Lunch today was at the top of LaFayette department store across from the
Opera House in Paris. We both had carpaccio with a gob of guacamole on
top, garnished with small pieces of hard white cheese (jarlsberg? Ida
Know), and either small pitted olives or large capers; coffee, and black
forest torte followed. Yum.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Huffy and Bubbles Do France: http://www.jamlady.eboard.com

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> Lunch today was at the top of LaFayette department store across from the
> Opera House in Paris. We both had carpaccio with a gob of guacamole on
>

You're in Paris, feet from L'Opera, and you eat guaca-****ing-mole.

Going to Mexico City next for fois gras?

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> Lunch today was at the top of LaFayette department store across from the
> Opera House in Paris. We both had carpaccio with a gob of guacamole on
> top, garnished with small pieces of hard white cheese (jarlsberg? Ida
> Know), and either small pitted olives or large capers; coffee, and black
> forest torte followed. Yum.
> --
> -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
> Huffy and Bubbles Do France: http://www.jamlady.eboard.com

Following your trip on your e board. Sounds a hoot.
The food doesn't look to be all that though. My Mum has visited a few times
and says the baguettes are the best. My Dad disagrees as he lost a tooth to
a particularly crunch one.
Thinking of doing a Euro-camp holiday next year to Brittany. With medium
sized boy it may be just what we are looking for, fresh air, wide open
spaces but seems a little expensive on the catering side of things.
Enjoy your trip!

Sarah

The trick is to eat what, where and when the French eat rather than the
tourists. The common price for lunchtime menu around us is 11.50 Euros
and covers starter/main/cheese/desert/wine. If you are lucky there will
be a choice of starters/mains, in other places you get what you are
given. But this will typically only be available lunchtimes Mon to Fri.
Compared to UK, this seems to good value, not sure how it compares to
US. As a comparison, a typical McDonalds meal would cost you 6.50 Euros.

Another cheap place to eat are the cafteria type self service places in
shopping centres, a common chain is Flunch, their main courses are
typically 6 Euros and you help yourself to veggies.

Go for the set price menus in any restaurant and prices are OK, once you
go à la carte , you start to pay extra.

S



Sarah wrote:
but seems a little expensive on the catering side of things.
> Enjoy your trip!
>
> Sarah

Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

> Lunch today was at the top of LaFayette department store across from the
> Opera House in Paris. We both had carpaccio with a gob of guacamole on
> top, garnished with small pieces of hard white cheese (jarlsberg? Ida
> Know), and either small pitted olives or large capers; coffee, and black
> forest torte followed. Yum.

Poor deprived - and depraved - Barbabietola. My heartfelt condolences.

Bubba

"Steve Y" > wrote in message
...
The trick is to eat what, where and when the French eat rather than the
tourists. The common price for lunchtime menu around us is 11.50 Euros
and covers starter/main/cheese/desert/wine. If you are lucky there will
be a choice of starters/mains, in other places you get what you are
given. But this will typically only be available lunchtimes Mon to Fri.
Compared to UK, this seems to good value, not sure how it compares to
US. As a comparison, a typical McDonalds meal would cost you 6.50 Euros.

Another cheap place to eat are the cafteria type self service places in
shopping centres, a common chain is Flunch, their main courses are
typically 6 Euros and you help yourself to veggies.

Go for the set price menus in any restaurant and prices are OK, once you
go à la carte , you start to pay extra.

True. But my favorite lunchtime qzine in Paris and its environs was to hit
a fruit shop, fromagerie, boulangerie and wine-ogerie and do the picnic
thing. Dirt cheap and fabulous.

I'd then pull out all the stops at dinnertime :-)

TammyM

Melba's Jammin' wrote:

> Lunch today was at the top of LaFayette department store across from the
> Opera House in Paris. We both had carpaccio with a gob of guacamole on
> top, garnished with small pieces of hard white cheese (jarlsberg? Ida
> Know), and either small pitted olives or large capers; coffee, and black
> forest torte followed. Yum.

Okay rub it in. I wanted to go to Paris this year but my wife won and we are
going to Sweden instead. I have eaten at the top of LaFayette. Great food.
Enjoy Paris.

..

In article >,
(Victor Sack) wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>
> > Lunch today was at the top of LaFayette department store across from the
> > Opera House in Paris. We both had carpaccio with a gob of guacamole on
> > top, garnished with small pieces of hard white cheese (jarlsberg? Ida
> > Know), and either small pitted olives or large capers; coffee, and black
> > forest torte followed. Yum.
>
> Poor deprived - and depraved - Barbabietola. My heartfelt condolences.
>
> Bubba


Get THIS, Bubba Vic! Today I had a Croq Madame with a cuppa capuccino!
Hah!!
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Huffy and Bubbles Do France: http://www.jamlady.eboard.com

Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

> Get THIS, Bubba Vic! Today I had a Croq Madame with a cuppa capuccino!
> Hah!!

That's better. Was this the only (semi)French meal you had? I hope it
was not in some department store again, or, if it was, at least in the
café on the fifth floor of La Samaritaine, with great views.

Anyway, here, for replication at home, is a croque-monsieur recipe, with
instructions on how to turn it into a croque-madame or a
croque-Curnonsky. The recipe is from _Bistro Cooking_ by Patricia
Wells.

Bubba

Croque-Monsieur
Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich

3 tablespoons (1 1/2 oz; 45 g) unsalted butter
12 thin slices homemade _pain de mie_ (sandwich loaf -- VS)
7 ounces (200 g) or 6 thin slices best-quality ham, cut to fit bread
4 1/2 ounces (140 g) Gruyère cheese, grated

1. Preheat the broiler

2. Butter the slices of bread on one side. Place one slice of ham on 6
of the buttered sides, and cover with the remaining bread slices,
buttered side out.

