Do you remember how the sight of a gallon of ice cream or the entrance to a toy store would make you happier than almost anything when you were a 5 year old?
Well, the sight of this:
made me even happier yesterday.
My buddy, Alison, and I decided to have a French feast yesterday just for shits and giggles.
I miss Paris like you would not believe. I will make it back there in the next two years. Freakin’ Atlantic Ocean … always getting in my way…
Anyway, after church I made a stop at the store for supplies and got. to. work.
First up, French onion soup.
I would like to state for the record that I do not consider French onion soup to be French onion soup if it is not gratinéed.
Cheese is my life.
I used a variation of this recipe but used gruyère (because that’s correct) instead of cheddar and left out the apple cider.
Tell me you wouldn’t want to burn the roof of your mouth off with that melted cheese.
Waiting for cheese to cool is not my greatest strength.
The afternoon’s main event was poulet rôti with frites and haricots verts.
…
Ok, once more in English: roast chicken with fries and green beans.
Otherwise known as the meal I ate at least once a week during my semester abroad (the only meal I consumed with greater frequency was un petit falafel from a place called Maoz…I still dream about those glorious pita pockets).
Ok, so the frites are of the frozen variety (from Trader Joe’s). Fries are just one of those things that I can’t find a justification for making homemade. I rather like having all of the skin on my forearms intact- I don’t need to go burning the heck out of myself with the inevitably giant oil splatters.
But the chicken was from scratch (you know, besides the whole “killing” it part- I’m not that bad ass). I roughly followed this recipe and roasted ‘er off in my ghetto excuse for a roasting pan (see above).
Nope, that’s right. I do not own a true roasting pan. Send help.
That little red soy sauce bottle has the reduced pan drippings in it for extra fat and extra fun.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love fat. Even if it’s not bacon.
I think I forgot how much I enjoy French food. This would qualify as bistro food- it’s not expensive, it’s not all that fancy and it’s not snails.
I need to make “themed” dinners more often.
I’m taking votes. Which cuisine comes next?
That soup. I need it. Badly.
I know. I would make you some if you were here, though I don’t know that it would make the trip to DC very well. 😉
I vote Indian since I’m craving it 😉
Haha, you’re ALWAYS craving Indian food!
French onion soup is awesome. I went through a weird phase with it last year about this time…
French Onion is pretty much my favorite soup ever. Just one more reason I need to go to France someday.
A good French Onion soup is so hard to top! Ah, the french, the fries, lol…
I miss Paris with everything that’s in me too. *sigh*
Let’s just go back, ok? Start saving your pennies, I’ll meet you there.
Oh goodness, I miss France. And interestingly enough, the thing you mentioned that evoked the strongest memory chez my brain was the falafel…oh, falafels, kebabs, shawarma….I love it all.
P.s. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a roasting pan, because you have ramekins…aka the #1 kitchen item on my wish list!!
Haha, how weird is that? I guess there’s just a lot of good Middle Eastern food there?
PS, I got the ramekins on sale at Sur La Table- I think I got 4 of them for $10 INCLUDING tax. I couldn’t pass them up!
That looks awesome. And themed food is one of my favorites…I was on a Moroccan kick last year, and it was a pretty delicious time in my life.
Mmmm, I love Moroccan food!
What a fun meal! I’ve been craving french onion soup lately….and I totally burn my mouth on cheese, although most recently I burned it on chili. (with melted cheese)
You are a girl after my own heart. But you already knew that. 🙂