Accro

The term "accro" in French means "to be addicted to," and this post is going to be about all of the food that I am addicted to in France. First of all, I love food. And cooking, and baking, and meal time...everything that comes with food. In fact, I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to food, and more that a few friends have called me out on that in my day. But hey, I like eating well and I like being healthy and I like things that are delicious, sooo it's definitely not something I apologize for too often. Let me start off by saying that anyone who knows anything about food knows that French food is really good. However, I want to clarify a few things. A lot of people seem confused as to what actually constitutes French food. They have vague ideas of snails and French fries, but apart from that they are at a loss as to what a typical French meal would look like. My answer to whenever people ask me the question, "What exactly is French food?" is always, "Anything just done really well." And I think that's true! The French make amazing hamburgers, salads, sandwiches, fish...vegetables...everything! I believe that the heart of what makes French food so good is that it is prepared with fresh ingredients that are 100% real -- none of this I can't believe it's not butter nonsense or skim milk -- the French are gonna put real cream and real butter into whatever they're making, and it's going to taste delicious. Also, the French reverence for meal time also makes the food delicious. Sitting down and enjoying a three course meal over the course of three hours feels indulgent and so you enjoy and indulge in your food. Also, French food isn't stuffed onto plates the size of flying saucers and previewed by the omnipresent salad and breaksticks combo (Can't you just taste my hatred of Olive Garden?), it's served in reasonable portions that are filling but not overwhelming, so you don't leave the table feeling like a stuffed sausage.
I absolutely love the French way of eating. I never feel disgustingly full, I never leave the table craving more, and I never have to go without dessert! It's the best! However, there are a couple dishes that have really stood out to me during my time in France, and so read on if your mouth is watering and you want to hear more!
1) Cassoulet. Cassoulet is a stew-type dish from the south of France usually made with beans and meat. Imagine your mom's best crockpot dish on steroids. It's incredibly filling and when served with a side of delicious baguette and Camembert it really cannot be equaled. I've also had the privilege of eating a fish cassoulet, which was a creamy version filled with chunks of white fish and vegetables with a puff-pastry crust on top...yum yum yum.

A typical cassoulet.

2) I am also a huge fan of Raclette. Raclette is one of those hands-on type dishes (much like hot-pot or fondue or Mongolian bbq aka one of my favorite things) that involves melting cheese and pouring it over potatoes. Sounds like it couldn't get better? Well then you get to grill different kinds of meat (like salami, prosciutto, etc)and put that on top.

This makes it look very technical and complicated but I swear this is good, clean, delicious fun!

3) Praluline from Pralus. This is a type of bread that I was introduced to last night that is specific to this bakery in Paris (Pralus) that is conveniently right around the corner from my apartment. It's essentially a challah-type bread with pink pralines mixed in (and of course a lot of butter) and it is to die for. Amazing served warm or cool, and I think this might be one of the best breads I've had while here in France.

Is that bread or...heaven?!

4) Salade de Chevre-Chaud. This might be my all-time favorite french meal. It's a salad served with slices of warn goat cheese on toast drizzled with honey and balsamic vinegar dressing. There were a couple days at the beginning of my stay where I had this at every meal. Every day. It's that good.

A very simple Salade de Chevre Chaud...but delicious nonetheless.

 5) Moelleux au Chocolat. This is essentially the french version of the chocolate lava cake. It can also go by the alias of "Fondant au Chocolat" or "Mi-cuit" (which means half cooked). Imagine a brownie filled with brownie batter, then warm. Are you dying yet? It's definitely my favorite dessert in France, and while I've tried many from many bakeries and restaurants all around, I have to say that Monoprix makes a dang good one for 2 euros and when heated up in the microwave it's just as good as any fancy one from an expensive store.

This picture conveys about 1/100th the actual deliciousness.

So, that's my attempt at a summary of my favorite foods here! Of course there are others and I could write pages about the amazing meals I've eaten, but I feel so lucky to be studying abroad in a country where the food is good and an important part of life. In fact, this week I'm having my friends over to eat some Ratatouille -- I got a really easy recipe from one of our program directors and have decided to try and make it this week to see what happens! I think I'll probably serve it with quinoa and a fresh baguette and goat cheese, and assuming I don't mess up the recipe TOO much, maybe I'll still have friends by the end of the night!