Somewhere in the Middle

Cheap Hotel + Bubbles + a Michelin Star = A Fabulous Getaway

Over the holidays, C's godfather R, Mr. Plantsman, came to visit us. One of the things he wanted to do was visit some Belgian breweries & Champagne houses. Unfortunately, most of the breweries we researched only did pre-arranged group tours plus they were closed for the holidays. The big champagne houses weren't any different. Most of them were closed anywhere from a few days to the entire month of January. But Mr. Plantsman managed to find a couple who give private tours of the small Champagne houses. 

So in one day we planned the tour.  They also made lunch reservations for us at Le Grand Cerf, a one star Michelin rated restaurant. It all sounded perfect. But we still needed a place to stay. Unfortunately, all the B&B's & charming hotels I e-mailed were completely booked. It was as if everyone decided to go to Reims & Epernay the same days we wanted to go.

S was able to find us a hotel within walking distance from the city centre with outdoor parking which is a huge selling point for me. I'm fine with driving in an unfamiliar city but PLEASE DO NOT make me park in an underground car garage. Is there a name for people who have a phobia of underground car garages? Well, whatever it is I have it! lol! Not because these garages are dark & creepy. Oh no, it's because these garages are super TINY! I refuse to park in these areas. I'm fearful of those tight corners when you're driving in circles to the next level and I always feel like I'm going to scrape the side of my car against the wall. I remember once I actually managed to drive my car into the garage (of course screaming the entire way fearing that the roof of the car was going to scrap against the ceiling) and when I opened the trunk it touched the ceiling. Yeah, I'll leave those open parking spots for the mini Cooper &  Smart cars. So when S told me the hotel had an open air parking lot I didn't need to hear any more details. And within a day we set off to Reims.

On the way, we made a stop at the Le Creuset factory outlet. It was our 2nd visit within two weeks. Did I forget to mention that R & I love to cook. lol! I picked up a great grill pan for 40 Euros and some ramekins for 6 Euros. I'm kicking myself for not buying more than 4. After we shopped we had lunch at the La Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Cateau which R loved. 

We arrived in Reims in the late afternoon and the area around the cathedral was absolutely deserted unlike our visit in the spring. I suppose that's one of the benefits of traveling to Europe in the winter. But the church was ice cold. You could see your breath everytime you spoke.

Afterwards, we walked around the city for a bit. It was much nicer than I remember. We stumbled upon a kitchen shop that specialized in bakeware. They had a huge selection of decorative silicone bakeware so I picked up a pretty cake pan.

When we arrived at the hotel in Epernay, R & I couldn't stop laughing. Our hotel was absolutely awful! The minute you walked into the place it smelled like fried foods. Blah! The bathroom was so awful I swore to use it as little as possible. The walls surrounding the bathroom were like cardboard.  But it did have a GREAT outdoor parking lot! R insisted there was no way he was staying there for more than one night. All throughout dinner we laughed and joked about how awful the hotel was and how we were so embarrassed by our hotel accommodations that we were going to wait for our champange guide at the end of the street. What would he think of us? Two friends splurging on a private champagne tour, dining at a Michelin rated restaurant and staying at a hotel that smelled like fried food or better yet a hotel where you needed a code to enter the building like it was in the bad part of town. lol! Our laughter that night was contagious - even our waitress started laughing with us when she gave us our bill.  So after dinner we set out to find another hotel. Of course the one we found had an underground garage but when they gave R the maximum car measurements we knew there wasn't even a chance my car would fit. But luckily, there was plenty of street parking which meant I'd have to parallel park.... Another car phobia of mine! By the time we got back to our hotel, part of the H in the "Hotel" sign went out and it looked like it said, "Motel". The place was looking really bad now. lol! But we felt better knowing that it was only for one night.

When Christopher, our Champagne tour guide, picked us up he informed me we'd be the only ones on the tour. R & I have the best luck with getting private tours... first Egypt  & now Epernay & Reims, France.

It rained the majority of the day so we didn't get to walk around the vineyards which was a shame but now we have a good reason to return. ;) The first place we toured was the Abbey of Hautvillers. The houses near the Abbey were absolutely charming. I would have loved to walk around the area snapping photos but the rain was a big deterrent.

After our visit to the Abbey it was time to start sampling some champagne. We visited three small Champagne houses which were all unique in their own way. The first house was J.M. Gobbillard & Fils in Hautvillers. At this house, we tried the Brut Blanc de Blancs, champagne made with only Chardonnay grapes. Mr. Plantsman absolutely loved this champagne. It was very fresh and clean.

The second house we toured was Nicolas Maillart. Our guide was able to take us through the areas where they actually make the champagne. It was very interesting to see how the technology has changed the industry. Before we left, we tried two different champagnes by Nicolas Maillart.

Before continuing on with our Champagne tour, we stopped for lunch at Le Grand Cerf. I was quite excited about dining at a Michelin rated restaurant. The restaurant was decorated nicely. Lots of natural light. We were seated at a table near a large windows with an area leading out to their gardens. Those gardens must be especially gorgeous during the spring & summer seasons.

As I sat down & opened my menu I immediately felt a slight panic. Imagine opening your menu and everything is in a language you don't understand. Granted, I could make out a word here & there but I was pretty much at a loss for what to order. The appetizers ranged from 30 to 40 Euros and the main entree was anywhere from 60 Euros and up. As you can imagine ... I really wanted to be careful to order something I thought I'd like. Christopher, our guide didn't speak very much French so he couldn't help translate the menu so we asked our waiter to help. But he wasn't especially helpful. When we asked him about a particular soup he mumbled something that slightly resembled English. So we asked him to repeat himself and still we had no idea what he was saying. So we asked him one more time. And again, I had no clue what he said. But Christopher suddenly understood, "OH, Pumpkin soup!" The waiters responded with a very thick French accent, "YES, that's what I just said." We asked the waiter one more question and his response, "Fish". No further explanation...nothing about what type of fish or maybe how it was cooked. Nada! So when Christopher asked me if I had any other questions I completly lied and said, "No, that was it".  Are you kidding me... I had lots of other questions. But when you have a waiter that helpful translating, it makes you not want to question another thing. lol! The way I figured it anything I ordered was like taking a stab in the dark. So I decided to play it safe and go for the menu of the day. At least if I didn't like one course I had 4 more coming. lol! Mr. Plantsman was more decistive and chose the foie gras which he loves and roasted pigeon.

