Day with my daughter at Jungle Jim's

My daughter Valerie and I went to Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati - a grocery store that is five acres under one roof! She had been there once, assured me that two hours was about all you could take in one visit. She had a meeting in Zionsville that night (a little over two hours from Jungle Jim's) so we had about three and a half hours max for shopping.

We wandered about a bit, then I found housewares and wandered in awe. My daughter went for groceries, came back to find me, tugged on my arm and informed me that I had been in that department for about two and a half hours. If I wanted any groceries, I had better get out of there stat!

So I reluctantly left. There were some real finds there. I got a new set of dishes last year, and I had broken one plate. I found one that looked pretty much like what I had. And it was! When I got it home, it was exactly the same make! I like my martinis in the old fashioned martini glasses. Had two, broke one, then recently broke the other. They cost a small fortune, but there were the exact glasses that I once had. Two martini glasses into my cart and at a very reasonable price. I found all sorts of tools but left most of them there, realizing how much of the things I was looking at already resided in my cupboards, drawers and china cabinets at home. I did buy a lovely red coffee mug, and I use it every day. I didn't have a RED coffee mug, so I convinced myself I really needed it.

Of course I checked out the sales. I had a Lodge braising pot, very old, very stained as those porcelain lined pots all seem to be with age and hard use, but still worked fine. But be still, my heart, there was a whole rack of Le Creuset ON SALE! And right in the middle of one shelf was a bright yellow braising pan, a little shallower and wider than the one I had at home. I didn't need it, and where would I put it? Aha! I would offer up my old pan for $10 on Facebook. I had three buyers in a flash!! Amy bought it, is using it and loves it. And I am braising in my bright yellow Le Creuset braising pan. It says it is dishwasher safe but having used many cast iron pans with porcelain finish, I beg to differ. My new girl is getting the best treatment. She is hand washed like fine china.

We had such a lovely time. Val got home for her meeting in time. I love every last thing I got. We were going to try to make another trip before the holidays with my son's fiancée Christine in tow, but time has slipped away. It will have to be a trip for another time.

My new braising pan

How did I start blogging?

I have been blogging for quite a while now, starting with my farm life. So many of you have been with me through chicken stories, pet stories, cooking stories, and now, grandchildren getting married stories.

How did I start blogging? I went to a movie.

I saw Julie and Julia - twice in the theatre, and countless additional times since I bought the DVD. Julie blogged - she started a blog to talk about making every recipe in Julia Child's book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Eventually it led to a movie! I was so inspired that I walked out of the theatre, went home and wrote my first blog.

I don't do any thing tricky, just write my stuff and upload pics. My life is interesting enough that there seem to be over a hundred hits for every blog lately, and that makes me happy - happy to share bits of my life with you.

Still waiting for a movie contract though. Just saying . . .

My bookmark in the book My Life In France is a boarding pass from my trip to France!

Bread Baking Class

I offer a bread baking class for a service auction event at the First Unitarian Church of South Bend each fall, and the bidders who won were at my place this weekend learning to make a true French baguette.

So how do I know it's a "true French baguette?" Because I learned to make it last April, in Paris. And now the five people who attended know how to make one as well, without having to go across the pond. I refer to it as my $6,500 baguette - you know, round trip air fare, renting an apartment in Paris, museums, concerts and more -- much, much more. It was the vacation of a lifetime. I'm feeling a bit melancholy now, remembering that a year ago I was packing and anticipating. Now it is just a memory, but one I love to share with my friends.

Here are pics from my own bread baking class last Sunday. We had a wonderful time! I am pretty sure that at least two of the people in the class are very serious about baking bread in the future. We cut two loaves and had a repast of five-meat terrine, smoked salmon, sliced meats and French cheese. I am very much enjoying the leftovers.

The finished terrine, centerpiece of our lunch - see my blog Always read the bad reviews first!

The terrine, unwrapped and sliced

Andrea cutting and weighing

Chuck forming dough

Jim forming loaf

Joseph putting dough on sheet to rise

The spread

340 grams per loaf

Willow making poolish

I'm demonstrating first cut for loaf

What is French bread without meat?

