Adieu 2020!

Adieu 2020!

Well, it's the last day of the year 2020! 

There hasn't been a lot to write about, has there? I look back on my posts, and they're abnormally slanted towards recipes. I threw in a little sky, but nothing like the sunsets from our old place. I generally tried to stay off the coronavirus topic, but it impacted so much, there was really no avoiding it! 

Still, we are so much luckier than many. Even those who did not get sick have had their lives torn to shreds. At our phase of life, all we had to do is put things on hold, and practice patience.

My year started with my application for French nationality (yes, finally!). My year is ending still waiting for the interviews - practicing patience!

So, in keeping with the year, here's how our last day of it is going...

Out our Living Room Window

From the kitchen balcony

We turned on the fire,

and had Dinner, spanning approximately 6 hours:

Champagne and Fois gras

Moule marinière - I cleaned the mussels yesterday. 5 minutes cooked in white wine, and they're ready!

Spanish style - use one pair of shells to pull the mussel from the other

Squash soup - I roasted the squash with olive oil and salt on Sunday. Today, I added chopped cooked chestnuts and broth, then blended.

Dessert - orange crème w/ chocolate. I made a batch on Sunday (had to make sure of it, right?!?). I kept two servings in the freezer; thawed, then planned to add chocolate shavings. We decided to have dessert early, because we aren't really used to sugar anymore, and didn't want it too close to bedtime. Then we decided to skip it entirely! LOL - New Year's Day is going to be sweet!

Pork tenderloin with mushrooms - my favorite cherry, chocolate, chipotle glaze!

Before

After

Baked Potatoes - a splurge!

Ginger Carrots

Green beans with garlic

Before

After

Porto / whisky to end the day.

Tomorrow? Leftovers! Yum!

Coronavirus Year End Update

Coronavirus Year End Update

Today, in France:

- 3.5% of the population currently has Covid-19

- 0.1% have died from Covid-19

- daily new cases are still above 10,000

- daily deaths are still nearly 500

Before our second confinement, hospitals were at or nearly at capacity, all across France. Our local hospital had nearly 100 Covid patients.

The goal of the second confinement was to consistently have fewer than 5,000 new cases per day - obviously, this wasn't met. The good news is that the number still dropped significantly. So our confinement was slightly eased, but not as much as hoped. 

And of course, the best news is that the vaccine is here! They've started in the nursing homes in Paris, and they'll start here next week! There are different schedules published, so we aren't sure whether we'll get ours in April or in June/July. Still, it's in sight!

~~~

In Sète, as of today, 83 patients have died in the Sète hospital (Bassin de Thau) from Covid-19, just in the second wave. Three died in the last week. The average age of these patients is 83 years.

This week, 13 new patients were admitted, making 19 patients hospitalized, including 6 in ICU. 

Since the start of the 2nd wave, 442 Covid patients have been taken care of.

~~~

Worldometer

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/france/

Winter Solstice in France

Happy Winter Solstice!

Here's a close-up

As they say, it only gets brighter from here...

Bricolage - DIY

Bricolage, aka Do-It-Yourself

I had quite a list of tasks* to do around the apartment - I kept waiting for the right tools...

Well, I finally gave that up as a lost cause. We went to the Bricolage center (like Home Depot), and got most of what we needed. Then, to work!

The rolling shutter was stuck partway down, or at least we didn't want to force it. Some silicone spray did the trick!

We had good-sized holes in the walls behind every radiator! I confirmed with the helpful fellow at the Bricolage how to take the radiators off the wall. Then (after *cleaning* them - omg), I filled the holes with stuffing, and spackled them closed. While I was at it, I spackled a few other places. It's much cozier now!

We've been fighting mold! Our bedroom is North-facing, and the walls are concrete block. I haven't been able to keep up 😭. So, yesterday, I sprayed with a commercial mold killer, and today, I painted with moisture barrier paint. Game on.

We have a shelf-mounted dishwasher that's perfect for us. But! Some time ago, the shelf supports broke, and so the darned thing has been supported by a pot that happened to be underneath. It still worked, but it was lower than we wanted, and we couldn't use the storage underneath. Well, one of our Bricolage purchases was a board (almost 2x8), cut to form supports. How to get them under the shelf, without removing the dishwasher? Jack to the rescue!

My neighbors must have thought I was crazy, taking a wheel-changing kit from the car into the apartment! But it worked! Bonus - I now know where the jack is, and how to work it...

~~~

*This may seem like a lot of work we're doing for living in a rental, but the laws are different in France. It's quite a change - in our Albuquerque apartment, they even changed the (fluorescent) bulb for us; here, only very major things (like parts for the water heater) are covered by the landlord.

Steak Haché ?

The humble steak haché (hamburger), plus:

Chipotle
Zucchini, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, allumettes fumées (chopped bacon)
Mashed parsnips and carrot
Allongée tomatoes with basil
Cheese (for me 🙂)

Parsnip Patties (Beta)

Parsnip Patties

2 small parsnips or 1 large, peeled, chopped, and cored if necessary.

Boil parsnips in salted water until done. Drain and let cool, then mash. They should be cool enough that they don't cook the egg when it's added.

Combine in a large bowl:

mashed parsnips

1 TBS buckwheat flour (sarrasin)

pinch of salt

1 tsp oregano

1/2 to 1 tsp black pepper

taste for seasonings, then add

1 egg, beaten

Form 4 patties, and cook till hot and browned in a well-oiled pan over medium-high heat. Approximately 2 minutes per side, in a covered pan.

