Good old campagnard food.

ooh, the joys of living on a student budget.

it forces you to start getting creative and maximize the most out of what you've got. you start focusing on what you really need and cut out any excesses.

being frugal is not all bad however, and does come with a small handful of benefits. really! LOL

for example, i'm walking instead of taking the bus and appreciating the health benefits of it (as well as doing my part in reducing my carbon footprint). since you're slowed down quite a bit (as opposed to taking the bus), you start to appreciate distances and notice things in detail.

and of course, i've cooking more frequently at home, which means saving money on processed junk and incorporating fresher foods and nutrients into my diet. in the process of exploring different cuisines, you also undoubtedly get exposed to a whole new variety of fruits, veggies, spices and meats.

such as the artichoke (artichaut).

i feel almost ashamed to say that i've never tried eating fresh artichokes before. i've tried artichoke hearts preserved and seasoned in herbed vinegar, but never fresh ones. each time i pass by the bulbuous flower, the only thing that crosses my mind is "hmm, that might look pretty in a vase.", and without a second thought, move on to my usual legumes, leafies and capsicums.

have i been missing out! i feel like everyone has already been clued in to this tasty treat and i'm the only one who left in the dark. doh! *smacks head*

moving on with the whinging - i had so much fun with this!!! pulling it floret by floret, dunking it in a bit of vinegrette and using my teeth to scrape each fleshy little leaf clean - it added a whole new dimension to eating. and wait til you get to the heart of the artichoke - oh how do you say it - je ne sais quoi? all i can say is i've found a new love. like a BIG BIG love. :D

and to put my tastebuds in a state of total reverence, we had it with pan-fried boudin or black pudding, better described as a pork blood sausage. it's not very pretty (hence the monotone photo), but dont judge the poor sausage yet. trust me, i can eat this EVERY week and not get sick of it. this particular black pudding was seasoned with oatmeal and spices. if you haven't yet tried it, run, dont walk, to your butcher or specialty store; i got mine from david jones.

wheee! 500m race coming up this sunday. been training hard and i'm raring to go!