Le Poisson d'Avril

The most important part of most holidays is the food. St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's Day all have certain foods associated with the celebration. But what about April Fools' Day? In the US, there are not really any food associations I could think of. Some people dye food weird colors but that is not a wide spread practice. So I was excited to learn in France people eat chocolate fish on Le Poission d'Avril. The chocolate fish originated from the practice of sticking a paper fish on someone's back as a joke. The victim of the prank was called Le Poission d'Avril, the April fish. Chocolatiers started making chocolate fish in honor of the prank.
 

Gelato, Gelato, and more Gelato!

I am a little embarrassed to admit that the main reason I wanted to go to Italy was so I could eat gelato! Sure, Italy has amazing architecture and a rich culture history but what I really cared about was the gelato. I have only ever eaten the sad excuse for "gelato" sold in the US. I was very anxious to eat the real deal. Gelato and ice cream differ because gelato has a lower butterfat content and a higher sugar content. The higher sugar content is balanced with the water content to prevent the gelato from freezing solid. Anyone who has ever tried to scoop ice cream straight from the freezer knows ice cream can freeze very hard. Gelato also has less air incorporated into it which creates a more intense flavor.
I ate a lot of gelato in the four days I was in Milan. I was not expecting the gelato to be as different as it was from ice cream. I have to say I prefer gelato to ice cream which is going to be a problem once I am back in the US!

Nutella Gelato

Really excited about my chocolate gelato

Biscotti and Cream (Italian version of Cookies and Cream)

 

Birthday Dinner

I was lucky enough to spend my 20th birthday in Milan, Italy. Milan is not really the first city one thinks of when thinking about Italian food but it is know for one dish, Risotto Milanese. Risotto is served all over Italy but Milan has created their own version cooked with saffron. The saffron causes the rice to turn a bright yellow, similar to the yellow color of the rice found in paella. I knew I wanted to eat Risotto Milanese for my birthday dinner. Almost every restaurant in Milan serves the dish so finding it was not difficult. I found a cute restaurant that was filled with Italians, which is always a good sign. The risotto was delicious and the bright yellow color was very striking against the white plate. I also ate fresh mozzarella made in the restaurant and the best tiramisu.

     

Tartine, not a dessert

When I look at a French menu and I often have no idea what most of the dishes are. I try and pick out words that I know, like "tart". Generally I associated the word tart with a dessert but often I would see the word "tartine" on the savory menu which was slightly confusing. On my recent trip to Beaune, France, I decided to order a tartine and was I surprised. I learned a tartine is a traditional French open-faced sandwich.
The waiter brought be a large piece of toasted bread layered with potatoes, bacon, and Gruyere and Emmental cheeses that was put into the oven until the cheese was gooey and melted. It was so good, one of the most flavorful dishes I have had in France. It also was a good meal to eat before my wine tasting, helped to absorb the fifteen different wines I drank!

 

The Secret is in the Sauce

If you have a craving for "junk food" in France, there are two options; McDonald's or kebabs. Yes, that's right, kebabs. Kebabs were introduced to France through the immigrants from North Africa. There is a lot of tension between the French and North Africans but we should all be grateful for the culinary contribution the North Africans have made. Kebab restaurants are found all over Lyon. They usually are not the most attractive or clean restaurants but the food is so good, I am willing to overlook the less than desirable ambiance. The best part of the kebab is the Algerian sauce they cover the meat with. I don't know what they put in the sauce, I tried googling it, but it is addictive. It tastes like a spicy mayonnaise. Besides tasting really good, the kebabs are inexpensive which is a huge bonus for a non-working college student like myself.

     

French Cooking Class

Yesterday afternoon, I attended a cooking class at a culinary school in Lyon. I knew I wanted to take a cooking class while I was in France so I could learn French food from a French chef. Ideally, I wanted the class to be taught in English because my French is still at a five year old's level. But all I could find were classes in French so I decided at least I would be able to watch and learn that way instead of listening. Cooking is visual anyways. The class I chose was a macaroon class in which I would learn how to make four different kinds of macaroons. The macaroon itself was stayed the same but the filling inside is what changed. I made salted caramel, white chocolate and ginger, vanilla and Creme de Cassis (black current liqueur), and Champagne and raspberry fillings. The chef was really nice and the kitchen we cooked in was huge with every kind of cooking equipment you could think of. I had a lot of fun and am looking into other classes to take.

Not my best examples but I started eating them before I remembered to take a picture!

   

The Real Deal

I have had my fair share of churros in the US and even in France. They have always been covered in cinnamon sugar and slightly doughy. During my recent visit to Spain, my friend, who is studying in Spain, took me to an authentic churro restaurant. I was extremely surprised to learn that the churros I had eaten in the past were South American style and that Spain had it own style of churros. The churros in Spain are not covered in sugar and are served with a cup of thick hot chocolate-like sauce for dipping. The dough is slightly salty and becomes more crispy and airy after being fried. Also churros are only served at certain times during the day. You can eat churros in the morning for breakfast or at 5pm when you wake up from your Siesta. Those are the only options. If you want churros at noon, sorry you can't have them.