We Did Eat Brioche

There is conjecture that Marie Antoinette probably never said the “Let them eat cake” thing as she’s had a heart for the impoverished. Of as much as any royal of her time could understand not being privileged.  If she did it was probably more along the lines of “Let them eat Brioche” and let me tell you , it sure is harder to make.  Regardless today is the Bread Class!

Breakfast was some left over baguette,  but there is a reason the French get a new one every day, it was tough! I am not sure I will ever abandon Krogers ( If they continue to carry them, but my relationship troubles with Kroger are a whole blog post of it’’s own!) Take and Bake Baguettes.  Also I have to say as lovely and satisfying as they are, they are not a real baguette.  I shall NEVER forget the sensations of that baguette on the way to Sheryls!  

I need a Box as I got vanilla and Chocolate Batons from G Detou and need to get them home.  So a marched to Le Poste, to get one.  One can ship 7 kg for about  68 Euro ( it used to be 60 euro!)  I am not sure why but everything here has to be a production.  I get there, see the box I want, request it and she tells me that is not what I want, I said yes, it is, and she said no.  I ended up with something different, cheaper, and  only 5 kg, I keep reminding myself that 5 is in about 10 lbs, I use looked it up it is technically 11 lbs!)  And I am not happy.  In Addition they no longer have paper forms and I have to do something on the computer and I am figuring that will be a French version of a goat rodeo. 

As I write I am sitting here eating my fig and raspberry Babka ( made with Brioche dough in our class)  with my coffee, it is divine.  I like the fig part better, I am not a seed fan.  

I wanted to look for some old cancelled postage stamps for card making, so headed to the Passage du Panoramas, a lovely covered  walkway.  

BUT I was there at lunchtime, and It was packed, I got to thinking COVID and got my stamps and got out.  SO advice:  don’t go over lunch (or probably dinner) unless you want to eat.  I did get my stamps and have a lovely conversation with the stamp guy  about. What I wanted with them and the cards I make.  After  all the cards I have made I did not have a photo of one of my own to show him.  

I had a crepe also known as a galette when they are savory rather than sweep.  It was ham, emmental (Swiss), Carmalized onion and mushroom with an egg on top.  It was very good, but too big, I ate till I was done!.  I have to laugh as it always upsets the waiters when I do that.  

I also found a small rolling bag to use for the trip home.  I have traveled with my lovely Black and While Toile suitcase set with the “carry” carry on bag, and the dammed thing is heavy.  Every time I sad, I am not going to do that again, and every time I do.  Because it matches.  I am giving it up! I am rolling in the airport on the way back!  the funny thing is I knew I would find something at this very store, I have purchased a back pack there before and though I have been looking all over (I have my places!), I just knew. 

Off to class,  the bread they taught us is a 3 day process, making the leavening, kneading (with a handy dandy kitchen aid - my best friend!) and finally shaping and baking. 

 This class teaches it in all 3 parts with each step ready.  We kinds of did it backwards, to get everything baked, but I have taught a couple of folks to make croissants and that 3 step process really is the only way, though I did not do it backwards!

  I talked with Sara about ways to make my croissants bigger, but after big ones here day after day for breakfast, I have started buying the “minis” and that is really enough for me.  So maybe my small croissants are not such a bad thing!  As usual Cookin With class does it right and not only did we have a lovely class but we also had a small feast at the end, Sara had wine and cheese to go with our baguette, and we tasted and talked and ooohed and aaahed. 

Home to rest a bit, the old girl is not so much for 4 hour stretches at a time of standing.  I could not work as a check out person at this time of my life for sure!  But the apartment is comfortable and  it is nice to have a place to come to to unwind.  

Sheryl and I waked

to a place she had been told way good, Au Petit Panisse.  

I was not all that hungry after the  “bread tasting” and we opted for appetizers, neither of which really hit either of our hot buttons.  But the walk did us both good and I was pooped after a restless night the night before.  

This morning is nice, eating that Babka!

We Didn’t Eat Cake!

Yesterday I got up, again ran to  the patisserie, and managed to eat another croissant and lovely cup of coffee.   Sheryl and I went to the market on Cours De Vincennes near our places and it was lovely.  

We commented on how different it was from the one in Bellville and it is!  Everything is presented much nicer, the area is cleaner and taken care of.  I succumbed to a purse! The same color as one I have at home, but this one is SO much better, it opens up like a wide mouth bass! So I can see everything inside.  Mustard Yellow, a good color for fall, my only other option was orange and I am just not much of an orange girl.

