Monday, October 3, 2011

Listing my Life


                             (On the road to Les Vans, Southern Ardèche)    

I've found a new way to occupy my time in school: lists. Every time I'm bored in class, I'll write a list dealing with pretty much anything and everything. Today, I wrote a shopping list, which yes, included more chocolate, a list of things to do when I got home, of things to do when I get home to America, of things I want to do in my lifetime, and of things I like about France. Because I don't have to much to tell you now, I'll show you my list of the things I like about France. All the things on it are (so far) edible, and I encourage you to try them all if you ever get to visit. Here it is:

1) Caprice des Dieux - The best cheese in the whole wide world. I think it's made from cow's milk, and it's soft and creamy and delicious. If you eat it, you will most likely die and go to Heaven.

2) Kiri - Also cheese. It's kind of like cream cheese, and it tastes amazing on just about anything.

3) Tartare - Yet again, cheese. (I think you see a theme here) It's spreadable soft cheese with herbs and garlic in it, and I love it on French bread after dinner.

4) French Bread - More specifically - baguettes. They're fresh, and soft, and wonderful. In France, I've noticed that people here use baguettes as a utensil. In one hand, they've got their fork, and in the other (where the knife usually is), they've got a piece of bread. Why we haven't thought of this in America; I don't know.

5) Fruit Syrup - I'm sure we've got this somewhere in America, but it's definitely more popular here. Whenever we sit down for drinks, there's this assortment of syrups with a bazillion different flavors, some of which include: peach, orange, strawberry, raspberry, apricot, blackcurrant, chestnut, fig, grenadine, sugarcane, orgeat, etc... All you do is pour some in a glass, add water, and you've got yourself a delicious, sweet drink.

6) Olives - I have never been a huge fan of olives, but they are truly great here. They have so much more flavor than the olives in America, and they're delicious and salty.

7) Saucisson -This is definitely a food made famous by Southern France. It's this sausage that is always served as an appetizer, and it's kind of like pepperoni, but a whole lot less processed.

8) Figs - I was in Southern Ardèche with my family yesterday visiting Manu's parents in Les Vans. There was a tree by their house with tons of figs on it. I've eaten figs before, but they've always been dried and packaged. This was the first time I ate a warm, fresh, super-sweet, mushy fig, and it was one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten in my life.

9) Milk - For some reason the milk is a thousand times better here. Maybe it's because it's made right here in Ardèche, or maybe it's because it's half creme, or maybe it's because it comes in a cute little blue and white old-fashioned carton with a picture of a boy sledding down a hill. Whatever it is; it's delicious and I'll miss it when I come back home.

10) Petit Beurres - These are little biscuits made out of butter, flour, and sugar. They're flat, cracker-like biscuits, and they really do taste exactly like butter. I eat them dipped in hot tea, and they're the perfect breakfast or afternoon snack.

11) Kinder Chocolate - This is my savior when it comes to food in France. This is what I buy when I go to the supermarket after school. This is what is hidden in my closet at home. 'Nuf said.

12) Yogurt - People eat a lot of yogurt in France, but instead of eating sweetened yogurt, they buy regular, plain yogurt and add their own sugar. I think it tastes a lot better this way. The yogurt isn't very processed, and it tastes a lot more like dessert when the sugar crystals haven't dissolved and there is a grainy texture and sweet taste.

13) Baked Apples - One of the popular snacks here is baked apples. My host mom makes them by coring the apple and sticking in a lot of butter and sugar in the middle. After a few minutes in the oven, the butter is melted and the sugar is crusted all over the apple. It's sweet, simple, and quick, and it tastes wonderful!

14) Ardèche Gateau - I don't know how to make this, but it's a specialty of the region, and it's in all the bakeries and supermarkets in Ardèche. It is a plain, vanilla-ish cake with a layer of crusted sugar on top. I think there might be some alcohol baked into the cake, but I'm not sure. It's plain and not super sweet, but it's delicious.

15) Montélimar Nougat - This is another food that is made regionally. It's a candy made mainly out of egg whites, honey, almonds, and it's a chewy, creamy, sweet nougat. However, I don't eat it too often because it's kind of expensive.

16) Prince Cookies - I just tried these for the first time today. I had another supermarket run after school, and stuck these in my bag. They're a vanilla cookie with a layer of something in the middle. I bought two packages; one with white chocolate in the middle, and one with vanilla in the middle. I have a feeling they will become regulars next to my Kinder chocolate!

So that's my list for now. I'm sure things will be added on to it; and I'll try to remember to let you know when I think of those other things. I also just want to add that writing this has made me quite happy - And I hope it makes you all as happy as it's made me, too!

5 comments:

  1. You better be bringing me home some of this stuff:p

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  2. Wow that's quite a list and it's still a couple of hours to supper!!! My stomach is already growling. This was a wonderfully happy post. So how do you propose shipping all this stuff home to your family? I can't imagine how expensive it will be renting an entire container ship.

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  3. Hmmm...what does Mother Dear want for Christmas??? Refer to above list. Any item. Any quantities. Even thinking of the blue and white carton with the sledding boy makes me happy.

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  4. I am so jealous, Hayley! :p That French food sounds amazing compared to the icky college food I am eating.
    We also need to Skype soon, by the way! c:

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  5. Yay for eating! A wondrous activity! Here are some other things you should try to find, according to The Guardian (no, not me, the British magazine...)

    1.) Boulette d'Avesnes - a pyramid shaped cheese - strong and spicier than other cheeses.

    2.) Tarte tatin - upside-down apple tart.

    3.) Trou Normand - apple or lemon sorbet swimming in a generous shot of Calvados - says it knocks you out of your food coma so that you can eat more!

    4.) Chouquettes - chou pastry balls, the size of a plum, which are topped off with some little chunks of sugar.

    5.) Religieuse au chocolat - two round éclair-like parts, a little one stuck on top of a larger one.

    Here's the link to the rest of the articles: http://bit.ly/rbz3dr

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