hello February
(is that spring I see around the corner?)
(view from my first in-person cooking class in 2 years!)
February 21st, 2022
Well hello there! It’s a sunny day in Toronto today and it’s a holiday (“Family Day” long weekend). Whilst there is snow on the ground (well, and ice and slush and puddles), it’s above 0˚C for the first time in ages and I have even managed TWO outdoor “events” in the last two days (yup, still entertaining outside where possible!).
It *feels* like spring might be around the corner. Until you look at your weather app and there is another “Special Weather Statement” calling for freezing rain (15-25mm “possible”). Ah, February in Toronto, such a tease!
Speaking of February, did you know that, apart from it being a cruel, dark and cold (for us in Canada) month, on February 5th every year it’s World Nutella Day? That’s right - I have been celebrating for the past 13 years by posting a recipe on my blog on the Day - this year’s recipe was for easy Nutella pots de crème (find the recipe here).
Nutella Canada responded by sending me a Nutella care package including TWO of these:
On the heels of that, it was "St Valentine’s Day” and I ordered a wonderful afternoon tea from Roselle to enjoy last Sunday afternoon with bubbles, of course!
(so yeah, it’s been a sweet month!)
There’s SO much bad news out there right now (just never-ending, it seems) that it’s important to focus on the little things that bring joy. Like delicious treats :)
What about you - what’s sparking joy for you in February 2022?
Join me to Bake a Difference on National Cupcake Day!
Love animals? Love cupcakes? Love FRENCH-style cupcakes? Join me (in exchange for a modest donation of $10 per screen/ family) on Monday February 28th at 5pm EST to bake financiers, two ways and raise funds for the Toronto Humane Society on the TENTH iteration of National Cupcake Day (also my tenth year participating)! Read more and sign up here!
In-person cooking classes are back!
The rumours are true! In-person classes at The Kitchen at St Lawrence Market in Toronto are back (with added Covid protocols to keep everyone safe)!
I led my first in-person class there last weekend - two years to the day after the last class I gave in 2020! 18 masked, distanced students came together to make a beautiful café gourmand selection (see above!).
I’m starting this spring’s classes with some familiar favourites - macarons, choux pastry, and l’heure de l’apéro - and introducing a couple of new offerings (a French bistro class with wine pairings and a special “goûter” class).
If you’re in Toronto or know someone who is, check out my February - May offerings here. Use NEWSLETTERSUBSCRIBER for 15% off ticket prices.
Online classes are still here!
I’ve got French baking classes a go-go in my Context Travel lineup! Use the code MMICHELS20 for 20% off registration (new Context clients only!). Join in from anywhere in the world!
links you might like
eat
The Absolute Best Way to Fry Eggs According to 42 Tests via Food 52. In case you were wondering. I don’t think this will change the way I fry my eggs (bacon fat, butter or sometimes olive oil) but it was fascinating to read.
I’m Breaking Up with Butter Because I Love the Earth via Epicurious. By *just* giving up meat but not dairy (because of its impact on the environment) are you cancelling out your own attempt to make an impact? Thought provoking.
Get ready for a Julia Child-inspired cooking competition via Variety. Ok, I love Julia but do we *need* a cooking competition inspired by her? Jury’s out until I watch the show.
live
After 2.5-Week ‘War’ With 3 Cats, Woman Contacts Vitamix Asking For Empty Boxes To Replace The One Her Cats Took Over With New Blender Inside via Bored Panda. Pure internet gold right here.
Why introverts excelled at working from home via BBC. “I’d get up at 5 a.m. and instead of having to go through the rigamarole of getting ready, feeding the dogs, the laundry list of things to get out the door and do the 45-minute commute, I was just in the zone”. I can totally relate to this article. I’m SO much more productive in more aspects of my life working from home (the question of the efficacy of teaching a foreign language to elementary school students online aside).
and on that note…
The Quiet Joys of the Very, very Early Morning Club via The Wall Street Journal. Again, I relate. I am a natural early riser and get SO much done before many are even awake.
‘Who scoops the litter box?’ Answers about the mysterious lives of White House cats. via The Washington Post. If these are the sorts of questions that keep you awake at night.
travel
I can’t believe I’m saying this but I will FINALLY complete walking the Camino de Santiago this summer! I started walking it in 2016 and only planned to complete the first stage (Saint Jean Pied-de-Port to Logroño) but loved it so much I continued on with a stage (roughly 150km) each summer until 2019. I was to complete the final leg in the summer of 2020 (the year of a BIG birthday) but, well, you know… Neil and three friends will join me this summer to complete the final leg (112km) together.
Want to read all about my trip thus far? Check out all my posts here (they in backwards chronological order with the most recent post last). If you don’t want to real four years’ worth of posts about my experience so far, here is a handy Q&A post about how I have approached walking the Camino.
Interested in other folks’ Camino experiences? Here is a (non-exhaustive) list of books about the Camino you might enjoy!
write
Are you writing five letter words every morning like the rest of the world? Want to make up for lost time? Play the Wordle archives!
Your Wordle Strategy says a lot about how you see the world via NPR. Hilarious and spot on!
Reader Comments for The New York Times’ “Homestyle Spaghetti Carbonara” Recipe via Medium. People write the funniest things (and while these make me laugh, as a recipe writer, some of these also make me cry!).
what we’re watching
“When the first Afghan woman stood up for her freedom and ran in the Marathon of Afghanistan, she started a movement for equality that spread around the world. Zainab’s story inspired legendary marathon runner, Martin Parnell, to imagine what his life might be like if his gender prevented him from going outside to run. Martin vowed to run in the Marathon of Afghanistan the following year to support Zainab, and partnered with filmmaker and first time marathoner, Kate McKenzie, to tell the story. To avoid making the marathon a target for terrorist attack, they must train, and travel to Afghanistan in secret, where they will uncover unexpected beauty, incredible hardships, and the amazing people who stand for change. This is the story of the brave Afghan women who are risking it all for the freedom to run.”
This is one of the most powerful things I’ve watched recently. Even if you are not a runner or “into” running, you should watch it.
You can catch the full-length feature here (or watch the children’s adaptation here).
and also…
All Creatures Great and Small. The second season of the remake is just as delightful as the first. A breath of fresh air (literally).
Around the World in 80 Days. This new adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic is thoroughly enjoyable. David Tennant as Phileas Fogg is brilliant!
Inventing Anna. OMG. Just …. speechless. This starts out and feels like it might be a little bit fluffy and in substantive but then it keeps going and just, wow. So much to take in here. Addictive.
The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman. Whoah. I stumbled on this before anyone had ever heard of The Tinder Swindler (also on my list). “In this harrowing docuseries, a cruel conman masquerading as a British spy manipulates and steals from his victims, leaving ruined families in his wake.” This is just UNBELIEVEABLE. HOW do people get conned like this? Gripping viewing.
Looking for something a little lighter? Leite’s Culinaria has you covered with The Best Romantic Comedies for Anyone who Loves Food!
To read:
The pros and cons of tv shows that tackle life in - or after - a pandemic via CBC. This is interesting as I always find it jarring to see the pandemic immortalized in shows/ movies but then I also find it jarring when it’s not (as in: “Whoah there are a lot of people in close range not wearing masks” kinds of reactions…).
buy my books
Don’t have my books? Read all about them and find links to purchase near you!
rent our holiday home in south-west France!
Our charming house in Nérac, halfway between Bordeaux and Toulouse in the heart of Gascony is available to rent if you're able to travel there! Dates in August and beyond are still available!
Thanks for reading!
Stay safe xo