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. 

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.