THE WORLD CAPITAL OF FOOD - CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette - page 224

(vouchers given to employees by their companies that are
the equivalent of cash and can be used as payment at
some restaurants). Look for the catalogue Guide des Resto
d'Or , issued annually.
Matsuri has three Japanese restaurants in Paris specialising
in sushi that is delivered to your home. Order by phone or
online (tel: [phone]; website:http://www.matsuri.fr).
Frozen Food
People who work late cannot always get to the stores in time
to buy the appropriate ingredients for a meal. Thus, frozen
food ( les surgelés ) is handy. In addition to prepared dishes
ready to cook or just to reheat, frozen ingredients such as
herbs, crème fraîche and sauces, fish fillets, meats, cleaned
vegetables and desserts are available.
The high-quality chain Picard has some 50 outlets in
Paris. A monthly catalogue details special offers (info tel:
08.01.13.12.11; http://www.picard.fr). See Surgelés: produits
alimentaires in the Yellow Pages .
BAKERIES
A pâtisserie specialises in desserts and often sells breads;
a boulangerie sells bread and simple desserts as well.
The distinctions overlap—indeed, you will see many
B oulangerie-Pâtisserie —and good cakes may be found in
many bakeries; nonetheless, the pâtisserie has more refined
and beautifully decorated offerings. Neighbourhood bakers
also sell sandwiches and quiches .
Bread is always fresh in Paris. By law, boulangeries must
choose their own flour, and knead and bake the bread on
their premises; otherwise they may not call themselves
boulangeries . Bakeries— boulangeries or otherwise—may
carry a sign that says ' tradition française ' or ' pain maison '
meaning that the baguettes , the staple for most French,
are baked on the premises. Another popular bread is
the pain de campagne , a more substantial bread made
by blending different flours. Most bakeries sell pain à
l'ancienne , which is generally made with unbleached
flour and non-chemical leaven. A current favourite is