Monday, January 27, 2003

At quarter to 6 this morning, I arrived at work, surprised to see Chef Mikhail at the door (he's not the macaron chef). He told me that Eddy, the macaron chef, is sick today and that we're free to go since we can't do anything without him. I said: "Ok, merci," and as I walked back to the metro I had a huge grin on my face. Free day! Whee!

So I started planning my day -- looking for bistros I can try for lunch. Decided I would splurge and try Le Cafe des Delices in the 6th arrondisement -- it got good reviews from both TimeOut magazine and Edward Behr's Art of Eating. I was so excited because I was expecting a 32 Euro prix fixe, but they actually had one that was 14 Euros and today was Boeuf Bourguignon (beef braised in red wine) day. Unfortunately, when I walked in I knew I had no chance of getting seated -- it was packed. All was not lost though, because I came prepared with a list. Next on the list was a small bistro called Chez Marcel -- TimeOut was raving about their Apricot Tart... So I sat down and ordered the Coq au Vin (chicken braised in red wine), and when it came I wasn't sure if it was beef or chicken -- but it hit the spot. What I enjoyed most was their dessert -- they didn't have the apricot tart today, so I ordered a Fromage Blanc Miel (soft white cheese with honey). I savored each and every spoonful of it. Who would've thought such a simple dessert would be so good?? Anyway, in the middle of dessert some guy came in and talked to the patron. He said he was working for MTV and there's a show called The Real World with a group of American kids blah blah blah blah -- I was straining to hear everything, but I think he was asking the owner if they could tape some scenes at this restaurant. Cool. Is there a Real World Paris? Maybe there will be. I was sorta hoping the camera crew was outside already and that I was going to be on MTV. heh.

On my way to Chez Marcel I stopped by the chocolaterie of Jean Paul Hevin M.O.F. (M.O.F. means he won the equivalent of the Olympics for chocolaterie) and got a few treats for dessert tonight.

Definitely a much better day than yesterday. I did manage to bake a tea cake in my little toaster oven yesterday -- although I don't recommend using it because it burns the bottom of the cake. I saw the recipe from Bon Appetit Bien Sur and it's a good recipe to do with kids or for ill-equipped kitchens like mine... Here's the step by step recipe with photo illustrations. It took me more than an hour to do this page so enjoy!

Posted by Karen @ 08:43 AM PST [Link]

Sunday, January 26, 2003

HOMESICK. There are hard days. Like today. Like every Sunday. When I miss home more than ever. I wake up and feel heavy yet empty. Thought it would get easier, but thinking about two more months like this -- it just doesn't make me feel any better. The gym is my friend, my only friend. It's quite pathetic. Sometimes I appreciate this freedom, this solitude, but I've had enough of it and I'm tired.

Je me sens vide et triste. Je ne sais pas si je peux rester ici deux mois de plus. C'est difficile quand on est seul. Il n'y a rien à faire, personne ne me parle. Samedi prochain, j'aurai 26 ans, mais je crois ça sera encore un jour de tristesse pour moi. J'espère que ma famille est ici avec moi. Ils me manquent beaucoup. Garry me manque beaucoup.

Posted by Karen @ 02:07 AM PST [Link]

Saturday, January 18, 2003

Just came back from watching The Truth About Charlie – it was set in Paris, so I was curious to see how the French would react to it. Heard some laughter here and there, smirks at the end – the movie could’ve been done better, but it was good enough for a Saturday night for a person like me with nowhere to go and nothing to do. I felt quite grateful that I could watch the movie in the eyes of a Parisian – being critical of the all too common baguette and Eiffel Tower scenes, but I guess that’s the real Paris anyway, cliché or not, I do see a person with a baguette every few meters or so, and I do look for the Eiffel Tower every time I pass by it on Metro Line 6.

