Tradition meets stereotype: BBQ Turkey Recipe

This year marks the forth year I have not been home for the holiday season. I'm talking about the three month span from October to January. The first three years I missed the changes in the store windows, from back to school to ghosts and goblins to turkeys to Christmas lights. There is something about the decorations, the family time, the culture back home that makes those months difficult to be an expat. The weird thing though with this year, is that sting has dimmed over time. It would be nice to be back during those specific holidays, but I don't really wish to be anywhere else at the moment.

Thanksgiving is a week from today. Normally I would be running around Paris trying to find a turkey weeks in advance so I could get my hands on one, and fretting about how I'm going to find yams. This year not so much; I'm helping out with a potluck at my school, but it's not as much about the holiday as it is about enjoying a school gathering. You got to admit though, having Thanksgiving in a country that knows how to appreciate food isn't too bad.

However, I can still look around for ways to cook a turkey. Nothing says American Thanksgiving like a BBQ turkey. Maybe next year when I have enough space for a barbecue...

Introduction to the Rose and the Vine

The Rose and the Vine is a reflection of what my interests are in Paris, so as such I feel I must explain myself in order to explain the purpose of this blog:

I am currently a graduate student in International Relations in Paris, with a focus on how new media influences the dynamics of politics. I am working currently working on my thesis which concerns how the Wikileaks blog is affecting democracy, thus creating my own blog seems to be the perfect researching tool.  I'm looking into going into a journalism career path, so this blog will also be used to reflect my voice as a writer. 

I studied abroad in Paris in 2007 for a semester, and as soon as a graduated UCI in 2008 I moved here indefinitely with my French boyfriend and my bipolar cat. 

I love amazing food and amazing wine. France is the perfect place to refine these interests, and it amazes me how this country can continue to inspire me. Cooking can be a daily nag and its easy to feel like it is a chore, but I do my best to find inspiration.

So I am an expat, a young professional interested in public relations and the press, a girlfriend, a foodie, and an academic. I hope to have this blog reflect these eclectic interests, ranging from reviews of fashion, cooking, politics, and what ever else may be of interest in Paris.