Wine-derful

At a wine tasting last Thursday, our host said that "wine is poetry in a bottle."   A good bottle of wine can evoke your senses.  It can back bring memories of laying in the grass, tip toeing through water running over a stone path in a brook, or strawberry jam at the farmer's market, and all without distractions.  It can be bold or subtle.  It demands focus. It demands your attention.

Thomas and I are by no means oenophiles, but we do like discovering new wines.  And France is a great place to do a lot of discovering (and learning).

This weekend there was a salon for independent wine makers in Paris.  Over a thousand oenologues presented their wines under one roof.  We tasted wines from Bordeaux, Avignon, Lirac, and Champagne.  The best part of today was speaking with the wine makers themselves.  Who better to tell you about the wine than those who had a hand in its production.  It was wonderful to speak with people who were proud of their work. We even met one of the founders of the salon at one of the stations selling his wines. He was a remarkable teacher (Thomas and I still have a lot to learn), which in my opinion made him a good salesman.  We almost bought a case from him.  Thomas and I had to hesitate a bit with the wine purchases.  Many of the wines we purchased were not quite ready to drink.  Before buying more of these types of wine, we would need to figure out where we would store them.  Perhaps building a wine cave is a project for another weekend.

We came home with (literally) a backpack full of wine. Since we took the train, we needed a way to bring the wine home. We thought leaving the grocery chariot at home would help keep our purchases in check.  Others brought their suitcases on rollers.  There was some serious wine purchases going on at this event.  People were stowing away wooden cases of wine in their Samsonite rolling bag.

These salons (wine and food) are definitely one thing the French know how to do well.

My favorite wine of the day.

Salon du vigneron independant.

Bordeux, Syrah, Chateau-neuf-du-pape, Sauternes, and cognac.   A fruitful Sunday.

March on!

The weather in France is unpredictable.  Two weekends ago, the weather was bright and sunny. It was warm enough to ditch my winter coat. I was convinced that spring had finally broken through the winter doldrums of grey and rainy skies.  I was warned by colleagues that March has crazy weather. The freezing rain on Monday night and the five inches of snow Tuesday was proof of it.  Winter sent us another reminder that she is not quite done yet.

Snow that sticks in Paris is not very common.  It is so uncommon that folks, including the French government, do not have the proper equipment to deal with the wintry mix.  They don't have snow shovels let alone a fleet of snow plows or even a snow emergency plan.

Tuesday evening was particular bad.  I saw the snow falling at a rapid rate, but it was not any more than what I've seen in Pittsburgh or DC. Little did I know what havoc four inches of snow would cause to the French transportation system.  Colleagues were warning me to leave early, but I did not heed those warning. In hind site, I should have.  By the time I left at six o'clock.  All the buses and trains had stopped running.  I managed to make it to the metro stop at the edge of the Bolougne Billancourt. I was two neighborhoods and one steep and icy hill from home.  Since buses had stopped running, my only choice was to walk the mile and a half to Garches.  The distance wasn't so bad, but no one salts or shovels the sidewalks.  Since we had freezing rain the day before, there was a thick sheet of ice underneath the snow.  Ironically enough, the snow helped add a bit of traction.  It was slow going and a bit precarious.  And I'm just talking about the sidewalks. The state of the roads were not much better.  I know because at times it was preferable to walk on the road rather than the sidewalk.  It was a long walk home that night.

I praised the French the last time it snowed. They don't descend on grocery stores like the world is ending.  This time around the French get a B- for not shoveling sidewalks and the government gets C- for not having a snow emergency plan.  There is no excuse for not asking people to stay home or informing people when train and bus lines would stop running.  I read a story that some people in the north of France had to spend a night in their cars because of the snow because no one cleared the roads. It is reasonable for the French government not to have a fleet of snow plows because it does not snow enough to have them, but that does not mean that the government just throws their hands up and tell everyone to fend for themselves.  The least they could do is ask citizens to shovel their part of the sidewalks and the government would take care of the main roads.  But that would be too logical.

On a different note, this weekend's field trip was to Chinatown in the 13th arrondissement.  Paris' Chinatown is authentic.  Much more than DC's version where they take American stores and put Chinese lettering under the store names.  Paris' Chinatown is organic.  It's where the Chinese-French live. It's where they shop. It's where they dine.

