Thanksgiving Day in France

Although I 've never born children, there has to be at least one similarity between cooking a Thanksgiving Dinner and giving birth - the reflex reaction - the moment the last dishes have been washed or the day after delivery - whichever you please - when you say, "Never again!" And then, the next year, it's as if you're suffering from temporary amnesia and you repeat the whole process. Whether it's end-of-the year holidays or a new pregnancy, it's this kind of memory lapse that keeps the human race going.

So, once more, I've cooked Thanksgiving Dinner, but this year has been momentous. Only twice have I done so in France. The first time was in the fall of 1979 in Paris (shared with Angelique from Cambodia, and Nabbe, Mory & Kadiatou from Guinea- and this time in Normandy with neighbors from England, France and Mauritius.

The pleasure of preparing this meal is knowing that it will be the first time any of our guests have had a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Happily, this is one of the few holidays untarnished by outright commercialism (or nationalism). The original intention of the holiday was quite simply to acknowledge one's gratitude for a bountiful harvest. (Thanks, Thomas Jefferson for confirming the separation of church and state regarding this holiday!)

Whether you believe in God or not, recognizing all the goodness in one's life seems to be an excellent antidote to all the bad news that comes our way.

Thanksgiving Day can simply be another excuse to 'pig out' or stay in bed a few hours later, but also, a wonderful occasion to share with friends around the world.

As for the meal, depending on where you decide to prepare the 'fixins' this is a challenge. Here are some of the ingredients you may have trouble finding in France (especially if you're outside of Paris):
Turkey. Whole turkeys are usually only available starting in December. Although some families prepare whole turkeys for Christmas Day, it isn't as common a dish. I found a frozen whole turkey (with no innards included) at Thiriet, a frozen foods specialty store.

Cranberries (also called 'canberge' but more commonly called 'cranberries') Cranberries aren't cultivated in France - and until the past five to seven years, you couldn't find cranberry products of any sort except in healthfood stores. Nowadays, some large grocery stores sell Oceanspray Cranberry juice and dried cranberries, but fresh cranberries are still uncommon.

Sweet potatoes or 'patates douces' are availabe in produce sections of large grocery stores such as LeClerc or at some outdoor markets.

Canned pumpkin isn't available - outside of American products grocery stores (such as Thanksgiving in Paris). Instead I tried baking a parsnip pie. The word for 'parsnip' in French is 'panais'.

Hard to find spices:
Allspice
Mace
Ground cloves
These, unfortunately are also the essential ingredients for a pumpkin or parsnip pie.
Turkey dressing:
Bread cubes a la Pepperidge Farm variety- quite simply, you make your own.


Lard. A good pie crust, as my neighbors will confirm, needs lard. If you're making a French tart, the crust is 100 % butter, and two of the best tart crusts I've tasted are Jeanne's and Danie's mother's, but thanks to Ivy and Martyn, we have enough lard to make a pie crust. The results are astoundingly good - but I credit that to Ivy's magic touch. She has the just the right technique of blending flour, lard and butter lifting the batter with her fingers like Vladimir Horowitz playing Mozart.

Pecan Pie.
You can't get anymore American than pecan pie. And you can find pecans here, but in small packets. But another key ingredient - corn syrup - is also nowhere to be found.
Corn syrup can be replaced by dark honey or golden syrup - however both of these substitutes create a different consistency.

Not being an organized person, it takes me a long time to put this meal in action - Thanksgiving Eve, I finally turned out the kitchen lights at 3 am and started up again at 9 am on Thanksgiving Day. But unlike a similar meal in the US which can be devoured within an hour (or less!) here, in Europe, we can linger over cocktails (and make turkey gravy at the same time!), add a delicious crusted port to the end of the meal, and if you're really a gourmand, finish off with a cheese plate - none of us got that far.

Which means we'll have to extend the Thanksgiving feast for a second day - which is kind of a Basque tradition of returning for the leftovers. I like this tradition. For those of you who have two days off for Thanksgiving, rather than going shopping on Black Friday, why not just invite your friends and family back for a second day of thanks?

