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I went to wine a tasting recently at le club savour in the 16e. Every one sat around with paper and pencil and water as well as some chesse and bread.The following !998 wines were tasted: -Chateau clinet-pomerol -Chateau mission haut Brion-Pessac leognan -Chateau cos d'estounel-st estephe -Chateau leoville barton- St JUlien A sommeliere went through the basic of wine tasting.Namely color,nose,taste and aftertaste. Overall all the wines ,except for leoville barton were closed ,with high level of tannin.So its more of an intelectual excersize of determining as to which one had a bright future.Cos d'estounel was the favorite as it had more of a presence,even though it had a strong Cuir animal nose (rotten vegetable in my book).My favorite however was the haut brion.it has a much better future as it develops, and the hidden fruit elements of good breed emerges The leoville barton was simple and quite pleasant but not worth the price(28 E). Chateau clinet had strong bouquet ,but the fruit was masked.ITs about average in terms of future prospect. IN conclusion the wines reflected a somewhat flat year for 1998 with no exciting prospect. The 1999 chat d'Yquem was delighfull like all Yquems.However the 1999 was weak in acidity so that it was not as vivaceous.

Report has it that Jacques Genin, creater of the most amazing caramels in the world, allows the occasional visitor in his studio. What else to call the site of such a product? Last spring I called him to learn if I could arrange a visit. The only day I had free was Saturday and that did not work out. This spring I have a better schedule and I hope to arrange a better day. Although he normally sells his sweets only to retailers, restaurants, and hotels, he has been known to sell to his visitors. Has anyone visited him over this past year? Does anyone have any information that might be useful in setting a visit in the future?

Holiday eating This is one of a series of compendia that seeks to provide information available in prior threads on eGullet. Please feel free to add links to additional threads or posts or to add suggestions. Easter What will you eat 14th of July Happy Bastille Day November 11 Nov 11 Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Expat Thanksgiving 2004 Thanksgiving turkey Christmas Traditional Christmas desserts New Year’s Eve New Years Eve dishes and customs New Years Eve menus Epiphany Galette des Rois

I am looking for a little bit of advice if anybody can help. I have been invited to a News Years Eve dinner in the burgundy region, three or four extended families will be in attendance. In order that I can display a little knowledge of this traditional time could anybody shed light on dishes normally served on New Years Eve (if any) and are there any particular customs? Furthermore it is custom in England to listen to the chimes of Big Ben (bells) either on radio or TV come midnight, what is the equivalent in France? One last request, I have invited a number of locals from the village (in Burgundy) to my house on New Years Day for a late lunch, again are there any particular dishes traditionally served on this day? Regards david

(also posted in the France forum) My daughter is having a party in her French class at school and I need to prepare a dessert for the class that would traditionally be served in France during the Christmas season. However, the Buche de Noel has already been "taken" by another student, so that one is out. As for other things, while I can name and prepare a long list of French pastries, I haven't a clue as to what would be most popular during the Christmas season. Thanks for your suggestions!

My daughter is having a party in her French class at school and I need to prepare a dessert for the class that would traditionally be served in France during the Christmas season. However, the Buche de Noel has already been "taken" by another student, so that one is out. As for other things, while I can name and prepare a long list of French pastries, I haven't a clue as to what would be most popular during the Christmas season. Thanks for your suggestions!

We had some terrific grilled Dublin Bay prawns on the English menu or Langoustines on the French menu at Le Bar à Huîtres last week. They were simply grilled with spices and accompanied by white rice. The white rice was cooked with spices also though, and it was really really really good. Is there a traditional rice spice that goes with this preparation? Anyone know what made the rice taste so good? I'm never going to get that quality of langostines at home but I might be able to recreate the rice.

I recently attended a cullinary course where we made a sauce sabayonne, which basicly is a nix of sugar, egg yolks and sweet white wine (If I got it correct). Different combinations with additional ingredients exists, and we used a "Grand Mariner" liquer to add taste. The mixture are whisked in a bowl over steaming water, and gets foamy and airy. The sauce was used as a "bed" for blueberry-porched pears cut into decorative fans. The dessert looks awsome, I'll bring pictures the next time; Questions ; 1) Any other combinations for this recipe than Grand Mariner? 2) My instructor insisted on us whisking the darn sauce until it was back to room temperature. At home I skipped this part, and the sauce split into liquid and foam (!!) Darn intructors always being right! Is this common? Best regards

Hello community, I hope this is the appropriate venue. I will be applying for admission to ESCF for entry next fall. If I am successful, it is our intent (myself, my wife and our child) to live in Paris during the 9 months of the training, and to see what happens after. A couple of questions, at this juncture. Can anyone provide a realistic appraisal of monthly housing costs for a family of three? I have read conflicting information, so if any have actuals, it would be greatly appreciated. We live on futons, now, in the same room - size is not an issue. Can anyone describe options in suburban Paris accomodations? My family's safety is a primary concern, and I have heard conflicting things here, too, so any information would also be appreciated. Finally, my wife will shortly hold EU citizenship (Estonia). While I cannot work during the school term, it is my understanding that with her Estonian citizenship, her ability to work will not be hampered - is this true, or are we being naive? Additionally, one of the things she is considering is au-pair work, in part to secure living quarters for we 3, but from what I have read, au pair work is reserved generally to single men and women. Any thoughts? Any thoughts on these things, or on doing an ex-pat move for a family of 3, generally? Thank you, Paul

