Mardi Gras Aftermath

Sometimes I completely forget about national/religious/worldwide holidays here. Not just like, "Oh, I didn't know today was a French holiday," but more like, "Oh, I forgot today was St. Patrick's Day." I'll plan to go shopping one random Tuesday or Wednesday, all the shops will be closed, and I'll have no clue why. Most of the time I just figure it's some French cultural thing; I swear some shops only open when they feel like it. I guess that's what happens when you don't work in an office anymore... or have a calendar.

So, if it wasn't for social media, I would have completely forgotten that yesterday was Mardi Gras. Well, maybe not. I set out to test the Madelines from Blé Sucré - said to be The Best Madelines in Paris by none other than David Lebovitz. Quentin and I were going to play hacky sack afterward, so I figured I could be bad and have a little treat before. They were pretty tasty, but apparently not the best Madelines that Quentin has ever had... so I guess I'll have to keep trying them until I find the best. I will take one for the team and make that sacrifice.

In the park right across from the bakery were a group of kids covered in white powder and dancing and laughing in clouds of white smoke. We thought they were theater kids practicing for a play, but as we made our way from the bakery to the park to play hacky sack, we noticed more and more kids covered head-to-toe in the same white powder.

Out of nowhere, a group of kids sprinted past us and completely blasted an unsuspecting group of teens with bags of flour and handfuls of eggs. Apparently it's a tradition here in Paris on Mardi Gras for the kids to run around throwing flour and eggs on each other, as a symbol of enjoying the last moments of what is about to be sacrificed for Lent.

Open de France de Footbag

Last week was the 12eme (12th) Open de France de Footbag. A pretty unfamiliar sport to most, "footbag", or "net" (as the guys sometimes call it), is basically the combination of hackysack and volleyball. You play the game using only your feet, with a harder version of a hacky sac and a badminton-sized net. Teams of one-on-one or two-on-two, the rules are similar to volleyball; you can only hit the ball once per turn, and you have three turns to get it over the net. They serve, set, and spike, just like in volleyball, only with their feet. It's a pretty entertaining sport to watch... guys jumping and twisting mid air, and falling to the ground with a thud. 

Although a rather small group of players, people from all over the world came to take part in the competition. We hosted 5 Polish guys (yes, 5 guys fit in our Paris apartment!), and there were also players from Switzerland, Canada, and even as far as Venezuela!

This year, the Open was hosted by team RNH (Rien N'est Hacky), which is the team Quentin plays for. Quentin starred in the teaser video that the RNH team made for this year's Open. For those of you who know Quentin, watch closely for the "angry face" close-ups. Yep, Quentin is the only guy that is not included in them. He told me they said it was because he didn't look mean enough. I guess that's a good trait though, right?

This was Quentin's first year in the tournament, so being a newbie, he didn't make it all the way to the finals. I had planned to go every day of the tournament, but I got sick and only managed to make it to the finals day. So I missed seeing Quentin or our friend Jules play (sorry guys), but I did get some great shots of the semi-finals and finals games.

 

I apologize to all the players in advance; I was battling a fever and massive head cold, so most of these photos are only of a few people/games. 

The Year of the Rabbit: Chinese New Year in Paris

As I was casually cleaning the apartment last Thursday, I almost pooped myself. Not from cleaning. Out of nowhere, massive explosions blasted outside my window as if it were the end of the world. I actually jumped it caught me so off-guard. I looked out my window to see an enormous mushroom cloud of smoke rising up from the opposite side of my apartment complex, an area that looks over onto the nearby street. Was it a bomb? Another riot? Maybe a car or bus exploded... whatever it was, I didn't know if I wanted to check it out, or hide from it. It was as loud as fireworks...

... and that's exactly what it was. 

Living in the 13th arrondissement (Chinatown) of Paris means almost living in two different countries in one place, and I love it. I have two different cultures right at my doorstep. 

Then it clicked. I went out onto my balcony, only to be relieved by the sound of drumming and cheering, which I couldn't hear when I was inside with the doors closed. Last Thursday was the start of the Chinese Year of the Rabbit, and the new year rings in with crackling fireworks and colorful parades.

Whew. I guess they were practicing for the big parade that following Sunday. I was so excited, as I have never experienced Chinese New Year, and this was probably the closest I would get besides the stories form my friends in Shanghai.

I sat back and relaxed. I didn't check out the commotion that Thursday; I wanted to experience it all that Sunday (yesterday) at the Chinese New Year Parade, which is just a few blocks away from my apartment.