Every single course was a work of art. Beautiful, clean presentation and the flavors just blew me away. And of course the service was impeccible. Everytime we finished a bread roll it seem to be replaced just as we finished chewing the last bite. There was a utensil missing from the table so when the server brought another one it was delicately wrapped in a cloth napkin and very carefully rolled out of the napkin onto the table. And with just one simple glance, your server was immediately at your service. I must admit I've never dined at a restaurant that was so attentive. But I could easily get used to it! lol! Everything we tried at Le Grand Cerf was absolutely amazing! Ok, so enough about the service let's talk about the food! We were served a pumpkin soup with slivered almonds as our amuse bouche which was to die for! If I could have licked my bowl clean I would have! lol! A few days later Mr. Plantsman & I tried to present a Tuscan white bean soup in a similar fashion but we failed miserably on the presentation. For my second course, I had the Souffle de St. Pierre which was a delicate fish souffle. I usually think of souffles as a dessert so it was a bit unusual but it turned out to be absolutely superb!! The consistency was perfect and the flavors were amazing. As my third course, I was presented with grilled beef and tear dropped silky smooth mash potatoes. The sauce was incredible. Next came a wonderful cheese plate with three different varieties, Comté being one of them. The timing was perfect considering I'd just read about how Comté is made on David Lebovitz's blog. By this point, I felt like my stomach was about to explode. I just couldn't eat another bite unless of course it's dessert. In my world, there is always room for dessert. The dessert possessed the perfect balance of sweet & tart flavors... Pineapple chunks with passion fruit sauce, vanilla ice cream tucked into a thin lace caramel colored cookie and coconut marshmallow. Now I love sweets but I'm not a fan of marshmallows. But THIS marshmallow was like no marshmallow I've ever tasted. The sweet, coconut flavors were so subtle and delicious I became a fan immediately.

After our incredible lunch, we drove to Ambonnay to visit Paul Dethune. We sampled a crisp Blanc Noir made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes. What I loved most about this Champagne house was how enthusaiastic the owner was about creating a sustainable viticulture. I purchased a wonderful Cuvee a la Ancienne for S. Everything about this organic champagne is made by hand even the riddling is done the old fashion way. It even has a cork with a string like the way champagne was bottled years ago.

On the way back to our motel hotel, Christopher pointed out a few noteworthy restaurants in the centre of Epernay. So once we switched hotels, Mr. Plantsman & I walked to the centre of town and had dinner at a place called Le Banc. The menu outside looked great but once we entered I realized there was no way our dinner would be as good as lunch. The atmosphere was nice but there was no comparison. But Mr. Plantsman & I were being positive. I wasn't very hungry so I just ordered Lobster Ravoli as an appetizer. This seemed to completely annoy our waiter or maybe it was because I asked for English menus. It was a bad start to a very fun evening. My Ravoli was just awful... the lobster was overcooked and swimming in a sea of sauce. Mr. Plantsman's food was slightly better, but he & I both started to make each other laugh mimicking some of the comments we hear on Top Chef. Despite the food being less than average, we had so much fun laughing over the positive affirmation card I almost left for our waiter.

After dinner, Mr. Plantsman & I walked along the Champagne Blvd where all the big Champagne houses are. It's a beautiful cobbled stone street lined with mansions and lots of Christmas lights to make the area look even more festive.

The following day, we spent the morning hours at an outdoor market where I bought some delicious walnuts and butternut squash. It was a gorgeous sunny day so we enjoyed wandering through the market watching vendors sell fish, meat, cheese, vegetables, and of course lots of fruit.

Just call me Julia

Just over two weeks ago I was with 6 other ladies in a Suburban on my way to Paris. That's right, I was in Paris for one purpose... a Traditional French Cuisine class at Le Cordon Bleu ~ Academie D'Art Culinaire de Paris. Oh la, la. Just like Julia. Now all I have to do is move to Paris, join a gastronomy group, and start having fabulous dinner parties for my good friends. lol! Baby steps T, baby steps. lol!!

Taking a class at Le Cordon Bleu was so cool. I mean how often do you get to take a cooking class at one of the most prestigious cooking schools in the world & cook in the same kitchen where Julia Child cooked. Can you tell how excited I am about this experience. Chef R organized the event with a few other students from her cooking classes. There were a total of 9 of us. 

Our class was conducted in French by Chef Patrick Terrien. No worries though we had an English translator who was great. She was an American sculptor from Chicago who is now living in Paris pursuing her passion. Chef Terrien's resume is quite impressive. Throughout his career he's worked in Strasbourg, Paris, and Japan where he worked under the world renowned chef, Joel Robuchon. Chef Terrien co-authored "La Cuisine de Tourangelle" which is based on the cuisine of his native region, La Touraine. He also owned a one star Michelin rated restaurant in Tours, France & he's been teaching at Le Cordon Bleu since 1989.

I wasn't sure what our Chef would be like... would he be arrogant & fussy or someone who would admire our passion for cooking? Lucky for us, it was the latter. Chef Terrien was delightful.. sweet, funny, and extremely talented. It was also very interesting to see the genuine respect Le Cordon Bleu students have for their instructors. These "Chefs to be" helped immensely by preparing the kitchen, cleaning up, and making sure we had all the tools necessary throughout our course.

Our menu for the day was:

• Magret de Canard Roti Au Miel et Citron (Honey & Lemon Roasted Duck Breast)
• Mousseline de Pommes de Terre (Potato Mousseline)
• Tomates Confites (Confit Tomatoes)

This cooking class was a lot different from others I've taken in the past. It was high speed. I wonder if their normal classes are fast paced as well. Finding the opportunity to take a photo was tough. But I was able to get some shots here & there.

We started the class by boiling, peeling, and cutting our tomatoes. Afterward, we cut them in quarters and seasoned them with olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme and garlic. These came out wonderful in the end. Definitely something I'd make in my own home. It was easy, simple and delicious. A perfect combination in my eyes.

