The Joy of a French Meal
Culinary delights...
My introduction to French cuisine came during a trip to Paris early in my marriage. We were there for the first time visiting a friend and his young family. They kindly hosted us and showed us the sights. Paris was amazing.
But what I remember most was the meal we shared over red wine. He and his wife lovingly prepared a wonderful bouquet of flavors that we received as a precious gift.
I left alive to the possibilities of food to delight the soul. That sense has only increased as we have had opportunity to explore French cooking over the years. And I am perhaps most excited that I still have so much to learn!
The Joy of a French Meal
People make amazing dishes everywhere, but you have to give the French their due. They elevate cooking to a high art. Unless you eat at a tourist trap or have a closed mind, it is hard to have a bad meal in France.
Quality ingredients, refined recipes, skilled preparation, pride and joy. Commitment to excellence and attention to detail. That is French cooking.
It can be as simple as a croissant and café au lait for breakfast or as intricate as a six-course supper with aperitif and wine. Regardless, you are about to taste joie de vivre.
I leave every French table filled with wonder, tastebuds dancing and heart singing. How could so many flavors work together so harmoniously? Oftentimes, the ambience elevates the sensory experience even further. What a joy!
I recall an amazing multi-course dinner at an old bed-and-breakfast chateau near Verdun in northern France one winter. It was a communal meal prepared by the hosts and served at a long table in a dark, stone room, lit by candles and laughter. The meal was meat-based, but never heavy. It was preceded by an aperitif in a tapestry-covered waiting room and followed by a digestif, all patiently explained to us novices by our gracious hosts. The feast, setting, and amity together made for a magical moment.
Or a seafood lunch at Le Plongeoir on a gorgeous May afternoon visiting our daughter in Nice on the Mediterranean coast. The restaurant hung precariously above the azure sea on stone platforms with intimate wooden tables and crisp, white linen. The bright sun and lazy breeze accentuated our joy in seeing our daughter for the first time in many months. Then came the meal – grilled octopus, roasted sea bass, peppers, asparagus, polenta, with a chilled rosé. That meal, that moment, was simply divine.
Bringing The Joy Home
But alas, not every meal can be in France, for most of us anyway.
Fortunately, you can usually find a wonderful French bistro nearby wherever you live. You might have to save up and make it a special treat, but it is worth it. When we lived in Athens, there was an enchanting French place near our apartment called Spiros & Vasilis—eating on their terrace could magically transport you to Paris! Here in Baltimore, we love Petit Louis—during COVID, we would get takeout, break out the china, and pretend we were in Lyon! And every July, we treasure crepes and croissants with my parents and brother’s family at Café Papillon in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
Failing that, you can always grab a baguette and a bottle of French red in your neighborhood bakery and wine shop and try your own hand at a dish or two. There is pretty much nothing more fun (and romantic), no matter how the actual meal turns out. My wife and I, we started with Julia Child’s coq au vin (a sort of braised chicken stew) many years ago and were hooked. I can’t tell you what fun it is to prepare a French meal to share over candlelight.
Ah, the joy of a French meal.
How about you?
What about you? Do you love French cuisine too? Where are your favorite places to go? What dishes do you like? Do you have recipes you love to make? What memories and joys does it hold for you? Please share the joy with us in the comments!
Bon appétit!
A Short Meditation
This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Each day is a gift, a sacred moment, an expression of God’s steadfast love. Today, he is doing a new thing. When we wake up and fix our heart on this, on him, we open ourself up to grace, joy, and wonder. Perhaps today it will be something simple, like a French meal or a sublime sunset. Perhaps it will be something grand, like a baby’s first steps or an encounter with God. Whether small or great, let us rejoice.
Magnifique!