Eating My Way Though Europe
What and Where Am I Eating?
June 18, 2010
For breakfast, I went to the bakery on the corner of the street that my apartment is located on. Keeping it local! They had small loaves of bread meant for 1-2 people. They had several different varieties, and though I was tempted to get the bleu cheese loaf, I opted for the chorizo and tomato bread, since I wanted some protein to power me through my long day of walking in Versailles. The bread loaf was cute, since it was individually-sized, but it was still more than enough for one person. I loved it so much that i went back the next day looking for the bleu cheese variety, but they didn't seem to have it that day. Darn.
For lunch, I was in Versailles with some class members. We had to stick together as a group, so the group voted on where to eat for lunch. We chose the cheapest option in Versailles, although I wouldn't call it cheap. They had overpriced sandwiches and salads. I paid 6 euros for an 8-inch tuna baguette sandwich. It was really boring. The only good part about the meal was that beer was only 20 cents more expensive than water. Unfortunately, sodas were at least 3.50, and Vitamin Water was a shocking 5 euros! So I was happily surprised that the beer was cheaper than soda, at just 2.80 euros (as opposed to the next cheapest drink, a 2.60 euro water bottle). The beer, Amstel Light, was especially refreshing after a long morning of walking.
Our group was so hungry after finishing up at Versailles that we decided to stop for dinner before leaving town. There was a hidden motive behind this decision: some of the group wanted to catch the second half of the U.S. playing in the World Cup. Karen, our grad-student chaperone/resident French-speaker, told me about one of her favorite drinks: beer mixed with fruit-flavored syrup. So I ordered what she had, a Kronenbourg (the best French beer), with peach syrup. When describing the taste to my parents, I compared it to a carbonated Peach mead. The result was one of the best beers I've ever tasted. I would recommend it to anyone, even those who don't like beer to begin with. For dinner, I got lasagna bolognese (which is a tomato sauce with meat, basically your typical lasagna), since I've been craving pasta ever since that ravioli in the cafeteria was snatched out from under me. In addition, other students were ordering lasagna, and I knew that I'd be jealous if someone else had lasagna and I didn't. I'm glad I did, it was cheesy and hot and tomato-y and everything a lasagna should be. I scraped up every last dredge of cheese with the free bread. Then to top it all off, our group walked to a pastry shop (patissier in French), where I ordered the lemon tart. At first I doubted it was lemon, since it was so tart that it tasted just like a key lime tart. But Karen said that's just the way lemon tarts are here in France. Not that I cared either way, key lime pies and tarts have always been some of my favorite desserts. She also informed me that limes in France are called green lemons (citron vert). Isn't that funny? Today was a great day, with a great dinner to match.
For lunch, I was in Versailles with some class members. We had to stick together as a group, so the group voted on where to eat for lunch. We chose the cheapest option in Versailles, although I wouldn't call it cheap. They had overpriced sandwiches and salads. I paid 6 euros for an 8-inch tuna baguette sandwich. It was really boring. The only good part about the meal was that beer was only 20 cents more expensive than water. Unfortunately, sodas were at least 3.50, and Vitamin Water was a shocking 5 euros! So I was happily surprised that the beer was cheaper than soda, at just 2.80 euros (as opposed to the next cheapest drink, a 2.60 euro water bottle). The beer, Amstel Light, was especially refreshing after a long morning of walking.
Our group was so hungry after finishing up at Versailles that we decided to stop for dinner before leaving town. There was a hidden motive behind this decision: some of the group wanted to catch the second half of the U.S. playing in the World Cup. Karen, our grad-student chaperone/resident French-speaker, told me about one of her favorite drinks: beer mixed with fruit-flavored syrup. So I ordered what she had, a Kronenbourg (the best French beer), with peach syrup. When describing the taste to my parents, I compared it to a carbonated Peach mead. The result was one of the best beers I've ever tasted. I would recommend it to anyone, even those who don't like beer to begin with. For dinner, I got lasagna bolognese (which is a tomato sauce with meat, basically your typical lasagna), since I've been craving pasta ever since that ravioli in the cafeteria was snatched out from under me. In addition, other students were ordering lasagna, and I knew that I'd be jealous if someone else had lasagna and I didn't. I'm glad I did, it was cheesy and hot and tomato-y and everything a lasagna should be. I scraped up every last dredge of cheese with the free bread. Then to top it all off, our group walked to a pastry shop (patissier in French), where I ordered the lemon tart. At first I doubted it was lemon, since it was so tart that it tasted just like a key lime tart. But Karen said that's just the way lemon tarts are here in France. Not that I cared either way, key lime pies and tarts have always been some of my favorite desserts. She also informed me that limes in France are called green lemons (citron vert). Isn't that funny? Today was a great day, with a great dinner to match.
I couldn't help myself, so I took a bite before the picture...
I picked a fresh pea from the garden in Marie Antoinette's estate in Versailles. It was the best pea I ever ate.
Not great to look at, but great to eat
Even when you buy something, they won't let you take a picture! But I snuck one. And there's my pretty lemon tart in front.
They even wrapped it like a present
June 19, 2010
As I mentioned yesterday, I went to the same bakery hoping to try their bleu cheese bread, but they didn't seem to have any. So I got a "chausson au pommes", which was like an apple empanada. The crust was tender and flaky, and the inside had real slices of apple with cinnamon and applesauce. I liked it so much that I didn't regret not having bleu cheese bread in the least. How wonderful it is to have bakeries making fresh bread and pastries on every street corner here in Paris. I even read that the French government cracked down on the word "boulangerie" (bakery), so that only stores that make their own bread can use that term. But even with that crackdown, there is still a "boulangerie" on every corner. I will miss them so much when I leave France.