Our neighbors took us there Sunday morning. It was a nice treat. Paris, as international as this city is, ingredients not a part of the French mainstream cuisine are rarely found in the super markets. Items that are found are expensive.  This shopping trip to Chinatown was a welcomed treat.  In Chinatown, we visited stores with familiar foreign ingredients- ramen noodles, egg roll wrappers, purple yam, bok choy, and bitter melons.  We can now expand our culinary repertoire.  As soon as we came home, I made a batch of egg rolls.  Now I just need to email mom for her won ton soup and mung bean with bitter melon recipes.  Thomas is in for a treat (welcomed or not).

Cultural Immersion

Saturday afternoon, Thomas and I went on a historical walking tour of Paris.  The two hour tour was spent around the Palais Royal and focused on the French Revolution.  History was never my strong suit - too many names and dates to retain in my head. I struggled through AP American history in high school.  Nevertheless walking through Paris you get a strong sense of the history that has taken place in this city, and you quickly realize how important their past is to the French.  But with France on it's fifth republic since being ruled by monarchs, the idea that I could even begin to understand the players and events that has shaped France today is a near impossible task.  Understanding the history of France is integral to understanding the French. As difficult and complex their history is, I will nonetheless endeavor to try to learn as much of it as I can while I am here. These walking tours are a good (and fun) way to do that.

Overall a good experience especially since many of the locations of historical events are still around.  As I said earlier, we spent most of the tour in the Palais Royal and its gallery. The guide spun tales of Revolutionist, Royalists, Louis XVI.  He told us stories of Jean Marat, who among other things started a news paper where he condemned the powerful and the elite. He was assassinated by a Girondist sympathizer.  The Girondist also supported of the idea of ending the monarchy but did not like the current practice of mob rule that had taken hold at the start of the revolution.  The guide showed us the location of where the old Tuileries Palace once stood (at one end of the Louvre). The palace was destroyed during the fourth French revolution.  The tour ended at the Place de la Concorde where the obelisk now stands at the spot where Marie Antoinette was guillotined.  The tour guide did a good job of bringing history to life in the setting where many of the events took place. He also threw in some surprising (at least to me) bits of facts - like how much support the French gave to the US during our revolutionary war and the location of the Republic of Texas (1842-1843) Embassy in the 2nd arrondissement.  

Not the Palais Royal, but very indicative of French Architecture

Place de la Concorde. Obelisk marks the spot where Marie Antoinette was executed.

The cultural immersion continued into dinner with a French inspired menu.  

Entrée

Savory roquefort crême brulée

Plat

Shrimp and asparagus crêpes

Dessert

Pot au Chocolat with Olive Oil and Sea Salt

While we love to cook, fancy shmancy dishes with long lists of ingredients are not our forté (at least not yet).  The three dishes we prepared yesterday required only a few ingredients and kitchen time.  Lucky for us the quality of the ingredients goes along way in making a dish taste great.

Roquefort Crême Brulée

Before moving to France, the creme brulées we sampled where sweet and creamy desserts.  A simple substitution of strong flavored cheese for sugar makes this dish a perfect way to start a meal.  Three ingredients: three egg yolks, 3/4 cups of cream, and 1/4 cups of roquefort cheese. Mix together in a blender, pour into two small ramekins, and bake in a water bath for 45 minutes at 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, broil long enough to brown, and voila a light and savory starter. We first made this dish during our French cooking lesson in Versailles using muenster cheese. 

Shrimp and asparagus crêpes

The main dish was super easy too.  I made a basic crepe batter which I popped in the fridge while preparing the dessert which had to cool and set before serving.  I read somewhere that putting the batter in the fridge to rest makes a better crepes.  It seems to help, so I've been doing this too. The filing was simple: shrimp with blanched asparagus. I made a cream sauce, which went inside with the filling and on top, with scallions, cream, and Parmesan.  After assembling the crepes, I put them in the oven to heat up.  Note for next time: one each would be plenty-- especially for a three course meal.

