Elizabeth's Blog

Do you love books about France and the French? So do we!

Join us for our unique French book club as we meet quarterly to read and discuss books on French culture, art, cuisine, wine, language, and travel. Our meeting locations and hosts tie to each month’s book theme which makes our gatherings and events especially rich.

At each meeting, we’ll enjoy French themed food and beverages and hear from our hosts / speakers about their ‘French connection’ to our book. Then Dr. Elizabeth New Seitz will facilitate a lively discussion about our book selection. And we’ll close with French Affaires’ signature “If you liked this book, then you’ll also like…”

Whether or not one has finished the book, our book club gathering is interesting, informative and delicious. Perfect for any Francophile wanting to enjoy casual conversation in English about great books on France and the French.

JUNE

Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Inès de la Fressange with Sophie Gachet

“You don’t need to be born in Paris to have Parisian style. Parisian style is an attitude, a state of mind…” So begins our French book pick for June. Author, former face of Chanel, ex-runway model, designer, illustrator and business woman, Inès de la Fressange describes the secrets of the chic Parisian woman. She shares her best advice and tips on how to dress and develop one’s own beauty—French-style. She also includes her favorite resources in Paris for shopping, hotels, restaurants, excursions and more.

We’ll meet for our June book discussion at the very stylish Paper & Chocolate boutique in Dallas. Owner and creative spirit Vicki Petersen will host our gathering and tell us how she collects the wonderfully French objects, gifts and chocolates in her shop. We’ll enjoy a wine and cheese reception as part of our book club night and of course, there will be the opportunity to shop for French treasures!

Date: Monday, June 27
Time: 6 to 7:30pm
Refreshments: Wine & cheese reception
Location: Paper & Chocolate, 5460 West Lovers Lane, Suite 236, Dallas Texas 75209
(Directly behind the Inwood Theatre), www.paperandchocolate.com

AUGUST
The Red & the Black by Stendhal

Our August book is some of the best of classic French literature. The Red and the Black by Stendhal is a towering example of 19th century French novel writing. Decades ahead of its time, The Red and the Black recounts the saga of a provincial young man determined to change his destiny in prominent social and religious circles. With its psychological portrait of the protagonist and biting social commentary, The Red and the Black remains a compelling work of literature even today.

We will gather for our book discussion at The Dallas Institute of Humanities & Culture where we will be joined by its Executive Director, Dr. Larry Allums. A literary specialist and humanities guru, Dr. Allums will lead our discussion of The Red and the Black and will give us his thoughts on the book as a work of literature. If you have never been to the Dallas Institute, you are in for a real cultural treat!

Date: Monday, August 29, 2011
Time: 7 to 8:30pm
Refreshments: French desserts & liqueurs
Location: The Dallas Institute of Humanities & Culture, 2719 Routh Street, Dallas, Texas 75201 www.dallasinstitute.org

One Response »

To Anglo-Saxons, French people are well-known for their pride of place. They are very fiers (proud) of their country, its history and its culture. After all, France was the world’s trend setter in diplomacy, art, architecture, literature, philosophy, science, and more for centuries.

Many English speakers are also aware that the French hold their language in high esteem. Unfortunately, this awareness has not always come under the best of circumstances. It’s been widely noted that the French have not taken kindly to English-speaking travelers running about their country not knowing a lick of French. In fact, I would say that much of the legendary French rudeness has to do with the Anglo-Saxon unwillingness or inability to communicate in French.

But if you have been on the receiving end of a perceived French slight, it’s helpful to dig a little deeper and understand why speaking a little French when buying a baguette in a boulangerie (bakery) in France is a must. One of my favorite quotes about the French attitude towards their language comes from the book Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong (2003), a cultural study of France by Canadians Jean-Benoît Nadeau & Julie Barlow. They shed some further light on how the French feel about their native tongue:

“Language is a national complex in France. Anglo-Americans consider language a tool, but the French regard it as an accomplishment, even a work of art. They love and cherish their language in ways that are almost incomprehensible to English speakers. It’s their national monument.”

