Yesterday, Wednesday, March 8th, we hosted a delightful French lunch in my apartment. The menu featured Gratin Dauphinois (French potato gratin) ; a selection French cheeses with salad and Crêpes 🥞
Six students from the cooking course meticulously prepared the meal, following the instructions of the recipes I had previously before into Croatian to ensure clarity for them.
"Le gratin Dauphinois" is a classic dish of cooked potatoes. The first step involves peeling the potatoes, chopping garlic and onions, and cooking them in milk and cream. The second step is to season this dish with pepper, salt, herbs, and then let the potatoes cook in the oven. For added flavor, we sprinkle a little cheese on top!
"Crêpes" are a traditional dessert in France, particularly in my region of "Bretagne". The recipe is simple: mix eggs, milk, sugar, and flour, let it rest, then cook them in an oiled pan. They can be adorned with various toppings such as chocolate spread, fruit jam, caramel, or sugar.
As the students finished cooking, it was finally time to savor the feast! The table was adorned with a beautiful array of colors 😍. To enhance the French ambiance, we added baguette bread and, of course, a selection of French cheeses including Camembert, Munster, Brie, and Roquefort.
It was very delicious, very well done cooking students !
It was also an opportunity for me to experience Croatian culture, although the combination of red wine and Coca-Cola named "Bambus" was quite a surprise and, dare I say, a bit offensive to my French sensibilities.
(Confession time : honestly it was worse looking than tasting)
To conclude the meal on a high note and stay true to the French theme, I organized a Kahoot quiz about French cooking. Natalia, our French teacher, emerged as the victor with an impressive lead. Bravo!
Overall, it was a delightful experience sharing my culture with the students outside the classroom. They demonstrated diligence in following the recipes, and despite our language differences (they in English and me in Croatian), we communicated effectively. They excelled not only in cooking but also in cleaning up afterward, and, of course, enjoying the meal.
I sincerely hope they enjoyed this moment as much as I did!