What’s in the markets in December The following are reported by Regal and the Almanach du Gastronomie* to appear in the markets in December, or December-January in the case of Regal: Arriving: lobster, langouste, bar, goose, truffles & pears. Leaving: herring, lettuces, turnips, beurre-hardy pears & grapes. In full season: oysters, praires {Ok: trans: dog cockles, feel better?,} sea-urchins, jumbo shrimp, littleneck clams, scallops, merlan, red mullet, daurade, salmon, turkey, poularde, capon, mache, cardoons, Mont d’Or, Roquefort, apples, pears, citrus, exotic fruit and kiwis. Also: anchovies, calamari, ray, sole, deer, pheasant, Touraine grouse/hen, hare, guinea fowl, farm pork, broccoli, crosne, endives, spinach, fennel, frisée, girolles, green beans, parsnips, pumpkin, salsifis, Jerusalem artichoke, pineapples, kumquats, mangoes, physalis {yah, I looked it up, didn’t help}, Abondance, Fourme de Montrison, Laguiole, Munster, Ossau-Iraty, Salers & Vacherin. *Reference: Almanach du Gastronomie by Armelle de Scitivaux (Bottin Goumand, 1998, 133 FF.)

I am having a debate with somebody at the moment regarding the term cordon bleu, not the cooking school but the filling of meat with ham and cheese. I am being told that the term in the US, and nowhere else, means 'stuffed with ham and cheese' I am not aware the term is US related only, am i right in thinking that the term is used elsewhere to mean 'stuffed with ham and cheese'?? Regards David

Could anybody help me to distiguish the food terms below? Many thanks 1. Noix de Saint-Jacques vs Coquilles Saint-Jacques (Scallop, that's all I know) 2. Langoustine, langouste and homard (I just know the size difference) 3. Volaille vs Poulet (Chicken, that's all I know) Another things, not sure whether I'm allowed to ask it at this forum 1. Lobster (Brittany vs Blue vs Scottish) 2. Bar vs Seabass (I heard that they're not exactly the same) 3. Chicken (Bresse vs Blue Foot) 4. Beef (Kobe vs wagyu). What kind of beef/steak usually served in French gastronomy? Sorry for the many questions. Any explaination would be very appreciated. Cheers!

I'll be in Paris for another 6 months and then we'll move somewhere else. Our household goods will take up to 2 months to travel to our next destination. I've seen various compendiums of food stuff that travelers take home and while they are very helpful, I'd like to expand on them since I'll have space in my shipment to send additional items. I'd like to know what I should stock up on to ship to our next home. Things like Herbs de Provence, balsamic vinegar, and italian olive oils. Do you have any suggestions? We've got wine covered and have at least 200 bottles of wine to ship from our various outings to the wine countries Secondly, I'd like to pick up some French cookbooks (written in French) both classic and new. I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for but I'm steering away from Larousse Gastronomic. I want recipes for things I can prepare at home with non-professional skills that are outstanding in their own right. For example, although I'm not a great cook -- I stick to lasagna and other easy to prepare meals when left alone -- I do follow recipes from the following books and always end up with fantastic results. - Joy of Cooking - Bouchon by Thomas Keller - Julia Child's Mastering French Cooking - Death by Chocolate by Marcel Desaulniers What do you recommend? I will at least pick up at least one of Pierre Herme's dessert books.

Does anyone here brave Auchan during the festive season to stock up on festive staples of wine, champagne or even foie gras? They do seem to have incredible offers but I'm always a bit hesitant to buy wine from those evil big supermarkets especially when the prices seem too good to be true. Example, Fitou reserve 2005, € 5 per bottle. Any opinions?

Hi all, I'm doing a little research on cheese shops in Paris (see compendium here, by the way) and I'm a bit confused when it comes to the Dubois name. Older references talk about an Alain Dubois with cheese shops at 80 rue de Tocqueville and 79 rue de Courcelles. But the 2007 Guide des Gourmands awards a Coq d'Or to Martine Dubois (Alain's wife? daughter?), mentions the Tocqueville location only, and praises her "for her courage" in addition to her talent. Does anyone know what happened to/with Alain? I hope this doesn't come out the wrong way -- I'm not hoping for a crunchy bit of gossip, I would just like to understand who owns and operates the cheese shop now! (FYI, and from what I understand, Laurent Dubois, who's a Meilleur Ouvrier de France and has his cheese shop in the 15th at 2 rue de Lourmel, is Martine's nephew.) Thanks for any info you can share! Clotilde.