Before Americans get complexed about not speaking French in France as well as a French person, it is helpful to know that the internet and globalization have led to a much wider use of English in France. Nowadays, when your French taxi driver speaks English back to you, it’s not to show up your French—it’s to practice his English!

Still, when traveling in France, you need to know a little French, if only for good cultural relations. The trick is to focus on what will get you around the best—and also which part of the language the French care about most. There are three parts to this formula:

First, you need to put together a ‘French toolkit’ of key words and phrases. Second, you need to master the top cultural and etiquette rules to avoid those embarrassing “faux pas” (‘faux pas’ literally means ‘false step’ in French). And finally, you need to know which of the three components of their language the French care about the most—is it grammar, vocabulary or pronunciation? If you guessed pronunciation, vous avez raison (you are right).

I recently looked around my library from my French professor days, and as if to underscore this point, the number of titles having to do with French phonetics and pronunciation is considerable…

-       Exercices systématiques de prononciation française (Systematic exercises of French pronunication) 

-       Principes de phonétique française a l’usage des étudiants anglo-américains (Principles of French phonetics for Anglo-American Students) 

-       The Phonetics of French

-       Bien entendu! Introduction à la prononciation française (Introduction to French Pronunication) 

-       Les difficultés phonétiques du français (The Difficulties of French Phonetics) 

-       Outils: Le français par le dialogue (Tools: French By Dialogue)

-       A drillbook of French pronunication

-       Introduction à la phonétique corrective (Introduction to Corrective Phonetics)

-       D’Accord: La Prononciation du français international – acquisition et perfectionnement (The Pronunciation of International French)

-       Savoir dire – cours de phonétique et de prononication (To Know How to Say It in French: A Course in Phonetics and Pronunciation)

-       Outils: Façons de parler (Tools: Ways of Speaking French)

-       Exercises in French phonics

Despite the serious sounding works above, there are some specific–and fairly easy–ways for English speakers to put aside their American accent and quickly sound more French. Even if you were not a French major in college. And with a bit of time and attention to pronouncing the French language, you can pleasantly surprise many French people on your next visit to France.

So you are probably asking which French language book includes this (almost magic) three-part formula to getting around in French in France? I wish I could say that one exists—maybe I will have to put it together! But due to the numerous requests for this info that I have received over the years from American travelers, I did create a “Survival French” class which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. It’s practically a crash course in Beginning French with the key phrases, essential etiquette and pronunciation tips included. I’ll be teaching it starting next week at SMU in Dallas, and if you have a France trip coming up this spring or summer, you might want to come join us—your French savvy will help you have the trip of a lifetime.

French Take-Out ~ La France à emporter

The French Affaires ‘Survival French’ course is offered this spring through SMU’s Continuing Education program:

Survival French:  Keys for a Successful Travel Experience in France - March 28-30 (Mon, Tues, Wed nights) from 7 to 9pm, SMU Dallas campus – $79

“Making an effort with the language in France goes a long way, even though almost everyone speaks English these days. Learn five keys of French language and culture that will pave the way for a great trip to Paris or any other destination in “la belle France.” Cover essential phrases, “La French etiquette,” indispensable pronunciation tips, and more. This course complements regular French courses; however, no previous French study is required.”  Our class text: “Larousse French Phrasebook” (approx $5.95), available at the SMU Bookstore, Mockingbird & Airline, 214-768-2435. To register for the Survival French course, please click here.

Last year’s class at SMU really got into it–here is some feedback from participants Beth and Don M.:

“Our group from your class just got back last night from our trip to Europe, most of which was in France. We had a ball and owe a lot of our success to your class. The French were great. They just light up when you greet them and bounce a ‘Bonjour’ back. It’s really an ice breaker. And sure enough, we always had to ask for the check which you taught us…Thanks again for all the tips on visiting France. It really helped.”

Also at SMU beginning tonight is the SMU French Film Festival for Spring 2011. You can hear the sounds of French through several contemporary French films with subtitles. Click here to see the film line-up and schedule.

