Le Spice of Spartanburg

Owners Nicolas and Amonrat Dhers are hard at work in the kitchen every time we visit, far more noticeable than the restaurant’s white wooden sign out on Abernathy Highway. We had passed the unassuming sign often on our way to Barnet Park and downtown Spartanburg, but didn’t give it a second thought until a friend suggested lunch after a morning at Hatcher Garden Woodland Preserve. Having tasted a pain au chocolat (here called choco croissant) just as light and flaky as I remember from our time living in France, I brought Roberts in so he could judge for himself.

While it might have been the French pastries that first brought us to Le Spice Restaurant and Bakery, it is the eclectic international fusion that brings us back; the French favorites mingle with Thai, Cuban and Mexican in a fascinating selection of breakfast and lunch dishes. Amonrat is from a small village in Thailand, and Nicolas from the Normandy region in France; the two met while working in the food industry in Miami, setting the stage for one of the Upstate’s most captivating international restaurants.

Chef's daily special, Buffalo turkey crêpe w/ carrot ginger soup

The menu isn’t overwhelming; there is a soup & salad section, the crêpes, sandwiches and house specialties. However I still haven’t managed to try everything, as favorites from previous visits vie with the as-of-yet unexperienced options. From the French end of things there are of course the crêpes, but also escargot, Quiche Lorraine, Niçoise salad and the Croque-monsieur. Mexican and Cuban flavors also make an appearance in the crêpe menu, with a Cuban chicken option that features pork belly, Swiss cheese and creamy mustard sauce, or La Mexicaine with cheddar cheese, guac, onions, peppers and tomatoes. These appear side-by-side on the menu with more traditional crepes: La Rousse with fresh salmon, creamy pink tomato sauce and Swiss, or the bacon, egg & brie.

The Duck Bun

We’ve delighted finding Thai flavors in the sandwiches, a popular choice being the Duck Bun: roasted duck, sriracha aioli, red onion jam and cilantro on a brioche bun. The Bangbang Banh Mi features marinated pork, aioli, carrots, onions, cornichon pickles, cucumber and bangbang sauce on baguette. The Thai Green Curry Bowl is a house specialty, while the Thai Pulled Pork sandwich offers a Thai twist on a southern classic.

The front entrance, with Chef Nicolas cooking up a storm in the kitchen

The little house with the blue door creates a welcoming atmosphere, with plenty of seating options. When we arrive with a group of moms (kids in tow), we’ll often choose to sit in the first room, the family-style table allowing us all to sit together without disturbing other patrons. Other times we sit in the main dining room with light streaming in through the large windows, while on a warm spring day we might venture out to the patio and listen to the breeze in the forest surrounding the small creek on its way to the North Tyger River.

If you get there early enough you might be able to sample one of the bacon chocolate cookies for dessert, although don’t be despondent if you miss out – there are plenty of other mouthwatering options such as maple sea salt pecan pie and lemon meringue to tempt your taste buds. In lieu of dessert we’ll often purchase bread to take home, the multi grain loaves soft and pillowy, sometimes disappearing before their intended role in lunch the following day.

A raspberry Danish, choco croissant and cinnamon roll

Le Spice is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8am to 3pm. Everything is cooked fresh and to order, but there is a call-ahead option if you’re short on time. Le Spice does to-go orders, as well as catering, whole pies, and a Chef’s table option. Located at 8881 Warren H. Abernathy Hwy. in Spartanburg, Le Spice can be found online on Facebook and Instagram.

This article is part of the series Food on Friday.

Le Spice has also been featured in Spartanburg Magazine and in the new book by Hub City Press, A Taste of Spartanburg.

euphoria Greenville

Greenville has been vaulted into foodie fame in recent years, earning top spots in travel journal top-ten lists with rave reviews of up-and-coming chefs, hot new restaurants, local-sourced dining options and dozens of food-oriented festivals and events. However, what is possibly the most famous foodie festival here in the Upstate and one of the reasons for Greenville’s culinary acclaim is now in its 11^th year - & still growing; euphoria shows no signs of slowing down, the 2017 festival once again selling out a majority of its events and attracting top chefs from across the country.

