Hey All! I am taking a Bistro Chic hiatus! I have huge projects to tackle at work – yes, I have a real job! So I’m focusing all (or most) of my energy on that.
In the meantime, you’re all welcome to follow my daily musings posted on my alter ego blog – Running With Cake. See you all in November – just in time for the holidays!
Ciao!
Want to add a little European flair to your dinner table? Williams Sonoma’s new European-inspired serveware will take you around the world without leaving your home!
No doubt inspired by the popular new film, Julie & Julia, Williams Sonoma launched a new French line this year that is sure to add beauty and inspiration to any feast. But it has also introduced two Mediterranean-themed serveware sets, showcasing the cultures of Italy and Portugal.
France – WS’s new Marché line of serveware celebrates France’s open air markets and their colorful displays of produce.
The collection includes serving bowls, salad bowls, and dipping bowls, all imprinted with vegetable-inspired paintings.
WS also has a new Wine Paring line of French-wine inspired dishes, including platters and appetizer plates, displaying beautiful images of the wine regions in France.
And last, but not least, WS has also introduced its new Paris Café dinnerware that includes bowls, plates, and mugs, all depicting the colors and sights of the Parisian French bistros of yesterday and today.
Although not new, WS also has it’s popular Provence line of bowls and platters depicting castles, forests, animals, and other elements of European folklore.
Italy - Designed by a French artist, the images in WS’s new Paysage line illustrate the picturesque countrysides of Italy and other Mediterranean landscapes. The line includes pasta/risotto bowls, a serving bowl, and dipping bowls.
Portugal – To keep with the Mediterranean theme, WS offers its new Tile serveware. The striking blue and yellow tile was inspired by 17th century Portuguese tile and celebrates Portugal’s rich tradition of ceramic artistry. The set includes individual bowls and a serving bowl.
Whether planning a Mediterranean-inspired dinner party or celebrating a romantic Italian dinner for two, Williams Sonoma’s European dinnerware will surely add a little something extra to your plans.
Bon Appetit everyone!
What Do French Women Know That We Don’t?
Photo Courtesy of debraollivier.com
For decades, American women have wondered how French women can stay thin, sexy, and so incredibly chic with unbelievable ease. Now, a tell-all book by author Debra Olivier reveals these French secrets in one tasty read!
According to Olivier, it’s not how French women dress, what they eat, or what lipstick they use that makes them femmes fatales – Psst …. it’s all about what French women know (and what American women don’t!) that gives them their most elusive je ne sais quoi – that extra something that sets them apart from all other women around the world.
Keeping this one key notion in mind, Ollivier appropriately titled the next book in her French series, What French Women Know. The book, already available online and on the shelves, gives us a fresh look into the mystique of a French woman. And, more importantly, a look at how French women navigate through life, particularly in the areas of love, sex, and other matters of the heart.
On her Web site, Olivier explains that:
It’s not the surface glam that gives French women their allure. It’s this: French women don’t give a damn. They don’t care about being liked or being like everyone else. They don’t expect men to understand them or like things to fit into a neat, tidy box. They reject notions of packaged beauty and enjoy breaking the rules…and they prefer having a life to making a living.
This, she proclaims, is the complete opposite of how American women view love, sex, and life.
Just like her book, Entre Nous: A Woman’s Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl, (one of my favorite French books!), Ollivier will no doubt pepper What French Women Know with super sexy humor among her delicious French facts and secrets, making is this an irresistible addition to any American woman’s personal library.
Whenever I travel out of the country – or out of the state for that matter – I try to pick up a few keepsakes to take home. For me, choosing the right keepsake is a very delicate process. I am not one for tchotchkes or knick knacks, so I stay away from key chains, shot glasses, and such. But, what I do love are little things I can use around the house. The items can be fancy soaps, high-end teas, or other gourmet edibles to savor with friends or just by myself.
