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Time keeps slipping away...

I realized today that my time here in France is quickly dwindling to an end. It is a bittersweet ending, to be honest. I’ve enjoyed my time here with all the traveling, food, baking and even my stint in the foreign hospital. I hate that I’m going to be leaving the friends that I’ve made and the simplicity of our lives here, but I’m looking forward to being home with all the little things I’ve missed. For instance, a clothes dryer. I really don’t like the way my clothes feel from line drying. That weird crunchy feel, yuck, I still feel like my clothes aren’t clean. Then all the other things like my own bed, my family and friends, my pets and so forth.

Cooper wanting to play

Chance wanting to do laundry

Sophie and Simca (my mom's French bulldogs) on their morning "walk"

Like I said, my life here has been simple. At the start I didn’t have to wake up before noon, but I would be up by at least 8. Walk to the store some days with friends form lab and be back in time to get ready for our walk to the school at 11:30 AM (or a little later). We would be at the school till 8 at night sometimes. But our days now during the week consist of waking up before the sun and walking to lab to be there before 6 AM. In lab till 1 PM, then walk over to lunch that has always been provided for us during the week. Our conversations at lunch consist of how lab went, what should we put together for dinner (I always end up bringing wine), and what are the plans for the weekend. At dinner, we eat together (us few from class) and drink wine, eat and joke around and if the mood hits us right… we play yam (the French version of yatzee). Take into account we are all still going to bed between 8:30-9:30.  It is, by far, enjoyable. One person commented on how much time we all spend together since we have been here and how we are all still getting along. It is surprising. We are with each other for maybe 15+ hours a day. We all have our moments when we get a little frustrated with somebody but we don’t hesitate to be like, “seriously? Come on.” and get right back to work and put it behind us.

Lately our conversations have turned into more of what we are going to be doing after this is done. The time has come for us to be transplanted back into reality and not our play reality here in France. One individual landed a sweet job in Germany working in a bakery. He will be shaping and doing the designs on the artisan breads in this shop. He will be learning from individuals that have been doing this for years. I’m very happy for him and, of course, jealous. Other individuals will be heading back to classes for the winter term at their various campuses of Johnson and Wales, and then there are the others, like me, job searching. It has been difficult for all of us to make calls and or communicate with places back home. So hopefully things line up for all of us when we hit the States. As somebody always tells me… “Being a grown-up sucks. I want to revert back to being 10 years old when all I had to do was a few chores around the house then I got to go outside and play till dusk. Those were simpler/better days.”  I do miss those days but I’m thankful for where I am and having the responsibilities that I will take on. I will always be that kid at heart.

So as my location changes, this blog will change as well… not so much on travel but more focus on food and challenges I encounter. I plan on posting recipes that I’ve come across (or have been asked about). I’ll try them out and then I’ll explain what I did and what I did differently the next time I prepared the recipes.  So I guess in a way this will become a “help me help you” type of blog. I’m always looking for new things to try (savory dishes and desserts).  I know I will be putting more of a French and or Southern influence on my dishes, no matter what they might be. It is what I know and what I do best. 

Love affair with food...

I promised I would post/write about the best part of being in France… The food! It is, of course, my favorite part… hints the reason I’m here. The meals you can get and even the desserts… My mouth is watering thinking about it.

I have been told that I’m an adventurous eater… I have proven that to be true while being here. Some such dishes that I’ve had that others weren’t too keen on trying... like beef tartar. OK… I understand the off-standish comments… I’m eating raw beef plain and simple. Even having a raw egg on top, at times. I understand. But, seriously… OH MY GAWD! It is one of my favorite meals! It is intimidating when it comes out to you… this mound of beef with a little well for the raw egg, you see the herbs and some spices they have mixed in with the beef, on fresh greens with a simple vinaigrette, and some worscheshire sauce. Cracking the yolk and watching it seep and spread over the top of the beef before I mix it all up was surprisingly appetizing to me. I can only eat yolks if they are scrambled… I always eat around the yolks if I have them fried. They just weird me out. But back to the beef tartar… They will have fries to accompany the meal, but there is always a breadbasket on the table. The beef has this velvet texture and melts in your mouth. You get just a hint of the egg along with all the other herbs and spices… One bite, I was sold. It is a lot they give you so it is hard for me to put it all away. If I was able to sit there a longer and didn’t have places to go and see, I think I would have been able to put it all away.

