I used to be a really picky eater. This doesn't serve you well when you move to a new country because a) it's really inconvenient to go across town for McDonald's everyday and 2) you tend to pick up a nasty reputation for being the american who'll only eat american food (read: McDonald's). Next thing you know you're not being invited out anymore and you've gained twenty pounds from all the quarter pounders. So since I've been visiting friends in France and more importantly since I've moved here, it's been very important to Try Something New. Indeed, I've at least tried everything that's been placed in front of me, and only one dish has ever actually disagreed with me (and Maman Ute has promised not to make endives for me again).
The very tasty dish we enjoyed at Thierry's home friday night was a popular dish called mussels and frites (that'll be french fries to you americans). Steph tells me it's a specialty of the north of France, but I've read it's also a specialty of Belgium but I don't want to start any fights so I'll plead ignorance. Mussels are fun to eat because you can open and close them like castanets to use as an eating implement. It kind of reminded me of a clam bake or an oyster roast, as it's messy finger food but a good time.
7 comments:
When mom and dad came down for Christmas a few years back, and Grandpa took us to his favorite restaurant, just as he did when you guys were there. (Dammit, i just woke up, and I want to say Carraba's, but I think it's the other Italian restaurant, and I can't think of the name ... help me out, Val.) I got a mussle appatiser, which was just a big bowl of mussles in butter and garlic. It was really good. I'm trying to picture eating fries with them ... bet it would be tasty!
A.
I'm guessing you mean Carrabba's, which is where we went when we were on our farewell tour of Florida.
dang it all...I'm starving and we have nothing decent in the house to eat and those mussels look so. damn. tasty.
When I was in Italy many many moons ago, I got mussels on a pizza. In their shells. After the initial shock, I was thrilled! Must go out for food...
ravenously yours,
c.*
They do look quite tasty, don't they? Ooh, the microwave's calling, dinner's ready... ::heh::
As you know, I like all shellfish...well, almost. For some reason, I don't care for crab and, to me, mussels (like snails..er escargot) seem chewy and all you taste is the oil and tons of garlic! Mom
You say that like it's a bad thing...
I'm a much less picky eater since moving to Germany. For example, I'd never heard of Parma Ham (Parma Schinken) - a sun dried raw ham - before moving to Germany and probably would never have eaten it in the States. It's not bad. I'm still not a big shellfish person though. I DID try some mussels & risotto when I was in Rome last summer, but I just couldn't eat it. Eww..
Anna
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