For lunch, I was in the Louvre, and I didn't realize you could leave and come back for lunch. It's probably best that I stayed in the Louvre anyway, since I wanted to maximize my artwork-viewing time. Unfortunately, lunch in the Louvre was awful. I ordered an overpriced (5 euro) chicken sandwich that was far more bread than filling. I wasn't lucky enough to find cheap beer like in Versailles, so I was very disappointed. I hate eating in museum cafes, they're always overpriced and the food sucks. Maybe the actual museum restaurants (as opposed to the cafes) are nice, but they're still overpriced, and so are beyond my budget. But sometimes eating in a museum can't be helped. At least I only spent 15 minutes buying and eating my food, so that I could right back to discovering what the Louvre has to offer.
It's my only Saturday night in Paris! (not counting the first night I got here, I was still too jet-lagged) So of course I had to eat somewhere nice. I looked in my guidebook for a restaurant that was delicious and a good value. Of course, when I arrived, I found out they no longer serve a prix fixe menu and you have to order a la carte (by the item). Darn, that was where the value was! But I was already there and already hungry, so I decided to eat there anyway. Since it was more expensive than I was expecting, I skipped the wine and dessert, just ordering an appetizer and a main course. For the first course, I had a very simple salad (lettuce, tomatoes, balsamic vinaigrette) topped with large chunks of bleu cheese. I love bleu cheese, which was able to turn this otherwise boring salad into a delectable, flavorful dish. And this bleu cheese was the best I've had on my trip so far: crumbly, salty, tangy, and just the right amount of funkiness. For the main course, I ordered steak tartare, which is enormously popular here in France. In fact, the tiny restaurant only had about 6 other diners, all of whom ordered steak tartare too! So I must have come to the right place. For those who haven't had steak tartare, it's raw beef mixed with spices and a raw egg to hold it together. If that sounds gross to you, you don't have to try it, but I am willing to try almost (I saw almost because I'm no Andrew Zimmerman, yuck!) any food once, and I've even had steak tartare at culinary school and enjoyed it. The French love raw meat so much that they even have a term that comes before rare: "blue", which means heating up the meat just to the point where it's not cold anymore. That's pretty shocking considering that when you order "well done" here in France, it's likely to be more like the American equivalent of "medium" or even "medium rare". Anyway, the presentation of this steak tartare is even a bit shocking: a pile of raw meat, with a raw egg sitting on top, with some seasonings on the edge of the plate (onions, parsley, capers, and peppers). They bring you salt, pepper, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, and the idea (at this restaurant) is to mix the tartare to your liking. I was wondering why every table in France was set with salt, pepper, AND mustard, but now I know: for the steak tartare. I decided to go for it and mix all the seasonings in. I loved the first half, the raw meat has such a powerful, undeniable flavor. However, about halfway through the dish, the taste of the raw meat became a bit overpowering, so that my enjoyment of the dish diminished. I still ate the whole thing and am happy to have had such a popular French dish, but I actually wish they had served me a smaller portion. The steak tartare came with a side of fried potatoes, and without those balancing out the raw meat flavor, I probably wouldn't have been able to finish the tartare. Don't get me wrong, I still love steak tartare, but its one of those things that's better in small amounts because the flavor is so powerful, like caviar or anchovies.
For lunch, I was in the Louvre, and I didn't realize you could leave and come back for lunch. It's probably best that I stayed in the Louvre anyway, since I wanted to maximize my artwork-viewing time. Unfortunately, lunch in the Louvre was awful. I ordered an overpriced (5 euro) chicken sandwich that was far more bread than filling. I wasn't lucky enough to find cheap beer like in Versailles, so I was very disappointed. I hate eating in museum cafes, they're always overpriced and the food sucks. Maybe the actual museum restaurants (as opposed to the cafes) are nice, but they're still overpriced, and so are beyond my budget. But sometimes eating in a museum can't be helped. At least I only spent 15 minutes buying and eating my food, so that I could right back to discovering what the Louvre has to offer.
It's my only Saturday night in Paris! (not counting the first night I got here, I was still too jet-lagged) So of course I had to eat somewhere nice. I looked in my guidebook for a restaurant that was delicious and a good value. Of course, when I arrived, I found out they no longer serve a prix fixe menu and you have to order a la carte (by the item). Darn, that was where the value was! But I was already there and already hungry, so I decided to eat there anyway. Since it was more expensive than I was expecting, I skipped the wine and dessert, just ordering an appetizer and a main course. For the first course, I had a very simple salad (lettuce, tomatoes, balsamic vinaigrette) topped with large chunks of bleu cheese. I love bleu cheese, which was able to turn this otherwise boring salad into a delectable, flavorful dish. And this bleu cheese was the best I've had on my trip so far: crumbly, salty, tangy, and just the right amount of funkiness. For the main course, I ordered steak tartare, which is enormously popular here in France. In fact, the tiny restaurant only had about 6 other diners, all of whom ordered steak tartare too! So I must have come to the right place. For those who haven't had steak tartare, it's raw beef mixed with spices and a raw egg to hold it together. If that sounds gross to you, you don't have to try it, but I am willing to try almost (I saw almost because I'm no Andrew Zimmerman, yuck!) any food once, and I've even had steak tartare at culinary school and enjoyed it. The French love raw meat so much that they even have a term that comes before rare: "blue", which means heating up the meat just to the point where it's not cold anymore. That's pretty shocking considering that when you order "well done" here in France, it's likely to be more like the American equivalent of "medium" or even "medium rare". Anyway, the presentation of this steak tartare is even a bit shocking: a pile of raw meat, with a raw egg sitting on top, with some seasonings on the edge of the plate (onions, parsley, capers, and peppers). They bring you salt, pepper, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, and the idea (at this restaurant) is to mix the tartare to your liking. I was wondering why every table in France was set with salt, pepper, AND mustard, but now I know: for the steak tartare. I decided to go for it and mix all the seasonings in. I loved the first half, the raw meat has such a powerful, undeniable flavor. However, about halfway through the dish, the taste of the raw meat became a bit overpowering, so that my enjoyment of the dish diminished. I still ate the whole thing and am happy to have had such a popular French dish, but I actually wish they had served me a smaller portion. The steak tartare came with a side of fried potatoes, and without those balancing out the raw meat flavor, I probably wouldn't have been able to finish the tartare. Don't get me wrong, I still love steak tartare, but its one of those things that's better in small amounts because the flavor is so powerful, like caviar or anchovies.
