foooood

Joe & I have been enjoying the change of seasons, especially when it comes to our eating habits. This past weekend, we spent our Sunday afternoon in Lunéville (more pictures here). They were celebrating their agricultural phenomenon, the potimarron. I love many things about this: small-town festivals, gourds, fall colors, fall flavors, French people gathered in large numbers.

We walked around town for a bit before finding our way to the castle's garden and into the stretch of open cobblestone where they were holding the festival. I couldn't get over how many different kinds of gourds were for sale–and jams made from the gourds! And honey infused with gourd flavor! And soup for sale! We sat down with a warm bowl of soupe de potimarron, made fresh from local products and on sale for a euro and a half. (I feel like I stole something.) 

It was like a dinner theater: Across from us, a man were breaking wood to heat a brick oven while another man prepared the rising dough to be proofed, baked and tossed around on one of those huge wooden paddles. The customers came up and, in their particular way, asked for the bread cooked exactly to their liking. Well done. Still squishy. Fresh from the oven. As old as possible. The heat from the oven and the excitement of the families for their fresh bread let me forget how cold my toes were in their little flats. 

After eating, we headed out to snag some Where's Joe's Head? pictures. Be sure to check out the seasonal updates, including our most challenging picture yet!

Joe & I have been keeping plenty warm in our apartment as well. We discovered that our little heater (basically a space heater, since our studio is so "compact") does not require gas! Cha-ching. We've been lettin' her run when we're home, sticking a towel at the door to block the draft & remembering to turn down the heat at night and when we leave for the day. How responsible are these adults? When we still feel an extra chill, look at the sun coming in the window & curl up with our coffee. Joe snagged this great picture of it.

Last time we went to the fruit and vegetable store, we noticed that they had switched to their fall wardrobe, too. We've started to buy heartier vegetables, more roots and dense foods. The goal is to rotate them and have something new each week, so that we can fall in love with as many foods as possible. This week: our first batch of Brussels sprouts for the year. They were blanched, sautéd with walnuts in butter and then tossed with the stinkiest blue cheese ever. Obviously, we smelled great afterwards... but if this side dish doesn't warm your belly & heart, I don't know what will.

Time to go buy bread for the day.