300920. Let me say right now, that I am going to change to format of my blog as of today, with the latest writings or ramblings being at the top of the page with older stuff at the bottom. It took a while to realise this but it will definitely improve your reading 🙂
So, do you eat to live or live to eat. Who said that????? Actually it was first recorded in 1668 in the play “L’Avare” by French playwright Molière (Google). Personally I do a bit of both, but probably more of the “live to eat” as I really enjoy eating and food and the sharing of food being a very social act. It is definitely one of life’s little foibles or should I say my little foibles.
Having been in lockdown for what almost feels like forever, I am at least improving my culinary art. Experimenting with differrent foods and downloading far to many recipes from the Internet. I am now the proud possessor of an ever-increasing number of o then American cooking recipes for 4 people. It takes so long then have to alter or look up what the Americans use for temperature and weights. I have never got used to their strange way of using cups. So my first question was “What is a cup”. Thanks to Google I now know that a cup of Quinoa is a different weight to a cup of flour and that is different to a cup of water! And then the same cup also does liquids too. Have just Googled what is one cup on metric and it seems to vary between 237ml and 250ml. Baffling.
For my own preferences I like French food generally – I also like the country, the people and their wine. The cafe life seems to suit my taste very well, to be able to sit and read or write, drink a coffee and have a croissant for breakfast – certainly not not saying that you can’t do that anywhere else. It is just the general ambience of France that I like. An amazing collection of sweet delicacies like cakes and pastries all mouth-wateringly moreish and so difficult to choose from when one wants a “nibble” of something sweet. These are the little things that life is made up of – in La France. Their language has permeated the culinary arts in English as well. The way that things are cut and prepared, cooked and eaten (in England), even some of the vegetables, all date back to the French invasion in 1066. William the Conqueror.
le banquet – feast
la portion – portion
l’abricot – apricot
la rhubarbe – rhubarb
la pistache – pistachio
le porc – porc
la lentille – lentils
bain-marie
bouquet-garni
So much changed in England after Harold got an arrow in his eye at Battle (called the battle of Hastings). It feels like a long time since I have been there. I started going to Vienna (which has become one of my favourite cities) and have almost deserted France and Strasbourg which is only a 3 hour drive from my home. Leave at 0600 and 3 hours later sitting in the sun by the Cathedral having a wonderful cup of coffee and a croissant. Definitely YUM!
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