Reed: Encore Mai pas Le même

This morning I had much more energy and a desire to have a croissant my way! After a quick of cup of coffee, I was up and off the the local boulanngerie for a croissant and then breakfast the way THIS French girl likes.

 Today was cooking class at Reed and I love to admit it but our Soufflee was better than the ones at Le Soufflee! But we will get to that. 

On the way I got another glimpse of my girlfriend. 

We did a Cheese Soufflee, Salt crusted Chicken, potatoes and mushroom sauce and Berry shortcake for dessert.  Jodi and I had eaten at Reed several years ago,  and I am not sure which I enooyed more, the cooking and learning or the being served, regardless the oral outcome was pretty equal! 

 We started by making the Shortcake, and then worked or way to the chicken,  we learned how to insert herbs under the skin of the bird and then apply the salt crust.  We discussed different herbs,when to use fresh versus dry, and how to chop the herbs.  

We then moved to starting the Soufflee and she had Brie and Comte for us to use in the soufflés as long with Roquefort.  We got to taste the Brie and Comte and I was in heaven.  I don't care how hard one tries we use can't get cheese like this at home, good cheese yes, but other kinds of cheese.

Then on to the Mushrooms as the cheese mixture cooled.  The Champingons were a thing of beauty.

Who says you need gas to cook divinely?

Catherine uses a solid surface top!

We got the soufflés in the oven, worked some on the potatoes ( So easy and SO delish!)  and started assembling our desserts.

Nothing fancy with the shortbread/cake, but I ihave been yearning for a recipe like this since I had a similar dessert in Cincinnatti. 

I was pretty happy to have it.  We each did our own and I decided not to be as fancy, to be a little loosely-goosey.  

Retrospectively I wold have used a bit more cream. But it was good and I did NOT need to eat it anyway. 

But we did not eat it yet, Time to check the Soufflees.

Then we got the mushrooms sauced, and the chicken out of the oven and cut up for eating, 

The Chicken with and without the crust.  The dark is the herbs!

Time to sit and eat with a class of wine.

It was all about the bites!

Tami and her Dessert

Donna and her husband, he came in to eat with us!

Hubby got Catherine's demo,and isn't Donnna's dessert lovely?  She was smarter about the cream!

Our proud class: John, Tami, Catherine, Donna and I.  I liked that apron!

After I wandered and tried again to get some money.  I just could not figure out why I could not get money, the chip was supposed to make it easier. I was headed to the Eiffel Tower and once I got there I sat on a bench in the shade and called the good old credit union.  Well, it seams that after I called to let them know that I was going to be here, they forgot to flip some switch and hence no Euros for me.  It has been flipped and I am 200 Euro richer today!  I didn't know weather to laugh or cry I was so relieved!

After my little emotional outburst, I was sitting knitting admiring the tower and a woman sat down beside me and looked at the tower on her phone, so I offered to take a photo and she said: "Oh, Thank you for speaking English".  So Trish and I had a long chat,  walked to the bathroom together, (because I thought I knew where there was one- even the security guards didn't know it was closed now) and the darned thing is closed, so we went for a beverge and to use the Loo.  I could write that  in French, but it looks  so English if I were to do so!  

Paris is desiring to be the 2021 Olympic site, I rather hope it's not as it will all be crapped up the,but they are going all our for it!

So security,   You have to go throug a security check to get in of the tower area, and depending on where you are going the security seemed to be different,  i.e. staying on terra firma, vs going up in the thing.  I have heard that they are considering putting up safety glass and to once again quote Jodi, it is rather crapped up the way it is.  

  

Poorly to Piggy

As I was leaving the apartment this morning  I took time to enjoy the variety of flowers in this little oasis in the heart of Paris.

I have no idea what someone them are!  

 I was not feeling so well this morning (left over ramifications of the Steak Tartare), and got off to a late start.  I decided to go back to the Le Bastille and try again this time getting a croissant, which I did, but the little twerp wouldn't bring me butter or jam!  Seriously, this cocky Parisian waiter thing is annoying. And, it's not everywhere, just in the particularly touristy places,  and Le Bastille is. So I threw out my first hemorrhoid hex of the trip.  My agenda for the day, I decided was  to go to the 1 & 2er and shop a bit, foodie stuff and knitting stuff.  