Because I am not able to get to Europe as often as I would like, whenever a friend is heading overseas, I politely remind her how much I love European goods. Ok, I actually beg and bribe my friends to bring me back something! So, when I heard that a girlfriend of mine from work was heading to Central Europe – Prague, Vienna, etc. – I promptly slipped her 10 Euro to pick me up some goodies.
So, on Tuesday of this week, I arrived at my desk to find that Central Europe had arrived to brighten my morning. And my goodies came in the form of:
Little scented guest soaps, shampoo, and hand cream – Budapest and Prague
Lip balm and a bath bar – Prague
Chocolates – Vienna
The chocolates were actually Belgian chocolates, but the box was purchased in Vienna. The box included seven pieces of dark chocolate-coated nougat (like marzipan), all wrapped in gold foil displaying a prominent picture Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of Austria’s primer composers.
Seeing a chocolate-covered Mozart (well, sort of) was a little wacky. But as I sat there taking a bite out of Mozart, I wondered … if New York or Chicago did something similar, who would the city include on the foil? President Obama? Abraham Lincoln? Michael Jackson? One thing is for sure, it wouldn’t be Kanye West!
Well, no matter who is on the cover of American chocolates, I sure am enjoying my Belgian chocolates and all of my other Euro fancies. These very simple trinkets are all I have to keep me physically connected to Europe – and that will have to do, at least for now.
Nostalgia for food and other comfort items have become increasingly popular in Britain, particularly during the recession. The troubled economy combined with terrorist threats and assorted wars have left the British longing for a sense of calm and familiarity.
According to the Daily Mail, the British want to pretend that they are living in another time. And, in doing so, they are eating and drinking retro foods and beverages, like Wagon Wheels and Cadbury Wispa Bars, to fool themselves that everything is fine.
Even in America, foods can conjure up all kinds of memories from childhood, taking us back to a time where we had little worry and few responsibilities. Pizza may bring back thoughts of your first homecoming date; pot roast may remind you of Sunday dinners at grandma’s house; or Cookie Crisp cereal might take you back to Saturday morning cartoons.
Like in Britain, these nostalgic foods can do more than just remind us of the “good ole days”. They can also help carry us through difficult times and give us hope that things will soon get better.
As a child of the 80s and 90s, there are so many foods that remind me of a much simpler time. But, if I had to choose, here are my top 10 picks for feel-good foods from childhood. Just thinking about them makes me smile and reminds me that times were not always this tough.
Bistro Chic’s Top 10 Retro Feel-Good Foods
So, if you’re feeling a little down due to the recession or other hardships in your life, why not take your cues from the British? Try indulging in some of your old favorite foods that made you smile as a kid. You never know, they may just make you smile again!
Kissing Disease Has A New Meaning in Europe
France and Spain may ban kissing due to H1N1 fears.
The French are known for the famous double-cheek kiss called the la bise. But, amid fears of an H1N1 pandemic, the French government may put a temporary halt on this age-old nicety.
La bise, a light kiss on both cheeks, is the traditional greeting carried out by nearly everyone in France. Women kiss men, women kiss other women, children kiss their peers, and so on. But, because H1N1, or swine flu, is passed through coughing, sneezing, or other close mouth/nose contact, some French institutions are considering banning the air kiss greeting to help prevent the spread of the potentially deadly virus.
A handful of companies and schools have preempted the national ban and have already outlawed the traditional greeting. Some companies have even instilled a 0ne-yard buffer zone between employees! But, still wanting to keep some of the tradition, the companies have suggested people give their coworkers a slight wave or firm hand shake (while washing hands immediately after I assume). Schools that have banned kissing are taking a Valentine’s Day approach, crafting bise boxes, which allow children to leave heart-shaped messages for their friends in lieu of kissing.
But, France is not the only European country to forgo a kissing tradition in the midst of a flu pandemic. Spain’s government is also encouraging Spaniards to refrain from their own version of la bise. While in Naples, Italy, city authorities have stopped the tradition of kissing the blood of the city’s patron saint in fear of the disease.
Although the French and Spanish governments have not put an official national ban on kissing, recent reports say that this is just one measure that may be taken to ensure that H1N1 is contained as much as possible.
