The
guide to eating in France, its intricacies,
methods and secrets. If you feel you can
improve or add to this section please email
us.
Eating in France is an enjoyable experience.
If budgeting is a problem have a look at
our cost saving tips including set menus
for dinner and the rules of drinking cafè.
SPECIALTIES
Creme Brulee
Lemon Tort
Sorbet
Crepes
In Paris - hot dogs - a third of a baguette
with a frankfurter, melted cheese and Dijon
mustard.
HOW IT'S EATEN
Dinner is always served in a particular
order and and as a series of courses starting
with soup, a main and desert.
Breakfast is an espresso and a croissant
or similar pastry like pain au chocolat
(chocolate filled pastry) or a tartine (buttered
stick of baguette).
HOW TO ORDER IN A RESTAURANT
Always wait to be served in French cafès
and restaurants. There is no need to go
to the bar for example to get drinks. To
get the waiters attention, use the word
serveur although monsieur, madame/mademoiselle
will also do the trick. A typical French
dinner is a series of courses. The cheapest
option is to eat the set menu. Virtually
all cafès have a set menu (menu formule)
which costs about €7.50-15 for a three
course meal. A typical menu will start with
soup, then a main course, and desert.
SHOPPING FOR FOOD
French supermarkets can have different levels
for different items. Food should all be
contained on the one level. If you can't
find what you are looking for it's possible
there is another floor that you have missed.
HYGIENE
Dogs are allowed inside most shops, even
some fast food outlets.
FOOD BUDGET PER DAY
If you eat out three meals a day you can
budget on:
Breakfast - Euros 2 for coffee and pastry,
10 in and around train stations.
Lunch - Euros 5 for a panini and drink
Dinner - Euros 15 - 20 for a main course
and wine
ALCOHOL
Alcohol is usually consumed with every meal
eaten out, normally wine.
To order beer in French ask for a demi (a
half pint), un serieux (a pint) or une formidable
(a litre), although the standard café
drink is the demi.
Espresso coffee and pastis are the cheapest
drinks followed by wine and beer. Bottled
water, Coca Cola, tea or fruit juice are
more expensive.
To cut costs further order un carafe d'eau
(a jug of tap water) not bottled water.
For large groups a pichet of house wine
is a cheap option.
COFFEE
As with other places in Europe there is
an art to drinking cafè in France,
and a set of customs that only the locals
seem to understand. It is cheaper to buy
cafè at the bar standing (au comptoir
or zinc) than sitting down (à terrace
or salle). Prices also tend to be more expensive
after 8pm. They are also more expensive
in tourist area for example in Paris anything
near the Sacre Coeur, Opéra, the
Effiel Tower, the Notre Dame and anything
on the Champs-Elysée and Boulevard
St-Germain near Saint-Germain-des-Près
will be about €3 for an espresso -
even at the bar. The normal price is €1.
There are a number of kinds of coffee. Saying
simply café will produce an espresso
in France.
café or café expres espresso
- short, black and strong
café allongé - espresso with
extra hot water
café serré - extra short espresso
café crème - coffee with hot
milk
café au lait - caffè latte,
coffee with lots of hot milk
cappucino - cappucino, coffee with frothy
milk
RECIPES
If you have a great recipe of French food
to share with readers please email
us.
Crème Brulee http://www.vtliving.com/recipes/vtchefs/cremebrulee.shtml
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
6 Tbs white granulated sugar
5 large egg yolks
1 Tbs pure vanilla extract
granulated sugar
Directions:
Scald cream in heavy-duty saucepan. Beat
yolks, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer
until pale and thick. Slowly pour hot cream
into egg mixture while beating at the lowest
speed. Ladle into custard cups and place
in roasting pan. Pour very hot water into
pan, to two-thirds up the sides of cups.
Bake at 325 degrees for 35-45 minutes. DO
NOT OVER BAKE- the middles can still be
"nervous".
Remove cups from pan and let cool. Chill
if holding for any length of time before
serving. Just before serving, sprinkle top
with granulated sugar and caramelize using
either a propane torch or by popping under
a broiler until sugar is browned and bubbly.
(The Parker House torches them!) Garnish
with a few raspberries or other fruits if
desired. Bon appetite!
French Onion Soup (http://www.soupsong.com/ronion3.html)
This French country dish can be a meal,
lunch or dinner, with lots of salad and
crusty French bread--hot to 8-12 people.
Ingredients:
1 stick butter (8 Tablespoons)
8 cups onions, thinly sliced
3 Tablespoons flour
3 quarts beef stock
1 Tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup brandy
1 teaspoon BV meat glaze (or kitchen bouquet,
bovril, or oxo, in a pinch)--optional grated
Gruyere cheese
grated Parmesan cheese
French bread
olive oil
Directions:
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven and add
the onions, stirring constantly. cook for
5-7 minutes, until soft.
In the meantime, cut slices of French bread
into 1/2 inch pieces and toast them at 350
degrees in the oven for about 15 minutes--until
they are dry crusts.
When the onions are soft, sprinkle them
with flour, stir, then add 2 cups of beef
stock and stir until the mixture is thickened.
Add the remaining stock, stir into 1 Tablespoon
of salt, the pepper, and the brandy. Bring
to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour
to an hour. Add the meat glaze and taste
for seasoning.
When you're ready to serve, ladle the soup
into individual bowls and cover each with
a thick handful of Gruyere cheese. Top each
with a piece of the toasted bread, which
has been drizzled with olive oil. Sprinkle
it with the Parmesan, then run them under
a broiler for a few minutes and carry out
to the table.
RECIPE BOOKS
Search Amazon.com
for great recipe books and culinary topics.
Here are some interesting titles (click
on the titles for more information):
