Eli Belly: Lunch à la château?

I never thought this day would come, cuz really it NEVER crossed my mind. Like seriously.
.. But then again, there's always a first for everything!

Voilà, Joyeux Anniversaire Mamie Devos!

Marc Meurin is the chef.. FYI

Bring on the appetizers! I swear minimalism is the new art.

Appetizer 1: (from left) gelatine, avocado - best vegetable in the world (to all u asians who never ate it, yes YOU, go get some!), lobak! (aka radish -_- just so .. you guys dont have to go thru all the trouble to google translate it) with crab filament salad! mmmmm!

Appetizer 2: Saint Jacques (scallops)
Well.. it was so small, it's only fair that there's 2 appetizers x)

... but then i was too full after n so...

not bad huh ;P

what else but a teeny garden outside the beloved castle to have a relaxing stroll ^-^

Just in case I ever accidentally (let's hope NEVER - forget u)...

*inhales a deep gush of O²*
Perrine, x, Germain, y, Mathilde, Emile :)

See, I remembered... my family !

<3 the big sister I never used to have :)

(CAUTION: Yes the fluffy plant thing she is holding is deadly.)

... someone's to blame for this.

"NOooo GERMAIN!!!!"

Emile too. -_-"'

Supposed to be a vine yard, full of grapes.. you know?

Look! Look! Helicopter landing!!!!

.. what? it's cool.

See, told you it was real. ;P

So sweet :) french cousins
Right, back to lunch.

Mashed Potato topped with cheese and cheese. Some vietnamese delicacy. Pigeon.
(Hey, it was good ;P. After all, everything dies someday - just this little one had bad karma, and a good cause, for my tummy)

Kids.

Erm... did I say something? No, I.. no, what?
Ohh.. that you mean?
Kool Intellectually Descended Species. KIDS.

Mamie's the Queen!
Right, fellow silly sausages! Let me *clears throat* clear your tiny confused minds. According to the french culture, in the month of January, it is a tradition to relish yourselves in a pie-like dessert, Galette des Rois for the first 10 days. Normally with flavours such as apple and frangipane (that's how they call the almond pie) and inside these tongue tickling smack of flaky puff pastry layers lies a little trinket (figurine which can vary from great works of art to classic movie stars and popular cartoon characters) called la fève. Whoever get's the slice with the figurine will be crowned king for the day! How cool is that?!
OK, for the further explanation... it goes back a long long time, this used to be the cake to celebrate the epiphany for the catholics. But now, it's a cake and every french loves a good cake so, like every good 'ol tradition we celebrate eat n laugh! N leave the thinking.. for .. the curious minds.

Apple crumble in a cup!
... layers of oven-heated apple slices filled with cream, showered with toasted bread crumbs and topped with vanilla ice cream with a bath of syrup.

How am I gonna live without all these desserts :'/