too much, but it went really well with a leafy salad and was perfect Sunday food.
I even made my own barbecue sauce, and it was super easy, too! After a Google search, I found this basic recipe and now I'm going to make it more often. After this meal, Gui told me he was really lucky that I was his wife. He quickly clarified that it wasn't just because of the food but for all the other stuff, too (I was flattered enough with the initial compliment, but I won't tell him that).
Six things that make me happy
Maybe it doesn't take a lot to make me happy, but for the past few days I've been finding myself quite content with a lot of things. We had dinner with Gui's dad the evening we got into town from La Rochelle. We were pretty pooped from the long drive and eventful weekend, but his dad insisted that we stop by for a quick dinner. We knew he had something up his sleeve, and shortly after we arrived, he handed us a box in a bag that contained these gorgeous knives.
He even had them engraved with our names on the blade, so we wouldn't have to share. Thank goodness, because you wouldn't believe how much dirtier Gui's knife is after eating than mine! They're absolutely beautiful and so sophisticated. We won't be eating with them daily - you're not supposed to wash the handle and they're just too fancy for the regular ol' meals we have around here. But, we'll be bringing them out for special occasions, for sure.
The Sunday chili I made had me all in smiles, too. We ended up eating it all throughout the day, polishing it off with a crisp cider while watching the Olympic games. I love chili, and this time I made it extra spicy which was so comforting on a gloomy Sunday.
I also finally whipped up some coleslaw, which I've been craving for weeks now. I couldn't believe how easy it was, nor how great it tasted!! Gui fell in love with coleslaw while living a summer in Texas and even he raved about it. I was happy to indulge, but much happier that I found another go-to recipe (I nixed the vegetable oil and added a little milk) to add to my personal repertoire.
I both smiled and grunted when I got this in the mailbox.
98% of our apartment is Ikea furniture, and our kitchen would be completely dysfunctional without the genius that is behind Ikea. We can never leave the store without a full basket of goodies for the house. Still, it makes me cringe that I didn't come up with the whole "build your own furniture" idea first.
My happy streak continued at the grocery store today, first when I spotted these:
And, then when I spotted this:
I've seen these corn tortillas before somewhere, but they must have been outrageously priced for me to have passed them up. Not this time! Now, enchiladas are on the menu for this week, so stay tuned!
And that strange cylindrical box is sodium bicarbonate, otherwise known as baking soda, which has been pretty hard to come by around these parts. I randomly walked by the salt section and saw this bright yellow thing reflected by the fluorescent lights and realized it was the golden ticket to the oatmeal cookies I've been wanting to try my hand at. I really hope it's the right stuff because I can't really understand any of the writing, which is in half Dutch, half French. If it is, it'll be more cause to keep smiling.
He even had them engraved with our names on the blade, so we wouldn't have to share. Thank goodness, because you wouldn't believe how much dirtier Gui's knife is after eating than mine! They're absolutely beautiful and so sophisticated. We won't be eating with them daily - you're not supposed to wash the handle and they're just too fancy for the regular ol' meals we have around here. But, we'll be bringing them out for special occasions, for sure.
The Sunday chili I made had me all in smiles, too. We ended up eating it all throughout the day, polishing it off with a crisp cider while watching the Olympic games. I love chili, and this time I made it extra spicy which was so comforting on a gloomy Sunday.
I also finally whipped up some coleslaw, which I've been craving for weeks now. I couldn't believe how easy it was, nor how great it tasted!! Gui fell in love with coleslaw while living a summer in Texas and even he raved about it. I was happy to indulge, but much happier that I found another go-to recipe (I nixed the vegetable oil and added a little milk) to add to my personal repertoire.
I both smiled and grunted when I got this in the mailbox.
98% of our apartment is Ikea furniture, and our kitchen would be completely dysfunctional without the genius that is behind Ikea. We can never leave the store without a full basket of goodies for the house. Still, it makes me cringe that I didn't come up with the whole "build your own furniture" idea first.
My happy streak continued at the grocery store today, first when I spotted these:
And, then when I spotted this:
I've seen these corn tortillas before somewhere, but they must have been outrageously priced for me to have passed them up. Not this time! Now, enchiladas are on the menu for this week, so stay tuned!
And that strange cylindrical box is sodium bicarbonate, otherwise known as baking soda, which has been pretty hard to come by around these parts. I randomly walked by the salt section and saw this bright yellow thing reflected by the fluorescent lights and realized it was the golden ticket to the oatmeal cookies I've been wanting to try my hand at. I really hope it's the right stuff because I can't really understand any of the writing, which is in half Dutch, half French. If it is, it'll be more cause to keep smiling.
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