Tag Archives: aperitifs

French Flavours: P is for Petits Fours

Posted on 21/12/2017 by

  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 , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Absinthe Friends

Posted on 03/12/2017 by

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 , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Getting a (Social) Life in France

Posted on 04/06/2017 by

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 , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Blithe Spirits: Quirky French Apéritifs

Posted on 05/10/2011 by

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 →

Posted in Auvergne, Customs, Food/drink/recipes, Places | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Walnut wine – vin de noix

Posted on 18/04/2010 by

Try making walnut wine, a regional drink from southwest France, where walnut trees abound, suggests A writer’s lot in France. Continue reading →

Posted in Food/drink/recipes, French life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

French social customs 2: apéritifs

Posted on 11/03/2010 by

Apertifs are among the most enjoyable French social occasions. Here are some tips for how to conduct yourself when you’re invited. Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, French life, Top tips | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments