French Mayonnaise

[Frozzie]

yes know it well helene, my DH went to egliselec there for his engineering studies and his cousins, aunty and grandmother still live in normandy not too far from rouen.  My DHs family is breton (his dads side) and normande (his mums side)..so you can imagine how stubborn he is lol 

i have found sunflower oil/huile de tournesol or grapeseed oil/huile de pepins de raisin are quite similar in the sense that their flavour is very light and doesnt overpower dishes its used in...i do however use grapeseed oil for JDs coleslaw dressing but i think you could use either or in any kind of dressing, mayo or other

[Helene]

I love coleslaw !!!

And where is exactly the family ? Maybre there are my neighbours ;-)

[Frozzie]

maybe helene haha...one of his cousins lives in rouen centre ville, other family out of rouen but not too far...about 30kms at le mesnil sous jumieges (on the river if you dont know it sud/sud ouest of rouen) and one of his grandmothers is in lisieux and the rest im not sure exactly...its been a while 

JDs coleslaw dressing is that sweet bity dressing similar to the KFC coleslaw in oz..you cant get it here but its very yummy! 

[Vivaroo]

Hi Frozzie , thanks for the recipe. Worked perfectly and was even approved by my stubborn husband, also from Normandie.

[Frozzie]

hi vivaroo...glad it worked out and was approved by DH!  My DH family is Breton/Normande so I know stubborn...its in their genes lol!  Does he get home often and where abouts in Normandy is he from? 

[passionflower]

This is the ONE mayo I have to say and I noticed the same recipe in fast and easy UK cookbook . I don't measure my oil as I have been making this mayonnaise by hand for years now, I just sit my bottle on the top of the lid with the neck over the opening and slowly pour continuously. If you add too much oil your mayo will be a bit more solid in which case add 1to 2 tbs of cold water and whizz a few seconds, this gives your mayo a very light and fluffy appearance, gorgeous!!

[Vivaroo]

You're an expert Passionflower - this was my first ever attempt so I was very pleased with the result.  I had tried it years ago with a balloon whisk & olive oil, big effort bad result.

Do you think this recipe would work by half?  DH goes through mayonnaise quickly but sometimes I'm running out of ingredients.

Frozzie my DH is from Lisieux.  We met in Scotland so I was lucky enough to have a few little holidays there, but since we've been back in Australia he's only gone over twice in 11 years, too long. It's hard to take the whole family and he's happy enough here, even became an Australian citizen so I guess he's not so stubborn.  I have in the past suggested we all go over and live for a while but he's not keen, probably doesn't want to hear my embarrassingly poor French.  Actually I've forgotten the little I thought I knew.

How did you come to live in France and become so proficient at translating TMX recipes  

[trudy]

Thanks for the recipe Frozzie,  I can't wait to try this as haven't had much luck before with the EDC recipe.

[Frozzie]

wow lisieux..my DH grandmother has lived their all her life and my MIL grew up there too obviously.. and Vivaroo I wouldnt push to live over here...its great for a holiday but so much harder to live than in oz...walls go up everywhere from admin etc to everything really...nothing is easy...lots of culture sure and countries close by but I would live in oz over living here and so would DH..just his career is in europe for the moment...oz just doesnt have the population so jobs he is after are far fewer and alot harder to get so you need to have a great resume to be able to bargain and get what you want basically..how did we meet lol...very long story but basically DH was looking for a 'stage' for his engineering degree..like work experience but best to be in an english speaking country and DH loves oz so I got an email like I got many from foreigners looking for work experience etc preferably paid even poorly anyway long story short I kept in touch for ages, went on a holiday to europe and once in paris basically really hit it of with now DH and never went home ( to live lol) ..;as for the french well didnt speak a word or very few way back when but after 11 years you either sink or swim so just learnt bit by bit year after year and voila..11 years later married to gorgeious frenchman lol with two adorable kids but I have had my dose of europe and would be happy to spend a few years in oz 

im sure it would be no problem halving it..the trick with mayonaise is always the constant beating and slow drizzle of oil but having not tried half

Trudy this recipe is a breeze and I find the EDC recipe not true to mayonnaise and a little strange 

[Vivaroo]

Thanks Frozzie, I love hearing stories how people end up wherever they are. Must have been so challenging in the early days learning another language.  Love; the crazy international language that sends people all over the globe.  I wanted to travel forever but got pregnant and felt an overwhelming desire to be home near my folks (great babysitters).

