Macarons...hohn, hohn, hohn

Describing a macaron is an art form. The flaky/soft cookie, the hard and creamy filling. But here's the thing. It's not just a cookie, with any sort of filling, it's a . . . masterpiece in itself. Now, if you have not had a macaron, let me say that you are missing out.

Macarons are very delicately prepared through a long, many step process. I think that they are worth the wait though. The batter/dough could be thought of as frosting and is piped out onto a sheet and laid out for a while before being baked. This allows the cookie to puff up, but not explode, and stay intact in the oven.

 

Left: The vanilla macaron batter (dyed purple) - thick and textured like lava.

Middle: An action shot, piping the macaron batter onto a baking sheet.

Right: Letting the cookies (still in lava-like batter form) sit for a while.

These are not to be confused with macaroons, which can be related to, but are not entirely the same as, French macarons. Macaroons first originated in Italy and were similar to amaretti - Italian cookies. Some Italian monks of the 16th century came to France with the recipes for these cookies and shared them with Catherine de Medici's and King Henri II's pastry chefs. The recipes were then stolen from the Italians and in the early 20th century a chef named Pierre Desfontaines created the macaron, by putting two of the cookies together with either buttercream, jam, or ganache. He did this because the word macaron comes from the Italian word maccarone which means "paste" in Italian, so he wanted to 'paste' the cookies together to make something even better!

Many people think that you spell these cookies "macaroons" and say the word with an "ooooon" sound at the end, but they are wrong!  The French do not put two "O"s and they don't say it like that. As stated above, there is a difference between a macaron, and a macaroon. The actual spelling has been mentioned above and it is said "mac-ah-ronhg". The "hg" at the end hints that you don't actually form the "n" sound at the end of the word; it just kind of dies in your throat. I could go into an entire post about French pronunciation, but I will save it for later.

That is all I can describe up to this point because sadly, I do not have the skill of telling you exactly how it tastes. Not only are there so many flavors, but the textures are so unique! So, here I am, inviting you to go out and try a macaron for yourself. Enjoy!

-Colette

Scooters

In France, as well as other European countries, many things are smaller. The food portions, the people, and of course their transportation. While traveling in France, you might notice that most drivers have either Smart Cars or other related compact vehicles, including mopeds/scooters. Today, sccoters and mopeds could be considered the same thing, but there are a few things that set them apart.

Mopeds feature bicycle-like pedals, as well as a motor, and all mopeds' maximum speed on just the engine is about 30 mph - hence the pedals. Occasionally, mopeds have three or four wheels. Mopeds have several different names across Europe including cyclemotors or autocycles. Anything with an engine size under 50cc is classified as a moped. In most states, any vehicle with an engine size over 48cc requires you to have a small motorcyle license to enable you to drive that vehicle. However, to drive/ride a moped, the driving age is lower. The most popular moped brand in the world is Solex which is based in (guess where) Paris, France.

Scooters, on the other hand, are not equipped with bicycle pedals and have an engine-sized range of 50cc to 250cc. They have a step-through frame and "indents" for where your feet should be placed. Now, enough with the specs.

Ever since my first trip to Europe (I was in London, actually) I knew that I wanted either a small European car or a scooter. My wishes were greatly expanded after my trip to Paris last summer. Throughout Paris, they have parking spaces for little cars, and also rows of little spaces for scooters. And in those petit spaces, I am gonna guesstimate 40% of the scooters were Vespas. In the 1940's, a small Italian manufacturer, named Piaggio, introduced their first motor scooter, the Vespa. Vespa in Italian means "wasp". Vespas are famous for their flat footboards, glossy finishes, and their overall natural structure. I have always wanted a red Vespa, with a tan seat (so it won't overheat in the sun), and a 150cc engine (maximum speed 70 mph) - pictured below. I can visualize myself zipping around Paris, seeing the sights, and occasionally stopping for a croissant or a baguette :) .

Whether you are in Venice, Barcelona, Bordeaux, or London, you will see that scooters have become a huge part in the European lifestyle!

-Colette



Notre Dame...and the funny story:)

In French, Notre Dame means 'Our Lady', referring to whom it was dedicated to: the Virgin Mary (as were many other churches at this time).  This cathedral is one of the first Gothic cathedrals to have been built.  It features flying buttresses, high spires, and thin walls inlaid with tall, stained glass windows - as opposed to the old Romanesque style, with low walls, hardly any windows, and heavy roofs.