First was La Dougerie.

Some serious yarn here, but the real find was charms to put on my cards!  They wrote everything up by hand and were very kind about my wanting a variety of charms.

The on to  E. Dehellerin to gaze at the siblings to my copper pot, and see if there was any trouble I could get into.  I had to chuckle a bit under my breath, this place was an awful restaurant last time Jodi and I were here and humph, it didn't make it did it?

Back to the pot store, actually it is all things cooking, the cutest little and big things you ever saw!

This place is old as the hills and jam packed, and SO much fungi snoop around through.  The one. Thing I have noticed this team is there are security guards EVERYWHWERE, even in this store. At least once a day someone wants to look in my bag.  Also fir the first tie tha I can remember a RATP officer wanted to see my ticket.  Ha, I have a pass like a real Parisian girl!

These things made me wonder what the heck they could be stirring,  maybe a witches brew?

L

Yep that says 1 meter 10, 20 , & 30,  they were BIG!

On to snoop in:  Au Simon, Bovida and finally saving the best for last to G Getou for vanilla beans, only to be told that I now have to purchase 12 bottles of them.  Good Lord I would be 70 before I got that many used up! Then to another Knit Shop "Cat Laine" ( the word in French is Tricot) to have a look see.

The I wandered in some Passages.  

These were the shopping malls of the late 1800's and they are charming.  I stopped and had tea and a goodie.

And I found a store that had loose old stamps for sale, great embellishments for the cards!

I wandered some more,  in French it is called Flanneur.  I encountered some new street art:

It's a little different take on the sweet Angels Jodi and I saw in the 90's

Then dinner tonight at Le Bistrot Du Henri, I started feeling all better avert the tart and tea so thought.....

I had the green bean salad for Jodi, and Margaret du canard in Honey  for me!

I was such a piggy I forgot to take a pic of the main, but it was pretty and tasty too! Of course there was an obligatory glass of a nice St Emilion Bordeaux.  I am a happy girl!

Not so much Vermeer

I was rather lazy today, I did not get up until about 0900. I did not shut off the notifications that means me or one of our team is going in to see a patient,  and was wakened up pretty much all night, which means we were busy!  I woke up about 0700 and reminded myself that I was on vacation. And slept a while more!

This morning was coffee-less, so had to go out for breakfast.  The funny thing about  learning French and bring here is that the more comfortable I get the more mistakes I make. This morning I glanced at the menu and ordered the "simple" which was this.

Not what I had in mind, but delicious none the less.  I went to Monoprix for staples,  and moseyed back in time to put stuff up and get to the Louvre for my appointment for the Veermer exhibition.  I could not start standing until 1:30 so I went to another special exhibit about Dutch painters in the Sully wing.

The detail in these pen and ink drawings was amazing and not a wooden shoe in sight!

Wow,I waited over a hour with an appointment and the place was crowded and hot!  There were only about 5 to 6 Vermeer's even in the exhibit!  I finally broke out a fan and got choosey about what I wanted to see.  I was hungry and tired, so thought "self, if you want dinner tonight ( it as now about 3:30 PM) I think you need a snack".  I was near Angelina and no trip to Paris is complete without a gulp of chocolate pudding so off I went!  On the way I caught my first glimpse of her!

The Chocolate chaude was as good as usual, & served with plenty of whipped cream to mix in.

Then I went to theTulleries and veged for a while considering my options for dinner. Choice #1 was not open, so I settled for Le Souffle as it is an easy ride home and back from where I was vegging!  

While I was there, I was knitting, near where I was sitting  is a play ground and a little girl was not happy to be going home, the lady with her told her to look at my knitting.  I had just finished up a dish rag I meant to use here.  After we chatted a while  I gave it to her and told her to help her momma with dishes.  She was too cute, but her name is Sixteen, can you image in? 

I came back, put on my prissy dress and went back to the Concorde station and walked to the restaurant. I had had my eye on this place for a while and never made it. 

For starter a Tommatoe Soufflee, Green Salad with a green and yellow tomatoe and burrata salad.  

Then a chicken and mushroom Soufflee for my main.