Poor DH, he married me when I used to cook with lots of butter and even duck fat, now I'm a non-smoking vegetarian reading oil-free vegan blogs!  I'm feeling bad for him so will take him to the nice French restaurant at Flaxton in the Sunshine Coast hinterland on Fathers' Day.  So he can eat meat, and speak in French with the owner, about how his terrible wife doesn't use enough butter and eats healthy crap.

[Frozzie]

haha how funny I know that restaurant...its ok..his wife is english if I remember and gossip says that he cheated on his wife..apparently it hasnt been the same since..he used to have seasonal menus but apparently it hasnt changed in ages but there is a nice little cafe next to it now that >I think is run by his wife....my parents are not far from there and I drive past it all the time when we go to visit them every 18mths or so but lately they have been coming to europe..and wouldnt worry about all your changes..I think they fall for foreign women because they arent so attached to traditions lol!!  You dont speak french?? so how do you communicate with his family or you dont?? or do they get by with english?? tell me if im being too nosy or just pm me !!  Have you ever been to Flaxton Gardens I think its called..my parents said its quite nice but I have no idea as havent been..might try it out next time!

oh and was very challenging in the early days..weather shock, culture shock, language problems, missing home plus plus plus like it is for any expat but luckily DH got me through it all..now im finding most people ( not all but most) find it exotic having an australian in their midst and I often get comments about my accent..they love it except for the few who freak out and forget im speaking french to them lol!!

[Vivaroo]

Wow Frozzie you know all this gossip!  We haven't been there for a couple of years but liked the food back then, it was simple, nothing fancy but tasty. Anyway they're booked out on Sunday so might take mum up there next weekend for a drive. I've only tasted wine at Flaxton Gardens, a few years ago.  His family don't speak English and I don't speak French so not much communication going on. I tried hard when we were over there but now if I have to answer a call and he's not home I freak out a little. It's only his sisters now, and they dont talk that often. Every year or so I say , right I'm going to learn French, get CDs from the library which then gather dust until I get overdue notices. I think if I had a long work commute I might, but work is only 10 mins away and my scooter doesn't have a cd player  . See the excuses I find.
Ok Frozzie, next challenge, got a good baguette recipe? 

[Frozzie]

if you have some time you should learn french...just opens up so many doors, makes life easier plus you have DH to practice with to keep it up...over here its easier as everyone we know speaks only french pretty much and DH likes to speak english so he speaks english and I speak french except to the kids who are also bilingual although struggling more with english than with french..thats mainly because Im it for the english part and not like some people I know who are also expats (welltwo girlfriends) who see their families quite often ie several times a year so their kids have regular contact with their english speaking families...

ill get back to you re the baguette recipe...i posted one a while back and it was nice but I havent found one yet that is like the divine baguettes we get at our local boulangere...they make the best bread but then again their names are mr and madame Pain lol...far cry from what they call baguettes in oz which are essentially bread sticks and not at all the same consistency as true baguettes..i have seen at our local mill they sell a baguette mix so may have to try that and see if its available to the public...got to love that super crunchy but not to thick exterieur and the holy stringy type of inside and oh so fresh...mmmm think ill be heading off to the boulangerie today (i tend to avoid it as they have the cutist little cakes and desserts which are also divine...kilos kilos kilos!!! lol

more time next week as im organising my DS bday party for tomorrow, plus havea ahundred other things to get done but monday both kids are off to school...yay!! 

[Vivaroo]

Do French women lick the butterfly/bowl?  I read 'Why French Women don't get Fat', don't remember any mayonnaise bowl licking 
Lucky the kids aren't hovering around so the guilty pleasure is all mine.

[Frozzie]

hahah no never seen any mayonnaise bol licking !! their big thing is only a little of something naughty and never but never eating in between meals...and eat at meal times...everything here is driven around those hours..from schools to work to shop hours...alot are closed for lunch as its important here to sit down to a meal rahter than like in anglosaxon countries where is quite normal to grab something on the run, even eat as you walk...i found it quite hard to stick to those hours when i first came over and sometimes wanted to have lunch at 2pm for example but no alot of places finished their service and no longer served lunch..it is slightly more leniant now but still between 12-2 rough timeline...plus they do cures even at home like leek broth etc...oh its a whole culture thing and I do admire them for it..I had trouble staying away from the corner patisserie when we lived in paris..oh my oh my....divvvvvvvvvvvvvvvine lol now i can easily stay away but if i go in I just dont look at all the gorgeous little creams and cakes lol..one thing i love about France whether its a patisserie or i a restaurant...the look of what you eat has to be just as yummy as it tastes...love that attention to food and of detail....love eating out and seeing what gorgeous little artwork will come on your plate!