Food Highlights III

As ever, French food is incredible. I've found that simple, fresh, in-season ingredients are the key to French recipes being so consistently amazing. Possibly because France is much closer to the sea than Wisconsin, the seafood here never misses.

The best meal so far of my semester, eaten in Paris. At the top by Allison's hands, there's a to-die-for oyster risotto. In the middle there's a bread basket and kir, an aperitif made of prosecco and blackcurrant liquor. And at the bottom is escargot, which primarily tastes like butter and garlic.

A traditional lyonnais quenelle. Quenelles are either chicken or fish dumplings that are then cooked in the oven and usually topped with a sauce. I've had both--we made chicken quenelles in my cooking class--but the fish ones are my favorite. The quenelle pictured above is from a bouchon, or traditional lyonnais restaurant.

A gaufre (waffle) with crème de marron and chantilly cream (whipped cream) from La Clusaz in the Alps.

The best ravioli I've ever eaten, from Ristorante Italiano Toscano in Paris. They're filled with ricotta and spinach and drenched in what I think was butter, olive oil, and lemon juice.

A Mont Blanc from Angelina in Paris. The Mont Blanc has a base of meringue and a middle of cream, and it's topped with chestnut paste. I ate it across from some ducks in the Jardin des Tuileries.

The case at a chocolate shop in Geneva, Switzerland. My favorite parts of the chocolate tour were the lime chocolate we tasted here and a jasmine truffle from another shop.