Viva Le French…bread. Today is National French Bread Day. Could there be a more deserving morsel with which to bestow the honor? French bread. Swoon. You aren’t thinking just an ordinary baguette? Mais non.
Start your day with a pain au chocolat–a chocolate croissant. Or two. Fresh from the oven. The flakes, the chocolate. A better bread-do we even label the delicacy simply bread? Need proof? Watch Meryl Streep make them with Steve Martin in It’s Complicated. His reaction to the first bite tells the story. He’s high, but still.
Ah the croissant. Didn’t get enough at breakfast? Take some chicken salad and slather it between a sliced croissant for lunch. All those puffy crevices are the perfect landing place for salad, turkey or just plain jam. Add a small table and a good book and don’t go back to work.
Sandwiches? The stuff of life. Slide some turkey, lettuce, mayo, tomato and avocado between a sliced baguette and you’ll feel the need for a beret of some sort. Or at least some wide legged trousers and a silk blouse. Leave it open face, call it a tartain and eat like a french girl. With gusto. Don’t forget, French girls carve out time for every pleasure. They’re known for afternoon romance. Eat a sandwich dahling, you may need your strength.
How about a little pain ficelle for a romantic picnic in the park. Add a nice brie and a tiny bit of pate. Perhaps some fruit. You’ll need a bottle of wine–Pinot Noir is perfect. Snack away the late afternoon.
Late evening, hollow out a tiny boule and fill it with onion soup. Broil some shredded gruyere on top and let the warmth fill you to bursting with happiness.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Is it the pearls, the Chanel, the cafes, the history, the art or the stadium pumps? No, it’s the bread. And since I have to walk to the boulangerie each day to get it, I can eat all a tummy can handle.
De Rien.
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