Every foodie knows that France is the ultimate paradise. From fresh, buttery, flaky pastries to rich and creamy sauces and perfectly-cooked meats,
In fact, only the other week, I was saying to hubby that I had started dreaming of a long weekend to Paris. Passing the days in cafes, where all we did was sample the food, drink coffee and lazily watch the world go by.
Of course, with a bump (what do you mean I can't try those cheeses? WHY can't I eat rare meat?!) and baby boy in tow, this dream might not quite be how it panned out. I reckon it would be more torture than it would heaven.
Helping to keep my dream (almost) alive was Bonjour French Food, who kindly asked me to review their food subscription box. Perfect for French ex-pats or for foodies like myself, the Parisian company sends five to seven French gourmet goodies to your door for £29 per month.
I was sent the above October box and was delighted when it arrived, beautifully packaged and enrobed in royal blue tissue paper. Focussing on the theme "Apéro,"we were overjoyed with the goodies we were sent - things to enjoy with bread.
The savoury products were ideal for this and we had a wonderfully lazy Sunday lunch enjoying all that the box had to offer. My favourite was the Tonton La Rondelle, or pepper-coated saucisson, which had a delicious spicy kick to it and really pepped up our simple bread and butter a treat.
There were also a couple of terrines to enjoy - one duck-based and one Wild Boar, Hazelnut and Tangerine - as well as a Tomato and Sweet Pepper Spread (which, as an aside, made a great base for a pasta sauce too!). The Wild Boar spread was absolutely scrumptious and had both hubby and I rushing off to toast more bread to enjoy it with. I could have quite happily lived off it forever!
However, as sweet-toothed addicts, the highlight of the box for us was the two treats at the bottom: the Petits Sables Ronde and the Fondant au Chocolat baking mix.
The Petits Sables Ronds were small, shortbread-like biscuits which came in little packets of three. Made with honest, simple ingredients, these biscuits were deliciously moreish and addictive and had a distinctive buttery, melt-in-the-mouth taste to them. Absolutely wonderful, and passed the baby test too - my son gobbled down two in one sitting!
However, the ultimate star of the show had to be the Fondant au Chocolat baking mix. Normally, I am a home baker all the way and absolutely detest mixes, but this...well, this was an exception. I was blown away by the quality of the ingredients and devoured each bite (I ate it so quickly that I forgot to take a photo!) the second it came out of the oven.
Rich, chocolatey and oh-so-decadent, this pud was the perfect comfort food. Why oh why do they not sell baking mixes like this in the UK?
All-in-all, I was absolutely thrilled at how good this French foodie treat was. I reckon a subscription would make the perfect Christmas gift for any of your food addict friends...
Sam x