Founded in 2006 by singer/songwriter Edwin McCain and restaurateur Carl Sobocinski, the four-day event in September includes exclusive tasting events, live music, cooking demonstrations, wine seminars and multi-course dinners. Attendees have a wide range of events to choose from, and can select based on favorite chefs & restaurants, type of cuisine, budget and/or other interests.

Clockwise from top left: City Limits Barbeque (TX style prime brisket & sweet jalapeno cornbread waffles), refreshments, Biscuit Head (mac&cheese biscuits, pork belly beans, smoked local brisket & red pepper jelly), shredding pork

We saw the combining of Greenville’s two great loves – cycling and food – on Thursday’s “Cycling with George Hincapie” event at Hotel Domestique. A 30-mile bike ride with the cycling legend was followed by drinks and lunch prepared by Chef Graves at Restaurant 17. Thursday evening brought elaborate dining experiences at Grits & Groceries in Belton and American Grocery downtown, as well as a musical event at Revel and the kick-off party at the Old Cigar Warehouse.

Friday had a little bit of everything… A bike ride on the Swamp Rabbit Trail that started at the Swamp Rabbit Cafe ended at the Traveler’s Rest Farmer’s Market Pavilion with TR’s favorite eats. A walking tour of downtown Greenville was topped off by a multi-course wine lunch at Jianna. Taste of the South at the TD Stage and Wyche Pavilion featured 17 Chefs from Virginia to Florida & live music from Kakalacki Jones and Edwin McCain himself. On Saturday there was the Feast by the Field in the West End, with 60 breweries, wineries, distilleries, local restaurants and regional chefs. During the day “classroom” events taught attendees the secrets of barbecue, biscuits, Italian wines, chocolate-liquor pairings and pre-Prohibition cocktails, and in the evening the “Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner” held at the Commerce Club featured nationally-renowned pianist, Emile Pandolfi with multiple Chefs serving food & drink pairings. Other dinner options included Bacon Bros. Public House, Halls Chophouse, Stella’s Southern Brasserie, Jianna and the Loft at Soby’s, and a new event this year was the “Big Easy Bash,” a New Orleans themed party in Trailblazer Park in Travelers Rest complete with 10 chefs, a New Orleans-style jazz band and two food trucks & a dessert cart.

Carrot, sweet potato, raspberry and salted caramel mini cupcakes by Couture Cakes of Greenville

In addition to local restaurant celebrities, Greenville saw the arrival of famous chefs from around the world. At the “Seeing Stars: Michelin-starred Dinner at The Lazy Goat,” three Michelin-starred chefs were dishing up their cuisine: Curtis Duffy (3 stars; Grace, Chicago), Dominique Crenn (2 stars; Atelier Crenn, San Francisco), and Michael Mina (1 star; Michael Mina, San Francisco). In addition to the dinner event and other appearances, Chef Dominique Crenn made a special appearance at Michelin’s HQ to talk about her career, her life and the ingredients that have gone into her recipe for success. One of only three female chefs in the US to earn 2 Michelin stars (and one of only 25 total), Chef Crenn is a pioneer in her field and truly an inspiration.

Michelin-starred chef Dominique Crenn!

One event that offers the euphoria experience in a laid-back atmosphere that’s a good fit for families is Sunday Brunch: Fired Up! For the second year in a row, eight pit masters gathered in the West End for a BBQ brunch that included 15 local and regional restaurants, Bloody Marys and mimosas, music from Crooked Pine, and a culinary stage. The outdoor event was a great opportunity to sample food from a variety of chefs, and the portion size ensured that we all went home sated but not stuffed. This year a family 4-pack retailed for $120, and children 4 and under are free.**

Greenbrier Farms and the 'Savory Snow Cone' w/ tomato, cheddar grits, smoked chicken,
roasted okra & pablano ceam

Festival objectives, from the euphoria website:

To create a destination event for food, wine and music lovers across the country

To highlight the Culinary and Arts Community of Upstate South Carolina

To promote tourism in Greenville, SC

To raise money to give back to the community*

Omelette station by The Spoonbread Restaurant at the Westin Poinsett Hotel

* Proceeds from euphoria fund Local Boys Do Good, the 501c3 created to benefit local non-profit organizations that focus on: providing sustenance to those in need (food, hunger, and health), educating (through music, performing arts, or otherwise), or supporting children.