Next step: Peeling potatoes which I have to say was embarrassing & comical at the same time. I COULD NOT PEEL my potatoes. I barely managed to get a few tiny little slivers of skin off. I'm going  to blame my peeler. I mean I peel potatoes at home with no problem. But not at the Cordon Bleu! lol! I passed my potatoes to Chef R so she could peel them for me. Because again, our class was fast paced. There was no time to wait on a Ms. Can't Peel Potatoes! lol!

Once our potatoes were boiling, Chef Terrien demonstrated how to create the Honey & Lemon sauce that would later be drizzled on the duck. Once he finished, everyone attempted to make their own sauce.

I have to say cooking in a professional kitchen was amazing. The oven worked brilliantly. Food was simmering and boiling within a minute or two. Now in my kitchen it takes a good 10 mins to boil water. I'm looking forward to the day I have my own kitchen with a professional stove top. The difference is night & day. Even with the air conditioning running on high, you could feel the intense heat coming from the stove. My cheeks were blazing hot.

As our Honey & Lemon sauces were cooking Chef Terrien walked around making sure everything looked good. Once my honey was simmering to the proper consistency he came around and added veal stock to the pan. I then added my lemon zest which was another thing I could not get right. Zesting with a regular knife is a little challenging...I need my zester! lol! Or at least give me a smaller knife. Each student had three different knives and they were all huge. I'm sure it was just me...I'm accustomed to working with smaller knives. I feel more in control using a smaller knife plus it feels better in my hands.

Once my sauce was ready, it was time to season, cut & score the fat on my duck. Being this was my first time cooking duck, I was quite surprised how greasy my hands were as I trimmed the excess fat.

I mean I knew duck had a higher fat content but I had no idea how much fat would be released during the cooking process. As the meat cooked, I walked away for a minute or two to wash my hands & when I returned there was a good amount of oil in my pan. I turned to Canadian Grrrl and said, "Did the chef come by and put olive oil in our pans?" She said, "No, that's the grease from your duck!" I was blown away by the amount of fat.

While the duck cooked Chef Terrien showed us how to make Mousseline de Pommes de Terre or commonly known as Mashed Potatoes. lol! Leave it to the French to develop a very labor intensive method for creating mashed potatoes. Chef Terrien showed us two ways to cook Mousseline de Pommes de Terre. The first method used a food mill to mash the potatoes to a beautiful fluffy consistency.

Now the second technique Chef Terrien demonstrated was the method he uses at home. He used a tamis (also known as a drum sieve) to scrape the potato in a horizontal motion.

I'm not sure how the Chef was able to strain the hot potatoes without even flinching one bit. Once all the potatoes were strained we whipped them with butter and seasoned them with a bit of salt & pepper. Don't get me wrong the potatoes were absolutely fantastic... light & fluffy but for the amount of work that went into making them I think I'll stick to my hand mixer.

The ducks were coming along quite nicely. Mine had turned a beautiful golden brown color.

One by one Chef Terrien effortlessly sliced each duck while they were steaming hot. I'd be surprised if the man has any ridge impressions on his fingertips. I have a feeling he's burned them all off. lol!

Once everything was set we sat down and ate our lunch. Eating the duck & potatoes we'd actually cooked was very gratifying. Everything was simply amazing.

As we finished our meals, we were presented with a Cordon Bleu class certificate. We also got to keep our aprons and a dish towel with the name & location of the school which I was really happy about.

Walking to the main floor, you'll see several photos of Julia Child at the Cordon Bleu. There was a great vibe to the school as students rushed around carrying elaborate desserts down the staircase. I saw others carrying plastic food containers... little doggie bags with delicious take home treats. As I watched the students go by all I could think about was how intense the program must be. But also how amazing it must be to have friends that are in the same industry & share your passion for cooking.

After we left Le Cordon Bleu, we stopped by E. Dehillerin. I would have preferred to try out some of the cookware shops David Lebovitz  recently wrote about but most of the girls had never been so we had to make a stop.

I love how E. Dehillerin looks like the backroom of a warehouse... dark & musty with pans still wrapped in plastic and old wooden bins with various kitchen gadgets. It's as if they could care less about presentation it's more about the quality of the items they sell.

The staff is an interesting bunch. Sometimes they're friendly and other times they could care less about helping you. I'm always on my best behavior when I go and I research prices by myself. Why bother them?

As I was looking at graters, Mr. Split Personality walked by talking & cursing to himself about how some people recognized him from a review on TripAdvisor. It was as if he were behaving like an irritated & spoiled movie star who had just been spotted by a couple of fans. The man was not happy! I just kept looking at the selection of graters trying to avoid him but once he noticed me he completely changed & was super sweet to me making small talk about my camera. Later I found out the people who recognized him were two girls from my group.  

Now besides Mr. Split Personality most of the employees working at E. Dehillerin are old, cranky men but they seem to have hired two young and may I add very flirty men to their staff.  After paying for my things (small Eiffel tower cookie cutter and a dough scraper) Mr. Green Eyes wrapped by things and with some serious eye contact said, "Ciao" to me. He must have thought I was Italian. So I gave him my best "Ciao" in return and left. The shop was crowded & hot so I decided to wait for the girls outside. Suddenly I turned around and who's there... Mr. Green Eyes. He introduced himself and started asking the normal questions where are you from, how long will you be in Paris, blah, blah, blah. He was being quite charming & saying funny things like "I prefer only to go out with girls from Southern California." As I was getting ready to join the other girls, he asked me if I was married and I said, "Yes" to which he replied with a big smile, "Well.. I don't mind sharing." I walked away laughing... Ah.. the French men. lol!

Later in the day we stopped at another cookware shop where I picked up a really nice silicone muffin pan. Right next to the kitchen shop was a boutique selling the most wonderful soaps from Marseilles, France. I picked up a few bars for myself and as gift. As I walked pass the table my purse hit a metal caddy with four glass containers... Crash!! Everything fell on the floor and broke! My first thought was... "Oh my god, she's going to make me pay for that. How much will I have to pay?" I'm not sure if the woman behind the counter was the salesperson or the owner but she was completely irritated & kicked the glass under the table and continued to help my friend. I felt horrible! So I picked up a few more bars of soap praying she wouldn't ask me to pay for the damage. I remember when we were in Chamonix, C was trying to decide which lollipop he wanted when he suddenly let one fall on the floor... Guess which one we had to buy? That's right, the broken lollipop. We walked out of that shop with Lil' C crying and 10 Euros less in our pockets. But I got real lucky and she didn't make me pay. S thinks that she probably let me go considering all the soap the girls & I purchased.

