Pain...the double meaning

As my last post states, I did in fact partake in the wonderfulness that are baguettes, croissants, cakes and the like.  In French culture, bread is like rice to Asians.  It is served at every meal, and usually comes before the main course.  So if you are the impatient eater, such as myself, it is near impossible to resist.  That's actually an unfair statement, it's served pretty much throughout the meal.  If you do the real-deal full course dinner, which I did do one proper one with a French family--tales on that to come--it will be served throughout.  Usually you will start with an aperitif, which I think of as an appetizer drink.  It's just a drink that is a precursor to the meal to help stimulate the appetite..  Bread is usually out by then, and it will follow with an appetizer like pate (a spreadable meat mixed with additives--it's own fat, herbs, spices and so on-- or foie gras--made from the liver of a duck or goose with extra fat.  They like their foods rich, rendered in their own fat with butter, butter and more butter.  Can we say beurre blanc.  What better to eat pate with than bread?  The meal may consist of something with bread, but it will most definitely have some type of delicious sauce that should be soaked up with the best type of sponge...bread.  Then the cheese course.  As much as I love eating cheese by itself, it just spreads so well on bread (the old, smelly runny stuff, that is; the hard cheese just perches well atop a slice).  Then dessert, which might be your only recourse from bread, but not necessarily from gluten.  Then after dessert the meal is concluded with a digestif, a drink to aid digestion.  What it really meant to me, was strong drink, and excuse to imbibe.  Kidding, of course.  Well, only half kidding.  The drink is usually pretty strong, stronger than an aperitif, and usually enjoyed straight.  The French know how to indulge, and for this I am thankful! 

So, is a coincidence that pain means bread in French?  I think not, if it's not causing pain in the belly from over-eating, it's causing pain the in joints from gluten intolerance.  Those tricky, tricky French.  Let me show you what I was up against: 

Exhibit A: Another salad for lunch or the delectable Croque-Monsieur (a hot ham and cheese with gruyere)?

Exhibit B: Yeah, that's a chopping block to cut up baguettes right before serving.

Exhibit C: Pizza, fresh seafood pizza...enough said.

Exhibit D:  The final culprit, chocolate lava cake au lait, with a milk based sauce.  That alone was worth the pain.  However, I am on the road to recovery, and have been more diligent about cutting out gluten.  Pretty much cold turkey.  Sometimes you just gotta rip of that band-aid.