Richard's Southern Fried with their hot & smoked chicken 'n waffles

** Ticket prices for euphoria events range from $35 (classroom events) to $150&up for most of the events that include food. The Upstate's foodie festival Fall for Greenville is a little easier on the budget, and is coming up quickly, taking place from October 13-15.

Ooh la la, France!

Friday we packed our bags for France… in Greenville! We travel the world with a group of friends, every month stopping in a different country; this month, Mikus’s birthplace, our home for three years and a place I still dream about – France!

 

I volunteered to host la grande affaire, pulling out all the stops to share some of what we experienced while living in la belle France. To facilitate participation we split the kids up into groups, letting them explore the stations at their own speed. I led the gateau au yaourt baking in the kitchen, using the super-easy yogurt cake recipe that children in France learn to cook with. The excitement over donning aprons and cracking eggs was tangible, and the resulting cake was delicious as always, even the accidental one sans eggs – we were so busy having fun we forgot a few ingredients!

My mother put on her teaching hat… er, beret, and covered French artist Monet. After discussing his love of nature, his temper and the roots of French Impressionism, they proceeded to make Monet water lily-inspired art by soaking cold press watercolor paper in water and then using squeeze bottles filled with nontoxic liquid watercolors to create vibrant explosions of color. After the color spreads through capillary action, sprinkling on some salt on the still-wet paint produces a salt-effect, little starbursts of texture. Using white tempera paint some artists added their own water lilies, and I think several of the parents were surprised with the quality of the resulting works of art. (My mother suggests these Strathmore watercolor postcards as an ideal summer art project that can be shared with family and friends via USPS…)

Another mother set up a mosaic station for the opportunity to learn and glue the colors of the French flag. In addition to the dozen children’s books we had out from our time abroad (a couple even in English: Henri's Walk to Paris and and Mr. Chicken Goes to Paris) and the Madeline DVD we had playing, I had ordered felt berets for the kids to take home with them. Maybe slightly over-the-top, but our petits voyageurs loved them and it provided a great photo-op! Among the guests was also a grand-mère de France, a complete coincidence but perfect addition as she was able to add another dimension to our studies, including a French chanson pour enfants, madaleines and Le Petit Ecolier, treats my sons had not tasted for several years.

Lunchtime. Our déjeuner was far from petit! Our friend had made Salade Niçoise, oeufs farcis and ratatouille, and of course we sampled the yogurt cake the kids had baked themselves. Another friend brought quiches and croque-monsieurs that disappeared faster than you can say mon dieu  and some fresh baguettes and tarts from local Legrand French bakery. My contribution was cherry clafouti and Galette des Rois – the Feast of Epiphany king cake with a fève hidden inside that one lucky participant found in her slice.

Once we had finished crowning the queen (and she had chosen her king), we continued our feast with a French cheese and wine tasting. Although our Trader Joe’s has a good selection, I had made the trip to Whole Foods for the day’s selection; Blue de Auvergne (a blue cheese from the region we lived in), St Nectaire (also from the Auvergne), Pyrenees Brebis Herve Mons & bucherondin (sheep and goat’s milk, respectively) with a brie to round out the plate. I had originally thought to offer a red and a white wine (and I found two vins de Bordeaux that fit the bill at Whole Foods), but amended that to a red, white and rosé! when I realized it is almost summer and that’s what I would be drinking if I were in Aix-en-Provence, after all (right Sara Louise?!!!?).

It was early evening when the last beret-wearing enfant left. We were tired from a day of rambunctious children and so dinner was basically leftovers, but thankfully Roberts didn’t complain when he was served a selection of French cheese for dinner! Maybe it was the rosé that had something to do with it? 

French croissants in The South

When we moved from Greenville to France in 2010 we left a fast-changing town. I was especially peeved that as we left the country Southwest Airlines decided to come to GSP with their direct flights to Chicago. In addition, Trader Joe’s had waited until we were moving away to open a store here in Greenville; I had grown to love them and their two buck chuck while living in Northville, MI. Upon our return Trader Joe’s was still here, and a slew of other chains had opened/are opening including a Cabella’s, but there is one completely unexpected business that brought me extreme happiness to know had opened in our town.

