Easing into French, Part Deux

When people find out that my father is French most of them assume that that is why/how I speak French.  Not true. My dad spoke to us in English when I was a kid. I learned French by struggling through vacations in France where I understood almost nothing, listening to horribly boring French learning tapes, signing myself up for a French pen pal (remember when you could send away for pen pals from other countries?), four years of high school French, as much French music as I could possibly find, and then another 4 years of University French plus one year of school, 100% in French in Grenoble. It has been a long, difficult journey with lots of work. And any time I am away from France for too long I get frustratingly rusty. This is why (and also because when I don't have French around me I feel like there is a giant gaping hole in my soul) I surround myself as much as possible with French, written, spoken, in song form, however I can get it. If you are hoping to do the same and Easing into French, Part 1 wasn't enough, the resources listed below should do the trick.

Podcasts

I personally am on a never-ending search for French podcasts that are similar to the American podcasts that I am obsessed with. I want to be entertained, learn fun, new bits of info, and laugh out loud. Think Freakonomics, Slate's The Gist, Radiolab. You know what I'm talking about, right? The kind of podcasts that I'm addicted to like trashy TV shows à la Revenge. The kind of podcasts that make me want to have to drive 30 minutes to a meeting just so that I can get caught up on the latest episode of Serial. I want these. I need these. But I can not find these in French. I'm not sure if it is because podcasts just haven't caught on yet in France in the same way they have here (many French podcasts seem to be more like news programs or traditional radio programs or unbearable roundtables of pompous intellectuals), if our style of podcast just doesn't translate in French culture, or if I just don't know where to look. In any case, here are a few that I've found that don't really feed my habit but are worth listening to from time to time. And in case you are interested, I use Stitcher for my podcast listening. There are quite a few good podcast apps that make listening and searching so much easier. I would highly recommend finding one that you like.

Advanced (these are the podcasts I listen to)

Choses à Savoir - 1-3 minute answers to general questions. A good way to learn little tidbits of information that you can bore people with at your next networking event while also brushing up on your French. Topics include fascinating questions like: Why is it tradition to eat turkey at Christmas (before you freak out and yell "THANKSGIVING" at me, remember, this is a French podcast), why is the Peugeot logo a lion, and why does breathing helium change our voice.

Tous les cinémas du monde - For all you film nerds out there. The title is pretty self-explanatory.

Les Technos - Web and tech related news.

Chronique des droits de l'homme - 3 minute human rights stories.

Danse des mots - For all you lit and language nerds out there. This one is probably my favorite.

Je mange donc je suis - How could I resist a podcast with a title that might as well be my personal motto? Pretty sure it should just be plastered across every t-shirt I wear. Or at least a sticker on my laptop. Actually, I didn't really enjoy this podcast at all but couldn't resist listing it just because of the name. So I don't actually recommend this one. Sorry!

Intermediate (good for people with some knowledge of French)

Cultivate your French - Short (2 minute) episodes in French spoken at a reasonable pace with fairly simple vocabulary.

French Voices - In these podcasts there is discussion with a native French speaker around different topics. The nice thing about this one is that you are given vocabulary words that you might not know at the beginning.

Easy French Poetry - Looking to up your culture game while improving your French? This is the podcast for you. Classic French poems read slowly first then at a normal speed.  

Beginner(ish) 

French Blabla - Not much immersion here. This podcast is mainly in English with examples in French to illustrate what is being explained.

Survival Phrases - Very short mini courses teaching you useful phrases.

Portable French Coach - Fast French For Busy People - 8 lessons ranging from 10-44 minutes in length

Bonus: The Weekly Baguette - A podcast described as "France through the eyes of two bewildered foreigners". A fun way to stay up-to-date on French current events in English

Conversation Groups

Conversation groups are a great way to practice your French. I belong to one and we meet almost every week at a local wine bar for wine, cheese and French conversation. What more could you ask for? Our group does not have any sort of structure to it though I have been part of groups with set discussion topics to help get the conversation going. Somehow we never seem to have a problem finding something to talk about! If you don't know of any French groups in your area, Meetup.com is a good first place to look. And if you don't find one, then start one yourself. Even if you are a beginner there is no reason that you can't just sit and listen and absorb as much as possible as long as you check with the group organizer first to make sure that is okay. Just be considerate and don't start asking lots of questions (that is what teachers or private tutors are for) or spend the whole time speaking in English. 

