Southern Fried French

Hit and Miss: French Grocery Stores Go Anglo

You know how in American supermarkets, there is usually an isle that has foreign or ethnic stuff:  Mexican, Chinese, Thai, etc.?  Well in France they have the same thing—and on the ‘international food aisle’, they have an American section!  Who knew?  For some reason this tickles me, and also makes me realize how truly far we are from Charleston.

So, what’s in the ‘American section’?  Can you guess?  Some of the things the French just don’t eat or understand, though not many I really would like to have (those would be grits, corn meal, black beans, chicken broth, buttermilk...).  Also they throw the UK must-haves on the same shelves, like the dreaded Marmite and Brown Sauce. 

Here, for your reading pleasure, are a few of the curious American selections at my local store:

• Peanut butter
• Pecans (they call them noix Américains)
• A1 Steak sauce, and worcestershire sauce
• Cranberry juice 
• Dr. Pepper (!? I am speechless here)
• Cans of of those American casserole staples, cream of  mushroom and cream of chicken soup 
• Canned ‘spaghetti loops’
• Bottles of Thousand Island dressing

And my favorite:  A box of sage stuffing mix (the French don’t do bread stuffing) in a skinny 2 oz. box, which says on the package “enough for one whole bird.”  Stuffed baby quail, anyone?

One hopes the French do not see this selection as representative of American cuisine. 

Then again, I may have to widen my search for my beloved American items.  At the same store just this week I discovered one more 'international' product, Vermont Real Maple Syrup. It was in the Chinese section.

 

Recipe: A Week-night Gratin, Deconstructed

So, shall we make a casserole the French way, and skip the Campbells?  In France a casserole baked with a topping, like bread crumbs and/or cheese, is called a gratin. We southern cooks don't much go in for canned soup casseroles, so when I have the time I make a lovely béchamel sauce for a gratin.  But on a busy weeknight, who has the time?  So here is a gratin, deconstructed, that you can whip up, maybe with what you have on hand.  Those who follow recipes religiously and like precise measurements may not feel at home with this one.  This is for your creative side (translation: time to clean out the frige).

Three Parts:  Sauce, Filling, Topping.

A simple sauce, trés vite:  In France I use crème fraiche, which is a milder, slightly thinner version of sour cream.  Use this for your sauce, or sour cream thinned with milk so that it's more liquid but still heavier than whipping cream. You could stir in a bit of mayonnaise or soft cream cheese.  To give it more body, you may want to add a beaten egg. Mix it up with salt and pepper, and flavor it if you like with a splash of brandy, some spices, a spoonful of mustard, hot sauce, or chives.  

The filling:  Use  cooked vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, squash, chopped asparagus, and so on, for vegetable gratins.  You can mix in cooked pasta (very al dente), rice, or grains.  To ramp up the flavor, sauté some aromatics---onions, garlic, shallots, celery, mushrooms--in olive oil or butter and mix them in. Roasted tomatoes or leftover cooked carrots can be popped in too, for example.  Of course you can add chopped cooked meat like chicken, ham, sausage, bacon, etc.   Stir in some grated, melty cheese, or not. 

The topping:  Use crushed crackers, bread crumbs, croutons, nuts, crushed chips, or a combination of these.  Grated cheese is optional.  My favorite crunchy topping: I save stale or leftover bread, then make bread crumbs in the blender.  I sauté these in  butter (about 3 tablespoons butter per cup of crumbs), plus sea salt and pepper, and throw them in a bag in the freezer.  I use them to top gratins but also for pasta dishes or just to dress up steamed vegetables.  

Now just bake your creation for half an hour or so, until it's bubbly hot, and you're done. Bon appetit, y'all!

Favorite Reads:  Mon Dieu, a Southern Fried French first:  A BOOK GIVEAWAY!  Kristin Espinasse of the French Word a Day blog has most graciously given us four copies of her new book, Blossoming in Provence. I've been traveling through my copy this week--it's like living the good life in Provence, through Kristin's eyes. Kristin, an American who lives with her French husband and two French kids, has a way of drawing you into her family life and her world, with her lovely insights and photos.  To enter, just leave a comment that mentions the book, or with a heads-up that you want to enter.  We'll send winners an email to get a mailing address. With apologies to our international readers: the gift books can only be shipped to the states, but maybe you've got a friend or family member there who might like a copy? Leave a comment this week or next, then we'll randomly pick four winners.

And by the way, if you missed her first book, you may want to start at the beginning, with her lovely Words in a French Life: Lessons in Love and Language from the South of France. 

Our Reader's Blogs: It seems the perfect time to mention Anne-Clair's My American Market, where expats can order American ingredients they don't find on that international isle.  There is a great expat newsletter on the site, too.

