Almond blossoms

I've written about almond trees once, but I had no idea what I was writing about.  Not really.  Now I do.  Les amandiers were in full bloom last week in Provence.  Pink ones and white ones.  The smell is heavenly.  I had no idea what they even smelled like.  We don't have almond trees in North Carolina.  Or if we do, I don't know where they are and have never seen them.  The only thing I could possibly compare them to are the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.

When is someone going to invent a camera that records a photo and a smell?  Hurry up, smart people!
I went to L'Occitane En Provence at Southpoint Mall yesterday in search of almond scented lotions and potions.
They give out beautiful little shopping bags with your purchase--

And these shops really are found in Provence.  I've seen them all over- Arles, Villeneuve-lez-Avignon, Avignon, Uzès...
I found two almond products, shower oil-

which I plan to use this morning--
and Savon Gourmand (yes, they had me right there with the name)- Delicious Soap- exfoliant et stimulant aux eclats d'amande - exfoliating and stimulating with flaked almonds.  It does smell delicious.  They got that right.

It's even in a beautiful little ceramic soap dish.

I also searched for a candle but didn't have any luck in that department.
Somewhere around my house I have some Burt's Bees almond milk beeswax hand creme.  I just need to find it.  And then sniff it and see if it really smells the way it should.
All the sniffing made me hungry, bien sûr.  And instead of making something relatively easy with almonds, I tackled macarons once again.  For really only the third time.  But these little gems are not easy to make.  I can almost see why Pierre Hermé charges a small fortune for his lovely little delights. (Arles Lucy bought me a box of them at Galeries Lafayette in Paris.  I tried not to wince when I saw the price.  I did keep the box.  And I did eat all but one of them.  I gave one to Mme P's adorable daughter.)

My photos do not do them justice.
I pulled out one of my books on macaron-making, made a shopping list, and off I went in search of almond flour.

I didn't find any, but I didn't look very hard.  I hate driving around all over town.  I just bought almond slivers, toasted them, and ground them in my coffee grinder (that I do not use for coffee, only spices and almonds).
(Note:  This almond soap sitting right next me smells really good! Merci, L'Occitane and sales associate Avanti!)
I decided to make my macarons green in honor of St. Patrick's Day.  And I like mint and chocolate together.  They are not as pretty as I would like, but I am not very good with a piping bag and goopy stuff.  I guess I just need more practice.
Almonds, of course-

Macaron batter-

 Macaron on the cookie sheet "drying"-

Book photo-

My finished product-

I think I will have one with my morning coffee!

Mint Chocolate Macaroons
from Macaroons:  30 Recipes for perfect bite-size treats, Love Food, Parragon Books Ltd, Bath, UK, 2011
Makes 16 small cookies

3/4 c. ground almonds
1 c. confectioners' sugar
2 extra large egg whites (should be at room temperature; if possible, separate them and let them sit out, covered loosely by a paper towel, for a few hours to allow some of the moisture to evaporate from the whites)
1/4 c. superfine sugar
1 tsp. peppermint extract
Green food coloring paste or liquid
Chocolate sprinkles

Filling:
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
2 oz / 55 g milk chocolate, melted and cooled for 15 minutes

Place the ground almonds and confectioners' sugar in a food processor and process for 15 seconds.  Sift the mixture into a bowl.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the eggs whites in a large bowl and whip until holding soft peaks.  Gradually beat in the superfine sugar to make a firm, glossy meringue.  Beat in the peppermint extract and enough green food coloring to give a bright green color.

Using a spatula, fold the almond mixture into the meringue one-third at a time.  When all the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, continue to cut and fold the mixture until it forms a shiny batter with a thick, ribbonlike consistency.

Pour the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch / 1-cm plain tip.  Pipe 32 small circles onto the prepared baking sheets.  Tap the baking sheets firmly onto a work surface to remove air bubbles.  Top with chocolate sprinkles.  Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 325˚F / 160˚C. (You can, of course, make them any size you wish.  Just try to be consistent so you can match them up.)