On my way home I ran into my banker Pascale and we exchanged ‘Bonsoirs’. I was just thinking, one of the best things about living in Paris is the sense of community. Everything is just around the corner – banker, boulanger, patissier, hairdresser. They would recognize your face whenever you came in, greet you when you passed by. I pass by this fruit stand everyday, and whenever they see me they say ‘Bonjour’, and whenever I buy fruits they always give me something extra, like a lollipop or a chocolate marshmallow (ok, maybe they think I’m a kid, but they’re still nice). It sorta reminds me of the opening scene of the Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast, where Belle goes around town and everybody comes out and yells, Bonjour! That’s a glorified version though, the real Paris is a bit dirtier (gotta watch out for dog poop!), and sometimes, there are some mean old ladies that would rather have you get out of their way than be friendly.

Breakfast this morning - Pain aux Sucre, Pavé, Baguette and Bonne Maman Conserves

Posted by Karen @ 03:55 PM PST [Link]

Friday, January 17, 2003

Nothing can ruin a Friday*; I could mess up a tray of petit fours (which I did – they all landed on the floor), but I’d still have a smile on my face. The week went by pretty slowly, work seemed a lot tougher due to a stomach flu that plagued me since Monday. But now it’s all gone and I’m happily eating away again. Had lunch at Tarte Julie after hitting the gym. Ok, I know, I’m supposed to be a foodie and try to stay away from these restaurant chains. First the Hippo Grill and now Tarte Julie. Well, sometimes, I just want to eat without all the fuss and muss – decent food, good service, affordable menus. Plus I’ve become quite fond of their tartes sucrées (sweet tarts), especially the one with apricots, plums, and peaches. Something in the crust keeps me coming back for more. (Except that sometimes when you’re unlucky you’ll get a burnt one and it’s bitter!) It might just be that bit of turbinado sugar on the crust that gives it a crunch – ooh. I’m getting hungry.

*except when you have work on Saturdays

Posted by Karen @ 03:16 PM PST [Link]

Wednesday, January 15, 2003

It wasn’t a particularly good day in the kitchen. Should’ve been, since I got a chance to do something other than macarons. In fact, we didn’t do ANY macarons today. Surprising. Unfortunately, they let me cut these spice cookies called Lecherlys – trays and trays of ‘em, into 2 inch X ½ inch pieces. And they are ANAL about the size. I was having a hard enough time cutting the damn things. Since they’re made of honey and orange confit, it’s really tough to cut. My palms were so red from the knife pressure. Then Alban comes and says: “Non, non, trop gros ça” (this is too big), so I cut it smaller, then Michel comes: “Pas trop petit” (not too small), then Quanah says: “Trop gros”, and Alban comes back and says: “Bien regulier, pas trop gros Karen”. Blah blah blah. I wanted to get out of there and cry. This is one of those days when I don’t want to be a patissier…

After we were done with the Lecherlys, Michel took my hand and raised it as a sign of victory. Alban comes and says: “Karen, demain, Lecherlys encore.” (Tomorrow, Lecherlys again) I really hope he wasn’t serious, but I can never really tell.

Posted by Karen @ 01:15 PM PST [Link]

Sunday, January 12, 2003

I’m back to my staple of canned soup and frozen meals from Picard. I think I’ve had my fill of canned salsifis (tastes like white asparagus) , maybe I should get in the habit of dining out alone. I actually did so at lunch – gave in and tried the Hippo Grill (local brasserie chain), got the 12.90 Euro meal and had grilled chicken with fries, 3 scoops of ice cream, Coca Light and an espresso. Aah. Felt good to have a real meal again.

Went to the gym for some cardio – was trying out the new sneakers I bought at the Champs Elysées. (I slipped on some ice on my way to church, and concluded it was time to throw away my worn out sneakers and get a new pair.) I love the Aquaboulevard gym – it’s a 15 minute walk from my apartment, and it has a waterpark, driving range, tennis and squash courts, and really good classes.

Yesterday I tried to go shopping and see if I could find some great deals in the Soldes (big sale). I guess everyone else had the same idea because they were all shopping! It was hard to even get to the escalator. You’d think you could breathe much better in the Men’s department, but no, it was even more crowded there! They’re probably stocking up for the whole year!