I wish you could split this with me
They weren't stingy with the bleu cheese
Would you eat this? I wish I could take a reader poll....
June 20, 2010
I tried going to the same neighborhood bakery for breakfast this morning, only to find out they're closed on Sundays. It seems like everything in my neighborhood is closed on Sundays, how frustrating! So I gave up on breakfast and just decided to wait until lunch, since I was too tired from the past two days to walk any further than the end of the street.
For lunch, I was invited to a wine "cave". I thought it would be more cave-like, but it's just a typical wine store. Apparently, some wine "caves" are actually cave-like though, which would be fun to see. This wine store had a decent selection, and the staff is willing to help you choose wine to match your meal, your tastes, or your budget. The wines ranged in price from 6 or 7 euros for good-value wine, to 14 or 15 euros for the high-quality stuff. They also had fancy champagnes, which were even more expensive. They have a peaceful terrace for sipping wine and enjoying a simple meal. The menu only had three dishes, so it was easy to pick. I ordered the charcuterie au fromage plat (cheese and meat plate) with a glass of red wine that was described to me as fruity. I also tried my companion's wine, which was a sparkling rose that I found extremely crisp and refreshing. My wine was good, but not as good as hers. The plate was fun to eat. The cheeses included Brie, Camembert, and Chevre. The meat included salted ham, sausage, and pork rillette (similar to a pate). There were some freshly sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, and (of course) plenty of bread. I like having so many choices on one plate, though it makes it hard to decide what to put in my mouth next. Everything was fantastic, though the chevre and salted ham were especially outstanding. If you include last night's bleu cheese, I've definitely had some very fine cheeses in the past 24 hours. I hope there's more to come.
Would you believe I slept through dinner? I only meant to take a nap, but kept on sleeping right on through to Monday. I guess the last two days really did kick my butt.
For lunch, I was invited to a wine "cave". I thought it would be more cave-like, but it's just a typical wine store. Apparently, some wine "caves" are actually cave-like though, which would be fun to see. This wine store had a decent selection, and the staff is willing to help you choose wine to match your meal, your tastes, or your budget. The wines ranged in price from 6 or 7 euros for good-value wine, to 14 or 15 euros for the high-quality stuff. They also had fancy champagnes, which were even more expensive. They have a peaceful terrace for sipping wine and enjoying a simple meal. The menu only had three dishes, so it was easy to pick. I ordered the charcuterie au fromage plat (cheese and meat plate) with a glass of red wine that was described to me as fruity. I also tried my companion's wine, which was a sparkling rose that I found extremely crisp and refreshing. My wine was good, but not as good as hers. The plate was fun to eat. The cheeses included Brie, Camembert, and Chevre. The meat included salted ham, sausage, and pork rillette (similar to a pate). There were some freshly sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, and (of course) plenty of bread. I like having so many choices on one plate, though it makes it hard to decide what to put in my mouth next. Everything was fantastic, though the chevre and salted ham were especially outstanding. If you include last night's bleu cheese, I've definitely had some very fine cheeses in the past 24 hours. I hope there's more to come.
Would you believe I slept through dinner? I only meant to take a nap, but kept on sleeping right on through to Monday. I guess the last two days really did kick my butt.
How cute are their wine glasses?
Yum!
June 21, 2010
Today was the trifecta of celebrations: there was a music festival here in Paris, the longest day of the year (even longer in Paris than in Austin!), and the halfway point of my trip. For me, the biggest one was the last one. I know if I made it this far without succumbing to homesickness, I can make it through the rest. I'll admit that it's tough sometimes, I miss everyone and everything at home a lot, but it's also easy to distract myself from that when I'm in school and in a city like Paris. So I decided to give in to the urge to go to McDonald's and enjoy a good ol' American hamburger in celebration of making it halfway through my trip. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
I meant to eat breakfast, only to get so caught up in doing homework that by the time I realized I should eat, it made more sense to just wait until lunch. Maybe I telepathically transmitted my idea of eating American food to celebrate the halfway day to the lunch ladies, because the plat du jour today was chili con carne! At first I had my reservations: chili is definitely not French. But the first bite washed all those reservations away, this chili was great! Just like my Grandma used to make. They served rice, since even the French know you can't have chili without a starchy side. I got asparagus as my attempt to eat healthy for the day, but I'm pretty sure the Hollandaise sauce on the side didn't help me. Lastly, the dessert looks so innocent in the picture, doesn't it? Well, it's not. The French will find a way to sneak hazelnuts into anything, even this unidentifiable mousse-type dish! I noticed a few shaved nuts in the mousse when I was eating it, but didn't give it much thought. I should have, since I'm allergic to hazelnuts. Luckily, the only reaction I had was some puffy, swollen lips for an hour or two. If I had to choose between not eating dessert and puffy lips, well, I can't say for sure what I'd choose.
Seeing as I hadn't eaten in 24 hours prior to today's lunch, I was still hungry later this afternoon. I lucked out, since I stumbled into a Chinatown-type area of Paris, where there were plenty of Asian restaurants offering delicious and dirt cheap eats. For just 1 euro, I had a fat pork dumpling and an eggroll. That's the best value I've gotten in Paris for anything, except maybe the wine or baguettes. Then, because I was feeling so proud of myself for only spending 1 euro on my snack, I decided I could afford to spend one more euro! I stopped into a boulangerie and got an apple beignet, which is the French version of a donut: no hole and no glaze. However, it didn't have chunks of apple inside, but just spiced applesauce, so it wasn't as heavenly as it could have been. Not that I would ever turn another one down.
