Southern Fried French

Life’s Little Lessons, in French and in Chocolate

Advice goes down easier when taken with chocolate, n’est pas?  At least that’s how we like to do it.  

If your memory is really good, you may recall our last year’s Happy New Year Post about those traditional French chocolates that tout le monde eats during the holidays, Les Révillons.  They are chocolate bonbons and truffles to die for, in many flavors, wrapped up like tiny gifts.  And inside, une petite surprise:  a little quote for the new year, en français, bien sûr,  though taken from authors from around the globe.  

This year’s quotes seem particularly good, so we have once again made  a noble effort to consume many chocolates, to bring you lots of wisdom.  Food for thought for a happy new year.  Be sure to cover up those translations if you want to try your hand at the French.  And who knows, they may inspire a resolution or two!

 

L’art, c’est le reflet que renvoie l’âme humain éblouie de la splendeur du beau.--Victor Hugo

Art, it is the reflection that returns to the human soul the dazzling splendor of the beautiful.

La jeunesse de l’Amérique est sa plus vieille tradition: elle dure depuis 300 ans.--Oscar Wilde.

The youth of America is its oldest tradition.  It’s been going on now for 300 years.

Celui que pose une question risque cinq minutes d’avoir l’air bête.  Celui qui ne pose pas de questions restera bête toute sa vie. --Proverbe Chinois.

Those who ask ask a question risk five minutes of looking stupid.  Those who don’t ask questions stay stupid their whole lives.--Chinese Proverb.

CHOCOLAT: un Caprice Honteux et Onctueux que l’on Croque en toute Occasion avec Légèreté, Amour, et Tendresse.  --Anonyme.

CHOCOLATE:  a Caprice unHoly and Oh so smooth which one Craves on every Occasion with Levity, Adoration, Tenderness and Ecstasy.---Anonymous (With apologies for my translation, had to get all those letters in!). 

On s’étonne trop de ce qu’on voit rarement et pas assez de ce qu’on voit tous les jours.  --Madame de Genlis

One is amazed too much with what one sees rarely, and not enough with what one sees every day. 

Expérience:  nom dont les hommes baptisent leurs erreurs.--Oscar Wilde

Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes. 

C’était si beau que j’ai fermé les yeux.--Yvan Audouard

It was so beautiful that I had to close my eyes.

Un seul être vous manque et tout est dépeuplé.---Aplhonse de Lamartine

You miss one person, and the world is empty.

Le baiser est la plus sûre façon de se taire en disant tout.  --Guy de Maupasant

A kiss is the surest way to be silent, while saying everything.

 

That last one could only be French. And on that note, gros bises and Bonne Année to all!

 

RECIPE:  Cafe au Lait de Poule                              

What does one drink with Les Revillons?  Let’s do a little cultural mash-up and have a café au lait, but made with eggnog.  The French don’t know from eggnog, it's not common here.  But I adore their name for it:  lait de poule, or 'hen's milk'.  

Heat up a quarter to a half cup of prepared eggnog in a saucepan, just until hot.  In a cup or mug, put a splash of bourbon or cognac, then a shot of expresso, or two if you prefer.  Pour in the hot eggnog (froth it first, if desired).  Top with whipped cream and nutmeg. Serves one, or two if you've already started on your diet for the new year.

 In the Comments: SO many lovely Christmas wishes!  Many thanks to all. 

Favorite Reads:  A great book from one of our readers: Hidden in Paris is Corine Gantz's novel about three women, living in a hidden jewel of a house in the center of Paris, who are reinventing their lives.  A perfect, cozy companion for a winter's day.

Our Reader's Blogs:  "Gone to Provence in my mind", that would be Liza at Provence in Ann Arbor.  Join her there for a fellow Francophile's food thoughts.  Then there is Emily of Rue de France who is actually living the dream in the oh so lovely town of Annecy in the Alps.

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

Gifts from France, Welcome and Unexpected

Once upon a time two people, happy with their life but a bit restless, took a flying leap and moved to France, and made a surprise landing in a château.  

Nearly nine years later--still  here!--we  often miss the states, especially our friends, family, palm trees and perpetual sunshine.  But the Christmas season has me thinking about gifts, both given and received.  I decided to make a list of the gifts that this move to France has given us.  If you’ve spent some time in a foreign country,  maybe you will have some of your own to add to the list.