A friend of mine just returned from Brittany and had some homemade bread that had been made with a french flour that already has leavening in it. He said it was like the french version of bisquick, but that bisquick can not be used as a substitute for this type of flour. He thinks the flour already has yeast in it, rather than baking powder. Any idea how to make this, or buy an equivalent item here in the US?

My old food mentor/advisor/finder and I were musing today on some differences between what is sold on our street and seen on restaurant menus. Only a few years ago in our shopping/schlepping area we had 3 horsemeat stores and 4 regular butcher shops; granted the horsemeat places were one man hole-in-the-walls while the butcher shops employed 2-5 men and women in larger spaces, but in any case there was and is a significant demand for horsemeat vis a vis other meat. In addition, we have a rotisseur who always had and has dinde on the counter. So why are neither to be found on Parisian menus? Is it that Americans would shudder at eating horse; no, they put bunny and Bambi on the carte. Or think turkey was banal or only for holidays; unhuh, chicken breast and salmon are banal too and are common and holiday treats such as foie gras and caviar can be found much of the year. Is it that folks eating out want upscale products and a higher class experience when eating outside the home? No, one finds plenty of what were once trash fish as well as cheaper products such as calamari and chicken livers on menus. Perhaps we live in a non-standard, irregularly-eating, strange demographic area? Can't be, folks come from all over to our markets. So there must be another explanation. Which is........?

This is one of a series of compendia that seeks to provide information available in prior threads on eGullet. Please feel free to add links to additional threads or posts or to add suggestions. Sending mustard to the US What to take to the next country Shipping Gifts for French friends Gifts for Americans Gifts to France Things to bring each way What do you bring home from Paris Expat substitutions

This is one of a series of compendia that seeks to provide information available in prior threads on eGullet. Please feel free to add links to additional threads or posts or to add suggestions. Paris markets Tomato hunt Organic Beets Foodie streets Marche Auchan St Antoine Lyon Supermarkets Carmes Beaune Maison Rousseau Lyon Marche Forville Cannes

I assume that the Monoprix on Opera has this product. It flew out of our host's frig door and broke. The French plastic is thinner than the American. If Monoprix lacks it, I guess the choice will have to be Bon Marche across the river. Any other usggestions I should consider.

A member sent me a query about what wine shop in Paris would have a "decent selection" of Alsace wines. My first guess would be Lavinia, but I thought I'd put the question up for grabs. Ideas?

Last night I made Mille Crepe for dessert. No photos though, but it was quite a pretty sight. I had posted under Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme thread and the What are you eating for Dessert thread, but I'll repeat myself here to start this new. I decided to do a chocolate version. For the crepes, I used the Pierre Herme chocolate crepes recipe. As the only beer I had on hand was a stronger Sam Adams Brown Ale, my crepes came out nutty tasting. For the filling I used the Pierre Herme chocolate pastry cream recipe but added about 2T of Frangelico. The pastry cream was then lighted with 1 1/2 cups of cream whipped with 2T of Frangelico. Came out beautiful and delicious. One issue I had with the cake though, was how it ended up being eaten. Slicing servings with the knife was easy -- nice clean cuts. However, we ended up eating the cake by layers since a fork squished a lot of the filling out before cutting through the crepes. I'd like to see the filling less squish prone, but not rubbery. Some tinkering needed.

To Lure the French: Don't BeToo Sweet The article will only be available for a limited time but there are also three recipes: Dziriate (small pastries filled w/a rosewater-honey ground almond fillilng) Cornes de Gazelles (small pastries filled w/ground almonds flavored with cinnamon and orange water) Hazelnut Baklava Other pastries mentioned without recipes: ghribia -- a mound-shaped cookie made from semolina flour, butter, and just a touch of sugar makrout — soft, Fig Newton-like cakes made from semolina, honey and dates Chef Zadi is mentioned as a consultant on adapting some of the recipes! Parisian Maghreb Pastry Shops mentioned: La Bague de Kenza ("BK", an Algerian pastry shop w/several locations including near the Bastille and in the 11th arrondissment) Pâtisserie Malika (Morrocan pastry, Boulevard de Ménilmontant in the 20th arrondissement) Cookbook: Les Douceurs de Kenza by L'Hassan Rahmani and Samira Fahim (Minerva, 2005).

We are going to travel through Provence in May and will probably go to markets and find things to picnic with for lunch, but we also need a few supplies. Do they sell coolers in a supermarket or do we need to go to another type of store? I know it is a silly question, but here in Israel you can only buy a cooler at somewhere like Ace. In the States I have seen styrofoam coolers in supermarkets. If you have any markets are other specialty shops to suggest for the makings of a nice romantic picnic in Avignon area and aroung Antibes, then please let me know.

What’s in the markets in May The following are in full season in May (the underlined ones are the major items): mackerel, St Pierre, merlu, lamb, veal, cow cheese, goat cheese, camembert AOC, asparagus, broad beans, petit pois, small artichokes, radishes, purslane, salicorne, mousseron, strawberries and rhubarb, I’m relying principally on the Almanach du Gastronomie by Armelle de Scitivaux (Bottin Goumand, 1998, 133 FF) since my Regal hasn’t yet arrived.