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Recette de couscous végétarien

Bienvenue dans notre univers culinaire, où la langue française se mêle harmonieusement aux plaisirs de la cuisine. Aujourd’hui, nous vous invitons à embarquer pour un voyage gustatif exceptionnel avec une recette exquise de couscous végétarien. Ce plat raffiné, à la fois sain et savoureux, est spécialement conçu pour nos étudiants de FrenchinDC. Au-delà de la simple préparation d’un repas délicieux, cette expérience vous permettra d’enrichir votre vocabulaire français tout en régalant vos sens.

Ingrédients :

250 g de semoule de blé
2 carottes, coupées en rondelles
1 courgette, coupée en dés
1 poivron rouge, coupé en lanières
1 oignon, haché finement
2 gousses d’ail, émincées
400 g de pois chiches en conserve, rincés et égouttés
3 cuillères à soupe d’huile d’olive
1 cuillère à soupe de concentré de tomate
1 cuillère à café de cumin en poudre
1 cuillère à café de curcuma en poudre
1 cuillère à café de paprika
Sel et poivre, selon votre goût
Quelques brins de coriandre fraîche, pour la garniture (facultatif)
Instructions :

Fermez les yeux un instant et laissez-vous transporter par les senteurs envoûtantes de l’huile d’olive qui chauffe doucement dans une grande casserole. Une fois le parfum délicat diffusé dans l’air, ouvrez les yeux et plongez-vous dans la préparation du couscous végétarien.

D’un geste précis, ajoutez l’oignon finement haché et les gousses d’ail émincées à l’huile chaude. Émerveillez-vous devant la magie opérant sous vos yeux, tandis que les arômes se libèrent et s’entremêlent pour créer une symphonie gustative.

Poursuivez cette danse culinaire en incorporant les carottes aux nuances orangées, les dés de courgette débordant de fraîcheur et les lanières de poivron rouge flamboyant. Observez-les se fondre harmonieusement dans la casserole, tels des artistes s’unissant pour composer une œuvre d’art comestible.

Votre mélodie se complexifie lorsque vous mélangez avec grâce le concentré de tomate aux épices subtiles. Laissez-les se marier lentement, faisant naître une palette de saveurs équilibrées et envoûtantes. Fermez les yeux, humez l’air parfumé et goûtez déjà à l’extase culinaire qui s’annonce.

Ajoutez maintenant les pois chiches rincés et égouttés, telles des perles délicates qui viennent compléter cette symphonie végétarienne. Assaisonnez votre création avec une pincée de sel et une touche de poivre, pour révéler chaque note gustative avec justesse.

Pendant que les saveurs fusionnent, préparez la semoule de blé, telle une toile immaculée qui accueillera les chefs-d’œuvre de légumes que vous avez préparés avec tant de passion. Versez l’eau bouillante, couvrez et laissez opérer la magie de la cuisson.

Enfin, dressez votre assiette avec amour et attention. Déposez délicatement la semoule de blé moelleuse au centre, et couronnez-la de ce mélange de légumes colorés, tel un bouquet vibrant de saveurs.

Pour une touche finale, osez l’élégance de quelques brins de coriandre fraîche. Laissez leurs parfums se libérer et éveiller tous vos sens, élevant ainsi votre expérience culinaire à des sommets insoupçonnés.

Aujourd’hui, nous vous invitons à vous imprégner de cette recette de couscous végétarien, à la fois un hommage à la gastronomie française et un délice pour les papilles. Laissez-vous envoûter par les saveurs et les textures, et laissez votre créativité culinaire s’épanouir. Que cette expérience vous inspire et vous pousse à explorer les merveilles culinaires de la langue française ! Bon appétit et bonne découverte !


English version :

Welcome to our culinary universe, where the French language blends harmoniously with the pleasures of cooking. Today, we invite you to embark on an exceptional gastronomic journey with an exquisite recipe for vegetarian couscous. This refined dish, both healthy and flavorful, is specially crafted for the students of FrenchinDC. Beyond simply preparing a delicious meal, this experience will allow you to enrich your English vocabulary while tantalizing your senses.

Ingredients:

250g of couscous
2 carrots, sliced into rounds
1 zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
400g of canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of cumin powder
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
A few sprigs of fresh coriander for garnish (optional)
Instructions:

Close your eyes for a moment and let yourself be carried away by the enchanting aromas of gently heating olive oil in a large pot. Once the delicate fragrance fills the air, open your eyes and immerse yourself in the preparation of vegetarian couscous.

