Day 160 from France: La Tour

Shaboom writes to us from Paris, France...

It's a sunny day in Paris which definitely lifts the spirits as much as my favorite monuments. And here she is today in all her glory...

Now if someone would just bring me a pain au chocolat and give me a big movie star kiss, this day would be even more perfect than it already is.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 4

Joyeux Dimanche - Georges de La Tour

French 17th Century Baroque artist.

George de La Tour.

St. Joseph

Garlic

"I'm sorry."

(Photo by Karen at French Skinny)

Day 160 from Burbank: I'm craving garlic. Lots and lots of garlic. I'm sorry in advance everyone but I have to have it.

I slip a fresh baguette from it's crispy brown wrapper. This sound makes me instantly happy. I slice a few pieces and warm them in the oven for just a minute. I take a clove of garlic, slice it in half and gently slide the garlic over the warm bread. Then add some butter. The first bite of my warm garlic butter bread is heaven. Then I have my first sip of coffee for the day. Life is good.

Penne for dinner, but to be honest, only as an afterthought. The sauce is what I'm after. 4 cloves of garlic shopped and cooked in a bit of olive oil. I don't have time to make a sauce from scratch so I use a marinara from a jar. ( Quelle horreur!) I add my fresh basil a nice dose of red pepper flakes, some mozzarella to make it cheesy and a little balsamic vinegar.

I have to decide if I want to share this deliciousness. It's hard but I have to do the right thing. I turn around and see the guys sitting at the table waiting. When did that happen? I was too hypnotized by my sauce tasting to notice.

I fall asleep in a garlicky haze and awake at 3am very thirsty. But it's worth it. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Day 159 from France: Dinner Party

Shaboom writes to us from Paris, France...

I love this photo of SexySultry. She hates cooking - it stresses her out, having grown up with a father who is a professional chef. She hates touching food as it totally grosses her out. But, like me, she LOVES to eat!! Yay!

We recently had a little dinner party chez moi and we decided to stage this photo of her cooking to post it on Facebook and shock all our friends. It definitely got a lot of comments!

We ate a delicious dinner of filet mignon wrapped in BACON!! with a yummy mushroom sauce. It was accompanied by a simple salad and shrimp and veggie fettucini. Who doesn't love surf and turf?! I mean COME ON!!

We had double layered white & dark chocolate mousse with a raspberry coulis for dessert. Mmmm...

Oh yeah, don't forget to wipe your feet before entering! (Actually, I make everyone take off their shoes. Old habits die hard. Sorry!)

Gruyere Cheese, Onion and Chives Crepe with Hot Sauce

"Gruyere Cheese, Onion and Chives Crepe with Hot Sauce on the Side"

(Photo by Karen at French Skinny)

I woke up starving this morning. So everyone got crepes. I didn't have any all purpose flower so I used Swan's cake flour instead. Happy accident. I like it better.

I used the basic recipe for my crepe batter

1 cup of flour

2 eggs

1/2 a cup of milk

1/2 a cup of water

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons butter (melted)

Whisk the flour and eggs together. Then, while whisking, slowly add the milk and water. Then add the salt and melted butter. In a lightly oiled crepe pan over medium heat, pour about 1/4 of a cup of crepe batter in the pan and tilt until crepe batter covers the bottom.

I added Gruyere Cheese, Onions and Chives inside. Folded it over and then I added more Gruyere and Chives when I plated it.

Day 158 from France:Security Blanket

Shaboom writes to us from Paris, France...

I never get tired of looking at the Eiffel Tower. It's like when I lived in LA - I always got a secret thrill much like a jolt of electricity every time I saw the Hollywood sign (which I could see from my apartment.)

Here in Paris, I usually see the Eiffel Tower a couple of times a day and if my hands are free (sometimes even if I'm driving and stopped at a light) I snap a picture, rain or shine.

It's an inspiration, a token that today is better than yesterday or at least that tomorrow will be better.

It's a reminder that I came here for a reason even though sometimes it feels like I screwed up my entire life by doing so.

Just looking at this landmark comforts me in those moments when I feel so far away from all the people I love that are still in LA, those moments when I feel all alone in this romantic City of Lights.

In my dreariest moments when I seriously consider getting on the next plane back to California to pick up the fragments of my life in hopes that I can somewhat piece the puzzle back together, I turn a corner and POW! there she is - the Eiffel Tower. That's when I get the warm fuzzies again and I calm down. It's not a hug from Karen or a girls night out with my besties, but it helps me make it to tomorrow.

Savoy Cabbage

Photos by Karen at French Skinny

"Savoy Cabbage."

"It's cute but what to do with it?"

3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

4 Andouille Sausage - sliced and browned

3 Leeks - sauteed with the sausage for 5 minutes.

Then add:

4 Garlic Cloves - sliced

1 head of Savoy Cabbage - thinly sliced

2 cans of white beans - rinsed

8 cups of chicken stock.

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Cook together for one hour.

Spoon a couple ladle fulls into a blender and puree'

This makes it seem a little creamy.

Delicious