En Garde!

Gaius started fencing yesterday.  He got to wear the entire get-up, including sword and mask.  If you know Gaius, then you know how excited he is that this sport comes with a costume!

En Garde!

To see Gaius in action, check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDWP_5s1NrU

He's the one on the far right wearing blue jeans.

Fencing class starts at 5:30 and goes until 6:15.  We had to take the bus there, since we have not gotten our car yet.  We didn't get home until 7:00, so it's a good thing I went to the farmer's market in Centre Ville yesterday.  It made putting dinner together pretty easy.

I finally mustered up my courage yesterday and payed a visit to the cheese guy.  I didn't have my camera, but I promise I will post a picture of all of the different cheeses they have when I go there next week.  It's just amazing.  I bought Cantal, which is a great starter cheese for those who are just getting their feet wet.  It's a lot like English cheddar.  Then, I dove right in and asked, "Avez-vous le fromage pas pasturizé?"  Which I think means "Do you have unpasturized cheese?"  This is something we've been told to try.  Well, it turns out that over half of the display case is unpasturized.  So, I picked out a pin cushion-sized round of artisinal cheese (not sure of the name, but it was a cow cheese).  It was delicious!

Christopher looking at the fish with the Cheese Guy in the background

I paid my regular visit to the fish guy.  He looks a lot like Jean Christophe Novelli from Bravo TV's Chef Academy.  Every week I go to him and buy a huge slab of saumon sauvage (wild salmon).  Last week I tried some squid too.  But yesterday it was just the salmon which we're having tonight.

Great news!  The fruit and vegetable guy doesn't mind if I pick out my own produce!  But, in truth, he has never sent me home with a bad apple.  Yesterday, I asked him to recommend a French fruit that I should try.  A woman in line overheard me and said, "Ahhh, Mirabelles!"

les mirabelles

These are delicious.  They have a pit like a cherry and taste like a combination of a plum, a cherry and an apricot.  I love these things.

Also for dinner were leftover haricot verts (green beans), cornichons (little pickles) a tomato (super delicious sliced with a sprinkle of sea salt), a baguette, and the most delicious dry cured black olives that are super super cheap here.  I got a whole bag for just €1!

I also bought a little chocolate ganache cake at the pastry stand.  Unfortunately, there is not enough left for me to photograph!  Honestly, it wasn't that great.  It was more like a fudgy brownie without nuts.  And I like my brownies cakey, with nuts.  Live and learn.

à bientôt!

p.s.- Mystery solved.  The smell in my fridge is coming from the camembert.