Old French critics called it Gothic architecture after the Goths, who were barbarians, because the style did not follow any common rules or laws of architecture.  Personally, I find it awesome - you know, the cool towers and gargoyles.  Actually, gargoyles serve a greater purpose than just for looks.  They are used for downspouts, to collect rain off of the roof - as you can see from the pictures.  Also, if you look at the photo on the right, you can see the flying buttresses, holding up the thin, high walls of the cathedral. 

When my family and I travelled to Paris over the summer, we went to Notre Dame, and we have an...interesting story.  It goes a little something like this:

In Paris, there are signs everywhere to warn tourists about pickpocketing (like the one to the left).  My mother had bought one of those bags with the hidden zippers and the straps that can't be cut, so I knew we were going to be safe.  We were walking towards the end of the line of people waiting to go inside Notre Dame.  I'd say that I was walking probably about 10 feet back from my mother, who was walking next to my sister, with my dad behind me.  Suddenly, I see this guy coming across the street.  But he wasn't just walking, he was walking fast, and excessively moving his arms, and he was heading in the direction of my mom.  Now, please, visualize.  The guy was just creepy looking.  He had black clothes on and he was wearing a mask - not like a ski mask, but a mask with a face on it.  He put his arms out, as if to hug my mom or take her purse.  My sister, Caroline, sees the man out of the corner of her eye, and whips around to face him.  She yells, "STOP IT!!", and jabs the man in the solar plexus (common self-defense).  My mother spins around and shouts "NO!!!!".  The people in line start hysterically laughing and the guy stares at the ground, looking offended.  Not until we reach the end of the line do I realize he is a street actor, acting as the Hunchback of Notre Dame, entertaining the people about to go inside.  And we weren't the only victims of his comedic act.

Now that I look back on it, it was truly hilarious.  The man followed a group of first graders or so, and went up behind the teacher.  He hunched over, looking really short and grabbed the teacher's hand.  A few seconds later, she looked down and screams, running away from the man.  Another time, I saw this woman trying to put on her jacket.  She can't find the other sleeve, so the guy grabs it, walking her pace for a few moments.  Later, she looks back, trying to figure out why she can't put her jacket on and starts laughing.  You may say that it's mean, which is what I thought, but I'm telling you, it is funny now.  Besides, the actor was just trying to please the crowd.

If you are ever planning on going to a big city, even if it's not Paris, I would highly suggest being on your guard and on the lookout for pickpocket people.  Anyway, the inside of the cathedral is absolutely breathtaking and the view from the roof is incredible.  I would recommend visiting Notre Dame on your next trip to Paris!

- Colette

French Stereotypes

Stereotypes are very common in any country, including France.  Many Americans have thoughts about the French, how they can be rude, thin, and do nothing all day.  Now, some of that could be true, respectively.  Here are some main stereotypes that I think a lot of people have about the French.

One of the main stereotypes that we make about French people is that they are overly dramatic and romantic.  I could prove that true, easily.  Every French film, story, and monument has a love story in it.  The Pont des Arts, or Bridge of the Arts, is nothing more than a pedestrian bridge, with hundreds of romances attatched to its chains.

While walking somewhere in Paris, you might happen to walk across a pedestrian bridge, just like the Pont des Arts, and you will notice a bunch of padlocks linked to the chains of the railings.  Well, in France, if you have been dating or are in a relationship with someone, it is considered a tradition.  What couples do is, they buy a pad lock, a simple lock and key, and walk with it to the nearest pedestrian bridge.  There, they open the lock, attatch it to the chain, close it, and throw the key into the river.  Basically, it means that the couple has pledged their love for each another and they kiss on the bridge.  Sometimes, they even carve each others initials on the backs of the locks.  Now, if you are anything like me, a sappy person, you probably just said "Awww, how sweet/cute/romantic!"  Yes, I think it is too:).  If you are anything like my blogging partner Céline, I'm guessing you either threw up in your mouth a little bit, or said "ugh, please", and that's fine.  The only thing that ruins this perfect moment, is that every year, the French police come and take all of the locks off of the railings and throw them away.  I wonder if any couples break up that day. . . Here is a few pictures of what I am talking about.  In the left picture, it might be hard to see, but the little dots on the chains are the locks, and yes, the Eiffel Tower is in the background.  On the right, those are the locks zoomed in.

