I’m still not over with the Covid-time disasters that happened in the world and in my kitchen.

There is one thing called as exploring the recipes and cuisines. But over-enthusiasm to explore without fully studying the cuisines may result in man-made disasters. 

Or gluttonyguilts-made disasters!

The idea of France always produces some different level of enthusiasm in me. French architecture, decor, perfumery, fashion, way of life and food are so interesting to experience.

I have only experienced a bit of these things, even though I have been to Paris and own a Channel N5. But despite that I decided to buy a foot long of baguette and shoot a dish prepared from it in the first go itself. 

After looking at the huge breadstick, I first wondered how do French actually eat it? Do you just dip it in warm butter or coffee? Or slice it in halves and then prepare sandwich. I decided to try sandwich.

I usually did not use my chopping board in that time. Steel plates were fine for cutting, even when you cut like a chef and when your Mom makes a fuss on the knife marks on her previous steel plates.

But then Moms always make a fuss, so as usual, I didn’t listen to her this time too.

I decided to use a normal vegetable-cutting knife instead of a broad bread knife (that we have as a showpiece in kitchen but never used). I could never forget the pain in my palms that day when slicing a hard crusty baguette into halves turned out to be a nightmare! And the steel plate kept on dancing because the length of baguette kept it off balance. 

Hard lesson learnt – A loaf of any bread should always be cut on a wooden chopping board with a bread knife or a Chef’s knife. 

After this hellfire, I decide to toast it in a pan. Now baguette is a heavy bread and airy, so it has to be pressed while toasted to get the full toasty texture. But as usual, I did not use my brain and tried toasting it on a normal flat plan. Only some portions got toasted. And I thought it was normal.

Then I smothered warm cheese on the inside surface and added sautéed vegetables over the cheese. We took some photos and as usual my sister said that she will not try this as it looks very heavy. She is also usually right, like my Mom.

Since the baguette was not pressed, it was very broad and one would have to open their mouth the way they do when doctors ask to open when they want to check your mouth from inside. After this heavy exercise, I had to bite into the stone-hard baguette with only few oil-toasted softer portions. This heavy lifting by my teeth did a number on my gums and inside skin – got a few rashes as well.

I ate the two sandwiches but could not eat spicy dishes for a whole week because of the torture that my buccal cavity went through. 

Later on, my father used the baguette to prepare crostini/bruschetta type sandwiches – he cut the baguette longitudinally. After that, I have always cut a baguette this was and enjoyed the sandwiches/crostini/bruschetta.

Funnily enough, my father did not advise me to use this cutting style while preparing the dish. Maybe he knows that people learn better through their own disasters, especially when it concerns the fact that they will not be able to eat properly for a week. 😂