This morning, I'm still giving thanks for Martine, Ivy and Chris who are not shy about washing dishes, Martyn who mashed the potatoes and brought over the lard, Martyn again, who reminded me to take out the bread - and the turkey at the right time, Ivy who boiled and peeled the chestnuts (from her trees), and Peter who provided the cigars (and did the Pilgrims smoke a pipe with Native Americans on that first Thanksgiving?).

I now know the proper way to smoke a cigar, and the proper way to pass the port. So much for which to be thankful - but most of all, good family and good friends. Everything else is just icing on the gateau.

Dukan Diet Revisited

For those of you who've been wondering - why the lack of posts for the last two weeks - it's because I've been focusing on the Dukan diet.
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A year ago last August, I started the Dukan diet (thanks Davine, for telling me about the book "Je Ne Sais Pas Maigrir" by Pierre Dukan) The goal was never meant to be drastic weight loss - just some basic maintenance i.e. seven pesky pounds or 3-4 kilos. Unlike the three day juice diets I'd used in the past, the Dukan diet is a long-term eating philosophy with very quick results (within the first week). There are four major phases - the attack phase which is total protein - and nothing more, the cruising stage which adds vegetables (you'll never love a tomato better), the consolidation stage (which allows for two feasting meals per week called 'galas', and the final stabilisation phase which means eating 'normal' 6 days a week and reserving 1 day per week (forever!) to be your total protein day. The other 'forever' addition to my diet is oat bran. Three Tablespoons a day which apparently is not only good for losing weight, but losing cholesterol as well.

The naysayers: After having hit my target weight within one month of starting the diet, and keeping my weight stabilized for five months (even while traveling and during the holiday season), my gyn noted how slim I was and when I mentioned the Dukan diet - she said "don't be surprised if the weight all comes back".

I don't know why she said that (except that rebound is the common occurence for most diets) but isn't there ALWAYS someone who wants to throw a wet blanket on things? Come spring time, my gyn's gloomy forecast came true - a few of the pounds came crawling back - but there was one very good reason for that: smugness.

The Dukan diet isn't meant for wimps by any means - and like any good soldier, you don't let down your defenses when you're coasting. In effect, I let the one pure protein day per week fall by the wayside. Big mistake.

So, if you are midway through the Dukan diet - or if you've finally reached your target weight and feel you can give yourself a pat on the back with a splurge of feasting, think again! The reason I say this now is because any of you who've gotten to the target weight stage know exactly how hard you've worked to get there - and it would be a real 'dommage' to let all that hard work go to waste.

The good part about the Dukan diet is that if you've spent so much time already setting up good eating habits - a rebound is NOT the end of the world - far from it. The key is to get back on track as fast as possible.

So, now, I can happily say after over one year, I am STILL at my target weight - but not without some backpeddling - and a lot of jogging!

I know two of you readers have taken on the Dukan diet stateside and Lori, I love the fact that you called the 'gala' meals - 'cheat meals'. Needless to say, once the Dukan crosses the ocean, there'll be some adjustments for 'American tastes'. Rabbit isn't big in the States but it's a low caloric meat - we have plenty of rabbits to spare in Normandy.

For those vegetarian readers, Dr. Dukan's website offers some suggestions for creating a 'pure protein diet' by using soy-based products such as tofu as well as lentils, and low-fat or 0 % dairy products.

Here are some suggestions for avoiding 'fat traps'.
Beware of night time television viewing. Pick up a video instead. The advertisements are almost ALL based on food products.

Holiday baking projects. It's too tempting to cheat!

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Booking Opera Tickets in Paris

Past president Francois Mitterand built the huge Bastille Opera House with the supposed intent that opera might become more accessible to the general public.

I'm reminding myself about these lofty 'intentions' as I wait in line at the ticket office at the Garnier Opera House. There aren't many people in line for a good reason. There are normmally only two things you're likely to hear if you're stupid enough to be standing inn line:

"The performance is sold out." or
"The tickets are not yet on sale." Oh, well, it was just a spontaneous thought to drop in on the off chance that the tickets for the Mozart opera IDOMENEO (which opens in January) might possible be already on sale. It's also one of the rare operas that is performed at the Garnier Opera House for those of us who prefer the original 19th-century opera house to the monolithic 'people's opera' at Bastille.