Here are our special gifts from France, in no particular order: 

A  broader world view.  Politics, culture, customs--it all looks different from this side of the pond.  And no one country has all the answers.

Travel.  All of France is at our feet, and six European countries are a half a day’s drive or a short train ride away.

A new language.  Not only a whole new means of expression, but a window into another culture.

A renewed appreciation of America.  Some of the traits we take for granted are truly unique to our culture:  like our oversized enthusiasm, ambition, and generosity.

Tolerance and patience.  Ah, the French!  Charming, and challenging.  We strive always to be gracious guests in their country.

Bounty.  Food, wine, culture, amitié-- our cup overflows. 

Beauty.  Whatever you think of the French, the magnificent beauty of their country, natural and architectural, is undisputed.

A  sense of security.  Violent crime in France is rare, and so is crime of ANY sort,  in the Burgundy countryside.  

A continuity with history.  Living in a house that’s 700 years old can’t help but change your perspective.    (Photo, speaking of blessings, our French 'family': Châtelains Nicole and Pierre and thier darling grand-daughter Justine).

Friendship.  The fascinating and kind people we’ve met, including our remarkable set of international friends, has been by far the best gift of all.  And I never could have anticipated the birth of this blog, and the friendship it has brought too, readers from all over the world dropping in with gifts of their thoughts, dreams, greetings, advice, books, recipes. 

To all of you, dear friends, I wish you an equal abundance of gifts and blessings for Christmas and in the new year.  Meilleurs Voeux!

 

Favorite Reads:  BIG NEWS this week, our favorite blogger Kristin Espinasse of the French Word a Day blog has a new book out!  It's called Blossoming in Provence .  I've ordered my copy, can't wait to get more of her heartwarming vignettes about life in Provence with her French family. It's already jumped up to the list of Amazon's "Hot New Releases".  Felicitations, Kristin!!   Meanwhile, Reader Sue Wallace has a recommendation for us: White Truffles in Winter by N.M Kelby, a novel about the life of Auguste Escoffier. "Very poetic," says Sue, "a feast for foodies, a love story, some history, trés français.... what more could we want"?

Our Reader's Blogs:  I'm not a huge fan of framed art photos on the wall, but Mark Kane, of Your Garden Show fame, has changed my mind.  You simply MUST go see The Ardent Gardener's Prints here.   He takes super close-ups of flowers and leaves that look almost like contemporary paintings. It will change the way you look at plants--you can see how they have inspired designers and artists.  Follow him on his facebook homepage too, where you can contact him to order prints.  

Delia has a sweet new blog called Mon Coeur est Dans La Campagne.  Nicely written and pretty too, worth a visit just for the fun graphics.  And for fun cruise over to Laura's blog, An Uneducated Palate, and meet Mojo the dog at her Bone Appétit post.  She's made him the cutest homemade dog treats which would be a super gift for a dog lover.

 

 

5 Ways to Frenchify Your Holiday Feast

In a land where food and wine trump all, you can imagine that MUCH attention is given to the Christmas feast.  Time to pull out all the stops, including the cork on the very best champagne.  Having had the good fortune to have eaten many a Christmas meal at a French table, I thought y’all might want to share the experience.   Maybe some of these ideas will make their way to your own table this Christmas. (Photo, a medieval village church near Balleure, on a snowy Christmas eve).

1.  To kick off the feast,  there will of course be that most festive of drinks, Champagne.  We won’t add a touch  of cassis or other liqueurs today, as we usually do, because we’ll be breaking out the GOOD stuff.  We’re dining with friends at the château chez Nicole and Pierre, and their special occasion favorite is Perrier-Jouët Belle Epoque.

2.  Let’s talk starters, called entrées in France.  On this day more than one starter might be featured, and there are three that are traditional.  Foie gras is one, but as an animal lover I’m not going to go there.  Up next, fresh oysters, raw or baked.  Since we South Carolinians are used to cooked ones at lowcountry oyster roasts in Charleston, Nicole spoils us with her famous baked, stuffed oysters, or huîtres farcies, a recipe she has graciously shared with us today.  The third one is smoked wild salmon, which will traditionally be served with lime wedges, crème fraïche, and blinis.  Yum.

