Sometimes
series of events seem connected and
not really coincidental at all, as in my week of Rainbows,
Diamonds, Trust and Fortunes.
The following week, I was presented with a
much less dramatic and much more fun set of coincidences. In the 1920's
Carl Jung introduced his Theory of
Synchronicity, to explain
such events.
My son Zac, who is a very pragmatic engineering major, usually quotes
the
Baader-Meinhof
phenonenom as a reason. Whatever the reason or theory, I am still
fascinated when certain sets of coincidences occur. For instance, take
my day in Paris a few weeks ago. I love birds and roses, so naturally I
take notice when I see them, in whatever form. But, I can't tell you how
many times I have been in the St. Michel RER stop and casually enjoyed
the mosaic on the wall as you exit, but never really took conscious
notice of the bird form. My friend Laura took a shot of me walking past this
lyrical art.
We then exited and
crossed the river towards Notre Dame, and it really wasn't
anything unusual to see a flock of birds flying and enjoying the
afternoon by the bridge.
I snapped a pic and we then carried on to discover an event
in front of Notre Dame heralding a giant white dove! The wings
flapped in the gentle breeze as we stood beneath it.
This couple looked on....somebody should've told them not
to feed the pigeons!
There were some lonely late blooming roses that were mainly
remarkable in that they were still in bloom. It was a Sunday
afternoon and the service was just beginning in Notre Dame. This
gray bird at the entrance almost seemed to be part of the architecture.
The late afternoon sun streamed in through the Rose Windows
giving the inside of the
cathedral a warm glow.
It doesn't matter what religion you practice or don't
practice, as the choir sings and the music plays, the all encompassing
spiritual presence can be strongly felt. Feeling full of light, we left
and walked along rue Chanoinesse to go by Au Vieux
Paris, a restaurant that my friend Debbie wanted to point out.
Yes, charming faux birds graced the front!
We didn't eat there, but
enjoyed the old world ambience. Ambling along toward Isle St. Louis,
I was telling Debbie and Laura what I'd learned about Herkimer Diamonds
through my Rainbows,
Diamonds, Trust and Fortune experience the previous week. We crossed the street and looked up to surprisingly see
this sparkling mineral shop. Giving each other an astonished and knowing
look, we went in.
"Do you have Herkimer Diamonds?", I asked. "Bien Sur",
was the reply, and I was shown two magnificent examples. O-o-o-K, so I
guess there are more chapters to this story yet! After a very satisfying
dinner on Isle St. Louis, we were reflecting on our day of birds
and roses and on the amazing Rose Crème Brûlée with our meal the
night before. I've never had a flaming Rose Crème Brûlée, and
following the oohs and ahhs, we were stunned by the shape the dancing
flame displayed!
Rose Crème
Brûlée
(adapted from Paula
Dean's Crème Brûlée)
2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise or 1/2 teaspoon
vanilla extract
1/2-1 teaspoon rose water*
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/3-1/2 cup raw turbinado or brown sugar
*Diane's notes: 1/2 teaspoon gives a subtle yet
hardly discernible rose flavor. Increase the rose water up to 1 teaspoon
to your preference of rose flavor. I prefer just a hint of rose
flavoring.
Preheat oven to
300 degrees F.
In a heavy-bottomed
medium non-reactive saucepan, heat cream with vanilla bean over
medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring to ensure it does not burn; do
not let boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove and
discard the vanilla bean, or save for another use. Strain cream through a
fine mesh sieve (if using vanilla bean). Add desired amount of rose
water.
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl,
beat egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes, or
until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon
sugar. Add about half the cream mixture, a little at a time, to the egg
mixture, whisking until well blended. Then pour the egg mixture into the
remaining cream mixture. Stir until completely blended.
Pour the custard
into 4 (9-ounce) or 6 (6ounce) ramekins or custard cups. Place the
dishes in large baking pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come
halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until
the mixture is set in the center (it should still wiggle when shaken).
Carefully remove the dishes from the baking pan. Let cool to room
temperature and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24
hours. Let
crème brûlée stand at room temperature 20 minutes
before serving.
Divide 1/3 to 1/2 cup turbinado or
light brown sugar in a thin, even layer over each custard, covering it
completely. To caramelize the sugar, light a culinary propane torch and
hold it so the flame just touches the surface. Alternatively, it may be
caramelized under the broiler.
Start at the center and spiral out toward the edges
of the ramekins until the sugar melts and lightly browns. If the sugar
begins to burn, pull the torch away and blow on the sugar to extinguish
the flame.
Garnish with a fresh rose petal. Serve immediately.
Makes 4-9 ounce or 6-6 ounce servings.
Rose Crème Brûlée recipe (pdf)
As I was writing
this I got a call from my friend, Christine and we were discussing the
Rainbows,
Diamonds, Trust, and Fortunes post. Knowing me well, I discovered
she thought I was making a play on words with the Joan Baez song,
"Diamonds and Rust".
After listening to it, I was chilled by the lyrics and the
synchronicity of them. Another chapter added as the beat goes
on.....Thanks Christine for yet another new layer to those events.
There is a restaurant in Paris called Academie de la Biere, or literally
translated, The Beer Academy. It sounds like the ultimate Man Cave, but
it is a fun restaurant with half as many beer choices than days on the
calendar! Now there's a thought! The long tables are often filled with young men as they "study"
the choices at the Academie! You can click on the pic to see the many
beers to choose from.
I'm not a beer drinker and always look for recommendations,
since some of these beers are from Belgium micro breweries.
Sometimes you may even be given a sample before
committing...what's not to like about that? If you can't decide, you can
always default to wine.
And then there are the mussels and frites...mussels meunière, mussels moutarde, curried mussels...and even
m-m-m-more choices. 
If you are lucky you have a friend beside
you who likes to share!! I always look them over, making sure to only
eat the ones that open,
since all it takes is one bad one to send you to a place you
don't want to go to!
Yesterday I went to my local fish market and
bought 2 pounds of Prince Edward Island mussels. I wanted curried
mussels and thought I'd add some coconut milk to give them a different
punch. With Asian undertones they don't taste like their Parisian
inspiration, but they
are delicious alone as a starter or as I had them, with linguine.
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add
shallots and curry powder; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add
coconut milk, wine, lemon grass and bay leaves; simmer 10 minutes. Add
mussels. Increase heat, cover and boil until mussels open, about 6
minutes. Using tongs, place mussels in 4 bowls (discard any mussels that
do not open). Boil sauce until slightly thickened, stirring
occasionally, about 2 minutes or more. Season with salt and pepper;
discard bay leaves. Spoon sauce over mussels. Sprinkle with cilantro.