With a precise gesture, add the finely chopped onion and minced garlic to the warm oil. Marvel at the magic unfolding before your eyes as the aromas are released and intermingle, creating a symphony of flavors.

Continue this culinary dance by incorporating the vibrant orange carrots, the fresh and crisp diced zucchini, and the fiery red bell pepper strips. Observe them gracefully melding in the pot, like artists joining forces to compose an edible masterpiece.

Your melody becomes more intricate as you elegantly mix the tomato paste with subtle spices. Let them slowly marry, giving birth to a harmonious and captivating flavor palette. Close your eyes, inhale the fragrant air, and savor the culinary ecstasy that awaits.

Now, add the rinsed and drained chickpeas, akin to delicate pearls that complete this vegetarian symphony. Season your creation with a pinch of salt and a touch of pepper to bring out each gustatory note with precision.

While the flavors meld, prepare the couscous, like a pristine canvas ready to receive the vegetable masterpieces you have prepared with such passion. Pour the boiling water, cover, and let the magic of cooking unfold.

Finally, lovingly and carefully plate your dish. Gently place the fluffy couscous in the center, and crown it with the colorful medley of vegetables, like a vibrant bouquet of flavors.

For a final touch, dare to add the elegance of a few sprigs of fresh coriander. Allow their aromas to permeate the dish, awakening all your senses and elevating your culinary experience to unexpected heights.

Today, we invite you to immerse yourself in this vegetarian couscous recipe, paying tribute to French gastronomy while indulging your taste buds. Let yourself be enchanted by the flavors and textures, and let your culinary creativity flourish. May this experience inspire you to explore the culinary wonders of the English language! Bon appétit and enjoy your discovery!

Les fleurs de cerisier

Curving reflection of cherry blossoms in the calm Tidal Basin in Washington DC.

Les fleurs de cerisier de Washington DC sont un spectacle enchanteur qui nous réjouit chaque année. Ces arbres majestueux offrent une vue à couper le souffle qui nous transporte dans un monde de rêve et d’émerveillement.

Leur beauté éblouissante nous invite à ressentir une profonde gratitude pour la nature qui nous entoure. En contemplant ces arbres en fleurs, nous sommes transportés dans un monde de paix et de sérénité qui nous inspire à être plus reconnaissants pour toutes les merveilles que nous offre la vie.

Ces arbres sont également un symbole de l’opportunité et de la persévérance. Ils reviennent fidèlement chaque année, malgré les intempéries et les aléas de la vie. Ils nous rappellent ainsi l’importance de la constance et de l’engagement dans nos vies, ainsi que la nécessité de ne jamais baisser les bras face à l’adversité.

Enfin, les fleurs de cerisier de Washington DC sont un clin d’œil à l’amitié et à la loyauté. Elles sont un symbole de l’amitié entre les États-Unis et le Japon, qui ont su cultiver une relation durable et solide au fil des années.

En somme, les fleurs de cerisier de Washington DC sont un véritable trésor de la nature qui nous offre bien plus que de simples moments de contemplation. Elles sont une source d’inspiration pour nous rappeler de vivre dans la gratitude, de persévérer dans l’adversité, de cultiver l’amitié et de savourer chaque instant de la vie avec joie et sérénité.

Un je ne sais quoi!

Bonjour tout le monde!

This week, we are so excited to publish an interview with Aude, the owner of Un je ne sais quoi in Dupont Circle. For those of you who don’t know, Un je ne sais quoi is a magnifique bakery/café located in Washington, DC. The atmosphere, cuisine, and ambiance can’t be beat. It’s a great place to go and practice your français!

French in D.C: What region/city of France are you originally from?

Aude: We both are from Lille, in the North of France. It’s located two hours from Paris, and one hour from Brussels and London.

French in D.C: What made you decide to open a patisserie in Washington, D.C? Did you own one in France as well?

Aude: We came to D.C to visit because François wanted to see the Lincoln Memorial and we fell in love with the city. We did not find a large offer of French pastry shops, so we decided to open one. In France, François used to own a wine shop, and I worked in communication at the unemployment agency. François did culinary school when he was young, so he knew the basics. He sold his wine shop, and then worked in a bakery to learn new recipes.

