The French are known for their exquisite cooking and beautiful food presentation. On our recent trip, we were not disappointed!
We awoke every morning to fresh crusty baguettes baked by the Sisters of La Joie Saint Benoît at the convent where we stayed.
The French LOVE their bread! And why not? Crusty on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. In the movies you always see French people with a baguette sticking out of the top of a grocery bag. This is so true! It helps that there is a boulangerie on every corner.
One afternoon in Rouen I felt that I need something light for lunch and ordered a salad. It came loaded with thick slices of bacon and cubes of foie gras. A bit heartier than I had planned, but delicious!
While I ate my "healthy" salad, Scott indulged in veal chops in a mushroom sauce and 3 cheese baked pasta.
In Paris we had to have bowls of steaming onion soup with freshly grated cheese.
In Strasbourg we were served this crispy flatbread with cheese, carmelized onions and smoked sausage as an appetizer.Each was plated up on an individual breadboard.
We were told a specialty in Alsace is a dish called baekoffen. While my photo may not make it look very special, trust me, it is! This casserole is made of lamb, pork and sausage plus potatoes,onions, carrots and herbs slow cooked in a clay terrine. It was melt in your mouth tender and loaded with earthy flavors.
Of course, we didn't skimp on desserts.
Our favorite waitress was Valentine. Here she is serving up some raspberries flambé over vanilla ice cream.
Just look at the colors in this strawberry torte with berry sorbet.
My favorite was the profiteroles with ice cream and chocolate sauce.
Confectionaire shops are almost as plentiful as boulangeries. This is a giant meringue I happily munched on one afternoon.
Oooh, which would you choose?
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| Strasbourg was such a delightful mix of French and German! |
Such a clever display of cupcakes hanging in jars.
Can you see the adorable poodle meringues?
And then there is the chocolate...
and cookies,
and jams and preserves.
A tower of macarons!
At one market as we wandered the stalls we came upon this one that looked like cheese -
but it was different flavors of nougat! Fluffy and rich it melts in your mouth.
Now here's the cheese!
Eating well is one of the great pleasures while in France!
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