The French Meal Experience

Today Sarah and I were invited to lunch at the house of one of the other English teachers. She had prepared a five-course meal for us! She said she prepared food that was typically French, and I really enjoyed everything. By the end though I was so full it was hard to move!

We started with an “amuse-bouche”, then we had the starter and then the entrée, which was a tartiflette. It is a common food in Alsace, which is the region just to the north of Belfort. I really like them. They are made with potatoes, a creamy cheese and meat, usually sausage, which are all mixed and baked together. Then of course we had the mandatory French cheese selection. I was informed that in France there are over 800 different kinds of cheese. I knew there was a lot, but I had no idea it was that many. Then to end we had a special French cake. It was a rum cake with cream and strawberries.

It was a lot of fun to eat with her and her family. (Although I stayed strong and ate the American way at the table full of Europeans! I find it much easier to put my knife down after I have cut something!) I was also proud of how far my French has come. It is moments like that when I can really see a difference. I am much more confident to participate in a conversation now than I was when I first arrived here.

After lunch we went shopping which is always an experience in France. It seems that the fashion right now is the 1960s American look with psychedelic colors and designs. I am not a fan of it, but then again it could be back in fashion in US right now. I haven’t been there in six months, so I am really not sure!