Success and Failure

Failure #1.

No luck with the key - not because of my pathetic French, which has not improved magically in 48 hours, but because the key I have is mangled and the nice (and cute) French guy at the hardware store couldn't duplicate. AND a key of this type costs, hold your breath:

28 Euros!

So that is a landlord issue that I will deal with tomorrow.

Failure #2.

Everything is closing. If it is not a chain store, it is probably closed - even my favorite bakery Armaund Delmontel! How am I going to survive without those addictive baguettes? The wine store is closing, but that might be a good thing, and I have my cheap white bordeaux from the grocery store to keep me company.

Failure #3.

Omelet this morning - tried to flip it ala Julia Child and splattered eggs over the counter, stove and fridge. I had the courage of my convictions while flipping, but it didn't work. I salvaged the portion that miraculously made it back in the pan though.

Failure #4.

I have killed the plant in my apartment, so sorry. I water the geraniums everyday while I wait for the water to my tea to boil, and completely forgot the sad plant next to the sofa. Any suggestions on how to revive this pathetic heap of brown leaves?

Success #1

Made vinaigrette from scratch and it was surprisingly good. I have been perusing Michael Ruhlmann's book Ratio, and just decided to try my own recipe. 1 part red wine vinegar, 3 parts oil. Mix the salt and herbs de provence into the vinegar, stir in some dijon mustard, and slowly drip the oil into the mix. Yum. I boiled some sliced potatoes and poured the vinaigrette on top, it was so good, I ate 5 potatoes! My friend Nancy makes a great potato dish much more interesting with cheese and watercress, but this is so easy, and I could eat it everyday. I would show you a picture but it is all gone.

Success #2 (almost)

Quiche Lorraine - made simple pie crust, caramelized some onions, cooked the bacon and a quick custard and voila! Quiche! The French grocery stores are terrible for fresh produce, but they know their smoked/dried meat selection. Great smoked salmon, copious amounts of salami, and pre-cubed bacon (called lardons in French). This is an almost success because I haven't actually tasted the quiche yet, but it smells like bacon, so it can't be all bad.

Damn productive day.