worth the whisk

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I've mentioned several times that I'm trying to fill this last month with as much excitement & France as possible. (I'm also trying to take pictures each day. For this, click here.) This morning, I made a traditional French tart called "clafoutis". For the recipe, click over to my other blog.

The excitement I didn't document was the enormous (not kidding–furry, hairy, gross) spider that greeted me in the bathroom sink this morning. It woke me up; my scream woke Joe up & the poor guy (spider, not Joe) didn't live to see breakfast. I'm still afraid to walk into the bathroom.

While Joe recovered from his murderous morning, I walked to get butter & set to work on a really simple brunch tart. I realized while mixing the ingredients together that I have become completely dependent on my whisk (or "fouet" in French).

I used to hate whisks. They leave lumps; they get all clogged up; they are a manual version of a mixer.

Because of our limited kitchen supplies–our kitchen is whisk-heavy, with a total of four, & light on everything else–I've learned to appreciate the whisk & see the mixer as largely unnecessary.

I had a tendency to over-mix things. This results in overly stimulated baking powder, rising before it gets into the oven; flat pancakes, since the lumps actually help the pancakes stay fluffy; flat-topped muffins & a mess on the counter. I've learned to live with lumps (like those in my "clafoutis" recipe, which actually help the tart rise & create three distinct layers). The whisk prevents this. It tires you out before you can whip things into oblivion, & it doesn't stir thing around the way a mixer does. It gets a bit clogged & takes a bit longer to break things apart, which can actually be good for the ingredients.

Over the year, I've tried to embrace many thing about French culture, like being surprised when I see a rubber spatula. When it comes to food culture, I'm embracing the challenge. I'm learning to whip egg whites & whipped cream by hand, which is still largely unsuccessful (due to limited bowls that will contain the mess & help it–no metal or glass in this kitchen)... but watching Top Chef contestants stiffen egg whites in three minutes has me endlessly motivated.

This has all somehow fueled my excitement for returning to the States & living an even more energy-efficient life. I'm not sure how many emissions I'll save over my lifetime hand-mixing on occasion, but it has me thinking about all the other silly things I can eliminate or never consider buying (though I stand by my rubber spatulas).

Joe & I have really begun thinking about what's essential to a home, a kitchen, a commuter's life, & it's these little moments like this that remind me how we can each be taking one step toward living more efficiently, more sustainably & more independently every single day–and at the same time challenging yourself to do something you never imagined you could do. Fix a pair of socks instead of buying new ones. Using homemade dish soap with things you already have around the house.

So, think about your day. What's one thing you used today that you could try to skip tomorrow?

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