Another stereotype is that the French are rude.  In my opinion, the French aren't exactly rude, but they can be impatient with tourists.  I was at this cute, little, French café on a street corner (I know, another stereotype, I'm getting to it) and the waiter was being very rude, and he had an attitude.  Yes, I know that maybe he was having a bad day, he got hurt, or something happened at home.  And I also know that in America, people who work here try to be nice to annoying, snobby, slow, and mean customers, but my family and I were doing nothing but maybe taking too long to decide what to have.  So he was being a little rude, but I guess I would do the same thing.  This was also the same café in which I had my first croque-monsieur and it happened to be very good.  I can't speak for other French cities besides Paris, but I don't think the French are that rude or snobby.

Now, let's visualize.  Imagine that you are Paris. . . I'm gonna guess that you pictured yourself sitting in a café, on a street corner, drinking a coffee or a glass of wine just watching the world go by on scooters.  Do you hear a saxophone lightly playing a 20's-ish sounding jazz tune in the background?  Yep, another stereotype.  It is true that the French sit and watch the world go by, but often there's no background music.  If you have seen Midnight in Paris, I'm hoping, you would have noticed the jazz at the beginning of the movie.  People often think that the French are lazy, and just smoke and drink coffee or wine all day, when they don't. People often have drinks, but they are very active (how else would they stay so thin?).

Which, in fact, brings me to my next point.  Yes, people (Americans), happen to think the French are so thin and skinny.  And yes, that is true.  The reason is, Parisians walk everywhere!  Unless a) you are sick, b) it's raining out, c) you are going on a 'road trip', or d) the metro isn't working, you are gonna walk all day to every place you have to go.  Another reason is, the portions of food in France are much smaller.  If they happen to be big, the French do not eat all of the food on the plate, whatsoever.  Finally, the last reason is that in France, although they have fast food restaurants, they do not have nearly as many as we do in America.

As you see, we have a very nice list of stereotypes about the French.  They are, so far, dramatic, romantic, lazy, rude, arrogant, skinny people.  Though only half of those are true, Americans still make assumptions about them.  I just wanted to tell you some of these things from my point of view.  If you have anything you would like to add to the list, please leave a comment or if you would just like to comment then go ahead!:)

-Colette

P.S. This post was not written in any offense to French people!:)

Scarves!!

Among the many popular fashion trends in Europe, scarves have to be very high on the list.  I love wearing scarves and probably wear them at least once a week in the fall, winter, and spring.  In French, there are several words for scarf including: écharpe, cache-nez, cache-col, foulard, and châle.  All of these mean scarf, muffler, wrap, and sash.  Call it what you want, these trendy neck-wearers are a classic.

There are several different ways to tie, or wear, scarves.  You can do the classic, quick wrap around, the fancy, through the hole, the shnazzy, wrap and tie, and many others.  So, here I am(with the help of my fashion forward sister and her mannequin) to show you just how to do that.

The quick, basic loop:
Honestly, you really can't mess this one up.  So, you take your scarf, hold it out in front of you, and bring it to the front of your neck.  Cross the ends at the back of your neck and bring them down on either side of your torso. For the best look, loosen the loop so you don't choke, or be uncomfortable, just like the picture.

The French double-loop:
This one is pretty simple also.  Personally, I think a longer scarf works best with this tie.  Start with the basic loop, except don't loosen the loop. Instead, cross the ends again around your neck and pull the ties down on either side of your torso.  See picture to the right.

The "Circle" Scarf:
If you have a circle scarf, put your head through it and twist the loop.  Then,  pull the other loop over your head.  If you don't have a circle scarf, that's okay.  Start with the basic loop, except(again) don't loosen the loop.  Instead, cross the ends again around your neck and pull the ties down on either side of your torso (like the French double loop).  Tuck the ends under the two loops so that you do not see the ties hanging out, like the picture.

The fancy, through the hole:
Normally, this is the way that I wear my scarves because it is quick and easy.  All you have to do is take your scarf fold it in half lengthwise and put one of your hands on the side with the ends and the other on the fold.  Bring the scarf to the back of your neck and bring the ends down on either side of your torso.  Take the ties and fit them through the loop, or the fold so that your tie looks like the picture to the right.

The shnazzy, twisted version of "through the hole":

This tie is a little tricky and takes a while to master.  Start with the through the hole, except only put one of the ends, or ties, through the loop.  Take the other end and cross it in front of the loop.  Pull the end the other way through the loop that you did the first end.  It might be difficult, but please use the pictures to guide you...it took me a loooong time to figure this tie out.

The effortless, wrap and tie:
This is as easy as it sounds.  Start with the basic loop, and pull the ties down on either side of your torso.  Tie them in a knot, like when you begin to tie your shoes like the pic to the left.  Your done!!





