"Mastering the Art of French Cooking"

"Before I moved to France, my life had not prepared me for what I would discover there... As a girl I had zero interest in the stove. I've always had a healthy appetite, especially for the wonderful meat and fresh produce of California, but I was never encouraged to cook and just didn't see the point in it." -My Life in France, Julia Child

When was nine years old, I was introduced to Julia Child's television show. I remember giggling when she slapped a raw chicken on the counter and said her traditional, "Bon appetit!" She was so energetic in the kitchen, so witty and so determined to succeed.

Like Julia, my childhood upbringing in California awarded me plenty of opportunities to eat well, but I was never interested in the preparation of food. My mother bought me a "Cooking for Kids" book when I was quite young, which included simple recipes for chocolate cake and caramel covered party mix. I tried the chocolate cake recipe with her help, decided that baking was boring, and vowed to avoid the kitchen as much as possible. I picked up cooking skills over the years, perhaps begrudgingly, and I learned how to cook well... but rarely, unless a flour fight broke out in the kitchen, did I ever enjoy it.

Something about Paris changes a girl. Perhaps it's the smell of freshly baked bread pouring out of the bakery down the street, or towering window displays of gorgonzola and reblochon. Maybe it's the local street market, bursting with plump red tomatoes and striped green zucchini, and meat laid out by province. One crisp September morning, I searched for interesting ingredients and brought them back to my quirky French kitchen, where I had a large supply of butter and oil waiting. It took time creating a meal off the top of my head. It involved a lot of tasting, and a lot of compensation. And, to my surprise, I enjoyed every imaginative minute.

In the last two months, I have fallen in love with my green-tiled kitchen. Creating a culinary masterpiece in such a tight space requires great skill and confidence, and it can be frustrating when an edible adventure does not turn out as planned. But as Julia Child once said, French cooking is a serious art form and a national sport. It requires practice and patience. There will be failures, but there will also be great successes. My personal victory has been finding pleasure in food, beyond the process of eating. I echo the opening sentiment from Julia's autobiography: "Before I moved to France, my life had not prepared me for what I would discover there." For never, in my entire life, did I imagine the wonderful potential of a kitchen.

Door Knobs

"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live."
-Flora Whittemore













"You can walk through any one that suits you."
-Jim Morrison


*These photos were taken in Bruges, Belgium for my most recent photography assignment.

"Nature, According to Disney" -photography assignment

In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the attractive Phoebus remarks, "Hmm... leave town for a couple of decades and they change everything!" Paris, like any other big city, is a place of metamorphosis and reconstruction. Many thanks to Haussmann's city-wide overhaul, Paris has a layout that is very practical. And, in the spirit of urban progress, the city is continually becoming more efficient. But what is the price of any industrial progress? As Walt Disney once commented, "You can't just let nature run wild."

When I am lucky enough to find a piece of untamed landscape in Paris, I still have a hard time shaking the "big city feeling." The sounds of car horns honking and metro trains rumbling underground are audible from almost anywhere. Disneyland is one of the most fabricated and heavily planned places on earth... and yet, it was at EuroDisney that I finally felt removed from city life. As I was searching for Thunder Mountain Railroad, I found myself in a comfortable rural setting where the air felt clean. And you know what? Sans rides, I would have paid forty euros just to see 'nature' again. I think it's time for me to visit the countryside.

Rain, Fontainebleau, Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte

Hi family and friends! As of Tuesday, I have found my favorite pastry. It's called a "religieuse," and it's available in chocolate, mocha, or rose. Now, I have only tried the chocolate religieuse... but it was such a delightful experience that the other two flavors must be equally delicious. It has the body of a cream puff, and it's filled with chilled chocolate mousse. The exterieur is glazed with a smooth chocolate as well, and decorated with a white buttercream frosting. As far as pastries go, it's not the most glamorous... but do not be deceived by its humble appearance. You're looking at a genuine Parisian masterpiece. It's a wonder I'm losing weight.


