Tag Archives: aperitifs

French Flavours: P is for Petits Fours

Posted on 21/12/2017 by nessafrance

As Christmas is approaching, this week’s post is a frivolous look at a mainstay of the French apéritif, le petit four. At a party recently, someone challenged me to investigate the origins of the name, and Life on La … Continue reading →

Posted in Food/drink/recipes, History | Tagged amuse-bouche, aperitifs, appetisers, canapé, France, mignardises, mise-en-bouche, petits fours | 13 Comments

Absinthe Friends

Posted on 03/12/2017 by nessafrance

It’s the drink that symbolised the Bohemian culture of la Belle Epoque in late 19th to early 20th-century Paris. It was consumed by Toulouse-Lautrec, Baudelaire and Satie, painted by Degas and Manet and immortalised in early silent films. This beverage … Continue reading →

Posted in Food/drink/recipes, History | Tagged absinthe, aperitifs, Artemisia absinthium, banning of absinthe, Belle Epoque, common wormwood, France, la fée verte, Paris, revival of absinthe | 23 Comments

Getting a (Social) Life in France

Posted on 04/06/2017 by nessafrance

Making friends is difficult when moving to a new country. Twenty years ago, our Brummie removal men asked, “Do you know anyone here?” When we said no, they shook their heads in disbelief. If you move to la France profonde, … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life | Tagged aperitifs, French social customs, la France profonde, living in France, rural life, social customs, social life in France, SW France, Teysseroles | 9 Comments

Blithe Spirits: Quirky French Apéritifs

Posted on 05/10/2011 by nessafrance

Behind the bar in all French cafés lurks a selection of bottles with evocative names such as Byrrh or Suze. They are usually made from aromatic plants to closely-guarded recipes. You still see ancient advertisements for them stencilled onto barn walls – … Continue reading →