An American in Provence

Week 1: Attempt to make "Tiramisu of Macarons and Raspberries"
Step 1: Search all over for macarons, in several different stores. Decide that since the book is split up into sections according to type of biscuits used ("spoon" biscuits, madeleines, rose biscuits of Reims, gingerbread, macarons, and other biscuits) it would be okay to substitute madeleines for the macarons.
Step 2: Laugh at the directions which say total preparation time: 5 minutes. Are they joking? I can't even assemble all of the ingredients in my kitchen and put the water on to boil in 5 minutes.
Step 3: Attempt to make the raspberry syrup with frozen raspberries and watch as it comes out way too liquidy.
Step 4: Mix together the mascarpone (which was found at the third store) with the three egg yolks and cream. Beat it together and marvel at how it doesn't become firm like the book says it will.
Step 5: Layer everything in the pan. Instead of being nice defined layers, it all just kinda mushes together.
Step 6: Sigh and vow to do better next week.
(Total time: about 45 minutes)
Lessons learned: Try not to substitute stuff. Use the correct cream.

Week 2: Attempt to make "Belle-Hélène Tiramisu" (chocolate and pears)
Step 1: Search all over creation for Amaretto. Shopkeepers have no idea what you are talking about. Amaretto! Amaretto! The Italian liqueur for Tiramisu! Heck, I am American and even I have heard of it before!
Step 2: Search for a different recipe that doesn't require Amaretto.
Step 3: Buy the ingredients for "Bananas and Passion Fruit Tiramisu".
Step 4: What the heck is passion fruit nectar? Syrup? Liqueur? Extract? No clue. Decide to skip the passion fruit.
Step 5: Finally find Amaretto (hint: Disarrono) at the 4th store. Go back to original plan.
Step 6: Haul all the ingredients over to in-laws because you are having dinner there.
Step 7: Forget all about that solemn vow you made last time that you would always try a recipe out on CMH before serving it to others.
Step 8: With MIL's help, finally make something resembling the recipe. It helps to have the right cream too. However, cream is still not firm and is yellow instead of white.
(Total time: again, about 45 minutes, with two of us working)
Lessons learned: It is very hard to cook in someone else's kitchen. Just use whipped cream next time. (Forgetting solemn vow made previous week to not substitute ingredients).

Result: Turned out not too bad. Think next time I will use pear liqueur.

Picture below: What it is supposed to look like. Now, I know that pictures in recipe books are 99.5% unreproducable, but I would like to think that one day I might be able to get my Tiramisu's to be less runny and more layered.
Up next week: Banana Tiramisu, with or without nectar de fruit de la passion.

Can someone please share with me the secret to getting the crème liquid to do what it is supposed to do?

So, after a whole month of NOT being on strike, the SNCF (national train company) decided enough was enough and went back on strike again.

Why? because the new president, Sarkozy, wants to pass a law mandating a minimum service for commuters when the public transportation is on strike, and require that they give 48 hour advance notice that they will strike? So the SNCFs response? STRIKE!

I was coming back home on Tuesday evening, and at the first stop the train just sits there for about 30 minutes. No explanations. No announcements. No "We are sorry, but we are experiencing technical difficulties" or "We have to wait while the track up ahead clears." Nothing. I was so frustrated and hot and tired after a long day of work, I just started crying on the train. Not big boohoos, but a quiet sniffling in my corner (nobody else in my area). I probably would have cried more, but I didn't want to look too pathetic.

Crying BECAUSE of public transportation is a new and exciting experience. Crying ON public transportation I have done before. Just broke up with a guy, or don't want to go back to a certain military school after vacation, things like that. But tears of frustration are new.

The news said that they have been on strike 40 days in the past 3 months. Fantastic. So now I am back to getting up even earlier to take an earlier train. The train to come back at night, which is supposed to leave at 6:49 is now often 30 minutes late. Thanks for adding an extra hour to my 12 hour days SNCF! Still lovin' ya and so glad I paid for a monthly pass!

(Top picture, Marseille Blancarde station. Notice the time)


(Middle picture, tried to take a picture of the board with all the Trains Supprimé)

(Bottom picture, Aubagne station 7 a.m.)

We spent Saturday afternoon at the Community Center in Rognes, where Alain teaches karate once a week during the school year. They were having a demonstration of karate, which mostly means little kids doing stuff and their parents filming it. Next week is the final karate competition for the area, which Alain has to help referee, and the next day is the end-of-the-year paella picnic (for more on paella, go here), along with games and sports.
I tried taking karate for about six months. I was whiter than white belt, and didn't much like being in the 6 year old division. Doing the katas (series of movements) was okay, but I didn't like the competitions. Had enough of that doing boxing and wrestling at VMI thanks. Also, Alain didn't appreciate that every time he got punched in the stomach, I shrieked. Here is a little video clip of Alain doing turn jump kicks. (yes, that is the official Japanese name).