No Responses »

Celebrated French gourmand and food writer Curnonsky—also good friend of Julia Child—was the arbiter of French taste in the first part of the 20th century. He was a food journalist par excellence and wrote numerous books and articles on French cuisine. He had two favorite sayings:

« Et surtout, faites simple! » (And above all, keep it simple!)

« La cuisine, c’est quand les choses ont le goût de ce qu’elles sont. » (Good cooking is when things taste of what they are.)

I love this last one as it is what makes French cuisine so interesting, so delicious and so perfect. Food needs to taste of its own essence—of course, it needs to be oh-so-fresh to really taste good which is the norm in France. It also needs to avoid being covered up with bizarre flavor combinations or distracted by wacky textures.

But I would say that is only part of what makes true French dining so satisfying. The French know too that things need to be seen for what they are. In other words, the French make a habit of serving food on simple white dinnerware so that the food speaks for itself visually.

Recently I went back into my photo archives for examples of how this adage plays out. And once you start to pay attention, it is astonishing how many dining experiences in France happen on white porcelain that has little to no decoration.

Occasionally, the white porcelain has a touch of decoration such as the pale gray lines here. But the food is as inviting as ever, not hidden or overwhelmed by overwrought color or decoration…

Personally, I have been collecting white French porcelain for many years now, namely Apilco and Pillivuyt. It looks as new today as the moment when I bought it, and it always makes the food placed on it look fresh and enticing. And you can create a variety of table settings with flowers, decorative objects and colored linens–although using white linens for the “white on white” effect is eternally elegant.

This past summer in the Médoc region of France, I had a fabulous French porcelain moment when I stumbled across what was an Apilco ‘factory outlet’ for all intents and purposes. I had gone to the large outdoor food market at Vendays-Montalivet located on the Atlantic coast north of Bordeaux. As I perused the various vendors’ offerings, I came upon a sign for a nearby boutique that read « Porcelaine Blanche » (white porcelain).

Curious, I made a beeline for this white porcelain heaven and was not disappointed. Everywhere I looked were stacks of Apilco, Pillivuyt, Limoges, and more. Standard dining fare, interesting serving pieces, tea services,  soufflé dishes (see February’s posting on Apilco and soufflés!), oyster plates, and more. Everything you could want in dining ware was there. And at prices a serious fraction of what you’d find in Paris or in the U.S. As I perused the offerings, I quickly saw that some pieces were less than perfect–but I just made sure to pick items that were flawless.

So the next time you set your table—dinner tonight?—think about the French love affair with white when it comes to dining. Use white dinnerware and serving pieces and see if the food doesn’t stand out more…and taste better somehow. And next time you are in France, notice how many restaurants, bistrots, brasseries and cafés let the food be the star of the show.

If you want to purchase white French porcelain in France, check out the housewares section of the large Paris department stores such as Galeries Lafayette, Printemps or Le Bon Marché. You can also find a nice selection at A.Simon kitchenware shop on the Right Bank. For the Apilco factory outlet, you’ll have to travel farther afield. But if you’re in the Bordeaux area and love white porcelain, it just might be worth the trip:

ESPACE PORCELAINE
46 avenue Brémontier
33930 Vendays-Montalivet, FRANCE
(Open April 1 to October 1 from 10am to 2pm and 4pm to 8pm, the rest of the year by appointment.)

2 Responses »

Today in Paris, stunning boxes of chocolates, beautiful heart-shaped cakes and gorgeous bouquets of flowers have been whizzing out the doors of shops all over town in celebration of la Saint-Valentin. I thought I’d send a couple of ideas to make your Valentine’s Day a little more French if you are so inclined:

- Send a French Valentine’s Day e-card to your loved ones. Click here to see the variety of virtual French Valentine’s greeting cards available. (And there’s even an ‘Anti Saint Valentin’ option for those not wishing to oversentimentalize February 14!)

- Make the ‘Coeur au Chocolate’ cake featured by the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris for Valentine’s Day this year. They have the recipe for the Chocolate Heart Cake in English with the US measuring system to make it even easier. Treat your loved ones to this French sweet treat by clicking here.

