Books

Trave is out tonight for a most traditional English evening: BEER & CURRY!

I have studied for a bit, then read for a while and decided to add a book section on this blog. I am currently reading "Erzaehler der Nacht" by Rafik Schami. I have read it before during my first stay in Germany in summer 2000, in Waiblingen, near Stuttgart. I really enjoy reading it. It seems to be published as "Damascus Nights" in English, according to Wikipedia. I imagine it would remind people of the Arabian Nights, which I have not read yet so I cannot really judge. It is the story of a coachman who is famous across the Damascus region for the wonderful stories he can tell. One day, he is struck dumm by a wizard and his friends have to find a way to get his voice back.

I noted this quotation from the greengrocer in the book: "Fruechte isst man zuerst mit den Augen, dann mit der Nase und an letzeter Stelle mit dem Mund."

"Fruits are to be eaten first with the eyes, then with the nose and finally with the mouth."

Has anyone of you heard of BOOKCROSSING? I heard about it for the first time about a year ago, then forgot about it. I just went onto their website and realised that it is alive even in rural England towns and villages! One book has been read and passed on by over 200 people.

I like the concept of it. I shall think about releasing one in the wild some day!

I should go back to my studies. It is all very interesting but I find it difficult to concentrate after a long week at work... I want some chocolate! I think we have some Maya Gold left. I shall reward myself with a square after I have got some work done. What do you think of that? What a self-control I have here!

Torremolinos 73

We watched Torremolinos 73 yesterday night. Not a bad movie at all. A little surprising! Here is the plot, as described by Yahoo! movies (some sources did not say enough, others too much, so I chose this one)

" An encyclopedia salesman named Alfredo Lopez and his lovely wife Carmen live in Franco’s puritanical Spain of the early 1970s. One day Alfredo’s boss at Montoya Publishers makes a unique proposition that will change their lives forever. He asks them to make their own amateur Super 8 erotic movies, which will be distributed as part of a phony “Danish World Encyclopedia of Reproduction.” At first they’re shocked, but they decide to be part of this “experiment”--the films will only be sold in Scandinavia, Carmen wants to have a baby, and they badly need the money anyway."

Both main actors are excellent. They have both played in Pedro Almodovar's films. Candela Pena in Todo sobre mi madre, and Javier Cámara in Hable con ella and La Mala educación. Both brilliant movies (if you like Almodovar!).

Chocolate éclairs and Paris-Brest

On the subject of chocolate éclairs I would like to add that one of my favorite gateaux is the "Paris-Brest", named after the famous bicycle race.

"Paris-Brest is a ring-shaped pastry, filled with cream and sprinkled with almonds and powdered sugar. It was created in 1891 by a Parisian pastry cook whose pâtisserie was situated along the route of the bicycle race from Paris to Brest. His idea was to bake his éclairs in the shape of bicycle wheels in honor of all the cyclists. Great marketing idea! This race was a precursor to the Tour de France which was started in 1903." http://frenchfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa070402a.htm

And now a picture of the gateau!

This makes me really hungry... Even if I have just made myself a big glass of red berries, banana and yoghurt smoothie. I have not tasted this gateau for... dunno... not far from 10 years!

Maybe I should make one.

I don't know how good the recipe of the above-mentioned website is. If somebody tries it, please let me know!

Gougere - Recipe for Goedi

This is a special post for Goedi who asked me for some gougere recipe. Incidentally, I had no idea of what a gougere was until last year where I found and tried the two following recipes. Click here for picture.

For the gougere itself (the pastry type is called "Pate a choux" in French) you will need:

150g plain flour
125g butter
300ml water
4 eggs, beaten
90g grated Gruyere or Emmental (Gruyere is much tastier)
1 TBSP milk
salt & pepper

Put the butter and water in a saucepan and heat until the butter has melted. Bring to the boil, tip in the flour all at once. Beat until the mixture becomes thick. Remove from the heat and continue to beat until the mixture is glossy and comes away from the sides of the saucepan.

Gradually beat in the eggs, and stir in 60g of the cheese. Season with salt & pepper.

Arrange the mixture in the shape of a crown on a baking tray or a big round ovenproof dish. Brush with milk and sprinkle the remaining cheese.

