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| Un Repas Traditionnel en France. A traditional meal in France. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The French love celebrating special occasions, especially with a meal. There are four or five courses. Different wines are chosen to go with each dish. Bread is eaten with each dish, except dessert. A meal for a special occasion can last up to four or five hours. No-body gets impatient. People profit from the time in savouring the different dishes, tasting the diferent wines and in friendly discussion. That's the art of "savoir-manger".
It's usual to serve the apéritif and to have a chat before eating. Here, the host is offering Pastis (an aniseed alcohol drunk with water - in the blue jug), Port, Kir, (blackcurrant liqueur drunk with white wine) and whisky.
The French for nibblies is "amuse-guêles" or "mouth teasers". Nibblies could be nuts, chips, savouries on toast, etc. Vol aux vents are a popular form of hors d'oeuvre. They may have mushrooms, prawns, chicken, fish or meat in a savoury or cream sauce inside them.
On the right, is the "trou Normand" The main dish - "la pièce de résistance" you can't resist this delicious meal! Often served without potatoes, just vegetables. Here ae some examples.
You could be offered gâteau, a tarte, ice cream or fruit that is in season.
To finish the meal, you will be offered coffee and an after dinner drink, such as cognac (brandy), or a fruit liqueur, such as strawberry, raspberry, cherry, plum or blueberries. Petits fours are little sweet biscuits which are eaten with the coffee.
This was a real Brithday menu, served at home. This was for a person who is Greek, which is why Greek wines were selected. As you can see, the hostess has prepared a gourmet meal since she is offering: lobster, scallops for an entrée, followed by truffles with scrambled eggs (considered one of the best ways of serving truffles). Truffles are very a expensive type of fungus (mushroom). People often call them "black gold" since they cost about $1,000 a kilo! The main course is Fois gras of duck, served with a little soft bread cake with prunes. "Quelques feuilles" is a way of saying "green salad". |
| L'art du savoir-manger. The art of "Savoir-Manger" | |||
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On this page: It's always polite to take a little gift when you are invited out to dinner. Here are some suggestions:
Flowers are always appreciated - BUT never take chrysanths as they are the flowers of the dead!
it may be better to avoid a bottle of wine since it can suggest that you think your host might not offer you a good wine. However, if the wine is unusual or say, offered as Australian wine from an Australian, then it is very acceptable.
A typical souvenir from your own country, not too ostentatious, is quite appropriate.
A box of chocolates never goes astray!
Always arrive on time for a meal. It is "impoli" to be late. If you are held up in traffic or with something happening unexpectedly, ensure you telephone your host to warn them, and to say how late you will be. Avoid overeating! It is tempting to fill up on delicious early courses, not leaving enough room for the later ones. Refusing your host's food may be seen as impolite! Les Français adorent célébrer les fêtes – surtout avec des repas spéciaux. Il y a quatre ou cinq plats. Des vins différents sont sélectionnés pour accompagner chaque plat. On mange du pain avec chaque plat, sauf le dessert. Un repas de fête peut durer quatre ou cinq heures. Personne n’impatiente. On profite du temps qui passe en savourant le choix de plats, en dégustant les vins différents, et en discussion amicale. Ça, c’est l’art de savoir-manger. un apéro Une boisson alcoolisée, eg. Le whisky, l’Oporto, le Pernod, le champagne. C'est normal de prendre un petit apéro et de discuter avant de servir le repas. Voilà du pastis, de l'Oporto, du Kir et du Whisky. Les hors d'oeuvres Les amuse-gueules, les noix, les chips, les canapés, etc. Les vol aux vents sont aussi populaires comme hors d'oeuvres. L'entrée Souvent une salade, du pâté, de la charcuterie ou des crudités. Les photos sont des entrées qui sont assez répandues - des terrines, des crudités ou des salades. Un trou normand / un sorbet Pour se rafraîchir entre les deux plats. Un trou normand est un petit calvados – une eau de vie de pommes - une boisson de la Normandie. Quelque fois, on sert un petit sorbet.
Un trou normand - a little shot of Calvados, apple brandy from Normandy. Le plat principal Le « plat de résistance » - Tu ne peux pas résister à ce plat délicieux ! A gauche, un confit du canard, aux marrons et aux haricots verts, une truite à la meunière et des pommes de terre à vapeur. Une salade Une salade verte pour se rafraîchir avant le fromage. Par habitude, l'hôtesse prépare la vinaigrette de sa propre recette. Les fromages Au moins 3 ou 4, surtout des spécialités de la région. A gauche, du Roquefort, un fromage de brebis, et un fromage de chèvre. On mange le fromage avec du pain. Les desserts, les fruits On offre un gâteau, une tarte, une glace, des fruits en saison
A gauche, une tarte aux framboises, et au-dessus un sorbet aux fruits rouges
Le digestif Un digestif est une boisson alcoolisée comme le cognac ou une eau de vie de fraise, de framboise, de cerise, (kirsch), de prunes, de myrtilles, etc. Below are handwritten menus for a wedding. The "délice montagnard" was locally smoked ham. "Quelques feuilles" are green saland. The "Frivolités" were little petits fours. The "Rochers de choux" was the French style wedding cake.
For dinner , the "Soupe franc-comtoise" was an onion soup, the "Salé des gourmets" the locally smoked ham, and the "Chinoiseries" were petits fours. A different wine, specifically selected to match the food, was served with each course of both menus.
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Une île flottante- A "floating island" - is meringue, with crème anglaise - "English cream", a fancy name for custard!
Page last updated
October 23, 2013 3:05 PM
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