Beef Tartar

Another dish I had was beef carpaccio. Yes… raw beef again. But this kind is very very finely shaved beef instead of minced meat. The plate is covered with the shaved meat and has a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice over top along with fresh greens and some shaved parmesan. Talk about meat that melts in your mouth.

Beef carpaccio

I know… I know… I have a special place in my heart/stomach for raw beef now. But that isn’t all I’ve been eating. We are given some pretty good/tasty meals for our lunches that are provided for us during the week before/after class. We always have a salad, a plate with different cheeses to choose from, local yogurt (which is really good and American yogurt can’t touch the yogurt here), fresh fruit and then we have a hot part of the meal… We’ve had lasagna (which is tied with my mom’s lasagna for the best), braised veal with butter noodles, stewed beef and scalloped potatoes, baked chicken with buttered rice… oh the list goes on. I’ve not had a bad meal since I’ve been here. And I’ve actually lost weight since being here all because of the walking we have to do and then all the walking around on the weekends.

Cinnamon Rolls our chef made for us one day

Prosciutto melon and a simple salad before the hot portion

Lentils with braised pork

I will miss the quality of food from over here in the farmer’s markets, and all the variety they have with the cheeses, dairy (butter, yogurt, raw milk (that I never got)), the meat stands with cured and fresh meats, wines, all the honeys and so forth. Such a great experience with that. 

All Aspects of France

So taking a little detour from food and exciting travel for a moment…

Ok, so, this whole shenanigan began Halloween night. I started having a weird numbing sensation in my left arm. You know like the ones you get when you've slept on it weird and your arm or whatever limb is "waking up." Well, it didn't stay in the arm... It went to the left side of my jaw. I sounded like I had Novocain shot in my mouth. I was like this can't be good at all. But it then went away after about 15 min. No I hadn’t had any type of alcohol or drugs of any kind to make that happen. Then happened again at dinner so I call the only person I know that would keep me calm... My dad. Did what the doctor said (take some aspirin and call if there are any changes). Next day had slight numbness but nothing that was freaking me out... 

Next day, Wednesday, I had to tell my chef, Sebastian, just in case something more serious than what I had previously experienced happened. He immediately started worrying, which is what I would have done. The numbness charade happened again sooo left class. Sebastian took me to the local doctor, which happened to also be the mayor. Small town life is obviously the same all over the world. The local doctor’s office was interesting in itself. You ring a bell before you go in, then you sit in a very small wood paneled waiting room. Then the doctor comes and gets the next person. No receptionist, no music, no TV and not brightly lit. Just you, your thoughts and some French magazines. Oh and the others that are waiting as well. His office is what you would expect in a small town… all wood bookshelves with pained glass doors. Family photos around, thank you notes, Christmas cards, and stacks of papers, magazines and medical pads lying around his desk. On the other side of the room, slightly hidden behind one of his large bookshelves was the examining area… They don’t give you those paper robe/cover ups here… so that was an experience.

The mayor doctor sent me to a larger town with a hospital. Le Puy-En-Velay (Yeah that small town I visited with the statue of he Virgin Mary and those neat churches... I can see them from my window.) Well, Sebastian had to drive me there since I was instructed not to travel alone or operate any vehicle. I wasn't going to be able to go alone anyway since I needed a translator. We get to the hospital in Le Puy... All in one piece since it was the first time Sebastian has ever driven an automatic car. It was entertaining. But a hospital in a foreign country is another thing.

