The view from here...

We could not go to France, so...
France was brought to us.
Our friends from France invited us to their home for French cuisine...real French cuisine. It was a wonderful dining experience, and a wonderful time with friends.


First, we were taken to the fireplace room for an aperitif (there should be an accent over the e in aperitif, but alas, I have no way to do that on my English keyboard). Stuffed endive leaves, grape tomatoes, pistachio nuts, pretzels, and champagne. While savoring this aperitif (French for appetizer), Sophie and Remi showed us a slideshow of their photos taken while they visited NY over Christmas.






Ines and Apolline also enjoyed the aperitif.




This sign greeted us as we walked into the dining room.




The table was set so elegantly. Sophie made each of us a single loaf of bread.




The cream of spinach soup. (I had dropped a few grains of rolled oats into my soup bowl, I see)




The next coarse was pork roast, stuffed with prunes and apples; and rice.




Doesn't that pork look delicious?




"Hmmm...what am I missing out on?"




Remi and Sophie explained the festival of the 3 kings. This is the almond pastry that Sophie made from scratch (it was fabulous!!!). She hid the little figurine of a king inside one of the slices of pastry after she cut it. She then brings the cut pastry back to the table and offers everyone a piece of their choice. (See the video below.)




Sophie found the king in her piece of almond pastry, so she was queen for the remainder of the evening.




Here she is offering the slices of pastry...no one knowing which piece holds the king figurine.
It was a fabulous evening...the food and the fellowship. Thank you (Merci), Sophie and Remi.