 

It shouldn’t surprise me that there are a few French establishments here in Greenville, as the French company Michelin has its North American headquarters in our town and with it come expatriates and French nationals. There are a growing amount of Americans returning from life in France on expatriate assignments as well, ones that can discern a proper baguette from the Publix supermarket counterpart. In addition to Passerelle Bistro, the French restaurant on the Falls, Rick’s Deli and Market has also been doing business in Greenville for over a year now. The addition to the French scene that has me saying merci beaucoup! is LeGrand Bakery, the closest thing to Le Pistore, Boulangerie & Pâtisserie (the bakery downstairs from our apartment in France) you’ll find here in the Upstate.

 

We stopped in while the grandparents were in town, knowing my mother would appreciate a respectable pain au chocolat from her trip to visit us in France. In addition to the usual baguettes, croissants (plain, with chocolate and with almonds), brioches and meringues, they also have seasonal favorites such as the galette des rois and buche de Noel. We bought one of each… well, not quite, but it felt like it!

 

Everything we brought home smelled and tasted just like I remember from France. Fresh-baked that morning (as I’m sure was everything else), the croissants especially disappeared quickly. I would like to request that they make a croissant with almonds and chocolate, but otherwise have only praise for their wonderfully authentic French breads and pastries.

 

I hope to try LeGrand for lunch one day, as there was beautiful display of quiches and a salad Nicoise and croque-monsieurs on the menu, but that might have to wait for a day I’m traveling sans children in tow. On second thought, I could probably take them with; a baguette each would probably keep them quiet long enough for me to polish off a sandwich Parisien…

Galette des rois - king cake!

Priecīgu zvaigznes dienu! We celebrated with a galette des rois, or “king cake” yesterday, as our guests are departing today for the cold and snowy north. Traditionally made to celebrate the Feast of Epiphany, the cake is popular in France during the holidays and was added to the list of family traditions during our time overseas. Some might associate galette des rois with New Orleans, where it was introduced by French and Spanish colonists and is enjoyed during Carnival, however in France it is served only several days before and after Epiphany.

As I explained in a previous post on this yummy dessert, there is a small figurine or trinket (the fève) baked into the cake – traditionally this item was a bean. The lucky person who gets the slice containing the fève is named king or queen for the day. Or, in our case, the fève remains in the uneaten portion and we get to try again the following day!

To prevent favoritism, the youngest member of the family sits under the table and calls out which person gets each slice, so that the person serving the cake cannot pass the slice with the fève knowingly to a certain person.

In Provence the King Cake is gâteau des Rois, made of brioche and candied fruits, whereas the rest of the country traditionally celebrates with the puff pastry and frangipane that we enjoyed. The recipe calls for almond meal to make the frangipane, but I have used almond flour (not as finely ground and available in many health food stores including Trader Joe's) and also almond butter (Whole Foods has a grind-your-own peanut butter section, that grinds roasted almonds without any additives).

I highly recommend taking the leftover puff pastry dough (the result of trimming the corners to make circles) and making little pīrāgi with Nutella inside. I put mine on the same pan as the king cake, and although a few burst open while baking, they were delicious.

To celebrate Epiphany with your very own king cake, you can either head to your local French bakery or follow this easy recipe, a variation on a recipe given to me by a friend in France that utilizes pre-made puff pastry that you can find in the frozen desserts section at your local grocery store. David Lebovitz just posted a delicious galette des rois recipe on his blog, but if you are looking for something simpler without the orange flower water and zest, try this. Don’t forget to remind your guests there is a fève hidden in the cake!

La galette des rois (king cake)

Ingredients:

1 package puff pastry, thawed

½ cup ground almond meal

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 fève or fava bean (optional)

1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 425˚ F

2. Combine the almond meal, sugar, 1 egg, butter, vanilla extract and flour to form a smooth paste.

3. Roll out the puff pastry and cut out two large circles. Place one on a non-stick pan, and on it spread the frangipane mixture in an even layer, leaving a one inch border around the edge of the dough.

4. Hide the fève in the almond filling, and then place the second pastry circle on top, smoothing the air out from under. Press down firmly along the outer border to seal the two layers. Make a small hole in the middle of the galette so that the cake does not swell too much when cooking, and using the tip of a knife cut small slits into the top layer around the edge of the cake. Traditional galette des rois have a design etched into the top…

5. Beat the remaining egg, and brush over the top of the cake. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

6. Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Serve with coffee and a crown!

