Tuesday 8/21

Today is Tom’s birthday. We went to our favorite restaurant at Jard sur mer for mussels and fries for lunch, and took a walk along the seawall. It is still cold and windy, with some rain, but periods of nice weather. We expect that the sun will return as soon as we leave town! Before lunch Pauline came over to casually ask us over for dinner, which was a grand birthday celebration. Jeanne had made a casserole of sliced potatoes and milk and garlic, adding some cream for good measure, and Pauline made two very large green salads. Then just before dinner Pauline and Sam decided to have a cake-off, and both made chocolate cakes. The recipes were almost identical -- I watched them! -- using no flour since Pascale is allergic. Melted chocolate, butter, and eggs with a dash of salt. Pauline’s was a thin, very moist tart, and Sam’s was a soufflé. After dinner, and a long discussion of the propriety of adding the cream to the traditional gratin, we discovered that both chocolate cakes were absolutely wonderful. Someone had gotten a picture book of the Vendee, and all the guests signed his or her birthday wishes to Tom for his birthday. It was a lovely and very special evening.