Jill<br><br>Jill (99)

I think it is the same as what we call fromage frais in England. Friends of mine in Normandy used to eat it with jam, compote or some sort of condensed milk from a tube. Also with just a little sugar sprinkled on. Because we had bought some creme de marrons for crepes, we tried that with it too - delicious! It's good with fresh fruit salad too. Couldn't tell you what it is though! Jill (99)

Tonight, my husband noticed that I had put garlic with the beef I was roasting for dinner and complained that you don't put garlic with roast beef! For years now, I've put garlic and herbs and often a drop of wine if a bottle is open, with whatever meat I have been roasting. Am I out of order here? He hasn't complained before except on one occasion when I put garlic with chicken. I've always done it, I can't believe he has only just realised! I can't understand it. I always put 3 cloves of garlic in a spag bol, boeuf bourgignonne or chilli etc, yet lately he complains I'm over doing it! Yet he was the one who always said put a minimum of 3 cloves in and if you are following a recipe which has garlic - double it! He still likes the Indian recipe where the marinade for the leg of lamb contains 24 cloves of garlic, so I'm a bit confused. Actually, the recipe says 12 cloves, but obviously, we doubled it at some stage and it has stuck in our minds! To my mind,a piece of meat or a chicken put in the oven with no herbs or seasoning is a tad boring and then claims the need for something else to be added at the table - like horseradish which my husband insists on having with beef (but I don't have it). He said that beef has enough flavour without the garlic - so why the horseradish!? I'm perfectly happy to accept that we all have our own preferences, but to say "you don't put garlic with roast beef" did surprise me a bit. I'm sure I started doing it when I saw a French friend doing it. I think I'm right in saying that garlic is more heavily used in the south of France, but do those of you living in various areas find that garlic is used much in your region? I'm sure that garlic used to be used in Britain far more than now - I mean in English cuisine, not just the foreign cuisine that has caught on in the last 20-30 years. Same with herbs. When I was a child, all I knew was mint sauce or sage in sage and onion stuffing. But herbs were in use in Britain much more in previous centuries. I was never much of an eater as a child, and became more inspired by cooking when I stayed with French families. Even before that, I was known at school for looking up the more unusual recipes - even though I had been brought up on the most basic foods. For years I still thought English food was boring, until I adapted it, by adding herbs and garlic. I don't believe this actually changed the nationality of what I was cooking. Anyway, do you do your beef plain or with garlic? Jill (99)

I know what you mean. The parent's are so uncaring really. Luckily, most of the parents I know are very caring, but I do believe that there are many people who have children because they feel that it is the thing to do. Then they put the children with childminders and play little part in bringing the children up. I do feel that if you have children, you should be prepared to spend quality time with them. On the other hand, this was a film and a little exaggerated. Being French, you have to add the bizarreness. Jill (99)

No, but I bet the French don't either! Jill (99)

Can't help you with the hanging, as when we bought our piece of venison at Christmas the butcher said it would be best for eating a couple of days later and advised us to freeze it as we bought it about 6 days before Christmas. However, the recipe I used was to marinate it with red wine, olive oil and herbs, then to put bacon slices over it and roast in the marinade, basting regularly. Then the remaining wine can be thickened to make a sauce - but I have no recipe for that. Cumberland sauce was recommended for accompaniment, but we found it was too liquidy to make a proper sauce so we haven't done it again. Jill (99)

Sorry to revive an old thread, but I asked a French friend of mine what she thought about this and her letter arrived this mornig. She says "Je suis pour les buffet aussi! L'ete je ne penserai pas faire un repas chaud, je prefere preparer un repas froid la veille. Plusieurs raisons a ce choix: Le fait de ne pas rester dans la cuisine quand je recois des invites et c'est plus pratique. Donc je fais des entrees, pizzas, quiches, des plats plus consistants, du poulet froid, roti de boeuf ou de porc, des salades varies, fromages, fruits, tarte ou glaces. Par contre nous restons a table. Je crois que la tradition de devoir manger assis parce que c'est mieux pour la sante, est bien ancree dans nos habitudes et c'est plus confortable que de placer son assiette sur ses genoux et se battre pour decouper sa cuisse de poulet!!! She is from Oise region, so close to Paris, so her opinions are quite likely to differ from rural people. But it does show buffet type meals to be acceptable to French people PROVIDED THEY ARE EATEN AT TABLE. The only problem I can see with this is that for many people it would mean asking guests to bring a table and chairs with them and then there is the problem of where to put them. Even in modern French houses this must be a problem, because they seem to be getting smaller. It's probably OK if you have a large house and many old houses in France do seem to be built on the basis of centralising everyone round a large table. In a way, it does seem more "sympa" for everyone to be brought together round a table - but if the table is large, you just don't get to talk to some people. Whereas English style we do get to mingle more. Jill (99)