YouTube

There are plenty of YouTube channels for learning French that you can find if you do a quick Google search but here are a couple that I love that aren't your standard language learning resources.

French Rescue - French songs with French and English subtitles. You will find classics right alongside some modern songs. Some of the songs you'll find us dancing to and singing along with at our house are: Papaoutai, Alors on danse, Elle me dit

Comme une Française - A fun mix of culture and language.

Audible.fr

Did you know that Audible has a French website too? If you go to Audible.fr instead of Audible.com you can access their entire French audio book library. They might try to take you to Audible.com because they can tell that you are not in France and they think they know what you want better than you do. Don't let them do it! Just click to verify that you do indeed want to go to the website that you went to. I would recommend starting with some easier reads or books geared towards young people such as Le Petit Prince. They have a lot of familiar titles translated into French too.

And that's it! If you've got any other great recommendations that I missed leave them in the comments.

Easing into French, Part 1

Whenever I am planning a trip back to France my favorite way to ease gently into French is by low-pressure immersion. That can be a really difficult thing to do when you don't live in a French speaking country. But in the next two blog posts I will give you a few ways to help surround yourself with as much French as possible.

Watching French TV & Movies

With the internet, we now have access to so much more international content than we did when I was growing up. However, TV can still be difficult. Streaming French TV is basically impossible unless you use a VPN. Here are the ways that I have found to get around that:

Haiti TV Network on Roku (not the most convenient or easiest option but worth checking out)

Adding HTN to your Roku channels gives you access to a lot of odd channels and a fair number of channels that don't work. But there are a few hidden in the mess that make it worthwhile. The ones that I tend to watch are Arte, Gulli (for kids shows), Antenne Réunion, and a couple of 24 hour news channels. Antenne Réunion shows a lot of standard shows that will be familiar to Americans, like the French "The Voice" and "le Meilleur Patissier" (the way better French version of The Great British Baking Show). The only problem with Antenne Réunion is that there is a big time difference (11 hours ahead of Montana time). You can view the schedule of shows for the week here, just remember to account for the time difference.

Side note: It was very helpful twice last year for me to be able to watch French news in real time (with French commentary) to better understand what was going on during the Charlie Hebdo attacks and the more recent attacks in Paris. The French news channels on HTN are the first place I go when there is a major event happening in France.

Netflix     

There are some decent French movies on Netflix as well as a couple of good French TV shows but they aren't always easy to find. It is definitely easier to search on your computer first and add to your watchlist than to search on the Netflix app on your TV. And if you have seen any of the articles recently about searching category IDs I've rounded up a couple of totally random ones related to French. I'll keep adding as I find more.

French Movies: http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/58807

French-Language Military Dramas: http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/337

French-Language Coming of Age Dramas: http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/308

Romantic Movies Starring Juliet Binoche: http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/3564

There are just a few French TV shows on Netflix, including the two listed below:

The Returned (les Revenants) - TV show with one season about dead people coming back to life (not surprisingly it is kind of creepy and suspenseful)

Spiral - French Cop show (also available on Hulu)

There are also some American shows/movies that you can watch dubbed in French with or without subtitles. I am not normally a big fan of dubbing but it does offer a little more choice, plus being able to turn off the subtitles when you want to test yourself is great. Most of the Netflix original shows come out immediately available in French so you can stay up on all of the shows that your friends are talking about while also getting some French practice in. Here are some of the ones I've found:

Grace and Frankie - Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda

Master of None - Aziz Ansari's new show

Chelsea Does (they dubbed over the English while still leaving the English in the background so it can be kind of distracting and annoying on this one) - Brand new show from Chelsea Handler

Making a Murderer (same note on the dubbing) - If you haven't heard of this one just spend 5 minutes on Facebook and you will!

