It’s been over two weeks since I arrived in Montpellier, and I’m just past the halfway point for this stay.
I’ve been increasingly trying to insert myself into parish life here, which has been going well so far.
The Latin Mass apostolate in Montpellier has a 7 am Mass followed by breakfast every Tuesday during the school year. The school year started last week, so I showed up last week and this morning. I chat a little, but mostly I just listen. The conversations are not all that different from the ones I have with fellow parishioners in Phoenix — except for the language, of course.
Last Sunday, after the High Mass, there was a parish barbecue. Grilled meats were provided, but everything else was potluck. I decided to make an American invasion and bring meatloaf and chocolate chip cookies. I’m quite competent preparing both of these dishes, but finding the ingredients — and making the necessary substitutions for the things I couldn’t find in France — was a challenge.
I made myself a practice meatloaf to make sure it wasn’t awful, and it was actually one of the better meatloaves I’ve ever made. Still, it wasn’t a big hit at the barbecue, where people were somewhat confused by it. One person I talked to compared it to pâté. I suppose the comparison isn’t entirely unfair, although the same person did notice the presence of egg, which is a key distinction.
On the other hand, the chocolate chip cookies disappeared quickly. Merveilleux was what one parishioner said as he finished a second one.
I’ve had chocolate chip cookies from bakeries here in France, and they’re always quite disappointing. It’s a shame because the basic cookie ingredients — flour, sugar, butter, and eggs — are all of excellent quality here. Finding American-style alcohol-based vanilla extract here was the biggest challenge — I decided to bring a small bottle from the U.S. — but, based on my research, it’s because bakers usually prepare their own.
In any event, I took good notes about the substitutions I made and the things I would do differently next time. I imagine it won’t be the last time I make either dish here.
Apart from my cooking adventures, I’ve mostly spent my time living a normal work life. I start work around 2:30 pm on weekdays, which makes for a long day, especially if I have a meeting that would be in the mid-afternoon in Arizona. It also makes for a short night if, for example, I’m up at 5:30 am to get to a 7 am Mass like I was this morning. I’ve been making up the difference with a generous application of naps.
