Fall 2013 The Newsletter of the Vol. 13 No. 3 Mercer Island Sister City Association Cuisine and Autumn in the Haute Savoie Recently on Cannon Beach in Oregon, I was reminded of the fast approach of Fall, as three waves of Canada Geese, each 75-100 strong, flew in quick succession overhead in V formation. A honking chorus enthusiastically announced their Southbound flight, powered by dark, strongly beating wings, their bodies all shining in contrast, lit by the setting sun to the west over the Pacific. There is no doubt that with Fall comes movement and change, as well as a return to the familiar. In October, a group of adult members of the Mercer Island Sister City Association will be “winging our way” to our sister city Thonon-les-Bains in the Haute Savoie region of France. Linda Todd MISCA President Once there, our itinerary will take us, among other places, from the canals of Vieux Annecy to a small maker of fine French fromage in the foothills of the Alps above Thonon; from fine dining in a chateau along the shores of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman) to a stay at the lovely Auberge d’Anthy, with its renowned owner and chef of the lake and local foods; from the beautifully preserved lakeside medieval village Yvoire to the nearby town of Bourg-en-Bresse, where the beautiful Cathédrale Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation de Bourg-en-Bresse stands through time in testament to the enduring love of a woman for her husband and where the local specialties are dishes of Volaille de Bresse (Bresse chicken) and Grenouille (Bresse frog legs). Amidst this array of outings and fine sampling of the local cuisine, the highlight of all will be our stay and cooking classes at the L’École Hôtelier Savoie Léman, one of the oldest and finest schools in France for preparing and training chefs and professionals in the Hotel industry. We are fortu- nate that the school’s staff will provide us with several days of lessons in fine French cooking, and that we will also enjoy several dinners there prepared by the schools students and chef instructors. We will no doubt return with more memories of unforgettable times with our French friends old and new, stories of our travels, and some fine recipes to share! Bon Appetit! Meanwhile, locally, we hope you will join us for upcoming events as you find details of these and other happenings in this issue. Our French Conversation Evenings, friendly gatherings to practice French, return on September 24. OSS 117: LeCaire, Nid d'Espions, our Mercer Island Fall French film, screens on November15. France Education Northwest hosts La Cuisine de Provence prepared by Chef Jacques Boiroux on September 25. The Annual Festival du Beaujolais Nouveau returns to the Columbia Tower Club on Friday, November 22. Linda Todd, MISCA President Cercle Francophone: Vous êtes invites Join Us To Practice French In A Friendly Gathering The Mercer Island Sister City Association‘s French Conversation Evenings are resuming for Fall 2013. The gatherings are very informal, and intended for any- body who wants to improve his/her French. There’s no format or agenda - and the only “rule” is that we speak French. All levels of French are welcome! Conversation Evening will be from 7PM to 9PM on the following dates: Tuesday, Sept. 24: Tuesday, Oct. 22: Tuesday, Nov. 19: At the home of Monica Howell At the home of Beth Brennen At the home of Monica Howell 8501 SE 78th St. • Mercer Island 4140 96th Ave. SE • Mercer Island 8501 SE 78th St. • Mercer Island Please RSVP to Monica: 232-2983 Please RSVP to Beth: 232-7650 Please RSVP to Monica: 232-2983 You will receive an email on the Sunday prior to each French Conversation Evening with a reminder of its location and contact person. If you are not currently on our email reminder list, we will be happy to add you. Ask an MISCA board member at a French Conversation Evening or contact: [email protected]. We are seeking volunteers to host future home Conversation Evenings. An MISCA board member will lead the French conversation. To volunteer to host or for any questions, call Monica at 232-2983 or Beth at 232-7650. You can also call Beth at 232-7650 or Monica at 232-2983 for any questions and to learn details. Mercer Island High School French Honor Society It has been a pleas- community leadership in its members through service. ure for members of the Mercer Island Prospective FHS members must have a high grade Sister City Associa- point average, demonstrate superior performance in tion to work with French and show commitment to community ser- student volunteers vice. Members inducted into the MIHS French Hon- from the MIHS or Society must also complete cultural and volunteer French Honor Soci- projects. So far, the French Honor Society has suc- Devina Kumar, FHS Pres. on right ety during Summer cessfully conducted many cultural events, including & Aidan Strother, FHS VP