eG Foodblog: bleudauvergne

[bleudauvergne]

Lunch: School Cafeteria.

Potato salad (of which I ate the fish garniture and the lettuce) - I did this because I made a bad choice in the line and realized - I've had enough of potatoes! I wanted to put it back and take a plain salad but then realized that it's probably not good hygeine to do that, I'd already breathed on it.

Paella which had squid, sausage, chicken, fish of some kind. They gave me much more than I was capable of eating.

Cheese was a chevre and bleu de Gex.

Water.

I also picked up a kiwi fruit, which I took with me.

I sat down with some colleagues, and had to explain what I was doing. But to make it simple I said I was taking photos of everything I eat for a week to become more aware of what I'm eating. One colleague instantly, without missing a beat, took one look at my tray and said - you've got too much starch on the plate. Thanks, I responded. A discussion at the table ensued. Regimes, etc. The women are magnifique. And they complain that they can't keep the weight on. Ah, madame. Excuse me while I gag myself with the dessert spoon. Thank you.

The talk turned to Paella. One said she always loves to take a Paella whenever it's offered because it's an opportunity to eat a certain kind of fish. What? Of course we were unable to get to any clear point between us about what type of fish that was, because they could not translate to English, and I did not recognize the name in French. Raie. I think they said. Now I see that translates to Skate.

I thought the paella was tasty. They had cooked several of the ingredients seperately and then put it together when they served the plate on the line, finishing with a reduced fish stock. Another colleague arrived to the table and began to tuck into his Paella. How is it? they asked. Hmmph. Not outstanding. he responded.

I carefully slid the potatos off my plate and finished my salad while my co-workers then talked about "la siesta", and then finished with a story by an absolutely magnifique woman who had shoveled an enormous amount of food into her mouth throughout the course of the meal, extra bread, cheese, etc. She went to the nutritionist, and among other things, he said. Close your eyes. Voila. Now open them. She did so. And the nutritionist said, alright in doing that you have already burned off half the calories that a normal person does in a day.

Remains.

[bleudauvergne]

The one and only rant on costs and price analysis:

Cost analysis of the tartiflette served last night.

Co-op Cheese: 2€.

Wine: .75

Potatoes: .20

Bacon: .60

Ham: about 100 grams - €1.50

Butter & foie gras fat: .40

Garlic: .10

Parsley: .10

Creme: .30

Total: €5.95, served 2 with leftovers for Loic's lunch today.

Not expensive by American standards. But consider that our salaries are roughly half of what we made for the same work in L.A., (yes, I am making less than I did at the age of 25.) Plus, we fork over roughly 1/2 of our paycheck to various social cotisations, and that is BEFORE taxes. After the payment on the house, we struggle, and we have to sacrafice to put anything into savings. We have to make very careful choices just to get by. But this is the choice we have made.

[bleudauvergne]

We could not walk today due to rain and lack of enough umbrellas. However I will get off two stops early this evening and walk the rest of the way home.

edited to say that I am still thinking about this Indian foods shop. On the way home yesterday I went by there and they are closed Mondays.

Edited April 20, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[fredbram]

Great blog--I am following it closely.

What is the Paul Bocuse institute? A cooking school of some sort, I assume?

And why the "free entry" signs on doors in France (I think I am translating correctly)? I remember seeing them, mostly on galleries I thought--it seems odd.

[bleudauvergne]

Hi Fred.

Institut Paul Bocuse is a cooking school. I don't know anyone who has been through the school who can tell me about it, unfortunately. It costs a fortune. They have a pretty high international student population. There was one person, a Chinese student in one of my language classes a couple of years back who was going to do one of the degrees there. But I don't know what his experience was. Maybe one day I'll have a chance to go through a course there. Apparently the restaurant attached to the school and run by the students is very good. I have peeked in the windows of the dining room and it's pretty.

The Entree Libre sign means that anyone can go in the shop. I think it differentiates a retail operation from wholesale.

Thanks for coming and looking.

-Lucy

edited to add more about the school. If anyone has been through that program and has any feedback on it, I'd love to hear.

Edited April 20, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[bleudauvergne]

idea

[Jake]

idea

Idea for?????

[ludja]

perhaps another fantasie au filo....?

[Jinmyo]

Interesting.

[bleudauvergne]

[bleudauvergne]

[bleudauvergne]

[bleudauvergne]

[naguere]

'French Breakfast' radish, butter and salt.