The parade was filled with colorful costumes, dancing dragons, and loud, crackling fireworks. Parade rules here in Paris are pretty lax compared to the strict, police-monitored parades of the States. You can basically walk in, around, in front of, next to, under, and wherever you want. People in the parade were chatting on their cell phones and mingling with parade-watchers. I wasn't going to complain... it let me get a lot of great shots, and see the parade without standing on my tippy-toes.

Here are a few of my favorites from the parade...

 

Happy Year of the Rabbit everyone!

A Snow Covered Paris

A few of my favorite shots around Paris before all the snow melted... enjoy!

 

10 Tips and Tricks for Making French Macarons

I love my boyfriend's job. Well, more-so I love the fact that Quentin coincidentally got the perfect job to benefit me (and him too). He's working for Cook'n with Class, a French cooking school which teaches classes in English (to English speaking tourists mostly). I had the opportunity this past Friday to sit in on one of their French macaron making classes. I was so excited... I've been wanting to know how to make them ever since I landed in France!

I am embarrassed to admit (being the foodie that I am), that my very first bite of a French macaron was only taken less than three months ago, at Angelina. I know, I can't believe it either. It's just that I never had access to true French macarons in the States! We have coconut macaroons, but they are not even close to the chewy, gooey, crispy, creamy, heavenly creation that is the French macaron. MMMmm... that reminds me... I still haven't tried Pierre Hermé's macarons. Perhaps tomorrow... hehe.

We made three different flavors of macarons in the class (well, three different filling flavors); sour cherry, dark chocolate, and fleur de sel caramel. The class was so much fun, and super informative. I learned so much! The teacher, Pino, really knew his stuff. I asked him questions like; "Why do you strain the eggwhites?" "Can you over-beat the macaron batter?" "How do you fix a runny caramel buttercream?" He had an answer to everything, explaining exactly how and why.

Pino also warned us that we shouldn't eat more than 10 macarons in one day, or we would get "poopy butt"... his words exactly. I ate 5 or 6 (... or maybe 7) and ended up with a stomach ache at the end of the night... but it was soooo worth it.

I am not going to post the recipe here... because it's better to go to the class! Also, you can probably find some similar recipes on the web. What I do want to do though, is share with you what I learned from that class.

10 Tips and Tricks I learned for making French macarons:

1.  Make sure when you are making macarons that it is not a wet, humid day. Humidity prevents the macarons from rising properly and can cause the tops to crack. If it is a rainy day, and you must make macarons, you can use a de-humidifier or turn your oven on low to dry out the room a bit while making them.

2. When making the macaron batter, be sure to sift the almond flour and sugar two times before mixing them together with the wet ingredients. Also, don't push the flour/sugar through the sieve, just gently tap the sieve until you are left with the lumps. Pour whatever doesn't pass through the sieve into a bowl, and using a scale, weigh the larger chunks and replace them with almond flour (be sure to sift that too!) This will ensure that your macaron tops are smooth.

3. Strain the egg whites to break apart the thick white part, and remove the chalaza, the little white strand that holds the yolk in the center of the egg. This also makes the egg whites easier to pour when measuring.

4. Slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the mixing bowl, in the same spot the whole time. Pouring in the same spot makes the area on the bowl very hot and the sugar will glide easily down the side of the bowl. 

5. When mixing the flour/sugar mixture with the egg whites and meringue mixture, you must mix it quite forcefully, with a spatula, until the batter becomes thick and shiny. I found it's much easier to mix in a counter-clockwise motion.

6. If your batter is too thin, you can add a tablespoon of almond flour at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

7. When mixing food coloring into the batter to color your macarons, be sure to use a gelatin-based food coloring (such as Wilton), as that will not disturb the consistency of the batter.

8. Once macarons are piped onto parchment paper on a baking sheet, let them rest in a warm, dry place for a few minutes to create a skin over them. They are ready to place in the oven once you are able to touch the tops and the batter does not stick to your finger.

9. While baking the macarons, keep the oven door cracked open with a utensil to let the moisture escape. This ensures the macarons will rise evenly and without cracking.

10. When macarons are finished baking, move them (still attached to the parchment paper) off of the baking sheet and onto a cool counter top to cool the bottom side of the macarons for a few minutes. Remove them with a pastry scraper before they become completely cool, and flip them upside-down to finish cooling before piping the filling.

Hope these tips help, and hooray to anyone making them!! Bonne chance!