The late night meal I got in the ER... mmmm

We had to wait (which I expected) to speak to a lady about being treated, showed my passport, gave them the sealed envelope from the mayor doctor, then wrote down my mailing address. Then I was told to go and wait in the other side of the swinging double doors and then when I see the next set of swinging doubles to press the bell... It was a light switch button made into a doorbell. Then had to wait again. The swinging doors opened with this nice young attractive lady coming out in a hurry. But the first thing I noticed was that everybody in the ER area was wearing white. From the shirts to the shoes… White. Kinda weird for me. She got the translation and explained that at this point when I crossed the threshold, I was on my own since Sebastian was in no relation to me. So I bit the bullet and went in. This is where anybody that was aiding or communicating with me reverted back to hand motions and whatever English they knew and I did the same with French. It got frustrating so I started writing things down and drawing pictures. Added a humor factor and made the experience a little bit better. Explained what they were going to do yadda yadda yadda. A nice lady came and took my blood and could tell I scared… I told her in my best French that I detested needles and I hate them. She laughed and I just had to look away.  Oh and the room they put me in the ER was one that was for children. Had wall decals of Christmas stuff like Santa, snowmen, reindeer, butterflies, and ladybugs so to make you feel more at ease as a little kid or somebody like me that doesn’t speak the language very well and is a nervous wreck.

They wall I had to look at for many hours....

Looking out to the "hectic" ER notice the decor on the window

Got to have those typical rednecks you find in hospitals in the same room as me as I was waiting after a test. They kept peaking around the “privacy” curtain. (Oh and at this point I was able to have Sebastian with me to translate) They kept repeating every single thing that was being said between the doctor, translator and I. “She is an American.” “She is living in Yssingeaux doing some pastry school.” So on and so on. Sebastian a little while later said be glad you aren’t me right now… Be glad you don’t understand French very well… You would be disgusted. I laughed and he proceeded to tell me that the French redneck lady was in for bowel movements and she was telling her daughter that her hygiene was poor and she needed to be more cautious during that time of the month. Told her son to quit scratching his area that it was disgusting. The whole clan was in there, even the daughter’s boyfriend. The lady’s mother was even in there. I was trying to figure out how many more people could fit in that tiny area without coming onto my side of the room… not like I needed it all but the group did smell rather offensive. No… They weren’t dressed in wife beaters and trucker hats. It was all in the way they carried themselves and how they acted that presented them as French rednecks.

The IV they had to give me

Sebastian was cracking jokes the whole time. He was happy that I was not hysterical and freaking out. I was cracking jokes right back with him. He stayed with me (just after midnight) when they finally took me to a room to stay over night. They wanted to run some more tests on me the next “morning.” But the jokes kept coming… Sebastian said they were putting me on the pediatric floor b/c of my height and I would blend right in. Well, they did put me on the pediatric floor and the room they rolled me into had a large hot pink crib… luckily I didn’t have a roommate and I wasn’t getting put in the crib. But my room had Winnie the Pooh wall stickers all over it. The only Eyore to be found in the room was on my side… I thought that was funny and ironic. But the view out of my window was of the two known churches in Le Puy and the Statue of the Virgin Mary… Nice view.

It wasn’t until about 3:30 or 4 when the doctors came in to look at me… Next morning my butt.  Had more blood drawn for more tests. Thea, the lady that is over all the students and is a liaison for us, was with me and was translating everything. I don’t know what I would have done with out her. Her and Sebastian went above and beyond to help me out with everything. But back to the story… Then it wasn’t until 7 or so that I got to go in for the MRI or as they call it IRM scan. Everything came back normal. So my blood plumbing in my head is perfect (at least that is what the doc said). Now this neurologist was shorter than me… I’m 4’11”. And she reminded me of this actress that always has a bowl cut haircut, round black glasses… Can’t remember her name but she is really short and older like this neurologist. She was very nice and funny. She made me stay a second night in the hospital. The next day she came back around my room around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. She was baffled by my condition and was wanting to another test… She was explaining it… and Thea was translating… and I heard spinal tap…. I was like oh hayel noo. But she continued and explained it more saying it isn’t as bad as I was thinking, but it was like getting an epidural. It isn’t comfortable but it is safe and is done everyday. I was like hmmmmmmm I don’t like this idea but you are trying to figure out what is wrong and that is a closed circuit down there on the spin with that fluid… so if there is an infection you will find it. So I agreed (famous last words). Granted this whole time I was in constant contact with my parents. Letting them know everything that was going on.

The view from my bed...

