Baguettes

This might seem trivial to my French friends who know this kind of thing from birth.

I normally don't eat a lot of bread. It's not that I don't like it. It's that the standard American thought is that we should reduce our intake of simple carbs (like bread) and increase our consumption of complex carbs (like vegetables and fruit).

I see French people buy their daily baguette, sometimes walking down the street tasting a little piece while it is still warm. They're thin, they look healthy. I also see many people eating sandwiches with little more than a piece of ham, some butter and the bread, a baguette. Ditto the thin, healthy look.

From what I can see from the results of eating bread, Americans should take a second look at our nutritional ideas.

The most interesting thing about baguettes is their taste. No two bakeries sell exactly the same baguette. Everyone has their favorite bakery, secondary bakery, fall back bakery. When I'm in buying the bread, the better bakeries usually have a line. I notice that some people ask for one that is well cooked. I personally prefer one that has a thin, crispy crust. One that is not too thick.

Bakeries also sell half loaves (demi) and will often cut the loaf in half for you to take only what you need for the coming meal. You don't want to waste half a baguette and feeding the pigeons is frowned upon here.

Whether or not baguettes are good for physical health, they are wonderful for mental health -- they taste great, fill you up quickly, are inexpensive and are, of course, a french treasure that can't be replicated.