Monday, December 10, 2007

Meme

I got tagged by the LBR to do a Four by Four Meme. Et voila...

What four things did you love most about living in France?

  1. I LOVED the outdoor markets. The produce is so gorgeous and 9 times out of 10 tastes even better than it looks! I also love that fact that if I wanted (never did) I could buy a live chicken in a cage and then kill it myself for dinner. No thanks. But I appreciate that the offer is there!
  2. I loved the rituals of the meals. Always aperitif first, (drinks, olives, chips, nuts, etc) then the meal (my favorite part is the cheese course and dessert!) and then coffees after. ALWAYS.
  3. I loved the countryside when the sunflowers were in full bloom. Ahhhhh.....
  4. I loved the tradition of taking a coffee break (or beer break) in a cafe and just drinking in France.

What four most memorable jobs you have had?

  1. My very first job was at a little "French" restaurant, in a little strip mall, in our little town. It had the ambiance of an office with some tables dressed in linens. I don't think the owners had ever been to France, though they did own a local vineyard. I was 16 and I was hired as a dishwasher because I was too young to serve alcohol. One night, the owner/cook got furious that his ugly tomato garnish came back in the kitchen untouched (the meal itself eaten) and he freaked out and put it on the next plate going out! I quit that night.
  2. My second job moved up a few notches. McDo! I actually learned a great work ethic there that I kept for my future jobs.
  3. As a 'tween, my friend and I needed some cash, so we spent all day long in the hot sun picking strawberries at the local farm. We thought for sure we had hit the jackpot and earned perhapas hundreds. We got about $1.49 each.
  4. I still dream about 20's era job....I'm filing and filing my night away....as a manicurist!

Four quirky things about the way I eat (and drink)

  1. I don't know if this qualifies for quirky, but I absolutely cannot NOT have a sweet (preferably chocolate) and coffee after a meal! Is this what happens when we get older? Or is this a side effect of living in France?
  2. I don't eat this anymore, but as a kid/teen/young adult I created this sandwich and ate it all the time: Peanut butter, mozzerella cheese and Cheetos. Don't think I can do this nowadays.
  3. I love pancakes with syrup, but I cannot pour the syrup all over the pancakes. I have to pour a bit on each bite, so the pancakes don't get soggy.
  4. I wipe my fingers off with each bite of pizza. I use like 90 napkins per pizza-eating session. Seems a lot more than everyone else, when I look at the pile of used napkins.

What are your four favorite foods?

  1. Chocolate
  2. Pastries
  3. Pasta
  4. Cheese

Four recipes you cook all the time?

  1. Goat Cheese Rosemary Tart (Emeril)
  2. Various Pasta Dishes
  3. Peanut Butter and Butter Sandwiches
  4. Cranberry Spinach Salad

Four people who I'd like to participate in this Même?

  1. Hidden Zipper
  2. French for Awhile
  3. Chronques des Appalaches
  4. Florida to France

10 comments:

La Belette Rouge said...

Thanks for playing tag with me :)

I just made a cranberry/spinach salad this weekend with an amazing poppy seed and sesame seed vinaigrettes. So delicious. While your childhood/adolescent sandwich sounds terrifying.

Anonymous said...

Yay! You just inspired my dinner for tonight, peanut butter, mozarella and cheetos sandwich... Mmmmm, c'est delicieux tout ca! Hehehe
:-)

Anonymous said...

oh my! I think I barfed in my mouth a little bit.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I forgot to say this: Those napkins they give you at the pizza joints are like tissue paper.

Lavender Honey said...

Four Things I Love About Living In France:

1. Listening to their charming accent everyday.
2. Walking in the crisp morning air and inhaling a warm waft of freshly baked bread.
3. Reading the brasserie menus, handwritten in chalk.
4. The sound of the cello and accordion on the street, which can be heartbreaking.

My Inner French Girl said...

Bonjour, CC! I loved reading your list!

As a child in the Philippines, I had plenty of opportunities to watch live chickens being killed and prepared for various festivals and meals. Never got used to it. But the chicken...oh! The chicken! Delish!

As for your childhood sandwich...uhm. Pass. Individually, divine foods. (Love me my Cheetos!) Together: I think LBR said it best: terrifying.

French for a While said...

Thanks for the 'tag'. I just responded at French for a While. That was fun.

WendyB said...

That tomato garnish story is priceless.

La Belette Rouge said...

CC,
Are you familiar with Kate Hill's blog? Her blog has a lot of Cassoulet stuff you might like. http://katehill.blogspot.com/

Cassoulet Cafe said...

Hi Everyone,
I am sooo late in replying...je suis vraiment desolee...
LBR-I love that salad! And yes, the sandwich now seems terrifying, but man it was good when I was a kid! (Kids must have stomachs of steel)

Zen Chef-Did you try it???? :)

Colleen---LOL! Sorry to make you wretch (sp?) like that, haha!

Angelique---Merci for playing :)

Everyone else, thanks for taking the time to read and respond!!!