I already admitted to giving in to my craving for a hamburger (and fries, of course) at McDonalds. However, I was slightly ashamed, so I didn't take a picture. I'm doubly ashamed to admit that I completely forgot to order wine at the McDonalds, which was one of my culinary goals here in France! Furthermore, I'm triply ashamed because I paid almost twice as much for the same food I could have gotten back in Austin. Plus, it was somewhat disappointing. I guess my expectations of comfort and nostalgia were too high. If I ever decide to eat at an American chain again here in Europe, I'll be going to Subway instead. The only notable part of tonight's dinner was that while I was at the grocery store buying ketchup for my fries, I decided to stock my fridge with the typical French beer, Kronenbourg. It's cheap and tasty, and I needed a break from wine.
I meant to eat breakfast, only to get so caught up in doing homework that by the time I realized I should eat, it made more sense to just wait until lunch. Maybe I telepathically transmitted my idea of eating American food to celebrate the halfway day to the lunch ladies, because the plat du jour today was chili con carne! At first I had my reservations: chili is definitely not French. But the first bite washed all those reservations away, this chili was great! Just like my Grandma used to make. They served rice, since even the French know you can't have chili without a starchy side. I got asparagus as my attempt to eat healthy for the day, but I'm pretty sure the Hollandaise sauce on the side didn't help me. Lastly, the dessert looks so innocent in the picture, doesn't it? Well, it's not. The French will find a way to sneak hazelnuts into anything, even this unidentifiable mousse-type dish! I noticed a few shaved nuts in the mousse when I was eating it, but didn't give it much thought. I should have, since I'm allergic to hazelnuts. Luckily, the only reaction I had was some puffy, swollen lips for an hour or two. If I had to choose between not eating dessert and puffy lips, well, I can't say for sure what I'd choose.
Seeing as I hadn't eaten in 24 hours prior to today's lunch, I was still hungry later this afternoon. I lucked out, since I stumbled into a Chinatown-type area of Paris, where there were plenty of Asian restaurants offering delicious and dirt cheap eats. For just 1 euro, I had a fat pork dumpling and an eggroll. That's the best value I've gotten in Paris for anything, except maybe the wine or baguettes. Then, because I was feeling so proud of myself for only spending 1 euro on my snack, I decided I could afford to spend one more euro! I stopped into a boulangerie and got an apple beignet, which is the French version of a donut: no hole and no glaze. However, it didn't have chunks of apple inside, but just spiced applesauce, so it wasn't as heavenly as it could have been. Not that I would ever turn another one down.
I already admitted to giving in to my craving for a hamburger (and fries, of course) at McDonalds. However, I was slightly ashamed, so I didn't take a picture. I'm doubly ashamed to admit that I completely forgot to order wine at the McDonalds, which was one of my culinary goals here in France! Furthermore, I'm triply ashamed because I paid almost twice as much for the same food I could have gotten back in Austin. Plus, it was somewhat disappointing. I guess my expectations of comfort and nostalgia were too high. If I ever decide to eat at an American chain again here in Europe, I'll be going to Subway instead. The only notable part of tonight's dinner was that while I was at the grocery store buying ketchup for my fries, I decided to stock my fridge with the typical French beer, Kronenbourg. It's cheap and tasty, and I needed a break from wine.
The French care so much about design, even the vegetables have to look pretty. But I guess it's impossible to make chili look pretty.
Mmmm... Donuts... *Homer Simpson voice*
June 22, 2010
This is now the third day this week I've gone to the neighborhood bakery in search of bleu cheese bread, only to have my plans dashed! I even thought I was buying the bleu cheese bread today, but when I bit into it, it turned out to be chorizo and tomato bread again. It was excellent bread, but not what I was hoping for. I can't even tell you what went wrong, I really thought I bought the bleu cheese loaf. Such is the frustration of not speaking the language.
Today was the first day that the plat du jour line in the cafeteria didn't appeal to me. I can't even remember what they were offering, I just know I didn't want it. So that left two choices: pizza or the grill line. The grill line had hamburgers without the bread and fries, and I guess it slipped my mind that I just ate that for dinner last night, because I opted for that over pizza. I never mind eating fries two days in a row, and the hamburger was so different that it shouldn't count as the same food anyway. First, it was bun-less. Second, the sauce was some sort of meat and onion broth, instead of ketchup (like McDonalds has). Third, the hamburger was a lot rarer than you'd get at McDonalds. After eating steak tartare the other night, the pink meat didn't scare me off one bit. Unfortunately, the meat was pretty tough, which I thought was nearly impossible to do with hamburger meat, but they managed it somehow. I loved the pate so much during my awesome restaurant meal from my first week that I decided to get pate as an appetizer. Big mistake. Cafeteria pate sucks. It was barely edible. Finally, I got a pre-packaged Nestle chocolate mousse cup for dessert, but I shouldn't have bothered with the ho-hum mousse, since I was bound to have a much better dessert just a few hours later. But I didn't have my crystal ball with me, so oh well.
