food, food, food!

A travel book I'm currently reading says the senses of taste and smell are magnified when travelling. We're definitely finding that to be true so far, particularly with taste. The instant I bit into a baguette on my first day here, I knew I'd ruined baguettes for the rest of my life. It was absolutely yummy and perfect. It's definitely the national food - I'd say 1 out of 3 people walking down the street in paris is carrying a baguette with them. And since e-coli is still spreading in Europe, we feel eating lots and lots of baguettes and cheese is the responsible thing to do :)

matt with baguette and pain chocolat


One of our best meals has been the dinner picnic we had along the Seine River by the Notre Dame. We feasted on a baguette (of course!), cheeses, olives, marinated tomatoes, and vino. The entire experience was just mind-blowing - everywhere you looked, people were having their own picnics and taking in the beautiful atmosphere. I absolutely love how you can drink anywhere you want here! We've got a few more similar picnics planned... :) Pretty much any meal we've had has been fantastic. Last night we celebrated a late anniversary dinner. The restaurant was small, low-key and very cozy; the food rivaled the fanciest restaurants we've eaten at! I had lobster ravioli and then beef cheek wrapped in phyllo. Matt's decadant, and very French, meal include foie gras with sweet pepper chutney and duck confit. We finished this off with creme brûlée and chocolate mousse. mmmmmm, so delicious!

I had my own chance at French cooking with a day-long class at Le Cordon Bleu (thanks Con & Liz for an awesome gift!!!). On the menu was a salad of dandelion leaves with bacon and warm soft boiled egg; pan-fried sea bass fillet on a carrot puree with cumin, red wine sauce and herb salad; panna cotta with lemongrass and red berry jelly. The class was an absolute blast and I learned so much, including how to filet a fish! It was a surprise to all of us when the threw down a whole sea bass in front of us and said we had to cut our own fillets. How well you did really made the difference between a beautiful piece of sea bass, or something that looked like it was run over by a truck.I'd say I was average - not bad for my first time! :) Few pics are below (the assembled dish is actually one the chef made). I promise to make this meal for whoever wants! Also, the last pic is a bit of a joke - just in case I ever need any entry photo for Top Chef, figured I'd take the opportunity to pose :)

with chef franck poupard

Top Chef contestant?