3. Place the sandwiches under the broiler, and grill on the buttered
side until golden. Remove the sandwiches, turn, and cover each with
grated Gruyère. Return to the broiler and grill until the cheese is
bubbling and golden.

Yield: 6 sandwiches

Note: To transform a croque-monsieur into a croque-madame, grill a
croque-monsieur until it is almost bubbling and golden, then cut a small
round out of the top piece of cheese-covered bread, exposing the ham.
Reserve the round. Break a small egg into the hole and place under the
broiler for 2 or 3 more minutes. To serve, top the egg with the
cheese-covered round.

One French cookbook even offers a recipe for a sandwich named after the
food critic Curnonsky. To prepare a croque-Curnonsky, blend equal
amounts of butter and Roquefort cheese, spread on thin slices of pain de
mie, top with ham and another slice of bread, and grill on both sides.

In article >,
"Sarah" > wrote:

> "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Lunch today was at the top of LaFayette department store across from the
> > Opera House in Paris. We both had carpaccio with a gob of guacamole on
> > top, garnished with small pieces of hard white cheese (jarlsberg? Ida
> > Know), and either small pitted olives or large capers; coffee, and black
> > forest torte followed. Yum.
> > --
> > -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
> > Huffy and Bubbles Do France: http://www.jamlady.eboard.com
>
> Following your trip on your e board. Sounds a hoot.
> The food doesn't look to be all that though. My Mum has visited a few times
> and says the baguettes are the best. My Dad disagrees as he lost a tooth to
> a particularly crunch one.
> Thinking of doing a Euro-camp holiday next year to Brittany. With medium
> sized boy it may be just what we are looking for, fresh air, wide open
> spaces but seems a little expensive on the catering side of things.
> Enjoy your trip!
>
> Sarah


Thanks, Sarah. We're having an okay time. This afternoon was a real
dud, though, for reasons I don't think I want to explain here. We
returned from dinner tonight at a neighborhood place ‹ a small
restaurant/cafe/brasserie (what's the difference between a café and a
brasserie?). Rob had lamb chops and I had a rib steak that was very
properly grilled. The smoked salmon entree wasn't the best I've ever
eaten but the mousse au chocolat was tasty. I can't wait to get home
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Huffy and Bubbles Do France: http://www.jamlady.eboard.com

Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

> We
> returned from dinner tonight at a neighborhood place ‹ a small
> restaurant/cafe/brasserie (what's the difference between a café and a
> brasserie?).

A café is open all day long and serves coffee, other beverages,
including alcoholic ones, breakfast and snacks. Many but not all cafés
serve full meals at meal times, with usually a small selection of
dishes. In a café, you can order a cup of coffee and sit there
indefinitely without being rushed. This won't be looked upon kindly in
most other establishments.

A brasserie (literally brewery) is a beer hall, usually large, bright
and boisterous. Most brasseries are of Alsatian origin and many have
Alsatian owners. Most are located in large cities, overwhelmingly in
Paris. They serve beer, Alsatian and other wines, etc. They are open
for lunch and dinner, serving at least some Alsatian dishes and many
other ones as well, and usually close later than most places.

> I can't wait to get home

Why?!

Bubba

In article >,
(Victor Sack) wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>
> > Get THIS, Bubba Vic! Today I had a Croq Madame with a cuppa capuccino!
> > Hah!!
>
> That's better. Was this the only (semi)French meal you had?

Most likely.

> I hope it was not in some department store again, or, if it was, at
> least in the café on the fifth floor of La Samaritaine, with great
> views.

I should be so lucky. Next time I'm going alone. The croqs (Madame and
Monsieur both) were had in a brasserie down the street from our hotel.
I got the Madame when HWSRN saw the sunny side up egg on top.


--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Huffy and Bubbles Do France: http://www.jamlady.eboard.com

Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

> Next time I'm going alone.

Well, at least make sure it is not some bloody canned tour again - the
lowest common denominator of travel.

> The croqs (Madame and
> Monsieur both) were had in a brasserie down the street from our hotel.

Real brasseries do not serve croques. Croques are snacks and you get
those in cafés. Read this
<http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE6D9103FF932A25750C0A9669582 60&sec=travel&spon=&pagewanted=all>.

> I got the Madame when HWSRN saw the sunny side up egg on top.

Is HWSRN afraid of the Madame or of sunny-side-up eggs?

Bubba

In article >,
(Victor Sack) wrote:

> Melba's Jammin' > wrote:
>
> > Next time I'm going alone.
>
> Well, at least make sure it is not some bloody canned tour again - the
> lowest common denominator of travel.
>
> > The croqs (Madame and
> > Monsieur both) were had in a brasserie down the street from our hotel.
>
> Real brasseries do not serve croques. Croques are snacks and you get
> those in cafés.

Well, FINE, then! Mea gulpa.

> > I got the Madame when HWSRN saw the sunny side up egg on top.
>
> Is HWSRN afraid of the Madame or of sunny-side-up eggs?

Both, perhaps.
>
> Bubba



--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Huffy and Bubbles Do France: http://www.jamlady.eboard.com

Melba's Jammin' > wrote:

> (Victor Sack) wrote:
>
> > Real brasseries do not serve croques. Croques are snacks and you get
> > those in cafés.
>
> Well, FINE, then! Mea gulpa.

You mean you gulped your croque down?

Bubba