French Frozen
By Ann | January 23, 2010
It’s taken me over a year, but I think I’ve finally cottoned onto the French secret to eating well at home. Is it shopping at the farmer’s market every day? Making the daily rounds of butcher, baker, and green grocer? Lovingly slaving over a hot stove, preparing delicious and nutritious meals every night? Ha — who has time for that? No, the secret, mes amis, is Picard.
What is Picard? Simply put, it’s a chain of stores selling frozen food. But not just any frozen food. Alongside the usually icy suspects, like pizzas and readymade meals, are an array of frozen products designed to ease the busy gourmand’s lifestyle.
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Topics: Sur ma table | 13 Comments »
Bruyère by any other name
By Ann | January 19, 2010
Today’s post is dedicated to my friend, Heather — perhaps you recognize her name from the comments section. It’s a pretty name, Heather, isn’t it? In the United States, it was the eighth most popular name for baby girls of the 1970s, and tenth most popular of the 1980s. Too bad Heather’s parents didn’t know that she would grow up to become a French professor.
You see, the word “heather” is virtually unpronounceable by Francophones. There’s something about the aspirated “h” followed by the “th” combination that ties French tongues into knots. As a result, Heather has spent years in France hearing her name butchered. She’s learned to answer to “Ez-air,” “Ez-rrrrr” and many other variations.
As you probably know, the name refers to an evergreen, flowering plant indigenous to Scotland’s peaty landscape. In France, they call the plant bruyère (photo above), a word that Heather herself taught me. At first, I was incredibly impressed she knew such an arcane term. “You’ll see why,” she told me.
Out to dinner that evening, I introduced Heather to a French pal. “Je m’appelle Heather,” she told him.
“Ez-air? EZ-rrr?” he repeated unhappily.
“It’s a flower, the same thing as bruyère in French,” she told him.
Guess what he called her for the rest of the night?
“I just can’t remember what your English name is,” he told her.
Later, Heather assured me this was far from the first time that had ever happened.
“What’s in a name? That which we call heather by any other name — eg bruyère — would smell as sweet.” I’m pretty sure that’s an exact quote from the Bard’s mouth.
Topics: A year in a French market: Winter | 7 Comments »
It’s a book!
By Ann | January 15, 2010
So, yesterday I was in the bathroom trying to discern if certain strands of hair were white or simply just reflecting under the light (when you have black hair, it can be hard to tell), when I heard the doorbell ring. And, lo and behold, there was a DHL delivery man, with a very special package — an advance copy of Kitchen Chinese!
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Topics: Book, Kitchen Chinese: a novel | 22 Comments »
Dreaming of a French life
By Ann | January 13, 2010
Once upon a time, about five years ago, I used to stare out my office window, through the layer of grime that covered the pane, and gaze at a smog-filled sky, the filled parking lot below, and a series of Communist cereal box buildings, each blockier than the last. I was living in Beijing at the time and, though I appreciated the vibrant, futuristic hum of China, I dreamed of living in France.
One day, surfing the web at lunch, I found a blog, French Word-a-Day, which offered delightful French vocabulary lessons in the form of vignettes. The writer, Kristin Espinasse, shared her stories of life as an American in the south of France so charmingly that each post felt like a cyber-vacation. I shared Kristin’s blog with an editor friend at Simon and Schuster and I was thrilled to bits when her blog became a book, Words in a French Life!
Of course, at the time, I never dreamed I would move to Paris, or have the opportunity to become fluent in French. But five years later, my French dream has become a reality. Like many fantasies, the reality hasn’t turned out quite the way I expected, but one of the biggest highlights of living here has been meeting Kristin and her husband, Jean-Marc, and tasting the silky wine they produce at their vineyard, the Domaine Rouge-Bleu. Recently, Kristin plugged Kitchen Chinese on her blog and her lovely post, along with the comments from her loyal readers, moved me to tears.
I sometimes think how lucky I was to live in China, to be inspired by a cuisine and culture that is ethnically my own, and to have the opportunity to write Kitchen Chinese. But living in Beijing gave me some unexpected gifts — it taught me how to be a better visitor in a foreign place, and introduced me to my first internet friend. And for that, and so much more, I will always be grateful.
P.S. Kitchen Chinese is now shamelessly promoting itself on Facebook. Become a fan!
Topics: Book, Kitchen Chinese: a novel | 7 Comments »
Snow and Scotland
By Ann | January 7, 2010
The Scots call New Year’s Eve “hogmanay” and this year I was chuffed to ring in this very Scottish holiday with my Scottish mates, in Perthshire. As you can see from these photos, it was extremely cold — and also very beautiful.
