Crêpe-er

I usually prefer sweet crêpes, but this savory crêpe I made the other morning was definitely one for the [cyber] books! Yum...

Barack O. ... Lee?

It's really such a great feat when I manage to do the grocery shopping on Friday, and get to cook on Saturday! Today I made some fabulous broccoli and camembert cream soup, with sautéed onions, garlic, basil, salt and black pepper. Perfect accompaniment to a night in, a warm sweater, my Uggs, and several Skype dates. Oh, I'm also happy to announce that the mouse, a.k.a. my temporary roommate, has officially left the building. All's well and I can finally sleep in peace...and buy camembert again, because I'm pretty sure it was the very cheesy smell that the mouse initially mistook for a vacancy sign.

Lavender Nostalgia

I've been obsessed with lavender for more than a year now. It started when I went to Balboa Island, (Newport Beach), and in an olive oil shop, tried lavender balsamic vinegar for the first time. It was love at first taste. I bought a bottle and experimented with it for a few weeks, making savory dishes that the lavender would compliment perfectly. I then went to a spice shop and purchased dried lavender flowers, which I used to make some desserts, like lavender shortbread cookies and such. Of course, I also spent plenty on lavender body sprays and lotions alike, and I always make sure to stop and smell lavender when I spot it while walking.

This morning, as I was rushing down my staircase to catch the tram, I saw right there, next to the window, directly facing the staircase up which I've gone at least a hundred times by now, a small vase, clearly several decades old, set upon a silver tray which had gathered a thin layer of dust. In the vase was a small bouquet of dried lavender. I expect that they were once fresh, perhaps picked by hand outside by my landlord, a very sweet and quiet widower. I immediately got nostalgic, and upset at myself for walking past this subtly beautiful decor for over two and a half months now, and never noticing it. Its smell has gone, and the fragile stems are shedding, but it's the most beautiful lavender I've seen yet.

A Quick Glimpse of My (French) Birthday

Finally got to make/try a White Russian (cocktail). Ran into a bar and asked for ice, since no stores are selling any this time of year, and the bartender filled my plastic bag with some. Do you like my pink straw? Aw tenks!

UMMMM......!!! Two words: surprised and smitten.

Splurged, (and how), on this super chic, nude, silk blouse with neon-pink ribbon detail from Maje, a French label, coming to the US soon. In fact, they just opened a store or two in NY! Keep an eye out, mesdames!

Started my birthday morning off with a delicious homemade Earl Grey tea latte. Perfect!

And, of course, a few wishes. :) Thanks to everyone who made my birthday away from home so special!

Is it a COOKIE or a CAKE!?

I am on a mission: to master my madeleine making skills before I'm back in La La Land. I managed to find an eighteen cookie?/cake? madeleine silicone mold here for less than 5€! This was my first attempt at making them with the mold and I am very pleased with the result. Now I have to find the best recipe. I took this picture before I dipped them in chocolate and well, gave them to my landlord because, let's face it, I need to back off the sweets for a bit. Still, I did allow myself one... fine, two... with my tea. So nammy! Nom ommm.

Oh and just because my mom is complaining that she forgot what I look like, here's a reminder... and I'm wearing the scarf my grandma knit me!

Simple Flavors, Complicated Melodies

I made dinner at a friend's apartment last night, and after we enjoyed the prosciutto wrapped asparagus, garlic and mozzarella stuffed wantons, and morally horrible but delicious foie gras, we sat around with a guitar and harmonized some melodies until I had to catch the last tram home. I've realized that all of my favorite nights here in Bordeaux have had three main componants: good food, good people, and good music. 

Marseille, Monaco, Nice