Coming to BURGUNDY?  You could stay at the château!  Nicole and Pierre now have a couple of rooms they rent out to visitors.  Nicole will provide French lessons, too, if you're interested.  Check out the website for Château de Balleure:  Les Saveurs du Château.

Your Perfect Fantasy of a Provençal Bistro

If you’re like me, when you fantasize about the south of France, you’ve got a little idealized picture of the perfect spot to lunch and to languish away an afternoon.  You want it sunny and bright but cozy, set in a pretty village.  You picture it as colorful, stylish in that offhand French way, but not too chi-chi or modern.   With memorable food of course, traditional but fresh, and not too high of a price tag.  Well you don’t ask much, do you? 

Restaurants that live up to the dream are few and far between, but when they do, we remember them and revisit them.   And one of our favorites, located in the pretty wine village of Châteuneuf-du-Pape, has always been La Mère Germaine (pictured above, and below right). 

Sadly it closed a couple of years ago, but we were in the neighborhood last month, looking for lunch, and I just happened to read on Twitter that very morning (what are the odds?) that it had reopened.  So off we went to check out the new management.  

Quelle Surprise!  it was even better.  The new folks were friendly and attentive.  They had fluffed up the decor in the nicest way.  The food was excellent and there is still the surprise of that sunny terrace hidden away at the back, with a view of the valley. 

What to do after lunch?  Well there are about a zillion little wine caves to visit, for tastings. Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which is in the Côtes du Rhône wine area, is famous for their reds, mostly made from grenache grapes. There are some nice boutiques, too, and a château on top of the hill to hike up to and work off des poids.  Your Provençal dream has come true.

 

RECIPE:  Roasted Spiced Pears with Pecans

A pretty way to serve pears, inspired by our dessert at La Mère Germain. Healthy, too (well sort of).  I wouldn’t begin to attempt that froup-de-doo on top, but if you can do it, go for it!

• 3 tablespoons (45 gr) butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon dried ginger
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 firm-ripe pears, peeled and cut into thick slices 
• ½ cup roasted pecans, finely chopped
• whipped cream (or crème fraiche or ice cream)

Heat oven to 450 F (220 C).  Mix sugar, butter, and spices in a  large saucepan and heat to a simmer, stirring, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.  Add pears and toss well.  Place in a baking dish and roast 15-20 minutes, just until pears are tender.  Divide among 6 bowls or glasses.  Sprinkle with pecans, saving some for garnish.  Top with whipped cream and garnish with remaining nuts. Serve it hot or cold.  

Favorite Reads:  I’m not at my French desk today, I'm reporting to your from the states.  So from the South Carolina Bureau, here are some random happy reads, some authors that are old favorites (and I’d LOVE to hear some of yours).  

I’m a sucker for English novels, and my favorite, for that dry English humor, is Barbara Pym. I’m not a big mystery reader, but when I’m in a mystery mood I love Elizabeth George , an American who writes English murder mysteries, go figure. While we're talking about England, fans  can now pre-order  Downton Abbey Season 2  on DVD (to be released 2/7) to check out the latest scandals and trysts. In Europe, we saw it all this past fall. (I hope they will show you the final installment, the 2-hour Christmas special, in which something actually works OUT for these people). Finally one other mystery writer I love is Tony Hillerman, who offers up an education on American Indian culture along with a good story.

In the Comments:  Libby, I do love peeking through those Paris gates into the courtyards.  Derin, hope you'll do that book soon, sounds super.

Our Reader's Blogs: I've talked about The Daily Basics before, my favorite blog by fellow Better Homes and Gardens editor Cynthia Bogart.  Now she's really wamped it up into a full-fledged magazine, the best on the web!  The debut was this week, and it's free to subscribe.  I'm ever so pleased to be joining the site as a contributor.  Y'all might want to catch my design article about doing closets and doors the chic French way, "A French Door of a Different Kind".

Unless otherwise attributed, all POSTS, PHOTOS and RECIPES on this blog copyright ©2011 Lynn McBride.  All Rights Reserved. 

 

A Peek Inside A French Door

We’re on vacation this week, back in the states.  So something quick and fun today:  A collection of French doors.  From Paris to Provence, in Burgundy and beyond, these French doors tell a story of history, tradition, and sometimes more.

 

Favorite Reads:  First up, on the plane I read Karen Chase's  Bonjour 40: A Paris Travel Log, which if you are a Paris-ophile you will want to get immediately, for your Kindle, ipad or iphone.  Karen spent 40 days in Paris for her 40th birthday, and she describes her adventures with all the passion Paris has to offer.  You may want to take her Paris journey yourself. Then visit Andra Paddio's site to check out her fun book, What Makes France so French. 

