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It’s from 12 January to 1 February 2012, that you, film buffs of the world, will have access to all films proposed by the 2nd edition of the on-line French Film Festival.

Ten feature films and ten shorts by young French creators are in competition. You are invited to score all the films and leave your comments on the website. Films with
the highest scores will be awarded and shown on board all Air France flights. Don’t hesitate to make your voice heard!

The selection equally includes a heritage film, as well as an out-of-competition, French-Canadian short and feature.

Le Jeu de l’oie is one of the oldest social games known. People in Ancient Greece used to play, it seems. It is one of those games that brings families and friends of different generations together and is usually played at home. Like the game,our new student card reflects our promise of discovery, warmth and surprise to be found in your foreign language learning journey. For now each square on the card has a purpose– your attendence, a receipt for your fees, and a discount when you reach end. But there will be more to come. Please stay tuned.

More information about The Goose Game can be found here:
The Goose Game– History English (Wikipedia)

Jeu de l’oie–History French

Tis the time for making New Year’s Resolutions and setting new goals  so we’re passing on some tips and research findings to help.

Aim High
* Experiments by a University of California, Riverside professor revealed that lowering expectations does not increase happiness.  On the contrary, those who set more ambitious goals felt happier upon reaching them.  ”Aim high,” recommends marketing researcher Cecile Cho.

One goal at a time
* University of Toronto researchers wondered whether having two savings goals would be better than only one.  Their study included participants in India, Canada and Hong Kong, and concluded that those who saved most set only one goal.  With multiple goals, you focus on tradeoffs instead of reaching the end zone, explained the experimenters.

Change the way you do things
* Which prompted more sedentary adults to get off their duff and exercise:  emphasizing attitudes or targeting behavior? A University of Missouri study found behavioral strategies worked.  Simply providing information or changing attitudes did nothing.

Have confidence
* On the other hand, having confidence that you can overcome obstacles and succeed boosts stick-to-it-iveness, discovered researchers at the Beckman Institute of the University of Illinois.  Higher self-efficacy in their study came from remembering previous successes, observing others doing what’s daunting and getting support.

Be Motivated
According to Stanford University professor, Kelly McGonigal PhD  the mere act of making resolutions enhances how you feel about yourself. But keeping resolutions are not so easy. To increase your chances focus on things that you don’t change and the consequences of that choice. So instead of saying “I’ll make time to go to the gym, to eat better or to  regularly review my French homework.” every time you eat those chips, that delicious chocolate muffin or  you skip class think whether you want  the future consequences of always doing that.

Thanks to Marcia Yudkin, Dan Pink for these tips. Feel free to share them with your friends.

Here’s to your success in 2012!

( N.B. Classes and Workshops start back on Tuesday January 10th)

- 500 grams (17 2/3 ounces) all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen

For the crème d’amande:
- 125 grams (9 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 125 grams (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sugar (I used a blond unrefined cane sugar)
- 110 grams (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) almond meal (= finely ground almonds)
- 20 grams (2 tablespoons) hazelnut flour or finely ground hazelnuts (optional; you can also use all almond meal as in the classic galette)
- 8 grams (1 tablespoon) corn starch (in France, this is known under the brand name Maïzena)
- a good pinch sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 drop almond extract (optional)
- 1 tablespoon orange flower water or a liquor of your choice, such as Grand Marnier or rum

For the eggwash and glaze:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar

Accessories:
- 1 porcelain trinket or dried bean
- 2 paper crowns

Preparation
Serves 6 to 8.

1. Prepare the crème d’amande.

Beat the butter until creamy, but avoid incorporating air into it. In a bowl, combine the sugar, almonds, hazelnuts, corn starch, and salt. Stir with a whisk to remove any lump. Add to the creamed butter and mix until smooth. Add the almond extract and orange flower water, then the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or overnight.

2. Roll out the puff pastry.

Divide the puff pastry in 2 equal pieces, and roll each one out to form a rough circle a little larger than 30 cm (12 inches) in diameter. Use a sharp knife and an upturned plate of the right dimension to cut a neat 30-cm (12-inch) circle out of one, and a slightly larger one with the other, adding, say, 6 mm (1/4 inch) all around the edge of the plate.

3. Assemble the galette.

Place the smaller of the two circles on a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk with a tablespoon water (or milk, if you have it handy) until smooth. Using a pastry brush, brush the outer rim of the dough lightly with the eggwash by a width of about 2.5 cm (1 inch). Make sure not to wet the actual edge of the dough, or it will impede its rise.

Pour the crème d’amande in the center and spread it out inside the eggwash ring with a spatula.

