Happy Bastille Day!

Bonjour mes amis! Today is the 14th of July, which means it's French National Day, or Bastille Day. The holiday commemorates the 1790 Fete de la Federation, which was celebrated on the one-year anniversary of the storming of the Bastille fortress-prison. Parades, parties and fireworks are just a few of the traditions carried out on this spectacular day in France. And, since France is one of the epicenters of both classic and modern cuisine, I had to dedicate a post to French delicacies. (Special thanks to MyCityCuisine for some info on the most important treats to hit on!)

from Flickr - by Grobbs

Escargot: Snails! That's what they are, and I'm not ashamed to say that they are delicious! Usually cooked in a massive amount of butter and some garlic, these tasty little morsels are served in their shells. They have the consistency of a well-cooked, salty mussel.

Foie Gras: A very decadent dish made of duck or goose fat liver. It's an extremely rich dish, as most French dishes are, that is usually served in the form of a pate alongside another dish, or simply by itself.

Brioche: This is a loaf bread, rich in butter and egg that yields a very tender crust. This bread is so rich that it resembles a pastry more than any regular bread, and is often baked with fruit or chocolate chips within it. It is usually served as either a breakfast pastry, or as part of a dessert.

from Flickr - by euthman

Along with the above examples, many cheeses, sweets and rich entrees hail from France. It would take a very long post to list all the good ones, so I chose just a few of my very favorites! Each region of France has its own traditional specialties with different wines and cheeses being unique to those regions. Champagne for example...REAL champagne...only comes from the French region of Champagne. If it comes from anywhere else, it's sparkling wine.

Wikipedia states, "French cuisine is also regarded as a key element of the quality of life and the attractiveness of France." I normally wouldn't quote something directly but I felt that this line captivated the true essence of French cuisine, and I really couldn't have said it better myself!

Bon Appetit! Bonne Bastille!

Some Cocktails, A Dozen Oysters and Some Good Ol' Fashioned Girl Talk

Tonight, I met a lovely friend of mine for drinks after work! She was in town for the day and requested my presence for cocktails during happy hour! I was more than happy to oblige! I was so happy to see her as we happened upon the entrance to Les Zygomates at the exact same moment! After an overdue hug, we entered the wine bar and ordered some much needed cocktails!

from Flickr - by shell belle

As we tucked into our drinks (for me, a Sidecar; for her, a Champagne Cocktail), we began catching up. An hour later, and we were still chatting each others ears off about everything going on in our day-to-day lives! That's when we noticed the platters of oysters on ice flying past our table in droves. We had to get in on that action! So we ordered ourselves a dozen east coasters and another round of drinks! There's really nothing like a few drinks and some girl talk to make the hours fly by! We had such a great time!

from Flickr - by PrincessPeach

Because I got home later than usual, I re-heated our leftover Seafood Risotto from last night. Normally, I would not recommend microwaving shrimp and mussels, but I was sneaky about this. I covered the plate of risotto with a damp paper towel and stuck it in the microwave for ONE minute. When it beeped, I stirred and placed it back in for ONE more minute. Quickly but gently reheated, the shellfish really didn't have enough time to start cooking again, but the rice heated it enough to take the chill off. It wasn't fishy at all the second time around! A great end to a day full of good things!