france gastronomique

had my first guinea fowl on omaha beach in normandie , my first calvados in lisieux , my first restaurant lock in at lyon- fish filleted at he table with the skill of a surgeon -raspberries in huge glass. my first agneau provencal at the the cedars santa beaume ,it took forever but was worth the wait ,my first bouillabaisse at yvette macario's house in la ciotat-my mother has a better recipe said the husband xavier , my first soupions at the croix de malte, my first parroting of a french phrase- vous aimez le melon, my first charentais at aubagne, my first loup de mer at the daurade in marseille, my first iles flottant same place,pate de aubergine at Hugo's mothers a house so remote even the goats didn't know where they were. lamb shank Moroccan nimes , brandade on top of the carre d'art .the worst coffee in the world in the main square in aubagne. the roumagnol wedding in a moonlit garden near the mugel, mirabelles hanging from the trees , tortoises in the garden a chocolate wedding cake like the tower of babel .a hawaian restaurant in paris with knockout pink drink that encouraged me to make a speech inside an exhibition the heros of the revolution . les trois oliviers paris , mirage of the south in paris side street .real figs for the first time ,plopping out of tree.he best pizza oven inthe world at les pins st jean, a first birth day party at chambourigaud- great birthday cake-- so it goes on more tastes, more scents ,more recollections, the character of a nation is discerned through its food ,it is also the constant reminder of friends though meals taken, thoughts shared .like a lattice work these connections stretch across france, linking time experience and place. what better way is there of making contact other than round a table sharing food