Orange is the New Black - Really, you should know this one too.

River - British detective show

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - Silly comedy created by Tina Fey

Hulu

Hulu actually has a lovely selection of older French movies including many of the classic New Wave movies. They also have just a few TV shows with some overlap with Netflix. One new one that I spotted recently is called Maison Close and is about a brothel in Paris in the late 1800s. Some of my favorite French movies that you will find on Hulu are:

La Haine - I can not believe that it has been 20 years since this dark and thought-provoking film by Mathieu Kassovitz was released. This is one of my all-time favorite movies.

Jules and Jim - A François Truffaut classic from 1962

Au Revoir les Enfants - A moving Louis Malle film about boys at a boarding school in Occupied France during WWII

Cléo from 5 to 7 - Two hours in the life of Cléo, a singer waiting for the results of her medical test to learn whether or not she has cancer.

Breathless - A classic, must-see Jean-Luc Godard film 

The Battle of Algiers - This movie is technically Italian but the story is about the Algerian fight for independence from France. 

Amazon Prime

There are quite a few French movies on Amazon Prime that I have not seen yet. But one that I really enjoyed and would recommend when you're in the mood for some light, fun viewing is Romantics Anonymous. And of course, Amélie!

That should be enough to keep you busy for a little while! I'll be back soon with steps 2 and 3 for easing into French. And of course, if your French is at a level where you are able to read some easier novels, take a look at my post on French mysteries.

Noël in Montana

This year we traded in the "Capitale de Noël" (Strasbourg for those of you not in the know and too embarrassed to ask) for a true winter wonderland at home in Montana. We missed the beautiful twinkling Christmas lights reflecting on cobblestone streets, the marché de noël with its oh-too-tasty, refillable glasses of vin chaud to keep us all warm and happy, the choucroute garnie and pâté lorrain filling our bellies, and the beautiful selection of professionally made bûches de noël in the windows of every pâtisserie, but we (ok - really it was mostly just me) did all that we could to bring as much Noël as possible to our little snowglobe we call Montana.

As you already know, if you read my last post, Noël chez us begins on December 6th with Saint Nicolas. And it officially ended on January 6th with our traditional stuffing ourselves on Galette des Rois in celebration of Epiphany. In between, there was ornament crafting, calendar making, a bûche-off, meat stuffed meat, sparkling rosé, and my first attempt at homemade pâté de campagne, pâté lorrain, and pâte feuilletée. 

I love making ornaments and this year my ornament crafting took the form of a felt embroidered tour eiffel. I had big dreams of making multitudes of these to give to friends and even put on my Etsy store. That dream went the way of many of my other 2015 dreams - smothered to death by the pillow supporting my poor, exhausted, sick head. But it's a new year with all sorts of possibilities! And if I start enthusiastically making them now, lose steam for about 6 months and then pick it up again in late November, I could have a stock pile of at least 5 by next Christmas. I'd better hurry up and buy some more felt. Or...maybe I should make my own felt! I'll just need to learn how to make felt, buy all of the materials to make it, take the time to actually do the making, and then I can start on my ornaments. There go those big dreams again, and for some reason my head is getting so heavy and that pillow looks so nice and fluffy....

I do have to say that I am incredibly proud of my 2016 La France Calendar. It ended up being another overwhelming endeavor, that I was ready to give up on more than a handful of times, and took a village to pull off. And my old friend the internet - NOT a part of that hard working village. In fact all the internet did to help with these beauties was waste two days of my life as it led me on a wild goose chase. I didn't think that it would be so difficult to find a source where I could get nice calendars printed on good quality paper (with my design - not some cheesy template) and then bound with classy wire-o binding (at least I learned that term on my two day internet jaunt)  with a lovely wire hanger in the middle - to up the class factor a couple notches. I was seeing calendars like this sprinkled all over these inhospitable internets yet somehow finding a source where I could have them made ended up feeling like a chasse au dahu.  But in the end, my friend Jessie found a great place to get the calendars printed, my resourceful fisherman bought me a very classic wire-o binding machine off of ebay and after much trial and error the calendars were made and shipped off to family and friends just in time for the new year. And I did have extras printed of these so they, unlike the ornaments, are available on Etsy for anyone who wants a little practical art and French inspiration to adorn their walls!

