After I returned to Saint-Dizier from Reims, I went straight to work. I had to prepare a cake for the dinner party we were going to at Eric's, Papa's friend. I wanted to make my go-to wine cake, but change it up a bit with Chardonnay Anise Icing. I once read, "DO NOT try new recipes for people you don't know." I should have listened. I was heavy handed with the anise and it overpowered the flavor of the cake, not to mention my poor math skills because I think my conversions were off and I added too many grams of butter. Whoops! Somehow, everyone enjoyed it but me...or maybe they were just pretending?
Eat. Drink. And be merry.
That is how the French do it! As soon as we got to Eric's, he was filling glasses of Champagne for us out on his second floor patio. Even though, I don't understand much French, being surrounded by native speakers makes you understand it somehow. Francois, the doctor, asked if I understood their conversations a couple of times and I actually did! I might not have been able to understand every single word, but I got the just of the stories. I felt honored that they even included me in their gathering seeing that I don't speak and understand their language that well ;D
Round 1: Champagne. Snacks & Such: Cherry tomatoes, some type of Salami, Roasted & Salted Cashews, and a cold buttery bread with jambon in it. More Champagne. And more Champagne.
After being in complete bliss with Champagne in my hand, sitting out on the deck in the beautiful weather, the France vs. Spain football match in the background, admiring the French sense in fashion and watching a group of good friends eat, drink and be merry, I thought to myself, "Life is good." Just observing my new friends and listening to their rapid French conversations was the highlight of my night! Patrick, one of the men I met that night was my favorite ;D He was thrilled every time he could speak to me in English and more excited when I understood him. He got a kick out of correcting the other men's English too, haha :D What a jolly man! Patrick even offered me his sweater before dinner, quite the gentleman ;)
We headed to the dining room after Round 1. It was simply gorgeous! A taupe table cloth, white plates and wine glasses and water glasses galore and colorful napkins! Eric had even arranged a seating chart for us. A novel idea! Every one was intermingled and the couples did not sit together. I felt like I was in leadership class again participating in an ice breaker. Great job, Eric!!!
Round 2: Appetizers: Blocks of salmon and tuna seasoned and prepared with some type of creamy sauce (surprisingly I favored the tuna over the salmon), Baby Spinach Salad in an awesome Balsamic Reduction, Pain and now...Rosé.
I was regretting not taking a second helping of spinach salad because that dressing was BOMB!!! But not to worry because the night was still young at 10:00pm.
Round 3: Rosé. Entreés: Julienned Carrot & Celery Salads, Cucumber Salad in a white dressing (like Tzatkiki), Merguez Sausage and Barbecued Chicken.
Wow...this was a never-ending feast!!! The cucumber salad was so fresh and crisp, I loved it ;P And CHICKEN! CHICKEN! I haven't had chicken since before I came to France and was in 7th heaven, especially because it was barbecued chicken...ahhhhhhh ;P
Round 4: Dessert: Maman's Beautiful Fruit Tart and my not so pretty Chardonnay Anise Gâteau, garnished with dark red cherries and Le Vin Rouge (Red wine).
I couldn't wait to bite into Maman's tart! I am a huge, HUGE fan of tarts!! I always asked my mom for a fruit tart when we celebrated my birthday back in the day. And now...a hand-made one! What a treat! It was fresh, subtlety sweet and I loved the crunch of the roasted pistachios she added at the final second. By now, Tibo, Francois's son had joined us. He needed to practice his English because he was going to his aunt's wedding in Boston in a couple of weeks, so it was nice to converse with someone for more than a couple minutes. However, I kept speaking in French, hah! What a nut!
The end of the night was a bit of a blur. From Champagne, to Rosé and finally Le Vin Rouge...ay yay yay!!! No wonder I was useless on Sunday!
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