I have 50 flashcards called "City Walks of Paris" that have been the best sightseeing guide I could imagine. They are always 1-2 miles, with interesting stops and sights along the way, so they usually take 1-2 hours. Well today, I picked a random one to complete, but it turned out to be the culinary walk. How excited was I? First, it took me to Maile, a mustard and vinegar specialty shop. So much mustard! The flavors they had ranged from normal to Dijon (we are in France) to unique, such as lavender mustard, tomato confit mustard, and mustard with herbs de Provence. The next stop was my favorite of the day: a trendy gourmet store called Fauchon where my beautiful pastry picture comes from. If it's fancy and delicious, they have it! They had chocolates that looked more like jewels than food. They had duck fat and foie gras in a jar. They had candied fruit, in every type of fruit I can think of. They had herbs, spices, coffee, tea, meats, cheeses, cookies, and on and on and on. One of the most expensive items was lobster in cream sauce. They are famous for their crazy/delightful eclairs. One had all the colors of the rainbow in the frosting, and another had the Mona Lisa in the frosting. The Mona Lisa looked so real, you just had to see it to believe it (since I couldn't take a picture). I was so amazed I knew I had to buy something, even if it was outrageously expensive. My pastry was 7 euros, but it was worth it. It's the prettiest pastry I've ever eaten, and it tastes as good as it looks. You can see from my picture that the bottom layer is chocolate cookie, the other inside layers are different kinds of chocolate mousse, and the outer layer is perfectly shiny, smooth chocolate with white chocolate shards. The only disappointment was the logo. I assumed it would be edible, since they taught us in school that everything served on a plate should be edible, and since it looked just like the other white chocolate shards, only with writing. Unfortunately, I found out when I put it in my mouth that it was actually thin cardboard. Not cool. But otherwise perfect. The next stop on the walk was La Maison du Miel, a honey shop that's been around since the 1800's and that offers samples of any of their 30 types of honey. However, I don't speak French well enough to ask for a sample. The trendy housewares store was closed, and I didn't bother to go into the way-too-expensive vodka and caviar store (but I stopped and peeked in the window). The last stop on the tour was another gourmet shop, one that wasn't as trendy and exquisitely beautiful as Fauchon. On the other hand, it had the best wine selection I've seen here in France. Plus, they had some free samples out of mustard, jam, tea, and fudge. It was also slightly more reasonably priced. What a cool walk. Once again I'm mighty impressed by the insights of these City Walk flashcards, which take me to neighborhoods and stores I never would have gone to otherwise.
After spending so much money on the pastry, I needed to conserve money for dinner. I stopped by the store to get some fresh bread and a packet of dried onion soup. I know, it's blasphemous to eat dried onion soup when I could be eating a real French onion soup, but I figured it would still probably be better than dried onion soup back home (which it was). Plus, it was only 1 euro for both those items! And don't worry, I promise to have some real French onion soup before I leave. The soup was an excellent bowl of soup, considering that it was only 50 cents. I poured it into boiling water and stirred for 5 minutes (I had to translate the instructions online), at which point it got nice and thick. It was rich and hearty, with little chunks of onion floating around. Of course, I used the bread to soak up the soup. A much better budget meal than Ramen noodles.
Today was the first day that the plat du jour line in the cafeteria didn't appeal to me. I can't even remember what they were offering, I just know I didn't want it. So that left two choices: pizza or the grill line. The grill line had hamburgers without the bread and fries, and I guess it slipped my mind that I just ate that for dinner last night, because I opted for that over pizza. I never mind eating fries two days in a row, and the hamburger was so different that it shouldn't count as the same food anyway. First, it was bun-less. Second, the sauce was some sort of meat and onion broth, instead of ketchup (like McDonalds has). Third, the hamburger was a lot rarer than you'd get at McDonalds. After eating steak tartare the other night, the pink meat didn't scare me off one bit. Unfortunately, the meat was pretty tough, which I thought was nearly impossible to do with hamburger meat, but they managed it somehow. I loved the pate so much during my awesome restaurant meal from my first week that I decided to get pate as an appetizer. Big mistake. Cafeteria pate sucks. It was barely edible. Finally, I got a pre-packaged Nestle chocolate mousse cup for dessert, but I shouldn't have bothered with the ho-hum mousse, since I was bound to have a much better dessert just a few hours later. But I didn't have my crystal ball with me, so oh well.
I have 50 flashcards called "City Walks of Paris" that have been the best sightseeing guide I could imagine. They are always 1-2 miles, with interesting stops and sights along the way, so they usually take 1-2 hours. Well today, I picked a random one to complete, but it turned out to be the culinary walk. How excited was I? First, it took me to Maile, a mustard and vinegar specialty shop. So much mustard! The flavors they had ranged from normal to Dijon (we are in France) to unique, such as lavender mustard, tomato confit mustard, and mustard with herbs de Provence. The next stop was my favorite of the day: a trendy gourmet store called Fauchon where my beautiful pastry picture comes from. If it's fancy and delicious, they have it! They had chocolates that looked more like jewels than food. They had duck fat and foie gras in a jar. They had candied fruit, in every type of fruit I can think of. They had herbs, spices, coffee, tea, meats, cheeses, cookies, and on and on and on. One of the most expensive items was lobster in cream sauce. They are famous for their crazy/delightful eclairs. One had all the colors of the rainbow in the frosting, and another had the Mona Lisa in the frosting. The Mona Lisa looked so real, you just had to see it to believe it (since I couldn't take a picture). I was so amazed I knew I had to buy something, even if it was outrageously expensive. My pastry was 7 euros, but it was worth it. It's the prettiest pastry I've ever eaten, and it tastes as good as it looks. You can see from my picture that the bottom layer is chocolate cookie, the other inside layers are different kinds of chocolate mousse, and the outer layer is perfectly shiny, smooth chocolate with white chocolate shards. The only disappointment was the logo. I assumed it would be edible, since they taught us in school that everything served on a plate should be edible, and since it looked just like the other white chocolate shards, only with writing. Unfortunately, I found out when I put it in my mouth that it was actually thin cardboard. Not cool. But otherwise perfect. The next stop on the walk was La Maison du Miel, a honey shop that's been around since the 1800's and that offers samples of any of their 30 types of honey. However, I don't speak French well enough to ask for a sample. The trendy housewares store was closed, and I didn't bother to go into the way-too-expensive vodka and caviar store (but I stopped and peeked in the window). The last stop on the tour was another gourmet shop, one that wasn't as trendy and exquisitely beautiful as Fauchon. On the other hand, it had the best wine selection I've seen here in France. Plus, they had some free samples out of mustard, jam, tea, and fudge. It was also slightly more reasonably priced. What a cool walk. Once again I'm mighty impressed by the insights of these City Walk flashcards, which take me to neighborhoods and stores I never would have gone to otherwise.
