Here is an odd thing. I think I’ve mentioned that my garage roof has a leak in it. Well, as much as it has rained over the last four days, the garage floor has stayed dry. Completely dry. It’s baffling and a bit frightening to tell the truth. A good heavy mist and I've got a puddle near the washer and drier. But no, completely dry. I’m worried that the water is dammed up up there and when the dam bursts the garage will be flooded. Making note to self not to go to garage for a while.
Well let's see, what have you missed…Oh, yes, the Thanksgiving holiday meal. Well despite all the whining and complaining about lack of tradiontal food itmes it turned out not to be too bad. I would rather have had traditional, but what we ended up with was pretty good.
For Thanksgiving dinner we went to L’Escarbille, a lovely place a few minutes east of us and sort of in the country. This was our second visit. I loved it the first time but S had to be convinced to return. You see the first time we were there, S became very ill.
Our first visit to L’Escarbille was one of our “lets try a new place” visits. It’s actually a very large airy place with terraces in front and back for summer dinning. This time of year though the glass doors are all closed and radiators are gurgling away. On our previous visit I had ordered a whole breast of grilled duck and S ordered some sort of fish. Really, he should have known better since we know that meat of any kind is served practically raw here. (In France even if you ask for your meat to be ‘bien cuit’ [well done] it will be nothing past medium rare. That’s as done as gets.) Well, when S got his fish it was practically raw, but S being the trooper that he is, ate it anyway. Before desert had arrived, though, he excused himself. He was gone so long I began to get worried. When he finally returned he was as white as sheet and asked me if I could forgo coffee so we could leave.
Anyway, under those circumstances, S was not to keen on returning to the scene of the crime. I however, was still harboring memories of delicious food and deserts. I managed to convince S that it was just the fish and that he should order the duck this time and he agreed to try again.
We started with an aperitif of Chivas Regal, don’t ask me why, I always say no to the aperitif, but I just went ahead. Then a wonderful green salad topped with fois gras, it was absolutely heavenly (except for the wedge of cheese that was too salty and too smoked for my taste) We had the grilled breast of duck with some seasoned potatos. The duck was tender and wonderful. It’s like having filet mignon. Have I mentioned how much I love duck? Desert was flan, for me, not as good as mine. Flavor a bit bland but texture was perfect. S had an incredible desert. France is big on ice cream and sorbets for desert for reasons I don’t comprehend. S had a desert titled ‘Manzanilla’, it was three scoops of apple sorbet with chunks of apple in it, soaked in Manzanilla which is an apple liqueur. It was very good.
With dinner we had a ‘new’ Beaujolais. The third Tuesday of November is when the new wines are introduced and available in restaurants and stores. You’ll see the signs in every restaurant. It really is a big deal. Let’s be clear though, we are talking about NEW wine. Really new wine…as in this year’s harvest. I cannot understand what the draw is really. The wine is just slightly redder than Welch’s grape juice and literally tastes green. Everywhere you dine during the next 3 or so weeks, it is pressed on you, you just HAVE to have it. Really, my advice is, don’t. I’m not sure what the draw is. Is it an indication of what the mature wine will taste like? Can a wine connoisseur get a sense of how good this vintage will be? I say let them taste it and let us enjoy the good stuff.
Am currently enjoying a wonderful snack that Z introduced me to. Barbecue potato chips dipped in lemon juice. Have gone through 3 bags of chips in 5 days in this manner. Can’t seem to stop. When teeth start to ache I will blame Z.
Alright then, how about a new feature in my posts. We’ll call it something catchy like…
What I’ve read over the last couple of weeks:
'Big Fish' by Daniel Wallace. Don’t bother. Fast and easy read but pointless.
'The Five People You Meet In Heaven' by Mitch Albom (Tuesdays With Morrie) Ok, but a bit sappy. No new insights into life after death or why regret is useless. But an interesting theory to be read with a box of Kleenex.
'Fortune’s Daughter' by Alice Hoffman. True Alice Hoffman, not as good as “Practical Magic” but not a bad story. A few heartbreaking parts, but in general I liked it. She writes real characters with real flaws.
'I Don’t Know How She Does It' by Allison Pearson. A good and humorous book for every working mom that juggles more than any man ever could! Well I guess he could but the constant bitching and look-at-me-I-fixed-a-meal grandstanding would seal his death. I love her writing though because she’s British and I’m thinking of starting to use words like ‘stodgy’, ‘winkle’, ‘chummy’ and ‘wellies’(and oh, so many others) in my everyday conversation. There’s this lovely quote about being a working mom ( she has arrived home from business and is ‘distressing’ store bought mince pies so that they look homemade for her daughters ‘school carol concert'): ‘Women used to have time to make mince pies and had to fake orgasms. Now we can manage the orgasms, but have to fake the mince pies. And they call this progress’
'The Red Tent' by Anita Diamant. Good story, very biblical only in setting and that it's written about biblical people but good story about women and what makes them all sisters. The Red Tent is of course where women were sent during that time of the month.
Started 'Cry, The Beloved Country' by Alan Paton. Tough to wade through in parts but it's a classic. I'll let you know.
I would like to add that these reviews are solely my opinion and do not represent the opinions of the management. (?) I'm tired, so cut me some slack ok.
P.S. Learning from recent experience I'd like to ask a favor, in the event that any of you ship any packages to us here in France please be sure that you label the box 'Gift' or 'No Commercial Value'. If you insure it for a value or state a value on the box and do not include those words, we will have to pay a customs duty upon receipt. The customs duty is about 30% of the stated value of the shipment, so please DON'T forget. If you use Fedex or UPS (but please don't) look for a box on the form that says 'gift' or 'no commercial value'. Just send it regular mail, it'll take about 4 weeks to arrive but it'll save you tons of money.
P.P.S. Well, as you can see the page has a new bolder look and now I can also add photos. Here is one taken by S on the day we toured the castles in the rain. It’s one of my favorites that he took of the castle at Peyrepertuse.