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Carefully peel the macaroons off the parchment paper and let cool completely.

To make the filling, beat the butter until pale and fluffy.  Sift in the confectioners' sugar and beat thoroughly until smooth and creamy, then fold in the melted chocolate.  Use to sandwich pairs of macaroons together.

They go quite well with café au lait, just in case you are interested.

 (my breakfast café au lait at the Hôtel Princesse Caroline in Paris)

I will have to seek further opinions on them.  Volunteers?

Bon appétit, les amandiers, Provence, et les macarons!

Back in Provence

Not only am I back in France, but now I am back in Provence. And not only am I in Provence, but I am chez Madame P. We left Paris on the TGV, headed south with no stops. We managed to get 23 suitcases off the train (okay, I have two this time), more purses and backpacks than I could count, and 22 people. We left behind an iPhone belonging to one of the boys (brought along against the counsel of his sage French teacher), but at least it wasn't the boy himself, n'est-ce pas? I have already eaten fondue bourguignonne, endive salad (lunch), sarazin crepes stuffed with ham and cheese, salad with Madame P's vinaigrette dressing, cheeses- chèvre and Saint Albray-, 2011 Belle Emilie Vin du Pays du Gard, and a piece of chocolate (dinner). The grocery store here, Intermarche, is giving away a box of chocolates for every 30 euros shoppers spend (forgot the forks, spoons, and coolers, Harris Teeter). After dinner, Madame P's husband built a nice little fire in the fireplace. Pas mal.
The almond trees, les amandiers, are in full bloom at the moment. Unfortunately, the mimosas were killed by the recent very cold weather.



A very belle photo taken by Madame P this afternoon. The smell is heavenly. Maybe I am in heaven?

Bon appetit, Madame P! Je suis trop contente d'être chez toi!

(It drives me nuts to leave off the accents, mes amis, but I don't know where they are on this truc ...)


Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sleepless in Paris

I am seriously not getting my beauty sleep. There is just too much to do and see. Oh, and did I mention the 20 eighth graders I am constantly chasing after? One of them snapped this photo today of Arles Lucy and moi. I have no doubt that at least 200 photos were snapped of la Tour Eiffel during our two hour visit. I can account for at least 20 of them...
I have seen some new sights, chiefly the Basilica of St. Denis, the burial place of kings and queens of France. What a beautiful place. The heart of Louis XVII was even in a little urn.
Arles Lucy has not yet had any mousse au chocolat so she is getting a bit cranky. I must remedy that tomorrow ASAP. I took her to Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore for the first time. She loved it. We struck up a conversation with a young British fellow who has been living there for 5 weeks.
Some of the girlies ordered (and ate!) escargots tonight in a little cafe near the Eiffel Tower.



Impressionant, n'est-ce pas?
Dessert looked good, too--



I didn't save room. There is always tomorrow, right?
Chocolate milkshake in Paris??



Pourquoi pas?
We are heading to the Aligre market tomorrow morning. Better get back to that beauty sleep...

Bon appetit et bonne nuit, mes amis!


Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Les Oscars

Okay, yes, I know. This is not a photo of last night's Academy Awards. It is Wheel of Fortune and Vanna White. The really big deal is that the Ex-Ex and I have a brand new TV. Oui, we have entered the 21st century with a plasma HD one with more channels that we will ever watch. Our sons are proud. And a bit shocked, I guess, that we finally did it. (Tiny Bubbles In The Wine, by the way)
I can't believe I did it, but I actually stayed up past my bedtime on a school night to watch the Oscars. For once, I had seen several of the films up for Best Picture... Midnight in Paris, Moneyball, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, The Help, and The Artist. (Some years I haven't seen any of them.). I loved each movie, each for a different reason. But I fell in love with both Midnight in Paris and The Artist. I was very pleased with the final outcome. Woody Allen and Midnight won for Best Screenplay and The Artist won Best Picture. Jean Dujardin est charmant, n'est-ce pas? Magnifique! Formidable! Merveilleux!

 blog.zaptoit.com

Oh, and I still haven't figured out which French gros mot he uttered...

