Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Feast of the Assumption.

Saturday is the one day each week FrenchBoy and I can go out and do stuff together, so Imagine our chagrin when we found out Saturday around 11am that it was a holiday and almost every damn thing in town would be closed all day. You would think at least FrenchBoy would have known something was up, but since he works in Luxembourg his mental schedule revolves around Luxembourgish holidays. (Yeah there’s only 10 actual Luxembourgish people but they do have their own holidays.)

As for me I’ve lived in France for almost 6 years now and I still don’t have all the Holidays memorized. Part of the problem of course is that I’m not catholic. I mean how the hell am I supposed to remember what day Mary flied up to heaven on? Geez. And frankly I’m such a shut in that we could be 3 or 4 days into Armegeddon before I realized what was what. “Oh so that’s what all the weeping and gnashing of teeth is all about!”

Alas,everything's closed. What to do, what to do? Fancy Lunch course! Eventhough we didn’t have a reservation, we popped into a local restaurant I’d read about on-line and were lucky enough to get a table on the terrace. It was by far the best meal we’ve had since visiting Brugge.

A few photos from the Menu Plaisir for your drooling pleasure:


amuse



Petite assiette de la patience. ("Little plate for patience". Something to munch on while you choose your meal and your aperitif cocktail arrives. Spicy Beef Carpaccio served on a slice of Cucumber.)



lamb


Médaillon d'agneau et côte, tarte à la tomate, jus d'ail doux et wasaby.
(Medallion of lamb and rib, tomato tart, some veggies, a bit of potatoe puree, aka mashed potatoes, and this amazing wasabi and garlic gravy in that tiny shot glass.)


fish


Médaillon de lotte aux aubergines, fumet tranché à l'huile de basilic.
(Medallion of monkfish with eggplant, sliced and smoked with basil oil.)


Dessert:

Crème parfumée au pralin, entremet et sa glace façon tiramisu

(Praline Ice Cream and a Tiramisu)


dessert1



Blame it on the salt content of our little Feast of the Assumption or perhaps it was the heat, but I’ll have you know that the next day neither my pants or my bras would fit, and my toes looked like cocktail wieners. I literally went up one whole clothing size overnight. I waddled around the apartment all day Sunday. At Sunday dinner French mother-in-law even mentioned in a ‘round about way that I looked a bit “Forte”….which by the by is one of my FAVORITE French expressions. How lovely is it that when a woman is a bit overweight they say “She’s a bit strong!”

berries



Anyway, the meal was wonderful, even if it left me feeling a bit strong.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The food looks delicious! Good score for an impromptu lunch.

Megan said...

I think you would have each and every French holiday memorized if you worked 9-5 M-F and desperately looked forward to each and every day off from work!
Great pictures BTW.

Shanster said...

MMMMM - be glad. Be very glad you aren't Catholic. I went to all girls Catholic school...

I think for the Assumption we all gathered in the courtyard around the marble Mary statue... sang several songs praising Mary and then we crowned the girl in the school who was MOST like Virgin Mary.... after a week of voting.

Jumpin' jay-sus on a pogo stick..could you EVER live that down if you'd been picked? Holy mother of....

Oh. Yeah. Well, I guess that is who we were celebratin'... anyhoo, you get the idea.

Team Jacob said...

Are you sure you don't work for Bon Appetit? lol

I would eat all of those foods pictured.

'Drea said...

Little plate for patience is a cool concept along with the "forte" one. I'm vicariously indulging in the tiramisu which looks scrumptious.

Seyi said...

The last picture you posted of the grapes is quite beautiful. And to top it all off, the grapes sort of match your nail polish! Tres Magnifique.

Aritul said...

That is one perfectly polished nail.