Two Important Anniversaries!

Today is actually the anniversary of TWO very important events. First, I have circled the sun exactly 55 times.  (Yep, I turned 55 today.)  And second, Melanie and I have now lived in Paris for exactly a year. We moved here on September 26, 2015...

To celebrate my birthday, Melanie made me an American style birthday cake, we had lunch at "Saturne" (a Michelin starred restaurant), and she made my favorite meal from when I was a kid: "All Day Spaghetti", so-called because after preparation it simmers all day long.  My Mom used to make this dish when I was a kid, and she passed the recipe on to Melanie after we got married.  It is an absolute favorite!

Fortunately, the restaurant I chose for lunch, "Saturne", is only a few blocks from our apartment. We made reservations for noon and arrived right as they were opening.  We ordered their prix fixe menu, six delectable courses, with wine pairings!

Our lunch was delicious, definitely one of the best meals we've had in Paris!

The bread was obviously baked in-house, and it was served on a bed of hay! It smelled like Wyoming!

Our first course was tomato gazpacho with a black olive ice cream. So good!

Black olive ice cream, floating in a tomato gazpacho. A great way to start the meal!

Fresh trout with a delectable sauce made from corn, oysters, and other ingredients.

Melanie doesn't really like trout (she ate too much of it as a kid), but I thought this course was outstanding. The sauce gave it a little sweetness, and there was a strong citrus note that really brought all the flavors together.

All of the wines were a perfect complement to our courses!

Our third course was red mullet with thinly sliced mushrooms, fennel, and pine nuts. It was awesome!

This four year old Zidarich was delectable.

To be honest, we're not sure what this dish was. Spinach and squid or mussels. We loved the flavor!

We were astounded by this pork dish, with a freshly grilled carrot. The sauce was insanely good.

Panna cotta, raspberries, and candied pecans; with an almond meringue ice cream. Phenomenal.

To be honest, I don't remember what this dessert was. It wasn't overly sweet, but it complemented the wine very well!

All in all, our lunch at Saturne was one of the best meals we've had in Paris. We were a little drunk by the time we got to the last course, but very happy, and we can't wait to go back!

We ate dinner at about 8:00 and Melanie's spaghetti was just like I remembered! It took me back to my childhood.

Melanie cooked the spaghetti on Saturday so the flavors could meld for 24 hours. Yum!!

One difference we've noticed between France and the United States is how they prepare cake. Here in Paris cakes tend to be pretty dense, often sans frosting, and many are not particularly sweet.

When we order chocolate cake it often looks like this. They use a dark chocolate, without a lot of sugar.

Cakes in the United States, particularly birthday cakes, are frequently lighter, and smothered in sweet frosting. This year I wanted something really moist, so Melanie added a package of vanilla pudding to the mix, some extra oil, and an extra egg! (And at my request she doubled up on the frosting.)  It was scrumptious!

I couldn't decide if I wanted Chocolate frosting, or Rainbow Chip. So Melanie went 50/50.

I had a great birthday, but we ate way too much food. Not sure we will need to eat again for a week.