Bon appétit, Oscar et Jean!

Practice is important

Okay, this time before heading across the Atlantic, I am practicing!! Go me! When in France last month ( yes, I love saying that... Makes me sound like some hip and happening jet setter which I obviously am not or I wouldn't say hip and happening, would I?), I tried to post but could not figure out how to insert a photo. And I think my blog would be very boring without photos. So, google to the rescue, as always. I googled how to insert a photo into a blog post on an iPad and found answers and a solution. In the form of a $2.99 app called BlogPress. Therefore, you can see the above photos of my French hair straightener ( which I do not not use because my hair is too straight any way, but the girlies and Arles Lucy need it, so they say. I wish I had curls... The grass is always greener, isn't it?) and my electrical do- dads. Now, I have to figure out to make this darling iPad stop auto-correcting my French...

Bon appetit, BlogPress and Google!!
Where are the accents?? Au secours!!

My poor neglected little blog

How can I ever apologize to my lovely blog for neglecting her for so long?
Would chocolat do the trick?

This bar came to me (as a bribe, peut-être?) from Astérix, one of my advisees, on the way up to Washington, DC.  Probably in hopes of keeping me from nagging him too much.  Or maybe it was a thank you gift from his mom.  Thank you for taking him away for three days.  Doesn't matter because it is the best chocolate I have put in my chocolate-loving mouth in a very long time.  What's not to love about chocolat noir et fleur de sel??  I would share my last bites.
This sign was in the ladies room at the Newseum in DC.  I have never threatened to behead a 7th grader.  Honestly, I haven't.  (And yes, I always have my camera with me.  You just never know...)

Or how about a bowl of Teresa Lust's Polenta Stew that I finally got around to making?

The Ex-Ex liked the stew but the melted cheese in the bottom kind of aggravated him.  Is he human??  How can anyone get aggravated with melted, gooey mozzarella and provolone?
Or maybe a pain au chocolat given to me by Arles Lucy as a please-forgive-me-for-forgetting-the-meeting gift? 

 

It is was from La Farm Bakery and well, I guess it's too late to share it anyway.  It is long gone.
Bite #1...

Okay, how about a cupcake from Georgetown Cupcake?

Oh yes, I did eat one-- the pink one with the chocolate design on top!  Here's the middle--

My DC small group met with Ann McDaniel at the Washington Post.  We had a chance to tour the newsroom, ask her questions, and have lunch in the board room.  I sat where Melinda Gates sits during meetings, by the way.  Ann provided a fabulous lunch of salad, pizza, fruit salad, cookies, and cupcakes.  (I managed to spew my lemonade all over me and the lovely board room table by disregarding the fact that it was carbonated and slightly shaking it right before opening.  And then I dropped my camera while photographing the cupcake middle.  What a klutz I am.  What's the French word for that, I wonder?)

Or, my little blog, how about a cute pair of rain boots to keep our feet dry and warm next week in case it rains in Paris?  I like the ones with the fleur-de-lys on them, don't you?

Ah oui, this time next week we shall be roaming the streets of Paris...  with Arles Lucy, Thierry, and our 20 eighth graders.  Are we packed yet?  Of course not, but we will be Wednesday morning.
Okay, then, my last idea for today... a glass of champagne? 

Best chilled and shared with friends? 
Am I forgiven yet? 
S'il te plaît?
I promise to be better and not ignore you for so long in the future.  D'accord?

Stew and Polenta
(from Pass the Polenta by Teresa Lust)
Serves 4

For the stew:

2 pounds chuck roast or other stewing meat, trimmed and cut into chunks
2-3 Tbsp oil or rendered fat from the meat
1 large onion, cut into thick crescents
4-5 small cloves garlic, peeled and slivered
1 bay leaf
1 good pinch each of oregano, thyme, and rosemary (I used my herbes de provence)
1 glass of red wine (I was sipping from a California Zinfandel while cooking so I used that)
16-ounce jar of canned tomatoes, roughly cut, including their liquid
2-3 stalks of celery, including their leaves, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
Quartered mushrooms, 1 cup or so, optional
1 turnip, peeled and sliced, optional
Salt and pepper to taste
**Note:  It's best to make sure everything is cut bite-sized and will fit in a spoon.  It's easier for the eaters this way.