If you need any further help with these wrapping techniques, please leave me a comment and I will post more pics!  Or, if you have more that you would like share, don't hesitate to leave a comment! 

-Colette

Popular French Foods and Drinks

I have realized over the years that I love to talk about food, especially good food.  These foods and drinks, however, are delicieux and are most likely to be seen on French menus.

Croissants- Among the many popular breakfast foods, this crescent-shaped pastry is dunked in butter, delicately wrapped, and baked to perfection.  In French, croissant means 'crescent', obviously named for its shape.  Croissants are the backbone to French pâtisseries throughout the world and are praised for their airlike texture and fluffiness.  They can be filled with chocolate, Nutella, jam, fruit, dried fruit, almonds, cheese, ham, or spinach. 

Quiche- In ze French language, ze word quiche is originated from 'cake'.  Although this dish is more like pie, it is equal in deliciousness.  And, just like pie and cake, quiches come in many different sizes and fillings.  They all contain eggs, but also have ingredients such as cheese, fruit, bacon, spinach, pepper, ham, turkey, mushroom, broccoli, and/or shellfish.  At Pain d'Epis in Paris, I had my first quiche, a petit œuf, fromage(cheese), jambon(ham), et spinach quiche.  Très bien!

Croque-Monsieur- In Paris, the first (and only) time I had this sandwich was at a small café on a street corner, overlooking la Tour Eiffel, and I haven't been able to recreate it since.  This oddly named entrée is a heavenly upgraded grilled ham and cheese sandwich.  From the word croquer meaning 'to crunch' and monsieur meaning 'mister', no one quite knows how this spectacular dish was named.  We do know, however, that a croque-monsieur is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with creamy white sauce inside and melted cheese outside.  C'est super!

Beef Bourguignon- Traditionally, it's a peasant dish, but fear not, it is delightful.  Very commonly known is Julia Child's Bœuf Bourguignon, the recipe for American chefs who wish they were French(guilty).  At home when my family and I make it, we use Ina Garten's recipe and it is simpler than Julia Child's since it only has to cook for 2 hours instead of overnight.  Be sure to not add all of the pepper that it calls for or you will have dragon breath all night.   This stew contains beef, red wine, onions, mushrooms, garlic, and beef broth.  When you take a bite of this moist, braised beef, it will melt in your mouth, causing you to savor every bite.  Here is a link to Ina's recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beef-bourguignon-recipe/index.html

Ratatouille- This veggie stew originated from Nice, and has nothing to do with 'rats and patooties' like you may think. The verb touiller

 means 'to toss or stir food', fit for this stew because you are doing both in order to prepare this side dish.  Ratatouille contains red pepper, tomato, zucchini, carrots, eggplant, onions, garlic, and several spices to create a scrumptious, colorful, French dish.  I have actually never had ratatouille, but from what I hear(from Anton Ego in Ratatouille) it is superb and yummy.

Crêpes- As I have blogged about these thin pancakes before, some might need a short recap.  Crêpes are probably the most talked about French food.  They are usually pronounced 'krep', and in French, the word crêpe translates to 'pancake', although it actually derives from the Latin word crispa meaning 'curled'.  They can be filled with sweets (chocolate, Nutella, etc.) or salts (ham, cheese, tomato).  Either way, they are perfect for any meal.  I use a simple crêpe recipe from Better Homes and Gardens: New Home Cookbook.  Normally, you throw away the first one, like a test pancake, and it makes about twelve.  We always have them for breakfast and I usually have strawberries and melted chocolate in mine!

Profiteroles-  They can be called profiteroles, cream puffs, or choux à la crème, but are the same in yumminess!  Profiteroles are pastry dough, scooped out and put on a cookie sheet, and baked until fluffy and golden brown.  They are then sliced in half, stuffed with ice cream or gelato, and drizzled with hot fudge.  When I usually make profiteroles, I have either pistachio or stracciatella(chocolate chip) gelato on mine.  Yes, I know that's kind of mixing cultures, but like my sister says, "Oui, we are French, but we are Italians at heart."  Anyway, my profiterole recipe is also from Better Homes and Gardens: New Home Cookbook.  It's very simple, just flour, butter, and eggs that are whipped and have died and gone to heaven!

I hope you have enjoyed learning some French culture and are able to say, "I did not know that! I have learned something new today"☺.  Hopefully, I have inspired you to make some, or all, of these dishes!

Au revoir!
Colette