We bought some cheese and a puff pastry with  a mushroom creme sauce in the middle and a melon!

We came back to Chez Moi (my house) and had lunch.  

We had those puffy things (there is name but it escapes me), cheese and meat, and fruit, including the melon! It was fun to actually have someone here and get to show her where I am staying.  

We cold not linger as my Marie Antoinette cooking class was at 2 and I really like an hour to get where I gotta go.  (I just smelled a waft of Brie as I am sitting here writing, someone must be eating a San dish out on the street. I just love many of the smells of Paris, and some not). It was so fun, the chef, Sara, was a hoot.  

Luisa was there again,

and she is lovely, and I get to practice my Spanish!.  There was a youngster on my right Ashlyn,

she too was lovely, and the others were too, I just did not interact with them quite as much., I do remember their names, Michelle from Israel,

Barbara who claims to be homeless, they travel, Luisa,

Victor and Olivia, a long distance love affair, and Ashlyn.  

We baked Coffee Flavored Chocolate Tarts ( which I am snacking on as I type) , Fig Macarons, Chou pastry filled with Rose Crème, Raspberry Jam and Marscapone Crème, as well as truffles, and Passion Fruit Jellies.   It was lovely and we had a blast!

When I got back and rested a tiny bit, Sheryl and I headed out for a bite, We took a fairly circuitous route and  

 Was mighty hungry!  I think Jodi would have been asking me if I were hungry!  LOL.  We did ally stopped at a place that ran rather a bar with small plates ( I think we were the oldest people there).  We had an Eggplant dish, Sheryl liked it and a Duck dish, I liked it.  I officially do not like eggplant.  We walked back of course and by bedtime I had put in 16,000 steps.  No wonder my left leg felt fairly useless.  

Classy Cookin and beautiful moons.

Cookin with Class is indeed a classy establishment, my experience here was totally different than the Sauce class I  took before. 

 The only difference was the fellow classmates and they were amazing both times.  I signed up for this class because the one I did a few years ago with la Cuisine, was not really  a hands on thing and I have never replicated any of them.

  I opted to give it another try as I love eggs Benedict, and Bernaise on my steak.   I blame my love of sauces on my Sjjogrens, and it is probably accurate, but they also sure add something to a plain piece of meat, vege or other dish.  Like my Chicken from last night!  The funny thing is i usually have the ingredients in my fridge but still opt for a package, no more!  

We did several sauces Bordelaise, sweet and sour *,  Hollandaise and a Maltese ( Hollandaise with reduced OJ)*, Mayo,  Sorrell Sauce *. Maybe more I forget, as you can see by the start I had favorites.  The chef teaching our class was aghast ay my question as to why we had to reduce the wine before putting it in the stock pot,  (my method,  which seems to work just fine) and proceeded to tell me why it was not a good idea.  We all participated in the whole preparation and at then end ( I do have to say that this guy could multi task!)  Chef cooked Salmon and Chicken  which we used along with bread to taste out sauces.  I might have liked the bordelaise sauce better if there had been an accompaniment,  so maybe worth a try.  

A volute/soup of fish , it was good.. 

We shall see  later.  One of the girls in my class is going to be in my Marie Antoinette class and she was fun, so I am looking forward to that. 

I moseyed home, still not feeling we all and probably not helped as CWC is also generous with wine at the tasting. I had this little goodie, left over from the other class going on at CWC

So I tried to take a nap,  but people kept calling me, so that was an epic fail.  Sheryl and I went to dinner, tried Polidor, I swear they have moved into a smaller place, and Boullion Racine and neither had  a table. 

The Parthenon

 So we wandered tend found a place, I had gazpacho, and  Chevre  with toast, just the thing.   We got tickled at the use of the trash can and street for an extension of the Restaurant, the waitress who waited on the folks in this pic was a piece or work!

I got up this morning feeling better, grabbed a goodie, something new, a torsade (Twist) with chocolate and almond. It  was good.  Then I read the news that the queen of England had died, Sheryl said it was lovely that she died with the beautiful moon we had last night. I have never really been a Royalty person, but it made me feel a bit misty. 

  I got tickled at the pastries on offer this morning.  Ramona, you know what I mean! 

 Off to Belleville Marche.