FINAL POST FROM MY PARIS TRIP

I'm behind in my blogging.  My last week in Paris was busy, so very busy.  Not only was French school kicking my *&!, but I got to be so very close to the new group that we were on the streets until late! Oh yeah,  I guess that means that the verdict is in!!!  My class rocked.  I'm on Facebook with each and everyone of them.  They are fabulous!!!

Having said all of that, on Thursday I decided to get a "good" lunch in a local restaurant.  For that particular pleasure, I went back to my old hood, rue Cherche-Midi.  I happened upon this little joint and the outdoor menu board looked interesting, not to mention the white table cloths and starched waiters.  I ordered the prix fix lunch including a cold chick pea soup with mascapone and lemon.  After that I enjoyed the salmon with sesame seeds and seasonal vegetables.  Delicieux!  Finished up with coffee and lot's of conversation with a truly cool waiter who had spent a year in London.  And so, . . . his English was great, but he appreciated my need to speak French.  His boss gave me French and English menus so that I could compare and translate any food items that I didn't understand.  I would go there again, AND AGAIN.  No tourists.  At least not any without a backbone.

After class on Thursday most of us headed to Luxembourg Gardens.  We had gelato, coffee, sorbet, and most important, CONVERSATION, . . . in FRENCH!!!  Crazy, I know!  Anyway, a few of us hung out late and grabbed some food.  Just fun with great folks.

On Friday I decided that I should have a party, a petit fete, if you will.  I had this great apartment, and I thought that my class should come over and hang.  They did.  It was memorable and a blast, at the very least.

There are several people who touched me in a very important way.  Carmen, the instructor for my three weeks at Alliance Francaise  made all the difference in my school experience.  She taught me not only about language, but about culture, and, in my particular case, patience!   Hsiang Chieh Lo (pronounced "Chantier" in English) an AMAZING translator from Taiwan and Gianluca Musatti, a young chef  from Italy became my very closest friends.   Hsiang Chieh is just plain special.  Not sure.  Just special.  That's all.  Gianluca is the same age as my Graydon.  Sometimes you just connect with people on a level that is hard to explain.  I hope to have them in my life, . . . .ALWAYS!!!  On our last day of class Gianluca couldn't be there because he was taking a patisserie class at le Condon Bleu.  He showed up at my apartment with a box of homemade macaroons (yes, he made them) and an apron that said, "le Cordon Bleu Paris".  The macaroons were too good to be true, and the apron was FOR ME.  I'll cherish it always.   Afterward, Maria (beauty from Valencia, Spain), Martin (some kind of genius physicist from London), Martina (cute girl from Norway), Gianluca, Hsiang Chieh, (coolest people ever!) and I ran around Paris trying to find GOOD CHEAP food.  Oh, did I mention that it was raining cats and dogs?  Ended up at some dive, but steak frites is always a good bet.  We were so hungry that it didn't really matter.  ALTHOUGH, I did see that they had "horse steak" on the menu.  Didn't really work for me.  Not at all!

I got homesick, although I absolutely appreciate the opportunity and don't regret the choice for a minute.  I gained some cherished memories and lifelong friends.

The trip home was okay other than about six hours of delays.   I was pleasantly surprised by American Airlines.  They were polite and helpful at every turn.  However,  I can't say that for all of the travelers.  Sorry to say that all of the rude folks were AMERICANS!!!  Not sure what that was about.

All that said, I was smiling so big when I got to Chicago that the customs agents were kinda laughing.  When they asked what was up, I said, "just glad to be back in the US".  That's true.  At the end of my second week of French class, we had a little Q and A from all of the students to each student, taking turns.  They asked if I preferred Paris or Austin.  I said (in French),  I LOVE PARIS, but AUSTIN IS MY HOME, and I can't wait to get there!!!

Loved Paris, loved the experience, love my new friends.

Glad to be home ya'll!!!

Getting ready to tear up my kitchen, a little.  I'll blog about that.  I'll need an outlet.  Before that, however, going to NYC to see the kids and then the Cape to  . . .?????  Afterwards, heading to Marietta, Ohio for the Sternwheel Festival with my folks for some family time, and working on my pickle recipe.  Stay tuned.

FOOD!!!!

