• Cultural notes,  Recipes from Brittany

    Dessert Recipes from Brittany: Flan d’oeufs and Cake Nature

    Many of us are spending much (or all) of our time indoors these days, and, while challenging, it forces us to reach into our refrigerators and cupboards and cook up more homemade meals. Not only are cooking and baking wonderful diversions from life’s stresses, the process leaves our homes filled with smells that remind us of happier times. In every culture, people come together around food, sharing stories and following cherished family recipes, following instructions on old cards, in handwriting that belonged to someone we loved. Those moments bring us comfort and joy in both good and difficult times. I asked my dear friend if she would send me a…

  • Cultural notes

    France, the beginning

    “The further you get away from yourself, the more challenging it is. Not to be in your comfort zone is great fun.” – Benedict Cumberbatch As I think about our upcoming trip to la Bretagne, I can’t help but to be reminded of where this journey – the journey to living overseas – started. How a trip to France decades ago would alter the course of my life. And, most importantly, how stepping out (way out) of my comfort zone was an essential part of making this dream a reality. The first time I traveled to France I was 11 and in all honesty, it wasn’t my favorite place. My…