And now to leave you with something sweet and delicious - the two Bûches de Noël that we made this year for Christmas Day. I normally only make one cake but I was challenged with a cake competition and competition is not something that I can easily pass up. However, what started out as a Bûche-off somehow ended up turning into me competing with me (story of my life) and baking both of the cakes. Since it was a competition, albeit with myself, I was forced to up my game quite a bit. In order to make THE MOST AMAZING Bûche EVER I decided it was finally time to learn how to make meringue mushrooms - scary stuff (turns out they are actually pretty easy but very time consuming). I went with a simple meringue recipe of granulated sugar, egg whites and vanilla. I did not use this Julia Child recipe that is much more complicated but you should totally watch the video because her lack of artistry is hilarious and she is so entertaining.

For the cake itself (both cakes) I used a flourless chocolate roll cake recipe that I love from Smitten Kitchen. If you try this cake just be sure not to overcook it or it becomes very hard to roll without falling apart. And if you've never rolled a jelly roll cake before I recommend watching this short Martha Stewart video. You will be happy you did.

The white cake I filled with a simple cream cheese buttercream frosting made with butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and pieces of candied orange peel. For the outer frosting I used whipped cream and then decorated with the meringue mushrooms and more of the candied orange peels dipped in dark chocolate. The raspberry cake was filled with chocolate whipped cream with a little raspberry jam added for flavor and coated with plain chocolate whipped cream. Then the fisherman (the instigator of the whole competition thing) decorated it with meringue mushroom stems topped with raspberries. They were both beyond delicious. But next year I think I'll stick to one!

Looks like the pâté recipes will have to wait for another day. There was just too much Christmas fun and decadence to squeeze into one blog post!

Le jour de Saint Nicolas - or why you should give your kid a bundle of sticks

Last year, during our unforgettable three week stay in France, we spent a day in Nancy. I can't quite remember exactly what we did in Nancy. Perhaps we did some clothes shopping. Perhaps we bought some Christmas gifts. We definitely ate something delicious, though what it was is a little foggy. What I do remember vividly about that day was the drive (I was about to say "home" because that is how it felt to us) back to Lunéville. It is a short 30 minute drive on the freeway but this time we decided to take the backroads. And on our way we discovered the small town of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port. The town is home to a beautiful basilique honoring, of course, Saint Nicolas and it is said to hold relics of Saint Nicolas brought from Italy. And today there are most likely many, many people there honoring the patron saint of Lorraine.

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Click on any individual image above to see the full version.

We found this place right down the street from the church and it is one of my favorite photos from our trip!

According to Wikipedia (for whatever that's worth) there is some funny history between the residents of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port and the neighboring town right across the river that has nothing to do with St. Nick but is worth a quick read as it involves loudmouths, poop and mean chants!

As with so many things about my France and my French-ish upbringing the custom and story of Saint Nicolas that I thought everyone knew turns out to be more regional. In Lorraine, Saint Nicolas brings his gifts around on December 6th and puts them in your shoes. It's a lot cuter and less stinky when those shoes are traditional wooden sabots but at our house we just make do with what we've got. Here's a lovely chocolate version from one of the stores in Lunéville that I wouldn't mind having right now.

And as with so many of the slightly scary, weird stories that small children in France hear regularly, the story of Saint Nicolas fits right in. There's a whole bunch of kind of boring stuff about him being the protector and helper of those in need (I guess that makes sense then that he would be the guy who goes around and gives us gifts on Christmas). But what I always loved to hear about was "La Légende de Saint Nicolas". It tells the story of how three children, who were lost in the woods, found shelter at a butcher's house, were then of course slaughtered by the butcher and then eventually "saved" by Saint Nicolas. The ending of the story seems to change a little depending on the version that you read. If you are in the mood for a lovely gruesome tale, you can read a version of the whole thing here.