~~~

Beta test Comments:

- too much flour

- not enough parsnip flavor left

- otherwise, good combo of flavors

Dairy-Free Pizza

Dairy-Free Pizza 

Remove rack from oven, preheat to 210°C

Unroll 1 Herta pizza dough (fine, rectangulaire) onto rack, keeping the paper attached underneath.

Toppings:

Tomato-based spaghetti sauce

cooked, chopped chicken breast

sliced chorizo fort (without lactose)

sliced mushrooms

sliced eggplant

sliced zucchini

half-rings red bell pepper

drizzle with olive oil

sprinkle with salt

For two of us, I make a trough down the center, and put fewer toppings there - it makes it easier to cut!

This version, combined with my new oven, means I bake it for ~30 minutes, middle rack.

Can You Spell That?

Need to spell something in French, and need to be clear on the letters? This is the equivalent of the English alpha, bravo, etc.

https://spellingalphabets.com/french

JULIE = Joseph + Ursule + Louis + Irma + Eugène

Rainbows and Beaches

We went for a walk along the beach this afternoon!

I guess the weather decided to cooperate, because this is what we saw as we were going out

Couscous Doux

Tonight, we wanted something a little different, but not spicy - so we decided on Couscous Doux ! It's the same recipe as Couscous à l'Harissa, but I replaced the harissa (of course, because it's quite hot) with "sweeter" or not-hot seasonings - it worked!

Here's my seasoning mix:

1 Tb piment doux (paprika)

1 tsp ginger

2 taps cinnamon

2 taps cloves

Dash of salt

Corona-Normal Update

 And now it's over 32,000...

Corona-Normal

One thing that always comes up, no matter who we talk to, is the current state of the coronavirus where we live.

Well, France is definitely in a second wave, and new rules seem to be announced every week. Today's number of new cases is the highest yet, at over 30,000. Already, yesterday's graphs here are outdated. The only good news is that *so far* most of the people in France who get covid are younger, and so our death rate is lower now. When you consider that our first-wave death rate was 30%, that's pretty important progress. But, can it last?

Our Corona-Normal? We still stay home except for things like grocery shopping and exercise - no dinner parties, no coffee klatches, and my English workshop is 100% by email. I always wear a mask outside the house and when someone has to come inside (like my chauffagiste and my CPAP technician). I bleach-wipe everything I used when I get into my car after shopping. I use a disposable paper towel to handle doors coming and going. The hardest part is avoiding spending time with people - we greet our neighbors when we see them, but any usual excuse to visit or chat a while is discarded.

Macron (the French president) gave a speech plus Q&A a couple of nights ago. 

Here are some of my notes:

• 90% of deaths in France are over 65
• 32k deaths since the beginning, of which the first wave accounted for 30k. The second wave took 2k.
• Half of those now in ICU are under 65
• 200 people per day are admitted to ICU
• Paris and 8 other cities, including Montpellier, will have 6 weeks of curfew 9pm-6am, backed by fines, then be reevaluated
• He expects these and other efforts to curb the virus will be the norm through all of 2021
• France is heading towards more use of saliva/nose quick test
• Bottom line - we need each other.

~~~

Although Montpellier, our closest large city, is on the mandatory curfew list, Sète is not (yet). But we do have a set of rules:

• Masks required throughout the town
• Events limited to 1,000 people
• Local and student parties prohibited
• School trips outside the department prohibited
• Restaurants and bars close at midnight and night grocery stores at 10pm
• Sale of alcohol prohibited after 8pm and consumption in public spaces prohibited after 8pm

Rules change quickly here - on August 17, this was the map showing where masks were required. Less than a week later, the map disappeared, and mask-wearing became defined by the city limits. This mandate so far has been extended every 2 weeks.

~~~

In Sète, as of October 16, 2020, 11 patients have died in the Sète hospital (Bassin de Thau) from covid-19. The average age of these patients is 88 years.

Since October 9, 2020, 9 more patients have been hospitalized, bringing the total number to 23 today. The situation remains stable in intensive care with still 4 patients.

Since the start of the 2nd wave, 94 Covid patients have been taken care of (+ 20 in 7 days).