Pot au chocolat with huile d'olive et sel (olive oil and salt)

I had this dessert on Friday at Frenchie and could not wait to make it for Thomas. Chocolate, olive oil, and sea salt - all great ingredients themselves, but together the dish is mind blowing.  The salt enhances the dark chocolate and the velvety olive oil.  Definitely use quality ingredients (especially the chocolate and olive oil). I used this recipe for the chocolate part.  This is also very simple. Melt the chocolate, add the sugar and cream, carefully combine the egg yolks (read the recipe instruction on how to do this), finish with the vanilla and pinch of salt.  Cool in the frig.  Right before serving, sprinkle with coarse sea salt, and then add a thin layer of good quality olive oil. The pot au chocolat is not as fluffy as chocolate mousse, but decant, delicious, and sinfully rich.  One dish was enough for the two of us. In fact, we probably could have shared it with another couple.  You don't need much to get your fill - just two or three spoonfuls.  If you like chocolate and olive oil, I recommend trying this dish.

Below are more photos from our day walking around Paris.

Palais Royal. Today it houses the Constitutional Council and the Ministry of Culture

Artist and Anti-Nuclear Demonstrators in Front of the Palais Royal

Random string orchestra playing on the streets around the palace.

Le Grande Vefour- the first grand restaurant in Paris opening in 1784.

Location of the embassy of Texas (back when Texas was a separate republic)

We ended the day at Angelina on Rue du Rivoli

They have the world's best hot chocolate.

Old Friends New Places

Over the last week, three friends from my "past life" were in France. One was a woman I knew three jobs ago in DC, and two were former Peace Corps friends. All three I've known for over a decade. One I had not seen in 15 years, and one I saw at my going away party last June.

It was a delight to see them. Our lives have changed much over the course of those years.  People got married, moved overseas, had children, advanced in their careers.  I read the updates on social networking sites, so some things were not a surprise.  However, there is no replacement from sitting across the table from them and having a warm conversation. The fact that we were catching up and reconnecting in Paris under the shadow of Notre Dame or over wine from the Languedoc region in a small trendy bistro added to the enjoyment of the outings.

While we gained many things moving to France, Thomas and I lost these valuable connections with trusted friends.  Our family and friends had been central to our lives in the US.  We often organized or attended dinner parties, outings to discover the DC area, spontaneous get-togethers with neighbors during snow storms.  I lived in DC for 15 years and Thomas for five.  We were well established and comfortable there.  The move to France was (is) exciting , and we are experience things we could never have experienced in the US, but there is a small sense of loss.  The distance makes it difficult to connect with those that were at one point very central in our lives.  Email, phone calls, and facetime helps to bridge the distance.  I am thankful for these advances in technology (When I was in the Peace Corps twelve years ago, I was lucky if I could email once a month). But it really is not the same.

It was a nice feeling to have old friends in our new life in Paris even if only for a few hours over dinner.  It reminded me that as our lives evolve, we don't have to forget about the past, as much as we just add to it with new experiences.  Just like the city of Paris.

There are many facets of Paris.  There is the old, historic part where tourist flock in droves. And there is the modern, urban Paris where Parisians flock to experience something different.  It's all one Paris. With each visitor, we had the opportunity to visit the different parts of Paris.

Last Saturday, Thomas and I had dinner with some American friends who are currently living in Germany.  We met them at Cafe Panis - our usual place to take visiting friends.  Across the Seine from Notre Dame, the location gives visitors a chance to do some sight seeing before having dinner.  This cafe is on the edge of the Latin quarter (where all the student's live since it's so close to the Sorbonne).  It's also near the Shakespeare and Company English language bookstore- a fixture on the Left Bank of Paris for half a century.

Friday, I had dinner in a trendy wine bar tucked away in a quiet street of the second arrondissement. It had four pages of wine as well as simple but creative selection of small plates. The wine options were mostly ordered by the  bottle, but they had two varieties of by the glass red.  That evening, I chose the 2009 Cadette from Les Milles Vignes of the Fitou AOC.  It was a dark, full-bodied delight that helped eased me into that "ah it's finally the weekend" feeling after a hard work week.  It was wonderful with our evening ending pot au chocolat (think small ramkin of chocolate mousse) with olive oil and sea salt.  Three great tastes that melded beautiful with each delicate spoonful. It was a conversation stopper.  After each taste we both paused for a moment of silence to relish the dark chocolate and  velvety olive oil made more savory by the salt.    Sweet-Salty; Old-New-- spice up our life here in France.