L’Art de Bien Manger

  • 7 Les Poissonchat’s Wondrous Advent Calendar – Soupe à Oignons

    7 Les Poissonchat’s Wondrous Advent Calendar – Soupe à Oignons

    Soupe à Oignons You ever heard of the Hiver Noir? That’s the Black Winter, and it’s a thing in Paris, especially of the 19th century. When any attempt at snow was turned into a blackish slush, curtsy of the the myriad coalburners keeping the beautiful yet airy Parisian apartments from turning its inhabitants to ice.… Read more

  • 6 Les Poissonchat’s Wondrous Advent Calendar – Saint Nicolas

    6 Les Poissonchat’s Wondrous Advent Calendar – Saint Nicolas

    Saint Nicolas Today we celebrate the Saint Nicolas, especially out here in the upper east of France. He comes to give you chocolates and other little niceties, however, if you’ve been naughty, watch it for his friend Le Père Fouettard who is said to have an inexorable penchant for decently spanking even the most ardent… Read more

  • 5 Les Poissonchat’s Wondrous Advent Calendar – No fretting in French

    5 Les Poissonchat’s Wondrous Advent Calendar – No fretting in French

    No fretting in French It is Monday, which, to a wide number of the populace, is a reason for fretting. Yet not so in France. There is no fretting on Mondays in France. Neither on Tuesdays, for that matter, or on any other day of the week. In fact, there is no fretting in French. … Read more

  • 4 Les Poissonchat’s Wondrous Advent Calendar – The Nativity Scene

    4 Les Poissonchat’s Wondrous Advent Calendar – The Nativity Scene

    Joseph still bows to the pillar Another quintessential ingredient to a Very Merry French Christmas is the Crèche de Noel. The Nativity Scene. You just simply must visit one, the path to a French Christmas irremediably leads past the Nativity Scene. Usually they’re put up in churches or, out here in the countryside, in the… Read more

  • 3 Les Poissonchat’s Wondrous Advent Calendar – Champagne

    3 Les Poissonchat’s Wondrous Advent Calendar – Champagne

    No need to resort to alcohol to resolve one’s life’s issues As we have learnt yesterday, in France there is no need to resort to alcohol to resolve one’s life’s issues, as one leaves those in the care of Le Père Noel. Hence alcohol, in France, generally is purely meant for your enjoyment and leisure,… Read more

  • 2 Les Poissonchat’s Wondrous Advent Calendar – Le Père Noel

    2 Les Poissonchat’s Wondrous Advent Calendar – Le Père Noel

    Le Père Noel will take care of it The French have wonderful solutions to just any problem, ranging from outwaiting the issue to downright fiercely reject any responsibility whatsoever in connection with the issue, they are rather practical and in most circumstances remarkably effective, I admit. The best I know of, however, is writing to… Read more