Fait Maison

[idun]

There is a new logo 'fait maison' in France.

According to France2 news tonight, 80% of food sold in french restaurants is industrialisé.

The journalists went to a warehouse that sells ready made food to the professionals and the staff said that it amazes them as to which top notch restaurants buy most of their food there.

I have been giving this some thought as they said that fait maison meant that all the ingredients had to be 'brut' and made at the resto. There are a few exceptions ofcourse charcuterie and wine. However, for me there are even more exceptions that I would find acceptable. So then for me, it would depend on the restaurant, if I ordered a salade nicoise in a petit resto du coin, I would expect that the anchovies and tuna would be en boite. Maybe IF I was at a michelin star resto, then my expectations could be perhaps for everything to be 'fresh'.

We eat at a couple of pubs near here on a fairly regular basis. I always ask what they make and what they reheat. And I don't think that they have been dishonest with me, judging by the quality of what I have eaten. They were quite clear that the sticky toffee pudding was not 'fait maison', but boy would it take some beating, it is quite delicious, so I'm not that bothered.

I'm not a food snob, for me, good is good. BUT it would annoy me to death and I would feel as if I had been fleeced if I was paying top prices in a high end resto and they had just reheated a sous vide pack that they had bought elsewhere.

[suein56]

[quote user="idun"]There is a new logo 'fait maison' in France.

I have been giving this some thought as they said that fait maison meant that all the ingredients had to be 'brut' and made at the resto. There are a few exceptions of course charcuterie and wine.

[/quote]

One of our local restos has nothing but 'fait maison' on its menu now. The dishes are deceptively simple but delicious and not expensive, but not cheap either.

I am waiting to see what the other restos will come up with as regards notification of ingredients.

Sue

[Pickles]

"dave21478" has in the past posted about this: the likes of Brake Bros deliver meals that are already plated up. As he has pointed out, if a small restaurant "du coin" has a suspiciously large menu, it is difficult for them to produce all (and in some cases, any) from scratch. We know some cheap restaurants which at lunchtime have two main choices of main course and dessert, plus various salads - small staff, small kitchen, "fait maison".

[Patf]

Yes, gone are the days when you could get an hors d'oeuvre as described by Elizabeth David:

"...a big rectangular platter in the centre of which were thick slices of homemade pork and liver pâté, and on either side fine slices of local raw ham and sausage; these were flanked with black olives, green olives, freshly washed radishes still retaining some of their green leaves, and butter."

Plus wine and fresh bread. Makes my mouth water to read it!

This was in a café routier in the Pont du Gard.

[Clark Kent II]

[quote user="Patf"]Yes, gone are the days when you could get an hors d'oeuvre as described by Elizabeth David:
[/quote]

But hors d'oeuvre were not fait maison. The term means "outside work" and refers to the practice of buying them in ready made from some supplier.[6]

[Patf]

Never thought of that Clark Kent. [8-)]

I always thought it meant something apart from the main course, which is the "oeuvre."

[idun]

Patf, I rather thought that the main course was the 'oeuvre' too. 

I see what CK means, but if what he says is correct, wouldn't the meal I prepare........... an 'hors d'oeuvre fait maison' be an oxymoron[Www][Www][Www]