French cheese disappearing

The students' loaves - GOOD JOB!

Students did a great job. Two loaves disappeared during our repast.

Here is a picture of my cousin Ruth and me, with our instructor Chef Alex, showing off the many breads we learned to bake last April in Paris.

Always read the bad reviews first!

When I am shopping on line or trying a new recipe, I gravitate to the least favorable reviews first. If there are any show stoppers there, why go any further? In the case of recipes, I am less concerned, because often the reviewers have some great suggestions, and the recipe ends up being quite tasty.

I am teaching a bread baking class this Sunday. As part of the class, my five students get to partake of a charcuterie board, quite elegant if I do say so myself, with slices of freshly baked baguette and glasses of wine in hand. The highlight of the repast is my three meat terrine.

When I was in Paris, I ate a terrine that made my knees shake. It was fantastic! I have searched recipes but haven't found anything like it. I found a pretty good one on Epicurious.com, and I make one each spring for my bread baking students.

Even though it isn't as good as that memorable terrine in Paris, it is still pretty impressive, and I have never had a complaint when I bring it out, surrounded by cornichons, homemade dill pickles, mustard and Cumberland sauce.

I start it several days in advance. It starts with a trip to the store for ingredients not on hand. After much chopping, weighing and mixing, I put the meat and spices into the bacon lined terrine (yes, the product and the pan are both called "terrine"), wrapped it and then read through the comments at the bottom of the page. One cook wrote that it was good, but not nearly as good as one she had in Paris, so she only gave it two forks. In fact, the reviewer said, she had a spice mix from a famous restaurant in Chicago called The Bakery and said she was going to try to kick up the flavor by adding some of Chef Szathmary's magic pâté spice the next time she made it.

I was excited! I had some of his spice on my shelf and thought, it's not too late to spoon out the meat and add some spice. What a great idea! Then I noticed that the reviewer was SusanVey from Indiana. That's me, folks. I was reading my own review. That was my laugh for the day!

And by the way, I brought it up from my basement fridge where it will marinate for a day before baking, spooned it out of the bacon lining, added the magic spices and put it back to rest. Then after a slow bake, it is weighted and left in fridge for a day or so. Tasting is still a good way off. 

We will see if the suggestion from "SusanVey, Indiana" gets it closer to the wonderful Parisian terrine of my memory.

Terrine marinating for a day before baking

Baked terrine, sitting with weights for a day

After weighting for a day

Wrapped and ready to chill - look for my bread baking class blog to see it sliced and served!

Do you remember Jumer's cinnamon rolls?

My Illinois roots are showing. When going through my mom's recipe box recently, I found her recipe for Jumer's Castle Lodge cinnamon rolls. I remember my mom saying this was the real Jumer's Castle Lodge recipe. So even though Jumer's has closed its doors for good, their rolls can live on! If you know anyone from Peoria or Bloomington in Illinois or from Bettendorf, Iowa, they will remember Jumer's and these tastey little cinnamon bites. We hope they become a favorite here in South Bend-Mishawaka as well!

The famous Jumer's cinnamon rolls

Want to try some? Available at my booth at the Farmers Market in South Bend today! 

50¢ each or 3 for $1.00.  

Jumer's was an Old World attraction with its Bavarian theme. Elegant, yet it was always within reach of the average person. The lodge was known for its eclectic collection of antiques and German bric-a-brac that included a stuffed black bear. It was truly a unique experience in the Midwest.

I think this was the Peoria site

Need a little bling in your life?

Not too shabby

Dine in style - lots of German dishes.

My new housekeeper, Rhianna

Rhianna has joined our household. She is a Model 780 Roomba, and we are new best friends.

I bought a Roomba when they first came on to the market, and I liked it. However, it required a lot of care, and I was often buying parts for it. I can't remember what I named her, but she worked hard for me. I brought her here to the river house and bought some parts, got her working, but not for long. High maintenance chick!

A couple of months ago, I finally threw her away, including the box of spare parts. (That may have been a mistake.)

