Summer 2023 trip : New-York, Washington et Montréal

French Version

1) Introduction to our Trip: The Triggering Event

My name is Pascal, and I have a son who is studying Robotics.
As part of his studies, he has the opportunity to do an internship from June to September 2023 in Montreal.

I thought it would be a great opportunity to visit him with my wife and daughter.

2) Choosing the dates: July and August 2023

Before meeting my son in Montreal, I decided to leave a bit earlier to visit two major American cities.
I'll be visiting New York and Washington D.C. on my own, and then I'll join my wife and daughter in Montreal.

To visit these cities, we need to think about accommodation, and for that, I have come up with an original solution: a culinary/accommodation exchange. I would like to propose the following deal to two American families:

• Arrive on Saturday evening in the city and be hosted from Saturday evening to Monday morning by the first family. In exchange, I will propose a recipe that we will prepare and enjoy for Sunday lunch.


• Then, the next invitation will be to make a dessert in the second family's home in exchange for accommodation from Monday evening to Wednesday morning. The recipe will be prepared on Monday after 2:00 pm, and tasting can take place around 5:00 pm or in the evening.

Before we delve deeper into the organization of this trip, let's take a quick break to discuss the recipes I could propose.

3) The Recipes

I will provide 4 different recipes, from which the first family will make a selection, in agreement with the second family who may be invited to the meal.

Quiche Lorraine : From the German word "kuchen" meaning "cake", Quiche Lorraine originated from the Lorraine region. This traditional recipe is very old, dating back to the 16th century. Traditionally, Quiche Lorraine was made with bread dough, smoked pork belly, eggs, and heavy cream.

Carbonade flamande: a traditional dish in Flemish cuisine, originating from Belgium and Northern France.

Hachis parmentier : traditional French dish that consists of two layers: a layer of minced meat (usually beef or lamb) and a layer of mashed potatoes. Everything is then gratinated in the oven to obtain a golden and crispy crust. The origin of Hachis Parmentier dates back to the 18th century, when the French botanist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier popularized the potato in France. At the time, the potato was considered a food for the poor and was therefore consumed very little. Parmentier therefore created this recipe to encourage the French to eat more potatoes. Today, hachis Parmentier is a very popular dish in France and is often served in French restaurants and homes. There are many variations of the recipe, some including vegetables or cheeses, but the base always remains the same.

Ratatouille Niçoise : traditional French dish that consists of two layers: a layer of minced meat (usually beef or lamb) and a layer of mashed potatoes. Everything is then gratinated in the oven to obtain a golden and crispy crust. The origin of Hachis Parmentier dates back to the 18th century, when the French botanist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier popularized the potato in France. At the time, the potato was considered a food for the poor and was therefore consumed very little. Parmentier therefore created this recipe to encourage the French to eat more potatoes. Today, hachis Parmentier is a very popular dish in France and is often served in French restaurants and homes. There are many variations of the recipe, some including vegetables or cheeses, but the base always remains the same.

Next, here are 4 desserts from which the second family will make a selection in agreement with the first family who may be invited to the tasting:

Tarte aux fraises: a classic dessert from French pastry, originating from the Champagne region, made with shortbread crust, pastry cream, and fresh strawberries.	Clafoutis: a traditional French dessert originating from Limousin, made with fruits (usually cherries), eggs, flour, milk, and sugar.
Îles flottantes: a classic French dessert made with crème anglaise, whipped egg whites, and caramel.	Tarte Tatin: an iconic French dessert originating from the Val de Loire region, made with apples cooked in butter and sugar, covered with puff pastry and baked in the oven.

4) Exchange: cooking/accommodation

This choice was motivated by multiple reasons:

• The first is human, when visiting a country, it's also the people who live there that we want to discover; at least, that's my case and what I hope to share with you in this exchange.
• The choice of culinary classes that I could offer is motivated by a good reputation that it seems we have. We won't talk about all of our other qualities or flaws and we'll stick to one of the most beautiful things that I will try to make you discover. It should be known that I am not a professional chef, but I have the advantage of regularly cooking the dishes that I will propose to you, and I want to share them as much as I can.
• The possibility of being hosted by you in return is far from negligible, I am well aware of this because it's at a time of the year when hotels are the most expensive. If I have chosen these dates, it's not really by choice, it's because my wife has an obligation in the profession she practices (operating room nurse) to take her vacations in the summer.
• I won't be able to come with food products, that's why you'll need to have chosen the recipes for which I give you the ingredients (and later the quantities when you have told me the number of people who will be present during the meals). I am obviously ready to participate to a reasonable extent if you show me the receipts for your purchases.

I have asked for two days in each family, and I am aware that it is a lot; in return, I will go beyond these two recipes. Depending on the chosen dish, I will see if I can bring a bottle of wine that will go with the chosen dish. It should be noted that we live in the region of Bordeaux, renowned for the hundreds of wines it produces. As for desserts, they can go with sweet wines, such as Montbasillac (Dordogne), of which I have a few bottles in my cellar and which I would be happy to share.

It is obviously not mandatory for all members of a family to be interested in this exchange, and I will not take offense. I have also considered that some people may be allergic to certain products. So, if you click on each of the images, a window should appear and give you the list of ingredients needed to make it. So, please take this important criterion into account in the choice you will make.

5) How did I contact you and how can you contact us?

For each of the cities, I searched for associations of retired people with various activities in these associations. Why retirees? Simply because it will be easier for you to come and pick me up and also to meet on Monday afternoon to make and taste the dessert.

I took two different associations hoping to multiply the chances that they would accept to pass on this exchange to their members. This means that you may be in competition with members of your own association and those of the other association.

To contact me, I have created email addresses that will be used specifically for this exchange: newyork@bories.eu and washington@bories.eu

6) Taking COVID very seriously

It's important to know that I've taken this virus very seriously and have received the vaccinations to fight against it (5 doses for myself). I haven't caught it and I hope it stays that way. During this exchange, we won't be paranoid, but we will maintain our distance and refrain from embracing at the end of our meetings, even if we have, hopefully, formed good friendly relationships.

7) Your turn to take action

I've been quite talkative and I hope I haven't overwhelmed you with all these explanations. Families who are interested in this exchange can contact me, and as soon as I have specific dates based on the airline tickets (Paris - New York), train tickets (New York - Washington), and finally flight tickets (Washington - Montreal), we'll keep you informed.

Signed, Pascal BORIES