Wishing all French Affaires readers a little “Love” the Paris Ladurée way – and Joyeuse Saint-Valentin!   ~Elizabeth

No Responses »

In the popular film Something’s Gotta Give starring Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson, Keaton categorically declares that the Paris bistrot Le Grand Colbert has the “best roast chicken in the universe.” That got me thinking recently about Paris restaurants and French culinary classics–who has the best île flottante (floating island)? who has the best mousse au chocolat? the best soupe à l’oignon (French onion soup)? the best boeuf bourguignon? the best cassoulet? the best steak-frites? and then a really good one because they’re hard to make–the best soufflés?

Well, you can find soufflés on the menu of many a nice restaurant in Pah-ree. But to go to the French source, one must pay a visit to the soufflé heaven of the universe–the Paris restaurant Le Soufflé. In business since 1961, it has inspired diners for decades and also has sparked imitation restaurants the world over.

I recently lunched again at Le Soufflé and was absolutely ravie  (delighted) at what a delicious, civilized, and thoroughly French experience it was.

Le Soufflé is supremely located a stone’s throw from the Louvre, the Tuileries gardens, the Place de la Madeleine and the Place Vendôme. You walk up to the facade painted in a lovely French blue lacquer accented with small fluted awnings. As soon as you enter the hushed and casually elegant atmosphere, the very professional staff welcomes you and whisks you to your reserved table.

The word soufflé comes from the French verb “souffler,” meaning “to blow” or “to puff.” This gourmet treat gets its ‘lift’ from beaten egg whites. As Julia Child notes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, “the glory and lightness of French soufflés are largely a matter of how voluminously stiff the egg whites have been beaten and how nicely they have been incorporated into the soufflé base.” Without getting too technical, it is clear the chefs at Le Soufflé have mastered the ‘art of the puff’ and turn out divine soufflés time after time.

While the menu does have regular dishes–the French onion soup is quite nice, the restaurant’s signature lunch experience is a savory soufflé  followed by a sweet soufflé. On this particular day, I chose the classic ham and cheese soufflé and my dining companions ordered a variety of other savory soufflés. You could tell the kitchen had the rolling stream of soufflé orders under control as our golden, puffed delights arrived at the table about 20 minutes later.

I couldn’t wait to take that first dive with a spoon into this steaming hot soufflé. The sides of the towering egg edifice then started to come down making it easier and easier to eat as I went along. The ham, cheese and eggs are a natural combination–think the classic taste of quiche lorraine in soufflé form!

Of course you have to order your dessert soufflé at the start of the meal to allow for real-time preparation. So all while I was enjoying the ham and cheese version, my chocolate soufflé was in progress. But prior to enjoying dessert, our table decided to share a bountiful salade verte (green salad). It was the perfect palate cleanser before our glorious dessert finish to the Le Soufflé meal. (The secret to very French salads is great greens and a great viniagrette–check out the photos from the recent French Affaires Vinaigrette workshop below.)

Once we had finished our savory dishes, our table’s array of dessert  soufflés arrived in their full blown glory. The winner was the chocolate version served with liquid chocolate sauce which is poured into the center. Does it get any better than this?

Our lunch was a thoroughly French and a thoroughly fulfilling dining experience. The next time you are in Paris, reserve a table at Le Soufflé and wait for the soufflé experts of the universe to make their magic. You won’t be disappointed.

Le Soufflé is located at 36, rue du Mont Thabor in the 1st arrondissement. (Don’t let the restaurant’s pretty basic web site fool you–the establishment is the epitomy of French understated elegance and charm.)

French Take-Out™ ~ La France à emporter

You may have noticed the classic porcelain ramekins that hold the savory and sweet soufflés above. They are made by Apilco, the well-known French porcelain manufacturer, and their straight sides make for successful soufflés time after time. Williams-Sonoma in the U.S. carries a nice variety of Apilco porcelain ramekins for American chefs. Click here to see their selection.

