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 16th May 2008
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French food & cuisine
Le Gastrozone is your one-stop stock of information on la vie gourmande in France. Brought to you by Gemma Driver, FrenchEntrée’s resident gastronome. Gemma is a food writer, who has lived in the rural Dordogne for 4 years. Check out her latest reviews, recipes, food & drink trivia and tips. She demystifies French eating habits and traditions, and regularly imparts her valuable advice and recommendations on 'la cuisine' in France. Contact Gemma by email at Le Gastrozone more about Gemma Driver... French Flavour of the Month Check out FrenchEntrée's series of delicious recipes using a seasonal star ingredient. * January - Raclette * February - Pigeon * March - Sea Bass * April - Simnel cake * May - Spring lamb * June - Cherries * July - Cognac * August - Charentaise melon * September - Courgettes * October - Quince * November - Cèpes * December - Christmas PLUS WILD FOODS! rosehips, sloe berries and crab apples  Reader's ViewpointFrench Eating Rituals “You Americans eat lunch standing up; debout!” mealtimes in France... Article ArchiveA chance to read previous Gastrozone articles.French Snail Farm.jpg) ...Snails are so very French. I went to a local snail farm to learn about how they get from mud to your mouth.... Cookery Courses In France .jpg){kind=small} ...Masterchef finalist, Jim Fisher, took his cutting-edge skills and enviable cheffing experience to the rural Dordogne. I was invited to come and find out exactly how the holidays work. ... And here's a feature about Jim's life, Cook in France Lauren Booth Comes to Lunch .jpg){kind=small} ...The well-known journalist loves the French approach to food and living... Fromage de la Trappe .jpg) ...Trappist cheese from Échourgnac. I speak to the nuns who make it.... Private Chefs Become Popular in France .jpg) I caught up with Emmanuel Sofonéa, a private chef from Antibes, to find out why his service is becoming so popular... A Traditional Bakery in France .jpg) The 26 year old set up the successful wood-fired bakery, ‘Le Pain de Peyrignac’, with his girlfriend, Sabrina Manière, 24, one year ago.I went to see Nicolas, and find out how they manage to supply the huge demand for their extra special bread. La Poissonnerie Moderne  I speak to the owners of a traditional French poisonerie, and find out what it takes to keep their shop stocked with a huge variety of very fresh seafood.The 'Vendange' Meals  My tale of the vendange (grape harvest) meals, including the immensely bolstering casse-croûte breakfast served with wine! Oysters Farmed in France  A look at the life of an oyster and it's farmer. I visited an oyster farmer at Gujan-Mestras, on the Arcachon Basin, to find out, among other things, how the oyster parks prepared for the huge French Christmas rush.Foie Gras Production  I spent several days with Isabelle Viresolvit, on her duck farm in rural Périgord - one of the regions, which claims to be THE foie gras-producing region of France. I watched Isabelle work and we discussed her methods for producing foie gras.French Food Festivals  Winter food festivals in south-west France. We have had two national food festivals in our area, in the last couple of weeks! The first was the internationally renowned ‘Salon International du Livre Gourmand’...Mardi Gras .jpg){kind=small} ...or ‘Fat Tuesday’ is the French term for Shrove Tuesday. The French enjoy a day of feasting on cakes and sparkling wineFrench Goat's Cheese .jpg) The work of artisan goat cheese producers in France. An interview Christelle and Dominique Foucaut, who are a dying breed of cheese producers. A French Master ‘Chocolatier’ .jpg) ‘La Chocolaterie’ is a sight to behold. Its incredible window displays draw the customer’s attention into the shop, where they can watch Eric at work.Snuffling for Truffles .jpg) A 'truffle ramble'. We went on a local ‘randonnée de la truffe’, and found out about the business of growing 'des truffes'. "...We didn’t really know what to expect, but were surprised by the large turnout on that misty, frosty morning - around 80 of us! After a little wait in the medieval square..." Your IdeasQuestions and FeedbackContact me if you have any food or drink-related questions, or if there's anything French and foodie that you would like to see investigated.Any food or drink gems that you have discovered? Would you like to recommend your favourite restaurant? Get in touch! Also, any feedback on Le Gastrozone is always very welcome. Email me - or ring +33 (0)5 53 05 58 62. |
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 More copper cookware is sold in France than anywhere else in the world. Why? Because... French cookware explained...
