The Bittersweetness of it All!!

In the last coupe of days , I have said goodbye to many.  At the school where I work, I said goodbye to two really wonderful teachers and yesterday, I said goodbye to a friend I made 3 weeks ago...yes that isn't very much time but time goes by far quicker in the world of a traveler.

We bonded and got to know personal things about each other that would have maybe taken months or years in our hometowns.  I think this has to do with the notion that we have limited time in any given place so we expect and want things to happen right NOW.  That being said change in itself becomes the routine.  Making new friends on a daily basis and sad goodbyes become things you are so accustomed to. I remember the day I said goodbye to my closest friends in Montreal.  I broke down and hugged my best friend as I sobbed uncontrollably!  That doesn't happen anymore but I always feel the loss when it happens.

Sometimes people are saying goodbye to me. I left Paris almost 4 months ago now and I had barely been there 3!!!  My last two weeks, I was fitting in farewell dinners and coffees left, right and center.  It was really bittersweet because somehow, I had grown close enough to those I had met in that little amount of time.  But at the same time, I knew that's where we would stop sharing our routines.  Daily yet again.

Some might say that with all these people that come and go and no fixed routine, life could get difficult.  But I can honestly say after all this time, that it is really worth all the sacrifice. Each and every friend I have made over the last few years has been a plethora of wonderful discoveries.  Each with their own cultures and experiences, I get to learn a lot about even the places I have never set foot in.

Golden White Chocolate Fondant with Dulce de Leche Ice Cream!

When living in a new country, you can sometimes be surprised at the ingredients you can't easily find at the supermarket.  Peanut butter, Icing sugar, whole wheat bread and the list goes on.  There is an up side for the more daring personalities.  Putting a little cultural twist into the traditional food you make can really get your creative juices going.  

My dark chocolate fondant is a pretty big success at dinner parties but I decided to give this recipe a twist.  It is amazing how common Dulce de Leche ice cream is here.  I thought white chocolate would work better with this particular type of caramel.  I am please to say the result was  a success. The recipe is simple.

 

To make this decadent treat you will need the following

100 grams of white chocolate

100 grams or about half a cup of butter

50 grams or 1/4 cup of sugar

3 eggs

3 tablespoons of flour.

Dulce de Leche ice cream or whatever type of caramel ice cream you can find.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Melt the chocolate, butter and sugar into a saucepan over a low-medium heat.  Beat the three eggs together and stir into the mixture until it is completely blended.  Fold in the flour and stir until completely blended.  Pour the batter into 4 small ceramic ramekins.  Place on a baking tray that is half filled with hot water.   Bake for 7-10 minutes (depending on the oven).  The dessert is ready when the top and sides are completely baked and the center is still runny. Use a toothpick to check.

Enjoy!!

2013 Ends With Tamales- 2014 Begins Grapes!

The best part about travelling is without a doubt all the amazing people you get to meet along the way.  When you are expatriated, you don't just meet the locals.  You meet people from everywhere.  This year for the New Year, my Mexican American friend invited me over to experience his New Year’s tradition.  It was great!!!

It started with making tamales...homemade tamales.  I had never had one before.  His mom spent the day working really hard in the kitchen.  We started the evening with everyone gathered around the table and spreading the masa paste onto the corn husks while sipping on sangria.  His sister and his friend would tell me about their trips to Mexico and where they would like to travel.  They tell me about what it's like to live in LA. All his while hearing different types of music and words being thrown around in English, Spanish and French.  Now that's what travelling is really about. It's more than seeing museums and historical sites.  It's about learning the real up close and personal life stories of the people.

 Before the clock struck 12, we headed to Plaza del Sol to experience the countdown as a Madrileno would. I don't like to throw myself into the middle of a crowd but I decided to take part in the tradition this year to really live what Madrid is about.  There were no fancy fireworks or crazy concerts. There were  no elaborate special effects of any kind!!! This is precisely why this New Year’s was so special.  There were literally thousands of people singing laughing and wearing funny glasses.   The simplicity of this event is what made it so extraordinary.  People were happy and excited and that was so contagious.  It was all that was needed.  The clock turns, surrounded by friends and family, we start chomping downs on the grapes with seeds. All of us trying not to choke as our mouths get fuller.  There is no way to chew and swallow in 12 seconds, but we are mostly trying not choke because we are laughing.  The tradition of eating twelve grapes on new year's originated in Plaza del Sol in 1895 and is meant to lead to a year of prosperity. (There was an excellent harvest that year and there were simply too many grapes!)

 I am really happy not to have seen fireworks this New Year’s!!!! That would have been the same old thing.  I am excited to have been introduced to 2014 like no other year... making homemade Mexican tamales and celebrating el Ano Nuevo in true Madrileno style!!! The little things really mean a lot.