Dining In - Chez Picard


Adapting to the food of another country can occasionally be a challenge for expats.  It seems as if you're always missing something.  In Indonesia, we ate lots of rice but missed good pasta.  In Trinidad, we ate some amazing East Indian food but missed wholegrain bread.  Get a group of international expats together and it won't be long before they start talking about which foods they miss the most.  The Swiss miss raclette and fondue, Americans miss Mexican food, Australians miss Vegemite and barbecues, and the French miss baguettes, cheese, and  Picard, a chain of gourmet quality frozen food stores.

With the abundance of fresh food and markets in France, this always came as a surprise.  Surely, I mistakenly thought, the French make their meals from scratch!  Now, with a few months in Paris under my belt, I understand their attachment to this company that produces everything from salads to a wide range of delectable main courses, such as duck breasts stuffed with mushrooms and Couscous Royale, to luscious deserts, such as Tarte Tatin and a wide selection of ice cream and sorbet.  And the most amazing thing is that their products are very reasonably priced.

Just a few of the frozen herbs that are available at Picard.

So instead of cooking after a busy day visiting Paris, why don't you do like Stéphane and I did last Saturday and enjoy a three course dinner at home, complements of Picard.

Tomato, mozzarella, and basil millefeuilles. Euros 3.50 for 2.
Puff pastry with spinach and goat cheese.  Euros 3.80 for 4.
Tiramisu with raspberries and mangoes. Euros 8.95.

With over 800 stores in France, there's a good chance that you'll find a Picard near you.  The only downsides are that the little French freezers are rarely large enough to store all of the goodies that you'll find and the instructions on the packages are only written in French.  Bon appétit!

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