A Culinary Tour Around the World: France

September 11, 2001. Halfway through a 10-day tour, we got the awful news about what happened in America. We were in Nimes, the second of 3 cities on our itinerary. Those of us who were American banded together in one hotel room to watch the events unfold on CNN. It was very difficult to be so far from home and our loved ones. The airports were closed and we had no choice but to continue with the tour. Over the remainder of the week, the French we encountered were warm, sympathetic and stood in total solidarity with us. It was a real moment of unity. End of story. On to the current tour.

Food and Culture 

? France was the epicenter of gastronomy for centuries.

? Meals range from very rustic (provencal) to very elaborate (haute cuisine).

? August Escoffier (1846-1935) was considered "the chef of emperors and emperor of chefs".

? Around the millennium (2000), France started to lose it's long held stature -- not because of any failing on its part but merely because of globalization and the powerful rise of interest in all things 'food'. While still excellent, they no longer dominate.

? We should always remain grateful to them, however, for what they brought to the universal table: foie gras, truffles, escargot, dijon mustard, champagne, wine, culinary techniques...and style!

Back to my first trip. It seemed everywhere we went in France, we ate moules (mussels). Many times they were served with fries, but just give me a hunk of bread and I'm a very happy woman. So it was a no-brainer what I'd make for this leg of the trip. I did research other recipes but, in the end, I was still craving bistro food. Ooh, la, la! And speaking of ooh, la, la...my friend Mme Marie Levay, a French woman I met on that trip and with whom I've remained friends, has her own slant on that expression which makes me giggle every time... "ooh, la, la; 13 kids and no papa". 

cooked, served...gone!

Pissaladiere (French Onion & Anchovy Pizza)

Et les restants...? (And the leftovers?) 

Even better the next day with a fried egg.

Since 2001, I've  been back to France once (Nice & Cannes). I'd love some day to have the opportunity to explore the whole country from north to south and east to west. The food is too good not to sit at that table again and again!

I'm looking forward to seeing which of my food blogger friends is waiting for me at the cáfe in Montmarte where we will sup on what they prepared while being entertained by street musicians. And perhaps we'll have one of the street artists do a caricature of our group. They are charmingly persuasive!

Then, dear arm-chair-travelers, we're off to Portugal...arriving on or before February 9. From Portugal we go to Romania Feb 16; Ethiopia Feb 23; Russia March 2; India March 9; Mongolia March 16; Philippines March 23; Peru March 30; returning to the USA (the South) on April 6. (Itinerary subject to change). If you would like to join the tour and showcase your blog and a recipe, event details are in the post dated January 2. (Red indicates change of destination.)

And, as we leave France, remember "La vie est trop courte pour boire du mauvais vin" (life's too short to drink bad wine).

Please, don't forget to send in an unpublished recipe to BloggerAid. We are going to be publishing a great cookbook toward the end of the year with all proceeds going to charity.