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Watchdog highlights Christmas food shopping ‘scams’ in France
Pastries with palm oil, excess packaging, inflated prices…vote for the worst ‘scam’ in this food watchdog’s annual contest
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Legendary British cookery writer was inspired by Antibes - and its market
Sarah Hyde, who now lives in the town, explores Elizabeth David’s connection with its marché provençal. We also share one of her recipes
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The basics of French cheese and wine pairing
Columnist Jonathan Hesford looks at the types of cheese and styles of wine that match
French food notes: Asian food sour not sweet in France
In our series providing a sideways glance at French food, we ask why the French accept mediocre Asian cooking
You could have knocked this food noter down with a Thai basil leaf recently when, during a delightful sojourn in Amiens, I had a ‘French’ Asian culinary experience that smashed long-held preconceptions and left me gobsmacked – for once, the food was authentic and superb. It was such a rare find that I went back three nights in a row.
No UK expat in France is safe from the curse of the disappointing sit-down in a Indian, Chinese or Thai (let’s not even mention the state of takeaways).
We do our best to pretend it’s ok, of course (night out!), but the lack of quality/freshness/choice/flavour/spice winds us up like little else in France – a place, let us not forget, where everyone is a self-proclaimed food expert and you cannot so much as alter one ingredient in a boeuf bourguignon without being hailed a traitor to the memory of Mamie and her recipe or threatened with eternal gastronomic damnation.
Then there is the bizarre geographical appropriation witnessed in those all-encompassing ‘restaurants Asiatiques’, which manage to meld several countries’ specialities in the entrée course alone.
Soggy springs rolls (nems) sit alongside defrosted, cardboard samosas like embarrassed culinary bedfellows.
The worst is yet to come for the poor nems – about to be wrapped in soggy lettuce and mint in a fumbling ritual seemingly from Mars.
Curry and stir-fry sauces are available in jars here, of course, but at twice the price as the UK – French supermarkets clearly know we will pay the earth for our spice fix!
So it seems we have five options – make our own; go to Amiens (restaurant name available upon request); go back to the UK more often for a lamb balti; stop moaning and open a ‘Pan-Asian’ restaurant (how hard can it be?); or retreat into blissful ignorance like French nem-munchers.
Email your thoughts please: editorial@connexionfrance.com
Gadget inspector
Stylish serviettes to snazz up your dinner party decor
Madura is, for some, the go-to high street store for top quality curtains and cushion covers, not to mention sofas and armchairs, but the firm, which started out in 1971, also does a fine line in elegant napkins.
Get creative with your dinner table look: beige, grey, yellow, pink and blue are among the colours added to its Carlina range.
The washed, slightly creased linen is finished with a black bourdon (tightly spaced, decorative) stitch. 45x45cm, price €7 each.
Now available
New boullions in a bottle offer flavourful goodness
Is it a soup? Is it a juice? No, it’s a bouillon!
This range of healthy concoctions is called Bú (from the verb boire – to drink), and is 100% organic, 100% vegetarian, as well as additive and preservative free.
They come in hot and cold, savoury and sweet options and have funky names like ‘Le Câlin’ (The Cuddle – petit pois and coconut milk, €5.80 for 48cl) and ‘Le Malicieux’ (The Mischievous One – pear with star anis and ginger, €6.40 for 50cl).
Not cheap, but delicious. https://bubouillons.fr