Generally, there's not a ton of restaurants open on Sundays in Paris.  Last night I was craving a steak, and no real grocery stores within walking distance were open either.  I took a little stroll through my quiet neighborhood (particularly quiet on Sundays) and happened upon a bistro with people and FOOD!  

People are a good sign.  If a restaurant is dead on a Sunday, you can bet that you'll be dead if you eat there.  Anyway, I got my steak, and it was delicious.  The service wasn't so good, but it didn't matter.  I was in my own little world.  Gorgeous weather and amazing people watching added to the experience.  I'm not big on bearnaise sauce, but I tried theirs.  It was the real deal.

Although I wasn't all that hungry, I decided that a good lunch before I started my final week of French school was in order.  Taking the safe route, I chose the Brasserie Lutetia at the Hotel Lutetia for lunch at their outdoor tables.  The waiters are friendly and professional, and the food . . . terrific!  I ordered a haddock dish with risotto.  Good idea all the way around!


I've stayed at the Hotel Lutetia several times.  I would stay there any time.  The art deco palace has a lot of its own history.  The Hotel was home to Jewish refugees before the Nazis invaded Paris in June 1940.  And . . . General de Gaulle spent his wedding night there.  Besides, I'm a Left Bank girl all the way.  The Lutetia (Rue Raspail) and L'Abbaye (Rue Cassette) are my two favorite hotels in Paris.  


This is my last week at Alliance Francaise.  There are only four of us left from the previous class, but now we've grown to about a dozen, fourteen, or so.  It takes a little heat off of me, because there are so many other people for the teacher to be concerned with, not to mention different strengths among us.  Our teacher Carmen is still the bomb, but the verdict's not in on the personality of the newly formed class.  Stay tuned.  Gotta go.  I've got SO MUCH French homework.  

ST.- SULPICE

I took a little walk through my neighborhood.  Jardin Catherine Laboure is a sweet little spot down the street from my apartment.  Inside the walls is a community vegetable garden.  Although there are signs posted everywhere saying "no dogs allowed", I spotted this little fellow at the entrance gate with his owner.  Seems to me that a common thread between Texans and Parisians is that they LOVE their dogs.

Since the weather has cleared up, as well as my allergies, a stroll to St. Sulpice seemed like a good idea.  The square, well all of Paris for that matter, was bustling. 

St.-Sulpice is a Late Baroque parish church.  It's now more popular than ever with tourists because of its prominent role in the novel  The Da Vinci Code.  The Church of St.-Sulpice was founded to replace a small Gothic church.  Various architects contributed to the design of St. Sulpice over a century (1646-1745) which explains the different design styles within the same structure.

What a sacred place.  I lit a candle and said a prayer for Graydon and Raquel in one of the small chapels of the cathedral.  

Since most grocery stores aren't open in Paris on Sunday, I decided to stop at La Grande Epecerie.  That place is heaven for anyone who likes good food.  I go there EVERY DAY.

Each and every section of the store is a visual feast.  They have such a rockin' wine section that I wanted to send you a shot or two of it.  When the manager saw me taking pictures, he said, "Madame, you can take a picture of me, but not of my wine!"  I apologized, and he was very nice about it.  Don't know what the rule is exactly, but I had already taken a few shots.


Outside of my apartment windows there is a gorgeous courtyard.  I'll post a pic, but I'm waiting until I can get a shot of Stella.  That's the name that I gave her.  She's this groovy bird that lives in a nest nearby, but it appears that there's a nest under construction on my bedroom window.  I never open that window.  I don't want to disturb her work, but more than anything, a visit from Stella while I'm asleep would give me a heart attack.  She won't hold still for a picture, but I'm not giving up.

Weather is Gorgeous in Paris . . . Finally!

Hi gang,


Sorry that I haven't blogged for two weeks.  The rain has stopped, and French language school is kicking my #*&!!!!!  Really, I just gotta tell you that four hours a day of intensive French is just that . . . INTENSE!  Having said that, it's the way to learn.  Our teacher Carmen refuses to speak English unless it's ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.  When I say absolutely necessary, I mean practically life or death.  She is an amazing instructor.  Talk about patience!  When she told me that she was a Fulbright Scholar, I was at a complete loss for words; English or French.  We are so very lucky to have her as our teacher.