On cooking with kids - gateau au yaourt

I’ve got two boys that love to “help” in the kitchen. Although I can’t wait for the day that they start washing dishes, it can be tough to find things for them to do; Mikus is too young to be left unsupervised, and Lauris still needs help with many tasks. My goal with them is not to create more work for myself in clean-up; instead I aim to familiarize them with the ingredients that go into the foods they eat, teach  them the kitchen basics and keep them out of trouble while I’m cooking.

 

While living in France I often heard about gâteau au yaourt, or yogurt cake. You might be familiar with it from the book “Bringing up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting” by Pamela Druckerman. Although I found many things in the book to be stereotypes and not representative of the French parents I knew, the yogurt cake was in fact often baked in many households. Not only does it teach children the basics of measuring, mixing and baking, but it instills patience (yes, in the parents, also…), as the kids have to wait for it to cook before they can have it for their goûter, or afternoon snack. I waited for a while to try it out with the boys, as I wanted Lauris to be able to work independently for the most part – that is after all what yogurt cake is all about. Although he still is not able to follow the recipe completely by himself, he does well enough alone that I can concentrate on keeping his brother out of trouble.

 

What makes this the perfect recipe to bake with kids is the measuring system; the empty yogurt containers are used to measure everything but the vanilla and baking powder, and for those a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon will do (3 “spoons” baking powder and 2 “spoons” vanilla). I grease the pan for Lauris and then read off the ingredients, but he does the “measuring” and pouring. Mikus lends a hand with adding a few ingredients and mixing, and then mom handles the baking. We opted to add chocolate chips this last time around, as it was that kind of day, but really you can put just about anything in it: berries, fruit or nuts to give the kids some variety, lemon zest or rum to make the grown-up version. There are two basic recipes floating around, we use the one from Druckerman’s book, which is also the one I’ve included at the bottom of this post. I’ve found that baking it in a loaf pan extends the cooking time and creates a crunchier crust, but a cake tin will give you more of a smooth cake-like texture. It’s delicious either way, and as long as the boys keep eating it we’ll keep making it.

 

Bringing up Bébé’s gâteau au yaourt

 

Ingredients
2 six-ounce containers  of plain whole-milk yogurt
2 eggs
2 containers sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Just under 1 container of vegetable oil
4 containers  flour
1 ½ teaspoons  baking powder
Crème fraîche (optional)*
 
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375˚F
Use vegetable oil to grease a 9-inch round cake pan or a loaf pan.
Gently combine the yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and oil. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; mix gently until ingredients are just combined (don't overmix). You can add two containers of frozen berries, a container of chocolate chips, or any flavoring you like.
Bake for 35 minutes, then five minutes more if the cake doesn't pass the knife test. It should be almost crispy on the outside, but springy on the inside. Let it cool. The cake is delicious served with tea and a dollop of crème fraîche.*

 

*As crème fraîche is not readily available in Greenville, we tend to eat it alone, or with a dab of butter (must be the Southern influence, thanks Paula Deen!)
** Another option is to top with slivered almonds (before baking) or powdered sugar (before serving) for a more glamorous result. Perhaps the mommies are coming over for a playdate and you don’t want them to know your son did the baking?
*** If you wish to lower the sugar intake you can cut the 2 cups the recipe calls for in half easily without hurting the end result – it just won’t be as sweet, which isn’t a problem if you’re adding berries or chocolate.

Bastille Day brunch at the Passerelle Bistro

Celebrating La Fête Nationale (Bastille Day) in France the last few years has spoiled me forever; the longing for a crusty baguette, a good smelly cheese, saucisson sec and a glass of rosé wine is especially strong on this holiday. Despite being back in the US we decided to celebrate the birthplace of my son Mikus properly (and with rosé) – with brunch at Passerelle Bistro, the new French place in town.

 

Right on the Reedy River, overlooking the falls from what formerly was Overlook Grill, the restaurant has an ideal location. Passerelle is the French word for footbridge, and as the Liberty Bridge is just a few steps away the name is quite appropriate. We had reservations and so were quickly seated in the outside patio area; luckily there was still space under the awning, as it rained on and off the whole morning and the seating under the umbrellas looked to be a bit wet.

