PART 2: CHANGES IN FRANCE

In Part 1, we've established that after 12 years in France, I drive more slowly, eat less cheese, and drink more wine. With this post, I'll answer a question that appears in many discussions of the move across the Pond: What do you miss most? Mostly, the answer comes down to food. Yes, for some it might be a particular cleaning product or OTC med. And yes, the aluminum foil tends to be flimsy and ziploc bags are just now approaching decent. But all of that pales to the sudden loss of favorite comfort foods.

HOT DOGS

Born and raised in New Jersey, with a father who was born in the Bronx and went to school in Manhattan, my idea of the perfect hot dog comes from Brooklyn. Specifically Coney Island. Nathan's Famous. Period. End of story. And while plastic packages of Nathan's eventually became available in grocery stores closer to home, and while those plastic-encased dogs were a more than satisfactory substitute for what else was available locally, and while Nathan's website doesn't even show them, you simply couldn't beat the real thing. The real thing? Nathan's over-the-counter by the pound, fresh, strung together, wrapped in butcher paper dogs to take home and grill. So I eschewed chewing the French equivalents of hot dogs for several years. Eventually though, spending time at our local butcher shop and seeing his saucisse Frankfort piled up in his display case every summer, and seeing squishy white bread buns on sale at the local super, I broke down. I modified my dogs in the manner that they were served in my favorite joint in eastern PA, with dill pickle spears and diced onions. And I admit that I didn't use yellow mustard. They sell a version of mayo here that is infused with the mustard of Lyon. All together, you get a thoroughly serviceable dog. But I miss my Nathan's sufficiently that I suggested to the butcher that he might consider mixing a little garlic into his frankfurters. The poor man nearly had a heart attack, as did the lady in line behind me. They carefully explained to me that it just isn't done. No garlic in French dogs. Not. Done. Oh well. I tried.

 

BAGELS

Bagels, smoked salmon and cream cheese, accompanied by deviled eggs and potato salad, comprise a proper Sunday brunch. Without bagels, it just don't work. For years, the only bagels that I could buy locally came from Picard, a chain of French stores that sell frozen food and frozen food only. Lender's Bagels. No. Just no. Then a little shop calling itself a bagel bakery opened in a nearby town. Brioche shaped like a doughnut and way too expensive. I even looked up three separate bagel shops in Paris. Not any better. Finally, in desperation, I began cruising YouTube for bagel recipes. Don't be surprised. I baked bread back home in the USofA all the time. But why would I bake bread in France when our local bakery is just steps away with warm, fresh bread available daily in a variety of tastes and forms. But not bagels. So I studied. I experimented. And voila! Bagels. Not as good as a bagels from Brooklyn, or even the Wegmans down the road after they put in an honest-to-goodness bagel oven. But, as is the case with the dogs, serviceable. Bagels with a schmear in France. Can't be beat.

MEXICAN FOOD

Surveys say that Americans who move to France miss Mexican food the most. And given that my wife grew up in Texas and is an admirable Mexican and Tex-Mex cook, you would think that's a problem for us. It's not. Cathey's sister Connie has been visiting twice a year for weeks at a time almost since the beginning. And she brings two suitcases stocked with enough tortillas and trimmings to open a bodega. More recently, friends who live in Switzerland have been bringing fresh chili peppers and tomatillos from a market there. There's even a permanently-parked Mexican food truck down the shore that serves an authentic, tasty menu. So no. I don't miss Mexican food. Eat your heart out.

 

PART 3 REQUIRED

Odds and ends left to go. I'll finish up next week. 

WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIVING IN FRANCE?

The conversation is predictable. It begins when we say, "We live in France now."

Full time?

Yes.

Really? All the time?

Yes.

Why?

Well, during our active retirement years we wanted to visit friends in England and travel in Europe. Why not live here?

How did you pick France?

Long story. (Pour wine and tell story. It's HERE on the blog.)

Are you going to become French citizens?

No. Residents but not citizens.

Does it cost more than living in the States?

Not really. Depends on how you live. And the dollar is quite strong these days. Viva Brexit!

Do you speak the language?

Well enough to get by and we're getting better all the time.

And then, at some point during the conversation, "What do you miss most?"

The stock answer is, "We miss friends and family the most." But you can see the real answer for yourselves when you see the picture of what Cathey brought back from the States for me in her suitcase last week.

#17 - NATHAN'S HOT DOGS, GREATEST SONG WRITERS, NADER ON TRUMP, THE YUAN

NATHAN'S HOT DOGS
The answer:
Nathan's hot dogs and cheap, squishy hot dog rolls. Bagels. Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Texas-style smoked ribs and brisket. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Crystal Hot Sauce. Twizzlers Chocolate Licorice Twists. Vita herring in sour cream.


The question:
Now that you've lived in France for over a year, what foods do you miss most?

Don't get me wrong. We have a smoker on our terrace. You can buy herring and sour cream and put them together yourself. And truth be told, you can get everything on the list delivered to your door if you are willing to pay the price.

But if you want a place to hang out for a few days while you are in the south of France, have one or two of the things on the list in your suitcase when you show up on our doorstep. We have a guest room.

GREATEST SONG WRITERS
Rolling Stone named the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time (emphasis mine) and it was a joke. Never mind that Bjork came in ahead of Marvin Gaye or that Jay Z beat out James Taylor. The Gershwins, Cole Porter, and Loerner and Loewe don't even appear on the list. I'm not suggesting that the list should have included Thomas Tallis. The man's been dead for over 400 years. But Stephen Sondheim was alive the last time that I checked.

Call the list the 100 Greatest Billboard Songwriters. Call it the 100 Greatest Rock and Roll, Folk and Rap Songwriters.

Call it Ferdinand. Cause it's Bull.

NADER ON TRUMP
Ralph Nader has gone on Fox and praised Trump for opening up the electoral process by threatening a third party run. It takes a billionaire, said Nader. Like Perot, said Nader. It's a good thing, said Nader.

Nader can't really see Trump and Perot as reformers. Not if he believes his own frequently repeated lament that America has become an oligarchy. Rather, I believe that he is attracted to men with egos of similar size to his own. We are fortunate that neither Perot or Nader ever seriously challenged for the Presidency and that Trump is just not serious, period.

THE YUAN
Politicians in Washington who pretend to understand these things have been calling on the Chinese to allow the yuan to float against the dollar for years. Now they are complaining that China has let the yuan float against the dollar. You see, the dollar is strong right now. That means Chinese goods are cheaper. And oh, by the way, the dollar has recently gained 20% against the euro. That means that German goods are cheaper, too. But the Germans aren't the Chinese. So we don't care about the euro, right?

Gee, this free market stuff can get complicated.