Place a porcelain fève, a dried bean, or the trinket of your choice in the crème d’amande — not in the center but closer to an edge, or your knife will keep running into it when you divide the galette. And if it is an elongated shape, make sure to orient it straight toward the center of the galette, again, to minimize the possibility of you hitting it with your knife (as you see in the picture below, mine was not, and sure enough, I cut right into the top of the little tower). Press it down gently to bury it.

Transfer the second round of dough precisely on top of the first, smooth it out gently over the crème d’amande to remove any air pocket, and press it down all around the sides to seal.

4. Score the galette.

Using the back of the tip of your knife (i.e. the dull side), draw a decorative pattern on top of the galette: a diamond-shaped grid, optionally with double or triple lines, a flower pattern…

I chose to make a sun pattern. You start from the center and draw an arc to reach the edge of the galette in a single, smooth gesture, exercising just enough pressure to score the dough without piercing it. You then turn the galette ever so slightly, draw a similar arc nested in the first one, and repeat until the entire galette is scored.

Holding your knife upright, blade down, and using the dull side of the blade, push the dough inward where each sun ray ends, to create a festooned pattern.

Brush the top of the galette lightly with the eggwash: again, make sure it doesn’t drip over the edges, or the eggwash will seal the layers of the puff pastry in this spot and it won’t develop as well. Let it rest a minute then brush it lightly again with the eggwash. (As you can see on the picture below, my eggwash pooled a bit around the bulge of the crème d’amande, which resulted in a darker coloring around the sides; I didn’t mind, but I’ll be more careful next time.)

Using the tip of your knife, pierce 5 holes in the top dough — one in the center, and four around the sides, piercing through the pattern you’ve drawn — to ensure an even rise.

Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet or a tart pan with a removable bottom, and refrigerate for 1 hour. (Alternatively, you can place the galette in the freezer at this point, on the baking sheet or pan, and bake it the next day. Although I haven’t tried it, I’m sure you could prepare it up to a week or so in advance: once the galette is thoroughly frozen, transfer it to a tightly sealed bag to avoid freezer burn.)

5. Bake the galette.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F); if the galette was in the freezer, take it out while the oven preheats. Insert the galette in the middle of the oven and bake for 30 minutes (35 if it was frozen), until puffy and golden brown.

In the final minutes of baking, combine the tablespoon of confectioner’s sugar with a tablespoon very hot water (heated until boiling in the kettle or the microwave). When the galette is done, remove it from the oven, brush it across the top with the syrup, and return it to the oven for a minute; this will give it a shiny finish.

Place on a rack to cool completely (it will settle as it cools) and serve at room temperature. (Some people prefer it slightly warm, so they reheat it slightly in a warm oven before serving.) The traditional pairing is with Champagne or hard cider.

Have one of the guests (usually the youngest) hide under the table if he’s willing, or at least cover his eyes or turn his back to the table. Cut the galette into servings and, for each serving, have the guest decide who should have it. If your guests are unfamiliar with the tradition, make sure you warn everyone that a fève may be hiding in their slice. Whoever finds it is king/queen for the day, receives a paper crown, and gets to pick his/her queen/king (or king/queen for that matter) by giving her/him the second paper crown.

*thank you to “chocolateandzucchini.com” for this recipe.

realized by Design Soleil Provence

Thank you for coming along, for passing on the word to your friends,
and for being part of the 2nd Annual Beaujolais for Books
Good Feelings Guaranteed.

Thanks also to lucky draw prize sponsors: Organic Gift Basket
from Choosee ( Duco Delgorge), Pommery Champagne
from Vranken Japan (Ken Moroi),White Wine from Jeroboam (Sally) , signed copies of novels ( Author Hugh Ashton’s Amazon site ), Beaujolais Nouveau from Soleil Provence ( Michel Bonzi),
and to Satoko-Blanc Mou for the lovely bouquets, Room to Read
(Shonan) as well as Beers for Books for their support .

Merci!
ありがとう!

PS: Sponsors for this year’s Beaujolais for Books lucky draw
also support the Fujsawa Beach Cleaning Project

realized by Design Soleil Provence

Works are made by handicapped artists from Yoshisuke Koge.
They will be on display until November 20th.

realized by Design Soleil Provence

November 19th is the 2nd annual Beaujolais for Books! at Soleil Provence

In association with Room to Read (Shonan Group), Soleil Provence
will be hosting, once again, this extra special Fête du Beaujolais.

Eat, drink, be merry and share your good fortune with others!

Date: Saturday November 19th 2011
Time: 18h30~21h30
Place: Soleil Provence (4-16-31 Kugenuma Matsugaoka Fujisawa)
Guest Participation Fee*: ¥4800 (all food and drink)
Menu: Fabulous and French, of course

*Proceeds from the participation fees go toward books for children
in Tohoku and elsewhere so every guest gets a chance to give
a gift of 3 books.
To reserve your place, simply click here.