Cassis Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 We bought a pocket-sized French Food dictionary in a bookshop in Paris many years ago. We loan it to guests when they go to restaurants and they never fail to be impressed by it. As well as being the BEST French-English food and menu dictionary ever, it is actually a good read with all kinds of historical food facts.[img]http://www.scribo.fr/upload/452235b.gif[/img]Thinking we might get a copy as back-up, I went onto Amazon (.fr, .co.uk .com and .de) and was amazed to find the only copies on sale were second-hand and cost about 50 quid or 75 to 100 euros!However, I have found the publisher's website and it can be bought direct for 22€ plus 3€ postage.It is a fantastic little book - I highly recommend it. Here is the Publisher's website for anyone interested.SCRIBO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted August 12, 2006 Share Posted August 12, 2006 It had better be good! Just ordered it. You probably won't loose your 'gentleman' status?One of the translators we have had for years is 'The ABC of French Food' by Len Deighton. Good stuff and the butler really did not do it, the cook did[:-))]John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted August 12, 2006 Author Share Posted August 12, 2006 Good God - who would have thought Len Deighton had written a food book! I don't think you'll be disappointed when your A-Z book arrives. It is a great reference book, it has never yet been stumped on anything in any menu.We've just oredered one as a back-up in case a guest loses our original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumGirl Posted August 14, 2006 Share Posted August 14, 2006 I've just bought one too. Gee, Cassis, they should hire you to do their publilcity!PG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted August 14, 2006 Author Share Posted August 14, 2006 It's only a little volume but it really is very good - you'll like it!I'm thinking of ordering a few for guests (just to pass on at cost price), they always like it so much.Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted August 15, 2006 Share Posted August 15, 2006 Is there a French booze A-Z? If not, I may research its feasibility, although that research may be compromised slightly by the fact that absinthe starts with an 'A'....[B] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted August 15, 2006 Share Posted August 15, 2006 You know what they say "Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder"? If you are going to write the book then I'll keep an ear to the ground for it [geek]!John.P.S. At the moment I'm researching all the wines where we live here in the Minervois. All those wines, so little time. I suppose that I should have started the research before I turned 60 [Www] ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted August 15, 2006 Author Share Posted August 15, 2006 Sorry, lads, the food A-Z already covers it. Well, A to X anyway. The last drink listed is under X.Absinthe: wormwood; a very strong green liquor made from a wormwood plant, Artemesia absinthium, and other herbs. The absinthe drink is now illegal in France (this bit may be out of date - I've had the book 10 years and I think it is now legal again, though in a weaker form than before) because of its high toxicity, although the plant is still used as a bitter flavouring in drinks such as vermouth and for making a fortifying tea.X: I'll let you guess! [:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted August 15, 2006 Share Posted August 15, 2006 Xenon, liquified. Second only to the Pangalactic Gargleblaster for its mindblowing properties.n'est ce pas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJSLIV Posted August 15, 2006 Share Posted August 15, 2006 Xeres as in Sherry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyh4 Posted August 15, 2006 Share Posted August 15, 2006 [quote user="Cassis"]Sorry, lads, the food A-Z already covers it. Well, A to X anyway. The last drink listed is under X.Absinthe: wormwood; a very strong green liquor made from a wormwood plant, Artemesia absinthium, and other herbs. The absinthe drink is now illegal in France (this bit may be out of date - I've had the book 10 years and I think it is now legal again, though in a weaker form than before - not necessarily the important point about the re-legalisation is that the toxic and halucinagenic element from wormwood has now been removed) because of its high toxicity, although the plant is still used as a bitter flavouring in drinks such as vermouth and for making a fortifying tea.X: I'll let you guess! [:)][/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted August 15, 2006 Author Share Posted August 15, 2006 Hi AndyI guess you're referring to thujone, one of the chemical compounds present in wormwood? There's a lot about that on the Internet and commonly the view seems to be that thujone was only ever present in small quantities in absinthe - within currently legal limits even in vintage absinthe.Here's one such:http://www.feeverte.net/faq-absinthe.html#B11The people who write these sites would say that, wouldn't they? Doesn't necessarily make it untrue. Make up your own mind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted August 15, 2006 Author Share Posted August 15, 2006 