Mangsters Inc.

Last night was my turn to host the dinner group chez moi. Gisele, my landlady/roommate helped me set up the living room and salon to accommodate everyone and it turned out really, really nice! I was SO excited to host people here and have my very first dinner soirée! I only wish my Mom could have been on the invite list!! We had 3 kinds of cheeses for appetizers - Cantal entre deux, brie, and a camembert. We ate the cheese in the American fashion, that is before the dinner and not after as the French do! Then I halved some avocados and filled the insides with a cold shrimp salad I had made using mustard and mayo with a lemon wedge. For the main dish I made a version of ratatouille (note: do not attempt any semblance of this dish without a mandolin, it makes a potentially simple dish take a lot more time) with whole grain rice on the side and, of course, fresh baguettes I bought from my neighborhood boulangerie that afternoon. I felt very French carrying my 2 loaves of bread under my arm walking home! Unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to take any photos once people arrived but here are some photos of the food and the set-up!

At the dinner we also decided on a name for our group: Mangsters Inc. (Manger = to eat) like the Pixar film :)