Bake in a hot preheated oven (200-220 degrees Celcius) for 30 minutes until golden and crisp with the filling in the centre of the crown. (see below)


Transfer onto a warm serving dish.

Filling 1: Mushroom and walnut

2 TBSP olive oil
1 chopped onion
225g sliced chestnut mushroom (tastier than ordinary mushrooms)
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
1 TBSP plain flour
150ml veg stock
85g chopped walnuts
2 TBSP chopped parsley

fry the onion with the oil, then add the mushrooms and garlic. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then gradually stir in the stock. Bring to the boil and cook until thickened. Add 3/4 walnuts and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the mixture in the middle of the gougere crown and sprinkle with the remaining walnuts. Bake as above.

Filling 2: Green vegetables

2 TBSP butter
2 TSP olive oil
2 leeks, shredded
225g green cabbage, finely shredded
125g beansprouts
1/2 TSP grated lime rind
1 TBSP lime juice
lime slices (to garnish)

Fry the leeks & cabbage with the butter and oil for 2 minutes. add the beansprouts, lime rind and juice and stir-fry for 1 minute. Season to taste.

Spoon in the centre of the crown and proceed as above.


------------------------------

I have a preference for the mushroom one, as I find the cabbage and lime combination slightly bitter, but you might think otherwise? I am sure there are many recipes out there but I have tried only these two!

I think it is worth mentioning that the "pate a choux" is what is used to make chocolate eclair, except with no cheese, and no salt & pepper. The filling of a chocolate eclair would be a "creme patissiere" and the topping would be a simple chocolate icing. That is, for a proper French chocolate eclair. English chocolate eclairs have whipped cream inside instead of the chocolate creme patissiere. How outrageous!

Maybe I should actually try to make some one day.

Lack of concentration

or lack of inspiration?

I even tried to motivate myself by eating a square (or two, or three) of Ritter Sport chocolate which I brought back from Germany. I LOVE Ritter Sport chocolate. Good thing they don't sell my favorite flavours in the UK! On the subject, I found this:



I should try reward rather than motivation next time. It may work better.

By the way, the Nutellaria in Frankfurt is no longer there as I found out earlier this month.

I got carried out... the deadline is approaching and...

I think I give up for tonight. After all, my brain will be fresher tomorrow if I let it rest for a bit.

I am now off to the kitchen where I will cook a vegetable jalousie. I will post a picture soon, and maybe even the recipe if it tastes nice.

The teacher

Thanks Trave for not publishing a comment pointing out my spelling mistakes and just telling me about them: I can just correct them and republish and nobody will ever know... unless they have read the blog before you.

;-)

Ecover and Ecoballs

For the past 13 months, we have been a 90% chemical-free household (We tried eco-deodorant but were not convinced ;-(. We also have used-up our biodegradable bicycle oil which we could not replace, so we are now using a conventional one).

And have just run out of washing-up liquid. What? 13 months and just ran out?

YES!!!

Because, thanks to the Ecotopia website, you can bulk-order 5 litre-containers for handwash, shower gel, floor soap and washing-up liquid. All these products are plant-based. And when your container is finished, you can simply return it to their premises, and you pay only for the refill. They even reimburse you up to £2.50 postage. Less packaging... no pollution. If it takes only the postvan to deliver one parcel a year, it is worth it, isn't it?

So, we will be posting our empty container soon. We also bought a normal size bottle, which you can find in some supermarkets. Same for handwash and shower gel.

As for the washing machine, we have been using the ecoballs for the past 13 months too. They replace detergent, and because there is no soap to rinse, you can skip the rinsing cycle, saving water and energy. It also takes less time to dry as your clothes are not permeated by chemicals. An eco-friendly stain remover is provided in the pack. And it is economical too! The average RRP is £30 and the kit will provide you with up to 1,000 washing-machine cycles. I will let you make your own calculations.

Kiwi and Lime Milkshake

This milkshake has an unusual tangy taste, very nice once you are used to it. I do not recommend to drink this too close to dinner time though: this is very rich!


Make 2-3 milkshakes

3 kiwis
1 lime
400g ice cream

Process the kiwis, lime juice, lime rind and ice cream in a food processor. Keep some of the rind and half a slice of kiwi as decoration.

Pour in glasses and drink immediately.

Potato and Mushroom Bake

This is the easiest bake you could imagine, and very little washing-up too, bonus!



