ahhh belgium mussels and fries.... yes!
"rdoiron" > wrote in message
om...
> How to Enjoy Real Fries, not McDonalds, not French, not
> Freedom...Belgian!
>
>
> "No, Madame, I am not from Paris. I am Belgian." If you've read
> Agatha Christie, you'll recognize that this is super detective Hercule
> Poirot setting the record straight about his origins. They could also
> be the words of a fried, french-cut potato if it could talk.
>
> Belgium is not alone in suffering culinary misattributions. Ukranians
> bristle each time they hear Russia receive credit for borscht.
> Italians scoff at what passes for authentic Italian-style pizza
> outside of their borders. And I know of no better way to infuriate a
> Scotsman than to tell him that the Irish invented whisky (both
> countries claim credit). Still, the injustice done to the Belgians
> over the fried potato this past century (the term "french fry" was
> coined in 1894) stands out as being particularly poignant.
>
> To truly understand what I mean, you have to travel to Belgium. There
> you will see that the fry is not only a key part of the Belgian
> national dish (ie. moules frites - mussels and fries), it is nothing
> less than a way of life. Wherever you go in Belgium, you will find
> people of all ages, sizes, and backgrounds eating their beloved
> "frites" or "friet" as they are called in Flemish-speaking Belgium.
> Along with the Belgian monarchy and beer, fries are one of the few
> things that binds this multi-lingual, multi-cultural hodgepodge of a
> country together. They are to Belgium what the baguette is to France,
> the food of the people and a national culinary symbol.
>
> For the full article and a recipe for some of the best fries you'll
> ever eat, check out the page at the Kitchen Gardeners International (a
> food nonprofit) site:
> http://www.kitchengardeners.org/belgianfries.html