 

The brunch menu was heavily French-influenced, and while several options looked good I finally chose the moules Basquaise, with chorizo, peppers and herbs. Roberts chose the Benedict Passerelle with ham, fries and hollandaise, and the boys split a croque monsieur, a grilled ham & Gruyère on sourdough bread topped with Mornay sauce that also came with fries. The service was professional (although the tab was incorrectly calculated), and the kids were warmly welcomed; a great Falls Park coloring book was immediately provided, water came in spill-proof cups and splitting a dish was absolutely no problem.

 

The rest of my experience just didn’t have that viva la France! feel. The mussels didn’t have the chorizo kick I expected, and although they weren’t bad, I’ve had better. The boys' croque monsieur tasted just like I remember from France, but then came the highly recommended profiteroles – light cream puffs, black raspberry ice cream and chocolate sauce. The “light” cream puffs were heavy and tasteless, the chocolate sauce not enough to make them edible. We finished off the ice cream but I wish I would have stuck with my gut and ordered the crème brûlée, maybe the experience would have left a better taste in my mouth.

 

The next time we have company in town we might try Passerelle Bistro for dinner, as the scenery is a major plus especially for showing off Falls Park. However my palate has been spoiled by the real thing, and the French-influenced brunch menu just didn’t impress me.

 

 

As the drizzle let up for a few minutes we crossed to the other side of the river farther upstream, and got to the old mayonnaise factory (now Wyche Pavilion) just before a downpour. The two-story brick paint shop was built by J.E. Sirrine in 1904 for the Greenville Coach Factory, but was sold in 1911 to Duke's mayonnaise. Now it is a beautiful spot for a wedding, catered by Larkins on the River just next door, and the ideal spot to wait out the rain (when there isn’t a wedding reception taking place). It turns out we need not have bothered, as the boys both managed to get soaked before returning to their car…

High Park in Toronto

Two weeks ago Friday we found ourselves on a plane headed for Toronto, Canada. My cousin Līga’s confirmation was that Sunday, and we were joining most of my side of the family for a couple days. For the boys it was their first time in Canada, and although we didn’t have time for sights like the CN Tower we did manage to see a few places and sights that Roberts and I hadn’t yet seen.

 

A nice surprise was the Cheese Boutique, a gourmet grocery; “At Cheese Boutique prosciutto hangs from the ceiling, truffles are flown in every Wednesday, foie gras sits under lock and key, beef is dry aged 60 days, there are olive oils from 80 different terroirs and jams made from green walnuts, the best artisanal breads of the city, not to mention the chocolate boutique, pastry temptations and daily handpicked produce - but it is for the cheese that one must really come here.” (From the website) Note to self - next time you visit Toronto, drive. That way you can fill the trunk with French cheese.

Make sure you get a peek (and whiff!) of the cheese vault (middle)

 

Our relatives live in the vicinity of High Park, and that is how it came to be that Saturday we spent the majority of the day strolling through this 400 acre park. Originally purchased by John Howard as a sheep farm, the property was donated to the City of Toronto on three conditions; first, for Mr. Howard and his wife to continue to live in their house, the Colborn Lodge, second for no alcohol to ever be served in the park, and third that the park be named High Park and be free for people to enjoy. Opened in 1876, a large part is natural forest, with the oak savannah maintained by prescribed burns. With gardens, sports fields, picnicking areas, a beautiful children’s playground and a free zoo, there is more to do than can be seen in a day.

 

We followed small trails through the woods along the west ravine, which leads past Wendigo Creek and Wendigo Pond. Named after the wendigo, mythical cannibalistic creatures of Algonquian mythology, we did not linger long….It was discovered in 2003 that the eastern ravine lies over an ancient river; when capping two artisan wells a plume of water, sand and gravel shot fifty feet into the air. Research shows this pre-glacial Laurentian River System 160 feet below the surface had been undisturbed for thousands of years.

 

On the western edge of the park is Grenadier Pond, covering 35 acres and named after the local Town of York garrison of the 1800s who used the pond to fish. It is believed that British Grenadiers fell through the ice when crossing to defend the city in the War of 1812, and another urban legend claims the pond is bottomless and that the bottom has never been touched due to layers and layers of mud. On our visit the shore was dotted with fisherman fishing for bass, crappie, perch, pumpkinseed, bluegill, bullhead and carp.