Dredge the pieces of meat in flour.  Heat the oil or fat in a heavy stewpot.  Add the meat and cook over medium heat until the pieces are browned on all sides.  Stir in the onion, garlic, bay leaf, and herbs, and continue cooking until the onion is translucent.  Add the wine and tomatoes, and let the stew simmer slowly, covered, for about two hours.  Check the pot occasionally and add water if the liquid has evaporated.  Toward the end of the cooking time, stir in the remaining vegetables and continue braising gently until the vegetables are tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Can be made ahead and reheated.

For the polenta:

1 cup polenta (coarsely ground cornmeal)
4 cups cold water (you can substitute 1 cup stock or milk for part of the water)
Salt and pepper
A few handfuls freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Stir water, polenta, and 1 teaspoon salt together in a heavy saucepan.  Place over a low flame and stir slowly with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to keep the polenta from sticking.  Cook until the mixture thickens and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the pot, and the cornmeal feels tender on the tongue, 30-40 minutes.  Stir in the cheese.  Add freshly ground pepper and more salt, if needed, to taste.

To assemble and serve at table:

Put thin slices of mozzarella, provolone, and Gorgonzola cheeses on a serving plate-- 8 ounces of cheese, total, is ample.  Gruyère, fontina or Roquefort work well in this dish, too.  Place the cheese plate on the table, along with the pot of stew and the dish of polenta.  Diners serve themselves by spooning a mound of polenta onto their plate, followed by slices of the assorted cheeses and spoonfuls of stew.

Bon appétit, Sabbatical Chef Blog!

A Rooster Week

A friend showed this to me today and man, do I know how that rooster feels.  (My apologies to the photographer-- I would give you credit if I knew who you were).  Now, I certainly hope I look better than he does.  I haven't  lost my hair and goodness knows I haven't lost any weight.  But ever have days when you feel pulled in 16 different directions?  I've felt like that since returning from France.  I haven't even kept up with my blog stats and I can be a bit obsessive about that, trust me.  Here is a list of the things I have going...

• 7th grade class trip to DC in less that two weeks
• 8th grade trip to France in less than a month
• Arrival of the 28 French students and teachers in less than 2 months
• National French Exam orders (I am the NC test coordinator)
• Summer trip to France for six- Travels with my BFF, we are calling it- 3 days in Paris, 7 in Provence
• The usual daily teaching and advising duties that keep me here from 7:30 am- 5:00 pm

Now, don't get me wrong.  I love my job.  Today is dress like a teacher day and several girls are here in black dresses, black tights, and scarves. 

I have fun with my students and pray that some French is sinking into their still-developing brains.  I love all the things I am involved in.  I wish that I had more time to do me-stuff-- go for a daily walk, write on this blog or work on my imaginary novel, finish Kristin's new book, Blossoming in Provence, cook up something delicious (in my kitchen at this very minute, I have all the ingredients for Teresa Lust's Polenta Stew recipe waiting for me to put them to good use), and so on and so on. 
Now I am just making myself tired so I will stop!
By the way, did you know that the rooster is the symbol of France?  Ah oui, c'est vrai.  Latin for rooster: gallus, Latin for inhabitant of Gaul, the former name of France:  Gallus; throw in Middle Ages, Christian symbol, the Renaissance, Charlemagne, mascot, Le Coq Sportif, and Cocorico.
This is Footix, mascot of the 1998 World Cup which was held in Paris and won by the Roosters French.

Ok, ça suffit pour aujourd'hui!  History lesson over.  Two more classes and study hall to go before I get home to that stew recipe.

Bon appétit. les Gaulois!