‘Mastering the Art of French Eating’, the new food memoirs from my friend Ann Mah, is meant to be devoured. The book explores France’s regional cuisine and the passionate people who uphold the traditions over the course of a year in Paris while Ann’s diplomat husband is on a mission in Iraq. Each personal anecdote and confession of loneliness during his absence leads to a dish, a fixture of the national consciousness, that illustrates the salving power of food. Ann found a sense of comfort and home in the people and recipes she discovered along her travels and this comes to life through ten chapters of affective storytelling and delicious detail.
Here, she shares her favorite French food souvenirs and offers a copy of her book to one lucky reader! Read on…
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There are few experiences as wonderful as traveling around France and eating. But, happily, while my book research taught me all about French regional cuisine, it also offered many shopping opportunities. Here are my favorite food souvenirs, discovered on the road, and brought home to my kitchen. They help bring me back to France, if only for an instant.
Honey — Before I lived in France, I had no idea so many different kinds of honey even existed. But French apiculteurs seem to delight in herding their bees to produce distinct saveurs of miel. There’s Provencal lavender (flowery and clean), chestnuts (strong, musky), and raspberry flowers (my current favorite) to name just a few. It’s fun to experiment with them — I like to sweeten fruit tarts with lavender honey, while chestnut honey works well in meat marinades.
Cassole — A visit to the Languedoc, that is, cassoulet country, is incomplete without a stop at Pôterie Not Frères, where they still make cassoles — the traditional cassoulet cooking vessel — by hand. I admit, these terracotta bowls are heavy, fragile and cumbersome to stash in your suitcase. You’ll forget all the hassle once you’re home.
Fleur de Sel – Yes, you can buy this anywhere – I’ve even seen it for sale in Beijing, China. But it’s vastly cheaper in France (skip the fancy food shops and head to a supermarket, like Monoprix). It’s also easy to pack, light, and nonperishable. Win, win, win!
Chocolate and caramels – As I discovered during my book research trip to Brittany, caramel au beurre salé was invented for tourists. No matter – it’s still delicious. But my favorite caramels are the passion fruit sweetmeats made by Jacques Génin, at once tangy and buttery. I also love the wheel of chocolate found at Jean-Charles Rochoux, a chocolaterie in the 6ème. It resembles a miniature tête de moine cheese – and it even comes with a special paring device so you can create pretty flower-shaped shavings.
Food postcards – Perhaps this is just my particularity. But I love the slightly tacky food postcards found at French souvenir shops, the ones that picture a photo of the region’s signature dish, along with a recipe. I buy as many varieties as I can find and compare the recipes. In fact, I’m not sure why I buy these postcards because I’ve never actually sent one. I have a shoebox in my closet that’s overflowing with them.
–‘MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH EATING’ GIVEAWAY–
Already own a copy? Enter to win one for a friend!
To enter:
1. Leave a comment below with your favorite food souvenir in France!
2. For an extra entry, follow Ann on Twitter: @AnnMahNet, then leave a separate comment telling me you did.
3. For an extra entry, tweet the following message: I’m entered to win ‘Mastering the Art of French Eating’ by @annmahnet from @LostNCheeseland + @PamelaDormanBks!
A winner will be selected at random and announced here on October 25th. For more on Ann’s work, subscribe to her blog HERE, join her Facebook page HERE and pick up copies of her books HERE.
UPDATE: Congratulations to Emily Grossman! You will receive your copy shortly.
