where to begin?
Where to begin in talking about our first week in France? How about here? Last night we were extremely grateful guests at a dinner truly worth writing home about. So that's what I'm doing. Writing home about our incredible multi-course culinary experience at one of Nantes' finest restaurants. This was - hmmm - I think it was the fourth course. And yes, the cheese tray was truly a thing of beauty, but it didn't tempt me. Dessert follows cheese in the typical French dinner, and that was what I was waiting for. I was not disappointed. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...
posted by Franceen @ 12:18 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Wowzers! What was the special occasion?
Details! If I'm going to be living vicariously through you, I need dessert details!
I'll bet Dad went straight for that awful spotty looking cheese on the right...
1. The special occasion: some guy from a German company that Dad deals with, takes Dad out for a nice meal whenever they get together. Klaus likes GOOD food, and Dad does not object. I got to tag along. Denis and Brigitte were there also.
2. Dessert details: Dad had a chocolate globe of very thin hard chocolate, filled with raspberries. While the dessert sat in front of Dad, they poured a hot chocolate sauce over the globe, which melted a hole into it. And on the side was a small serving of ice cream. I had some type of Belgian specialty that Brigitte recommended - it was a kind of buttery pastry, very tasty, with a delicately-flavoured ice cream to go with it, and a whole baked pear sitting up on the plate next to it. Oh, and then the final course (with coffee) was an assortment of tiny little morsels that we all shared - some type of gelly squares, tiny little tarts, and tiny little creme puff things.
3. No, Dad did not have any of the cheese! That surprised me greatly. But I think that after the various appetizers, entree, fine wine, etc., he was saving room for dessert and cointreau. We all thoroughly enjoyed discussing the various cheeses in detail, and I tried to ignore the pungent odors wafting through the air, but only Klaus partook of the cheese course. He only wanted three selections, but when he turned around to see what was happening, there were already about six little slices of various cheeses on a plate for him. Several slices were from those goat cheeses at the upper right.
You notice how many details I have been able to give without discussing any details concerning the appetizers or the main courses?!?! I will just say that fine mushrooms are in season, so they figured prominently in many of the offerings. Oh, and also - since there was no vegetarian option among the entrees, they came up with something very tasty just for me. And what really amazes me about France is that when you go to people's private homes in France, or even to a picnic on the beach, you get a taste of this incredible talent, interest and love for gastronomy everywhere. I don't know how they do it!
Correction: Dad says that the dessert I had was a specialty from Bretagne, not from Belgium.
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