January 2022
(same but different...)
January 24th 2022
Ah January. A bit like the first really big snowstorm of the year - it arrives all fresh and pretty with such promise. And then a few days later we’re all a bit stuck (literally in the snow over here, where we had 50cm of snow one day last week, school was closed - unheard of for us - for TWO days) and the city is still a slushy, frozen (and dirty) mess.
Ok, ok so January’s not that bad but it’s definitely been messy. The start of school was postponed by 2 days. Then school was moved online for 10 days. Then it was supposed to be back to in-person learning but because of the snow storm we had two bonus days off (no online learning at all for my students). And now we’re back to in-person school with extra restrictions and lots of absences (sickness, isolation, quarantine) so it’s definitely not quite back to “normal” here in Ontario just yet.
But… the days are getting longer - I can even squeeze in a run after school that isn’t in complete darkness and while it’s still very cold (temps like -28C with windchill at some points last week!), there have been quite a few sunny days which makes it feel much better and more hopeful (as in, spring actually might be coming… sometime?).
So… onwards?! While it feels like Groundhog Day (which is coming up in February), things can only get better from hereon in, right?
How about you? How are things where you live? Back to normal or back to a few months ago in terms of restrictions/ life?
Here are some sunflowers to remind us that brighter days are coming!
Happy Monday!
event alert (everyone, everywhere welcome!)
Join me and the Alliance Française de Pasadena for a fun chat and cooking demonstration on Sunday February 6th at 5pm EST/ 2pm PST. Register here!
In-person cooking classes are (might be?) back!
After a false start and three postponed classes (thanks Omicron), it looks like I WILL be back teaching at the beautiful Kitchen at St Lawrence Market in Toronto from February onwards, with added Covid protocols to keep everyone safe! *** Note that this may change based on provincial guidelines.
I’m starting out with some familiar favourite classes - macarons, choux pastry, le café gourmand (mini French pastries) 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.
Looking for info about online classes?
I’m in the process of developing a few new classes and bringing a few favourites back to the Context Travel lineup! Stay tuned!
giveaway!
I’m giving away THREE copies of French Food for Everyone: le dîner (dinner) this month to three lucky subscribers, anywhere in the world! I’ll do the random draw on January 31st at 6pm EST. The winners will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond, otherwise other winners names will be drawn. Thanks for subscribing and good luck!
links you might like
eat
Our guide to freezing food properly via Leite’s Culinaria. Super useful info here!
Fish sticks make no sense: How a weird 1950s finger food made it big via The Atlantic. A fascinating look at the history of “fish fingers” as we used to call them when I was growing up in Australia. I mean, who knew? (also: a secret guilty pleasure of mine!)
5 recipes that rely on pantry staples via Leite’s Culinaria. Recipes for when there’s “nothing to eat”.
The (other) French chef via Hazlitt. “Julia Child’s collaborator Simone Beck has lingered as an object of pity in public memory. But maybe Beck didn’t want stardom at all.” If you’ve ever wondered about the other authors of Mastering the Art of French Cooking…
live
The forgotten medieval habit of “two sleeps” via BBC. Bring back the morning and evening sleep!!!
“A painting is never finished” : Legendary Chef Jacques Pépin on his secret life as an artist and why he’s sharing it now via artnet. I love that Pépin’s next book will feature “chicken-inspired artworks”
My Buy-Nothing group has helped me get organized, meet new friends and save the planet via Chatelaine. This is actually a written by a local writer and is an excellent look into this way of life I see more and more people taking part in. Organization, new friends and a happier planet can’t be bad, right?
travel
12 useful tips for your next visit to a French food market via David Lebovitz. Written by David’s assistant, Emily, this will transport you to le jour du marché…
Dreaming of Gascony (see below for a lovely little place you could rent!)? Anne of Aquitaine Travel Guide has you covered here. We love Agen, for example!
write
(a focus on kids’ books this month)
8 new children’s books that celebrate food diversity via Food 52. Looking to diversify your child’s reading list? Here’s a great place to start.
French books for little ones via 123 Petit Pas. Includes some great tips on what to look for when you’re choosing books for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers.
Indigenous French children’s books also via 123 Petit Pas. Finding content in French from indigenous authors or that highlight indigenous stories isn’t always easy. Here’s a solid list to get started.
29 children’s books that will teach your kids about the world via Condé Nast Traveler. For when you’re dreaming of travel…
what we’re watching
Falling for Figaro “A brilliant young fund manager leaves her unfulfilling job and long-term boyfriend to chase her lifelong dream of becoming an opera singer in the Scottish Highlands.” Complete escapism. So sweet.
Silent Night “Nell, Simon, and their son Art are ready to welcome friends and family for what promises to be a perfect Christmas gathering. Perfect except for one thing: everyone is going to die.” Um, this looked like some dark humour and it was thought provoking but ultimately depressing. With a shocking, eye opening (literally) ending.
The Woods “In Warsaw, a prosecutor's hopes rise after a body is found and linked to his sister's disappearance 25 years earlier.” Ok, this was an accidental Harlan Coben viewing. It’s in Polish so I didn’t realize. It’s actually a good plot and the cinematography is very well done but don’t try to watch this if you are tired unless you understand Polish and need to “rest your eyes”. I had to rewatch a few episodes.
Stay Close “The lives of a photojournalist, a soccer mom and a homicide detective are disturbed by a terrible event from the past.” As you’d expect with a Harlan Coben series, there are a million different plots that all end up intersecting. A good “quick watch” but I think I’ve had my Coben fill for a while!
King Richard “A look at how tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams became who they are after the coaching from their father Richard Williams.” I LOVED this. A real feel-good movie. Much more about Richard than the sisters and it’s very inspiring.
Yellowjackets “A wildly talented high school girl soccer team becomes the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the Ontario wilderness.” All I can say is WHOAH. Lots of “closed my eyed because I didn’t want to see x, y or z” moments here. I have SO MANY questions (this reminds me of Lost, when after each episode fans would post all sorts of theories online about what happened…). But perhaps my biggest question is “Why did it take 19 MONTHS to find a plane that crashed?”. 19 days, sure. 19 weeks… a stretch. 19 MONTHS? What?
Requiem “The story of one musician's quest for answers about her is a meticulous, eerie tale about understanding the unexplained.” This was a really well-written limited series… until the story collapsed into the supernatural in the last couple of episodes. The detective story stands on its own. I thought the ending was a bit overdone.
Don’t Look Up “Two low-level astronomers must go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth.” Ok, so are we the only people who didn’t LOVE this? It just felt like it was trying too hard. (sorry, everyone!)
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 July and August still available!
Thanks for reading!
Stay safe xo