3.  The main course will be a bird, either a capon, a duck, a turkey, or a goose.  And chestnuts, of course: on the side will be either a purée de marrons, or chestnuts cooked in the pan juices from the bird. This year Maria is making soupe de marrons instead. 

4.  Dessert:  bring on the bûches, Baby! I’ll be making the yule log this time, but of course les pâtisseries all have gorgeous ones in every flavor.  I highly recommend this seductive ‘music video' (from the Paris by Mouth site) called Bûche It, featuring all the bûches de Noël that the very fancy Paris pâtisseries are doing this year.  I’ll take that orange one with polka dots, please, or maybe the one with the gold leaf balls. (Amuse bûche: photo from our local pâtisserie. Will it be raspberry, Chocolate Pistachio, or Coffee?).

5.  I’ve never thought of living in Provence, but when I heard this I almost changed my mind:  they serve 13 desserts for Christmas eve dinner!  The number 13 relates to the 12 days of Christmas, plus Christmas eve.  They’re put out buffet style, and they are particular desserts by tradition, most of them symbolic.  They include nougat, dried fruit and nuts, candied fruit jellies, stuffed dates, fresh fruits, and a yule log or thin waffles.  Eating a sample of each brings good luck in the new year.  And that is my wish for you, a lucky new year and a Joyeux Noël too!

 

RECIPE:  Huîtres Farcies au Château

Plan on 4 oysters per person for a light starter (we greedy goats gobble up 6 or more) 

• Coarse salt for pan
• 2 dozen medium shucked oysters
• 12 ounces (300 grams)  white or cremini mushrooms
• ¼ cup crème fraïche, or sour cream
• ½ teaspoon sea salt 
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• One heaping tablespoon each of:
• Fresh chervil
• fresh parsley
• fresh basil
• fresh chives
• ½ cup fine bread crumbs, made in food processor from a French country loaf at least a day old

Shuck the oysters.  Remove the oysters, drain juice, and put them back in the half-shell.  Arrange them in a large shallow pan with a layer of salt in it (this is to stabilize the shells in the pan).  Pre-heat oven to 400F (200 C).

Remove stems from mushrooms, save for your soup pot.  Put the mushrooms in a food processor and pulse a few times just until they are finely minced.   Move them to a bowl and mix them with the crème fraïche or sour cream.   Stir in the herbs, sea salt and ground pepper.  Spoon mixture over oysters.  Mix a bit more salt and pepper into the bread crumbs and sprinkle over oysters.  Bake for about 15  minutes or until oysters are hot and bread crumbs are golden (start checking at 10 minutes).  Serve immediately, with champagne. 

 

Favorite Reads:  More gifts for Christmas,with France in mind.  Today, some lighter fare:  The film Bienvenue Chez les  Ch'tis  was a HUGE sensation in France when it came out a couple of years ago. It's cute and funny, and it absolutely nails the great French north-south character divide.  Watch it for fun and for French insights.  (You can now get it for zone 1 US DVD players, as well as the European zone 2). For humourous books, it's hard to beat the highly irreverant Brit Stephan Clarke, who lives with the French and loves to skewer them.  He has a whole Merde series; Try In the Merde for Love.  Now for some great ART GIFTS:  see below, Our Reader's Blogs.

In the Comments:  Merci for all the nice Christmas wishes.  Don't miss Julie's photo of Père Noël climbing in a window--you find these sneaky Santa's all over France.  Thanks Julie, I was wishing I had a picture of them.  Ido, happy to know you can track Santa on Google Earth!

Our Reader's ART Blogs: Among our readers, three of my favorite artists, with affordable art for gifts: Barbara Andolsek,  Barbara Redmond (of the  A Women's Paris blog), and Kristin Dam (Kristin's just moved to France, so stay tuned for French landscapes!).  Please take a minute to peruse their art, some of it Oh So French. 

 

5 Ways to Make Your Holiday Traditions a Little Bit French

A two part series.  Today, 5 French Christmas traditions to consider.  Next week, it’s all about the special French dishes that go on the holiday table.

Since the French are (rather inactive) Catholics, their Christmas traditions are similar to our own.  But not quite!  There are some fun differences, so pick and choose your favorite French holiday ideas.

I must share with you one amusing difference:  St. Nick, in the states, is usually as plump and round as a merry old elf can be.  But Père Noël in France is a skinny, short little thing compared to our robust Santa.  He has a bit of a belly, but otherwise he’s a svelte Frenchman, all the way.  And probably a red wine drinker, to boot. 