French in D.C: What is your most popular item, and what do you think makes it so delicious?

Aude: Everybody loves our almond croissant. It is so popular that we had to double the quantities we make on the weekend. We also have a pistachio version and almond, and pistachio and pecan versions for the pain au chocolat. François is very generous regarding his pastries so his almond or pistachio croissant is very well-stuffed with homemade frangipane. It’s crunchy on the outside and smooth on the inside.

French in D.C: Do you have a favorite item to make?

Aude: The St. Honoré because you use different techniques when making it: flaky dough, pâte à choux, ganache, icing, or caramel and pastry cream.

French in D.C: Could you tell us about the different techniques used to make the pastries served at Un je ne sais quoi ?

Aude: The techniques are numerous, but the one you use the most is the pipping. We use it from early morning with the pâte à choux to make the chouquettes (these little hollow choux with sugar on top), the Paris Brest, the éclair, to the afternoon to make the meringues for our Merveilleux.

French in D.C: Which pastry, in your opinion, is the most quintessential French pastry?

Aude: In our opinion, the St Honoré is the most quintessential French pastry. This pastry was named after the French patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs, Saint Honoré. He was the Bishop of Amiens, and was invented in 1847 at the Chiboust Bakery on Rue Saint Honoré in Paris. The first one was vanilla flavor but now you can have several other flavors like chocolate, strawberry. As described before, you use different techniques, so it makes it a very challenging cake to make.

French in D.C: We noticed that the “mascot” of Un je ne sais quoi is a deer eating a Merveilleux. We bet there’s a story behind that. Where did the idea come from?

Aude: When we had the idea of opening a pastry shop in D.C, we wanted to make only our specialty, the Merveilleux, which comes from the North of France. It is made of meringue, ganache, whipped cream and shavings of chocolate. Merveilleux is a term used in French to speak about magic and fairy tales. When we were looking on the web to create a fairy tale universe, we found Claire Guiral, a French artist from Bordeaux. We visited her and her universe of characters made of paper, and it was perfectly matching the idea of what we wanted to create. We asked us to create one character per pastry: the deer for the Merveilleux, the Unicorn for the Mythique (white chocolate), the jay for the Memorable (coffee), the fox for the Majestueux (speculoos), and a beautiful fairy for the Magique (violet). A few weeks later, she sent us the drawings which are now on the wall of the pastry shop and we agreed that it was exactly what we wanted.

French in D.C: We imagine that you had to make some adjustments due to the COVID restrictions in cafés and restaurants. How did Un je ne sais quoi adapt to this challenge?

Aude: The pandemic period was very tough, but our customers always showed their support. We had to close one month in March/April 2020 and when we reopened, we had to limit the seating. So, we decided to offer delivery through UberEats. The Mayor of DC, Muriel Bowser, limited the delivery app fees for the restaurant at 15%, which was a big help, because it was at 30% before.

French in DC: For our students who are débutants, what is the best way to order a pastry in French?

Aude: Bonjour, j’aimerais commander un St Honoré au chocolat s’il vous plaît. Merci.

French in DC: What else would you like us to know?

Aude: We are very happy and proud to be part of the DMV community. It has been a big challenge for the whole family to come to the U.S, because we did not know if our project will be a success or not, but we never regretted our choice. We would like to thank our customers, regular or new, for their support since we started our pastry shop. When we opened, everyone was encouraging, asking us how the business was and telling us that they were happy that we were here. We are really thankful to have this everyday support since then! Merci beaucoup !

Reflections on Le Petit Prince

Bonjour tout le monde!

This week, I decided to do a little reflection on Le Petit Prince. It’s one of my all-time favorite books. For those of our readers who are unfamiliar with this story, it’s a coming-of-age journey across the cosmos, authored by famed French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry . While it has moments of sadness, it also has moments of great joy and wonder.

Voici mon secret, il est très simple.

On ne voit rien qu’avec le coeur.

Lessential est invisible pour les yeux.

(Here is my secret, it is very simple

We only see with the heart.

What is essential is invisible for the eyes)

Something that I’ve learned in life is that we all have ups and downs, highs and lows, and moments where we have to sit back and reflect. Is this the direction that I am meant to go in? What is the plan for me going forward? How do I respond in the face of a setback?