In the Comments:  The chestnut story evoked some Christmas memories, and a French memory for Nancy, who ate them many ways in Nimes.  Mel, chestnut beer is a new one on me, must go to Corsica to try it. Mark, Husk is on our list for Charleston, we'll see if it's in the budget!  Thanks, as always, for the lovely comments.

Our Reader's Blogs:  Get involved, with a unique site called Earth2. Their motto:  "Change the World Before Bedtime".

To my Dear Readers:  I want to invite anyone who hasn't done so to SUBSCRIBE to Southern Fried French.  You'll get one weekly email with a quick summary of the post, and the link.  Just enter your email address, top right corner.  And y'all keep in touch!

Unless otherwise attributed, all POSTS, PHOTOS and RECIPES on this blog copyright ©2011 Lynn McBride.  All Rights Reserved.

 

 

Foods that Refuse to Jump the Pond

It’s a puzzle:  in this smaller and smaller world, some foods and food trends  easily leap over the pond, and some don’t.  Pourquoi?  

Since the holidays in France stay in full swing until Twelfth Night, we’ll talk about two Christmas foods we’ve mentioned recently that haven’t made the jump.  One is eggnog.  English in origin, it’s popular in the states but rarely found in France.  And in the US, at least in the South, you’ll have about as much trouble finding chestnuts (les châtaignes or les marrons), as you will eggnog here in France.  “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire”, where I come from, is just a line in a song.

Few French Christmas tables are without some sort of chestnuts at Christmas.  Roasted chestnuts are common street food in Europe in winter, the smoky aroma of the sweet toasted nuts wafting through the Christmas festivals.  Marrons glacées, candied chestnuts, are a French holiday staple. This flavor even shows up in ice cream, in the summer.

The early Romans planted chestnut trees across Europe as they mounted their campaigns. As a result, France and Italy are both big producers.  Early on, they were a food source in America too.  But the reason for their lack of popularity there may be simply this:  a terrible chestnut blight in the 1900’s wiped out most of the trees.  Most US chestnuts are now imported.

For the holiday table, chestnuts, which have a soft potato-esque texture when roasted, are sometimes made into a purée.  For our feast at the château this year, our Dutch friend Maria made a chestnut soup that was so good it inspired this week’s post.  Her secret: since chestnuts have a sweet flavor, Maria added onions, leeks, and white wine to give it a bit of tang.  It’s delicious and different, for the holidays and beyond!

 

RECIPE:  Maria’s Chestnut Soup

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large leek
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• olive oil, butter
• 1 16 oz. can (400 gr) chestnuts (drained if in liquid)
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups white wine
• juice of half a lemon, or to taste
• salt and pepper

Garnish:

• sour cream, creme fraiche or heavy cream
• chopped hebs:  parsley, chives, or scallions

Cut off root and most of the green part of leek, slice thinly, and immerse in water to wash. In a Dutch oven sauté onions, celery and leeks in a little olive oil and butter just until tender.  Add broth, wine, and salt and pepper to taste.  Add chesnuts, bring to boil and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool it down a bit if you have time.

Purée soup with an  Immersion Blender (what, you don’t have one of these yet?  They’re the BEST!). Add more broth or wine (or milk or water) as needed, if too thick. Stir in lemon juice, adjust seasonings. Re-heat when ready to serve and garnish with  cream and a sprinkling of fresh herbs.  This is not the most beautiful of soups on its own, so don't skip the garnish.

 

Favorite Reads:  We're off to the states this week, where my copy of Kristin Espinasse's new book Blossoming in Provence awaits.  If you haven't ordered it yet, time to grab one, plus some for your francophile friends.  And to Sue Wallace, je te remercie beaucoup for recommending the book To Burgundy and Back Again: A Tale of Wine, France, and Brotherhood last month.  Ron just finished it and I've started it, it's a fun book.

In the Comments:  Hey Linda, great minds...and Oh la, that Eggnog Royale, got to make it NOW!  Y'all, don't miss Linda's recipe. Meanwhile Pam has a new Kindle, Mariella has a new ipad, and Sarah had a BIG anniversary, felicitations!  Belinda, we miss you bunches (read her beautiful tribute to her stay last year at Château de Balleure here). As for finding the Revillon Chocolates stateside, Amazon.com now lists them, but they're 'not yet available'. Stay tuned. Plus, Martin has his own interesting quote to add. And MILLE MERCIS for all the beautiful holiday greetings, Bonne Année to all! 

Our Reader's Blogs:  Warning:  if you visit Paris Through my Lens, fellow southerner Virginia's blog, you'll want to hop on a plane toute de suite!  And here's a really intriguing blog:  Reader Nancy Hinchliff's  Business And Creative Womens Forum.  You'll find all kind of good things here about women's interests and issues, but especially some thought provoking books for your book club or your library.