It was minus one degree when we got up this morning. Brrrrrr! We waited until almost noon to go to the market, which closes at 1:00. When we went, we bundled up in our warmest coats, scarves, hats, and my new gloves. By the time we got there, some of the vendors were already wrapping things up. We bought another kilo of tomatoes for tomato soup. Yum! One vendor, in an attempt to get rid of the last of his produce, put a bunch of stuff in pans and marked them two Euros each - probably a bargain if you want what he is selling. We bought a portion of a pumpkin for pumpkin soup. This is how it is sold - by the kilo or the 100 grams. From the market we went to one of the north African shops on Gambetta and bought a kilo bag of the cheapest rice they had. We took it home and I poured the contents of the bag into a sock, tied it off and made a warmie.
Before we went to the market, I made a pecan pie. I had bought a pastry round at Casino earlier this week and I put together the ingredients this morning. When we got back from the market, I tossed it into the oven. I used a buttermilk substitute of a tablespoon of vinegar and a cup of milk. I baked it for the requisite amount of time and it didn’t brown. I turned up the oven a bit and baked it another four or five minutes, but it still wasn’t brown. I turned up the oven even more and baked it a bit longer, and it still wasn’t brown. I finally lit the broiler and broiled it for two minutes and it browned. I do hope it is done in the middle. I also made some cranberry bars.
On our way back from the market we stopped by our local bakery and picked up a baguette which the clerk said was hot, but it was only vaguely warm. We were carrying packages, including a box I had picked up in the market to transport my pie, and Roger’s backpack full of produce. She asked us if we had been to the Comédie, which made us wonder whether the Christmas market had opened up. So after I baked the pie, which I had assembled before we left for the market, but not baked, we headed for the Comédie to see what was going on. Our first goal, however, was to stop at the same shop where I bought my gloves Thursday and purchase a pair for Roger. He made a quick selection and we went to the checkout stand to pay. The clerk asked us if we wanted them cut apart so he could wear them immediately, and we readily accepted, as it was COLD! Indeed, he had decided that, since the sun was not out today, he would forego chess.
At the Comédie, we discovered the 7th Annual Fete des Vignes - the festival of the vines. It is being held in the same booths which will soon be used for the Christmas market. Today enthusiasts can buy a wineglass for two euros. In the glass is a page containing three coupons entitling the bearer to three tastes of wine. (The two Euro contribution goes toward the fight against AIDS.) We bought our glasses and hit up a vintner and sampled his wares. I gave him a coupon, which he accepted, but he waved away Roger’s coupon. We tried wine from several other vendors, none of whom demanded the coupon. All we had to do was thrust our glass forward, indicate red, white or rosé, and they poured. We could have been seriously drunk if we had tried each of the forty or so vendors open for tasting! As it was, we held ourselves to about five “tastes,” each of which was probably the equivalent of half a glass of wine. Some were good, some not so much.
We went to the ATM for some money, then to the tram stop for a 10-ticket pass for Roger. We were quite chilled by this time, so we headed for the apartment. Roger was grateful for his new gloves. Back at the apartment, Roger tossed my warmie into the microwave for a couple of minutes and I settled in with my computer. The warmie served to warm me nicely. I might make another one so I can have one for my feet and one for my chest, but for now this one is a great start.
Roger experimented with the rice, fixing it with beef and carrots and cumin for a spicy dish for supper, and it was delicious. Needless to say, we did not have wine with this meal.
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