A lesson in French cuisine

Today has been a day full of food. While I started my day with the subpar French version of Frosted Flakes like I have every other morning here, the rest of the food I ate did not disappoint.

Muffin and fruit

Today has been a day full of food. While I started my day with the subpar French version of Frosted Flakes like I have every other morning here, the rest of the food I ate did not disappoint. I took a French culinary lesson this afternoon which involved me preparing an appetizer, entrée, side, and dessert for myself to eat for lunch. The ingredients were laid out for me when I arrived along with the recipes printed in French.

I don’t consider myself a chef by any means, so the task of taking the rind off the cantaloupe under the pointed stare of a French chef didn’t help with the nerves of preparing a French dish. After slicing, dicing, peeling, and deboning I made crostinis aux légumes jambon et olives, soupe de melon au muscat, and pastis de confit de canard et pommes de terre persillées which roughly translates to toast with ham, vegetables, and olives, melon soup, and a pasty with duck and potatoes.

The event took around four hours to complete and ended with a celebration of delicious foods. The lunch was large, just like every other meal prepared for me in France. The sanctity of a French meal is not a myth. Every meal is composed of good food and fellowship. It’s like an American holiday every day for both lunch and dinner with large meals and assembling of people.

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