Here are 5 more French holiday traditions:

1.  A Seasonal Shift.  In France, the Christmas season, thankfully, does not start at Labor Day, as it seems to in the states.  Christmas trees go up a few days before Christmas, when the kids get out of school.  But decorations stay up for the 12 days of Christmas, until January 6.

2.  The Lovely Santons.  The French don’t go into a mad decorating frenzy, as we do.  Trees are typically small, decorations simple. (On the other hand French towns and villages go all out with wonderful displays of lights). In French homes there will traditionally be a crèche, or manger, featuring les santons, which are hand painted terra cotta nativity and French village figurines from Provence. The French from every region love to collect them.  In the states you can find them at the Santons de France website. (Photo of Santons from Wikipedia).

3.  Chaussures vs. Chaussettes.  No Christmas stockings for the French. Instead they use shoes.  Kids put out a pair of shoes on Christmas eve, by the fire, and Santa fills them with little goodies.  I asked Nicole if the type of shoes mattered---perhaps the shoes of the person with the biggest feet in the family?  She says they have a better solution:  “Kids will put out their fattest boots, of course!” (photo, below:  stockings are a tradition chez nous, but the French have a different idea).  

4.  Re-thinking the Holiday Card.  The French send holiday cards, but not at Christmas.  They send New Year’s greetings, called cartes de voeux, which should properly arrive sometime between the day after Christmas and the end of January.  I happen to like this custom; you can write and mail your cards after the frenzy of Christmas. 

5.  The Family Gathers.  Here’s a traditional French Christmas schedule:  A simple dinner of small plates or finger food, often eaten in the salon around the fire en famille, on Christmas eve.  Don’t want to spoil the appetite for the big dinner on The Day, dontcha know.  Midnight mass follows.  Presents (and boots) are opened in the morning, and the festive Christmas meal is usually at lunch. Then on Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas in January, there is the very important Fête des Rois, featuring the delicious galette des rois (see post from Jan. 2011), signaling the end of the season.  And here's wishing you Happy Merrymaking, whatever your traditions. 

(Photo, below: a skinny Père Noel from 1910). 

 

 Favorite Reads:  This week we continue our recommendations for French gift books for the holidays. And guess what, two of our readers have a FABULOUS new book out, just in time for Christmas: How to Cook a Bouillabaise in 37 Easy Steps: Culinary Adventures in Paris and Provence. Now how could you not love a book with that title?  As you can imagine, this very special photo essay book is one of my favorites: The French Château: Life, Style, Tradition.   A beautiful design book to dream over (it's on my coffee table) is The Provençal House , with photos that will take you there.

In the Comments: "Where ARE you from?!" they said to Jacki. Fry sauce is a new one on me! Nancy, great minds think alike, but of course neither of us invented the Reuben, it's a classic (though Herm may have written the first ode to it)---but it's always fun to mess about with traditional recipes.  Suzanne makes a slow-cooker choucroute, good idea.  And Elizabeth, what a great tale, hope you've escaped from your dreamy chambre!

Our Reader's Blogs:  Mark and Diane, authors of the aforementioned new book, have two great travel blogs to sample:  The Paris Insider's Guide and Paris to Provence.  We love wine, so we of course we like visiting the Villa Ragazzi Wine site. Wine lovers will want to read the personal story of Michaela's family vineyard in Napa Valley.  Michaela also writes amusing tidbits about the vintner's life on the site's blog.  And please do subscribe, it you haven't, to Cynthia's The Daily Basics.  She's got all you need to know about Christmas this year (entertaining, gifts, food...) on her e-zine.

A Brasserie Classic with Heart: 'Choucroute Garnie'

Photo:  At the market, the Butcher's pups eagerly await the leftovers from the Choucroute garnie.

At our Saturday market, there is a pony-tailed gentleman who sells artisanal cheeses and of every sort of olive you can imagine, all in beautiful wooden barrels.  We know fall has arrived in Burgundy when he adds to his stall steaming trays of the best  sort of French Saturday lunch:  Choucroute garnie.      Photo below:  Monsieur de la Ponytail.