My class is small.  There's only one guy, and I can't spell his name.  He's a customs officer from Brazil.  At the moment we now have a darling young woman from Taiwan, two young and very cool Japanese women, the guy from Brazil, a Slovenian dentist (she's FUN!),  a cute Vietnamese doctor from Australia, and me.  It's kinda sad.  I'm the only person who came into the class speaking only one language fluently.  I don't know who else they'll put in our class next week, but there will be a few at least.  We lost one or two at the end of last week.  Anyway,  IT'S SO HARD, but I am actually learning to speak French.  I'm starting to think in French.  My sweet little real estate agent put French subtitles on my tv, so now I'm addicted to French game shows. It's a good way to learn.

Let me back up to last weekend.  I went to one of my favorite restaurants.  It's the little bistro at the Hotel Montalembert.  I had a delectable crab entree that was served two ways:  as a crab salad with ginger mayonnaise and also crab tempura.  The dish was accompanied by a green salad with a sweet and sour dressing.  Wow!  Actually, as I looked around the room, most folks were ordering it.


The real reason that I went there was for my very favorite dessert: molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.  So there's no picture.  I know.  I got so excited when it arrived that I forgot about my camera and woofed it down tout de suite!!!


I have sooo much making up to do on this blog.  I'll write tomorrow to tell you what I did on the weekend.  A bientot!

Hey Ya'll! Made it to Paris!

So, I made it to Paris!  It's as beautiful as I remember, although the weather stinks.  Rain, overcast, rain, overcast.  No problem.  The folks at the Hotel Lutecia are as nice as can be.  It makes me wonder.  Could they be Texans?  No way.  Parisians can be SO COOL too!  

Anyway, had dinner at this great little restaurant in St. Germain des Pres, Les Jardins de Saint-Germain.  Couldn't decide what to order, but the server, Isabelle, gave me more than a hint what to try.  I had the prawns and rice.  Wow!!!  Just what the doctor ordered.  After really gross airplane food, and a complete jet lag hangover, that was the dish that I needed.  I fully intended to take a photo of my food for this blog, but . . . when I saw it, I dug in so fast that I forgot all about the pic.  Anyway, here's a photo of Isabelle.  She was not only polite and beautiful, she was well-versed in the entire restaurant menu.  Right up there with the best service that I can remember.

Really wanted to watch the Women's World Cup Soccer match, so I headed to a local "North American" bar advertising the game.  Seemed like a good idea at the time.  A couple of not-so-nice girls started shoving me at the bar, and it wasn't pleasant.  I held my own, but decided to leave. Who needs it?  I've never had that happen, and just haven't EVER seen that in Texas.  Wow!  Bad manners all the way.  A VERY BRIGHT spot in the evening was the chance to see several of my son Graydon's friends.  Charles was in the bar with his friend Tim. Ben and Shelby Barnes were making their way up the street as I headed back to the hotel.  They are absolutely darling, and it made up for the crazies to see all of them.


Tomorrow I start back to French language school at Alliance Francaise.  I'm nervous.  I don't really remember what I should.  I'll give it my best shot.  Details to follow.

PARIS HERE I COME . . . Yee Haw!!!

I'm leaving for Paris this Saturday.  I'll be there for three weeks.  I'm attending language school at Alliance Francaise.  Yikes!  I don't remember much French at all.  But, the good news is . . . I plan to have lot's of great meals in Paris.  I will send you details, pictures and a few recipes (I hope).  Takin' my Longhorn boots.  A lot of French folks talk to me when they see my boots, at least that has been my experience.  We all know that Texas is its own country.  Talk to you then!

AU REVOIR PARIS!

Right off the bat, let me apologize for any misspelling and bad grammar.  I woke up a little early to post this before leaving, and time is slipping away.  My taxi to the airport will be here any time now.  This is a bittersweet departure.  Paris is magical, but I love my home, family, and friends.  The experience was that of a lifetime.  I've learned so much about French cuisine and cooking, about Paris, about the French, and of course, about myself.  When I reflect upon the past month my memories aren't all perfect, but they're certainly all meaningful.

