France + All Things French
Macaron Day is celebrated on 20 March every year and what a delicious celebration it is! These delectable little sweets are instantly synonymous with France and are now enjoyed throughout the world.
With a gentle crusty outside shell and soft ganache inside, they are just waiting to be bitten into. Sold by the millions each year, the macaron is worthy of its day of celebration.
Continue Reading
What is crescent shaped, made from layer upon layer of flakey pastry, loads of butter and tastes like heaven? You got it… it’s a croissant, and the croissant has its own national celebration day in France called National Croissant Day.
This iconic french pastry is celebrated on the 30th of January each year and is linked with Marie Antoinette the famous Austrian queen who lived at Versailles. Marie Antoinette is given the fame of introducing the pastry to France over 200 years ago.
“She was sent to France at the age of fourteen to marry the future King Louis XVI. The lonely young girl missed her homeland and asked the court bakers to make her the kipferl that she remembered from home. She introduced it to the court along with other little pastries from her homeland. Collectively, they became known as viennoiserie.” History of the French Croissant by Margo Lestz
Who loves eating cake? Marie Antoinette is famously synonymous with cakes, sweets and enjoying her life. I think cakes and sweets allude to luxury and a good life and it is something that most of us can create and enjoy easily enough. Cakes are the traditional celebration food with many commemorative occasions and celebrations having their own style of cake.
The Galette des Rois is such a cake. This puff pastry almond cake is traditionally shared at Epiphany on the 6th of January each year. It celebrates the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem when baby Jesus was presented to them and they gave him their precious gifts.
There is however a “season” of Galette des Rois in France, which begins on the Twelfth Night and ends on Shrove Tuesday.
France is a country that loves celebrating all things good that can be eaten or drunk. Dedicated festivals, national occasions and celebrations keep traditions alive in France, just like the Beaujolais Nouveau Féte (New Beaujolais Festival).
The New Beaujolais Festival is celebrated throughout France on the third Thursday in November every year, the date when wine-making finishes and the new wine can be sold. This fruity new wine is eagerly awaited by wine-lovers across France, with gatherings at local stores and vineyards and when the cry goes out le beaujolais nouveau est arrivé! (the new Beaujolais has arrived) it is a happy scene at the bottle shop.
Toulouse is also known as the City of VioletsViolets have been cultivated in Toulouse since the 1850s and can be drunk as a liquor, eaten, or crystallised to dissolve in champagne and are proudly an emblem of this French city. This humble flower with its delightful fragrance and bold colour has also inspired the city’s nickname of ‘City of Violets’.
Toulouse is the capital of France’s southern Occitanie region, and is near the Spanish border.
Mussels in white wine and garlic is often included on a set lunch menu in cafes around France and particularly on the Brittany coast. We have always found this meal to be great value usually with loads of crusty bread and a glass of wine included in the price.
Some of our best family memories are late summer dinners (often after 8.30pm) in our local town square of Guingamp soaking up the gentle relaxed ambience while getting stuck into hordes of mussels. This meal is one of my favourite meals to eat in France and when at home in Australia it brings back memories of those lazy holiday evenings… and it’s so easy to prepare.
Living in Rural France & Salade Niçoise RecipeFor this instalment of ‘Living in France’ we share the story of building a garage, growing vegetables in a potager (French kitchen garden), making friends and our delicious Salade Niçoise Recipe.
Early in what we call our ‘French life’ (we live part time in France and part time in Australia), it was a busy time. We built a new garage. This was not a spur of the moment decision but rather a carefully planned activity. Our home has not previously had a garage and with each holiday Paul and I said to each other “we must build a garage one day”.
Do the colder months of the year make you feel like cooking warm and hearty meals? If so, you’ll love this winter recipe of Cassoulet. Just right for eating in front of a glowing fire, or when friends come over for a relaxed evening of games and fire side chatting.
Cassoulet takes its name from the traditional casserole dish that is used for cooking this stew. It varies regionally in the South of France with the best-known versions originating from Carcassonne, Toulouse and Castelnaudary.
