After reading this, I'm thinking .. French-themed dinner anyone? I'm good with everything except the frog legs .. :)
Foods You'll Want to Taste While in France
Adapted From: France For Dummies, 4th Edition
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-5275.html?cid=etipArticleLink?cid=articleFeature
Tasting the amazing cuisine of France is one of the best reasons for visiting the country. Being adventurous is key: Many of the best foods in France are rarely seen in the United States — and if they are, they taste better in France. You can put your trust in French chefs because they take great pride in the freshness and preparation of their food. Restaurant meals, with five to seven courses, last several hours, so you'll need to pace yourself (and don't fill up on bread, no matter how wonderful it is).
Café au lait (ca-fay oh LAY)
Café au laitis espresso with steamed milk (similar to a latté you'd order at any American coffee bar), and it's the perfect eye-opener for the morning or pick-me-up for the afternoon. It's sometimes called a café crème. No, it isn't American coffee — it's much better. What many French people drink for a quick pick-me-up during the day and also after meals is un espresso, a tiny cup of very strong . . . well, espresso. For decaffeinated, ask for café decaffeiné or un déca.
Croissant (kwah-SAWN)
These popular breakfast rolls are pretty much available around the world now, but if you think you know all about croissants, think again. Croissants in France, a staple at every bakery in the country, taste very different from ones you get in other countries. They're light, flaky, and irresistibly buttery.
Pain au chocolat (PAN o shawk-oh-LAH)
A kids' favorite, this delicious breakfast pastry is a square croissant filled with dark chocolate, and you're likely to find one at any bakery (pâtisserie) in the country. The French eat a light (continental) breakfast of a croissant and pastry with coffee. That way, they save up big appetites for lunch and dinner, which are multicourse extravaganzas.
Croque-monsieur (croak mis-SYER)
Croque-monsieuris ham and melted cheese on a croissant, usually served open-faced. Available at most cafes, it's the perfect light lunch sandwich. A croque madame is the same but with a grilled egg on top.
Escargot (es-car-GO)
Yes, like Lucy Ricardo (remember that episode of I Love Lucy?), while in France you need to try snails, served in their shells with lots of butter, garlic, and parsley. They're luscious, tender little treats, but what you'll taste most is garlic. Snails are a true French delicacy.
Bouillabaisse (booh-ya-BESSE)
This hearty fish stew, a meal in itself, is the specialty of Provence (especially Marseille) and the Riviera. At some restaurants, the fish — many types — is served separately from the broth. When you're served the soup, you may also be served round, toasted pieces of bread and a hot peppery sauce called rouille. What you do is spread the sauce on the bread and plop the bread into the stew or pour the broth over the bread. Then you can add the fish or consume it separately. A cousin of bouillabaisse is bourride, another authentic fish soup in vogue along the Mediterranean.
Cuisses de grenouilles (cweess duh gre-NOO-yuh)
Frogs' legs do taste a little like chicken, but they're saltier and more delicate. You'll find the best examples of this classic French dish in the Loire Valley.
Pâté de foie gras (pat-ay duh fwoh GRAH)
A staple of every fancy restaurant in France is goose liver pâté, which is often à la maison (homemade) and poêlé (pan-fried). Rich and creamy, with dense flavor and a delicate texture, pâté de foie gras is a quintessential French food.
Des truffes (des TROOF)
France's most expensive food, delectable truffes (truffles) are a rare kind of black fungus (like mushrooms) that need to be dug out of the ground by special dogs or pigs trained for the task of locating them. Truffle season is November to March. Truffles appearing on any dish (aux truffes) up the price of the meal by 25 or more euros ($30). Look for them particularly on omelets and pasta.
Chariot de fromage (chair-ree-aht duh frwoh-MAZH)
Ah, the chariot of cheese: brie, camembert, Roquefort, chèvre, Gruyère, and so on. At the best restaurants, the selection of cheeses is so enormous, it must be wheeled to you on a trolley. When the waiter brings it over, ask which are the best cheeses of the region ("Les fromages de la region?"), and choose which ones you want by pointing to several. The waiter will serve them, and you can eat them with a knife and fork.
Tarte tartin, soupe de fraises, ile flotant, crème brûlée, mousse au chocolat (tart tah-TIHN, soup duh FREZ, eel flo-TAHNT, krem bruh-LAY, moose oh shawk-oh-LAH)
Apple tart, boozy strawberry soup, floating island (meringue with a custard sauce), custard topped with caramel, chocolate mousse . . . and the list goes on. Having dessert in a French restaurant is reason enough to visit the country. C'était bon!
