french sandwich

French Sandwich (Pan Bagnat)

I remember the first time I saw a French sandwich, I was a bit bewildered. Whereas in the States we’re accustomed to 6″ subs, in France, sandwiches are no shorter than 12″. It was amazing to see all these super long sandwiches, piled up high on top of each other inside all the deli windows. It was even more amazing to stare at my empty hands after I finished one of them! I remember buying the sandwich and thinking there was no possible way I could finish the whole thing. But lo and behold, it was all gone 10 minutes later. And who could blame me? A French sandwich is a magnificent thing; it’s nothing like our plain ol’ turkey sandwich here in the States.

Crème d'asperges: creamy asparagus soup via MonPetitFour.com

Crème d’Asperges (Asparagus Soup)

I always think it’s so interesting how our tastes change as we grow older. Things we used to love, we may not be as excited about anymore. Likewise, things we used to hate, we may have a newfound adoration for. Take asparagus, for example. I used to cringe when my mom would serve a platter of roasted asparagus with dinner. Now, I’m more than happy to find them on my dining table, as evident by the recipe I shared for asparagus with hollandaise sauce. Since asparagus season has begun, I thought it only right to share another one of my favorite asparagus recipes, crème d’asperges. 

winter citrus salad

Winter Citrus Salad

Before I started shopping for my produce at the farmer’s market, I really didn’t know which fruits and vegetables belonged to which season. Aside from the watermelon that I could only find in the summer, I was pretty clueless when it came to choosing the best produce for the season. It wasn’t until I bought a particularly sweet and wonderful batch of oranges during one winter day at the farmer’s market that I realized there was a difference. There are definitely fruits and vegetables that have heightened flavor and quality during certain times of the year, and this includes the oranges and spinach I used to create this winter citrus salad. 

concombre a la menthe

Concombre a la menthe

One of my favorite things about French food is its simplicity. You may be thinking that French food seems quite complicated, but I would guess that you’re thinking of fancy Parisian restaurants that specialize in haute cuisine. Real French food is simple, uncomplicated, and incredibly delicious. Take this concombre à la menthe salad, a simple medley of sliced cucumbers and mint with a light yogurt dressing. You can whip up this salad in a matter of minutes, serving this dish as a light accompaniment to some grilled beef or lamb. 

Frisee aux Lardons: Endive salad with bacon, a fried egg, and a light vinaigrette. Recipe via MonPetitFour.com

Frisée aux Lardons (Salade Lyonnaise)

The French have this very strict attitude about meal time. I don’t just mean their behavior during meal time or what they’re eating. I’m talking about actual meal time. Breakfast, should they choose to eat it, is early in the morning, lunch is from 12pm to 2pm, and dinner is 7pm and after. If you try to hop into a restaurant around 2:30 or 3pm, you better hope you have luck on your side that day as most restaurants begin to close down for the afternoon. This is always an adjustment for me as I don’t always manage to eat within those time frames, especially when I’m dealing with jet lag and find myself waking up at 10 am in France! If you find yourself hungry at 3pm, looking for a late lunch, your best bet is to stop into a boulangerie and grab a sandwich or head to a brasserie where you may find a tasty frisée aux lardons. 

leftover turkey tartines

Leftover Turkey Tartines

I know that as I share this post, we’re all probably preparing for our full-blown food coma tomorrow, here in the United States. It’ll be Turkey Day after all! But doesn’t it amaze you that after all the food we eat, after all the ravaging, feasting, and devouring that we do, we still end up with leftovers!? It’s crazy! I don’t know how it happens. Ironically, it’s usually the most famous Thanksgiving entrée that we’re left over with…the turkey. Suddenly, buying the 20 lb. turkey feels like a big mistake. But like I said in one of my recent posts, turkey is honestly just a bigger version of chicken, really. And like chicken, there are so many ways you can use leftover turkey. Tacos, casseroles, or, in this case, leftover turkey tartines are some recipes that come to mind. 

persimmon harvest salad

Persimmon Harvest Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

I was inspired to make this persimmon harvest salad with a maple vinaigrette after watching a recent episode of House Hunters International. Do any of you watch that show? It’s me and my sister’s favorite “reality tv” show. My sister will often come over just to watch the latest episodes with me, and we’ll gawk, laugh, and scoff throughout each episode. Our favorite episodes to watch are the ones where they travel to France (obviously). On one of the more recent episodes, there was a woman who was moving with her family from Iowa to France. Once they arrived, they visited a French farmer’s market and found themselves in for some culture shock. They were amazed at all the fruits and vegetables that were available, and they were particularly confused over a batch of persimmons.