We ended the day near a little café where we talked, laughed, and shared a bottle of wine.

The drive home was long. Poor Chef R had to endure the Friday night Paris traffic but she handled it like a pro. Driving a Suburban in Paris is like driving a big rig in the city. When she wanted to move into another lane there wasn't anyone stopping her. lol! It was quite comical. I got home after midnight exhausted but excited about the incredible experience I'd just had.

Not another pottery shop...

S is a very organized type of guy which I love. He likes his routine and part of that routine is being able to relax the day before he goes back to work. Me on the other hand, I'm the exact opposite. When I was working and we traveled, it wouldn't bother me one bit to get home late at night. I didn't really need that down time. I preferred to use that time to see things before I had to fly or drive home. But I can completely understand S's perspective and having this routine is just who he is. But when you have a partner who is the opposite things don't always work out as planned.

On our last day in the Alsace region the plan was to make a quick stop in Kayersberg. The day before I spotted a shop with a window full of traditional Springerle cookie molds of all sizes, shapes, and designs. I'd never seen a store with so many molds and since I collect them I really wanted to buy a couple before heading back home. What initially was supposed to be a quick stop turned into something much more complicated. You see there was this bridge I wanted to see and then there were more pottery shops, and... Need I say more.

Before we left Kayersberg, we let Lil' C have some playtime. He'd been wanting to ride his scooter but riding on cobble stone roads isn't much fun. Near the parking lot was a playground as well as some basketball courts so C got to ride his scooter.

As S was setting the GPS to take us home I told him about a shop in Strasbourg that sold antique armories that I was really hoping to visit. I mean we were already so close by why not just make a quick stop. Luckily, S loves antique armories so I had a feeling he'd be interested in going. And he was. But once we found the shop it was closed. ;(

So once again the GPS was set to go home. But I was really hoping to buy a few more pieces of pottery. Sure I could have bought it right there in Strasbourg but wasn't Soufflenheim (where they actually make all the pottery) close by? Since I'm married to the best guy ever and he loves me dearly he did a time calculation from Soufflenheim to our home and it was no longer than if we went straight home from Strasbourg. So off we went to Soufflenheim for more pottery.

Soufflenheim was a pottery lovers dream. All types of beautiful Alsatian pottery. The prices were slightly lower than what they were in Strasbourg and some of the other little towns we'd visited but the selection in Soufflenheim was fabulous.

Now I can shop for hours. I like to take my time and look at everything. I don't like to feel rushed or pressured which probably explains why I normally go shopping by myself. Few people can hang with me. lol!

But while I was in Soufflenheim I was very focused. I was in and out of shops in a flash. But C had had enough. At one point he told S, "Daddy, please don't let Mommy go into another shop." lol! Thank goodness I was almost done. Here are some of the lovely pieces that made it home with me.

By the time we left Soufflenheim it was 5 in the evening which wasn't too bad... S would still have some free time once we got home.

Unfortunately, we had another little detour on the way home... a flat tire. No problem we thought we'll just call our road assistance program. But we soon discovered that our travel policy had expired and even if it were current they couldn't help us since they can not provide assistance on France's toll roads. The representative recommended calling the emergency number but he wasn't sure how quickly we'd be helped since it was Easter weekend. I've seen how long it takes for an emergency vehicle to arrive at the scene of an accident and considering this wasn't an emergency AND it was a holiday weekend we'd be on the autoroute forever! So S got to work and changed the tire himself. 

Driving home was painful. It took forrrevvvver to get home - No one drives 55 mph here except of course if you're driving with a little donut. So what time did we get home? After midnight.

Easter Sunday in Alsace, France

Being away on Easter meant Lil' C had lots of questions regarding the Easter Bunny like... Will the Easter Bunny be able to find us? Will he leave a basket at home or at our hotel? What about eggs... will the Easter Bunny hid eggs? I told C the Easter Bunny would definitely find him but just in case he couldn't find us in France I was sure he'd leave his goodies in our home in Belgium. Apparently, the Easter Bunny is quite clever and used his magical map to find us. So on Easter morning, C woke up & found a bag of goodies as well as dozens of eggs hidden throughout our apartment.

As we left the apartment that morning we found a wine basket at our doorstep filled with candy & a chocolate bunny for Lil' C. No doubt it was from the Klur family. It was a very sweet gesture, one that we appreciated a great deal.

Since it was Easter Sunday, I was a bit concerned about business' being closed. I mean this is Europe... it doesn't have to be a religious holiday for shops to close on Sundays. We decided we'd have better luck visiting a large city rather than a small village- so off we went to explore Colmar.

When we arrived the city was bustling. There was a small Easter market near one of the churches where you could buy beautifully decorated Easter eggs, chocolates, flowers, and all sorts of wonderful treats to eat.

As we made our way to the Musée d’Unterlinden museum we found La Maison de Tetes.

This historical building dates back to the 17th century. You'll find over a hundred different ornate faces on the facade.

 

C absolutely loved visiting the Musée d’Unterlinden but it wasn't the art that captivated him... no, it was the audio tour. Finding a number to one of the paintings or sculptures was like finding a little treasure. He'd quickly type the information into his audio guide and listen intently. It was really cute.

Before leaving Colmar we stopped for lunch and off we went to seek out another small town. I have to admit after a while these little towns all begin to look so similar. But if you look closely they each have their own individual charm.

Eguisheim is a really tiny town but oh so cute.

The architecture is so pretty. I loved wondering through the tiny streets not knowing what you'd find... art galleries, restaurants, and small little shops tucked selling cheese. 

Despite all the wine shops in Eguisheim we didn't buy any wine - not even one bottle.

S has turned into a slight wine snob and prefers to drink red wines. I suppose our trip to Tuscany really spoiled him. Me on the other hand I enjoy them all - red, white, rose. I suppose my palette is not as sophisticated as his. lol! I enjoy teasing S about it.

One of the things I loved taking photos of were the shop signs. They were so pretty.

In the main square there was a beautiful church with the most vivid paintings.

Before we left we had some ice cream and then it was off to our next town... Kayersberg. We arrived in Kayersberg just in time to visit a couple of shops before they closed.

