French Meals... Bon appétit!

French meals (les repas) can be as simple or as complicated as you choose, but they will always be memorable and delicious!

The French are well-known for taking their wines seriously, with a French wine selected to complement a meal. Just as wines are carefully selected, so too are French breads. All French meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner, are accompanied by bread (pain). There are hundreds of bread types, regional breads and even the iconic French baguette (stick) comes in many varieties: the crispy Ficelle (string) - a thinner version of Baguette; Baguette au Levain (leavened bread), Baguette Biologique (organic), etc.

Breakfast:
In a B & B (chambre d’hôte) your French breakfast would be included in the cost and comprise of traditional fare such as baguette and croissant with jam, coffee/tea and orange juice.

In self-catered accommodation (gîte) you have the opportunity to take advantage of offerings from local boulangeries and markets (Paris local markets) and try your hand at preparing French inspired meals yourself. If you are staying in a self-contained apartment in a town, you would not be far from a bakery (boulangerie). I always go for a quick walk around the streets after my arrival at any destination, to find the best bakery and closest mini-supermarket (épicerie or magasin d’alimentation) in the area. This way you can start your day with a quick walk to the boulangerie, just like a local, for fresh baguette and croissant with your jam (confiture) of choice bought at the mini-mart (epicerie/magasin d’alimentation). It’s cheap and delicious!

Lunch:
As mentioned, fast food does exist, but why go for fast food outlets when you have them back home? Instead, if you have to eat on the run and you don’t have time to muster up a picnic (pique-nique), stop by the boulangerie where they also sell quiches and pastries, or, in larger towns and cities you can try a crepe vender (crêperie) and watch fascinated, as they spread out batter paper-thin on a hot plate and add your choice of filling… sweet: for example apple (pomme), jam (confiture) or savoury: can consist of ham (jambon), cheese (fromage) handed to you folded and hot in a paper cone. Some venders also sell a variety of baguette-rolls (sandwich)with a great selection of fillings.

Whether it’s a fancy menu in a restaurant or just a simple salad with shoe sting French fries on the side, the French do food well. Just look at the elaborately decorated pastries (patisserie) & you'll be amazed... they look too beautiful to eat, but one thing's sure, you'll feel like royalty when you indulge, another reason why French meals are so memorable!

When it comes to lunch or dinner, try not to rush! Instead, linger over the food and really enjoy it. The French are so passionate about their cuisine. Cooking is still as much an art and love affair as it is a form of sustenance, even with the arrival of the soulless burger outlets. The proof is in the elaborate window displays of establishments such as Fauchon.



Dinner:
By the end of most days you may be too tired to venture out for a large meal, but if you have energy and a hearty appetite and dinner is on your mind, there are bistros and restaurants which, as a general rule, serve dinner from 19:00 until late, especially in summer. In smaller towns, most establishments are closed on Monday.

When I travel on a tight budget or with kids, I would save these restaurant outings as a treat after a few days of self-catering from our personally acquired larder. Mainly because we would have eaten a large lunch and a small snack in the evening would be enough to curb any hunger. Lunch is the main meal in France anyway – another reason why many French are so slim.

If staying somewhere for more than one day, I take the opportunity on my restaurant-free days, to check out local establishments. If in doubt, ask your hosts or the local baker to suggest a good restaurant (un bon restaurant) that serves traditional French meals.

Choosing from a menu:
If you are eating out at a bistro/cafe (bistrot/café) or restaurant, ask for the list of dishes (la carte) otherwise order from the set menu (menu).

If you have recieved something not to your taste, due to poor choice not poor quality, don't complain, simply put it down to a lesson learnt. Don't let it put you off. You only live once, so don’t hesitate to try something new again...

French Meals TIP 1:
When I travel to France I pack along a collapsible cooler with a couple of freezer blocks – you might prefer to pick these up at the supermarkets when you arrive. I freeze the freezer blocks where I'm staying (nicely ask the host or owner of the establishment to use theirs if there's not one directly available to you) and in the morning you can stock up on perishables bought at the local markets (marché), delicatessens (charcuterie), cheese purveyors (fromagerie) or supermarkets (supermarché – such as Géant, Auchan, Intermarché, Carrefour, Monoprix, and others). Armed with a fresh baguette or two, a pocket knife, such as the famous French Opinel, which doubles as an authentic souvenir. Together with some environmentally-friendly paper plates, it’s a great way to free yourself up during self-drive tours, simply because you can stop anywhere you fancy for a picnic and have a French meal fit for royalty. It’s also a super way to save money.

French Meals TIP 2:
For people with food phobias, food prejudices (such as eating offal, snails, frogs legs), allergies and special requirements, familiarise yourselves with the French terms for your particular needs or dislikes, so you don't order something you don't want by accident. It's also handy to arm yourselves with a pocket-sized French menu decoder available from some bookshops. Nearly all guide books have some food translations in them, although these books are often too cumbersome to always carry around. Maybe jot down the translations to the terms relevant to you.