Yes, the X is Xeres but Xenon, liquefied, would have been a much better entry! [:D]Pan-galactic gargle blaster - if you can get the ingredients:Take the juice from one bottle of Ol' Janx Spirit.Pour into it one measure of water from the seas of Santraginus V - Oh,that Santraginean seawater. Oh, those Santraginean fish!Allow three cubes of Arcturan Mega-gin to melt into the mixture (it mustbe properly iced or the benzine is lost).Allow four liters of Fallian marsh gas to bubble through it, in memoryof all those happy hikers who have died of pleasure in the Marshes of Fallia.Over the back of a silver spoon float a measure of Qualactin Hypermintextract, redolent of all the heady odors of the dark Qualactin Zones, subtle,sweet and mystic.Drop in the tooth of an Algolian Suntiger. Watch it dissolve, spreadingthe fires of the Algolian Suns deep into the heart of the drink.Sprinkle Zamphour.Add an olive.Drink...but...very carefully...' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumGirl Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Just got my copy, Cassis, and it's great for the French terms, however, I was disappointed that it doesn't do things in the other direction. For example, if you wanted to look up "buttermilk" to see what it was called in French (lait Ribot), you can't. I haven't found any good guide that works in both directions.PG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 Dito PG. It arrived today and it looks quite good. Just the right size to go in yer pocket tooo. You might just keep the gent status Cassis, even if you do have to look in the mirror to confirm it???Why do you need a mirror????? I can see my toze [geek]..Lait Ribot is really lovely on Kouglof, yum, yum!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumGirl Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 I only use it for cooking, although an adequate substitute can be made by putting vinegar into fresh milk. Adequate, but not as good.We have buttermilk powder in the U.S., I wonder in a similar product exists here?PG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonzjob Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 I haven't seen it this far South, in fact we have only seen lait ribot once since we have been here and that was in Intermarché, Carcassonne. You should try it one a nice sweet spongie thingie, it's lovely. It's bruddie 'orrible in tea though, it went in once by mistake but only once [+o(]. It's even in our new book [8-|] !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afy Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 [quote user="Jonzjob"]One of the translators we have had for years is 'The ABC of French Food' by Len Deighton. Good stuff and the butler really did not do it, the cook did[:-))]John.[/quote]Didnt he write a cook book as well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Animal Posted August 17, 2006 Share Posted August 17, 2006 I was having a look at your lait ribot Possum as I had never heard of it and came across this site where they say you can get it at Champion and there is also a long list of other things which might be useful to some :http://www.americansintoulouse.com/AIT_food Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted August 17, 2006 Author Share Posted August 17, 2006 All the supermarkets here (Leclerc, SuperU, Carrefour, Auchan) have lait ribot (buttermilk) in their fresh milk section. Essential for sourdough bread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumGirl Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Christine, I knew a lot of this, but I found the beef cuts helpful. I've had long chats with our butcher over this subject, so I will be able to share it with them. I would like to find one of those charts which shows a cow and has lines on it showing where the various cuts are located. I have one for French cuts, but would like one for U.S. cuts so that I can better explain what I want.Speaking of beef cuts: apparently the cuts are also different in different parts of France, so you can't always be sure you're getting the same thing in the South, say, as you would in Paris.PG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumGirl Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Yes, my first purchase of lait ribot came as quite a surprise. I thought it was a brand that I hadn't heard of before, and wasn't I surprised when I put it in my coffee!PG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted August 18, 2006 Author Share Posted August 18, 2006 Hello PGIf you click here you will find online charts of beef cuts for USA, UK and Australia - and maybe some more as well.http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?ei=UTF-8&fr=sfp&p=beef+cuts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossumGirl Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 That's excellent, Cassis, thank you! I have tried searches several times without coming up with this. Probably because I was looking under documents and not images!PG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassis Posted August 18, 2006 Author Share Posted August 18, 2006 Well, as you can see, I have a personal interest in where my meat comes from ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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