Back to work again tomorrow. No surprises though. I’m still doing macarons. My team will actually be on French TV tomorrow (channel 1) at 1pm. It was shot 2 months ago so I won’t get my chance at international stardom. Too bad. We’ll all be at work at that time anyway, but Michel said he’s taping it. Great, I don’t have a VCR.

Posted by Karen @ 12:08 PM PST [Link]

Thursday, January 9, 2003

I just got back from dinner with my coworkers. There's always one thing that transcends language barriers and unites all -- McDonald's. :) After 2 bottles of champagne to celebrate the end of Tony's stage (only the first part of three), Michel turned to me and said: "Alors, après, on va à Mcdo?" And so I went along with Tony, Michel, Lisa and Conard and listened to them contemplate on who among the kitchen staff is gay or bisexual or just weird. Although I barely understood, I just laughed with them here and there. They call my internship the 'macaron stage' because that's all I've been doing -- I told them I hope I won't be doing that for 3 months. Fortunately, my chef, Eddy, assured me I would get a chance to switch shifts.

Yesterday, I finally asked: "Ou est Pierre Hermé?" (Where is Pierre Herme) Tony told me I'd see him some day, although he doesn't really work there.

Well, I'm going to bed soon. My back is so sore from arranging dozens of trays of macarons! Ugh.

Posted by Karen @ 02:01 PM PST [Link]

Tuesday, January 7, 2003

Hey thanks for all the congratulatory greetings. :)

Somebody up there must be listening to me. The day Garry left I was crying my eyes out, then I got a phone call from Garry in the evening saying his flight had been cancelled and that he was coming back to my apartment. I couldn't believe it. He's staying till Thursday. Hey, I asked for a day and got 3. :)

It's my second day of work at Pierre Hermé. Seems like my schedule has changed and I'll be working from 1:00pm-8pm most days. Not too bad. I like the French 35 hour work weeks. I think if I had to work more than 7 hours straight I'd die. I feel like a machine when I'm there. We never stop working.

They made me start off by chopping the Valrhona chocolate blocks. I bet they give the intern or 'stagiare' the chocolate each time. Took me more than half an hour to chop a kilo of chocolate. I was trying to figure out how everyone's hands stayed clean while mine had chocolate and coffee paste all over. The rest of the time we made macarons -- 5 or 6 different flavors, about 800 pieces each. I'm starting to think the whole business relies on macarons because that's what we did today too. I hope I won't be doing macarons for 3 months.

My colleagues in the kitchen are pretty cool, although I'm still struggling to make conversation because of my limited French vocabulary. Most of them are young guys in their twenties, some maybe even younger. I wish I could understand the things they talk about -- all I understood today was 'blah blah X-box, blah blah Playstation 2, blah blah Game Cube'. Haven't met Pierre Hermé yet, I doubt if I ever will.

My back and neck are quite sore from standing up all day. It's a lot of menial work, including cleaning the entire kitchen after the day's over. When I say entire -- it means we soap up and wipe down all the cabinets, tables, the floor, heck, even the garbage bin! We move all the machines, and brush, wash, and sweep the floor under them. It's amazing how clean everything is. Pretty impressive I think.

Posted by Karen @ 02:19 PM PST [Link]

Saturday, January 4, 2003

It finally snowed in Paris, and all is white -- including the ring on my finger. :) Yes, Garry and I are engaged; he proposed last night, after enjoying a wonderful dinner and a bottle of Marcel Deiss Late Harvest Riesling from Alsace. It was perfect, we were where we wanted to be, and doing exactly what we loved doing -- together.

First Day of Snow in Paris

We didn't even get to enjoy being engaged for more than a day because he had to leave for San Francisco this morning. I feel -- empty. I got used to him being here everyday for 2 weeks. Tomorrow I start work at 6am. It's going to be tough. Miss him already.

Engagement Ring

Posted by Karen @ 11:47 PM PST [Link]