I am staying with a French couple at the seaside small town of Quiberon in Brittany. They are bretons. They invited another breton couple they had known for a long time for dinner and had prepared a home cooked meal for them.
How do the french do it ?
What is the magic behind it ?
This is also part of the French Paradox where they eat and drink and be very merry and it does not seem to affect their health.
In Australia, where i grew up, we were also exposed to dinner parties whereby a couple or group of friends would invite some friends over for dinner and it would be a wonderful occasion. and well into the night and lots of conversation.
There were plenty of conversation but the emphasis on food was impressive
The aroma was intense and you felt it on your palate when you gulped it. Certainly the smoked salmon and the shrimp hors d'oeuvres tasted better with this champagne. I was not ashamed of savouring slowly a couple of flutes of this amber fluid with fine bubbles
I do not have to tell you who the brown hand belongs to !
I have noticed that the French as they begin the evening, chat on light topics and then go on to heavy topics towards the end. With a highly contested election in the air, the conversation was steeped in it while the bubbles were ingested. But on the table the conversation was the usual neutral conversation I have heard at French tables: No Politics, No religion, No socially burning issues. The fact that we were in a small town with no burning social issues and the delicious meal helped us chat about the world, lot about Morocco where one of the couple maintain a home, Jewish elements as a courtesy to my. presence and the upcoming Pesach. I have noticed that they made a lot of concession to my presence, often stopping a conversation to explain in detail what they were talking about as they had a mine full of experiences amongst their long friendship.
The french dinners consist of several courses and their order of serving may be different from other countries
We began with half a dozen oysters, frensh from the ocean that graces this small town in all its sides. Delicious and I mindfully ate them, feeling the taste slowly go down my gullet.
We continued with the Champagne as a second bottle was opened.
We planned a visit to the town of Azamour in Morocco where the couple lived and they promised me to take around the Mellah, the old jewish quarter. There is an American Indian connection, as an African from Azamour , christened Estebanico, might have been the first african to set foot on the North American continent.
The next dish was Scallops, reminded me much of Coquille San Jacques and Poire or Leek which was freshly brought this morning. The food being so fresh does make a difference to their taste.
Conversations and Champagne continued.
Salad arrives and it is at that time the wine puts in an appearance. I would have expected the wine to show up during the scallop and leek dish, but we were still sipping champagne.
A red from Haute Medoc, very drinkable with a smooth taste for a red wine ( i am partial to Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, but I see the subtle tastes of the reds which dare you to taste them)
Remember wine drinking is very common in France.. and the wines are comparately easily accessible even here in this small town. I happily noticed this evening at a cafe that a glass of wine was cheaper than a soft drink ..perhaps the French do know something about good health. I remember seeing a sign in South Australia. .. Never trust a man who does not drink, he has got other things on his mind..
Cheese, but what else? The hosts knew my partiality for Comté, there was roquefort, chevre and brie. I felt that chunks of comté went down nicely with sips of Haute Medoc red..
The mind is mellow, no worry in the world, conversations continuing. and the home made dessert arrives ..
when and where did the hosts get time to do all these today? I don't remember being rushing around in the kitchen?
A custard to sweeten the palate..
The guests, two of them, had arrived at 7 pm and now it was 11 pm. we had been at the table eating drinking and talking. No one was looking at their cell phones (i had some work related texts) and the conversations had been flowing, Not even once was money mentioned ,never about the cost of petrol or food items, the countries mentioned in conversations were all nearby countries (such as today the ferry service resumed between Tangiers and Algeciras). No insulting or making fun of another, lots of laughter and the sensation of having spent a pleasant evening.
This dinner was nothing very special. A neighbour couple, friends for a long time, dropping in for dinner.
We made plans to meet again before I leave for Madrid next Sunday, to catch my first ever Saudia flight to the East..
The french take pride in their food and food has an important place in their culture, it is not to be gulped down but enjoyed slowly each and every time. and preferably in company, in conversation.