I've met so many friendly folks; classmates, instructors, chefs, storekeepers, restaurant owners, and others.  Last evening I was invited to dinner at the lovely home of my friends, Pierre and Veronique.  The food was terrific and the company, even better.  As I've said before, it would be hard to meet nicer, more hospitable people than Pierre and Veronique.  Florence, Veronique's sister was in attendance as I had hoped.  She is completely engaging and has lead such an interesting life, having lived all over the globe.  I love talking with her.  New to me were Nicole, a beautiful, easy going Michigan native, who married a darling young Frenchman named Giles (I'm sure that I spelled that wrong).  Having graduated from FIT in New York, she now designs chic handbags.   Nicole's marriage to Giles landed her in Paris for the past seven years, and with two young daughters settled in, this city is home.  What a fun couple!  Veronique served a delicious shrimp appetizer followed by perfectly prepared lamb chops, ratatouille, and cous cous.  I've learned to love the "cheese course" which is customary in France.  For whatever reason, cheese just tastes better here.  Dessert was "meringues" and assorted chocolates.  No lack of scrumptious food and certainly, plenty of laughter!

After saying my goodbyes, I headed home and this was the stunning view from the taxi.  It only made me feel more grateful for this opportunity.  Paris, I'll be back.

As this is the last post before I depart, I'd just like to say "thanks" to my followers, readers and all those who cheered me on in my adventure.  Having your support gave me the connection to home that I needed to pursue this dream.  See you in the U.S.

Cemetiere du Pere Lachaise

Since the end of my trip is drawing near, I wondered what remained on my "to do" list.   Having cooked quite a bit over the past two weeks, I decided to give the pursuit of French cuisine a rest.  I've never visited the Cemetery du Pere Lachaise so that was today's focus.  As Paris's most prestigious cemetery, it is the final resting place for more than a few celebrities.  Perched on a wooded hill above the city, it's actually quite a relaxing spot.  The funerary sculptures are striking to say the least.

I had a map (not a great one) designating the locations of celebrity grave sites.  The first one was pointed out to me by a elderly French gentleman who could obviously tell that I was going nowhere fast.  Below is the grave of Theodore Gericault, a French romantic painter.  The Raft of the Medusa (1819) is depicted on the front of his tomb.  This painting is on display at the Louvre.

Next came my search for the resting place of Jim Morrison, lead singer of the Doors.  He died mysteriously in Paris in 1971.  I had a difficult time finding it.  Lot's of folks asked me for directions.  Little did they know that they were flirting with disaster.  I have little sense of direction.  There are no directional markers for specific grave sites, but if you see a crowd, be certain that it's the resting place of someone famous.

Third on the list was Oscar Wilde, famous Irish playwright, poet and author.  He lived a turbulent life and died in Paris at the age of forty-six.  Jacob Epstein sculpted his monument which is, sadly, covered with graffiti.  To add insult to injury, a significant part of his anatomy has been removed.  Sick!

Today's weather was gorgeous, so I took the time to wander along the cobblestone streets and read some of the epitaths.  There are more than a few memorials to those who were a part of the "French resistance".  So much history in this cemetery.

Edith Piaf is considered to be the most famous French singer of popular music.  She died of liver cancer in 1963.   Piaf lived what was to some an "unacceptable" lifestyle, and therefore was denied a funeral mass by the Roman Catholic Church.  Nevertheless, tens of thousands of mourners showed up at her procession.

Four o'clock was closing in, and I hadn't eaten lunch.  The little falafel place in the Marais was calling my name. (L'as du Falafel)  I made my way there, and at only five euros, it was so worth the trip.! 

MICK JAGGER WAS RIGHT!

According to me, "It’s not good to peak too early". . . .and  Mick said, "You can't always get what you want.".  Yesterday was a peak, and today, well it was the other.  On the advice of Jonathan, my American friend from yesterday, I asked Frank, the head saucier, if I could work for him today.  He shrugged. (His back to you in the pic, but a good look at the kitchen)  I decided to hang in there, because that particular chef position is vital to any kitchen’s success, particularly a French kitchen. As he was making a huge pot of chicken stock, he said to me, “chicken, water, and garnish, NO CHICKEN JUICE!!!” Gotcha, I don’t cook with chicken juice either, but I do make stock. I smiled that smile of respect and didn’t speak. So it was peel and prep, prep and peel.  A young chef named Arthur worked with me, and although we had quite the language barrier, he was friendly and we got by.  Like Chef Adeline, he started at the age of 14.   Now, at the ripe old age of 18, he’s on his way in the world of French cuisine.  Arthur asked me about my chef experience and the first info out of my mouth was that I had been the chef in an “Italian” bistro.  I kid you not, he obviously felt sorry for me.  "Poor Sherry, she didn't work in a real restaurant." Young Arthur proceeded to tell me that the “French way” is the best way.  I didn’t go there.  As far as technique goes, he’s right, but personally, I like a lot of different cuisines.