Really, really good. How simple and what a cracking picture. :

[bleudauvergne]

leftover lamb, in case you were wondering. Edited April 20, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[Liz Johnson]

I want to print that radish photo, frame it and hang it in my kitchen. Just gorgeous.

Edit to say: That goes for most every photo here, including the one above.

Edited April 20, 2004 by Liz Johnson (log)

[bleudauvergne]

It fills a certain need.

Failed experiment no. 497-321a.

(and Pan, the ginger tastes disGUSting in the savory dish. Don't try it at home, folks. )

edited to say thanks for the suggestion anyway.

Edited April 20, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[docsconz]

The one and only rant on costs and price analysis: 

Cost analysis of the tartiflette served last night. 

Co-op Cheese:  2€.

Wine:  .75

Potatoes:  .20

Bacon:  .60

Ham:  about 100 grams - €1.50

Butter & foie gras fat:  .40

Garlic:  .10

Parsley:  .10

Creme:  .30

Total:  €5.95, served 2 with leftovers for Loic's lunch today. 

Not expensive by American standards.  But consider that our salaries are roughly half of what we made for the same work in L.A., (yes, I am making less than I did at the age of 25.)  Plus, we fork over roughly 1/2 of our paycheck to various social cotisations, and that is BEFORE taxes.  After the payment on the house, we struggle, and we have to sacrafice to put anything into savings.  We have to make very careful choices just to get by.  But this is the choice we have made.

At least you don't have to save up for a trip to France to eat all this gorgeous food

[bleudauvergne]

Dessert.

100g. chocolate noir (70%)

1T creme fraiche.

When you melt the chocolate, it's liquid. Then you add the creme fraiche and it thickens. I heared some people talking about this on the radio for something to fill egg shells with for easter. You can't taste the creme fraiche.

(dinner looked like lunch - ugh.)

[bleudauvergne]

At least you don't have to save up for a trip to France ...

You're so right. My husband saw my complaint and says I exaggerate. It's more like 30% we pay rather than 50% before taxes to social security. He's right.

oK, oKAY, it's like 25%.

Edited April 20, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[slbunge]

It's more like 30% we pay rather than 50% before taxes to social security. He's right.

Hopefully you are more confident than we are that it is a worthwhile investment to secure a comfortable lifestyle during your golden years.

Back to the food, though...

Love the radish/butter/salt. The fresh spring varieties aren't available around here yet but soon. For me, the winter radish varieties that are designed for cold storage are not worth it, I'd rather just eat the butter and salt with a spoon.

[bleudauvergne]

If I may respectfully ask you my dear friends -

If you had what was on the cutting board tonight, how would you have cooked it to make it more palatable? The grain is dried wheat grains.. You can assume that I have light stock all of the herbs and spices that you have.

Thank you for your kind input.

-Lucy

[docsconz]

It looked pretty palatable to me. What was wrong with it? By the way the strawberries looked heavenly.

[balmagowry]

If you had what was on the cutting board tonight, how would you have cooked it to make it more palatable?  The grain is dried wheat grains..  You can assume that I have light stock all of the herbs and spices that you have.

Well, to start with, a little candied ginger.... Sorry! Bad joke! Though actually I'm not convinced the ginger is a mistake - my gut tells me that while it may not work in the dish, it might be good as an accompaniment to the dish. Though I think I agree with Pan that it would pair better with pork. I can see where a bit of ginger - or ginger marmalade - alongside a heavy-flavored pork or lamb dish, might serve the same palate-balancing purpose as the cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving. Or chutney with curry. And speaking of curry... that's the song that leftover lamb usually sings for me. Not necessarily a terrifically authentic curry, which is not my area of expertise, but a more frenchified one, built around a veloute-type sauce flavored with some medium-ish curry blend. I typically serve such a thing with peas and over rice, perhaps with something cranberry-ish or beach-plum-ish or chutney-ish on the side. So your peas fit right in, and the carrots would go beautifully too. And I'd cook the wheat sort of risotto/pilaf style, and make it a base on which to serve the pseudo-curry. Ginger on the side, in place of the cranberry/chutney/etc. element, and you can nibble at it between bites so that it isn't so overwhelming.

Damn, now I'm drooling again.

And those strawberries are breathtaking. If you don't taste the creme fraiche in them, then be naughty and serve some more of it with them.

(BTW I planted French Breakfast radishes over the weekend... Mmmmmm....)

[bergerka]

oh my god, how did I only just find this incredible blog?

Bleu, I'm drooling and practically sobbing at the same time...I want to go back to France SO MUCH.

more more MORE MORE MORE

can't you just permanently blog?

K