No, don't worry, we haven't been mugged. Although, I might mug someone back home if they had a truly Parisian baguette on their person. They are delicious. Crusty, warm, and soft in the middle! It's not uncommon for the Parisians to walk around with a baguette, munching away in the middle of the street, in fact, it is about as common as seeing someone from North America walking down the street munching on some McDonalds.
Our adventures into baguette land have been, in a word, yum-tastic. Not only are they delicious, but you can get them for less than a dollar, about .90cents, and in a needy situation, you have both a lunch food and a handy weapon. I advise against taking baguettes on the Metro though, it'll usually end up with you accidentally hitting someone in the face with it. This means: A) you hit someone in the face with delicious crusty bread, and B) Someone's face has been on your delicious crusty bread. It's just bad news all around.
Baguettes are bought with such frequency in France because they can be used for so many things, and because they go kind of stale after the first day or so. A baguette can be toasted and spread with jam, made into a sandwich, or be dosed with garlic and cheese for a side dish with dinner. You could do all of these things in one day, but I somehow think that your blood sugar would have some strong words for you. My favourite is sandwiches (baguette-wiches, if you will). They have the same ability for variety as regular sandwiches, but with the distinct French-ness of baguettes.
Now, before you ohm nom nom, the question is: what do I put in my baguette-wich?
I would start with one of my favourite things about France: the cheese. Baguette-wiches have to be carefully balanced, as in, you want to be able to taste everything. If you are looking for a harder, non-spreadable cheese, I would go for Emmental (I know, I know, that cheese is technically Italian... but work with me here). Emmental has a sharp flavour, and lends well to ham sandwiches (a favourite of the french) or just vegetables. For something with just as much flavour, go for Brie. I would however skip the mayo or butter if you are using a spread-able cheese like brie, the consistency gets thrown off if you do decide that you cannot live without mayo.
Next, the meat. You can go to your local butcher and get some amazingly fresh ham (they have so many varieties too!) which is fabulous in a baguette-wich, and what the Parisians usually go for. They also have sliced chicken and sausage.
Veggies, that's easy. Any fruit and veggie stand has fresh, cheap, and incredibly tasty vegetables, and it's completely up to personal preference what makes the cut onto your baguette-wich of awesomeness.
So there you go. Baguette-wiches. They are delicious. Just remember that while walking down a Parisian street eating one seems amazingly beautiful, still look where you are going... you can take out a small child with just one swing of that yummy monster... believe me.
Anyways, now that I have really made you want to hire someone (or marry someone) in order to use the line "Go make me a sandwich", I'll leave you with your laziness, since we all know, even if you wanted to, you're too lazy to get up and make your own god damn sandwich!
Stay Lovely,
Liz
Go make me a sandwich woman!!!
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