We also got to see the small castle nestled in the Kayersberg hills. The rest of the time was spent walking around the vineyards, eating, and window shopping. Fun stuff.

Route des Vin d'Alsace

I wish I could tell you the drive from Strasbourg to Katzenthal was truly scenic but I honestly don't remember a thing - I fell asleep a few minutes after we left Strasbourg. lol!  But when I did wake up, the route des vin looked beautiful even though the season was just beginning.

Katzenthal, a tiny village in the Alsace region, was very charming - everything I'd hope for.

We rented a cute apartment from the Klur family, who own one of the local wineries. After we settled in, we walked around the village and ate at one of the local restaurants. The food was great as was the bottle of Riesling S & I shared.

The following morning we drove to a quaint little town called Riquewihr. This romantic medieval city is hidden between the Vosges mountains and some of the most famous vineyards in Alsace.

Riquewihr gushes with charm as you stroll down the cobblestone streets lined with original half-timbered houses decorated with flowered window boxes.

The town looked especially festive with all the Easter decorations too.

Throughout our trip we came across dozens of bakeries that sold traditional Kugelhopf along with freshly made macaroons of all flavors. S was partial to the pistachio and I loved the traditional coconut flavor.

Historically, the ownership of the Alsace region switched back & forth from France to Germany many times. It wasn't until after World War II that this region was officially returned to France. Due to its geographical location the Alsace's culture & history is an interesting mix of French & German. It's impossible not to feel the strong Germanic influence. For me this influence came across in the architecture, food, and wine as well as the blue salted pottery that can be commonly found in Germany.

I found my favorite pottery shop in Riquewihr. The selection was amazing - Kugelhopf molds, plates, cups, bowls, tureens, pitchers and the prices seem pretty reasonable considering everything is made by hand. Being that I love hearts, I immediately gravitated towards a natural stoneware with a heart motif. I bought a couple of bowls, a mini pitcher, and a ceramic heart. The shop also carried the traditional Alsatian patterns which are really beautiful - bright colors with floral designs.

After walking around a bit, S reminded me it was pass noon and suggested we have lunch. Considering the freshly baked pretzel and half a bag of macaroons I ate earlier I wasn't super hungry but S didn't need to twist my arm and have a bite to eat at a little family owned cafe. C & I shared the quiche Lorraine was delicious!

Once we left Riquewihr, we made our way to the Beauville linen shop near Ribeauvillé. Beauville is known for their sophisticated silk screening process of up to 20 different colors printed on the silky cotton yarns - all done by hand. The workmanship is a work of art. I'd heard & read lots of wonderful things about their linens so off we went.

The shop carries a broad selection of gorgeous linens from extremely elegant to fabulously casual.

Overwhelmed with the selection of patterns and steep prices - despite the 20% sale - I aimlessly walked around the shop for about 30 mins before seriously considering which pattern I really liked.

Watching crowds of people purchasing 200€ plus tablecloths like they were a few Euros was a little surprising for me. BUT I admit these linens are gorgeous and very french. We were in the Beauville shop for nearly two hours before I could decide what I wanted. Poor C was nearly in tears he wanted to leave so badly. I think I may have scarred him for life - he may never enter a linen shop again without having flashbacks of our time in Beauville. lol! But I didn't want to make a hasty decision and I'm so glad I took my time because I am so happy with my purchases.

After our shopping excursion C needed some fresh air and a little fun. So we made our way to the Le Château du Haut-Koenigsbourg.

The Château sits 757 metres above the Alsace plain and dates back to the 12 century. We all had a great time exploring the castle.

Despite the light drizzle, we still found the panoramic view of the Vosges mountains and Black Forest breathtaking.

I think C's favorite part of visiting the Château was jumping and walking around with the umbrella as well as hiding from us in the fog. He's very low maintenance. ;)

Strasbourg :: La Petite France

Over the Easter weekend, we drove to the Alsace region. It's a great trip for a long weekend.

On the drive down we stopped in Strasbourg to see the Cathedral which is an incredible sight.

We spent a few hours walking around the city and enjoying the good weather. Strasbourg is a lovely city - a mix of French & German culture. The historic homes along the canal definitely remind me of Germany.

My favorite part of the day was visiting La Petite France. It's an incredible charming area with canals, amazing half-timbered homes, and cobbled stone walkways.

While walking to the area we saw a waterboat passing through a lock and C was fascinated to see how this worked.

Before leaving we stopped at a cafe in front of the Cathedral and had a hot drink while C enjoyed an ice cream. 

Strasbourg is definitely a city I'd love to explore a bit more. Maybe during the winter. I hear their Christmas market is just amazing.

Euro Disneyland :: Paris

Somewhere between your teenage years and adulthood an adversity to amusement parks begins to development. I know so many people who don't enjoy amusement parks or at least the fast, scary rides... you know the ones... with the health advisory signs and where you pretty much scream throughout the entire ride. lol! Yeah... well, those are my favorite rides! lol!

So when I received notice about a trip to Disney I just knew we had to go. I also knew C would love to go. Plus, it would be a great outing while on Spring break. I invited my girlfriend from South Africa to go and she brought another friend. We had the best time!

C knows South Africa Grrrl's children well since they've been in a few sport classes together & they all go to the same ski school in Germany. My South Africa Grrrl is awesome... she's funny, easy going, and loves to chat. Which is why I was so upset when she told me they were moving back to the US. :( So many of my friends that I truly enjoy spending time with are leaving this summer. And the ONLY reason I haven't gone into a deep state of depression is that I knew South Africa & Greek Grrrl WEREN'T moving. This was horrible news to receive at 6 in the morning!

The kids had a blast on the bus... talking, playing with their stuffed animals, eating, and playing computer games.

Of course, the park was crowded but we made the best of it. The kids waited patiently as we made our way through those crazy queues. As the day went on, the lines actually appeared shorter which was great.

The past two years we've gone to EuroDisney, we didn't leave Fantasyland and it was perfect for C. But now that he's a big boy we've transitioned from Fantasyland and C was ready to experience a little more excitement.

This photo was taken on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride just as the boat is going up a hill. You can just see how excited C is! lol!