While it may not provide all the answers to life’s mysteries, Le Petit Prince will undoubtedly charm, delight, and amaze you with its prose, poignant nature, and passion. Bonne lecture!

Our Latest Sortie!

Bonjour tout le monde!

We had our first sortie in over a year and a half yesterday at Bluemont Vineyard. It felt wonderful to go out on a little adventure with friends. After a nice lunch, we ventured out to do a wine tasting at this incredible vineyard. While sampling some incredible wines, we thought about the French influence on the world of wine.

It’s so nice to combine what we’re passionate about with a fun outing with friends! Check out some of our pictures from this past weekend.

À la prochaine!

Back in the U.S. / Back to School !

Bonjour tout le monde!

It feels so wonderful to be back in the states. After a relaxing two weeks in France, it’s back to work. With the school year starting again soon, we’re ready to get back in the swing of things. I am so excited to be teaching my new, as well as returning, students!

While this year may look different from past years, one thing is for sure – it’s never too early (or too late) to start up with French again. With travel re-opening, it looks more and more possible that we will be able to use our world language skills again, even if we’ve been out of practice for a while.

So, if you’re looking to get back into French, look no further! Have a great beginning of the school year, and we hope to see you prochainement !

(Before hitting the books again, look at some of these final photos from our Paris trip!)

Beautiful Times in Paris!

Bonsoir tout le monde!

I’m so excited to be sharing this post with you. It’s a very special post…one of our team members is in France! After jumping through many COVID-related hoops, Kate was able to make it to Paris. It’s been a wonderful time so far, making many stops in restaurants, museums, and meeting up with friends. I’ve included some pictures below. It’s only been a few days, but so far she managed to visit La Sainte-Chapelle, Café de Flore, and The Palais Garnier. Even with the hurdles along the way, the trip was more than worth it. She will be returning to France in December to take pictures of the Christmas markets in Strasbourg, and we can’t wait to share the next batch of pictures with you!

Profitez-en bien!

Tartelettes drapeau français aux fraises, bananes et myrtilles!

Bonjour tout le monde!

Just thought I would share this great recipe for the upcoming 14 julliet holiday in France (also known as La fête nationale or Bastille Day). For a refresher, on July 14, 1789, the Bastille prison was captured by French insurgents. This was the beginning point of the French Revolution!

While it’s been a while since many of us have taken a history class, it does us all a bit of good to reflect on how fortunate we are to live in a democracy.

Enjoy this petite recette !

https://odelices.ouest-france.fr/recette/tartelettes-drapeau-francais-aux-fraises-bananes-et-myrtilles-r5902/

Reflections on Heading to France (For the First Time in a Long Time!)

Bonsoir tout le monde!

This week, we have a rather personal post. With COVID restrictions loosening and more people getting vaccinated, summer travel is making a comeback. A good friend of mine will be heading to Paris for two weeks this summer, and it got me thinking…will this magical city be the same as she remembers? Or will it be completely turned on its head after dealing with the spread of a deadly disease?

I thought back to when I studied in France as a student…the smells, the sounds, the atmosphere, the struggle to understand fast spoken French. I remembered some of the first people I met – their zest for life, their desire to be free to do as they wished, and their clear devotion to their family and friends. Thinking back made me ask myself, Will things be all that different? Will people still have their same dogged determination to live life, experience life, cherish it?

Yes.

Plus que jamais. (More than ever)

If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that nothing can take away the French people’s zest for life. The joie de vivre exhibited by so many French people (and observed by non-French travelers) is never going away, even during and after a pandemic. There is not a great deal that I’m sure about, but there’s one thing that we can always count on!

Teaching French in an Unlikely Place

Bonjour tout le monde,

I have a heartwarming story for you this week…I have a friend who works as a computer science teacher at a school in Alexandria. As you have probably guessed, the French language is not something that she encounters often in her job. All that changed about a week ago.

My friend (who speaks fluent French) was instructing her class on how to make websites, and she made one for a world language club as an example. She then had a student say how much they wanted to learn French, but didn’t yet have the resources/books to do so. The next class, she shared a French/English dictionary with them, along with some worksheets. Now, she helps her student learn a little French every computer science class!

Just goes to show how you can teach someone about something they love, even in an unlikely place! May 3-7 is Teacher Appreciation Week, so don’t forget to show teachers how much you appreciate them all month (and year!) long.