Our testing is at 70 per day with a positivity rate of 8% over the last week.

~~~

Worldometer

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/france/

Statistics by region and department

https://www.coronavirus-statistiques.com/stats-departement/coronavirus-nombre-de-cas-herault/

and

https://www.cascoronavirus.fr/

Macron's speech (English translators)

https://www.france24.com/en/20201014-live-macron-expected-to-announce-tougher-covid-19-measures-as-france-s-cases-rise

Current Sète hospital situation:

https://lesinguliersete.fr/bassin-de-thau-covid-19-le-point-sur-les-hopitaux-du-bassin-de-thau/

Current Sète rules:

https://www.sete.fr/informations-coronavirus/

Doing What We Can

 We're doing what we can...

Crispy fluffy baked potato

Cherry chocolate chipotle pork tenderloin

A lovely red...

Surprises!

 We had a lovely break between storms today! Last night, we had a fast-moving 3-wave thunderstorm, and we're expecting another early in the week. While much of the local news is about flooding, Sète escaped that fate 🙂

I don't know what brought them, but these visitors showed up!

Here's our break!

Clouds

Tis the season for clouds!

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday - no clouds, so we spent some time at the beach. I listened to the chant des vagues (wave song), and Rick strolled.

Wednesday (we had a little rain in the morning)

Chichoumai avec Porc (Summer Veggies with Pork)

Chichoumai avec Porc (Summer Veggies with Pork)

Chichoumai (selon Cosette), ou Chichoumé (selon sa sœur Susanne), est un plat sétois pareil à ratatouille. Moi, j'ajoute du porc, et un petit peu de Martini rosso.

Chichoumai (according to Cosette), or Chichoumé (according to her sister Susanne), is a Sétois dish similar to ratatouille (and to my Noto Veggies). I add pork and a little red vermouth.

Pork:

Slow-cook 4 portions of pork (shoulder is best):

In a pan on low heat, simmer pork in enough salted water to cover. Optionally, add thyme and a splash of olive oil. Replenish water as needed. After 3-4 hours, shred the pork, and remove any pieces of fat. Reserve the pork, retaining the liquid (There shouldn't be more than 1/4 cup of liquid).

Chichoumai (Summer vegetables):

Chop 1 small eggplant and one small or half a large zucchini, place in a bowl, stir in salt, and let rest for half an hour or more, then drain.

Add the vegetables to the pan, turn to high heat, and add:

- plenty of olive oil, enough to fully coat the pan

- 2 onions, sliced

- 2 cloves garlic, sliced or pressed

Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft, then add:

- a splash of Martini rosso (red vermouth) to deglaze

- the slow-cooked pork and liquid 

- 1/2 to 1 cup (<500 gm) tomato sauce, to taste

- basil

- salt to taste (I don't usually add any more)

Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes or more for flavors to meld, stirring occasionally.

Serve with pasta and/or baguette.

Beach Lunch

We just got back from a perfectly wonderful lunch at the beach! It's High Summer Season here in Sète, but we were able to get a reservation at La Ola by calling last night. They were turning people away when we arrived (come back at 3:30...).

This was a no-photo event 😉

We started with champagne and tapenade, then gaspacho (with watermelon!) for Rick, and oysters for me. I can usually talk our friend Michel into splitting an order with me, so I get just a taste - but, no Michel, so I had to have all 6 LOL. They were perfect, so maybe I'm out of the splitting game...

On to the main course! Rick had swordfish, and I finally got thon rouge (bluefin tuna) - cooked as the chef likes it, red in the middle. My side dishes were *fantastic* - cheesy crispy/creamy rice, and mixed roast veggies.

We ended with espressos, while eyeballing the ice cream.

We were outside, in a lovely breeze. And, a pretty amazing thing happened - a gust of wind brought a smoke cloud our way, and we reacted (ok, I reacted, with "that" face plus body-jerk). Then we hear out neighbor saying something to his wife, who had just lit up - she immediately got up, said (basically) oh gosh, I'm so sorry, I'm going over there to smoke - and she did! I was a little embarrassed about "that" face, but everyone was taking it as normal. In FRANCE!

After lunch, I waded in the sea a bit, then we left. We had intended to double-check our impression of another beach restaurant further down, and so we drove along the free parking area (it fronts the beach for approximately 12 kilometers). Well, mid-August, free beach parking, means just what you'd expect - jam packed full! We gave up, and also decided that the other beach restaurant would be off the list until September.

Now - home, chilled wine, fans, and a weekend ahead of us 🙂

Sunset

 Sunset...

Couscous Harissa

Couscous à l'Harissa

Couscous:

Measure 1 cup of couscous in a bowl, mix a big pinch of salt into 1 cup of boiling water, then pour over the couscous. Stir then cover. Let it expand for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Use immediately or refrigerate for later.

Flavor the couscous:

In a hot pan, heat 1/3 cup olive oil

Stir in 3 heaping teaspoons harissa paste

Add minced:

1-2 carrots

2 cloves garlic

2 small onions

1 small zucchini

Cook till done

Pour mixture over the couscous and stir well. Add more oil if needed.

Serve hot or cold.

Makes 2(+) cups

Bonne Fête Nationale

Bonne Fête Nationale !
Joyeux 14 juillet !
Happy Bastille Day!
And Of Course, Happy Birthday, Michele!

While quite a few firework displays were cancelled in France this year due to coronavirus, we did *hear* several around the étang. This is our first summer in our new apartment, and our ability to view the usual fireworks is significantly less. So, we turned to the television to see the Paris fireworks! Here is a YouTube capture (https://youtu.be/PGWaqFsaseI) - enjoy!