One Response »

A few hardy souls ventured out the Dallas snow and ice last weekend for the French Cuisine & Culture workshop on French vinaigrettes. Here are some photos of our hands-on culinary adventure using dijon mustards, vinegars and oils to create outstanding French salad dressings. And then we enjoyed our various salad creations with homemade quiche lorraine  followed by scrumptious gâteau aux pommes caramelisées (caramelized apple cake). By the end of our class and sit-down lunch, I think everyone agreed that there was no need to purchase bottled salad dressing ever again!!

One Response »

The French do many things well, and we have seen a lot of them in these pages. So since it’s winter and downright frigid this week in France and in North America, let’s take a look at yet another French talent—the art of tying scarves.

A well-tied scarf in France is both a fashion statement and a meteorological necessity. Without une écharpe (long, rectangular wool scarf often with fringe on the short end) around one’s neck in the winter, walking around Paris streets would be chilly indeed. The kicker of course is that the French make something as practical as wearing a scarf a visually compelling event.  

How do they do it? Well, for one, they have a gift for tying a variety of knots and twists. They execute the various scarf positions with a sort of ’swish’ that many non-French find enviable. The French also have a flair for making each scarf ‘look’ appear elegant and comfortable at the same time. And this goes for women and men, young and old, well off and not so well off. I think it must be something in the French gene pool that ensures great scarf tying ability. Or perhaps there’s a secret school of scarf tying that only the French get to attend?!

To sport a good scarf look, we also have to have some nice scarves to choose from in our closets. When in Paris, you can find an excellent collection of scarves at any large department store. You can find les écharpes, les foulards or les carrés (silk square scarves), and even les châles (triangular knit shawls typically worn by grandmothers in times past). Galeries Lafayette and Printemps on the Right Bank are good places to stop. On the Left Bank, Le Bon Marché is where you want to go. You also can find wonderful scarves in many small clothing boutiques around town. This is a great reason to start off walking in Paris and see where your feet take you in search of that next great scarf.

These days, you can also find a fun scarf vendor or two at many outdoor Paris food markets. This vendor at the Boulevard Raspail market a few weeks ago was doing very good business selling wool scarves and hats. And why not? His offerings were 100% wool or silk or a combination thereof, and they were très bon marché (very well priced). In addition, the more you bought, the more he’d make you a deal. At this scarf venue, you could add a lot of scarf color to your wardrobe for a very small investment!

But back to the real issue—what IS the French secret to their art of tying scarves? Consensus seems to indicate that a French person masters two to three scarf styles that look good on her, given her height, her hair style, her personality, and her fashion preferences. Then she decides which one to wear on a particular day with a particular scarf. And last but not least, she ties that scarf that day without trying too hard. It’s that aura of nonchalance in the tying and in the wearing which looks so French and so fabulous.

So cheers to not trying too hard in tying scarves—and enjoy these chilly times as a grand opportunity to fashion your own French scarf moments!

French Take-Out™ ~ La France à emporter

If you’ve been neglecting your scarf tying opportunities this winter, take this peer pressure challenge from the French and give your scarves some new twists. French Affaires is offering a special “French Scarf Tying Workshop” in Dallas in March. In this hands-on class, we’ll master a host of scarf looks from a French scarf expert par excellence and celebrate our scarf accomplishments over French champagne. You can even bring your favorite scarf from home and practice on it to make sure you love the way you tie it. Check our web site in a couple of weeks for complete details on this special French scarf and champagne event.

3 Responses »

One thing I love about many French cookbooks—and I mean cookbooks about French cooking in French or in English—is that they often include two things:  les menus (suites of dishes that go well together in one meal) and les produits de la saison (lists of seasonal fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meat and fish–yes, cheeses have seasons too!). They are noteworthy reminders of the French talent for balancing flavors and tastes, both within individual dishes and across the various plats (dishes) that make up one meal. These cookbooks also point to the significant culinary rewards of cooking according to the seasons.