Well… when it came to the lumbar puncture/spinal tap from hayel! The prep for it took longer than the actual attempt. To me it felt like the whole thing had been 15 min or so… Nope. The prep was about 5 min and the attempt was only 10 seconds. I’ve never felt that kind of pain before. Thea was right there still holding my hand and holding me the whole time. Just like my mom would have done. The doctor didn’t get anything from that and told us that I could go home. Thea said well I was going to take her out of here regardless. GO THEA! The doctor did laugh and said she wanted to see me on Monday to do some follow up tests and I said as long as you don’t come at me with any needles or sharp points of any kind. She agreed so I’m holding her to it! I’m pretty sure I can take her if it came down to it. Ha

Thea on the ride back to Yssingeaux told me that she was putting me up in the chateau so I wouldn’t be alone back in the bungalows and so I would have a nice comfortable bed. She also got one of the chefs that lives in the chateau to bring me breakfast in the morning… Like I said… above and beyond.

My class put together some boxes of all the treats they had made… Plates du Dame, milk chocolate and caramel bon bons, brioche loafs, and different flavored macaroons. I was able to give these treats to the neurologist (before the tap) and all the nurses and attendants on my floor as a way to say thanks for dealing with me. They all knew I was in pastry school in Yssingeaux, and all wanted treats. They knew little English but we were able to communicate by drawings and broken Franglish.

Almost got to meet Willy Wonka... The French Version

The first tour we went on was a couple of weeks ago to a company call Sévaron. The company manufactures extract, essences of different products used in baking and pastry and could even (and probably is) in savory dishes as well. They explained in a brief cliff’s notes version of how a lot of the processes are done and how they begin the process of starting on a “flavor.” Really cool stuff to look in on.

Yesterday was a long day but very interesting. We went on two factory tours. It was a lot of walking but worth it. The first one was to a chocolate factory called Valrhona. I took one step off the bus and all I could smell was… chocolate. It was awesome. It was really cool seeing all the different workings in the factory and the history of the company. We got to test the chocolate in the different stages of the chocolate making process. What made the tour even better was that you were constantly engulfed in the wonderful smell of chocolate. They are a small company but you can tell in their product that it is quality.

The second factory we went to was called Capfruit (the French pronounce it kap-fruee). This factory/company is in the fruit puree business. *hints the name* Just like the first factory, it was interesting. This company is even smaller than the chocolate one. After the tour we were giving many different jars of different purees and puree blends. A flavor from the many was yuzu. It was bitter but also good.

It was a little long. We didn’t get back until probably around 7:30 or 8. But it all was a very insightful.

This up coming weekend I’ll be getting to head back to Paris. I’ll be heading up there on Sunday morning and come back on Tuesday. We have a four-day weekend b/c of November 1… Which is All Saints Day. SO the thing that the French do is that if there is a holiday that is connected to a day that falls after or before the weekend, they take the extra day. SO since All Saints Day is on Tuesday we have Monday off. It’s kind of cool that I’ll get to have Halloween off but I think it is weird that they do that whole extra day thing… But I am getting to take advantage of it since I’m getting to go back to Paris. I’ll get to see the Arch de Triumph, all the different museums that I missed the first time b/c of lack of time… I’ll have the time now! Now y’all have some more photos to gaze at… I’ll be posting soon about all the different food that I’ve eaten since I’ve been here… Should be a tasty spectacle!

Bonjour from afar

Sorry for my absence… I’ve been a little busy the past couple a weeks. My roommate and I had some of our friends’ come and visit and stat with us for the past two weeks. We were cramped in our small little apartment that is small for two people so you can only imagine how it could be with four in the space. We all gad a good time traveling and catching up. We all went to Paris and Versaille and then last weekend to Cassis and this past weekend I made it up to Lyon.

Last weekend in Cassis was much needed. Very relaxed small beach/port town. We were able to walk around go, grab quick easy meals and even walk to the pebble beach were yes… there were some half naked people and some naked kids running around. SOOOO I didn’t stay there too long. It was still a beautiful town… I was actually surprised (kind of) by how well dressed all the kids were. Children ranging in ages from infancy to teenagers were better dressed than all the co-eds in the Southern college I attended. Made me re-evaluate the wardrobe I have back home… Needs some updating yet again after seeing all these tween fashionistas.