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Topics: Uncategorized | 8 Comments »
Bonne année and bits of book news
By Ann | January 4, 2010
Bonjour and happy new year, mes amis! I counted down to the New Year in Scotland (more on this later), where we welcomed 2010 under the clear light of a blue moon. While I was there, Kitchen Chinese received two wonderful reviews, which I’m thrilled to share with you now!
The China Daily says: “Kitchen Chinese by Ann Mah, former dining editor of That’s Beijing, is a novel about a young Chinese-American woman’s attempt to retrace her roots in China. Happily, much of this journey is through sampling Chinese cuisine.”
(And all this time I thought the China Daily was merely a communist mouthpiece! Little did I know they had such an intelligent and perceptive book review.)
From the Romantic Times: “[A] splendid debut… Readers are transported to Beijing and introduced to the culture, social life, and culinary delights by Isabelle, a refreshing, at times bewildered guide… Ultimately, it’s about the adventures life offers… Warm and humorous. Four-and-a-half stars.”
Click here for the full review (or, er, you’ll be able to click after I figure out to post a PDF. I’m suffering from miserable jet lag and brain seems unable to perform technical tasks).
Finally, if it’s 2010, it means I’m hitting the road soon for my Kitchen Chinese book tour! Come February, I’ll be traveling the United States, dishing about my book, my favorite Chinese foods, and where to find them. I hope you’ll check out my appearances page and consider joining me at one of my events. I would love to see you there!
Topics: Book, Kitchen Chinese: a novel | 8 Comments »
Winter Wonderland
By Ann | December 25, 2009
Paris is even more beautiful when covered with a blanket of snow. I took this photo last week, but it seems appropriate to share it with you today. Wherever you are in the world, I hope you are enjoying your own winter wonderland. Joyeux Noël!
Topics: Uncategorized | 5 Comments »
Cookie party!
By Ann | December 14, 2009
I’ve tried to ignore the signs, but even someone as faintly Scrooge-like as myself can’t deny it: Christmas is here. With pine boughs decorating shop windows, and stores open on Sunday (they’re allowed special dispensation during the month of December), bells are jingling and so are cash registers. Two things that make me thankful to live in France: 1) The holiday season starts in December, not October, and 2) There is a blessed paucity of Christmas carols.
But before I get carried away counting my piles of money and stealing legs of ham out of the mitts of Tiny Tim, I have to admit that I did feel a twinge of the Christmas spirit this past weekend at my friend, Erin’s, Christmas cookie party. Five of us gathered to bake and swap cookies, nibble on hot artichoke dip, and sip apple cider. What did we make?
Topics: Sur ma table, Uncategorized | 8 Comments »
A year in a French market: The great pumpkin
By Ann | December 10, 2009
How much would you pay for a can of pumpkin? You know, a 16 oz can of Libby’s solid-pack pumpkin? A lot, it turns out, if you live in Paris.
I don’t like to complain about Parisian prices too much, because Paris is a world capital and world capitals are expensive. But, tasked with making a pumpkin pie for a Thanksgiving pot luck, my hair almost stood on end from sticker shock.
But first, there was the task of actually locating a can of pumpkin. In true French fashion, the shops had everything except the one thing I actually wanted. Karo syrup? Fluff? Natural peanut butter? Yes. Canned pumpkin? No.
I know, I should have made my own pumpkin purée. But, I was rushed and preferred to spend my free time watching Poirot mysteries with my husband, who was home for the holiday, rather than roasting a hunk of orange squash and mashing it to a pulp. (Also, in my defense, I’ve found that pie made from a fresh pumpkin just doesn’t taste the same as one made from canned.) Anyway, as it turns out, I probably expended more energy visiting five different stores than I would have cooking one chunk of pumpkin.
I finally tracked a can down at a store in the 4th named, appropriately, Thanksgiving. They sell American groceries like Stove Top stuffing, chocolate chips, Crisco and Philadelphia cream cheese. I’d say I was happy to finally have the Holy Pumpkin Grail in my clutches, but I did shell out 4.20€ for the privilege.
I thought I’d overpaid, but a few days later, at that fancy food mart, La Grande Epicerie, I realized I’d found a bargain. Because I saw this:
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Topics: A year in a French market: Autumn | 6 Comments »
French State dinners through the ages
By Ann | December 4, 2009
I’ve always thought that few occasions could be considered more glamourous, alluring or intriguing than a State Dinner — an opinion clearly shared by others, as, ahem, evidenced by current events — so I was delighted, a few weeks ago, to catch an inside glimpse of France’s State Dinners. No, I didn’t crash one.
Paris’s historic restaurant, Maxim’s, is hosting an exhibit of menus from France’s first table. Called A la table des Présidents: 100 ans de menus de gala au Palais de l’Elysée, the show features a parade of elaborate menus, which dip into the last two centuries.
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Topics: Uncategorized | 5 Comments »