Evidemment (obviously), to cook with fresh, seasonal ingredients, one has to shop accordingly. In Paris, every quartier (neighborhood) offers daily and weekly open-air marchés (markets). They are a culinary experience as well as a social one—people from all classes and all walks of life rub elbows in the common pursuit of good cooking and good meals.

At these markets, you occasionally see vendors who grow their own produce, raise their own poultry, harvest their own honey, or make their own cheeses and sell these items directly to the public. My nostalgic side wishes that all the vendors would be selling goods they personally produce on their own farms. However, given modern commerce and the sheer volume of Parisian business, ce n’est pas possible (this is not possible). The majority of French market vendors obtain their products from the enormous wholesale food market outside Paris, Rungis (pronounced ruhn-jeesse in French).

If the expression ‘wholesale food’ makes you think “bland” or “tired” food, you’re in for a whole other world in France. Rungis prides itself on being ‘le plus grand marché de produits frais du monde’ (the biggest market of fresh products in the world). And during my recent tour of the Rungis market, I would have to say that it’s pretty astonishing how fresh and beautiful all the products are given such an immense operation.

Rungis opened in 1969 after Les Halles, the main food market in Paris, was demolished. It does more than 7 milliards (billion) euros of business every year and is located south of Paris near the Orly airport, covering 232 hectares (nearly 600 acres) of land. There are multiple pavillons (buildings) that house the various food products: les produits laitiers (dairy products), les produits de la mer (seafood), les produits carnés (meat, fowl and game), les fruits et les légumes (fruits and vegetables), and les fleurs et la décoration (flowers and decor). While you will occasionally see a female or two working at the market, it is still primarily a male dominated line of work.

Touring Rungis is spectacular, though I must say it’s not an activity for the faint of heart. To supply daily the numerous food markets, supermarkets and restaurant chefs in the Paris region, the market opens at 2am and is nearly done by 8 or 9am. You have to get up in the wee hours and make the 45 minute or so trek by car from the center of Paris. Then you get to traipse through the cavernous warehouses that are kept chilled to keep products as fresh as possible. In addition, you have to put up with delayed gratification as you can’t buy anything you see. And visits to Rungis have to be specially arranged, so it takes some doing just to get in the place.

Despite the logistics, seeing Rungis is well worth the effort. It is the coming together of food growers, producers and distributors from all over France and from all over the world. And it is the heart of the daily culinary dance in Paris.

For your own visual tour of Rungis, take a look at the photos below. You’ll never think about food in Paris the same way again!

French Take-Out™ ~ La France à emporter

French markets are one of the most charming aspects of travel in France. In small towns or large cities, food markets, flower markets, and antique markets contribute to the social fabric of the community. There are also yearly markets or festivals that are worth planning your French trips around such as the Foire aux piments (Pepper Festival) in the Basque country, the Fête du fromage (Goat Cheese Fair) in Provence, and the Journée de la Truffe (Truffle Day) in southern France.

To find out more about specific French markets and festivals to visit all over France, join us for the French Affaires ‘Tour de France’ Lecture Series this spring. In this unique program, we’ll be ‘traveling’ to the best parts of France to discover the history, art, architecture, culture, landscapes, gardens, cuisine, wine, and of course, markets, of various French regions. The richly illustrated lectures, discussions and food tastings will make you feel like you’ve been to France. Our program also includes further reading and film lists, as well as museum, hotel, and restaurant suggestions for all over France.

Click here for complete series details and to register–there are a few seats left for this special French travel experience!

Lecture 1 – Saturday, January 29:  Welcome to the ‘Tour de France’ Lecture Series; Introduction to the Geography of France; Paris, the Ile de France & Champagne

Lecture 2: – Saturday, February 26:  Normandy, Brittany & the Loire Valley

Lecture 3 – Saturday, April 2:  Burgundy, Jura & Savoy

Lecture 4 – Saturday, April 30:  Provence, the Riviera & Corsica

Lecture 5 – Saturday, June 4:  Southwest France – Bordeaux, Médoc & the Pyrenees

No Responses »

The trick about traveling is how to go deeper. How to go beyond the guidebook. How to visit but not be a tourist. How to not only see but also really SEE.