>Have just returned from Borders (bookshop) >with 'oh not another lets >re-locate to France and write >a book', book. But this >one by Michael Sanders looks >more intellectual and in-depth, has >anyone else read it? Set >in Les Arques, Oh - Curves - I always wanted to know about Curves! I must get it! Well books of this type do interest me. Also you might have seen me mention a website about the St Omer area which had been translated by a babel fish or similar thing. Well, Arques was translated as Curves. Every time we pass Curves on the motorway, we say we really must visit! Or is this another Curves!? Jill (99)

It's the same wherever I am, whether in England or France, I can never find the eggs. Is it just me? Today I went 3 times round the supermarket - admitedly it was one I'd never been in before. Where do you think they should be, logically. Personally I think somewhere near the milk. The Milkman used to bring eggs, so that seems most likely. They are both classed as Dairy produce. I could even accept near the flour for making cakes or near the chickens because they are related! But today, they were with the foreign ingredients. Whether it is because they expect everyone to make Fu Yung or Curried eggs, I have no idea. Any suggestions? Have you worked out a pattern in France as I know we always have the same problem when we are there? Jill (99)

The French Government are taking the whole thing too far. I'm beginning to prefer Tony Blair! No, not really - but I cannot see what harm is done with people having scarves or beards IF THEY CHOOSE TO. I still believe that a lot of it is imposed. However, as long as no one is turning round to people saying "you must join my religion as it is better" I don't see what harm is done. Let's have tolerance! Jill (99)

LAST EDITED ON 18-Jan-04 AT 11:34 PM (GMT) How do you or your French friends serve this. We had it this evening for my son's birthday dinner. We eat this several times a year, but this time, I dug out the notes I took when I stayed with a French family in 1976. Apart from the obvious cubes of steak, they served chips, salad and various sauces - mayo, aioli, tomato ketchup mixed with pork. Somewhere along the way, I also picked up Tartare and Bearnaise, and also cubes of Gruyere or Emmental. Somewhere I seem to have an idea that someone also served walnuts (not easy to spear!) So what varients to you know? We've also added breaded onion rings. Sorry, tried to edit this to put the N into the Bourgignonne, but you can't edit the title! Jill (99)

The thread about Weddings in French Culture reminded me of Targoule - or something. This was something which was served at one of the weddings I attended in Normandy. I would say it was a semolina or ground rice pudding flavoured with cinnamon, possibly. It was made in huge pot bowls similar to good old fashioned mixing bowls - the sort which are white inside and yellowy beige on the outside with moulded patterns. I asked Edith if she had a recipe for it but she said you could only get them from Arab shops - yet I got the impression it was part of traditional French Wedding food - this family had no Arabs in it, so perhaps it was just something they liked. But does anyone know anything about this? Jill (99)

LAST EDITED ON 07-Jan-04 AT 00:50 AM (GMT) I made a Galette des Rois for when we had family round on New Years Day (yes I know it's a bit early, but no time to do things once school started). Anyway, I didn't buy feves, partly because I'm in England and partly because I didn't want the hassle. But when I was washing the spatula later on, I realised that it was a bit shorter than I remembered it earlier!! So unless I'm mistaken, it must have ended up in the Frangipan! Not much got eaten on the day, but was taken home in doggy bags. However, no one has let me know that they received a white plastic "feve" in theirs!!! Isn't the idea of "King for the Day" so that the person who gets it can boss everyone else around and dance with whoever "he" wants to, in days when people would have done country dances or balls? Jill (99)

I phoned a local dry ski/toboggan place with a view to my son taking a few friends there for his birthday and asked what they served for their raclette. I was told pork, or beef or cheese!?!?! Do you reckon they have raclette grills that double up as a pierrade and don't actually realise that doing that is not raclette. It's all I can think of. I decided that there wasn't much point in going over there as it's quite a way and very expensive. Jill (99)

