French Food

As I have certainly mentioned before, I absolutely love the food here. Before arriving, I was worried about being a vegetarian in a country that is definitely less veg-friendly than the US, but I haven’t had any big issues with it. There might be fewer vegetarian options in restaurants, but I can always find something. My host mom is happy to make meatless food, or leave the meat out of my portion. She keeps telling me to let her know if I don’t like the food she cooks but I have honestly liked everything! It’s great living with a host family so I can try French foods every day and see what meals at home are like. My host mom is definitely more casual than some of the other families; our meals don’t consist of many courses and sometimes we eat dinner in front of the TV. It’s nice to not feel like dinner is always a formal event.

I have been just as happy eating outside of the house. During the week, I make my own lunch at IES or get a sandwich at the boulangerie. There are many students who take advantage of the Restaurant Universitaire on campus for its cheap lunch options. I also eat out with my friends a couple times a week. We have become regulars at a restaurant that specializes in tartines—large pieces of bread with cheese and other toppings cooked in the oven.

If there is one thing I miss about American food, it’s breakfast. Breakfast is my favorite meal and it’s just not a big deal in France. A common French breakfast is a hot drink and some bread with jam. I will definitely be enjoying a very large breakfast when I return to the US!

A few weeks ago I participated in a cooking class at IES. They have held a bunch of them so we can try French specialties and learn to make them ourselves. We made orange soufflés. They were delicious! And not as difficult to make as I was anticipating. Voilà the results…