Make no mistake. Tickets to either Garnier or Bastille are not a simple question of finding your way to the ticket office (and for any of you who've been to the Garnier Opera House lately, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Walk half way around the opera to Rue Scribe and duck under all the scafolding hoping that the Phantom isn't throwing anything from the rooftop today).

The whole process has kind of an Alice in Wonderland feel to it. So, here's the scoop:
Ticket sales open first off on the internet website. Look for the little B (Booking) icons. When the B icon is 'on', you can buy, but also check the schedule for when ticket sales open for a specifiic opera. For example the Mozart opera tickets opened on November 9th at 9 am (only on the internet). Telephone sales start on November 30th for phone numbers only outside of Paris and France. If you want to buy a ticket at the box office - you have to wait until December 14th - and the suggestion is to arrive early in the day if you hope to get a ticket. As for those super cheap tickets i.e. the under 25 Euros - your guess is as good as mine about where those tickets can be bought!

Then there are the Gala events which surprisingly are easier to book online. The beauty of the gala is that if you like to make the evening memorable, you can actually get dressed up and not feel out-of-place.

Opera-going in Paris appears to have turned into a sort of sport - catching the best ticket demands patience and persistance as well as a little bit of information. Be sure to check out the entire Opera de Paris website for the advice about when and how to purchase tickets. To date, I've purchased tickets online and it seems much easier than going to the box office.

Grand Palais: Art en Capital '09

Usually when we go to museums in Paris, the majority of artists represented are dead and gone. In fact, you could almost call prestigious museums like the Louvre - mausoleums, but Art en Capital is very much alive. Each year, well over a thousand living artists choose their best work to be viewed, critiqued, or ignored - and the French public responds enthusiastically.

On a rainy opening night, scores of invitation holders waited patiently in line but when you're with friends, the line (or the queue if you prefer) moves quickly. What's really exciting (for me) about Art en Capital is being able to meet up with our St. Aubin neighbors, particularly Gerard Daric and Nicole Camillieri. Gerard's painting is part of the Salon des Beaux Arts (he admitted that the first time he exhibited here was in 1952!) That's more than some of our lifetimes.

As for the experience of seeing thousands of contemporary works of art under one roof by both known and lesser known artists - it's mindboggling. Practically an assault. Gluttony. Of course, the saying is that on opening night, people don't normally get a chance to actually look at much art - some come to see and be seen, or set out their line of attack for future solo visits.

In addition to Gerard's painting, I especially liked the sculptural works using recycled products and the exhibit called L'Art Postal created actually not by one artist, but all those who mailed decorated envelopes to M. Proust. (A book has been published called Postal Art). The variety was as whimsical as a spring breeze (here at the outset of winter).

What I found less inspiring was the cacophony of color. In many cases, I sensed that artists substitute bright color for lack of imagination. But that was just an initial 'impression'. Not being a proper art critic, the opinion is based only on first impressions.

Once again, sorry for not including photos in this post. There WILL be photos soon (as soon as I dig out the right cord for uploading photos!) Visiting the Grand Palais at night is a real treat - it was designed for the Universal Exposition (constructed of the same materials as the Eiffel Tower in 1889)

Since its recent restoration, the Grand Palais houses temporary exhibits - Gerard tentioned in the past, even car show events were set up at the Grand Palais. Nowadays,
The temporary exhibits range from Warhol to Renoir, antique shows and contemporary art. Because the shows sometimes don't last that long, there can be long lines - the best place to get tickets is at the FNAC bookstores.

Often, the temporary shows stay open until 9 or 10 pm. I love visiting museums at night. That must be the result of wandering around Eastman House after closing hours. If you're in Paris, what better way to enjoy the city that staying outside all day and visiting museums at night? Most of the big museums like the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Quai Branly are open late for at least one night of the week.