Has anyone made mulled wine, then stored it for reheating after it had cooled? I did some on Saturday with a sachet of Schwartz mulled wine spices, and it was delicious. This evening after going out in the cold, I really fancied a mulled wine, but didn't feel inclined to use up a whole sachet and a whole bottle of wine, just for one measure of it - nor did I want a whole bottle to myself! If it will keep OK over a few days, just so I can reheat a drop when I want to, I'll do that. Alternatively, any tips for just doing small quantities? Jill (99)

LAST EDITED ON 18-Dec-03 AT 00:30 AM (GMT) Yes, thanks Amelie, I've already gone through the Radio Times and marked what to watch and what to video! Mind you, I've got most of the obvious musicals on DVD - Chicago, Moulin Rouge, West Side Story, Singing in the Rain. I see Sainsbury's have a boxed set - Gigi (tres francais!!) American in Paris (ca aussi) and High Society for 19.99!!! Must get it! Must admit to not being mad about West Side Story - the dancing is great - the singing is too squarky for me! I think "White Christmas" is on too. I haven't seen it for years - must video that. There are a few good dances in it if I remember rightly - but I get muddled with "Holiday Inn" Will definitely video Nutcracker - I've heard it's very good. Although I must say I was rather put off Bourne's Swan Lake because of the promotional video I was sent. The dancing looked great, but I didn't like the way it had been treated. I wish more of the Northern Ballet's stuff would be put on television though - it's great for children to see as they mostly have something amusing and unexpected such as a clog dance, and the doll in Coppelia in drag! I'm not so keen on what the Royal and others have done to the Nutcracker lately - using adults for Clara and adding in a sister too. I prefer it the old way, with Clara danced by a girl in a nightie! I have a lovely Scottish Ballet version of it on video (well most of it - some got wiped when my daughter was small and pressing buttons!) I just don't think there is enough dance or musical stuff on television. I'm sure more children would take an interest in dance if they were exposed to it more. Dance and sport are really not fairly balanced. Also, it would be good to get more dance into the school curriculem and less sport - or at least make choices available. I have yet to see a ballet in France. I'd love to go to the Paris Opera. I have seen the Nutcracker Suite at the Vienna Opera House though. That was an experience, just for the queuing system! By the way, The Sound of Music has to be near the top!! What about Mary Poppins - surely that is classed as a musical - that's one of my favourites! Singing in the Rain, The Band Wagon. What I really wish they would do is video the West End shows as they did with Barnum, and show it on TV - not a studio setting as they did with Cats and Joseph, but just video them on stage. I'd buy them on DVD too. My DVD of Fosse is done that way too. Jill (99)

We saw Etre et Avoir last month - it's a lovely film. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Very funny at times. Jill (99)

Whilst congratulating themselves on getting Saddam - Bin Ladin seems to have been forgotten about! If it hadn't been for him, none of this would have been happening. What intrigues me is - what was Saddam doing on his own - has everyone deserted him? Makes you wonder if he wasn't the one doing it all, after all - was he just the front man - the puppet? Is it that they don't need him any more and they have dumped him? I'm going to have to stop watching television while having breakfast! Looking down his throat just as I'm spooning meusli into my mouth is spoiling my appetite! I think we have all got the message now - they have him - we don't need to see it every 10 minutes! Jill (99)

Well I bought both last month - just to compare. To be honest I can't see much in it. In fact, I'd been thinking of doing a posting asking just why there were two such similar magazines and wondered why they weren't just combined. Can anyone make suggestions for what the difference actually is? Jill (99)

Are the following still around? Gerard Lenorman, Frederique Francois, William Sheller? Those were the popular singers when I was in France for the summer of 1976 and bought their records. Jill (99)

It was discussed on BBC Breakfast this morning. It stems from diets for diabetics. It's supposed to be quite healthy but seems to be the opposite of the Atkins diet. You eat lots of carbohydrate. It's all to do with what stimulates the blood sugar and thus the metabolism. Weird info though - cold mashed potato is better for you than hot!?!? (what about the creme fraiche I put in????) and pasta is good, but macaroni isn't!?!?! (Isn't it pasta then?) I'll have to look at a packet of macaroni in the supermarket before I can work that one out! It sounds quite a good diet as I need food which fills me as I'm always hungry. But the doctor on television said there is nothing to beat eating less and exercising more. I teach dance 20 hours a week - isn't that enough exercise? Evidently not! I get hungry! Jill (99)

