Posts tagged Tradition

Choose another tag?

FRENCH TOAST

Ivy Chang featured me on her Inside Kitchen Project series a few months ago. When she asked I knew exactly what I wanted to make: my mom’s French toast that I grew up eating.

It’s insanely simple and quick, but so delicious. I have memories of running up the stairs like a crazy person and plopping myself on the high metal stools we had in our kitchen, in pajamas, with a ginormous glass of OJ, as soon as my mom yelled down to tell us breakfast was ready. I always stacked 2 slices of French toast, covered them with maple syrup and cut them in a grid of 9 squares. Why you ask? I have no idea. But hey, it’s funny to think about. This recipe always hits home for me, it’s quick and hearty and brings back so many memories of breakfast at home in the Rockies with the family.

Ingredients:
– 8-10 slices of your favorite sandwich bread
– 2/3 cups milk
– 4 eggs
– 2 tablespoons cinnamon
– A smidgen of vanilla extract
– Maple syrup (optional)
– Berries & bananas (optional)

Instructions:
1. Mix eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla in a bowl.
2. Melt a bit of butter in your skillet.
3. Soak your bread slice in the egg mixture, both sides.
4. Place that bad boy on your skillet and leave until golden on both sides.
5. Serve with maple syrup, berries and banana slice to taste, with a big glass of juice or a cuppa Jo.
6. Enjoy.

Discover more Inside Kitchen posts over on Ivy’s blog.

CAKE PORN

For Louis and I’s anniversary, I got a scrumptious cake from Sugar Daze. Like last year, I like to put a little phrase on top to personalize it a bit for my love. I like to keep things simple and heartfelt, and a cake certainly does the trick. This tradition of ours will certainly go on forever and ever.

What better way to celebrate love than with a delicious cake?

What do you do on your special days?

THE GANESH FESTIVAL IN PARIS

Today was the Ganesh Festival in Paris’s 10th and 18th arrondissements. The Ganesh Festival has been an annual event in Paris since 1996, organized by the neighborhood’s temple, Sri Manicka Vinayakar Alayam.

Ganesha  is widely worshipped as the God of wisdom and good fortune in the Hindu religion. You’ve probably often seemed him sitting in a cross-legged position, and have perhaps recognized him from his elephant head. And today, Ganesh Chaturthi, was the day to celebrate his birthday.

I haven’t yet had the opportunity to travel to beautiful  India, but I sure am a big fan of their delicious cuisine. The place where I tend dig in is at my usual spot, Chettinadu, which was the perfect location to also watch the parade pass by today. It was crowded and there were multicolored saris and smashed coconuts were  everywhere, lassis in to go cups. Walking up from below Gare du Nord, I could hear the music get louder and the streets became more full of people dancing and eating and celebrating.

After watching the parade pass, with Anne and Puxan we hopped over the rue Cail to indulge in Chettinadu’s cuisine with the locals  for the special occasion. Tables were set up in the streets, and brightly colored flower strands placed left and right, music blasting and heards of people slowly following the Parade.

This afternoon it felt like we were in a Bollywood movie.

     

in PARIS

TRIMMED TREE TRADITIONS

Trimmed Tree - De quelle planète es-tu? - 1 Trimmed Tree - De quelle planète es-tu? - 2 Trimmed Tree - De quelle planète es-tu? - 3 Trimmed Tree - De quelle planète es-tu? - 4 Trimmed Tree - De quelle planète es-tu? - 5 Trimmed Tree - De quelle planète es-tu? - 6 Trimmed Tree - De quelle planète es-tu? - 7 Trimmed Tree - De quelle planète es-tu? - 8 Trimmed Tree - De quelle planète es-tu? - 9

My mother loves ornaments. She loves tradition. Every year we know we will each get a glass ornament that fits our person ever so perfectly, and every year our tree grows more full, trimmed and filled with  many memories. It’s so comforting  to come back over the years and look at an ornament and know exactly to whom it was given and what makes it the ornament of that person. She’s got a way of understanding and observing people. A way of inserting a puzzle piece into the puzzle of their being like the perfect gift. She just gets it. And it has shaped who I am today. My love for the little things and obsession for observing is without a doubt from this woman, and I wouldn’t have it any other day.

I’m so grateful to appreciate and care about tradition. Knowing that every year at this one time it will be the same…no matter what… Something about it is ironically refreshing and moving. What do you have without tradition?

So many moments. So many feelings. One time of year. It’s the holiday season, and it’s deep and filled with so much emotion, even unexpectedly!

Merry Christmas to all, and all a good night.