Foods You'll Want to Taste While in France
Adapted From: France For Dummies, 4th Edition
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-5275.html?cid=etipArticleLink?cid=articleFeature
Tasting the amazing cuisine of France is one of the best reasons for visiting the country. Being adventurous is key: Many of the best foods in France are rarely seen in the United States — and if they are, they taste better in France. You can put your trust in French chefs because they take great pride in the freshness and preparation of their food. Restaurant meals, with five to seven courses, last several hours, so you'll need to pace yourself (and don't fill up on bread, no matter how wonderful it is).
Café au lait (ca-fay oh LAY)
Café au laitis espresso with steamed milk (similar to a latté you'd order at any American coffee bar), and it's the perfect eye-opener for the morning or pick-me-up for the afternoon. It's sometimes called a café crème. No, it isn't American coffee — it's much better. What many French people drink for a quick pick-me-up during the day and also after meals is un espresso, a tiny cup of very strong . . . well, espresso. For decaffeinated, ask for café decaffeiné or un déca.
Croissant (kwah-SAWN)
These popular breakfast rolls are pretty much available around the world now, but if you think you know all about croissants, think again. Croissants in France, a staple at every bakery in the country, taste very different from ones you get in other countries. They're light, flaky, and irresistibly buttery.
Pain au chocolat (PAN o shawk-oh-LAH)
A kids' favorite, this delicious breakfast pastry is a square croissant filled with dark chocolate, and you're likely to find one at any bakery (pâtisserie) in the country. The French eat a light (continental) breakfast of a croissant and pastry with coffee. That way, they save up big appetites for lunch and dinner, which are multicourse extravaganzas.
Croque-monsieur (croak mis-SYER)
Croque-monsieuris ham and melted cheese on a croissant, usually served open-faced. Available at most cafes, it's the perfect light lunch sandwich. A croque madame is the same but with a grilled egg on top.
Escargot (es-car-GO)
Yes, like Lucy Ricardo (remember that episode of I Love Lucy?), while in France you need to try snails, served in their shells with lots of butter, garlic, and parsley. They're luscious, tender little treats, but what you'll taste most is garlic. Snails are a true French delicacy.
Bouillabaisse (booh-ya-BESSE)
This hearty fish stew, a meal in itself, is the specialty of Provence (especially Marseille) and the Riviera. At some restaurants, the fish — many types — is served separately from the broth. When you're served the soup, you may also be served round, toasted pieces of bread and a hot peppery sauce called rouille. What you do is spread the sauce on the bread and plop the bread into the stew or pour the broth over the bread. Then you can add the fish or consume it separately. A cousin of bouillabaisse is bourride, another authentic fish soup in vogue along the Mediterranean.
Cuisses de grenouilles (cweess duh gre-NOO-yuh)
Frogs' legs do taste a little like chicken, but they're saltier and more delicate. You'll find the best examples of this classic French dish in the Loire Valley.
Pâté de foie gras (pat-ay duh fwoh GRAH)
A staple of every fancy restaurant in France is goose liver pâté, which is often à la maison (homemade) and poêlé (pan-fried). Rich and creamy, with dense flavor and a delicate texture, pâté de foie gras is a quintessential French food.
Des truffes (des TROOF)
France's most expensive food, delectable truffes (truffles) are a rare kind of black fungus (like mushrooms) that need to be dug out of the ground by special dogs or pigs trained for the task of locating them. Truffle season is November to March. Truffles appearing on any dish (aux truffes) up the price of the meal by 25 or more euros ($30). Look for them particularly on omelets and pasta.
Chariot de fromage (chair-ree-aht duh frwoh-MAZH)
Ah, the chariot of cheese: brie, camembert, Roquefort, chèvre, Gruyère, and so on. At the best restaurants, the selection of cheeses is so enormous, it must be wheeled to you on a trolley. When the waiter brings it over, ask which are the best cheeses of the region ("Les fromages de la region?"), and choose which ones you want by pointing to several. The waiter will serve them, and you can eat them with a knife and fork.
Tarte tartin, soupe de fraises, ile flotant, crème brûlée, mousse au chocolat (tart tah-TIHN, soup duh FREZ, eel flo-TAHNT, krem bruh-LAY, moose oh shawk-oh-LAH)
Apple tart, boozy strawberry soup, floating island (meringue with a custard sauce), custard topped with caramel, chocolate mousse . . . and the list goes on. Having dessert in a French restaurant is reason enough to visit the country. C'était bon!
