I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but I'll say it again..food is more than a means of survival for me. I enjoy cooking as much as I enjoy eating but I can't even describe the excitement a simple meal can bring to my day. I guess it sounds a bit sad and obsessive but hey, I know there's others out there like me so it can't be that bad of a..."passion", right?
Saying that, I came to Paris already knowing about the food here (I lived here three years ago during my study abroad semester at school) and I was super happy to be back with that in mind. My first stop: kebabs. I pretty much dumped my suitcase in my apartment, asked my new (and at that point, weirded out) roommates where the closest kebab restaurant was, and ran over practicing my French in my head for "extra hot sauce" and "Can I have that to go?". A kebab in America is better known as a gyro but here in Europe, and specifically in Paris, it's just so much more delicious. It's also pretty much the cheapest meal you can find in Paris that will fill you up. A dollar in McDonald's may get you far in New York but here in Paris, MacDo (as they call it) won't fill you up unless you drop about eight euros. So, unless you're a vegetarian, I recommend you get a kebab in Paris before you venture into expensive cafés and ask for the escargot appetizer. It may not be typical French food, but it's just as available and, in my opinion, just as tasty.(PS-ask for samurai sauce.Best condiment ever)
Of course, other than kebabs, you can find plenty of other foreign foods such as Indian, Chinese (yes, same stuff we have in NY), and Lebanese. Don't worry, I didn't forget sushi...I'm simply saving the best for last :) Sushi is everywhere here in Paris, so don't fret. It's a bit pricey and sometimes the menus lack variety. But I guess I'm just spoiled because the sushi in NY is mostly always classy and of the best quality.
Onto the French! I know I've been talking a lot about the foreign food but I just wanted to get it out of the way. French.food.is.ah-may-zing! Let's take the most basic, well-known French food-- cheese, of course. As I'm sure you know, there are as many days of the year as varieties of cheese in France. I've heard there's even more. Problem is, I don't have enough days :( When you walk into a supermarket here and go to the cheese section, you are faced with the moral question of "Which cheese should you leave behind?". I'm telling you, it's not easy. I'm not exaggerating when I say I have spent 20 minutes JUST in the cheese aisle of the store. And when paired with wine, I don't need anything more. But of course, I'd die on such a diet so I've moved on to exploring other French foods. BUT before I tell you about them, I just want to list two cheese related meals that are a must-have in Paris. 1) Fondue. I mean, its melted cheese that you eat with bread, there's nothing much more to say about it. Big tip coming your way: my favorite restaurant for fondue is "Le Refuge des Fondus". It's in Montmatre and the whole meal is fixed for 20 euros. You get a lot of food, you won't be sorry, GO! 2) Raclette. This meal is wholly French. I never heard of it until I ate it here and the concept is quite simple. Cheese slices are melted and spread over potatoes, ham, or bread. That's it! Here's some pictures:
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| This is the "grill" that heats the cheese |
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| Then, the melted cheese slides right off, mmm |
Side note: Something I had to learn over and over again-- Cheddar cheese is not a daily player in the lives of the French. They do sell cheeseburger cheese slices which is marked as "cheddar" but as for a good ol' block of cheddar cheese? Forget it. So if you need a substitute, I'd go for cantal, edam, or comté.
Since we were on the topic of supermarkets, I do have a quick little warning. The supermarkets in Paris are quite different than the ones in the US. They obviously don't carry everything that a Stop & Shop will (see my first blog post) but some things are packaged in ways that I've never seen in NY. For example, sugar and flour mostly come in these little pouches that have a pouring spout. Milk is sold refrigerated AND on a shelf. Ketchup and mayonnaise sometimes come in squeezable tubes.
Okay, now that we're past the awkward mayo in a tube section, I think I'll list a few things that I believe you should buy and accept into your mouth when you're in Paris. This is not the time to be picky! Go buy a baguette...and just eat it while walking around. This is productive in two ways: 1) you're eating a very delicious, very French food. 2) unless you're wearing a "God Bless America" sweatshirt with a huge camera hanging around your neck, you'll look partly French and non-touristic, which saves you from any of those people trying to pull money out of you. It works..
If it's winter, you must try some vin chaud (hot wine...see my snow day post). Otherwise, at cafés, they have all your usual hot drinks. Ordering a coffee is slightly tricky, but I'm here to save the day. In Paris, when you order a regular "café" you're ordering a small cup of strong black coffee. But when I say small I mean like dollhouse small. This café comes with sugar cubes and, if you're in a nice enough place, a little butter biscuit. If you want milk, you have to ask for it (sorry, it's just not normal to have milk with your coffee here). If you want a coffee that's not as strong and perhaps closer to what you're used to in the US, you should order a "café americain". If you want a coffee with milk already in it, you can order a "café creme" or "café au lait". Anyway, it's a little complicated but this blog did a good job at breaking it down: http://misadventureswithandi.com/2010/04/french-friday-how-to-order-coffee-in-paris.html
If you're into meat, you've got to try several different pâtés (they're also called terrines). They range from meat to seafood to veggie. Never tried the veggie but I can tell you, the French know how to make a mean meat or seafood pâté. Another one for you meaters out there, foie gras. But I'm not going to elaborate on that (google it). I love tartar as well...but I also feel that elaborating on it won't get me anywhere. It's beef prepared raw with an egg yolk and other fun ingredients. I don't think it's exclusively French but I love the stuff and it's popular here.
Anyway, there's always crêpes that are universally delicious and if you're really missing American food, you can always go to BIA (Breakfast in America). It's an American style diner with very American dishes (burgers, breakfast, bottomless mug of Joe, etc..). You can always find pizza as well, but as a New Yorker, I need to say, I miss NY pizza.
Last, but most definitely not least, prepare for a whole different spin on breakfast. In France, breakfast consists of coffee, toast, and jam. Eggs are more of a lunch or dinner thing and are mostly popular in omelette form. Sausage and bacon are also a definite dinner thing. Actually bacon doesn't really exist in the way we know it. It's usually cut into little pieces and used with pasta dishes or quiche.
If you got anything from this...I hope it was: Cheese and Wine = Life
bisous xoxox
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