Valentine's

So Valentine's Day this year (which is the equivalent of a Hallmark Holiday here) was B in the hospital.  And me being the stellar girlfriend that I am, not coming to visit that day. But we planned for Saturday and he sent 5 roses for our 5 years - who knew he was so thoughtful?  And I was going to try and convince this little restaurant on our street to do take-out with my boyfriend-hurt-his-knee-and-just-got-out-of-the-hospital story. The phrase "doggie bag" is looked at with that snide French disgust - probably because the they don't feed you large portions.  What you are served is meant to be eaten during the meal itself.
But I ended up buying easy food at Picard since it was his first day out of the Clinic. 
Picard has elevated frozen food to an art form.  It was the first place I went when I arrived.  We got out of the taxi and put my bags in the apartment.  B left for work.  I looked around in a daze I just moved to France.  Woah. and then promptly took a nap.
3 hours later I went to the grocery store, but on my way passed a hospital-clean looking store with a snowflake monogram.  It was all full of chest freezer's (not upright).

Though I didn't buy anything that day (Paris-sized apartment with college-sized freezer.  Oh wait, not freezer ICE BOX attached to the top of our fridge).  Our modern day story ends with me not going to a restaurant, but coming home with this: 

(My celebration of this holiday rests firmly at the level of a 4th grader. So, you know, hearts, paper valentines, jelly lips) 
A starter of: foie gras with raspberry gelée or basil cream cheese with red pepper gelée.

 

Then: Gyoza, sticky rice with little sesame seeds and teriyaki chicken.

But it actually looks like it does in the picture. And shockingly tastes better than most restaurants

And we finished up with

Picard is the cadillac of frozen food