As regular readers will know, style journalist Karen Wheeler is a regular guest blogger on LLG. Her first book, Tout Sweet, a memoir of her move to live in France is published today in America. To celebrate, she has written this very funny — and useful — guide to living in France.…Also — interests of full disclosure, you may notice that the quote on the front cover of the US edition is from a very familiar blog…it was taken from a review of Tout Sweet before I knew Karen…
With apologies for one or two generalisations - all done with the greatest of affection towards my host nation — here are some useful pointers that I’ve picked up since moving to the land of the long lunch.
1 How to make soupe de champagne or ‘champagne soup’: a ladle each of Cointreau or Grand Marnier, freshly squeezed lemon juice and sugar syrup chilled overnight in the fridge. Top up with a bottle of champagne or a sparkling wine — Vouvray is perfect — and serve from a punchbowl. Possibly the best apéritif ever: it’s French, it’s lethal and it’ll get the party started.
2 The oysters least likely to seek a fast exit from your body are size 3 ‘specials.’ The word ‘special’ means they have been turned many times. Size 1 oysters are the biggest and oldest (eight years old) and the most likely to make you ill as they’ve had longer to absorb toxins, size 2 are seven years old and size three are six years old. (A surprising number of readers have emailed to thank me for explaining this in Tout Sweet.)
3 The best candles in the world are by Cire Trudon. Established in 1643, its wax is said to be the purest (100% paraffin free) while its pillar candles have lit up the Palace of Versailles and some of the most glorious cathedrals in France. The illustrious wax manufacturer has made candles for Marie-Antoinette, Napoleon and …er me. I was once given the rose pink pillar candle scented with orange blossom, £66.50, as a gift. It’s burnt down to a stub now but it was my favourite scented candle ever. Available from www.united-perfumes.com
4 There is such a thing as a butter snob … and weirdly I’ve become one. Many believe that the best beurre in France, if not the world, is by Jean-Yves Bordier, a master butter maker in Brittany. Maybe I’m biased, since it’s made in the Poitou-Charentes where I live, but I think that Echiré is the best. Like Bordier butter it is churned in traditional teak wood barrels to give it depth of flavour and a ‘silky, magic texture.’ It owes its superlative taste not to the breed of cow that provides the milk but to the quality of the local grass. The lightly salted version, €2.40 is quite marvellous on Poilane bread.
5 Frenchman wear Speedos … because baggy shorts are banned in public swimming pools. But it still doesn’t explain why they wear them several sizes too small.
Karen Wheeler is the author of two bestselling books about her life in France. Her first, ‘Tout Sweet: Hanging up my High Heels for a New Life in France’ is published in the U.S today by Source books today. More details of her life in France can be found at www.toutsweet.net and you can follow her on Twitter at @mimipompom1
Previous guest blogs by Karen for LLG are here.
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
mmm.…butter, candles, oysters– she talks about my fave things. must buy book. x shayma
Congrats to Karen on the stateside publication of her book! I’m getting it!
The mention of Cire Trudon candles–well, let me just say that I have been eyeballing these for some time on barneys.com and hoping they had no throw. And now this report that they are stupendously good.
Had I not just made an order for a fig perfume, I’d have been in a mad dash to the Web site to purchase the Odeur de Lune and the Mademoiselle de la Valliere Tuberose candles.
I’m glad I cannot purchase the butter on which such praise was slathered. Such beurres exquises do not do exquisite things to the derrière.
Fun post!
I’m going to have to get myself a copy of this, France being my second home and everything!
Just read this in France and loved the advice! I have adored Karen’s books too — very inspiring when you’re trying to renovate a tumbledown farmhouse in the Drome.
Thanks for this — I’m off to France for 5 months and will look out for said butter! I wonder why baggy shorts are banned…how odd!
If it helps anyone else — if you want your steak nice and pink without blood, as for it “rose” (like the wine) or “a point” for a bit of juicy blood.
As we know the French do like their steaks on the raw side…!
xx