For all of you who haven’t heard, Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don’t Get Fat, has a brand new book coming out!! The book, called Women, Work, & the Art of Savoir Faire, will be available on October 13, just 5 weeks away!
I have read French Women Don’t Get Fat, at least twice, cover to cover. I also use it quite often as a reference for French cooking, eating, and entertaining (I’m sure you’ve noticed all of my references to the book in my posts!). So, you can understand my excitement when I read that there would be a new book to add to this series.
Guiliano gave us a taste of her French style and lifestyle in French Women Don’t Get Fat and French Women For All Seasons. And, in her new book, we can expect to see Guiliano incorporating similar stories and lessons that she’s learned as girl growing up in France. But, in a creative twist, this book also will showcase her keen professional know-how and secrets of her success as a French business woman. With this in mind, Guiliano’s book aims to help women navigate the working world, live a good live, and savor every minute of it – hmm, I think I’m up to the challenge!
In anticipation and celebration of the book, I decided to treat myself to a brand new (at least new to me) French treat – LU Le Chocolatier biscuits. As I browsed the cookie aisle at our gourmet market, I passed over several shortbread and other plain cookies. But, then I saw Le Chocolatier and couldn’t resist!
The deliciously delicate wafer cookies have layers of chocolate cream and amazing chocolate. They truly are little bites of chocolate goodness. And, they’re even better when enjoyed with a bit of Harney & Sons Paris Tea!
So, here’s to the success of Women, Work, & the Art of Savoir Faire and to many more French treats I may or may not consume while reading the book!
FYI – You can preorder your hardcover book at Amazon right now!
Ciao!
Bonjour everyone and Happy Labor Day! This will not be my normal post, I’ll save that for Tuesday instead, but wanted to let you know that I just bought a new French cookie that tastes fantastic. Check back tomorrow for a photo and more details.
Have a wonderful Labor Day!
With the recent popularity of French-themed books and movies, such as French Women Don’t Get Fat, French Women Don’t Sleep Alone, and the newly released Julie & Julia, Americans are becoming more and more curious about French traditions, French culture, French food, and French fashion. Now, in an ironic twist, new research indicates that the French, particularly the younger generation, are embracing a culture shift, where they are actually adopting a more Americanized lifestyle.
For decades, the French and many other Mediterranean cultures have been somewhat of an anomaly. The French could eat high fat and utterly indulgent food, not gain an ounce, and still have lower rates of heart disease than Americans. The arguments surrounding this French Paradox have been debated for decades. Some say the French eat smaller portions, others say they drink more wine. And, for the most part, both arguments are grounded in quantitative research. However, one argument – that the French each much less processed and fast food than Americans – is beginning to unravel faster than you can say McDonald’s.
Researchers from the French food agency, AFSSA, surveyed 2,624 adults (18 to 74 years old) and 1,455 children (3 to 17) regarding their eating habits. What they found was a little startling. The surveyed showed that adults age 18 to 34 tended to eat more processed foods and foods that required little preparation, like breakfast cereals, pizza, and sandwiches. And, among the same group, only 44 percent admitted to eating the French standard of three meals a day, many reporting that they skip breakfast altogether.
But not everyone in France is throwing tradition out the window. The over 55 crowd can be found cherishing quintessential French fare and remaining steadfast in the old eating habits. In fact, the survey found that 55 to 79 year-olds reported cooking more and eating more unprocessed foods like eggs, fish, fruit and vegetables – as well as continuing to eat more traditional foods like bread, cheese, soup, sugar and confectionery and alcoholic beverages.
But, looking beyond this apparent age gap, there seems to be an overall shift away from more traditional French foods, like bread and potatoes, and and increased consumption of pasta and rice. Similarly, the French as a whole are consuming fewer croissants and pastries, and replacing them with ice cream and chocolate.
So, on your next trip to France, you may be surprised to see teens sipping Starbucks on the corner or a young family grabbing a quick meal at the local Wendy’s. But, not to worry, you’ll feel right at home.
@bistrochic