eggnog season

Why hello, December! With Thanksgiving behind us, it is officially acceptable to listen to Christmas music... all day, every day ;). To celebrate that fact, bask in holiday cheer, and wish Edna and friends the absolute best as they embark on their next adventures, Kerri hosted a potluck brunch. On the menu: coffee, croissants, eggnog, Irish potato pancakes, bacon, mushroom quiche, apple-cinnamon pancakes, éclairs, macarons, a caramel-apple tart, and kugelhopf (a blast from my Alsacian past). Yesterday was lovely.

And all because I met this lady 16 months ago! It's amazing how many real life gifts this blogging pastime of mine has provided. Yes, the gratitude continues; especially so because, following brunch, I unexpectedly walked into a wine tasting at my local caviste. I will soak up every bit of Parisian pleasure in this next week. On the agenda: coffee with thesis advisor, afternoons at the museum, dinner with old coworkers, drinks with girlfriends (also connected by blogs), and other last-of-2013-on-French-soil responsibilities.

obrigado

They say your twenties are for being selfish. They fail to mention, however, how much living abroad amplifies the tendency. As much as it embarrasses me to admit, I'm not entirely looking forward to going home. I'm afraid to face the imperfections of the rest of my reality with the research timer on my master's thesis set and my Parisian life on pause. But, on particular days like this one, I'm especially reminded to appreciate these self-centered concerns. Because, really... how blessed can someone be to have loved ones unconditionally support her ambitions, to enjoy time and space to study her passions, to belong to more than one place? And, to celebrate her favoritest holiday multiple times before reuniting with family for the next two in New York. I'm thinking, very.

I met Phil and Tiphaine once, at the Kinfolk gathering; and for some reason they were kind enough to invite me to join in their Thanksgivukkah! Last Saturday, Sandra and I adventured south of Paris for a most unforgettable Franco-American feast:

Upon arrival, they served home-barrel-aged cocktails: a warm autumn punch made with bourbon and cider (my pick), and a seasonally spiced Negroni. Guests trickled in from near and far as the buffet table crowded with their generous contributions. To nibble during meets and greets, we helped ourselves to endive with blue cheese and local walnuts and wild rabbit rillette on toast.

Eventually, the Thanksgiving-Hannukah meal was served: green salads, latkes with apple sauce, deep fried/smoked turkey, stuffing (southernly referred to as "dressing" because it was prepared outside the bird), green bean casserole, lobster macaroni and cheese.

We digested with re-pours of wine until we were ready for dessert. My Belgian chocolate was nothing compared to the homemade pecan pie, chou au chantilly et potiron (pumpkin cream puffs), and an unexpected berry cake. Coffee, champagne, and a local porter aged on Fernet Branca barrel chips were served alongside. Phil and Tiphaine are obviously the best hosts in the whole wide world.

Eight hours later, I headed back to Paris with plenty of gratitude and leftovers. And I'm already excited for tomorrow's "Anksgeeving" dinner with grad school friends. Although I'm most definitely sad to miss my family's annual fête, I'm thankful for this new tradition, too. Oh! By the way, obrigado is Portuguese for "thank you." I'm especially fond of it because it's so similar to the Spanish abrigo (coat) and abrazo (hug). Happy Thanksgiving, friends! Let's embrace all that significance and share our gratitude generously:

• Donate to disaster relief in the Phillipines.
• Create a care package for a local homeless shelter.
• Send season's greetings to a military veteran, service member, or family.
• Recycle an old cell phone for global health.
• Make Thanksgiving possible for those less fortunate.
• Knit a scarf for a college student in need.
• Smile at a stranger; hug your parents; call an old friend; compliment a loved one; say merci, and really, truly mean it.

only in new york

This past weekend was my last in New York--at least until June at which time I'll be running from my sister's high school graduation (already? I know!) to my friend's wedding (already?! I know, ha.)

To make sure I enjoyed it to the fullest, I first cooked. My Parisian kitchen is rather limited a.k.a. stove-less so preparing a dish for the potluck dinner was a real treat. I peeled and sliced 6 parsnips and added them to a buttered dish with sliced onions, gruyere, shredded kale, and sprigs of thyme.

Then I poured over a heated mixture of heavy cream, minced garlic, salt, nutmeg, white pepper, flour and more thyme. I topped with gruyere and a pinch of nutmeg before covering the dish and placing it in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 50 minutes. Later, at Leslie's, I baked it for another 20 minutes uncovered.

Behold, parsnip gratin. It was delicious. You can get the full recipe at feasting at home by clicking on the link.

Once prepared, I carefully placed it in the car and drove to Brooklyn for, as I've said, another potluck.

There, I enjoyed three kinds of homemade hummus (plain, sun-dried tomato, and pesto), along with a yogurt dip, kale salad, glazed carrots, and my parsnip gratin. Five other even-lovelier-than-the-tasty-food-they-brought ladies were present. And for dessert, we were all about the red wine chocolate fudge brownies.

Later that night, I subway-ed over to Manhattan to crash my grand little's birthday party. What fun!

I awoke Saturday morning, exhausted, and drove home; making sure to stop in Queens along the way.

Why? Well, to see Miss Katie, of course! And brunch at a charming Greek restaurant that serves omelettes with fries, and toast, and salad, and a complimentary mimosa for only $12. 'Twas a busy wonderful 24 hours.

So as soon as I arrived at my parents' quiet house, I relaxed, and then slept "forever". All I did on this lazy Sunday was see a fantastic movie with my Mom, and only now am about run out to meet friends for a glass of wine. I cannot wait to be back in Paris next weekend, but gosh, there is nothing like being home in New York.

dinner parties in paris

I am meeting Marie for my first brunch in Paris later this morning. I don't think brunch is necessarily a French thing, but it's one of those few American traditions that has successfully (albeit on a small scale) infiltrated its way into Parisian culture. So happy for that! And to have received such a stellar recommendation from My Little Paris. Looking forward to sharing my experience with you soon.

To show my gratitude, I thought I'd reflect on the most recent, rather "French" meal I enjoyed. My friend Shola (pictured above, center) is living in apartment with two super cool French twenty-somethings. Last week, they hosted a dinner party at their beautiful apartment in the 10e. It was, as expected, a potluck of sorts. 

[Greek pasta salad, French bread with assorted cheeses]

[stuffed mushrooms]

[toasted croissants with basil, tomato, and steak]

[quiche aux légumes/lorraine, salmon crackers, Spanish chorizo]

[No-Bake Peanut Butter-Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies]

It was a beautiful meal, complete with the majority of my new friends and copious amounts of wine. Then (as expected) we continued to a bar for late-night dancing.

As much as life hasn't at all been overwhelmingly glamourous, Paris has been fun and mostly very good to me so far. I think I'm finally starting to feel at home.

miss you already

My sister is still in Spain (she gets back on Sunday), my brother left for Arizona (without saying goodbye, mind you), and my parents and I are not sure how to be just the three of us with only a handful of days remaining before I move out of their house and the entirety of the United States. Did you fight with your parents more frequently before going away to college? I did, and later discovered it's a common coping mechanism. I think I may be trying to avoid spending too much time with them in order to protect myself from the inevitable ways I'll be missing them soon. At least we were able to have an "only child" meal at my favorite local restaurant, The Cookery. It was as spectacular as I remembered it.

[FiDi potluck at Sofia's with special guest, Holly]

[Columbus Circle Whole Foods lunch with my college roomie]

[LES pizza, wine, and ice cream dinner date with Stephanie]

Spending as much time as possible with friends, however, has not been a problem. It's almost funny because God knows I already miss them so much, too.