Of all the new rides C rode, he really enjoyed Star Wars, Big Thunder Mountain (he screamed the entire time) and the Haunted House.

The ride home seem to go a lot quicker than it did earlier in the day and even though the kids were tired no one slept. While the Moms talked the kids sent each other messages on their DS computer games. They were being super silly and playing with this Minnie Mouse veil too. It was really funny.

We had a lot of fun that day! And now that C got his first taste of a real roller coaster I hope he's on his way to becoming a little thrill seeker just like his Mommy. ;)

Another visit to Le Creuset

Yesterday Numeracy Grrrl & I took a trip to the Le Creuset outlet. I wasn't too thrilled about having to drive all the way back to France to exchange my Dutch oven but the small indentation on the handle was worrying me. Would it eventually lead to a chip? And since these dutch ovens come with a hefty price tag I felt even more compelled to exchange it and I needed to do it fast. The outlet has a limited supply so I was taking my chances. Which surprises me a bit since the factory is right behind the store. You'd think it would be easy for them to just make a quick call and get another one piece. But then again if I remember the Le Creuset tour I took a few years back I suppose it's understandable.

The Le Creuset outlet is in a small little french town called Fresnoy-Le-Grand; the area looks very similar to Northern Belgium. It's a tiny shop but the selection of cookware is pretty good if you're not particular about the color. The outlet carries a range of colors like the popular Cerise, Matte Onyx, Azure, Flame, Dune, Black, and the new Terre. I also spotted a few pieces in purple. Along with the cookware, the outlet also carries stoneware casseroles and baking dishes.

Luckily, I was able to exchange my dutch oven. At first I thought I'd have to choose another color since they didn't have any more cerise in the back room but there were two on the shelves so I snagged one. I also bought two silicone loaf pans. Slowly, I'm transitioning all my baking pans to silicone which I find so much easier to cook with. And on the way home we stopped at La Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Cateau for lunch and still had some time for a quick trip to Auchan to pick up some of my favorite yogurt, Sel d'Guerande & Fleur de Sel.

For those interested in visiting the Le Creuset Outlet here is the address & hours as of today's date:

Rue Olivier Deguise, 02230 Fresnoy-Le-Grand, France.    Tel 03.23.06.22.45

Hours: Closed Monday & Sunday. Tuesday-Saturday 10-12:30 & 2:15-6:30

My South African girlfriend asked me to jot down the prices for some of the Dutch ovens so in case you're interested here is the information. The sizes in the outlet shop are in centimeters and online Le Creuset also listed the sizes in liters. A few of the pots had the American measurements on the lid while others did not so I did my best with the conversion. They measurements may be slightly off but you'll get the general idea.

Prices for Oval & Round Dutch Ovens (as of 23 March 2010) :

• 10cm (.30L or 5/16 qt) - 27.90€
• 14cm (.90L or 15/16qt) - 49.70€
• 16cm (1.30L or 1 1/4qt) - 58.10€
• 18cm (1.80L or 1.9qt) - 65.10€
• 20cm (2.4L or 2 3/4qt) - 83.30€
• 23cm (2.6L or 2.75qt) - 83.30€
• 25cm (3.2L or 3.38qt) - 90.38€
• 27cm (4.10L or 4 1/2qt) - 115.50€
• 29cm (4.7L or 5qt) - 132.30€
• 31cm (6.3L or 6 3/4qt) - 153.30€
• 33cm (7.5L or 7.9qt) - 174.30€
• 35cm (8.9L or 9 1/2qt) - 188.30€
• 40cm (14.8L or 15 1/2qt) - 251.30€

Baking (Cast Iron) Pans

• Large Rectangular Baker - 93.10€
• Small Rectangular Baker - 62.30€
• 9 3/4 inch Tarte Tatin Pan - 43.40€             

A Le Creuset Detour

Blogging about my Egypt trip has been wonderful. Love remembering all the little details that made that trip so incredible. But at the same time, I'm exhausted. I feel like I'm writing a book. lol! But it's my own doing. Only through my writing and photographs can I keep my memories alive. So the Egypt posts will continue. But in the mean time, I'd like to take a break and talk about the trip I took today to Le Creuset.

I've been itching to visit the Le Creuset factory ever since I went three years ago. That was a memorable tour - shopping AND a fire show. lol! Unfortunately, they no longer do tours (wonder why) but their inventory is much better. I was really happy to see they had a good variety of cocottes so with a Williams-Sonoma price list in hand I started to do some comparison shopping and I found some great deals.

I fell in love with these black onyx cocottes. For the amount of cooking I do these are a perfect size. I'm really loving the matte black finish too - serious, professional cookware. It yells out to me... "I'm not concerned about looking pretty. I'm here to cook." Reminds me of Staub cookware... which I've been coveting for a while now.

As much as I love the black onyx I couldn't resist the beautiful cherry red cocotte. I have a huge Calphalon stock pot but because of its size I rarely use it. When I make soups, I use an inexpensive pot that was the perfect size but the uneven bottom was horrible. So when C asked me if I had a cauldron he could use to make his special potions it was the kick I needed to get rid of it. So this cocotte will be a great replacement. Although just as I was photographing it, I noticed it has a small imperfection in the handle. ;( I wish I was the type of person who didn't care about these little things but it bothers me. So now I'm torn... do I make the long drive to exchange it in hopes they have another one or do I keep the original one?

This little tarte tatin pan was a last minute purchase. I've never made a tarte tan in my life! lol! I loved the size of the pan and those handles are so functional. Perfect for the oven to the table top.  Can't you just picture it with a golden, delicious frittata inside? Or who knows maybe I'll learn how to make a french tarte tatin. The color in the photo doesn't do it justice. At the top its a light cocoa color and gradually becomes a chocolate brown. Very pretty. 

On the way back, we stopped a charming little restaurant called La Brasserie de l'Abbaye du Cateau.

On the outside it doesn't look like anything special but inside it was so cozy with brick walls and hops hanging from the ceiling.

Very cool atmosphere.

And look... toilet paper in my favorite color, Pink. ;)

The food at l'Abbaye du Cateau was fabulous too. Greek Grrrl & I  had these delicious sodas... I had the violette while Greek Grrrl ordered the apple rhubarb soda. Blonde K and Madrid Grrrl ordered the Vivat beer. 

