Food/Eating

There are two grocery stores across and just along the road from our building. Further down the street in the other direction is a gourmet grocery store inside the fancy shopping centre under the hotel called Le Palais des Congres. I think I saw an organic grocery store just down one of the sidestreets.

As you can see, there is no shortage of food around here! I love being able to run out, buy something for dinner, and get back, all within ten minutes! I can find all kinds of gluten-free things at the gourmet store, and even some surprising things (like gluten-free madeleines) at the local stores. I have even found ready-to-eat crepes, both regular and gluten-free. I went crazy recently, buying nutella and whipping creme, and having crepes for breakfast, snacks, etc! Also, with the creme brule ice cream I found! Oh, yes, and so far I've managed to stop myself from buying the chocolate mousse that comes in little plastic cups, but I'm sure I'll give in at some point! If I could eat gluten, I'd be in real trouble as there are amazing bakeries also, just a few setps from us.

I have been enjoying cooking in the tiny kitchen with no oven. One of my favourite new things to eat that Jerome makes is this: Fry a pack of bacon (already cut up into small pieces), add a container of thick creme fraiche (basically, whipping cream), stir it all up together in the frying pan, then pour it over pasta! I wonder how much fat that is? It's so delicious, though!

Some things are difficult to find, though. It took me a long time to find paper towels, and I had to go the gourmet store to find butter chicken sauce.

Of course, the best thing is being able to buy a bottle of wine every time one goes to the grocery store, and being able to just run over to grab one, if we have run out. Most of the wine I have been buying has averaged about 3 euros per bottle - that's for bordeaux, and pretty much everything you can think of. With the exchange rate, now, that's about $4 a bottle!

And guess what we had for lunch today - Subway! There's one also just down the road, and I felt like I was in Canada again - it was just like at home!