From Mexico to France

Hope everyone is doing well.

We had a very busy and fun few weeks. We visited Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for a week before taking off for Lyon, France. Each place is unique and full of great food. Of course the two cuisines could not be further from each other, but they were both enjoyable.

Each place had its positives for me. I enjoy the street food in Mexico, the beach and the relaxed environment. It really is a wonderful place. The views are unbelievable. Just looking at the ocean, hanging in the pool and walking around the marina at night after dinner is perfect in my world.

France on the other hand is another unbelievable place. We walked a little over 40 miles in a week visiting museums and enjoying the local atmosphere.

Shopping and having a picnic by the river was awesome. The hardest thing was trying to figure out which cheese to eat next. We found a new cheese that made our top 5 list (maybe top 2). It’s called Saint Félicien. If you haven’t tried it, I suggest you do your homework and find a ripe piece. You will not be disappointed!

Lyon is the culinary capital of France and the home of Paul Bocuse. They take their food seriously and it seems like you can’t walk down the street without seeing Paul’s name somewhere. He’s like cheese… no matter where you are in Lyon, there is a piece of amazing cheese within 30 feet of you. No kidding! Cheese (great cheese) is everywhere.

We did frequent a few restaurants and decided to order about everything on the menu from fish quenelles and ris de veau to foie gras and kidneys (one of my favorite).

Our apartment was complete with a kitchen, so I did get to cook a number of meals myself. I was so excited because it was my first chance to cook the world famous Poulet de Bresse (Blue foot chicken) This yard bird is world renowned! LOL… It really is! I have been waiting years to get a chance to cook this chicken. Did I like it? YES! Would I cook it a little different next time? Yes! It was really good, but I need to go back to Lyon and cook it one more time. I have another idea.

Waking up every morning to the smell of baguettes and chocolate croissants baking in our building right below us was enough to help me get out of bed in the morning, a nice espresso… Yes!

One day while walking down the street past a shop, I caught a glimpse of a pate en croûte through the window that looked amazing. Having made tons in my life, I knew whoever made this one knew what they were doing. We went back to the apartment and could not forget about what I saw. Thinking to myself I can’t go back to the states without a taste. Needless to say, we headed back to the store for one of the greatest finds of our trip.

When we arrived at the shop, we found out that the chef who made the beautiful pate en croûte was the world champion. This is not an easy title to achieve. It takes years of hard work and training. If you are ever in France, you have to stop in for a taste. If you aren’t planning to go to France… this is a good reason to change your plans.

The chef and his family were wonderful. We stopped in everyday after we met them to say hello. We even got a chance to share a few culinary secrets with each other. Check out their place: Click here!

We had a great time walking at night. The pastries seem to be endless… cookie stores, crepes on the street, ice cream etc. Every block seemed to have everything we had been looking for our whole lives- LOL!

Another highlight of our trip was meeting a street magician named Lou. Click here to see him. I do a little magic myself, so I do appreciate when someone can get one over on me. He blew my mind! He is so talented it was amazing. Thanks Lou!

The last thing I have to share with you is about a game I saw a few guys playing the night before we left France. The name of the game is Molkky. It looked like so much fun that we had one shipped to Ohio for our family reunion over the weekend. It was a huge hit! Give it a try if you get a chance.