Cooking for the books in midterm week

PARIS – It’s that time of the year again.

No, I’m not referring to the onslaught of holidays starting with Halloween and ending somewhere between New Year’s and Valentine’s Day.

Somehow I’m already half way through the semester, and the time has come for midterm exams.

Usually during midterms I luck out and don’t have to pitch a tent in the library to manage my work load. This year, unfortunately, I’m completely overwhelmed with midterm exams in all five of my classes.

And there’s even more pressure to do well because, for the most part, final grades comprise just the midterm and final exams. Apparently that’s how most classes operate in the French education system. 

I was relieved when my host mom mentioned she’d be going away for the weekend and I’d have the apartment to myself, so at least I’d be able to concentrate in a quiet apartment. Good libraries are hard to come by in Paris. Some charge an entry fee and don’t offer wireless Internet, and they definitely don’t have a food court. I’ll never take the Herman B Wells library for granted again.

Having the space to myself gave me another idea: I could use the kitchen to cook whatever I want and not have to worry about feeling like I’m intruding on my host mom’s domain. I’ve really missed having the freedom to try new recipes. I also miss the satisfaction of cooking a meal for people to enjoy. I was excited and overwhelmed by the prospect of being able to cook and decided to invite a couple friends over to share dinner.

During study breaks, I watched clips of chefs cooking different dishes (courtesy of www.foodnetwork.com). There’s something so relaxing about watching someone put all the pieces together and end up making a beautiful, delicious meal. No wonder I know so many people who love watching the Food Network; watching someone cook is almost as gratifying as cooking yourself. And on TV, they never accidentally catch their oven mitt on fire or have to clean up all the dishes afterward.

Scouring cooking Web sites during study breaks was a great way to forget about the anxiety of exam week. I finally decided to make rosemary chicken with spinach and bean couscous and a salad with grilled pancetta. Cooking a meal made me feel at home, and yet having a dinner party with friends and sharing a couple bottles of wine is a typical French activity. Maybe I’ve become more instilled in the culture than I give myself credit for.

Unfortunately, none of my upcoming exams will test me on how well I’ve adapted the culture into my lifestyle here.

Hitting the books can be difficult, but at least now it won’t be on an empty stomach.