On Tuesday night, our host family invited us to "Les Dechargeurs," a new club/theatre near Chatelet. Imagine an old stone building, with beamed ceilings and heavy wooden doors. Now, imagine descending into a cave-like wine cellar, using dusty stone steps. This little cellar room was big enough to fit fifteen people, some at round tables and some on velvet benches. The room was dimly lit and the air felt damp. Now, imagine an evening of Argentine and Brazilian-inspired music, two guitars, an upright bass, and an accordian. Not only was the setting posh, but the music was absolutely fantastic. My host mother leaned over to me and said, "Il n'y a pas des etrangers ici, seulement les francais." In other words, Ashley and I were the only non-locals in the joint... and that made it even better.

On the metro ride home, Jean-Pierre quizzed Ashley on her French vocabulary words.

I enjoyed my first French thunder on Wednesday night, as we were hit with a severe rainstorm. Our entire street began to flood, and from our third-story window we could see motorcyclists hydroplaning on the road. With each passing minute, the water crept closer to our front door. Ashley and I quickly threw on our raincoats and ran outside to take some pictures. Below, you can see the beginning of the flood, when the water began pooling on the sidewalk.


I love rain, and I love Paris... and I had this sneaking suspicion that Paris would be beautiful during a downpour. Well, it was better than I imagined. The air became crisp. The trees began to sparkle. It was magnificent.

All of the pharmacies in Paris are marked with an identical blue and green cross. The following picture shows the wet sidewalk reflecting one of those neon pharmacy signs. That was another cool effect of the rainfall-- the sidewalks were splashed with rainbow colors from various storefront lights.


While walking around our neighborhood in the rain, we stumbled upon a boutique called "Megane" (my name is spelled with an 'e' in French). I was pretty excited, and I had to take a photo. My first rainy evening in Paris was a delight, and I'm looking forward to winter!


Today, I visited two castles: Fontainebleau, and Chateau de Vaux le Vicomte. Fontainebleau was an hour away by bus, hidden in the rural suburbs of Paris. Due to the remote location of the castle, it is not a tourist hotspot... and for me, that only enhanced the appeal of the palace!

Fontainebleau has housed eight centuries of French history. The castle has been home to all of the royalty, Emperors, and Empresses since the Middle Ages. A grand array of architectural styles are present in Fontainebleau, which reflect the personal tastes of the many royals who stayed there. For example, Francois I's chambers (I believe) house intricate tapestries.

During the sixteenth century, Henry IV enlarged the castle. At that time, he updated some of the rooms to incorporate the ideas of artists from all over the world. This photo is from one of the guards' rooms.

This gallery is named after Diana, the goddess of the hunt. It served as a library and refuge for Marie Antoinette, who enjoyed strolling up and down the gallery.


Marie Antoinette's bed chamber contains mother of pearl dressers and tables, and it a charming room. She had good taste in furniture, if nothing else.


Below, you can see Napoleon's throne room. Originally, this room served as a bed chamber for Henry IV through Louis XVI. However, Napoleon decided to transform the room into a "throne room," to keep with the guidelines of empirial etiquette. It is the only throne room in France that still displays, in full, the original furnishings. The two posts on either side of the throne are marked with an "N" for Napoleon. The purple velvet hanging over the throne is embroidered with gold bees, which represent immortality and resurrection. Bees are the oldest emblem of the sovereigns in France, dating back to 1653.


The bed chamber of Napoleon I, below, is decorated with deep greens and blacks. The two chairs by the fireplace are interesting: the arms facing the fireplace are low, to allow the seated individual to enjoy the fire's warmth. The arms facing the window are rather high, to block the cold. Despite the quirky charm of this room, Napoleon rarely slept in it. In fact, he rarely slept at all. He put an equally impressive bed in his office, so that he could rest when absolutely necessary.


This is the ceiling of the Trinity Chapel, which was constructed in the sixteenth century. The paintings are by Martin Freminet, and they illustrate the theme of the redemption of man. This chapel dates from Henry IV and Louis XIII.


Upon exiting the palace, I took this photo to capture my joyful, giddy smile. It was too magnificent, and I couldn't control my facial expressions!


This is part of the exterior of Fontainebleau. Can you see me, way at the top of the stairs? One of the girls in my class said, "Megan, run to the top of the stairs and pretend that you live here." I'm leaning against the railing with my arms outstretched, as if watching over a large garden party that I've organized.