The other part of Saint Nicolas' story that I love is the fact that as he goes around from house to house handing out his gifts of fruit and nuts and candy, carried by his donkey, he is accompanied by the evil butcher (who has repented), known as Père Fouettard. Père Fouettard is there to whip any of the children who have been naughty instead of nice and he brings with him lumps of coal and bundles of sticks for the kids. Some traditions say that every child should receive the sticks in addition to the treats because we are all a little naughty. And I kind of like that way of looking at it if you can take the corporal punishment aspect of it with a grain of salt. I don't believe in or condone spanking or whipping or hitting at all. But why not let your kids know that they aren't perfect, no one is perfect, and that is okay? Perhaps, after growing up in California, one of the things that I most love about French children's stories is the complete lack of P.C.-ness that they all have. It is a refreshing change to not have everything need to be censored and monitored and watered down. 

This year since I haven't been feeling well, I was not as prepared for today as I would have liked. But when my daughter wakes up she will find her oxfords filled with fruit and chocolate and a felt ornament I made to take the place of the sabots de noël.

Oh yeah, she will also find an adorable bundle of sticks, even though she is pretty much perfect!

"What Americans Think French People Look Like" aka my Halloween noncostume

Most years I am a huge fan of Halloween. I really love a good play-on-words costume and usually I spend days trying to think up the perfect one, months ahead of time. This year, not so much. I'm not sure why but I just couldn't get in the mood and get my shit together. I had convinced myself that I was fine with this until my daughter started giving me that super disappointed look that only a teenager can give. That was the moment, at 4pm on October 31st, when I gave in and started frantically pulling things out of my closet. What we finally ended up with can barely be called a costume since I wear all of the items in normal non-Halloween settings quite regularly (just not all together at the same time). But I got plenty of compliments and I am positive that people knew exactly what I was supposed to be.

Because....

cropped black pants + striped shirt + black scarf + beret + any Sartre book = what every American thinks French people look like. 

It just really is. Admit it, you glanced at the photo at the top of this post and thought "she looks so French", right?

I personally have never, ever seen a French person who looks like this (though there is that one girl in that one Goddard movie...oh wait, she's American). But that is how stereotypes work, n'est-ce pas? 

Regardless of all of that, I was so pleased with my caricature of a Frenchie that I couldn't stop myself from walking around the house drinking red wine, insulting everyone's costumes in a really bad French accent and reading particularly existential quotes from "L'existentialisme est un humanisme" (while simultaneously being in awe of the notes that a former version of me, who I can no longer even begin to relate to, had written in French in the margins of the book). I have learned well what Frenchness is supposed to be like. Not from observing French people who act like this, but from witnessing Americans doing their mock impersonations of French people as soon as they find out that I am part French.

Maybe next year my costume will be "What French People Think Americans Look Like". Hmmmm...better start working on that one right away. I probably won't find those clothes in my closet.

Photo credit goes to my daughter who decided to turn the tables on me this year and torture me with the camera that I normally get to hide behind while she humors me.

La rentrée

Even though it still feels like summer is in full swing, back to school time is officially here. And with it comes shopping for one of my favorite things - school supplies! Technically, I am not the one going back to school, but I can never resist purchasing a few extra "work" supplies when I buy the things on my daughter's list.

My true appreciation for a well stocked backpack/locker/desk developed over the years thanks to various visits to France. The kids there (and my mémère) always seemed to have the best writing implements and notebooks and little pencil bags to keep it all organized. It wasn't until my junior of year of college, spent in Grenoble, that I learned how to properly take notes using the shorthand that the French students were using and also using a 4 color pen to make the notes extra clear and neat. And don't even get me started on the wonders of using the French Ruled paper (similar to graph paper). It really helps keep everything neat and tidy. All of it was definitely a dream come true for the type A girl in me!

So in honor of la rentrée (back to school) I have rounded up some of my favorite school supplies that every girl/woman should have, whether going back to school or not. 

1. A cute pencil bag will help keep your pens and pencils all in one place where you can easily find them. These can be useful even in a large purse.