In my quarter century of going deeper into France, I have found one of the most rewarding ways to connect with the country is to cook. In the city or in the country. High cuisine or low. With famous chefs or with unsung culinary heroes.

Why? Bien sûr (of course), food and wine are one of the top three conversation topics anytime anywhere in France. Seriously. And then too, participating is always more meaningful than observing. Period. You gather around a common purpose. You have to make an effort. And you have to meet people.

A few weeks ago, the French Affaires’ fall trip group ventured off to Paris to enjoy the many delights of la Capitale. Our focus was French cuisine in all its glory and accordingly, we indulged in wonderful food and wine—some of our own making. Two days after our arrival, we jumped into a lunch cooking class at the renowned Ritz Escoffier Cooking School* located in the basement of the luxurious Ritz Hotel.

Our chef instructor was the serious but amusing Madame Robert. She has been teaching both professional chefs and amateurs at the Ritz for several years, and she was a total pro. Our class included ten participants, our group of Americans and the rest French. Madame Robert translated our culinary task of the hour:  To prepare dorade rôtie au sésame et aux poivrons doux avec couscous (gourmet roasted sea bream with sesame seeds, sweet peppers and couscous). And it was all hands on.

The ingredients were laid out for us in the fabulous professional kitchen, and we all had our own work station and tablier (apron). A French woman from La Rochelle who was in town with her husband on business was the first person to arrive. “Cathy” (pronounced kah-tee in French) was perusing our culinary assignments as our group of Americans joined her around the work table. The group was complete when three Ritz marketing managers put on their aprons and took their places.

Chef Robert (pronounced roh-bair in French) welcomed us to the class and introduced the recipes of the day. She began to demonstrate in both French and English how to prepare each step of the dishes, adding helpful astuces (tips) along the way. While she looked a bit formidable in her chef’s garb complete with the toque hat, she turned out to have a wonderful sense of humor and was very approachable throughout the class.

Side by side, we Americans and French chopped, seasoned, sautéed and talked our way through our food adventure. Chef Robert kept us on task and was encouraging even when the peppers were not perfectly cut or when our sautéed fish did not look exactly like hers. At the end of an hour, we gathered around the work table to serve and garnish our plates. Then we headed to the dining room to enjoy our feast with wine selected especially to go along with our creations.

Chef Robert bid us adieu as our cooking group offered her our remerciements (thanks). What followed was a very good lunch along with very good company. Our new French friends were warm and friendly and were as curious about us as we were about them. Cooking side by side had opened the door to wonderful camaraderie and to a palpably authentic French experience.

So the next time you are in France, consider joining a class of some kind–cooking in France of course is almost always a home run. You could pick up a new skill, make a new friend or see a part of French culture you didn’t know existed. It will be more than worth the effort.

No Responses »

Since my last online posting, I was in Paris for the French Affaires “Gourmet Paris” trip. Our lovely group savored the culinary delights of la Capitale, and I’ll be sharing some of our French foodie experiences in upcoming articles. I have also been deep into planning exciting new programs and events for 2011 that will bring the spirit of France to the U.S. in wonderful ways.  

As Christmas 2010 is almost upon us, this week’s post features holiday experiences some of my French friends and colleagues who live in Texas and have brought their French heritage with them. I asked them to share one thing that made Christmas special when growing up in France and also one thing they now do in the U.S. to add France to their holiday season. I hope you enjoy their stories–and I wish you and yours a “Joyeux Noël” (Merry Christmas), “Joyeuses fêtes” (Happy Holidays) and “Bonne Année” (Happy New Year)!! 

Isabelle de Wulf, Executive Director of the French-American Chamber of Dallas / Ft. Worth (www.faccdallas.com) :
“One thing that made Christmas special growing up in France was living in the countryside as a child, we would have a pine tree cut from the forest and hook candle holders on the branches. Then my dad would light the candles just before the Christmas celebration. Of course we had a bucket of water not too far!” 

