As many of you know, I recently had a long holiday in Europe: five days in Paris, France, and then four weeks in Oxford, England (where I lived for a year as a sixteen-year-old when my father was a visiting professor at Oxford University).
Being who I am, the trip was focused very much on food. (Thank goodness I had no car and ended up walking some ten miles every day, or I would have returned to the States with not only many great memories and photos, but also many unwanted extra pounds).
So today, rather than a recipe from the trip (a delicious one of those can be found here), I present to you a photographic journey of some of the meals I ate in both locales. I'll warn you in advance, best not to read (or look at) this post while hungry!
Paris, Land of Baguettes and Cheese
Breakfast at a sidewalk café in the Marais district of Paris: Café Crème et Croissants
Lunch outside the Père-Lachaise cemetery: Pique-nique de frommage, baguette, et des tomates, nectarines, et figues.
Apéritif: Du pastis (a licorice liqueur generally mixed with water). The cigarettes are from a previous customer, but definitely added to the Parisian ambiance.
Entrée (which means first course in France) at Brasserie Bofinger: des huitres (oysters) et Champagne rosé.
Le Plat (main course) at Restaurant Léon: moules-frites (mussels in cream sauce with French fries) and Belgian ale.
Oxford, Land of Clotted Cream and Fish 'n Chips
"Full English" Breakfast at the Café Jericho: bangers (English-style sausages), gammon (ham-like bacon), baked beans, fried tomatoes, and eggs (toast not pictured).
Lunch: an array of sandwiches for sale at Marks and Spencers (aka "Marks and Sparks"). The ham and mayonnaise sandwich was quite tasty.
Afternoon Cream Tea at our flat: scones, clotted cream, and strawberry jam.
Appetizer at The Perch pub, in Binsey, just north of Oxford (the location of many Morse scenes): smoked whitefish spread, shrimp in mayonnaise, pickled herring, smoked salmon, farmstead butter, cucumber, and ENORMOUS capers.
Pub Snack at the King's Arms: Scotch egg (hard boiled egg wrapped in sausage, then bread crumbs, and deep fried) and bitter ale.
Dinner at the Atlantic Fish Bar: haddock and chips with mushy peas.
Now I just need to figure out where I can get good fish 'n chips here in the States....
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What a glorious post! You're right. No one should read this post when they're hungry. But it was worth it! Thank you, Leslie, for bringing back so many wonderful (Paris and London) foodie memories for me.
ReplyDeleteOn the question of where to find good fish 'n' chips here in the States, I have a great suggestion for you. The place is called A SALT AND BATTERY (great name, right?). You'll find it in Greenwich Village, NYC. It's a small, unassuming shop, but they use traditional British fryers and cooking techniques, and the results are outstanding. It's also a British ex-pat paradise. They even stream BBC radio all day on their shop speakers. I just wish they would open more shops around the city!
Oh, thank you for the tip, Cleo! Next time I'm in NYC, I'm going there! (And yes, great name--ha!)
DeleteOh, yummy, Leslie!
ReplyDeleteYummy, indeed!
DeleteSounds like a fabulous adventure both in sights and tastes!
ReplyDelete2clowns at arkansas dot net
It was indeed, Kay!
DeleteOK, I have my bags packed! I love Paris and all of France, especially for the never-ending array of over-the-top foods. Your amazing photos have me salivating...fortunately I am on my elliptical as I am reading your post! Oxford...I have the best memories of the UK and most of the food...My son lived in London for about 12 years, so I have explored at length during my frequent visits. I can't go without a scone for too long, and fortunately we have some that my wife made for breakfast in about 30 minutes :-) Thank you for sharing your travel adventures and culinary delights, Leslie! Luis at ole dot travel
ReplyDeleteAnd now I'm salivating at your breakfast scone, Luis! Hope you have some clotted cream to go with it!
DeleteThank you for the food photos, Leslie! I usually dig in before it occurs to me to take a photo.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's often a problem for me, too!
DeleteYUM! Thanks for sharing those mouthwatering photos, my foodie twin! I would eat almost everything you showed, except for le pastis. I am not a fan of anything tasting of licorice. And I agree with you that the M&S sandwiches are surprisingly tasty.
ReplyDeleteWe went to the big M&S on Oxford St. in London and stocked up on all sorts of delectable items from their Food Hall--amazing!
DeleteYou certainly show a preference for seafood.
ReplyDeleteI just had fish and chips two nights ago. I found it rather bland. What's your secret?
Ha! That's partly because Robin--who's not a fan of most seafood--wasn't with me on the trip, so I indulged more than usual. As for the secret for good fish and chips, I think it's the batter and frying oil they use in the UK, as well as the whole fish fillets, rather than just small pieces.
DeleteA scrumptious two days! Thanks for the taste tour, Leslie.
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome, Molly!
DeleteWow! That's quite the menu. :) Thanks for sharing. aprilbluetx at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteWell, it wasn't REALLY just two days; those were photos taken over many different days. Otherwise, I'd have come home looking like a blimp!
DeleteAll of those foods look delicious Thank you deborahortega229@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteYou're so welcome, Deborah!
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