Top: Men playing at the bocce ball court Bottom:Cassis water front

Nighttime at the harbor at Cassis 

Last Tuesday we, my roommate and I, had to say so long and safe travels to our visiting friends. It was bittersweet au revoir … but it was nice to have the place back to normal and more room to move around. This past Thursday I had my midterm practical… It wasn’t as stressful as I thought it would be. We had to make a dessert call a St. Honoré, which is named after the French patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs, and we also had to make chocolate bon bons… chocolate raspberry filled ones. I passed and I feel that I did very well with all that I did. So the weekend in Lyon was well deserved.

Top: St. Honore Bottom:Milk Chocolate Bon Bons with Chocolate Raspberry Filling

My roommate, another girl from our class and I went to Lyon to have a relaxed weekend. My roommate Emily had to leave us yesterday afternoon to go pick up her husband from the airport. Alice and I enjoyed a casual night and our first nice dinner since being here. It was amazing. Probably one of the best dinners I have ever had. But today I’m catching up on everything. Doing the homework/journals we have to. Looking at different recipes and wondering how I could incorporate them/make them my own. Also doing more Rosetta Stone to help me out in French class and around town. It has helped me our a lot while I’ve been here. Even though I have mild panics when talking to people. It has been fun and it is hard to believe that I’ll be back in MS in twenty some odd days. Going to enjoy the rest of the time here as much as I can… It will be harder since I have the AM labs now from 6-1.  Not too excited about that, but I’ll have the afternoon to do more.

I got back a little while ago from Lyon and I’ve been enjoying having some down time before my roommate gets back… But her and her husband are staying over in château while he is here for the week. So that means more time for me to have the place to myself. Which will be nice. Next weekend is our four-day weekend… We have Halloween off and November 1 off. We have that day off since it is All Saints Day. I’m not complaining… What they do here is that if a holiday is connected to a day after the weekend they will take the extra day… It is nice but also kind of silly to me. But for now I’m going to get my dinner of artichokes, bbq seasoning aioli dip, and pasta with veggies, butter and the same bbq seasoning… 

Ahhh Paris...

So this past weekend I got to visit Paris, France. It was awesome to finally get to see the different landmark sites that I’ve studied and read about over there years. The La Tour Eiffel was more impressive than I expected, and getting to see it at night when it lights up and begins to “twinkle” from the other lights going…. Beautiful.

It was fun walking around Paris and seeing the sites. Notre Dame was just as impressive, if not more. The sheer size of the chapel was impressive. But the first church we went to in town was The Sainte-Chapelle… The first room you walk in is impressive with some stained glass windows and the remarkable colors of the hand painted designs on the ceilings. You have to walk up a narrow spiral stoned staircase to reach the main chapel… When you reach the top and stop looking down at your feet to make sure you don’t stumble…. Your breath is taken away by not only the size but of the beauty of the 15 very high stained glass windows. Pictures in books and that you take cannot capture an inkling of the beauty. I could of easily spent an hour or more in there just looking up and trying to take it all in.
 

I even got over to Versailles. I did not realize how massive the grounds were. I’ve studied Versailles in school and did reports on it in high school but seeing it all in person… I finally can grasp why in the factious historical stories (like “The Other Boleyn Girl”) that they say… they went to the gardens. They say that b/c the gardens are so expansive that you could hide easily even in a huge noisy dress. I spent the day there walking around Marie Antoinette’s digs and the main château. The hall of mirrors in the main château also took my breath away. But during the whole time I was there I kept thinking about all of the history of the place over the centuries it has been around. The palace has seen many courts, balls, and riots, to even the signing of the Treaty of Versailles after World War I (or as it was known then as The Great War). It was amazing to me all the history that a single place has seen and been apart of.

Now the food in Paris… not bad at all. For lunch when I arrived, I ended up going to the café right outside my hotel. I ordered the beef Carpaccio… It was better than what I’ve had before. I tried to offer some to my travel buddies but they were a little squeamish. I guess is understandable but they were definitely missing out!  Grabbed dinner at this restaurant and had their duck confit with mashed potatoes… delicious. Then breakfast I grabbed and a pan aux chocolat a crème… Simply a puff pastry with chocolate and pastry cream, it was, of course, tasty. This up coming weekend the plans are to go to a port town called Cassis. It is a small town just outside Marseilles… Should be fun!