After spending so much money on the pastry, I needed to conserve money for dinner. I stopped by the store to get some fresh bread and a packet of dried onion soup. I know, it's blasphemous to eat dried onion soup when I could be eating a real French onion soup, but I figured it would still probably be better than dried onion soup back home (which it was). Plus, it was only 1 euro for both those items! And don't worry, I promise to have some real French onion soup before I leave. The soup was an excellent bowl of soup, considering that it was only 50 cents. I poured it into boiling water and stirred for 5 minutes (I had to translate the instructions online), at which point it got nice and thick. It was rich and hearty, with little chunks of onion floating around. Of course, I used the bread to soak up the soup. A much better budget meal than Ramen noodles.
So disappointing
Too pretty to eat?
Not at all!
Beautiful cakes in Fauchon's window display
Fauchon's famous rainbow eclairs
Dinner for a Dollar (well a euro, but alliteration sounds better)
June 23, 2010
You can never go wrong when you get a croissant for breakfast in France. Buttery, flaky heaven.
Around 11 a.m., I went to the museum of wine here in Paris. Honestly, it's not terribly interesting, but the setting is fascinating: underground tunnels that monks used to store wine in the 15th century. Certain parts peaked my interest, such as the bottles of wine over 100 years old, dozens of kinds of corkscrews and wine glasses, plus flasks used to carry wine on the go (I want one!). Furthermore, they had very realistic wax figurines in all different poses of wine making and tasting. Since me and my friend were the only ones there, we got lots of great photos posing with the figurines. I promise to post them in the not too distant future. The price is pretty steep at 10 euros, but that includes the audio guide and a glass of wine. They even show you a map of what region the wine is from and explain what its best features are. All I had to read was "complimentary glass of wine" and I was there! That might be part of the reason I signed up for a bike tour of Paris next Tuesday that includes a boat ride with wine. Then again, the bike tour is actually an excellent deal, and I got a discount for being a UT student, since the company was started by a UT grad. Look for more about the bike tour next week.
I didn't eat lunch at school since class wasn't until 2. I stopped at a local market close to the wine museum and bought some paella. That's a Spanish dish of rice, vegetables, and fresh seafood. My helping had small chunks of fish, some mussels, and plenty of shrimp. It was a lot of work to peel the head and shell off each little shrimp, but the tasty shrimp meat is worth the extra effort. Still, shrimp is never as good or as fun to eat as crayfish, so I started missing the good Cajun food you can get at home. But then again, paella is sometimes superior to etouffee in its depth of flavor. I'm not sure I could say that about this particular paella, but it was still finger-lickin' good regardless.
I had a pretty cocktail around happy hour. Passionfruit colada. Not very strong, but huge and half off!
My friend told me she was going to try and find the falafel place she stopped into a couple weeks ago. She claimed it was cheap and the best meal she'd eaten in Paris so far. How could I pass that up? Once we found it, I ordered what she ordered (a chicken falafel? I can't remember what they called it), and I have to agree with her, but add one stipulation: it was the best meal I've eaten in Paris for such a low price. The server asks if you want spicy or mild chicken (spicy, of course!), what kind of sauce you want on your pita bread (so many choices, but I went with garlic mayo and chili sauce), and if you want lettuce, tomato, and onion. He even asked what sauces I wanted for my fries, so I went with the Amsterdam standard: ketchup and mayo. The meal is only 5.50 euros, and it was the best falafel I've ever had. Considering how many falafel places there are in Paris, encompassing a wide range of food quality, I'm so happy to have found one so tasty. Kudos to Alisha for the recommendation.
Around 11 a.m., I went to the museum of wine here in Paris. Honestly, it's not terribly interesting, but the setting is fascinating: underground tunnels that monks used to store wine in the 15th century. Certain parts peaked my interest, such as the bottles of wine over 100 years old, dozens of kinds of corkscrews and wine glasses, plus flasks used to carry wine on the go (I want one!). Furthermore, they had very realistic wax figurines in all different poses of wine making and tasting. Since me and my friend were the only ones there, we got lots of great photos posing with the figurines. I promise to post them in the not too distant future. The price is pretty steep at 10 euros, but that includes the audio guide and a glass of wine. They even show you a map of what region the wine is from and explain what its best features are. All I had to read was "complimentary glass of wine" and I was there! That might be part of the reason I signed up for a bike tour of Paris next Tuesday that includes a boat ride with wine. Then again, the bike tour is actually an excellent deal, and I got a discount for being a UT student, since the company was started by a UT grad. Look for more about the bike tour next week.
I didn't eat lunch at school since class wasn't until 2. I stopped at a local market close to the wine museum and bought some paella. That's a Spanish dish of rice, vegetables, and fresh seafood. My helping had small chunks of fish, some mussels, and plenty of shrimp. It was a lot of work to peel the head and shell off each little shrimp, but the tasty shrimp meat is worth the extra effort. Still, shrimp is never as good or as fun to eat as crayfish, so I started missing the good Cajun food you can get at home. But then again, paella is sometimes superior to etouffee in its depth of flavor. I'm not sure I could say that about this particular paella, but it was still finger-lickin' good regardless.
I had a pretty cocktail around happy hour. Passionfruit colada. Not very strong, but huge and half off!