BBQ - PRO Q 3 in 1
 Easy to use, efficient and economical. Can BBQ, grill, roast and smoke all meats and vegetables for flavoursome healthy meals. Learn More Information StoreAccess everyday information to help your French food-shopping experiences flow more smoothly.Seafood Vocabulary  If you are bewildered by the range of seafood, the names, and the questions you are asked at the seafood counter, this should help!French Meat Cuts  It is not just a case of simple translation when buying meat in France, because the French cuts differ from those in the UK. Here are some explanations and vocabulary...Mysterious Veg  How to use the mysterious vegetables that you see in French markets.Flour in France .jpg){kind=small} Which flour to use for what; about the grades.Foie Gras Explained  Being unused to this product in the UK, the various forms of foie gras can be confusing at first...Market Tasters in France  How to deal with traders offering tasters at the markets of France.Market Manners in France  "How to deal with market stall pressure.British Vs French Supermarket Stock  Differences between French and British supermarket stock; how it is treated differently, and where it comes from.Supermarket Vs Market  The differences between supermarket stock and that of the markets and individual shops. What do you get for your money?Ordering Steak  How to request the ‘doneness’ of a steak in French.Sauce Names  Ever wondered what the difference is between ‘Béarnaise’ and ‘Périgordine’ sauces?French Cookery Cookbooks Looking to improve your French cookery skills? The FrenchEntrée bookshop features an excellent selection of French Cookery cookbooks to enable you to improve your French cookery skills. Deux-Sèvres MenuEasy-to-do recipes for a 3 course meal. If you're lacking inspiration for your supper or a dinner party, you could try this excellent 3 course meal from the Deux-Sèvres region of Western France. Deux-Sèvres menu... Supermarket WasteBritish supermarkets could learn from the French If you are familiar with French supermarkets, you may have noticed all the local produce that they stock. The management and the customers simply wouldn't accept a shop stocked with the same produce as all the other outlets in all the regions of France. The British supermarkets operate in stark contrast to these ethics. This, coupled with a rejection of good produce, for cosmetic reasons, mean that Britain is wasting millions of tonnes of food a day... supermarket waste... Question?If you have a question, Email me! My question is, what exactly is a mabre? Some kind of terrine perhaps?Any info you may have would be greatfully appreciated, thanks! Christina Bowen Hotelschool The Hague to the answer... Recommended ReadingUseful books reviewed.This section of Le Gastrozone is where you will find suggestions for helpful books on cooking and food in France.Current recommendation: 'The A - Z of French Food', Scribo Editions.  This unusual, almost quaint glossary is an indispensable handbook for anyone who is not totally fluent in French. There is always something on the menu which... The A - Z of French Food... |
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Do you love wine and dream of having a wine cellar of your own instead of just buying a bottle or bag-in-box when needed? Grahame Martin's guide to starting a wine cellar will show you how to go about it…
We've got a new section full of reviews, articles and ideas for foodie breaks in France. From wine tasting courses and cooking holidays, to luxury food tours and tips for vegetarians...
“Avoine, avoine, avoine..?”, I try again, saying it differently each time, in the hope that I will fall on the right pronunciation, the right vowel sound, which I, with my American tongue, have trouble with...
Wine is one of the joys of France. But unlike New World wine that is labelled according to grape, the French system is a complicated mix of regions, appellations and even chateaux. So how to tell what you are buying? Seasoned wine writer, David Best, explains all
The baguette is a long thin, crusty loaf, the name of which is derived from ‘baguette magique’, the French for magic wand. A good baguette should have a crisp, golden brown crust that will break if you push it inwards. The interior crumb (or ‘mie’ in French) should be a creamy colour ...
Rice might seem a pretty ordinary food, an item we take for granted. It goes with our curry or risotto, and can be more of an add-on than a feature ingredient. But the majority of rice consumed in France is grown in the south of France, in the Delta of the Rhône valley. And not just any rice, but many varieties, including the gourmet red rice used by the best chefs... 
After finishing university in the UK, Oliver Jenner and Amy Jones decided that the best place to start their sausage-making and pork business was France. It has become a huge success...
Jo and David Cowderoy moved to France to realise their long-held dream of creating their own wine. Here, they tell FrenchEntrée how they did it...
France: “...the country where the pig is most valued” - Jane Grigson, Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery.
Cheese: Cabécou
Charcuterie:Anchaud Périgourdin 
Le Moulin du Roc, 4 star hotel and restaurant, Champagnac-de-Belair, Dordogne.
If you do any authentic French cooking, you're likely to run across recipes that call for mirepoix. While that might sound daunting to English speakers, the fact is that mirepoix is a very simple, easily-found ingredient. So what is mirepoix, and how is it used in French cooking?
Vegetarianism is a relatively new concept for the French, and one which is frequently misunderstood, especially outside the big cities. France does not have the history of intensive farming that the UK has suffered, and, being far more rural and sparsley populated, it's citizens are used to honest, kind, farm-produced or wild meat. This means that the French people have had less reason to reject meat, and therefore less reason to contemplate the whole issue of eating creatures, including wild fish or game. If you have chosen to abstain from meat and fish, French restaurant menus and eating at French friend's homes can become embarassing and a chore. For help, take a look at .jpg){kind=small}
Check out what Downsizing Topic Host, Tracey Smith has to say about the simpler lifestyle, with cheerful anecdotes to ease you into a more 'real' way to live._2.jpg){kind=small}
The Smallholdings Topic also has plenty about living with livestock, and some important culinary reasons for rearing your own. Surley egg yolks from supermarket eggs cannot be a patch on those from your own chooks? Especially as the supermarket eggs are coloured - this must affect the flavour...