Turkeys are the centerpieces of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner and are as American as apple pie and Coca-Cola. This bird appeared in the Americas around one million years ago before arriving in Europe, becoming a favorite at the royal court of Louis XIV and across the French kingdom! Turkeys were long a source of confusion for Europeans. Christopher Columbus, who...
It is hard to think of a more American tradition than Thanksgiving! Yet it is quite easy to add a little French flavor to your dinner while still serving the traditional turkey. With this in mind, France-Amérique gathered some expert advice from twelve French-American gourmets. Dominique Crenn, French chef, owner of three restaurants in San Francisco, author of the book...
Connoisseurs are not happy simply sipping fine wine. They also like to wax lyrical about their characteristics. Thank God (or, rather, Bacchus), they have an almost infinite vocabulary for expressing sensations. And this list is not as old as you might think. While Rabelais and Montaigne, two well-known vino buffs, sing the praises of wine in their writing, neither of...
Have you ever dreamed of enjoying a bouillabaisse or a platter of braised ribs prepared by double Michelin-star French chef Daniel Boulud, without reserving a table at the exclusive Daniel restaurant? You can now indulge from your home thanks to the Goldbelly food delivery service. The Covid-19 pandemic forced French chef Daniel Boulud to close his eight U.S. restaurants in...
Auguste Escoffier, a chef, businessman, and genius inventor, changed French culinary arts forever. Director Olivier Julien has retraced the history of this man in touch with his time in a thorough, original docudrama to discover on TV5MONDE USA on October 14. France-Amérique: Did you know about Escoffier before looking deeper into his story? Olivier Julien: I had heard of him,...
There is so much more to French food than cheese and wine! Whether Dijon mustard, macarons, compotes, Orangina, or duck breast fillets, you can eat (almost) as if you were in France without leaving America. Here is a rundown of the culinary gems you can find at your local deli or online. The art of eating à la française is not limited to...
Melissa Clark was celebrating the release of her latest book, "Dinner in French," when lockdown began in New York City. Since then, the "New York Times" food writer and author of 43 cookbooks (including one written with French chef Daniel Boulud) has spread her love of French cuisine through online cooking demos, live videos on Instagram, and simple recipes tailored...
Jean-Georges Vongerichten has lived in New York since 1986, and made the city the capital of his culinary empire. The French restaurant owner reigns over 39 establishments, including 25 in the United States. He guarantees the same quality of service from Las Vegas to Singapore, and still finds time to cook for his friends! The clock strikes 5:30 pm in...
While Americans watch expectantly for the groundhog to emerge on February 2, the French will be flipping crêpes with their families. Known as Chandeleur in French and "Candlemas" in English, this event mixes pagan, Celtic, and catholic influences, and is named after the candles used for a pagan ritual celebrating the arrival of the harvest. In 472, Pope Gelasius I...
This golden, frangipane-filled cake appears in boulangeries and patisseries at the end of December. King cake or la galette des rois, is traditionally eaten with the family on the first Sunday after New Year’s Day, but many enjoy it from December 31 and throughout the whole month of January! Along with Yule logs and Easter eggs, this is another unmissable...
With the end-of-year celebrations almost upon us, what is the best way to host a dinner à la française without committing a faux pas? Here are a few invaluable tips for putting on a meal fit for the finest French tables. In the olden days in France, young women from well-to-do families all had a bible of good manners, Usages...
In France, foie gras is the star turn of the festive dinner table, but in California it has been banned since January and it will be banned in New York City in 2020. Influential restaurant owners, supermarket chains, movie stars, animal protection organizations — and even a pope — have blacklisted the delicacy. But French producers won’t give up. A wave...
With prolific writing and the creation of his 100-point scale, world-famous wine critic Robert Parker, who announced his retirement last May, is behind the public’s newfound wine fascination. As a wine retailer in New York City, I found myself swept up in “Parkermania” in the 1980s. Robert Parker and his newsletter, The Wine Advocate, were the talk of the wine world....
From Abondance in Haute-Savoie and Valençay in Berry to Corsican Brocciu and Munster from the Vosges, artisan cheesemaker Dominique Bouchait presents 45 iconic French cheeses in a coffee-table book published by Rizzoli. A mouth-watering work filled with anecdotes and practical advice. “How could you possibly govern a country in which there are 246 varieties of cheese?” exclaimed Charles de Gaulle....
[Partner article] Since its opening as a small charcuterie shop selling pâtés and quiches in New York in 1975, Les Trois Petits Cochons (The Three Little Pigs) has taken pride in combining elevated with accessible, maintaining the company’s premium sourcing, production, and quality standards that make for great French food products. This longtime specialty leader has gone back their roots,...
In 2005, Chicago Tribune reporter Mark Caro didn’t know a thing about foie gras. He then spent five years interviewing producers in the U.S. and in France as well as animal rights advocates, and published a book on the topic, The Foie Gras Wars. Ten years after the book’s release and in light of the ban recently introduced by the...
The production and sale of foie gras have been banned once again in California. The law became enforceable on January 7, but how will it be applied and what are the consequences for the market? We interviewed key players in the sector and those who support the ban. Tara Gallegos, spokesperson for the California Attorney General’s Office, which is responsible...
The appeal by producers and restaurant owners has been rejected by the Supreme Court, and the law banning the production and sale of foie gras in California came into effect on January 7. While the appeal was still underway, foie gras remained legal in California. And the procedure filed in March 2018 by the Quebec Association of Duck and Goose...
It's the perfect French holiday dessert. Made with sponge cake or fruit mousse, topped with chocolate, coffee, or chestnut cream, the yule loge will bring a nice final touch to your Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's Eve dinner! For this occasion, France-Amérique recommends this recipe by Parisian pastry chef Sébastien Gaudard, which was recently published in François-Régis Gaudry's coffee-table book Let's...
Thanksgiving is the one day in the year which, as O. Henry reminds us, is purely American. It’s also the only day when overeating is considered a patriotic duty. And when, according to another keen observer, we surpass the French in culinary matters... Spare a thought on November 22 for those Americans living in France who will try to recreate the...
Pascaline Lepeltier first studied philosophy before deciding to train as a sommelier. After working in New York for almost ten years, she has recently become the first woman to receive the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France title in the sommellerie category. Pascaline Lepeltier has made her way to the top. On October 2, she was the only woman among nine...