Choucroute garnie, that classic brasserie dish which originated in Alsace, is not for the faint of heart.  In that you must have strong, un-clogged one to eat it.  The base is choucroute, or sauerkraut (preferably homemade), simmered in beer or a dry Riesling with some duck or bacon fat, and maybe some diced apple thrown in.  To this you add a variety of meats, such as:  smoked sausage, keilbasi, boudin blanc, pork belly, frankfurters, pork loin, bacon, and maybe some goose breast.  You serve it with boiled or sautéd potatoes and mustard to slather on the meat.  if there’s anything more delicious on a crisp fall day, I’m not sure what it could be.  This is French comfort food at its best.

While waiting in line recently at the market to buy our lunch of choucroute garnie, the elderly gentleman in front of me, obviously a regular, related his tale of woe to Monsieur Ponytail before he placed his order.  “But I haven’t seen you in a while!"  Monsieur Ponytail said to his customer.  “I’ve been in the hospital,” he responded, leaning on his cane.  “I had a major crise cardiaque! (heart attack).  Ma foi, my doctor put me on a low-fat, healthy diet.  So you’ll have to give me just half of my regular lunch."   At which point Monsieur Ponytail dished out a heaping bowl of sauerkraut and added a rather alarming portion of pork belly and smoked sausages.  His customer sighed heavily and went on his way to eat his ‘light’ lunch.  Perhaps the red wine he likely washed it down with cleaned out his arteries.  

The history of choucroute garnie is the history of the French brasserie.  The beer halls so popular in Germany at some point slipped over into the Alsace region of France.  The bars began to serve food along with the beer:  small bowls of sauerkraut, and some bits of pork to go with it.  These three compatible ingredients were eventually combined into one dish, and fluffed up with other cuts of meat.  The convivial community atmosphere of these bars, where anyone from the farmer to the fashionable could meet and eat, evolved into the French brasserie, which eventually made its way to Paris.  

One iconic French brasserie in Paris is Bofinger, near the Places des Vosges.  It has all the components of a great brasserie:  the art deco décor, tuxedoed waiters dashing about with overloaded trays, a lively, noisy ambience.  There’s the usual large menu, but this is their speciality:  choucroute garnie, served family style on huge, raised metal platters placed in the center of the table.  If you haven’t been, you must go.  Forget your heart-healthy diet for a day, and indulge your other heart---the one that loves a memorable moment à table with those you love. 

If you want to tackle crocroute garnie at home, I recommend Jacque Pépin’s recipe (you do have his new book on your Christmas list don’t you?).  In the meantime, here is another very simple recipe with sauerkraut, which is also one of my favorite ways to use up the last of the turkey leftovers!

 

RECIPE:  Spicy Hot Turkey Reubens

For two sandwiches, spread four slices of rye bread with the special sauce below.  On two slices mound up some sliced turkey (the milder white meat is best here) and good sauerkraut.  Top with slices of Emmental or other Swiss cheese, and several slices of pickled jalapenos (this was my husband's idea, he likes everything hot hot).  Top with the other two slices of bread.  Melt plenty of  butter in a cast iron skillet and grill sandwiches on each side until cheese is melted and bread is nicely browned.  Good served with cornichons and sliced apples. 

Special sauce:  mix about 3 parts mayonnaise to one part chili sauce (or ketchup).  Stir in a splash of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste, plus a splash of brandy for good measure. 

Ron's Corner:  "I don't like EVERYTHING hot.  Just my food and my women."

 

Favorite Reads:  Speaking of food, the toney town of Mougins on the Cote d'Azur is a mecca for foodies.  It's gorgeous, too.  See the article I wrote about it, called 'Village Life: Southern Belle' in the December issue of France Magazine.

And this week, we begin a series of recommendations for the perfect Christmas gift books for Francophiles.  For French travelers, virtual or real, something from the Simonetto Greggios series 101 Beautful Small Towns in France  or 101 Beautiful Towns in France Food and Wine should be a hit.  There is also an  Italy  version.  Or, for Franco-foodie friends, try a fun French memoir, just out:   Cooking for Claudine, about an American who speaks no French but marries a Parisian woman--and ends up with the daunting task of cooking a holiday feast for his new mother-in-law. 

Our Reader's Blogs:  Paris for the holidays, oh la la!  Get the scoop from Diane at her blog, Paris Insider's Guide.   And do not miss the beautiful Provence Rugs this week at the wonderful design site, An Eye for Detail.

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