Carrot and Celery Soup; Squishy things in the dark; Weekly Menu

Carrot Celery Soup You're watching the telly… or a movie…. You, the viewer, know that the brutal, rapist/serial killer is sitting on the living room sofa holding a long, razor-sharp knife… Waiting patiently. It's late; a dark, moonless night. The woman comes home, unlocks the door and walks into her house.  She puts her keys … Continue reading…

Cauliflower Soup with Gruyère; Bless the Bureaucrats; the Weekly Menu

Rule Number 1 if you are dealing with the French Bureaucracy:  Never have all of the required papers. Because… Rule Number 1 if you are a French Bureaucrat: Always ask for one more document. Regardless of how complete the dossier presented, one more ‘something’ could make it perfect… regardless of how unnecessary, superfluous or redundant. … Continue reading…

Tomato and Red Pepper Soup; A good day!

Tomato and Red Pepper Soup What are a few seeds in the face when one is finally sleeping in one's own house? Our house, like most old houses in the French countryside, used to be a farmhouse. The first clue was the attached barn.  No Frenchmen is going to risk getting lost between the house … Continue reading…

Cannellini and Pasta Soup; Life Lessons and the Portuguese Level

Cannellini and Pasta Soup Like any country that suddenly finds itself prosperous, Andorra imported workers. Although, in Andorra's case it was even more necessary because the Andorrans were only about 10% of the population. Many Portuguese saw this as a wonderful opportunity.  They would pack up the family, move to Andorra, work ridiculously hard for … Continue reading…

Fresh Tomato Soup; Good Reads!

Fresh Tomato Soup “….another onslaught of Heil Hitlering.  You know, it actually makes me wonder if anyone ever lost an eye or injured a hand or wrist with all of that.  You’d only need to be facing the wrong way at the wrong time, or stand marginally too close to another person.” Quote from “The … Continue reading…

Vichyssoise; Here’s to Julia Child

Vichyssoise There was a sign on the clock in one of my university classrooms: “Time passes; Will you?” It might have been easier if I had actually attended said class rather than stay in the dorm watching Julia Child cook. In retrospect, I remember very little of the PoliSci and Econ I was studying, but … Continue reading…