Noticing the chefs at the next station peeling something that I had never seen, I inquired (in French), “What's that called in English?” Frank told me “I don’t speak English!”  I knew better.  I asked again, “Is it a turnip?”  Chef Frank just kept saying “salsify, salsify . . . it’s salsify!”  I’m not sure what that was about, but it’s okay.  Yesterday was the exception, today was the rule. The kitchen is generally a tough place. By the way, I would estimate the ratio of men to women in the Ritz kitchen at about 20-1.  Particularly in France, it’s a very chauvinistic biz.  Again, no problem, I’m making my own niche.  However, I must say, in defense of certain chefs, that I was a cast member for a culinary tv pilot where I worked for David Bull at the Driscoll Hotel, and I also interned for Robert Rhoades at Hudson’s on-the-Bend. Both of these highly trained, successful chefs are not only exceptionally talented, they were patient teachers and complete gentlemen.  I’ve met  only a few established female chefs, and the most unpleasant chefs I know ARE WOMEN.

Back to the food. According to a chef who heard all of that going on in the Ritz kitchen, salsify is often referred to as “the forgotten vegetable”. It looks like a long thin purple carrot, and then white when it's peeled.  I’m going to search for some in the U.S. and come up with a recipe.

Olivier, a nice (also very young) chef that I met yesterday, was slicing some huge cepes (porcini mushrooms) on a mandolin and placing them on a silpat baking sheet. (He reminded me of the main character in the movie "Ratatouille".)   When I asked him about the preparation, he was more than happy to explain.  He told me to use butter and “white eggs”.  He meant egg whites. In the French language, words don’t necessarily string together in the same order as they do in English.  I’m sure that I sound absolutely ridiculous when speaking my completely sad French, and the words are surely out of order.

I simply had to include a picture of the altogether charming server that gave me the "Hook 'em" sign.  Didn't see him today, but I think his name is Nicholas.

I stopped at “food heaven", picked up some bread and got a fix for my “sushi habit”. Time to start packing. Paris has been AMAZING, but I’m ready to go. I’m a Texan at heart, and a Pittsburgher in my soul.


Friday evening is dinner at Pierre and Veronique’s home. I am looking forward to it!

By the way, I just turned on the TV, and there’s a well-known French chef doing something that they told me NEVER to do in the Masters Program. Just goes to show that there’s usually more than one way!

LOVE WORKING AT THE RITZ!

Today made me remember why I love the "rock and roll" of the kitchen.  What a great day.  When I arrived at the Ritz I couldn't find any of the chefs that I knew, but a kind gentleman from Ghana who works for Ecole Escoffier took me downstairs to get my uniform (I knew where it was, but he had to vouch for me.) and then introduced me to Sophia.  Sophia is a powerful yet completely affable young woman who is the right hand of the Executive Chefs.  Now that's a place I'd like to be; all the pressure, none of the blood and guts.  I got the "cook's tour".  Okay, cut me a break.  I couldn't help myself with that one. 

The Ritz is like a little underground city.  There's not much that doesn't go on down there.  I've already seen the laundry and dry cleaning facility.  That happened last week when the laundry said that they were closed, and I told them that I didn't care.  I needed a uniform!  In the end, it worked out just fine. Walking into the main kitchen, I felt like I was in a church, my church.  This is the pinacle of the culinary world as far as I'm concerned.  (Yes, I know that now I have to go to confession for saying that.)  In the Ritz, when it comes to food, there is a boulangerie, a pattiserie, many kitchens divided up into garde manger, the "gastronomic" restaurant, the bar, room service, and more.  Fish is separated from meat, and sauces have their own little world.  They have an area devoted to the making of chocolate; lot's of tempered chocolate.  As they're already preparing for the Christmas season, I saw dark chocolate bears and really, I can't remember what else. There was so much!  But what I remember from that particular room is, THE SMELL; chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate.  YES!