For 4 people:

1 kg potatoes
400g mushrooms
200ml double cream
Rosemary

Slice the potatoes thinly and boil for 10min.
Grease an oven-proof dish
Arrange in the dish one layer of potatoes, followed by a layer of sliced mushrooms, then season with salt, pepper and rosemary, then continue the layering process, finishing with a layer of potatoes.
Pour over the double cream.
Place in the pre-heated oven for 30-45 minutes.
Serve with a green salad.

Potato and Rice Curry

I must say that I am far from being a curry fan but every now and then I try a recipe and most of the time they are quite good! At least for me who is no expert in the field :-)

And I found this one delicious:


This quantity will be enough for 4 people.

Boil some new potatoes (with their skin, it tastes so much nicer) and some basmati rice. And this is what you need for the sauce:

Ingredients:

3 TBSP mild/medium curry paste
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3-4 TBSP water

150ml Greek style yoghurt
100ml double cream
Fresh mint or coriander

1) Process curry paste + onions + garlic + water in a food processor.

2) Heat 3 TBSP veg oil in a pan. Add the curry mixture and heat through.

3) Gradually add yoghurt & cream and heat through. Add the mint/coriander to taste.

Mix sauce with the potatoes and serve with the rice. You can try this with any veg you like.

Little Miss Sunshine

We went to the cinema yesterday to watch Little Miss Sunshine. It was funny and touching at the same time, but overall light-hearted and refreshing. I really enjoyed it. It was even better than I expected.

Grrr... Trying to work on the assignment I have to submit before 4th October for the OUBS (Open University Business School). The subject is very interesting but every time I start somewhere I then decide to change the order of the argument and have to change again. This is my fourth assignment since I started the course in April. Although I should get better at it with time, I seem to have more doubts every time.... My head is spinning!

Time to catch up with some recipes I have forgotten to post recently. Coming up soon: Potato and Rice curry, Potato and mushroom bake, and Kiwi and Lime milkshake.

Fernandel and his Marseilles origins

On the subject of Fernandel, this very talented French comedian and singer (1908-1971), I found this wonderful poem, courtesy of DIGGI, about regional accents:

« De l'accent! De l'accent! Mais après tout en-ai-je?
Pourquoi cette faveur? Pourquoi ce privilège?
Et si je vous disais à mon tour, gens du Nord,
Que c'est vous qui pour nous semblez l'avoir très fort
Que nous disons de vous, du Rhône à la Gironde,
"Ces gens là n'ont pas le parler de tout le monde!"
Et que, tout dépendant de la façon de voir,
Ne pas avoir l'accent, pour nous, c'est en avoir...

Eh bien non ! je blasphème! Et je suis las de feindre!
Ceux qui n'ont pas d'accent, je ne puis que les plaindre!
Emporter de chez soi les accents familiers,
C'est emporter un peu sa terre à ses souliers,
Emporter son accent d'Auvergne ou de Bretagne,
C'est emporter un peu sa lande ou sa montagne!
Lorsque, loin du pays, le cœur gros, on s'enfuit,
L'accent? Mais c'est un peu le pays qui vous suit!
C'est un peu, cet accent, invisible bagage,
Le parler de chez soi qu'on emporte en voyage!
C'est pour les malheureux à l'exil obligés,
Le patois qui déteint sur les mots étrangers!

Avoir l'accent enfin, c'est, chaque fois qu'on cause,
Parler de son pays en parlant d'autre chose!...

Non, je ne rougis pas de mon fidèle accent!
Je veux qu'il soit sonore, et clair, retentissant!
Et m'en aller tout droit, l'humeur toujours pareille,
En portant mon accent fièrement sur l'oreille!
Mon accent! Il faudrait l'écouter à genoux!
Il nous fait emporter la Provence avec nous,
Et fait chanter sa voix dans tous mes bavardages
Comme chante la mer au fond des coquillages!
Ecoutez! En parlant, je plante le décor
Du torride Midi dans les brumes du Nord!
Mon accent porte en soi d'adorables mélanges
D'effluves d'orangers et de parfum d'oranges;
Il évoque à la fois les feuillages bleu-gris
De nos chers oliviers aux vieux troncs rabougris,
Et le petit village où les treilles splendides
Éclaboussent de bleu les blancheurs des bastides!
Cet accent-là, mistral, cigale et tambourin,
A toutes mes chansons donne un même refrain,
Et quand vous l'entendez chanter dans ma parole
Tous les mots que je dis dansent la farandole! »

Extract of La Fleur Merveilleuse, Miguel Zamacoïs (1866-1955)


Now this is it for those commenting on "the outrageous French accent". I particularly like this quote:

"Avoir l'accent enfin, c'est, chaque fois qu'on cause,
Parler de son pays en parlant d'autre chose!..."