2. Fountain pens are one of the best things ever! Really. You should buy yourself one right now if you don't have one already. I have the red version of this pen and use it for all of my writing. It just makes writing more enjoyable and for me that is totally worth it. 

3. 4 color pens are great for taking notes, or doodling.

4. Rhodia note pads are one of my new favorite things, especially this style that folds over the top. I use mine for my daily to-do lists and also for taking notes in meetings. 

5. Le Petit Prince - just a great, classic book to make you feel like you're back in French class.

6. Because we could all use more stripes in our life, always!

7. Adorable composition books are a must. They are great for work, class, keeping a journal, to-do lists, blogging ideas...In addition to the super cute ones, I always stock up on the 50¢ ones that are in every store right now.

8. Pencils are key for me for taking notes and underlining in books that I'm reading. Yes, I still do this, even though I am not in school anymore. And yes, my daughter calls me a nerd every time she catches me doing it. 

9. Your phone deserves a "back to school" refresh too! I love this simple Bonjour phone case from Garance Doré.

10. I included this one just for fun. And because since I'm not much of a morning person, and neither is my daughter, making mornings more enjoyable is key to a successful school year.

11. These par avion stickers from Rifle Paper Co are just plain pretty. You might have noticed by now that I'm a big fan of all things Rifle Paper Co.

To see more back to school suggestions and French products that I love visit me over on Pinterest! 

Perfect books for your été reading

For an avid reader like me, every season has something to offer when it comes to reasons to read and the perfect types of books for that season. When été (summer) rolls around it always makes me want to grab a light, easy book that fits nicely in my sac to carry to the river or the park. Summer is a time of relaxation and fun, and a chance for your brain to slow down a little. At least that's what I tell myself when I reach for my roman policier. I'm not sure why I always feel a little guilty reading fluffy mysteries (honestly, my all time favorite genre) but I do. So I use summer as an excuse to get my fill. I also try to read as many of these easier books as possible in French because it makes me feel less guilty since I'm still making my brain work a little. They do tend to be written in less dense, less literary French with a more conversational tone which makes them easier to follow without pulling out the dictionnaire every other page. Big, heavy dictionaries are certainly no fun to throw in your beach bag. 

If you're like me and you're looking for some great page turners that won't make your brain hurt, here's a rundown of some of my favorites. Some of them can be found in French, or in English if you prefer, and some of them are in English but take place in France. 

Here are three French language recommendations to get you started:

1) Starting with one of my all time favorites, I highly recommend the Marseille Trilogy by Jean-Claude Izzo. But I am going to warn you right now to have a bottle of Pastis or some good chilled rosé ready before you start reading. These books all take place in Marseille and both of those drinks are consumed regularly throughout the books. I can't read them without desperately craving a glass. These books all feature Fabio Montale, a detective who grew up on the streets of Marseille. The books are a little dark and gritty and really give you a feel for the town and the people who live there. Below are the French versions of the three books in order. If you are looking for these books in English, the first one is called Total Chaos instead of Total Khéops. These can all be found on Amazon in French or English. Click on the photo to find them on Amazon.

2) Next on my list is a book I read this year that takes place in the USA but is written originally in French. It is a long book (700 pages) and it did take me awhile to get into the book. However, I am glad I stuck with it because by the final third of the book I could not put it down. I had work to do, a daughter to take care of, a house to clean...didn't matter. I had to finish the book. The twists and turns just kept coming, page after page and by that point I was so invested in the characters that I was ready to go along for the ride. Might be a good vacation read if you are planning lots of pool time or beach time or airplane time. The book is La verite sur l'affaire Harry Quebert by Joël Dicker in English, The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair.

3) If you're more of a classics kind of reader and looking for a writer who has tons and tons of books, try any of the Inspector Maigret Mysteries by Georges Simenon. They are usually pretty quick reads and I find them entertaining. They are more psychological in nature and the main character, Maigret, is really quite a character.

