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Bon voyage!

A few of the places I temporarily vandalized in the name of the gallery

Masters of Dessert

I'm going to miss much of the food here in France. In particular, the desserts. They just don't make them at home like they do here, and in such variety. These are some of my top favorites that I'll miss the most!

1. Tartes and tartelettes: tartes (for several people) and tartelettes (personal size) have been around since medieval times. They used to be filled with meat or vegetables more often than fruit, but today they've really become more of a dessert, commonly seen as pie crusts filled with fruit custards or made of layers of chocolate and fruit. Though they've been developed all over the world, the French in particular have made an art out of them, often adding a chocolate curl, piece of fruit, or even a speck of gold on top. One of my favorites is the tartelette au citron; Grace introduced me to them and I've never been the same.

2. Berthillon ice cream: the Berthillon ice cream company has been around since 1954, and showcases a secret that becomes known as soon as you try their ice cream/sorbet for the first time: they use no "chemical preservatives, artificial sweeteners, or stabilizers", and it shows. The only ingredients used in making the ice cream are milk, sugar, cream, and eggs, as well as flavors which only derive from natural sources such as cocoa, vanilla beans, and specific fruits. It allows them to make extremely funky flavors like banana, earl grey tea, pineapple, whiskey, cocktails, fig, melon, and pear - and the pear tastes just like an actual pear, the melon just as a melon would. More common flavors like strawberry and raspberry are also out of this world - it's as if the essence of the word "strawberry" has been distilled and defined in a single tiny scoop. I can't help but think of Berthillon as Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, only for ice cream.

3. Macarons: like the French ice, macarons come in practically any flavor. However, unlike Berthillon, its origins are a little unclear - it's possible they were originally imported to France from Italy, around Catherine de' Medici's time, during the 16th century. Although, since then, the French have really claimed it as their own. The macaron-maker Ladurée is famous for having defined the macaron as it is known today: a layer of "buttercream, jam, or ganache filling," between two almond meringue discs. For me, the really miraculous thing about macarons is the subtle way they change flavors while being eaten.

4. Croissants: well, they're much more of a breakfast item than a dessert, but they're still pastries specialized in France. Especially with the huge variety of types such as pains au chocolat and pains aux raisins, I could see them being eaten at any time of the day. Though crescent-shaped breads have been made since medieval times, the ancestor of the modern croissant was found in Austria. In the late 1830's, the French developed it further into a "laminated" bread - a technique of folding the dough that results in the characteristic flaky texture of a croissant. Today, inspired by the American fast-food market, they've been frozen and shipped around the world, earning the place of most common French food, especially at breakfast (today 30%-40% in Paris pâtisseries have been frozen). Still, nothing beats a freshly made/warmed croissant from a Parisian pâtisserie - excellent on any corner of town.

5. Crêpes sucres: you can put practically anything on a crêpe - be it nutella, jam, powdered sugar, apples, eggs, chicken/ham, or cheese. February 2, a special holiday called La Chandeleur, evolved into "National Crêpe Day," and families across France make and eat crêpes together as a celebration of spring. Apparently, while cooking them, if you can flip it in the air and get it to land in the pan while holding a gold coin in your left hand, you'll become rich that year. Crêpes are especially esteemed in Bretagne, where they are particularly huge and thin, and served with cider. Though I've had crêpes even at home before coming to France, watching them make it in front of you is quite an experience: they use a little tool to spread the batter on a hot plate. Nothing like a freshly made crêpe!

The word "dessert" is a descendant of the old French word "desservir", meaning "to clear the table" and "to serve". It grew out of a medieval practice to eat a little cheese or something sweet, such as honey or dates, after a meal. Once people learned how to cultivate sugar, it became much more common, though still only reserved for those who could afford it. As time went on, of course, it became more and more common. The French, so famous for their food, have especially taken off with it, creating edible works of art and imagination.

Being in Paris, the food has been so much a part of the experience, that it's really going to be an adjustment going back and not being able to buy fantastic camembert from a local market around the corner for the equivalent of $2, or to walk around town with a crazy new Berthillon flavor. Dinner with my host parents has also introduced me to new combinations and ways of eating food. Paola, another girl on foreign exchange who lives with us, is studying to become a chef and has shared her magnificent and various dessert creations. I'm not much of a chef myself, but this whole experience has heightened my appreciation and inspired me to learn some French recipes!

sources:

http://www.berthillon.fr/

http://www.laduree.fr/

http://www.rolopan.com/Main_frame_history.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dessert

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This day in history: landings at Normandy, 1944. And we were just there!

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Memory of the First World War, in Paris

At Trocadéro, just across the street and to the left when facing away from the Eiffel Tower, is a WWI monument “to the Glory of the French Army,” and the memory of one of the most devastating wars the world has seen. This war was deadly for the French, who lost over one million lives. France’s economy was also shattered with the cost of the war at 200 billion francs (one franc in 1914 is equivalent to a little over 3 euros today*. Its value decreased rapidly during the war). The monument, a wide, curving, stone wall, is framed by greens below and leafy vines on either side. These help to draw attention towards the center, where a group of allegories honor the meaning of the faded words to the left and right: “to our heroes… to our dead.” The seven figures are gathered close together, each going about their own business, but as if simultaneously working towards the war effort and hope for France. Looking at it from left to right (from the side of “our heroes” to the “our dead”), an officer on a horse (on the left and side of the heroes) looks out above three soldiers, shouldering packs and carrying gear; as well as a fourth, the furthest to the right (and the dead). A woman, probably a saint, is holding the dead man, in memory of those who lost their lives fighting. In the very middle, a women floats above the ground with a shield, as though watching over and protecting all who went to war. The figures give memory to both those who survived, and those who lost their lives; to the French Army, and all who fought in the name of France.

Sources:

* http://www.leparticulier.fr/jcms/c_109215/conversion-en-francs/euros-constants-les-nouvelles-valeurs-2010

http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelpregion/europe/france/france/ww1/frenchww1.html

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