on left. Celebration and our French movie parties and MIHS crêpe days. Many Fireworks Cruise. society members have also volunteered for local The organization, reliability and initiative of these French organizations, including the French-American student volunteers has been very impressive. They Chamber of Commerce, L’Alliance Française, and, of have been delightful project partners. Kudos! course, the Mercer Island Sister City Association. Founded in Spring of 2013, the MIHS French Honor The MIHS French Honor Society, has a 2013 mem- Society is a nationally-chartered, student-run club bership of 82. The club meets monthly led by the club whose mission is to recognize and reward students’ president, Devina Kumar, and vice president, Aidan achievement in French, increase local awareness about Strother. Ji Sider, a French teacher at MIHS, serves as and exposure to French culture and foster a sense of club advisor. 2 OSS 117: Le Caire, Nid d'Espions French Film • English Subtitles Friday, November 15 • Free Wine & Cheese: 6:30PM • Film: 7:30PM At Aljoya • 2430 76th Ave SE • Mercer Island The Mercer Island Sister City Association, the Mercer Island Arts Council and Aljoya will host the French film OSS 117: Le Caire, Nid d'Espions (OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies) as part of this fall’s spy thriller series at Aljoya. Before their silent hit The Artist, the same leading actors and director made this hilarious spoof of James Bond films. Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, aka OSS 117 (Jean Dujardin), is supposedly France’s best secret agent, but he happens to be extremely clumsy and culturally clueless. Can he possibly stop a North African spy network, interna- tional terrorists, rogue militants, and maybe even bring peace to the Middle East? Lance Rhodes, a featured scholar in the Humanities Washington's Speakers Bureau, will provide introduction and post commentary. In addition to teaching several years at UW, he has lectured on literature and film throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He teaches annually at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Wine and cheese will be hosted by Aljoya in the lobby prior to OSS 117: Le Caire, Nid d'Espions. For questions or further information, call Carla Peterson, 232-5354. La Cuisine de Provence Beaujolais Nouveau A Delicious Dîner Provençal Wine Festival Fri., Nov. 22 • 7PM-11PM Wed., Sept. 25 • 6:30PM-10:00PM At The Leif Erikson Lodge Columbia Tower Club • Seattle 2245 NW 57th St. • Seattle The French-American Chamber of Commerce of the th Join France Education Northwest (FEN) for a deli- Pacific Northwest will present the 21 Annual Festi- cious Dîner Provençal prepared by FEN President, val du Beaujolais Nouveau at the Columbia Tower nd Chef Jacques Boiroux. Club on November 22 . The Beaujolais Nouveau Wine Festival attracts over 400 guests each year to ~Menu~ celebrate the newly-released wines of Beaujolais and HORS D'OEUVRES to eat, drink and be merry! Anchovy and Onion Tart & Eggplant Tart MAIN COURSE Wine Bars featuring Fabulous French Wines Belgium Endive Salad with Walnut Dressing French Buffet featuring Fine French Cuisine & Provencal Daube (Provencal Beef Stew) French Music & Dancing & Potato Gratin Silent Auction DESSERT Lemon Tart with Custard Cream For more information, including on-line ticket reser- vations and auction items, please visit our website at SERVED WITH WINES www.faccpnw.org or contact: Bread & Butter • Coffee & Tea Casey Marie Mochel, Executive Coordinator For Tickets: www.fenpnw.org Phone: 206-443-4703 $45 for FACC Member, $50 for Non-member or Email: [email protected] $60 for Patron (Patron includes a $15 donation to FEN.) 3 Bon Voyage to Cours de Cuisine à Thonon Participants! Maison de France The Art of French Living Maison de France is an upscale interior design boutique and showroom, carrying exclusively French home furnishings in Bellevue. A visit to Maison de France feels like stepping into a charming boutique while vacationing in France, though you will instead be just a few miles from home. Owner Blaise Bouchand, a native of Paris, France, spent his early career in the hotel industry. Former 1992 France’s Youngest Hôtelier, he also earned several culinary certificates in French cooking & baking at the Ecole Ritz Escoffier Paris. Growing up, he was drawn to- wards French interior design, skills that he learned from his aunt, a talented decorator. He always wanted to share the Art of French Living with people. Attracted by the American entrepreneurial spirit and deeply passionate about bringing the Art of French Living to the United States, he moved to Bellevue, WA. In 1996, he combined his Business School diploma and his passion for French interiors to create the boutique showroom, Maison de France, which features authentic imported French home furnishings and offers interior design services.