Christmas Eve seems to be a bigger deal here in France than Christmas, at least when it comes to eating. About five in the evening Maurice suddenly jumped up and said he would be right back, that he had to buy something. After he left I was hoping he didn’t decide to go buy a Christmas tree but he came home with two boxes of chocolate candy-just what I need. It was just Maurice and I for Christmas Eve but we went all out in our own way.


Oysters are always a must. Maurice bought a dozen. I’m not such a fan, although I will have one now and then. I just had some shrimp.


Oyster closeup. Maurice adds a mixture of chopped shallots and vinegar to his. Maybe it sort of “cooks” it like ceviche, although he eats it immediately.


You’ve got to have foie gras. I sprinkled a little sea salt on mine. When I moved to France I didn’t think I liked foie gras but then some came on a salad that I ordered and I discovered that it has a fabulous sweet taste and I’m a convert now.


We had champagne too-Veuve Cliquot-which is usual. Notice the orange covering on the bottle. It’s like a little orange coat that zips up that keeps the champagne cold. It came with it when we bought it.