Pelleas and Melisande

I went to see the opening night of Pelleas and Melisande with the Cleveland Orchestra.  There are performances tonight and Saturday, and I really recommend it.

The plot is what happens when family and lovers don't communicate and assume very bad things.   Golaud finds Melisande at a pond in the forest.  She is a survivor of some kind of trauma.   They get married with them not knowing much at all about each other.   Pelleas is Golaud's younger half brother, and he develops this childish crush on Melisande.  It is mostly flirting and games, and ends act 3 with a kiss.   Golaud kills his brother over this and eventually Melisande dies after childbirth.

The staging and music were way better than the plot.   It's Debussy, so the music is very beautiful.   The singers were among the orchestra, and the action was done in a box far back on the stage.  It was full of dancers, smoke, lights, and projections.  The glass went cloudy or clear with electric charge.   It was a pond, a grotto, and oftentimes a forest.  It was just as impressive (yes, intentional pun) as the director's previous staging of the Cunning Little Vixen.

The opera is 3 hours long.  90 minutes (acts 1-3), 20 minute intermission, and then 65 minutes for acts 4 and 5.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWueJENDvwU

Try the World: France

So our Try the World France arrived.   We only yesterday finished the Holiday Box.   And I've only sampled the Greek box.   I'll need to start this one because it has perishables in it.

 I actually already bought a tube of this chestnut paste in the fridge.    I know it's good.   Great with dessert type things.

 Salt without iodine.   It'll be nice to add at the end of a meal.

Tomato spread.  I haven't really looked at the recipes much, but I can probably use it with a wrap or pasta.

 Mustard, also good for sandwiches and wraps.

 Fig jam for cookies or crepes.  

 Cheesy crackers!

 Butter cookies!

And finally crepes!   I only recently learned how to make these on my own.  It's not as hard as I thought it would be, but these look yummy.  I know what I'm having for breakfast.

Belle's Bread

We were in Columbus yesterday and decided to check out Belle's Bread.  When I lived in the area, it was a smaller Japanese bakery that had melon soda and curry bread.   This place is much larger with a full lunch service available.  I was not disappointed.  It has many foods pictured in anime and visual novels.

I had a melon sodal float.   Wonderfully delicious.

Steve had a Calpico float.   Not as flashy as my melon soda but still tasty.

This is a ham and cheese sandwich.   It comes crustless with lettuce and mayo inside in perfect proportions.   I saved half of mine for later.

I also got to try this avocado and tuna sandwich.  I like avocado but wasn't wild about the tuna salad.   

This was Steve's coffee pudding.   Two different layers of creamy goodness.

I went with the mille feuille, which is another name for a neopolitan.   It was ever so decadant.   I really look forward to being in Columbus next to try their lunch menu.

L'Albatros Brasserie

Hello food fans!   Steve and I had dinner the other night at L'Albatros Brasserie, a lovely French restaurant nestled among the Greek houses at Case Western Reserve University.  They do have a dedicated parking lot.   Please remember to bring quarters for the meter or a credit card for the automated pay system.  If you run into the parking lot attendant, the entire evening is only three dollars.

We weren't too hungry so we split everything.  Pictured above is a mushroom soup, the soup of the day.   Nicely creamy, lots of flavor, and a dollop of cheese in the center.   That's the bowl size.   Very tasty.

For our main course, we ordered the cassoulet.  The restaurant was kind enough to split it into two different plates.  That's lamb, duck confit, and sausages with white beans.   I really enjoyed this.   The sausages had a fruity flavor.  I want to say apples.

Lastly, we had the honey almond cake for dessert.   Topped with creme fraiche and strawberrys, this was a great way to end our meal.   The almond cake was soaked in a honey sauce.  

We didn't have any leftovers this time.   I'd like to eat here again sometime.

Le Petit Triangle Cafe

We tried a new restaurant today with friends, Le Petit Triangle Cafe in Ohio City.  It's a cute little cafe specializing in French food.  The restaurant's atmosphere is modeled on Parisian cafes.

Escargot, with garlic, butter, parsley - We got to try the snails that our friends ordered.  Very tasty and tender.  They aren't something I would order on a regular basis though.

Pissaldiere, "French Pizza" with caramelized onion, olive, tomato, Parmesan   - This appetizer was also drizzled with a balsamic vinegar. 

Croque Monsieur, ham, Gruyere and bechmel sauce served warm on grilled challah,potatoes - This is technically the Croque Madame because the fried egg on top.  The cheese was nicely chewy and the bechmel sauce was mild and creamy.   I would order this again.

My husband ordered this: Cassoulet, classic casserole of slowly simmered duck, chicken sausage, white beans and vegetables, served with a side salad.  I could definitely taste tomato in this dish.

I had the Bananas Foster crepe for my dessert.  The vanilla bean ice cream was tasty, and complimented the caramel and bananas really well.

My husband had the Orange Trio Crepe, featuring orange honey, orange slices, nutter, and Grand Marnier whipped cream topping.  

 The portion sizes were just about right.   We left the restaurant full, but not painfully so.  With the leftovers, I'm going to call this one 4 meals total.   This place would be fun for just tea, coffee, and dessert.