Garlic festival

A few "Escargots de Bourgogne" or garlic snails.

The snails sold in Finland are lighter in the garlic department than the ones you can find in France. Probably down to local taste, or to a cliché that people in northern Europe don't like strong/sharp flavors - which according to my own experience is not true. At least in Helsinki. Anyway, what I do is that I replace the ready made garlic butter by an homemade heavier on garlic (with organic butter, fresh parsley, black pepper & salt). And suddenly, there's a world of difference.

"Gratin Dauphinois" or a Dauphinoise potatoes.

As for the above, a successful dauphinoise rely on garlic taste. One trick is to infuse chopped garlic in hot organic milk/cream combo on top of the fresh one you mix with the potatoes. Speaking of potatoes, do not use the waxy ones. These do not absorb liquids, therefore the gratin would be runny. The same goes for starchy potatoes, as you would be left with a mushy mess. The key here is balance. You can use eggs... or not, both being possible. One last thing: do not EVER put grated cheese on top. Aaargh...

Morgon "Côte du Py" 2017 from the Beaujolais area (Alko) is an everyday wine for everyday food. Not bad, not great either. But it does the job done rather nicely at a reasonable price. Btw, as a general rule with red wine, you don't drink it straight out of the bottle. Let it rest/breath instead for a couple of hours. If you wonder why, drink a little before the rest, and after. You'll understand why.