That same photographer, Kylie, tried to capture "Megan looking mysterious." It did not work quite as well. But isn't the architecture fabulous?



I signed the guestbook, just for fun. I wrote, "I want to become a queen..." That sums up how I felt after my visit to Fontainebleau. In such an elaborate palace, it's tempting to dream of large ball gowns, horse-drawn carriages, formal dinner parties, and hours of embroidery. Well, not embroidery. I know that my chances of inhabiting Fontainebleau are... non-existent... but a girl can dream.


Next stop was Vaux le Vicomte, a historical landmark that has been preserved by a line of private owners. Vaux le Vicomte was Nicolas Fouquet's project, and he hired a team of artists and designers to help him build this estate. The history of this place is quite extensive, but I'll sum it up: Louis XIV did not like Fouquet, and upon seeing Vaux le Vicomte, he REALLY didn't like Fouquet. He was jealous that Fouquet had created such an impressive and beautiful palace. Louis XIV had Fouquet imprisoned on false embezzlement charges... and then, Louis hired Fouquet's team of designers to build Versailles. True (condensed) story.

Before being imprisoned, Fouquet threw a large party at his new home. Think about the party scene from Count of Monte Cristo, fireworks and all. Can you imagine fireworks being shot off the roof of this palace? Wouldn't that be spectacular?

I'd like you to notice that there are no tourists in my photo of Vaux le Vicomte. It's a perfect, unobstructed shot... almost like a postcard. Isn't that nice?

Vaux le Vicomte is charming, inside and out. Fouquet's dream was to make art habitable, and he succeeded. The palace is a livable museum.


Vaux le Vicomte is significantly smaller than Fontainebleau, but it is equally impressive. My favorite part of the palace was the dungeon-- the walls were dripping with water, and stalactites were forming on the ceiling. Due to the poor lighting of the dank cave, I was not able to get good pictures. But have you seen "The Man in the Iron Mask"? Fouquet, our superintendant of finances, was imprisoned in Saint Mars with Dauger (aka Leonardo DiCaprio). So, in the dungeon of Vaux le Vicomte, a cell was dedicated to Dauger in his iron mask. Quite frankly, it was a little creepy... but the history was sure fascinating!

Vaux le Vicomte offers nighttime tours during the spring and fall, and I would have loved touring the palace by candlelight... Apparently, the whole palace is covered with candlesticks, and each guest carries her own flame as well. Unfortunately, the last candlelit tour is this weekend, so it's not feasible for me to attempt it... But, in case someone else is planning a trip to France next year, it's something to consider!


What a day I've had, huh? These historical sites have been so well preserved, which is a blessing when you consider how many estates were destroyed by bombs during the world wars. Being able to walk through gardens where great men and women walked, and admire paintings that were appreciated by royal eyes... That's really something. France continues to amaze me.

Photography Project #1

I was taking photos under the Eiffel Tower, when a charming wedding chauffeur approached me. He asked me (in very rapid French) what I was doing, and I explained that I was shooting pictures to send to my family. He said, “You can find photos anywhere. This place is for living. The beautiful monuments only make Paris better.” We chatted about photography for a few minutes, and he invited me to have drinks with him sometime. I politely declined.

He was right. It is so easy to Google beautiful postcard images of the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and Notre Dame. But what do foreigners do when they finally see one of these stunning monuments in person? They often miss looking, feeling, and smelling. Paris has a very strong heartbeat, but I believe that many tourists miss that energy.

I wanted to sketch the Eiffel Tower, so I spent a long time on a nearby bench. In that time, I discovered so much about the life of the tower, and the lives of visitors as well. So many different scents, colors, and accents passed by my little park bench. If I had just taken some pictures of the Eiffel Tower and moved on to the next attraction, I would have missed that experience.

The more I spend time soaking in the culture here, the more I realize that I have become part of the energy of Paris. That’s why, of all the pictures I’ve taken this week, I chose this simple self-portrait (of sorts) to share with you. I only photographed the corner of the Eiffel Tower on purpose—because, as the chauffeur said, the monuments only enhance what Paris has to offer.

As I discover Paris, I discover myself… and I’m finding that the two are not very different, after all.