 

We stopped in the zoo, the home to American bison, emu, llamas, peacocks, fallow deer, capybara, Highland cattle, yaks, Barbary sheep, and Mouflon sheep. Our favorite was the little wallaby that was returning to its enclosure from an outing. Although Lauris wasn’t keen on petting the joey, my cousins Annelī and Andis were! In 2012, the Toronto City Council discontinued funding to the High Park Zoo. Luckily the Honey Family Foundation stepped up to sponsor the zoo for three years, hopefully allowing the Friends of the High Park Zoo time to find a permanent source of funding.

 

Our next stop was the children's playgrounds, built in 1999 and named the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground after the volunteer who initiated the construction. A little over a year ago a portion was destroyed by arson, but the local community banded together to build a grand castle as a replacement , and the combined playground is fun for kids of all ages. The wooden walkways, towers and bridges brought back childhood memories of Indian Boundary Park in Chicago, the fieldhouse of which was also destroyed by arson in 2012.

 

We did not have a chance to visit the Grenadier Café, nor the produce market, Nature Center, pool or the Colborn Lodge Museum. We saw the little trackless train drive by (also free) but going for a spin will have to wait for a future visit, as will attending on of the Shakespeare in the park plays. The cherries had already bloomed (the first of which was planted in 1959 by the citizens of Tokyo), but to me all this just means we’ll have to return again soon. Nevertheless, the boys were growing tired and there was a long evening of preparations ahead for the next day’s confirmation, and so we headed back to krusttēvs Māris’s house for the evening, leave High Park to the wallabies for the night.

 

Kouign Amann

It was a rare occurrence that I was the lone customer in the bakery on Saturday morning. Without the long line of people impatient for their pain I felt more comfortable taking my time making a decision, as well as asking a few questions. There were no almond encrusted pain de chocolats that morning, however on the top shelf was a beautiful looking pastry marked Kouign Amann, spécialité de Bretagne.

Kouign Amann from Le Pistore bakery

Lena explained their Breton baker had decided to bake this regional specialty, that it isn’t for a special holiday but instead is an everyday staple in boulangeries in Brittany. The translation is “butter cake,” and was supposedly invented by accident in 1860. It is made from dough bread covered with a butter-sugar mixture which is then folded like a pastry. While cooking, the sugar-butter permeates the dough and caramelizes, resulting in a crisp, delicious pastry. The cake I brought home (a pregnant woman passing by a “butter cake”? not going to happen…), was round with four individual units, but in my understanding they are baked for up to twelve people, sometimes in rectangular dishes, or just as individual cakes which are called kouignettes. Different from our usual breakfast pastries but delicious nonetheless, maybe next week they will have the beurrée variant, which is topped with crunchy caramel…

We also braved the soldes crowds. As I explained around this time last year, the French government authorizes stores to use the word les soldes only twice a year (January and July), in order to foster economic growth and consumption. This year they kicked off on January 11^th and last until mid-February, with escalating markdowns every few weeks. I find it funny that stores are allowed to have discounts, special offers and promotions throughout the rest of the year, but cannot use the descriptor soldes outside of these two time periods.

The irony is that although many clothing and furniture stores have discounted merchandise, appliances seem to be full price year-round, with no end-of-year markdowns on old models or sales to bring in the customers in the New Year. But as our refrigerator has been freezing the eggs and milk recently (and according to Roberts’s research on our fridge this is a problem particular to our model after 2-4 years of use, and expensive to fix) I got to stand in the kitchen section of Darty and choose a refrigerator, one much more beautiful, energy-efficient and with a more convenient layout than the temperature-challenged, funny-noise making thing in our kitchen at the moment.

The delivery date for the new refrigerator is January 25^th. Sound familiar? That’s because not only is it my brother’s birthday, but it is also my due date. (Well, my due date was I living in the US, but that is a different story.) Should we be taking bets on what arrives first, the baby or the fridge?*

*The saleswoman did not find this amusing, and instead pointed out the telephone number on our invoice that we call should we need to reschedule.