For those of you looking to escape to France (or French Canada) without having to actually read in French, here are three authors to try with many books in each of their series:

1) The Aimée Leduc series by Cara Black takes place in Paris with each book in the series focusing on a different quartier. I have only read the first two. Something about the writing blocks me from really feeling like I am transported to Paris when I read these books but I can't put my finger on exactly what it is that makes me feel that way. They are however entertaining and full of interesting history and characters. 

2) The Bruno, Chief of Police series by Martin Walker takes place in the Pèrigord region of France. I have only read the first book in the series and will need to read more before I can decide how I feel about them, though I was not terribly attached to the main character. The setting of these books is very different from the Paris of the Aimée Leduc series with an emphasis on small town French life which is always fun to visit, even just in your mind!

3) I have to add this series in because I like it so much even though it is not technically French. The Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny takes place in Quebec and does make references to French language throughout the books which I really enjoy. There is also quite a bit of background and history on the struggles between French and English speaking Canada that I found very interesting. The main reason I love these books is because of the heavy emphasis in each case on the psychology of people and human nature. If you like really diving into the why behind what people do, you will like these books. 

Final little note: In my sac right now I have Bien connu des services de police by Dominique Manotti. A folio policier that I picked up in the librairie in Lunéville the last time we were there. I just started it and will let you know how it is once I'm done. Then next on my list after that is la Fille du train by Paula Hawkins. Also looking forward to reading the Claude Izner series.

Have any good recommendations to add? Please leave a comment and tell me your favorite summer mysteries!

Mathilde's Champagne Sorbet or how to impress your friends with the easiest dessert ever

My mémère grew up in a different time, where most women left their jobs when they got married and stayed at home to cook and clean and raise children. That is what she did, plus some. This tiny, feisty woman never seemed to sleep and never stopped moving. When I would stay with my grandparents when I was younger, by the time I got up she had already walked to the boulangerie to get fresh baguettes for my breakfast, ironed all of the clothes (including underwear) that she had washed the day before, started making the vegetables for lunch...and so much more that I don't even know about. As you can imagine, holidays were always amazing. She would bring out course after course of food, followed by homemade tarts (with her homemade puff pastry crust), delicious cheeses, and if I was lucky, my all time favorite, homemade Champagne Sorbet.

I would love to say that I am just like my grandmother, but let's be honest, I'm more like the super busy, easily distracted, kind of lazy (maybe lazy isn't the right word. I just really like to make things easier for myself instead of harder!) American version of her. But she is a smart woman, and I have come to realize that some of the things that she made that were so impressive are actually pretty simple, like her Champagne Sorbet. Really, you are going to be amazed when you make this. It will impressive the chaussettes right off your friends or guests and make you look like a French dessert making genius, while in reality it took a total of 4 ingredients and about 15 minutes of prep followed by half a day of freezer time. I can say this with complete confidence because I just recently hosted a quatorze juillet party for the people in my French conversation group and they were all blown away by the sorbet. The key to making it look really good is to serve it up in a fancy wine glass or champagne coupe with some sort of garnish. I like to make mine out of sparkling rosé because #1. I love rosé and #2. it gives the sorbet a lovely pink hue. The only difficult part about making this dessert is planning ahead and giving it enough time to freeze (half a day should be plenty). So, are you ready to give it a try?

You can make this without an ice cream maker but I would recommend just getting one. They are not very expensive and make life so much easier. I got the one I have from Amazon and you can check it out here using my affiliate link. 

 

Mathilde's Champagne Sorbet

What you will need:

• 2.5 cups of Champagne or sparkling wine 
• 1.25 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• juice from 1 lemon

In a small sauce pan, mix 1.5 cups of the bubbly with the water and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let cool and then add the rest of the champagne and the lemon juice. Cool this mixture in the fridge and then just follow your ice cream maker's instructions to make the sorbet. Take it out of the ice cream maker and put it in the freezer overnight or for about 5 hours. Because of the alcohol it can take a little longer to freeze up and will look somewhat slushy at the beginning. Just give it time in the freezer, taking it out every couple of hours to mix it up. If you do not have an ice cream maker I believe that you can freeze the mixture by putting it in a shallow pan and stirring every half hour or so to break up the ice. I've also read that you can you blend it up once it's frozen which would be even easier.

