'Thud'...... yep, that's the sound of me coming down to 'gastronomical earth' after my trip to the most beautiful, yummy city in the world.
The reality of being home hit me when I decided to order a takeaway soup from my local Thai restaurant, on my first night back. Waiting to collect my order, the girl announced that my soup was almost ready and pointed out the cook finishing it off. I watched the cook (chef is too flattering a term) dip a spoon into my soup, take a taste and then put the spoon back into my soup. TWICE. I made it known to the whole restaurant (in-house diners and all) why I would not be leaving with my soup or coming back to the restaurant. EVER. No-one in the kitchen seemed to think it was a big deal! Another one bites the dust. Oh and the soup used to be so good!
Despairing over my diminishing list of decent dining establishments in town and having had the most amazing gastronomical past fortnight, I realized that I really don't know where to go to get good, well priced food in Brisbane. I need to join some Brisbane foodie blogs. I mean where do you get a lip smacking, satiating, gourmet meal here in Brisbane for under 15 euros ($20AUD). Is central Paris really cheaper than Brisbane??? Why am I paying $39 for a fillet steak at the Norman but eating better steak in Paris for half the price. Is there anywhere in Brisbane that creates croissants like the French do?....you know, the crispiest, flakiest, buttery French croissant. How about baguettes? ... chewy outside, soft and super fresh on the inside. How about fresh food markets?....where the prices aren't the same as Woolies or Coles? Can anyone point me to some good foodie blogs or eating establishments here in Brisbane? I have been living under a rock for too long.... and life is too short to eat bad food.
I was fortunate enough to dine in a few of Christian Constant's restaurants in Paris (I stayed just around the corner from Rue St Dominique, 7th arr, where all his restaurants are). I bought his English cookbook and his 'La Maison Constant' set of cookbooks (all in French!) featuring recipes from all his restaurants. Yes, I will be attempting to recreate some of them here on this blog with my boys as guinea pigs. He has inspired me to create beautiful food! I met him you know! He wanders through his restaurants each evening meeting his happy customers. You can get the most beautiful gourmet meal in his renowned Cafe Constant' for under 15 euros. I have been totally gastronomically spoilt rotten.
And you know what I love about Parisian fare?... the portions are small. That's why those beautiful French women don't get fat. You see them sitting there sipping their espresso with their little boiled egg or a tiny little petit four and that's it. Everything is served in smaller portions...... from supermarket yoghurt ...120g as compared to our whopper 200g standards....to restaurant meals. I think I would still have to run a lot if I lived there though. I would be eating smaller portions but more frequently! Is it a concern that my whole trip revolved around food?
Must go and stir the pot. I have a French dish on the boil at the moment.... yep, lots of cream.
Dietitians look away now.
PS More pictures of my consumptions over HERE.
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