I ordered the Flamekuechen (similar to pizza except with a matzoh thin crust) with lardons, crème fraîche, oignons, and fromage râpe. It was delicious.

Before leaving the restaurant, I bought two bottles of the Abbaye's beer along with some violette & orange-granadine soda. I'm sure C is going to love them both.

Celebrating Julia Child's Life in France

Roo de Loo, the street where Julia & Paul lived while in Paris.

This month my book club read "My Life in France" by Julia Child. I picked up the book about a year and a half ago and for what ever reason I never finished reading it. So when Baking Grrrl, recommended the book I was excited to start reading it again. And this time... I fell in love with the book. This beautifully written memoir read more like a love story.

Through Julia's words you slowly see how she falls madly in love with France... it's food, the people, and their culture. I truly enjoyed reading "My Life in France" and didn't want the story to end. The book also describes moments of her loving relationship with her husband along with bits from Paul's journal & letters to his brother. I loved that Julia married later in life which for her time was such a rare thing. Julia discovered her passion for cooking at a late age as well which I found very inspiring. And what I loved most about Julia was how committed she was to learning how to cook traditional French foods.

The France that Julia knew is quite different then the France I've experienced. Not that it's bad because it's not... just different. France is absolutely beautiful & I'm completely fascinated every time we visit Paris. But I can only imagine what France must have been like in Julia's time. World War II had just ended so French people viewed Americans differently than they do today. And I'm sure not many people in Paris spoke English like they do today nor were there as many tourists and Americans living abroad. Oh, how wonderful would it have been to see the France that Julia fell in love with. Sigh. ;)

Since we live so close to France my bookclub thought what better way to celebrate Julia's book than to visit the city she loved so much... Paris! There were three things I wanted to do while in Paris: see her apartment on 81 Rue de l'Universite', eat fabulous French food, and visit E. Dehillerin (Julia's favorite cooking store). And maybe visit one of the Mariage Freres tea shops if we had time.

Researching which restaurant we would dine at proved to be a challenging task. Since Julia & her husband loved to dine at 2 star Michelin rated restaurants I began doing research on restaurants that met that criteria. I found lots of great articles on various Michelin rated restaurants along with restaurant recommendations from different travel forums.  Some of the things I noticed about these Michelin rated restaurants were that they classified themselves as Haute not Traditional French cooking and many weren't open on the weekends. As I continued my research, I found an interesting article by Gourmet magazine about restaurants in Paris that refused to change their decor, style, or menu. With these restaurants it was all about traditional French cooking. Reading this article made me think... "If Julia were in Paris today where would she dine?" I had a feeling a haute restaurant with crystal chandeliers & enough artwork that made you feel like you were at the Louve was not exactly Julia's perference. Now... a little brasserie tucked into a neighborhood where only locals dined was more along her style. Julia was all about eating good food and didn't really care about fancy, shmancy restaurants. So I put all my efforts into finding the perfect little brasserie. I finally chose the first restaurant mentioned in the Gourmet article, l'Ambassade d'Auvergne. I was a bit worried though... would my friends enjoy the lunch.. would the food be as good as I was hoping?

When we arrived in Paris our first stop was 81 Rue de l'Universite' or as Julia like to call it...Roo De Loo, Julia & Paul's apartment. It's a beautiful building tucked away in the 7th Arrondissement, a block away from the Seine. My friends & I would have loved to see the inside of her apartment but seeing that people actually lived there it was out of the question.

Julia & Paul occupied the 2nd & 3rd floor of this apartment building (left corner).

A little cafe right next to the building where Julia & Paul lived.

After we took some pictures we went to Les Deux Magots for some coffee.

    

     

Photos courtesy of Greek Grrrl

Being that our reservation was at 1pm I didn't want to eat too much so Greek Grrrl & I split an order of Brioche toast which was delicious.

 

Photo courtesy of Greek Grrrl

As we sat outside eating & drinking it was fun to take some time out and people watch. I couldn't believe the number of men wearing purple & pink dress shirts. I guess when we saw all those purple clothes at the Bologna flea market last spring it should have been a sign of things to come in the fashion world. I wanted to whip out my camera and do an episode of "On the Street" like Bill Cunningham does in NYC except I'd be tracking the Parisians. Now that would be a fun job. As we left the restaurant I spotted another man wearing a raspberry colored v-neck sweater. It looked gorgeous on him. And these men weren't feminine looking at all but they wore the colors fabulously. Note to self: buy S a raspberry sweater. ;)

Blonde K, our awesome Parisian navigator lead us to Ladurée a gorgeous little pastry/tea shop from 1862. They're quite famous for their macaroons, two small round cakes with a ganache filling. Every season they create a new flavour.

All Ladurée Photos courtesy of Greek Grrrl

Since the shop was really crowded & I'm not particularly crazy about macaroons I waited outside but after seeing these beautiful photos Greek grrrl took I was sorry I didn't go in. These little cakes are to die for.

We then made our way to l'Ambassade d'Auvergne for lunch.

 

Photo courtesy of Greek Grrrl

When we got closer to the restaurant we saw the maitre d' outside waiting for us and he greeted us with a smile once we told him we had a reservation. Inside the restaurant looked exactly like it did online.

I was especially happy when I saw the restaurant filled with what looked like locals. There was not one tourist in site when we arrived. Definitely a good sign.

The maitre d' was a sweet little man with a great sense of humor. He definitely made my lunch experience memorable. 

Before we began eating we all had a glass of wine and I made a toast, "... to Julia, because without her we wouldn't all be here today."

For an entree' I ordered the Carpaccio de Veau d'Aveyron à l'Huile de Noix (Veal Carpaccio with Walnut Oil ) which was good but a bit tough. One of the great things about going to lunch with a big group is that you can try other items on the menu.

For instance, I tried Kiki's Millefeuille d'Aubergines & Chèvre Frais au Miel de Montagne (Aubergine with Fresh Goat Cheese and Honey) which was fantastic!

My friend, the Southern Belle had the Salade Tiède de Lentilles Vertes du Puy (Green Lentils Salad with Bacon) which was incredible! I've never tried lentils before so this was a great introduction. Now I can say I feel in love with lentils in Paris! lol!

