Time to do some writing about food! We'll start with the weekend...
We both enjoy going to the market on Sunday to buy food. Last weekend Erik was feeling particularly creative, and decided to buy quail. The butcher happily chopped off their necks, burned off any remaining feathers, and trussed them up for us, ready to be cooked. On Tuesday night, Erik set about preparing this delightful meal. The quail roasted in the oven with a dressing of olive oil, thyme and lemon. It was definetly a success, but we both agreed that the little birds require a very large amount of effort to get a very small amount of meat off the bones. I think next time we'll just get a chicken!
Now, I'm not sure if I've written about the restaurant situation yet, so I'll just say that all of our meals out have been a bit dissapointing. There is usually some good point to the meal (often the cheap wine :)), but we had yet to eat the wonderful Parisian meal that we were so looking forward to before we left.
Well, the Lonely Planet advised that our neighbourhood was good for big churches, and not much else. For some reason we thought we could discover a hidden gem of an eating establishment close to home despite this advice. Unfortunately, again LP was correct, and most of the restaurants around us cater to tourists, and are either too expensive for us, or just don't serve very good food. I was beginning to think that all French food would be bland and boring, until we ventured out of our neighbourhood last night and into a delightful little place called L'Encrier (the Inkwell).
What a treat! The inside was nicely decorated, and the menu was more than affordable. Erik started with a terrine, and I had a soup of something white (I didn't know the word when I ordered, and I can't remember it now...). Anyway, both were delicious! For main course, I had a duo of fish, served with a rice pilaf, and Erik tried andouilles, with a warning from the waiter. Andouilles are apparently sausages made with pig intestines. They actually tasted quite good, but you had to get past the fact that they looked like a regular sausage, as they didn't tast like sausage at all. We finished the meal off with chocolate cake and plum clafoutis, finally satisfied with a dining experience in this city. Plus, it had a non-smoking section. I have to say, nothing makes food taste worse than second hand smoke! We will definetly go back.
And thanks to Sheila, Tracy and Roman; some of the people who are reading our blog. Its nice to hear from you, and good to know that you're enjoying the updates!
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