2 stove-top burners and a microwave

We've all been placed in single person efficiency apartments for the semester. My room is a good size and I have an excellent view of the main street from my window. The kitchen, however, is a little tricky to use. I quickly learned to wash dishes as I used them after attempting to wash and rinse a sink full of dishes with only the aid of ONE sink. Water was spilled and exasperated curses were muttered that first night. I've learned to efficiently use the space I've been given while simultaneously learning how to cook using the aforementioned resources, stove-top burners and a microwave. Toast is toasted and eggs are scrambled and omelet[ed] in a skillet, rice and pasta is cooked in the big pot I was lucky enough to have been left by the previous owner, and cheese is melted and vegetables are steamed in the microwave. Google-how-to's are used on a daily basis: how to saute zucchini, how to steam vegetables and broccoli, how to cook white rice, how to make an omelette...And the list goes on and on.

sandwich du jour:
-Toast 4 slices of baguette face down in a skillet on high heat(approximately two slices of sandwich bread)
-Put as much, or as little, comte(or your favorite cheese that'll melt) as you desire on the toasted slices and microwave for 15-25 seconds. 
-Slice avocado and spread over the melted cheese
-Spoon a little bit of tomato sauce on top  
-And DEVOUR


Last night's dinner: 

Zucchinis and white rice

La Coupole!

One of our friends organized the first "dinner out" night yesterday. We went to this semi-fancy-smancy cafe called "La Coupole." The waitress/owner kindly arranged three tables together to seat all eight of us. Thankfully, a few of the girls are quite good at speaking french. I ordered pasta au saumon in a cream sauce. It was Deeeeelicious. We all ordered our own desserts and sampled a little of everything. I ordered un verre de glace au caramel and crème brûlée. So goood! I tried the actual dessert crème brûlée et mousse au chocolat. Both were the best I've ever had. The meal lasted for, quite literally, four hours and no one minded, not one bit. 

The French know how to portion their dessert!

Faux Pas All Around

Bizarrrrre happening of the week: 

Shimarah and I were perusing the shelves of bread at the small grocery store down the block from our residence when three teenage girls approached us with a long detailed question in France. I managed to get in a "Je parle un petit peu francais." One of the girls turned to the other two and said, "Oh, anglais." They started to walk off, but stopped and started to ask us the original question, this time in english..."We have these two beers and this bottle of wine, would you buy them for us?" Oh good God. As far as I've seen, no one, I mean NO ONE, gets carded here. Why on earth would they choose the foreigners to commit the crime? I gave them a sympathetic look and said, "Sorry, no. I would NOT like to get into any kind of trouble with the law, especially with a foreign law." They pleaded with us for a while then walked off with a rolling of the eyes. Pshh. Then we heard a smash, shatter, and gasp. They dropped the bottle of wine by the deli meats and decided to make a swift exit. Karma? 

Yummy looking, but not so yummy sandwich of the week:

I tried a new boulangerie down the street from the University on Monday. The owner was laying out a whole line of freshly made vegetarian sandwiches when Shimarah and I walked in. I chose one with gruyere cheese, sliced apples, raisins, and lettuce.  I've had gruyere cheese before, but not like this. I bit into what tasted like a whole slab of butter sandwiched in between two slices of bread. The gruyere cheese was a bit too much for me, but the apples and raisins were nice. That's the first, and hopefully the last, "meh" sandwich I've had here. 

Vegetarian-Faux-Pas of the week Part deux:

I returned to the above-mentioned bakery this morning to get lunch. The quiches were neatly lined on the shelves, the cheesy yellow and delicious tops beckoning me to them. I chose quiche Lorraine thinking that I was safe because the title did not include "jambon" ou "poulet." WRONG. It has bacon, onions, and cheese. I tried as best I could to savage what little of the quiche didn't have ham. What I had was good. Next time I'll just man up and ask, "sans viande?" Luckily, I also bought a baguette looking bread with chocolate chips while purchasing the wrong quiche. Voila, Lunch!

le marché!

I ventured to the street market this past Saturday to see what I would come across and what I could actually effectively use French to buy. 

I walked to the corner of Boulevard Foch and saw the tables and tents lined up along the street. It was intimidating to say the least and I failed at first trying to wait in line for les pommes. Those french old ladies are feisty! This very nice man, who resembled Bono, offered to let me cut in line but I was a petite bit flustered at this point. I gave up and moved on to some cheaper oranges and VOILA! 4 oranges paid for and whisked into my backpack. I had to cross through the meat/fish part of the market (pue!) toget to more vegetables. I bought two big platefuls of carottes et courgettes for two euros. So CHEAP! I hope I wasn't scammed into buying poor quality vegetables. The vegetable man seemed very surprised when I said "Je suis Americain." 

I bought myself a pain aux raisin on the way back to the residence and defrosted myself sitting next to the heater.

We don't have ovens to cook with, but we do have a microwave and stovetop. I've steamed broccoli and carrots, cooked copious amounts of pasta, and made a cheese and avocado omelet for dinner last night.

boulangeries, pâtisseries, cafés, ô mon!

Most of my encounters with French employees have been somewhat humorous, flustering, and slightly uncomfortable. I'm trying to learn all of the useful phrases to respond to the questions they pose in french. I can order, but as for responding to their question..."Je ne sais pas??" 
On our way into Angers from Paris, we stopped at a gas station (a swanky one at that) for lunch/snacks. I ordered un sandwich végétarien. Turns out this doesn't always mean it includes vegetables. Sans vegetables, I devoured the delicious cheese and bread. 
In the 11 days since then, I've consumed more than enough pains au chocolat, a few eclairs (un chocolat et un café), deux cafés, trois cappuccinos, France's version of pizza hut, vin, et sandwiches sandwiches sandwiches. 
I now know that I can survive, or at least order food, in France without knowing more than a few key phrases. 
Of course I'm trying to learn as much of the language as I can in four months, but for now I'm using "Je parle un petit peu francais" quite a bit.