Progress Report

Unfortunately I allowed myself to get a bit distracted on my return from France on Monday evening. Not having used the new system for almost a week because of my absence, I had returned with a “brilliant idea” for improving it. The trouble with testing brilliant ideas is that, unless they only involve trivial changesl, I have to start from scratch with a new list.

I very quickly discovered that the brilliant idea wasn’t so brilliant after all, so yesterday morning I had to start again with the second new list in two days. When will I ever learn?

Anyway the system hasn’t changed from my last post, is working very well so far, even though the testing has gone back to square one.  I have taken a mighty oath not to try out any more brilliant ideas but just to stick with the system until I know one way or the other whether it is as good as I think it is.

I don’t often put photos in my blog posts, but I thought you’d like to see one of my holiday snaps. This is our banquet menu on Sunday. And no those aren’t choices - each is a separate course!

Comments

[Christian]

Good to see that you obviously had a good time!

And you also got me interested in the new system.

Greetings and thanks for all the great work!

Christian

[Rich]

Did you get to go round and round that list, eating each one when it "felt right"?

8-)

[Mark Forster]

Rich:

It did feel a bit like that, but in fact the courses all came in order one after the other so I didn't get the chance.

We were a bit concerned about the Loup au Noilly Prat, but apparently "loup" means "bass" (the fish) as well as "wolf"!

[Marc (from Brussels)]

May I suggest adding any new brilliant ideas to your list and letting your current system "decide" if and when to test it ;o)

I'm quite curious too whether the new system will have the great look and feel of AF1. I'm hoping for successful testing and a quick publication...

[Marc (from Brussels)]

Loup actually stands for "loup de mer", literally sea wolf...

[AlexB]

This fish is indeed called "Loup" around the mediteranean sea, but is called "bar" on the atlantic side shores. "bar" meaning also "pub", of course. Apparently this naming of the fish comes from a German word. Who said french language was complicated ?

Apart from this, let me add my impatience for your new system's description to the numerous ones expressed already !

[Mark Forster]

Le Petit Robert seems to think that the fish is called loup "à cause de sa voracité". It doesn't mention it's being short for "loup de mer" - that it defines as an old or very experienced sailor.

This meaning of the word "bar" on the other hand comes from the Dutch "baers". Le Petit Robert doesn't mention any regional preferences for either word.

Unfortunately, in spite of its name, I find le Petit Robert to be a bit too bulky to carry around in my pocket to French banquets.

[Alison Reeves]

Menu sounds yummy Mark - hope you enjoyed it! It's quite nice sometimes not to have to choose - just to be presented with your food!

I like the sound of your new system too.

[Alan Baljeu]

And I was wondering what a Loup sauvage would taste like. In any event, the French have tremendous skill in putting together a dining experience. And chalk me up under the "take your time" column with this new system.

[Laurent]

Actually, there are two different fish : "loup" (also called "bar commun" in French), which is the European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax). "Loup de mer" denotes indeed an experienced sailor, but also a fish called "atlantic wolffish" (Anarhichas lupus).

Mark, I got as concerned as you were about the loup when I was 6 or 7, firstly when I learnt that "loup" could be a fish as well as the "big bad wolf', secondly when I learnt that it could also denote a type of mask.

One often feels like a kid when one is learning a foreign language ^^