Damn these ads that pop up when you play solitaire on your smart phone! There was a new Roomba model, square, sleek, bright red. I repeatedly ignored it, but finally bit and clicked on the link. I didn't buy her though. After doing some research, I went back to the updated model of the one I had. This one has a bigger dust bin, special brushes for pet hair, and is programmable, leading me to dream that she will clean all of my floors while I sleep at night. With two dogs, a cat (rarely home lately), and two VERY MESSY parakeets, I vacuum frequently, and it's not my favorite job. And now, of course, I wish I had kept the spare parts. Sigh . . .

She is learning the patterns in my rooms. And I am learning that I have to help a little! She knocked over a potted plant, she got stuck under the stove (bin was full already and I had to haul her out and empty it before she would continue), and Fred, the Figgy Pudding, is barking at her continuously!

But it's fun, and frankly she is doing a better job than the old model did. And a better one than I do. Bin full already? Could it be that I don't bother with vacuuming under my stove and sofa? If I can't see it, it's not there! But Rhianna knows, and she is a thorough little cleaner.

Oh, wow! I just glanced in the living room, and she has completely cleaned up the mess from the overturned plant. She is definitely a new and IMPROVED model. :)

Well, I'm going to go down to the soap room and make a batch of Lemon Skin Renew while she finishes my floors. Love it!

Rhianna coming back out from under sofa

Rhianna going under the dining room table

Oh, Rhianna, I love you!

Cruising down the river on a Sunday afternoon . . .

I learned to play that song by ear on the piano when I was only eight years old.  I loved it, in part because I always loved the water whether it was the mighty Illinois river 10 miles from our farm, or the lakes in Wisconsin where we rented housekeeping cottages for our annual vacations. Listen to it here. Somewhere in the piles of old sheet music around here I might find this very piece.  I'm pretty sure I had it once, since the cover looks very familiar to me.

Today, Catherine, Elena and I cruised down the river - well, actually UP the river, to the dam at Capital.  We spent a couple of hours paddling around in our kayaks, saw osprey, Canada geese, a couple of Mallards, and a pair of swans.  When a boater disturbed the swans, they took off and flew almost directly over my head! They are magnificent and very, VERY large! Oh, and we saw a blue heron, well, two actually, but they were not together. We parked along the shore near the osprey nest that city workers built a platform for when they were doing some work that disturbed their old nest (yes, they built a nest on the platform!). We hoped to see the adults feeding the young, but while we saw the mother perched on the edge of the nest, we didn't see more than that.

Finally we let the current take us back to my beach.  Then we had ribs from the grill and decided we are going to do this again very soon.

Hope everyone has an enjoyable weekend, and if you get the chance, cruise down the river!

Vacation leftovers

It's time to pay my Citibank bill, the credit card I used for just about everything while in France.

I'm sorting by date, and as I look at the bills, I am feeling a little blue - what was once a dream of the future is all just a pile of bills and a bunch of memories - c'est tout.  The vacation of a lifetime is done, reduced to paying the bill for Metro tickets, grocery store purchases, meals out, and one for which I owe a whole pile of money.  What was THAT for?  Some of the bills are in both francs and euros, so I thought it must be francs, but no, it is euros!  Oh, my!!

Then I saw the name Dehilleran on the bill and knew what it was for.  It's the bill from the cooking supply store in the heart of Paris, the one recommended by Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa.  I do not regret one penny spent there.  My third terrine is in the refrigerator, meats and spices blending for 12 hours before going into a water bath in the oven for two hours.  After weighting it down in the fridge for another half day or so, it's time to remove the terrine from the terrine (terrine is both the name of the cooking vessel and the end product), wipe down the exterior, wrap tightly and refrigerate until Sunday.  Then I will slice it and serve with Cumberland sauce to my dinner guests, along with a freshly baked French baguette.

My vacation is not over; it lives on - so many pictures, so many memories, so many good meals enjoyed and to be enjoyed in the future with recipes, ideas and cookware from the City of Lights.

Bread baskets and copper - who could ask for anything more?

Better than Christmas morning!

I missed these demitasse cups.  Will have to go back for one.

Provence souvenirs on the left, Dehilleran on the right - rolling pin, melon baller, molds, fish spatula, terrine, paring knife.