Did everyone find the inauguration as absolutely uplifting and hopeful as we did? There was champagne chez nous, and Gran Marnier soufflés to celebrate.
So on this happy day, time to share a bit of French joie de vivre. Let's look at the French boites aux lettres, and send a love letter to those quirky little details of life that make French village life so appealing. Even the official letter boxes of the French Poste are a bright, cheery yellow.
I've collected these photos over the years. I'm sending you lots of hope for the coming year, S.W.A. K.!
Now about those Gran Marnier soufflés:
RECIPE: Easy Gran Marnier Soufflés
I think of soufflés as complicated affairs that take a while to make, a long time to cook, and then they have to be eaten immediately. It's hard to get that all coordinated. But I found a recipe on the New York Times Cooking site that takes 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook. You can pop this out on a week-night and surprise the troops with your cooking acumen. I didn't take a photo, they got scarfed up too quickly. Mine looked like their photo (above), even though my soufflé dishes were twice as big as they specified. I adjusted it and made it for 2, and used 3 eggs instead of five, but I stuck with the full amount of Gran Marnier, just for good measure. (the recipe below serves 4). But when you serve them, you can dip in with a spoon and pour in a little more Gran Marnier if you are so inclined.
Serves 4.
- 1 tablespoon soft butter
- ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 5 eggs, separated
- ⅓ cup grated orange rind
- 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Rub the butter on the bottom and sides of four 1-cup souffle dishes. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the insides of the souffle dishes.
Place the egg yolks in a bowl and add 1/2 cup sugar, the orange rind and the Grand Marnier. Beat briskly until well blended.
In a large, deep bowl, preferably copper, beat the egg whites until stiff. Toward the end, beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. (You can use an electric stand mixer, but keep an eye on the egg whites. They should not be too stiff.)
Spoon the egg-yolk mixture into the whites, folding in rapidly. Place equal portions of the mixture in the prepared souffle dishes.
Put the dishes on a baking sheet, and place on the bottom of the oven. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, and serve immediately.
In the COMMENTS: Suzanne, I am all over those Mint Julep Bourbon Balls! Michaela, great idea for a French class, makes it fun. Natalia, I love your over-the-fence sing-along idea, you must try again! Francine, on fait le Ban Bourguignon souvent, aux fêtes. La la la! And Jane, yes we are thinking of you and your Brexit woes. We've ditched Trump (well sort of), but I think you are stuck with Brexit. We feel your pain, as our grandkids have British passports, which are now not nearly as useful and valuable as they were.
Favorite READS & Views: I'm sure you are watching Bridgerton, isn't everyone? Can anyone recommend the books? Haven't read them. The French Lupin, with the wonderful Omar Sy, is all the rage in France, and you can get it on Netflix.
My best book find lately is a New York Times best seller called Breath. If you haven't read it, you must! An investigative journalist takes a deep dive into the history and science of breathing. He will convince you that most of us are breathing wrong, with very bad consequences for our health. He's a good story teller too, it's a fascinating read. And, obviously, a timely one.