"To have an accent is as if every time you were talking,
You told about your country, whilst talking about something else!..."

FELICIE AUSSI

m.* creativmama

m.* creativmama

Abroad and home

I recently read with great interest an article written by Mark Mardell and most of the subsequent comments left by some BBC news readers about how does it feel to have been brought up in a different country from the one we live in, what is in fact 'nationality', how some people have difficulty to relate to 'fatherland', 'motherland', 'patria', etc...

Here is the link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5173326.stm

Related to this, I read today Nicole's blog who visited mine and had a post with the title "HEIMAT".

Cicero: "Patria est, ubicumque est bene ." ("Wo immer es gut ist, dort ist meine Heimat")
"Fatherland is wherever you feel well."

Carl Zuckermayer: "Heimat ist nicht dort, wo man herkommt, sondern wo man sterben möchte."
"Fatherland is not where one comes from, but where one would like to die."

Fjodor Dostojewski: "Ohne Heimat sein heißt leiden."
"To be without fatherland is called suffering."

Herbert Grönemeyer: "Heimat ist kein Ort, Heimat ist ein Gefühl."
"Fatherland is not a location but a feeling."

Wikipedia: "Heimat ist, wo man sich nicht zu erklären braucht."
"Fatherland is where things don't need to be explained."

Thank you Nicole for these nice quotations.

I have been living in the UK for 4 years. No homesickness or anything like that. I miss the odd thing like sitting on the terrasse of a café with a cup of coffee in the evening and French cinema. If somebody asks me where I am from, I say 'France'. If somebody asked me what nationality do I feel like, I would say 'Continental European'. Because although it is only across a narrow strip of water, British people are very different to the rest of Europe, in my experience. I am not saying better or worse! Just different.

Koyaanisqatsi

We watched Koyaanisqatsi yesterday night. It is an extraordinary movie. I was really impressed and looking forward to seeing the rest of the trilogy. Thanks M for lending us the DVD.

International Day of Peace

Today is International Day of Peace.


What Peace?


...

Views of Frankurt-am-Main

I love the contrasts of the city, for example:

Also in Frankfurt, if you are tired of walking, you can go to the traditional Roemer by taxi-velo:

Taxi-velo

Roemer

Roemer

I saw some young people playing some sort of "street polo" in Kaiserstrasse. They were on their pushbikes rather than on horses! I did not take my camera out to make a picture as this was in the middle of the redlight district!

Here are some more general views of Frankfurt:

City centre view from a bridge

View from a bridge

Church

Dom (Cathedral)

Centre of city

European Central Bank (and Living Nightclub underground ;0))

Palmengarten

Old Opera

Roemer

Das Parfüm

I had a great time in Frankfurt. I had forgotten how much I missed this city... More details later! I went to the cinema on Saturday night and watched Das Parfüm, (Perfume, The Story of a murderer) which was astonishing.

I won't say more than it is about the search for THE perfume and can be categorised as a thriller.

On the move

Writing this on the train between Nuremberg and Frankfurt, new technologies are great! (some of them at least).

The exhibition I was working on was good, and hopefully successful too! It is so nice to be in Germany again. I love this country. If it was not for Trave, I might move back there: don’t be scared though darling, I don’t have any secret plan to move back (without you).

The food was good, the restaurant we went to in the evening received food from the local farms and it was deliciously cooked, and even in the heart of the Franken region, I found excellent quality vegetarian dishes.

I am now on my way to meet a former workmate of mine for a nice meal out in Frankfurt. I am staying in a youth hostel in Kaiserstrasse, near the main station. Not Frankfurt’s best neighbourhood, but my plan A did not work out, so, it was either the youth hostel or a £100/night hotel!!!!

I hope to see a friend from university on Sunday, but I still don’t know if she is in Germany yet or still in Iran! We’ll see what happens.