I was assigned to "Petit Garde Manger".  That was the perfect place for me, right up my alley, suits my interests.   This was where God really smiled on me.  The first person I met when I walked in the door was Jonathan, an incredibly nice 29 year old American from Florida.  After fleeing the financial world, he just finished culinary school in Paris and is interning at the Ritz.  Talk about a "guardian angel".  Wow!  He was it.  This is not to say that I needed it as much as I expected.  I wasn't surprised, I was shocked at how friendly and respectful ALL of the chefs were in the Ritz kitchen.  Two of the three Executive Chefs (all on duly) came by, said hello, and welcomed me.

Soon, a server named . . .  came by and introduced himself.   I met a lot of charming Frenchmen today.  I can't exactly remember his name, and I don't want to get it wrong.  Anyway, when he discovered that I was from Austin he gave me the "hook 'em"  sign.  Yeah, you heard me.  HOOK 'EM!  Apparently this guy's best friend is a hairdresser in Austin.  (He shall remain nameless.)  All I know is that two weeks before I was chairing the "Nutcracker Gala" he cut my hair into a "mullet".  Immediately after that I had it cut short, real short.  I had no choice!  Don't ask Carmelo.  I think that my dress cost more because my hair was so bad.  Anyway, hair aside, this Ritz waiter was COOL!  I hope to have his pic on my blog this week.  By the way, he handed me a list of U.S. football scores for the weekend.  Apparently, he's a "Cheesehead".

After I picked my jaw up from the floor, I got to work.  Okay, so there was Jonathan, and then there was Damien.  Damien is a handsome twenty-five year old Frenchman that treated me the way I would expect my son (Graydon) to treat anyone.  He thoroughly answered any question that I posed, and just had an all around pleasant demeanor.  I watched him.  He was a "machine" during lunch service.  Enter Eric.  Eric runs the daytime show in Petit Garde Manger.  Right off the bat, he taught me things.  He has an incredible way of showing you step by step the right way without ever being condescending.  After showing me the proper and speedy way to shell huge langoustines, later in the day we did a big batch together.  He was faster than me, but saw that I caught on.  Apparently, Eric is coming to Austin to stay with my family and learn the "Texas" way. Yikes!

We made a few dishes, in particular, that I remember.  Eric was determined to show me exactly what went into each one.  First of all, the amuse bouche. There were three complete components to this dish.  I'll give describing it a shot.  We cut redfish into small 1/2 by 1 1/2 inch pieces.  I dusted them with curry powder and put them under the salamander to brown.  The fish was put on top of this chutney sort of stuff.  (I have to ask Johathan again what the heck they call it.  No one knows if it's Spanish, French, what?)  It was garnished with one sprig of chives. The second part was a fried fois gras ball on a little pedestal (I know that salt and seaweed were involved.)  On top of that fois gras was a little hat made from beet juice, gelatin, and agar agar.  Finally, there was a pumpkin orange, ginger soup with a tiny quenelle floating on top.  I'm not beginning to give you the full picture of this dish, but sorry, service was busy!  Couldn't take a photo, and I'm not really giving you all of the ingredients.

Petit Garde Manger is responsible for amuse bouche and appetizers for the fine dining restaurant.  Here are a couple of the appetizers.  One is a terrine surrounded by the most delicious calamari ever (that's from me, not what it says on the menu).  Another was gorgeous mixed vegetables surrounding one dynamite lobster tail.  Do I have to tell you that's not the description on the Ritz menu either?  Just my take word for it, amazing!

Of the many things that made a lasting impression, the attention to detail is the strongest of them all.  Working there makes you feel more like a surgeon than a chef.  The tiniest of movements the wrong way when plating can cause disaster.  I'm humbled and honored to be working there, not to mention learning a hell of a lot.

I was apprensive about how the Ritz kitchen would be.  All my fears were put to rest.  I worked hard, smiled a lot, took criticism and praise, laughed with the chefs in my section, and thanked God for this opportunity.  If this wasn't on my bucket list, it sure should have been.