Thursday 8 October 2009

Food for thought

A long long while ago, I wrote about the French babyfood exception. Obviously French babies do not eat like their culinary inferiors in the rest of the world. Yes, they eat mush. Yes, it is often unidentifiable. Yes, it is made by huge multinationals. But, apparently, the unidentifiable mush is actually much more sophisticated than simple carrots and peas (although what I tasted was vile).


And don't think that it stops when the kids leave the nest! Every afternoon since Suzanne started school, I've asked her what she ate for lunch. She usually chooses not to remember so I have to guess by spots on her clothes or clumps in her hair. Or, once in a while, she'll tell me it was purét (her englishization of purée which is mashed taters) or just meat or fish.

So today I finally decided to look at the menu. Earlier in the week, my child ate pasta with brocoli. Today she will be lunching on veal marengo, fresh fruit and cheese soufflé. And tomorrow she will be having seafood paella. This is a long way from the soggy pizza and chocolate milk you see at American school cafeterias (although Monday was steack haché aka hamburger without the bun).

Food for thought... literally.

3 comments:

Pardon My French said...

Yeah, the meal at the halte-garderie is equally impressive, with quiche and steamed leeks and the like. It's very different than elementary school menus back home. As far as I know, she's yet to have a tater tot (ketchup is another matter entirely, though).

Elisabeth said...

I haven't gone through my blogroll in weeks. Glad to see that things seem to be going well with Suzanne and Max. I really liked the post "On Dora." Keep taking all those notes, they are invaluable!

Reb said...

Elisabeth, just for you...the kids ate maroilles yesterday for lunch.

PMF, it is impressive. although Suzanne seems to eat purée every day (or at least that's what she says)and she can never identify the meat.

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