This is especially fascinating to me because. . . isn't carbonara an Italian dish?? I didn't think French people would have such strong opinions on another culture's cuisine!
Well Italy's not very far from France, so the cultures are mixed I think, there are a lot of Italians or people of Italian descent -- France is a bit like the crossroads of western Europe. I'm not sure, but my hypothesis is that the carbonara recipe I knew, the one with crème fraîche, comes from the Alps, near the Italian border -- it's like a bastardized version of the original carbonara, mixed with French culture (they actually use a lot of crème fraîche in cuisine from the French Alps. But anyway, the one thing you have to know about the French isn't that they're rude or smelly or whatever, it's that they're opinionated. They can form an opinion about absolutely anything, even about stuff they don't know, and make it known as loud as possible. I swear it's a cultural trait XD
So yeah, hahaha, I really don't know what people do when they get together besides eat???
HAHAHAHA, yes! That reminds me of another anecdote about food-obsessed French people: last year I was at a barbecue with an American friend. It was one of the simplest but also one of the best meals I've ever had, with a scrumptious slow-roasted ham and sauce madère to accompany it (homemade sauce madère isn't something you get everyday, since it takes about three hours to be ready, and you have to watch it constantly too; it was a real treat that the cook who prepared it gave us that day). So anyway, we were eating, there were heaps of food all around, and at some point my friend interrupts our conversation at the table and says: "Do you know how I know I'm in France right now? We're eating delicious food in gigantic proportions, and all you guys are talking about is MORE FOOD and the other good meals you've had in your life!" We weren't even aware of it. I love talking about food, and I think it doubles the pleasure when you do it as you're eating a good meal; it's like... a food loop or something. XD
Oh! Actually, maybe you're a good person to ask: I picked up a beef tongue at the farmers market the other day, but I have never cooked tongue before. Do you have any recommendations?
I do (I loooove beef tongue)!! But I have to ask my gourmet friend his recipe; just let me contact him and I'll get back to you right away, no problem! ^^
no subject
Well Italy's not very far from France, so the cultures are mixed I think, there are a lot of Italians or people of Italian descent -- France is a bit like the crossroads of western Europe. I'm not sure, but my hypothesis is that the carbonara recipe I knew, the one with crème fraîche, comes from the Alps, near the Italian border -- it's like a bastardized version of the original carbonara, mixed with French culture (they actually use a lot of crème fraîche in cuisine from the French Alps.
But anyway, the one thing you have to know about the French isn't that they're rude or smelly or whatever, it's that they're opinionated. They can form an opinion about absolutely anything, even about stuff they don't know, and make it known as loud as possible. I swear it's a cultural trait XD
So yeah, hahaha, I really don't know what people do when they get together besides eat???
HAHAHAHA, yes! That reminds me of another anecdote about food-obsessed French people: last year I was at a barbecue with an American friend. It was one of the simplest but also one of the best meals I've ever had, with a scrumptious slow-roasted ham and sauce madère to accompany it (homemade sauce madère isn't something you get everyday, since it takes about three hours to be ready, and you have to watch it constantly too; it was a real treat that the cook who prepared it gave us that day). So anyway, we were eating, there were heaps of food all around, and at some point my friend interrupts our conversation at the table and says: "Do you know how I know I'm in France right now? We're eating delicious food in gigantic proportions, and all you guys are talking about is MORE FOOD and the other good meals you've had in your life!" We weren't even aware of it. I love talking about food, and I think it doubles the pleasure when you do it as you're eating a good meal; it's like... a food loop or something. XD
Oh! Actually, maybe you're a good person to ask: I picked up a beef tongue at the farmers market the other day, but I have never cooked tongue before. Do you have any recommendations?
I do (I loooove beef tongue)!! But I have to ask my gourmet friend his recipe; just let me contact him and I'll get back to you right away, no problem! ^^