Dining in Paris and The French Paradox

Having just returned from a 10-day trip to Paris and still being a bit dazed by it all, I will post some observations while they are still hanging around somewhere in my brain! First of all, let me go pour myself a glass of champagne.... Ah, that's better. And speaking of champagne, Bob and I flew Air France non-stop out of Atlanta since I read the champagne (and all other beverages) are free! Oh, and the first checked bag is free as well. None of the Delta nickel-and-diming-you to death routine. Next I would like to give a shout out to Dr. Jim Braude of www.ourhomeinparis.com for amassing a wonderful collection of Parisian apartments that are in lovely neighborhoods and well-appointed. Ours was in Le Marais and was just downstairs from the one Jim Morrison rented on his final visit to Paris. He was found in the bath tub, as anyone my age would know, dead from a heart attack. Or at least that was the story! The kitchen was just so French with its black and white marble backsplash and old wooden floors. A tall pair of casement windows with black iron decorative railing on the exterior added to the charm. If I could figure out how to post a photo, I would. Wait....maybe I can.....

Since I did some reading this morning on WebMD regarding cholesterol, my mind starting going to the French people and their dining particulars. My doctor recommended that I never eat cheese, for example, but a cheese course exists on just about every French menu. And there are an abundance of fromageries with delicious, fresh cheeses all over the place. The French folks looked pretty healthy to me, so I thought about the French Paradox that we Americans heard about a couple of decades ago when everyone flocked to the package store for red wine. Here are some observations from me to you: *The beverages of choice for the French are wine, water, and coffee. Take heed, all you Baptists reading this! Not once did I see anyone drinking sweet tea. Interestingly enough, there are quite a few Coca Colas served in glass bottles with a glass of ice. Not one sighting of a Pepsi though! The tap water in Paris is very good and most always we were served a carafe of water at the table. *A basket of fresh, sliced French bread is served with every meal....sans le buerre. When I asked for butter, I was looked at with amazement and told that it was in the food. Now that took some getting used to! *French fries are a standard side item with most meals. I won't use the term entree because that is actually an appetizer in France. I suppose if you call them pommes frites it seems less like a fried food side. I do not know what they are fried in but it would be my wild guess that it is a healthier type of oil than what would be used in the U.S. *Fresh cheese is usually listed as a dessert option, but I ordered it a couple of times with wine before a meal. The brie at Ma Bourgnon in the Place des Vosges was terribly strong and when I mentioned this to our server he pointed to the mustard in a jar on the table. "This is the way we eat it." I asked to take it home and then threw it in the trash outside our apartment. *Speaking of cheese, I tossed some in our buggy at the Monoprix (the grocery store chain) and looked around for crackers. Around and around....until I found some. If memory serves correctly, I found only one selection of crackers, just above some Ritz Bitz. Apparently they don't eat crackers with their cheese! *The French do not consume much processed food as there are open air markets everywhere with wonderful produce as well as fromageries for cheese, boulangeries for breads and other baked goodies, wine shops, boucheries for fresh meats and sausages. It is very common to see folks strolling down the street carrying a fresh loaf of French bread. Those of you who know me will understand just how envious that makes me! *Long lunches and late dinners are the rule in Paris. Again, with lots of wine and almost always dessert. Servers do not bring a check to the table when you are still halfway through the main course as is standard practice in the U.S. I am a slow eater and was continually startled at the tables of diners that arrived before and lingered after we were gone. *The French people go to outdoor cafes to smoke. A lot. Thank goodness they cannot smoke inside the restaurants. It makes me wonder about the lung cancer rates there. Maybe all that wine and coffee inhibit cancer cells? *The streets of Paris are flooded with people. People walk a lot there and even if they take the Metro there are lots and lots of stairs to navigate down under. We visited a lot of restaurants and had some truly wonderful food. I will post some reviews soon (before my brain decides to delete and make more space for other things). The FB