“One thing I do now in Dallas to make my family’s Christmas season French is to eat turkey with ‘purée de marrons’ (chestnut purée) and order a ‘bûche de Noël’ (Christmas yule log) for dessert from Main Street Bakery!”

Betty Reiter, owner of the Betty Reiter boutique in Dallas:
“I have memories of wakening up on Christmas morning and checking the front of the fireplace for gifts. I also remember going with my dad to the Mouffetard food market in Paris near our apartment. I especially treasured the smells and visual displays at the market-and of course, the time with my dad. We would come back home and then enjoy the usual turkey stuffed with chestnuts and oysters. We would finish off our Christmas dinner with the bûche de Noël.

“As for now, if I am ambitious I try to make traditional Provence 13 desserts and always a big “réveillon de Noël” (Christmas eve dinner). We eat a lot late in the evening and if we don’t have oysters, we at least have some foie gras!”

Jean-Marie Cadot, chef and owner of Cadot French restaurant in Dallas (www.cadotrestaurant.com) :
“For me growing up in France, there wasn’t any one particular thing that made Christmas special. It was the combination of things similar to Christmas in many countries: family reunions, gifts & candy for the children, holiday church services & le Réveillon.” 

“Now in addition to spending time with family, much of my experiences and specialties with Christmas involve cooking. I prepare traditional French dishes such as capon, Lobster Thermidor, turbot, oysters, foie gras, caviar, chestnuts, bûche de Noël, and many others. Spending time in the kitchen preparing these especially for the season helps to put everyone (including myself) in the spirit of French Christmas at home in Dallas. And of course, I make all these French delicacies at my Dallas restaurant for the holidays!”

Cécile Marche, Marketing Director and co-creator of Dallas-based Frog du jour, the online shopping place for French treasures (www.frogdujour.com) :
“One thing that made Christmas special growing up in France was the emphasis on tradition and family. Christmas is the main moment of the year when French families spend time together. It’s so reassuring in this crazy world and in good times or bad to be near to those close to you.”

“My family and I now live in the U.S. and we make sure to have foie gras with toasts and Champagne with close friends as we wish each other a Joyeux Noël!”

Dr. Maurice Elton, former professor of French at SMU and owner of his French translation business:
“My mother was French and I grew up in England so we had more British Christmas traditions growing up. Of course, France is part of my heritage and I spent summers there with family when I was young. My wife and I have included some French elements in our Christmases over the years in the U.S. We have a collection of twelve books of Christmas around the world which we shared with our children when they were growing up. The book has the story of the Santons of Provence (clay figures of the nativity with villagers included), and we have almost the complete set of 110 figures by Marcel Carbonel that we purchased over the years in France. We display them at Christmas time. And some years, we celebrate the ‘Fête des Rois’ (feast of the Epiphany) with the galette des rois (King’s cake) to add a French flavor to our extended holiday celebrations.”

Anne-Lyse Ségur Hardesty, Part time intern with French Affaires:
“When I grew up in France, my family and I used to go to the midnight mass on Christmas Eve in a small church in a village in southwest France. The mass was really special because you could enjoy the birth of Jesus Christ with a live nativity scene. It was played by kids from catechism. For few years, I was shepherdess holding a real lamb and then Mary holding this time a newborn baby. The mass last one hour and half and then we came back home and ate the “bûche de Noel” and some exotic fruits.”

“Now being in the U.S., I of course miss my family back in France. The other thing I miss the most is the Christmas eve dinner which lasts five hours and includes ten courses. It has all the French specialties: foie gras, saumon fumé (smoked salmon), oysters, capon, bûche de Noël, and of course some good wine and Champagne. This year, my family sent my husband and me many of these wonderful foods and ingredients that I can’t find in the United States. So good long food preparation and a long wonderful dinner is waiting us for on Christmas eve!”

 French Take-Out™ ~ La France à emporter 

For a very special holiday gift, French Affaires offers gift certificates for upcoming events, programs, trip design and more. If you would like to give some for delivery this Christmas, send us an email asap at info.french@frenchaffaires.com and we’ll get it to you in time for December 25th!

No Responses »