Deep sadness and great joy
(aka: June 2022)
June 22nd, 2022
It’s been one month since we said goodbye to our gorgeous girl, Cleo at age 21 (this beautiful portrait was a custom order from local artist Emily May Rose and it sits, right now, on Cleo’s chair with her snuggly hoodie, her fuzzy toy and her little catnip pillow which we can’t bear to put away just yet). The month of May was full of worry (when she first got sick) and deep, deep sadness when she left us; coupled with the end of the school year, suffice to say, emotions have been high recently.
Cleo’s passing aside, this has been the most challenging year teaching during the pandemic. Though we were back teaching in-person, the ever-changing rules around Covid protocols were nothing short of exhausting with absences and isolations to keep track of, all the while just trying to keep the curriculum chugging along under what can only be described as definitely NOT normal circumstances… I’ve never been more depleted at the end of a school year. Here’s to next school year looking more normal (I know, I said this the last two years…).
And then, in the midst of the exhaustion and grief came this…
Yes! That’s our Mr. Neil - Certified Sommelier! Neil has always had a passion for wine and already has a load of credentials under his belt (WSET Level 3 + the CMS Introductory Course and Examination (he passed with 100%!) amongst other certifications). Over the past two years, he's been offering amazing online events and education sessions for friends and the public alike. He provided wine pairing suggestions for the dishes French Food for Everyone (le dîner) and supported my cooking classes with wine pairing suggestions and education.
The question he often gets asked is, "So you're a Sommelier?" and because he doesn't WORK in wine, it wasn't something he needed, but people introduced him as a Somm anyway which bugged him because it's a hard-earned title (like when people introduce me as a chef, I SO am not worthy of that title!).
A few months ago, he decided to go for it and finish the CMS certification, and we headed into an intense period of study (and drinking wine!). I don't know how he managed this on top of a full-time in-person job and such a very sad time in our lives, but he put his head down and got on with it.
I tried so hard not to be too hopeful on the day of his exam - it's a HARD exam, especially when you don't work with wine every day (there was a service portion which meant all sorts of hilarity recently as Neil pretend-served loads of our friends - and opened countless bottles of bubbly) but he nailed it coming in second overall!
What's next? Professionally not sure, but NOW he can say he's a Somm! For starters, though, he’s over on Instagram, sharing his knowledge - go on, give him a follow!
Summer 2022 - to Santiago de Compostela!
That’s right - FINALLY, I'm finishing the Camino this summer (only two years late)! Follow along over on Instagram as I tackle the last 112km with Neil and some friends. I can’t wait! And if you’re interested in the journey so far (I walked a stage per summer from 2016 - 2019), check out my play-by-play posts!
Special offer!
As a nod to my blog turning 13 this year, I’m offering 13% off paid subscriptions. Paid subscribers receive a couple more newsletters each month, including exclusive recipes (I’ve got some video recipes coming up soon, too), plus the chance to comment on and chat about posts with other subscribers. As a subscriber, you’ll receive only the posts you sign up for, with no advertising interrupting your user experience. For less than the price of one coffee each week, won’t you consider supporting this creative space?
Join me for a cooking class
In-person classes
Stay tuned - I’m hoping to get a few classes on the schedule for late summer and autumn - things are in transition at the St Lawrence Market Kitchen in Toronto where I offer classes, but you’ll be the first to know about the classes I’m teaching there later this year!
Online cooking classes
I’m still teaching online cooking classes for Context Travel! Use the code MMICHELS20 for 20% off registration (new Context clients only). Join in from anywhere in the world! Classes are listed for July and August - with more classes being added soon!
You might have missed…
I joined Dorie Greenspan’s Choux Pastry Bake-along and made these Raspberry Cheesecake Choux Puffs! Get the recipe here.
Summer Reads is back!
Have you checked out my Summer Reads series where I share book recommendations – a series of “not just cookbooks”?
First up this summer - The Paris Apartment and The Chateau - perfect beach, bed, couch, porch, plane, and train reads!
links you might like
eat
In My Childhood Kitchen, I Learned Both Fear and Love via Bon Appetit. “While surviving my stepfather’s abuse, I found unlikely solace in his cooking.” This can be hard to read, but it’s powerful and beautifully written.
The Utopian Promises and Novelty Cheese of a Discount Grocery Store via Taste Cooking. Have YOU shopped in an Aldi? It’s an experience!
Cooking on the frontlines with José Andrés via GQ. “A star feeding the fortunate—and a saint feeding the unfortunate,” Andrés is the force behind the remarkable work of World Central Kitchen.
live
Why we’re all forgetting things right now via The Wall Street Journal (possible paywall). Don’t worry - “short, temporary moments of forgetfulness are happening to more of us more often these days, memory experts say.” Phew!
It’s a grey revolution: pandemic lessons in acceptance via Auburn Lane. Did YOU embrace your natural hair colour during the pandemic?
travel
A tour of France by local apéritifs? via The Connexion. Yes, please. Also, did you know “apéritifs actually started out as medical drinks and were popular in the 19th century among soldiers struggling with malaria in Africa?”
write
Are you looking for some good newsletter recommendations? I’ve got a great curated list for you here!
what we’re watching
Borgen: Power and Glory. Picking up ten years after the original series, this was excellent (if you loved the first series). I appreciated that the characters actually LOOKED 10 years older too! (Note: not recommended when you are tired and like to “just close your eyes for a second and listen” to a show. Unless you speak Danish, of course! Thankful for Netflix so I could rewatch certain parts where I might have nodded off - not an indication of how good this was - more a sign of deep exhaustion).
Top Gun Maverick. OK, I was totally prepared to not like this, but I actually really enjoyed it! “After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators, Pete Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.” Sounds cheesy, right? Yep and it IS. But it’s really well done and I loved how “real” it felt (distinct lack of CGI).
42 Days of Darkness. “In a town in Chile, a woman leads a frantic search to find her missing sister amid a media storm and the police investigation. Inspired by a true case.” This was well-written, if a bit slow-moving. Not recommended to watch the week after you’ve said goodbye to your 21-year-old cat. Not uplifting but compelling.
The Flight Attendant (Season 2), If you watched the original series, you might be expecting something a little lighter. This was much darker than the first series and somehow seemed less original?
buy my books
Don’t have my books? Read all about them and find links to purchase near you here!
rent our holiday home in southwest France!
“This place is heavenly!”
Our charming house in Nérac, halfway between Bordeaux and Toulouse in the heart of Gascony, still has a little bit of availability this summer!
Read more and book your stay here!
Thanks for reading!
Stay safe xo
Mardi