Note: For a recipe like this measurements do not need to be exact. I like to taste my mixture before churning it to see if it is sweet enough, tart enough, and champagne-y enough. Also, don't worry about using expensive champagne for this. I used a $10 bottle of sparkling rosé from our local wine and cheese shop and the sorbet was delicious! And you can always make a Kir Royale (one of my favorite ways to drink cheap bubbly) out of the little bit that is left over with some crème de cassis. 

Moitié Mirabelle French Spotify Playlist

Cliché as it may be, my memories of Paris are all accompanied by a soundtrack of a melancholy accordion drifting through the tunnels in the Metro playing Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel or Aznavour. Rarely have I ever actually seen the owner of the accordion, the one playing the music, but a trip to Paris just isn't complete without the echoing sound of those far off notes. 

As I mentioned in my last post, music just like food and smells can transport me back to France instantly. But more than that my favorite French music just makes me feel warm and good all over. I love listening to French music when I'm cooking dinner, sipping a nice glass of wine. It is my idea of the perfect relaxing evening and it is a great way to be surrounded by the language in a more subtle fashion than reading a French book or watching a movie.

I have amassed quite a collection of French music over the years but honestly, most of the time I just can't be bothered by all of my CDs. These days I typically turn to some sort of streaming service like Spotify or Pandora. The problem that I have with these is that it can be hard to find a good station with the French music that I love. And going the route of traditional French radio stations doesn't work either because they tend to play too much American pop for my taste.

My solution: I finally got off my lazy fesses (bum) and started creating some French playlists of my own. If you are like me and have been searching for some great French tunes to help you relax, to fill your nostalgic void, or even to play at your 14 juillet party this year, try out my Moitié Mirabelle Home Grooves playlist on Spotify. It's a collection of many of my favorite mellow songs that I'm sure I will continue adding to. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Give it a listen and let me know what you think. And if you have some song recommendations that aren't on there please share them in the comments. I'm always on the lookout for new, great music!

Bonus note: One of my favorite French artists is Francis Cabrel and his best music is not available to listen to on Spotify. If you want to purchase some of his CDs (and help support my blog a tiny bit) you can click here and use my Amazon affiliate link to his page. I highly recommend L'essentiel, which is a compilation of his hits over the years or Samedi Soir Sur La Terre! 

How café au lait is like an ex-boyfriend

There are moments in day-to-day life where I get hit with a pang of loss triggered by a France feeling. It is oddly similar to that feeling you can get when a relationship has recently ended and you are almost over it, have almost moved on, but every once in awhile some tiny thing will spark a memory and make you feel the loss anew.

My France breakup pangs are usually brought on by smells, sometimes by tastes, sometimes by music. This morning I got one when I poured myself a café au lait in the little bowl that I brought back with me from my last visit to France. It wasn’t the bowl that triggered it because I use that bowl every morning for my coffee. It was the moment when I took my first sip. Right as my lips touched the perfectly mixed combination of espresso and milk, I got it, that feeling. A slight, quick, dull pain in the center of my chest as I was transported back to France and suddenly remembered just how much I miss it.

Some of the smells that do this to me: certain detergents and sometimes bleach (reminds me of my mémère), and lavender, especially when it is on my pillow, and faint cigarette smoke if it is mixed with just the right combination of other smells, and the smell of musty, cold stone or tile.

Some of the music that does this to me: anything by Francis Cabrel, Faudel, Khaled, Louise Attaque (especially that one song that they always played at that one bar in Grenoble), Jacques Brel, Supertramp (especially that one album that my cousin listened to over and over again the summer I stayed with her in the Vosges), a couple of old Madonna songs from my childhood summers in Lunéville, Bette Davis Eyes (not really sure why but there is some memory attached to that one), Edith Piaf, of course...and many, many more. The music topic is sure to be a recurring one here on this blog.

I know these are all very personal, random triggers but that is the way memories work, right? What smells, tastes, sounds, sights, make you long for France or for somewhere else?