la nourriture francais

We're headed to French speaking parts soon and I'm kind of freaking out. A) because I don't speak French and B) because Woody is reading this book (about eating in Paris, thanks Ash) and keeps telling me that I'm always supposed to say 'bonjour' to everyone and not to ever, never touch anything, to only point at what I'd like. And, if I'm offered a plate of cheese there are very specific cutting techniques and good grief a million ways me and my uncool American-ness will offend Parisians and other French-speaking folk.

[We will have had four days with my bro and family in S'land before we go to Pah-ree, so I'm hoping they give us a crash course on speaking French and being cool. :)]

We watched this show last night (Woody typed the word 'Paris' into our DVR and a whole bunch of shows came up; we have two on the Louvre next) and it looks like food in Paris is a tad pricey. He showed us a $1,000 (not sure if it was Euro or $) plate of duck and a similarly priced truffle. A single truffle. David Lebovitz's blog devotes a section to vegetarian restaurants in Paris so we'll try and focus on those. I've almost cut out cheese and dairy entirely from my diet (not at all easy, even when you're diligent) but I cannot wait to eat some tasty cheese. And my friend Season says this is the best ice cream in the world, nothing compares, so we'll go there too.

Speaking of dairy, OM and me made these today

(this is what ours look like:)

and they are super yummy and a true kid-friendly recipe. OM picked out their muffin cups and each placed one wafer at the bottom (I'm thinking these would fit better in mini-muffin cups) and then we mixed

 

strawberry yogurt with cool whip, plopped it in the cups, and put another wafer on top. Freeze one hour. Mmmm.

And, I wanted to share a delicious tofu recipe. I've been eating a lot of tofu lately and I actually really like it, it's so versatile, but I know lots of people don't. So, try this. If you still don't like tofu after this recipe than tofu is probably a no-go for you:

Ginger-Baked Tofu
(**from the kind diet by alicia silverstone)
1 pound firm tofu
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 T sesame oil
2 T minced fresh ginger
1 T minced garlic
1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
2 T umeboshi vinegar (you probably don't own this, but if you do, I added 1 T; it tastes a little too much like ocean water for me to go full dose)
1/2 tsp. crushed red-pepper flakes


Cut the tofu in half width-wise, and place each half on its side then slice in half again. You will be left with 4 tofu steaks.


Pour 3/4 cup water into a bowl. Whisk in remaining ingredients and pour over the tofu, covering it. An 8x6 pyrex works well. Marinate for at least one hour. (I tried to rush this once and it didn't taste as delicious...it really needs time to soak up the flavor.)


Preheat oven to 375℉. Either drain the baking dish of the majority of the marinade, or place the tofu on a baking sheet and baste with the marinade (I do the former). Reserve the remaining marinade.


Bake the tofu for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn the tofu pieces over, baste with marinade, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer. Garnish with scallions, if desired, and serve warm.


I eat it with brown rice (cooked in vegetable broth) and a salad that usually has cilantro and avocado on top. Totally filling, and a delicious meal. You won't miss the meat:)

Bonne nuit mes amis!