Re: Not just for breakfast

Well here the buscuit story is, as I wait for my hosts to wake up so I
can leave.

Well you can't jst buy baking soda, you need to actually go to a
bakery and get it. so I go to the supermarket, not knowing this, and
look for some baking soda. I stand there staring at the shelves full
of flour, with the words "baking soda" translated into french in my
hand. I finally ask a lady where it is, using my limited French and
this little piece of paper. She takes it upon herself to find it for
me and we make a rather large loop of the store. We then make it to
the pasterie section and she picks up a small packet hands it to me
and says some French words. this is the time when I admit I dont speak
French. She then asks in English what I needed it for, and fearing
that actually saying "Biscuits" would trigger her to think of cookies.
I said "bread" she then confirmed that was exactly what I needed.
Reading the label I saw that he words did not match my translation,
but oh well, I was using a literal translation not common French.

I walk back to the flat and start to prepare the biscuit dough. When
it get to the place to add the baing powder I open one of the small
packets and see something that I am rather familiar with. Yeast. I
then try to figure out wha to do. I could attempt to use the yeast as
a levening agent and just hope it works, I could make bread instead.
Well I attempted to continue with the biscuits. After a short while I
realize that this was not going to work, so I make a few adjustments
and decide to see if they would fry up decently. They do. So I eneded
up making these interesting fry cakes that where nice and crispy and
rather fluffy. We put the gravy on top and everone said they were
rather good.

I did explain to them the problem, and they just sort of laughed it
off, but when they saw the food they were rather wary to eat it. After
a few bits they munched right through most of it and said that wanted
some the next day too.

So that was my cooking experience in France, I think I handeled it
quite well. Oh yes, and the gravy turned out perfect, without and
mistakes of flaws.

=Logan, France

On 2/19/06, K Delsman <delsman@looped.com> wrote:
> Hey there!
>
> I sure wish your calling cards gave a warning before dying! I hope you
> didn't get too far into your story by the time you realized I had been cut
> off.
>
> So... baking powder. I actually thought about that when I was typing the
> recipe. There is a way to make it using baking soda and cream of tartar, but
> I wasn't sure that you could find cream of tartar there either. Did it all
> turn out well in the end? Were your hosts receptive to your American dish? I
> can't wait to hear about these folks you ended up staying with.
>
> Are you on to Andorra and Spain now? I hope the weather is great along the
> coast in Valencia and that Lorien can show or guide you to some cool stuff
> to do there. Upload some more pictures!
>
> Okay, I know you're probably just checking mail before you go on your way,
> so write when you get there--wherever "there" is!
>
> I love you more than baking powder,
>
> K-mom
>
>