Part Two - The French Food Parisian Style

J'aime beaucoup la cuisine francaise.   I love French food!  Before arriving in Paris I developed a "bucket list" of sorts.  One of the best ways to experience a different culture is through its food.  And I proceeded to have my fill.  While the potential to gain at least 10 pounds was real,  I was surprised when the scale registered only 1 1/2 pounds gain!  But, Paris is hardly the place to stick to any type of diet!

One MUST try as many fine pastries, chocolates, cheeses, wine and baguettes as possible!   I excelled in this category.  I'm 1/4 French, after all.  It's in my blood!  Here's a sample of the beautiful food.  Disclaimer:  Not all was eaten, but they sure looked nice.

The mornings usually began with cafe or chocolate chaud (hot chocolate) along with a buttery flaky croissant, pain chocolat or other mouth watering pastry.

Paris is truly a walking city, fairly flat and spread out.   To devour some of these treats with no guilt attached, a metro trip to Montmartre with the equivalent of 20 flights of stairs (Who's counting?  I was with every breath!) would be in order.  The reward?  A fresh chocolate hazelnut crepe from one of many street vendors in the small quaint village.

If you want to eat a little more sensibly the choices are everywhere with a bistro or cafe on every corner, it seems.  Or you can grab a quick bite from the market or display cases of the local neighborhood boulangerie.

Next segments:  Some sights in Paris.
                          The food of Southern France.  Stay tuned!

We'll Always Have Paris - Part One - An Overview

Why is it that every time we take a vacation it goes by in warp speed? Just when I'm beginning to appreciate the food, history, people and the beauty of France, Father time jerks me back to reality and plops me back into an airplane seat for another 10+ hours on my return trip home.  Yes, it goes by that quickly.  Enjoy all the moments and take hundreds of pictures, which I did!

I have so many favorite moments during this trip.  I also have many regrets of not seeing certain areas, monuments and historical places.  Perhaps another trip will be in the future...I would like to think so.  For the most part, the food was exceptional, the pastries divine and the sweet smell of freshly baked breads from the boulangerie in EVERY village could gently lure me in.

We spent only 2+ days in Paris so you have to hit the ground running if you want to see the sites.  We "mastered" the Paris metro and glided our way to the mountaintop of Montmartre with its Bohemian style village, creperies and the Sacre Coeur, (Sacred Heart church).  We got lost several times but around every corner was usually a pleasant surprise.  We dined and wined, walked and sipped cafe while nibbling on a croissant or chocolate pain.

We also made plans (reservations weren't accepted) to sail down the Seine River towards the Eiffel Tower at night all lit up, BUT the boat NEVER showed up...upset?  very!!!  Oh well....C'est la vie or such is life!

The morning before we left Paris for the South of France, we eagerly ran to the Luxembourg Gardens since it was only 3 blocks away, a must see with the sun streaming through the manicured trees and ornate gardens lining the great palace.

Because I snapped soooo many pictures it may take a while to load them but here's a few from my smaller camera.  This was a "petit" portion of our Paris leg of the trip.

Notre Dame - Paris

Notre Dame - side view, massive

Several flights of stairs to the top of Montmartre.  Note to self, tram ride a few blocks over!

Sacre Coeur

Streets of Montmartre - many creperies and cafes

Very quaint around every corner

Stay tuned for more Paris and the French countryside.

Italian Turkey Meatballs with a Twist

Several years ago when I was raising my son, we declared almost every Monday as "Monday Night Meatballs night".  I guess for my son it became monotonous and I'm sure he cringes to this day thinking about those meatballs.  Hubby always liked them though, even if they weren't an exact replica of his mom's.  Somehow, I never got the memo on adding garlic to the recipe all those "practice" years.  Now when I make them, they are my version inspired by hubby's mom!

The last time I prepared meatballs I chose to do a turkey meatball, Italian style,  At the very end I remembered some Swedish meatballs my mother made decades ago. I loved those!  So  I sprinkled a bit of fresh ground nutmeg and allspice in before forming the meatballs.  Just the right amount to make things interesting.  This recipe makes about 24 or so small meatballs the size of a small golf ball.

Ingredients:

1 pkg of ground turkey meat (usually about 1 lb.)

2 small French rolls (the size of small apples, wet with water, then squeezed and crumbled)

1 egg

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup Romano cheese, grated

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 cup of chopped caramelized onion 

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp nutmeg, optional

1/2 tsp allspice, optional

Caramelize the sliced onions first in a bit of olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter, slowly.  Cool and chop.

In a mixing bowl put turkey, crumbled bread, onions, egg, cheeses, parsley, nutmeg and allspice.  I guess I could have said throw ALL ingredients into a bowl, mix well and form into balls.  Place them into a non stick skillet.  You can also add a bit (1 Tbsp) of olive oil, brown on one side.  Turn with a spoon or tongs, whichever is easier for you.  Cook on medium until completely browned.  Test one, of course!  These are great alone, in your favorite marinara or in sandwiches.  Mangia!

NOTE: You can use only Parmesan, just add a bit of salt.  The Romano is already salty (to my taste) so none was added.