I'll put a French Twist on this, although my original reason for asking this question was not French related. When on holiday, people in restaurants are generally casually dressed. But I wondered, do the French dress up when they go out to better classes of restaurants, special occasions or the theatre? What do you do, when in France or in England? The reason I ask is because this evening, we went to the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, to see Taming of the Shrew (with Ross Kemp ex-East Enders, of all people - but he was very good actually!) Anyway, I suggested that my son (nearly 13) wore his smartish trousers and a shirt and my daughter (nearly 16) a skirt and top that they had had for a wedding we attended recently. My husband wore a suit and I also dressed up - not OTT, black trousers and a devore top. My daughter kept saying she felt stupid because everyone was wearing normal clothes and she felt they were staring at her (they weren't)because she was over dressed (she wasn't). I said if you can't dress up to go to the theatre, when can you dress up? We seldom have an opportunity to go out. If we go out for an evening meal, I like to wear something other than jeans and a T-shirt, make it feel a special occasion. I felt that the only time my daughter would wear that outfit again was for a school disco - and not more than once - to wear the same thing twice is unheard of! Well really! When I was in my late teens, we wore long dresses to go out for special meals, and dressed well to go to the theatre or restaurant. Who wears all these "party" clothes you see in the shops - they can't all be going to night club?!?! I certainly don't have opportunities to wear anything other than casual clothes. In my job, I wear leotard and tights and working at home, just casual clothes. To me, it adds to the evening if I can wear something I don't usually wear. It's true that most people looked as if they had come straight from work or were just in jeans and casual trousers. Am I old-fashioned, or what? Do you think that on a Saturday or in London or Paris there would be less casual wear? Jill(99)

I'm finding it a lot quicker today, but I did have a thought - I wonder if it's being slowed down because of the pictures and animated smileys. I know that the person who runs the website my daughter uses had to tell one member that if she continued to add her photo as part of her signature, she would have to be banned from the forum because it was making the whole thing slow down. Jill (99)

I've not had that problem - perhaps it's another source. I get a lot of rubbish in my e.mail though - but I've created a "Message Rules" thing to sift out a lot of the pervy stuff. Jill (99)

I think it depends on where you go. I've been to quite a few Roman villas etc in England, but nothing can compare to what I've visited in France. Vaison la Romain, is just incredible. If anyone hasn't been there, I would recommend it no matter how little interest you have in Roman Vestiges. I've heard it called the Pompeii of France. I've not been to Pompeii - but hope to - before the next eruption which is apparently due!!! Of course Vaison hasn't been preserved by a volcanic eruption but it is an amazing site (2 sites, in fact). On the other hand, Empuries at L'Escala in Spain, between Perpignan and Barcelona - is even more impressive. There is still a lot of work to be done there, and the intention is there. I hope to return there in 20 years to see what else they have recovered. That is Greek and Roman. Having gone back to Frejus this year - 25 years on, we were quite disappointed - comparing it to Nimes, Arles. I really liked Arles (I feel the town has a lot of character on different levels) - but I feel they have really spoilt the arenas in many roman towns with the addition of seating over the original stone work for the spectating of bull fights (which I really can't agree with) and pop concerts - which probably aren't an appropriate setting. I've probably got this all wrong with the gallo-romain bit - I've not really seen anything on the gallo side. If anyone has recommendations for other similar places I'd love to hear about them as we always try to include something along these lines in our holidays. By the way, if anyone can recommend any good books on architecture/history/archeology I'd be interested in them. I'm fascinated by old architecture, but don't know much - I just want to have something which says: this is a picture of a "gothic arch" for example - to clearly explain, as this is a subject with fascinates me, but there doesn't seem to be much set out in a simple way. I just love to be in an old town and get the feel of it's history. Severac le Chateau, for example, is a medieval town which hasn't been developed much from a tourist point of view - it's just north of Millau and well worth a visit. In a place like that, you can really feel it's age. Sorry - possibly sounding a little potty now - but then, you knew that! Jill (99)

Just an idea - why not get the book in English too? Then keep it by you as a parallel text. You used to be able to buy parallel text books, but I'm not sure if you still can. Alternatively, buy a book in French that you know well in English, it will help you get the gist. My daughter had read the Harry Potter books time and time again, and at 14 she read the first book in French. It's not so much the standard of her French but the fact that she could probably quote most of the book in English. Even so, it helped her understand the book in French. OK, I can see you needed that one translating literally, but remember you really shouldn't do literal translation. It's the over all effect. I read lots in French, but I don't understand every word. If I had the dictionary by me it would become a chore - but after you've come across the same word several times in different contexts, you become more certain of what it means. I hope this helps. Jill (99)