An article written by Adam Nossiter for the New York Times partially republished in this morning's Durham Herald-Sun immediately caught my attention. It is about French chef Jérôme Brochot, owner of Le France in Montceau-les-Mines, giving up his Michelin star. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/27/world/europe/france-chef-michelin-star.html This is practically unheard of. Those stars, however, drive up prices and bring a lot of …
Author: sabbaticalchef
I am a middle school French teacher, the mother of two boys and the gramma of an adorable little girl. I love to travel and go to France as often as I can. I am obsessed by all things French. I am a cooker, an eater, an amateur photographer and an avid reader.
All I Want for Christmas
As I sit here, next to my beautiful Christmas tree, listening to the cat lap up water and to cars pass by at 7:15 on Christmas morning, I have the song All I Want for Christmas stuck in my head. Yesterday I had almost everything I need right under one roof. Adorable Granddaughter spent the night so …
20 + 76
Non, I am not posting about math problems. Heaven help anyone who asks me a math-related question. The kids in my after school study hall know that. I have a couple of 8th graders on call to help with anything more complicated that multiplication tables. And recently I proved that I am not even very …
Pre-Christmas Confession
So, confession is supposed to be good for the soul, right? What if I don't feel guilty? Do I still need to confess? Well, I will anyway. Every morning on the way to my classroom, I pass a bin for used book donations. These books go to our annual school used book sale sponsored by …
The Banana’s Baking Adventure
Meet The Banana. She is Pretend Daughter #1's daughter. So, that must make her my Pretend Granddaughter #1, right? Maybe that is too much math for my brain on a Sunday morning. Pretend Daughter #1 and I go way back. She arrived in my beginning French class somewhere around 1991 or 1992 (more math). She …
Black diamonds
This is a trip back in time. Back to December 4, 2008, to be exact. I am not sure why I woke up thinking about this adventure while I was on sabbatical. Coincidence? Who knows. But what I do know is that once I pulled up this blog entry, I was transported back to the …
Casseroles and cakes
When there is a death in the family of a friend, Southerners head to the kitchen. We don an apron and heat up the oven. We get out the cast iron skillet, casserole dishes and cake pans. We need to feel useful and we know that there will be people who need to be fed. …
Give thanks
I am thankful for so many people and things. I have a good life. As I was stirring up biscuits for breakfast this morning, I started a list in my head. A: animals, Arles, apples, art, Aaron, Amelia, Andy, Appalachian Mountains, Abby, airplanes, Alex, adjectives, adventures B: Bertie, butter, bacon, baguettes, buttermilk biscuits, bluegrass music …
My friend, The Geezer
I read this book several years ago and fell in love with it. When I pitched my own (still unfinished) book to Algonquin, I was asked if I had read French Dirt. Oui. A couple of times. Little did I know that a few years later I would be introduced to Richard Goodman through a mutual friend, Jo Maeder, albeit …
What’s your favorite recipe?
(Carlton Cards) I found this card to send to my turkeys in SP since I will not be with them for Thanksgiving. Too funny. I miss those turkeys. I will visit them soon. I promise. Today's question of the day... "What's your favorite recipe, madame?" Asked by one of my 6th graders after she told …
the sabbatical chef 