My friend told me she was going to try and find the falafel place she stopped into a couple weeks ago. She claimed it was cheap and the best meal she'd eaten in Paris so far. How could I pass that up? Once we found it, I ordered what she ordered (a chicken falafel? I can't remember what they called it), and I have to agree with her, but add one stipulation: it was the best meal I've eaten in Paris for such a low price. The server asks if you want spicy or mild chicken (spicy, of course!), what kind of sauce you want on your pita bread (so many choices, but I went with garlic mayo and chili sauce), and if you want lettuce, tomato, and onion. He even asked what sauces I wanted for my fries, so I went with the Amsterdam standard: ketchup and mayo. The meal is only 5.50 euros, and it was the best falafel I've ever had. Considering how many falafel places there are in Paris, encompassing a wide range of food quality, I'm so happy to have found one so tasty. Kudos to Alisha for the recommendation.
Notice the shrimp eyeball at the bottom?
'If you like pina (and passionfruit) coladas, and getting lost in the rain...'
A sandwich so hefty you need a fork to help eat it
June 24, 2010
I had school ALL day today, so I figured I deserve a treat to start off my day: another apricot Danish from the school cafe. They're so incredible; I think that's my new favorite breakfast pastry here in France. The funny thing is I don't even like apricot Danishes at home, but I think it's because I've never had one with fresh apricots before. They always just use apricot jam back home, and it's not the same!
So today something very French happened: everyone went on strike. I was well prepared for the metro workers to be on strike, since I had my travel e-mails that warned me over a week ahead of time and our chaperones also warned us to leave an hour early to get to school on time. In fact, the metros didn't even seem to be running late, but they were extra packed with people. However, I wasn't expecting the cafeteria workers to go on strike. We had no food! Or at least we had to fend for ourselves for lunch. Darn, I love the cafeteria's food (for the price). I walked to a grocery store where I bought a lunch that cost me almost twice as much as lunch in the cafeteria would, and it wasn't as good either. I bought a smoked salmon baguette sandwich, a side of sliced cucumbers in cream sauce, and a container of caramel apples for dessert. The sandwich was the best part, but it was pretty boring overall, with a disappointing meat-to-bread ratio. The cucumbers in cream tasted funny. I don't know what it was, but it just wasn't appetizing, and I couldn't finish it. The caramel apples turned out to be caramel-flavored applesauce, even though I was expecting actual chunks of apple from the picture. I suppose that's just another hazard of not knowing the language. The applesauce was fine, just like applesauce at home. So I was feeling really let down about the strike cafeteria being closed. I still can't believe I paid 6 euros for that less than mediocre lunch. At least it was better than my lunch at the Louvre.
Luckily, I made up for lunch with dinner. I had dinner with two friends at a restaurant picked by one of them from an online review. Of course, that restaurant didn't exist anymore, but at least there was a restaurant in the same location, so we figured, what the heck? Once again, I got the prix fixe menu, which was 25 euros (not a great price, but not terrible either). For my first course, I chose duck foie gras. The first foie gras I had was goose foie gras, which is more traditional. To tell the truth, they taste really similar to me. However, this restaurant was way more upscale than the restaurant I had my first foie gras at, so it was better quality. They served it with salt and pepper (in tiny mounds right on the plate, which was strange to me), toast, and some strawberry jam (is serving foie gras with jam typical? If so, I've never heard of it before). My goodness was it delicious. I could've eaten several of them. It was just so rich and decadent, with this thin layer of spreadable fat on the edge. It was so tasty that I couldn't slow down and it seemed like it was gone in no time at all. Simply marvelous. But it only got better. For dinner, I ordered duck confit, which is duck that's been preserved in its own fat before being cooked. They make the duck skin extra crispy, so when you cut into it, the skin crackles and juice squirts out of the tender meat underneath. I remember this being one of my favorite dishes during my whole culinary school experience, and I was not disappointed. There's no way to make a more tender duck, it just falls off the bone. As I've mentioned before, it's so much more flavorful than chicken, with darker, gamier meat. The duck was served with potatoes cooked in more duck fat, which is the best way to cook a potato that I've ever tasted. There were literally pools of duck fat all over the plate, but I couldn't care less about the health aspect when it tastes so good. Would you care? Finally, for dessert I decided to order a dish that seemed totally unique: fresh white cheese with dulce de leche (caramel) sauce. I only wish it had actually been cheese, because it turned out to be yogurt, which is no big whoop. I mean, it was excellent yogurt, but I was so excited to try the cheese with caramel sauce. We also ordered a bottle of rose wine to split between the three of us, which was fruity and crisp and a wonderful complement to the meal, as wine always is. I love these fancy meals out so much. My only regret is not being able to afford them more often.
So today something very French happened: everyone went on strike. I was well prepared for the metro workers to be on strike, since I had my travel e-mails that warned me over a week ahead of time and our chaperones also warned us to leave an hour early to get to school on time. In fact, the metros didn't even seem to be running late, but they were extra packed with people. However, I wasn't expecting the cafeteria workers to go on strike. We had no food! Or at least we had to fend for ourselves for lunch. Darn, I love the cafeteria's food (for the price). I walked to a grocery store where I bought a lunch that cost me almost twice as much as lunch in the cafeteria would, and it wasn't as good either. I bought a smoked salmon baguette sandwich, a side of sliced cucumbers in cream sauce, and a container of caramel apples for dessert. The sandwich was the best part, but it was pretty boring overall, with a disappointing meat-to-bread ratio. The cucumbers in cream tasted funny. I don't know what it was, but it just wasn't appetizing, and I couldn't finish it. The caramel apples turned out to be caramel-flavored applesauce, even though I was expecting actual chunks of apple from the picture. I suppose that's just another hazard of not knowing the language. The applesauce was fine, just like applesauce at home. So I was feeling really let down about the strike cafeteria being closed. I still can't believe I paid 6 euros for that less than mediocre lunch. At least it was better than my lunch at the Louvre.