As my main meal I had the Cuisses de Canette Rôties, Poires & Figues au Caramel de Marcillac (Roasted Duckling Leg , Pear & Fig with Wine Caramel) which was good but there was no Wow factor. And for dessert most of us ordered the Mousse au Chocolat.

A few of the girls like Blonde K, Baking Grrrl, and Greek Grrrl had the Saucisse de Parlan & Aligot (Country Sausage & Aligot with mashed potatoes and Laguiole cheese, garlic) which l'Ambassade d'Auvergne is known for.

 

I definitely made it a point to try the Aligot and it was quite delicious. But the presentation of the Aligot was even more fun to watch.

Throughout our meal the maitre d' scrutinized our plates to see if we ate everything and if we didn't he joked about not letting us order dessert.

One of the things I loved about the restaurant was that some of the dishes were served family style like the Salade Tiède de Lentilles Vertes du Puy & Mousse au Chocolat. I'm not sure if this is normally done or perhaps it was because we were such a big group. Nevertheless, I loved it.

After we finished our lunch we headed over to Julia's favorite cooking store, E. Dehillerin.

This is a no frills cooking store that has everything imaginable. It's a cook's dream. The store doesn't look like it's changed one bit since it opened back in 1820. When you enter this shop it's a bit dark and there are copper pots lined against the wall for you to choose your favorite.

There are no prices listed on the items instead you have to look at a catalog to find the prices yourself. Of course, the sales people will gladly help but I didn't want to be THAT needy, American who couldn't do things herself.lol!  The aisles are very narrow and a bit dusty but selection of cooking items is impressive. Every imaginable pastry mold and pan you could ever desire along with a wonderful selection of knives, cooking utensils, silicone molds can be found here.

Lined from floor to ceiling are metal & copper containers and the wooden shelves are filled with products stacked not in the most stylishly manner but it really adds to E. Dehillerin's atmosphere.

The sales people work on commission so my guy was quick to grab me and begin listing my items on a receipt. I'm not sure if my friend Kiki knew they worked on commission because when the salesman saw that she was working with another man he yelled, "Why do you ask me questions, when you are working with him!" I told Kiki, "They work on commission here and they take it very seriously." I can understand why when some of the pots are so costly. I was actually quite surprised by how helpful and nice the sales people were considering I read an article several months ago that painted a completely different picture.

One of the items I was hoping to buy was a mini Cocotte by Staub but when I saw them I started to think I needed more than just a mini. I was a bit concerned about lugging around a big, heavy cast iron pot all over Paris. I kept going back & forth - should I get it now or should I wait & buy it when I visit Paris with S. After talking to Kiki I decided to get it. The mini oval pot wasn’t too heavy and was perfect for cooking & serving hot dips. I couldn't find the price in the catalog but I didn't think it would be too far off from the prices I saw online.  When I gave my guy the Cocotte he even had a hard time finding the price so another man went looking for the price in another catalog. Once he found the price he wrote it down on my receipt and gave it to me. When I looked, he wrote 79 Euros and change. Wow, was I wrong? Could this be right? I asked the man who wrote down the figure and he said, "Yes, it's correct. That pan is a very good pan. It is cast iron." When I looked at my notes with all the dollar prices for the various Cocottes I saw that I'd written $75 dollars for the small oval pan yet with the conversion rate I'd be paying $115 American dollars. There was no way I wanted to pay that much but I was a bit hesitant about telling my sales person I didn't want it. But that's a $40 difference... for that I could almost buy 2 Cocottes online. So I gave the pot back to my guy and told him I changed my mind. He was good though and just crossed it off and fluttered his eyes at me. There was no yelling involved so I was a happy girl.

After I paid for my goodies which included a silicone flan & bundt cake pan (with 3 different designs), a little knife to make slits in home-made bread (just 3 Euros...I have no idea when I'll use it but just in case I decide to make my own bread I'll be prepared), and an olive wood spice container.

The guy wrapping my items was a flirt and told me, "You live in Belgium but you don't have a Belgian accent when you speak French."

I told him, "I don't think I have a Belgian accent because I don't speak that much French."

With a big smile he said, "Then you must live in Paris for a few months" 

I said, "Ooooohhh, I would LOVE to live in Paris for a few months."

Speaking with the cutest french accent he says, "But you can not have these American friends. You must get a French boyfriend!"

Jokingly, I told him, "Ok! As long as you find one for me!" lol!

After we left E. Dehillerin, we made our way to Fauchon. There were so many yummy things I wanted to try. Lots of cool spices, olive oils, teas, cookies, and chocolates. But I was good and bought a really cute pink silicone mini canelé pan and 2 bottles of jams (strawberry with rose petals and pineapple coconut).

We still had some time before our train ride home so we made a stop at Mariage Freres, my favorite tea shop.

There are several shops throughout Paris so it was nice to visit a different location. No matter how many times I visit this tea shop I can not get over how pretty it is inside. Walking into the store is like being transported into a different place & time. My favorites teas along with the Mariage Freres description are:

Casablanca: A fine marriage of green tea with Moroccan mint & bergamot flavoured tea. A refreshing surprise. "Play it again"

Chandernagor: A successful blend of spices commemorating a famous French trading post in India–cloves, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and pepper.

Wedding Imperial: A glamorous blend is steeped in the passion that weds the malty power of golden Assam tea leaves to the sweetness of notes of chocolate and caramel.

Noel: Festive tea blend flavoured with mild Christmas spices, including pieces of orange zest & vanilla

As you can tell from my favorite teas I'm definitely a spicy kind of grrrl. The boxes of tea are great when your guests want to try different types of tea plus the tea leaves are beautifully wrapped in muslim. But the loose tea is a bargain compared to the bags. I bought 200 grams of the Wedding Imperial and Noel which will be perfect for the holiday season just a few months away. I also wanted to try a little of the Abricot tea which I think will be great served cold. I bought a gift for one of my girlfriends back home too and the saleman gave me a  sample of the Vivaldi tea. It was a nice surprise!

We left Mariage Freres and a few of the girls stopped by a wine shop and then it was off to the Gare du Nord. 

Overall, my day trip to Paris was exactly how I envisioned. We visited Rue de Loo, ate French food (and even tried a few things I've never eaten before), shopped for cookware and enjoyed many of Paris's gourmet treats. I think it was a great tribute to Julia and her love of France. ;)