"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast." - Ernest Hemingway

Monday, November 25, 2013

French cuisine

I have come to the conclusion that those who say they "don't really care for French food" are picky eaters. I, on the other hand, am willing to try new foods and I view that as an important way to learn about the foreign culture.

Yes, all cooked meat here is still pink and eggs are also undercooked by American standards, but it is not killing all the French people who regularly eat them that way. So why not?


And how could you not love French food, which is viewed as both a study and an art?


Gelato
Crêperie
Nutella and banana crêpe
Ham and egg crêpe
Fresh seafood on the Mediterranean in Collioure, France
Croque-madame

A croque-monsieur is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and a croque-madame is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with a fried egg on top.

Sandwiches, quiches, pastries







Pain au chocolat
Cheese and sausage
Meringues
Vin chaud (hot wine)

Fresh salad at Nos Ancêtres les Gaulois restaurant
Nos Ancêtres les Gaulois
Fresh fish at the Sunday market
Olives
French and Italian grapes
Chocolate, banana, and coconut crêpe
Sausage and mushroom galette, and chocolat à l'ancienne at a restaurant in Chantilly, France
Chocolat à l'ancienne is a hot chocolate drink with the chocolate and steamed milk served separately.
 
Chocolate mousse, crème brûlée
Café gourmand
Café gourmand is a dessert option. Coffee is often ordered after a meal in France, and this option comes with several desserts on the side.


Macarons at Ladurée
Apple tart with ice cream
Chicken burger with blue cheese
Pot de crème caramel for breakfast
Baked apple and baguette dessert
Apples from the Bretagne region of France
Gaufres in Brussels, Belgium
Chocolate barks in Brussels, Belgium
Belgium is known for its chocolate as well, and the streets of Brussels are lined with chocolate shops.

Moules frites in Brussels, Belgium
Mussels and fries are another specialty of Belgium. French fries actually originated in Belgium, and you can buy them at stands along the streets just like waffles and crêpes. Belgian legend says American soldiers stationed there during World War I heard the Belgians speaking French, which was the official language, and thus gave credit to the wrong country.


Demonstration at Choco-Story chocolate museum in Paris, France
Cidre in Normandy
Cider is a specialty of the Bretagne region, where there is an abundance of apples. There are two types of this sparkling, alcoholic drink: sweet and dry.

Crêpe with apple, vanilla ice cream, and Chantilly whipped cream
Apple crêpe with flaming liquor
Caramelized banana crêpe







Apple and caramel crêpes at Mont Saint Michel
Mushroom, ham, and egg galette

A galette is a buckwheat dinner crêpe. Crêpes and galettes are also specialties of the Bretagne region, and during my weekend there, I tried seven different ones, having a crêpe at each meal.


Tacos at El Guacamole restaurant
We even found a good taco bar in Paris. We recently went there for Sadie's birthday, as she is from Texas and has been missing her tacos.

Italian burger on an English muffin at Le Petit Café

1 comment:

  1. I recognize some of this food! In fact, I do believe I ate some of this food!

    ReplyDelete