Luckily, I made up for lunch with dinner. I had dinner with two friends at a restaurant picked by one of them from an online review. Of course, that restaurant didn't exist anymore, but at least there was a restaurant in the same location, so we figured, what the heck? Once again, I got the prix fixe menu, which was 25 euros (not a great price, but not terrible either). For my first course, I chose duck foie gras. The first foie gras I had was goose foie gras, which is more traditional. To tell the truth, they taste really similar to me. However, this restaurant was way more upscale than the restaurant I had my first foie gras at, so it was better quality. They served it with salt and pepper (in tiny mounds right on the plate, which was strange to me), toast, and some strawberry jam (is serving foie gras with jam typical? If so, I've never heard of it before). My goodness was it delicious. I could've eaten several of them. It was just so rich and decadent, with this thin layer of spreadable fat on the edge. It was so tasty that I couldn't slow down and it seemed like it was gone in no time at all. Simply marvelous. But it only got better. For dinner, I ordered duck confit, which is duck that's been preserved in its own fat before being cooked. They make the duck skin extra crispy, so when you cut into it, the skin crackles and juice squirts out of the tender meat underneath. I remember this being one of my favorite dishes during my whole culinary school experience, and I was not disappointed. There's no way to make a more tender duck, it just falls off the bone. As I've mentioned before, it's so much more flavorful than chicken, with darker, gamier meat. The duck was served with potatoes cooked in more duck fat, which is the best way to cook a potato that I've ever tasted. There were literally pools of duck fat all over the plate, but I couldn't care less about the health aspect when it tastes so good. Would you care? Finally, for dessert I decided to order a dish that seemed totally unique: fresh white cheese with dulce de leche (caramel) sauce. I only wish it had actually been cheese, because it turned out to be yogurt, which is no big whoop. I mean, it was excellent yogurt, but I was so excited to try the cheese with caramel sauce. We also ordered a bottle of rose wine to split between the three of us, which was fruity and crisp and a wonderful complement to the meal, as wine always is. I love these fancy meals out so much. My only regret is not being able to afford them more often.
The layer of fat on the left side means you know it's good!
The most succulent duck you can imagine
Yogurt is NOT cheese!
June 25, 2010
No time for breakfast, or I'll be late to school.
Hooray! The cafeteria is back in business. Darn those French and their frequent striking. At least they rewarded me with a top-notch meal today. For my appetizer, I got sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil and then topped with tons of feta cheese. You know what they say: feta is betta! I wish I could have this as an appetizer every day, especially since it got me to eat something kinda/sorta healthy. The main course was a very tender chicken leg served with buttered pasta. The chicken may not have been on the same level as the excellent duck I had last night, but it was definitely some first-class chicken leg. Even though the French typically use a fork and knife for all types of food, including chicken legs, I couldn't help myself: I had to pick it up and use my teeth. It was too good to let even one small morsel of chicken go to waste. The pasta may not have been anything special, but I always love pasta. For dessert, I chose an apple tart (or is it pie) topped with sliced almonds. The filling had more applesauce than real apples (which is not how I make my famous Southern-style apple pie), but it was yummy either way.
I know I will be spending a lot of money going to the south of France this weekend. So I ate a grocery-store dinner, but it was one of the best. I bought a baguette and some Bleu d' Auvergne, which is one of the best bleu cheeses made here in France. It was exceptional; my favorite blue cheese yet. And only one euro for a large chunk that I couldn't possibly finish in one day. No wonder the French are known for eating cheese and bread and drinking wine: it's all so cheap here! I also heated up the one crepe I had left. It's a buckwheat crepe, which is heartier than a normal crepe (did I explain that already?), and it was filled with ham, Swiss and mozzarella cheese. This time, I got the pan good and hot before I put the crepe in, so I was more successful at heating the crepe evenly. Dessert was a pre-packaged creme brulee. This consisted of custard in a shallow glass bowl, with a packet of crystallized caramel flakes to simulate the layer of melted sugar on top. The custard was excellent, and the sugar flakes were an ingenious way of getting the same crackly caramel effect with every bite. Meals like this make it so that I don't even miss eating out.
Hooray! The cafeteria is back in business. Darn those French and their frequent striking. At least they rewarded me with a top-notch meal today. For my appetizer, I got sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil and then topped with tons of feta cheese. You know what they say: feta is betta! I wish I could have this as an appetizer every day, especially since it got me to eat something kinda/sorta healthy. The main course was a very tender chicken leg served with buttered pasta. The chicken may not have been on the same level as the excellent duck I had last night, but it was definitely some first-class chicken leg. Even though the French typically use a fork and knife for all types of food, including chicken legs, I couldn't help myself: I had to pick it up and use my teeth. It was too good to let even one small morsel of chicken go to waste. The pasta may not have been anything special, but I always love pasta. For dessert, I chose an apple tart (or is it pie) topped with sliced almonds. The filling had more applesauce than real apples (which is not how I make my famous Southern-style apple pie), but it was yummy either way.
I know I will be spending a lot of money going to the south of France this weekend. So I ate a grocery-store dinner, but it was one of the best. I bought a baguette and some Bleu d' Auvergne, which is one of the best bleu cheeses made here in France. It was exceptional; my favorite blue cheese yet. And only one euro for a large chunk that I couldn't possibly finish in one day. No wonder the French are known for eating cheese and bread and drinking wine: it's all so cheap here! I also heated up the one crepe I had left. It's a buckwheat crepe, which is heartier than a normal crepe (did I explain that already?), and it was filled with ham, Swiss and mozzarella cheese. This time, I got the pan good and hot before I put the crepe in, so I was more successful at heating the crepe evenly. Dessert was a pre-packaged creme brulee. This consisted of custard in a shallow glass bowl, with a packet of crystallized caramel flakes to simulate the layer of melted sugar on top. The custard was excellent, and the sugar flakes were an ingenious way of getting the same crackly caramel effect with every bite. Meals like this make it so that I don't even miss eating out.
Food always seem to taste better on Fridays
This is the (cheap) life
