A Little More Confused
I find it odd that you can’t get laundry detergent, shampoo, shaving cream, or deodorant that’s not perfumed around here.
But French Fries?
They’re available sans odeur.
February 2008 archives
WTF
Today I had what I call a “Welcome To France” day.
That expression came about a couple of years ago, when a friend who lives in Switzerland came to run in the Paris marathon.
Except when he went to register, they told him he wasn’t registered even though he had a letter from them saying that he had indeed registered. And he wasn’t alone; there was a roomful of other people with letters being told they weren’t registered either. Luckily, he was there with a friend who was a doctor.
It wasn’t because people were fainting from having traveled halfway around the world and being told they couldn’t run in a marathon they’d spent the last 6 months training for. The French friend intervened (the French are much better at yelling at bureaucrats that we Americans, who crumble surprisingly easy) everyone was told they could re-register. But everyone would need to magically produce a note from their doctor attesting to their fitness.
So even though our friend specializes in breast augmentations and botox injections, he sat down and signed everyone’s paperwork.
When I went to meet my friend after the marathon, he was shaking uncontrollably; very, very cold and tired.
Chez Panisse Almond Tart Recipe
Last week, when I had to go into my local France Telecom office, instead of the usual dread, a thought flashed through my mind: “Well, at least this might make a good story for the blog.”
But I want to spare you all that stuff so you can concentrate on the glories of Paris rather than the indignities that we citizens of the state must suffer under a regime that seeks to oppress the masses of the working people, who pay exorbitant prices for mobile phone service (and scallions…but that’s another story), who under the guise of state-run socialism are actually in cahoots with the only two other service providers that France Telecom will allow them to compete with themselves (yes…you read that right) so that we can pay 35 centimes a minute to make a call.
I don’t know what one has to do with the other, but thanks for letting me vent. Oh, after I left their office I stepped a big mess on the sidewalk…the first time in three years.
Mais oui.
However I’d like to stay focused, if I can, and talk about the Chez Panisse Almond Tart.
A Little Confused
I’m a little confused.
I just watched House Calls on CNN.
Everyone agrees there’s a crisis in America, part of it being that 15% of the population is uninsured. But people keep saying they don’t want a system like in France because they didn’t want the government making decisions about their health care.
Except in France, the government doesn’t make decisions about health care; your doctor does.
Presidential candidates on both sides keep talking about changing the system, yet they’re also saying, “We’re not advocating a system like the one in France.”
But if French health care is considered the best in the world, covers everyone, and the average premium per family is less than $150 per month—why not advocate a system like it?
Blood Orange Sorbet Recipe
For some reason, people think I eat out all the time. While I like eating in restaurants, I don’t like being served something that I don’t like. (Funny, huh?) So I mostly make food for myself, since when I do, I get to pick and choose exactly what I’m going to make, what I’m going to put into it, and how to cook it.
I’ve become the proverbial free man in Paris.
Working as a pâtissier for so many years, thought, it’s assumed that I want complicated, fancy desserts bulging with buttercream and towering with spun sugar and whimsical bits of foam, spheres, and powders strewn all over the place. While I appreciate the work and skill that goes into those kinds of things (Sam Mason has really impressed me with desserts that were creative and delicious), I really like simple food, especially after a rich or spicy meal.
I don’t think dessert should be the proverbial “nail in the coffin” after dinner and I’m always curious when people say, “That restaurant wasn’t very good. When we left, we were still hungry!”
I’ve been writing a bit about Korean food, but Japanese cuisine is a pretty good example of how I like to eat too.
Citrus Oils
I know some of you’ve been thinking; “When is David finally going to clean-up and organize his links page?”
Well, that day has come and gone folks, and instead of the previous mish-mash of links added haphazardly, they’re now neatly organized into categories and specialties. I’ve added a couple—and given a few the heave-ho, especially the stale ones that are perhaps older than a few of you out there.
As I clicked around to make sure there weren’t any clunkers, a thought flashed through my mind. It was something “hardened and naked.” No, it wasn’t my other secret blog, it was Deb commenting on the citrus in her refrigerator; all those forgotten fruits that have been zested and left to dry up.
Now that’s not very blog-worthy…or hot, is it?
Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Rib Recipe
Let me brag here a bit—my kimchi was a huge success…although I’m still giving it a few more days of fermentation before I go ahead and chill it. I could hardly taste it four hours later as opposed to living and breathing the taste of kimchi for the next two days.
I loved reading all your feedback and comments since although Korean is one of my favorite cuisines, I think it doesn’t get the attention it deserves. And judging from your responses, apparently I’m not the only one!
In addition to being a little gaga for Korean food lately, I’m also on a caramelizion kick, craving anything with caramel. Ribs, tarts, cookies, cakes, frostings…you name it, I’m gonna caramelize it. But hold on to your hats—I have the ultimate caramel dessert coming up sometime later this week.
As mentioned, I’d bookmarked the recipe for Vietnamese Pork Ribs in Caramel Sauce over at Chubby Hubby, and let me tell you, folks, this recipe is a winner.
What doesn’t it have going for it?
Let’s see…
Saying No To Disposable Chopsticks
Over dinner the other night with a group of friends, I was talking about the excessive use of plastic bags in the world. I told them I easily recalled 20 years back, when traveling in Europe, it was just a given that you brought your own bag to the supermarket and shopping with you. Now, plastic bags are everywhere, but I like to re-use them.
Curiously, some vendors have told me I shouldn’t do that because of les bactéries.
Which I find even more odd considering they don’t think it’s pas hygiénique to rip open a clementine with their teeth, then hand over the sections for customers to taste.
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