Went out to explore the local area, which is in the heart of the business district.  Delighted to see that all of the pubs are overflowing with people, enjoying the warm sunshine and a mid-summer pint on a Friday afternoon. 

The tradition of a lunchtime pint on a sunny Friday is dying out in the UK (and doesn’t exist at all in Switzerland or France), so it’s a pleasure to see it alive-and-well here.

When in Rome…

…and Matt found them first, serving them with a sauce échalotte, garlic mashed potatoes, and mixed veggies (for Naomi, my vegetarian friend).

Everyone goes on and on about Scottish Lamb, Welsh Lamb, New Zealand Lamb.  But I’ve never had lamb as good as we get here in Switzerland, and (comparatively speaking), it’s not too expensive.  I love a good piece of roast lamb, but the lamb steaks here are more flavourful and tender than what I’ve found anywhere else in the world.  They really are superb.

So I bought a beautiful lamb nierstuck (which, if I understand correctly, is a fatless steak off the back of the shoulder) that was so tender it cut with a fork.  I guess they must butcher the lamb differently here, because it’s a cut I don’t know from the US, the UK, or France.  But it’s tender, full of flavour, and delicious.  Sautéed the lamb, served with garlic-infused mashed potatoes and fresh winter vegetables and a sauce échalotte with red wine. Aude has given the meal her endorsement and approval.

Heaven on a plate.  And just the thing to piss off my vegetarian friends on the heels of eating Bambi. 

(Don’t worry – this isn’t going to become a foodie blog any more than I’m a foodie – I just like to remind my vegetarian friends from time to time that there’s a whole world of deliciousness that they’re missing!)

Venison was on sale at the supermarket in Germany, so I decided to pick some up for dinner.  Braised the venison in red wine and balsamic vinegar, added veal stock, onions, carrots and tomatoes.  Went totally Germanic with red cabbage and spaetzle sautéed in butter.  Threw in a couple of green beans to get all of my ‘five-a-day’ on a single plate to keep Aude’s mother happy.

Posted my dinner menu on my facebook page only to receive a comment from a vegetarian friend: “you are horrible.”  No doubt more horrible because I’m eating something cute, despite the fact that Bambi probably lived a far more fulfilled life than most industrially-raised animals.

No, as committed carnivores, we’ll happy eat most creatures regardless of how cute they are.  Daffy, Donald, Bambi (and little Thumper, too), Bugs Bunny, Babe, Shaun, Ermintrude, Foghorn Leghorn, Kermit and Tweety all have a place on our menu.  Just wait until I finally find Nemo.

As Sandro reminded me this weekend, “you don’t win friends with salad.”

A shopping trip to France last week yielded a stunning cote-de-boeuf.  For any Americans not familiar with the cote-de-boeuf, think of a double-thick rib-eye steak (2.5”-3” thick), cooked medium.  Medium dead.

Anthony Bourdain: “Pound for pound, this is probably the best cut of beef on the animal — and one of the most expensive. For your serious meat-eating guests this is the way to go. When you approach the tableside with two of these intimidating monsters, and carve them in front of your guests, they will tremble in shock and awe, basking in your magnificence and casual impertinence.”

“I suggest serving this dish with French fries and a staggeringly expensive bottle of burgundy in cheap glasses. Just to show them who’s their daddy.”

I live in Switzerland, so frites = rosti. And I prefer Bordeaux to Burgundy. But the spirit of the recipe remains the same. And Aude remains in shock and awe, basking in my magnificence and casual impertinence. As do Daisy & Calypso (but with less shock and awe — more of a casual, egalitarian acknowledgement of greatness.  Or as much enthusiasm as cats can muster).

Our first fondue in Switzerland! (Well, the first one we did at home. We’ve had a few in restaurants…)