This was both were accompanied by the house white which was perfect!

For dessert a cold caramel Soufflee.

 I am thinking that Soufflee is not really my bag. Pretty rich!  We will see how the cooking class goes in a couple of days.  On the way back I got another glimpse of my girlfriend!  

Out of Dodge and Into La Vie En Rose

I was ready to have a vacation, but Thursday and Friday were intense and  I was doubled ready!  I was surprised at how hard it was actually to come alone. I  feel like I am missing something, OR someone! One of the last things Jodi said as I got out of the car was, "if you see something you want buy it!"  Look out Paris here I come!  I got to the airport and the flight was an hour late became of the weather.  I was hungry and had plenty of time , So I hit up Wolfgang Puck for a bowl of squash soup, it was tasty but could have used some bread or something with it.

I sat by a nice kid from Charolette who was traveling with his 2 sisters and father.  That is rather sweet.  Anyway he needed some lessons in "seat mate etiquette", I nearly killed myself each time I would get out to visit the loo, he didn't move his stuff in the floor space and I had to step over it all. I weinered out and took a taxi, which I may regret as my ATM didn't work in the bank I normally use it in. This is pretty worrisome!

The apartment is in a pretty busy part of town near the Bastille, but you go in a locked door to get in first and  then there is a pretty courtyard.  The key is kept in a sort of lock box that is rather nice as keys are terribly expensive here and it is always a worry to lose one.  The apartment itself is rather quiet, and bare, but decent for the most part. It does have some cosmetic thiings that should be fixed like one of the blinds doesn't work correctly and the light under the cabinets in the kitchen is about to fall off, or at least one side is pretty loose looking.  

I dumped my stuff and

went to mass, but I forgot that it is at 10:00 and 11:30 ( I had it in my mind that it was at 10:30) so I missed half of the 10:00 service and the usher was so disgusted with me that I didn't even get a bulletin, which makes it MUCH easier fo follow!  See the black lady and balding white guy to her right?  I ran into them tonight getting ice cream.

After mass I moseyed in the park behind Notre Dame  for just a bit, there were several painters exhibiting thier wares and the roses are always glorious! THEN to LE Flore en l'Ile for some Tartare de boeuf and frites. I was so lucky as I walked across the bridge there was a lovely quartet playing.

When I got to the restaurant they were opening up the glass walls,so I got to sit at a table that was under cover but I could hear the quartet, see Notre Dame and watch the occasional cloud waft by. 

The waiter was honor bound to tell me that it was raw. I can hardly ever resist  acting shocked! IT was amazing though.

 As you can see, I am a member of the clean plate, AND glass club!  Actually only the glass, I got full!

Then I went to the Marche Bastille and bought some ham and cheese, the Ham better be good because the hunk I got was 10 Euro!.  Oops.  Also I took Jodi's advice and bought a great little dress that I noticed on the way to church, yes,  I did a quick sweep through on the way to church and could have been a bit more on time!  Not to mention that the old girl got the metro going the wrong way, and had to get off and go to the other side.  Clearly I am not as Parisian and I think I am.  

Anyway I felt pretty sorry for these fish, in the market for Pete's sake have some dignity in death! 

I bought some rhubarbe yogurt, (can't get that at home) and cheese. To go with that ham!  As well as a new wallet for both Jodi and myself.   Mine is lime green, hers a more sedate brown.  Alas the Monoprix is closed and I will have to get staples tomorrow, including my morning cupa, as there is none here, well, no real coffee.  Powered stuff if you can stomachs that, I can't.

After unpacking, trying on my new dress,  a bath and a change of clothing, I was ready to go again. 

Actually I am pretty stinkin tired but dnn't want to go to bed at 4 PM!  So I walked to Place du Voges and people watched a bit.  The Parisians were out in full force.

On the way back I got a chuckle because here is one view of Place de la Bastille

And here is another

Jodi would say it is "crapped up". And it pretty much is.

But I had to walk by it to go to Amorino for a tiny little up of Glacé (ice cream) , even wth a tiny cup they will let you have more than one flavor, here you see caramel,chocolate and cocoanut.

An soon as this goes through,it is bedtime for me!