Noël 2010: Food

As you know, food is a big deal in France.

So is bubbly.

Especially at Christmas.

I don't think I've ever eaten as much seafood
or downed as much champagne
as I did during the days in & around December 25th.

All that feasting looked a little like this...

Of course we started all the meals off with apéritif, 

which included things like smoked salmon, caviar, olives 

(& chips for the kids &/or those who don't like fishy or olivey things).

Oh & champagne, bien entendu.

Then we sat down to Christmas Eve dinner.

(Festive table decor provided by my mother-in-law & yours truly.)

We ate about a zillion different things.

But what you really need to know is that - yes - I ate snails.

(Well, an escargot.  Just one.

Like the token traditional brussel sprout at Thanksgiving.

Except chewier.  And in a shell.

Sigh.)

For dessert, we had the traditional bûche de Noël,
which is kind-of like a jelly roll with icing.
Ours had vanilla sponge cake & chestnut filling on the inside.
The outside was decorated to look like a log.
(Can you spot the teeny-tiny saw?  Adorable!)

The next morning, we had UBC cinnamon buns for breakfast, 

which has been a tradition in my family since as long as I can remember.

They turned out perfectly, if I do say so myself.

The French are pretty spoiled when it comes to baked goods,

but all my in-laws oohed & aahed while scarfing down their breakfast,
so that's something!

Exhibit A:  my crazy bedhead.  Exhibit B:  FQ's stripey PJs.  Exhibit C:  cinnamon buns!

For Christmas lunch, we went to FQ's aunt & uncle's house for more fancy food.

Ready?

Set?

OYSTERS!

 

 

Daniel, FQ's uncle, had made menus for each of us, detailing all the different courses.

Isn't that fabulous?

(Emilie, Emily... to-may-to, to-mah-to...)

Wow!  And yum.