Day 4

Well, the first 3 posts were a basic overview of what went up on Facebook to get this blog kicked off.  Now, I can really dig into the meat of the trip.  And speaking of digging into meat, I'm heading over to Kristen's apartment to cook up some (what we hope will be) tasty cassoulet.  Pictures to follow, along with what I'm sure will be an interesting description of blundering around in the kitchen with the grand ambition that something delicious will emerge.

...

And the cassoulet was a hit. Preparation involved picking up some last minute ingredients: chicken thighs (couldn't find duck), a nice Rosé, and box (= 4 bottles) of côtes-du-rhône, and a baguette.  After a few hours of wine, cheese, spreads, and bread, we finally made it to the main course. The cassoulet was filled to the brim with chicken thighs, Toulouse sausage, haricots blanc, and all sorts of fun stuff.  Along the way, there was a fabulous photoshoot with the city hall of the 10th Arrondissement.  Hair up, hair down, and lots of silliness.  It was hard to select just a single photo for the blog.  As Rachel so expertly put it, "I never met a Juan I didn't like.  I like every Juan of them."

As the evening went on and the box of wine emptied, hilarity ensued.  Whether laughing, joking, or swiping, we had a blast, and there was enough food to have leftovers for lunch the next day.