Let me introduce myself, my name is Pascal, and I have one of my sons 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 for my wife, daughter, and I to visit him there.
After finding my son in Montreal, I decided to stay a bit longer on this continent to visit an essential city in the United States: New York.
The visit to New York will be done alone, as my wife and daughter have commitments (work and studies) that I do not have.
In order to visit these cities, it is necessary to think about accommodation, and for that, I have come up with a solution to be hosted by arranging an original exchange;
This is a culinary/accommodation exchange, where I would like to propose the following arrangement to American families:
Before delving deeper into the organization of this trip, let's take a moment to discuss the recipes that I could offer you.
Here are the desserts from which the host family can make a selection.
Alsatian Pear Tart : The history of Alsatian Pear Tart is closely linked to the fruit-growing culture of the region. Alsace is renowned for its abundant orchards, especially its pear trees. Over the years, Alsatian farmers have cultivated various pear varieties, providing an abundance of fruits for use in local pastries.
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.
Parisian Flan : Traditional French pastry originating from the Paris region.
It is a dessert made of a shortcrust pastry filled with a custard made of milk, eggs, sugar, flour, and vanilla. The custard has a firm and smooth texture, while the shortcrust pastry is crispy. The main ingredients of the recipe are the shortcrust pastry, milk, eggs, sugar, flour, and vanilla.
Norman apple tart : Culinary specialty originating from Normandy in France.
It is a tart composed of a shortcrust pastry filled with sliced apples and a mixture of crème fraîche, sugar, eggs, and calvados (an apple brandy typical of the Normandy region). The texture of the tart is soft and slightly melting, with a pronounced apple flavor and a note of alcohol from the calvados.
The main ingredients of the recipe are shortcrust pastry, apples, crème fraîche, sugar, eggs, and calvados.
Plum tart: The plum tart, also known as "Zwetschgenkuchen" in Alsace, is particularly associated with the town of Saverne, located in the Bas-Rhin department of Alsace, France.
The original history of the plum tart dates back several centuries. Plums were abundant in the Alsace region, and the locals quickly found ways to incorporate them into their recipes. The plum tart became a traditional and iconic dessert of Alsatian cuisine.
Fig tart:
The fig tart, originating from the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in France, is particularly associated with the city of Aix-en-Provence.
The original history of the fig tart dates back to the Roman era when fig cultivation was widespread in the Mediterranean region.
Aix-en-Provence, with its sunny climate conducive to fig tree cultivation, became an important production hub for figs.
Far Breton: The Far Breton, originating from Brittany in France, is particularly associated with the city of Rennes.
The original history of Far Breton dates back to the 18th century in Brittany. At that time, the far was a simple and economical dish prepared with buckwheat flour, eggs, sugar, milk, and prunes. The prunes were often soaked in rum to give them a unique flavor.
The city of Rennes, as the capital of the Brittany region, played an important role in popularizing Far Breton. The people of Rennes and the surrounding areas incorporated this delicious dessert into their daily cuisine, and it quickly became a symbol of Breton gastronomy.
The canelés of Bordeaux are emblematic pastries from the city of Bordeaux, France. Their history dates back to the 18th century.
Originally, canelés were prepared by the nuns of the Annonciades convent, located in the Sainte-Croix neighborhood of Bordeaux.
If you agree to accommodate me for two consecutive nights, I will make canelés for you on the second evening, with a limit of 2 per person present.
I will offer you one copper mold for a better baking of these canelés. You are free to acquire other molds if you find that the baking is different
Initially, canelés were called "canelats" due to their characteristic cylindrical shape. The name "canelé" appeared later, probably due to the caramelization of sugar that forms on the surface of the pastry during baking, giving it a brown color and caramelized flavor.
Today, canelés are enjoyed worldwide. They have a crispy exterior, a moist interior, a vanilla flavor, and a hint of rum. Traditionally, they are baked in copper molds, but silicone molds are also available for more convenient home baking.
I will take care of purchasing the ingredients necessary for a dessert, up to 8 people.
This applies to both one-night and two-night accommodations.
If a dessert includes alcohol, it will be the responsibility of the host family to provide it.
The host family agrees not to have more than 8 guests for the desserts I will prepare.
To know the required ingredient quantities, simply click on the dessert image.
This choice was motivated by multiple reasons:
I have offered up to two days in each family, and I am aware that it's quite a lot; for the families that will host me for more than two nights, you should know that I will go beyond those two recipes by providing you with a second apron as a keepsake from a young Frenchman passing through your city.
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.
Important: We don't have a monopoly on cakes, and if you have a specialty, whether it's from New York or another state, from your mother or your grandmother, feel free to share that recipe in case I stay for more than one day. For just one day, it might be challenging to do so.
I have looked for associations of retirees who engage in various activities. Why retirees? Simply because it will be easier for you to meet up, go shopping with me (no obligations), and also to prepare this or these desserts.
I approached two different associations, hoping to increase the chances of them agreeing to share this exchange with their members. This means that you may be in competition with members from your own association as well as members from the other association.
To contact me, I have created an email specifically for this exchange: f(rench) c(ulinary) a(mbassador) : fca-pascal@bories.eu
First and foremost, it's important to note that I've only included this option in the English language, even though I'm aware of the strong French community in New York, and we know why! Once you've registered, you'll need to switch to the English version by selecting the city of New York, and then the schedule. Below, I provide a detailed breakdown of the steps you need to follow to offer me accommodation:
It should be noted that I have taken this virus very seriously and have taken vaccines to fight against it (5 doses in my case). I propose that during our meetings, we do not fall into paranoia by wearing masks, for example. However, we will maintain our distance and will not hug each other at the end of our meetings, even if I hope we will have formed good friendships.
I have been very talkative, and I hope I haven't overwhelmed you with all these explanations. Families who are interested in this exchange can write to me, and as soon as I have specific dates based on the airplane or train tickets (Montreal - Washington) and finally the airplane ticket (Washington - Bordeaux), I will keep you informed.
Signed, Pascal BORIES