Another meal

Friday evening Husband and I attended a small dinner party. Despite having lived here for nearly 9 years and attending a fair number of social gatherings, I still always feel like there are about 2 levels of something that I haven't quite gotten the knack of yet. Like there was a conversation inside the conversation about the conversation. Whatever. Anyway.

We arrived at 8:30. We helped out a bit while we waited for the rest of the guests to arrive. Apéritif was cold provençale rosé and fancy crackers.

We sat down to eat at 10:00. Of course I inwardly groaned when I looked at my watch.

First course, l'entrée, was a variety of balled melon with fresh young goat cheese and balsamic vinegar. We wiped up the juices on our plates with rustic bread. More rosé.

The main course, le plat principal, was a variety of grilled meat and meat products. The meat was lamb chops. I was the only one to finish with my fingers, but I was not ashamed. So tender and so lamby. (Can you believe I was a vegetarian for 12 years?) Much too good to leave ANYTHING on the bone and I'm apparently not that talented with a knife and fork. I did not, however, sample the meat products. Boudin noir (blood sausage) and andouillette (chitterlings sausage- yes, that's guts - or small intenstines for those who want a more precise term). The smell alone is enough to, as my mother would say, gag a maggot. These kinds of meat products are referred to as les abats, coming from abattre, to slaughter. Roasted tomatoes (smothered with pesto) and roasted potatoes (smothered with Guérande rock salt butter and garlic and parsley) accompanied the main course. More rosé.

Dessert, le dessert, was a cold fruit stew, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, and fresh mint. Served with tuiles, literally tiles, which are very thin, curved, and delicate almond cookies. Yes, of course, more rosé. Dinner was over at 1:00 and we had to leave without coffee, which made me very sad. We were, AGAIN, the first ones to leave.