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Wild Mushrooms, an Autumnal Passion in France

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cèpes at the market

Autumn in France means the arrival of wild mushrooms overflowing from the stalls of market vendors. However, not everyone purchases their champignons des bois… foraging in France’s majestic forests is still very much a passionate hobby of the French and on many autumn weekends French families can be found, wicker basket in hand, meandering through the woods in search of these fungal delights. Whether you would like to take part in this culinary pastime or would simply like to savor them on your assiette, here is an overview of French wild mushrooms, some common dishes they are found in and where you can go foraging near Paris.

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The Best Artisanal Ice Cream in Paris

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Bac à Glace

Photo: Bac à Glace / Facebook

With summer upon us and temperatures rising, there’s nothing more refreshing while strolling in Paris than an ice cream. Although it was brought to France from Italy, the French have a great fondness for la glace. It is therefore not surprising to find a number of wonderful glaciers across the city who dedicate themselves masterfully to the art of ice cream. From historic to the avant garde, here’s where you can get the best artisanal ice cream in Paris.

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Paris Meets Brooklyn: The Global Reach of Contemporary American Dining

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Melt Restaurant 75017

French food is a powerful signifier of French culture, inspiring tourists and international foodies to travel to France to taste authentic ingredients and enjoy exceptional dining experiences.  In the last fifteen years, food critics and tastemakers agree that the global food business, which permits the regular importation and exportation of regional ingredients and encourages chefs to experiment with new techniques, has challenged the hegemony of French cuisine and dining.  Fabio Parasecoli and Mateusz Halawa’s new book  Global Brooklyn: Designing Food Experiences in World Cities (2021) recently asked food historians around the world to discuss how these new food-ways, honed in Brooklyn, New York, influence today’s cuisine.  I was pleased to participate in this fascinating study and I am sharing a section of my essay dedicated to the advent of Global Brooklyn in Paris. 

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Foie Gras, France’s Favorite Holiday Delicacy

Foie Gras Laguilhon

France takes its gastronomy extremely seriously, and this is especially true when it comes to the end-of-year holidays. Of all the holiday delicacies that might feature on the festive menus in French homes and restaurants, foie gras is a must. Despite the controversies surrounding it, there’s no denying that it is highly cherished by the French. Read more

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Surprising Stories: Les Champs-Elysées, from Allée to Avenue

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Les Champs-Elysées with Christmas lights, Photo: Wendi Halet/Flickr

This year the city of Paris will be ready for the holiday season: the colored lights will illuminate one of the most  beautiful avenues of the world, adding a special allure inviting strollers (albeit safely distanced and masked) along the festive avenue. The Christmas market will be virtual and the crowds will wait to bring encouraged to ring in the New Year with restraint, but the Christmas light are a Parisian traditions, like the Tree in Rockefeller Center, inaugurating a  holiday season unlike any other. Strolling the Champs is a walk through French history that entices Parisians and tourists alike at every season. But did you know it was inspired by garden design? Read more

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Les Potirons, France’s History and Love of Pumpkins

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While pumpkins are generally associated with the Americas, and rightfully so, the French have a particularly strong affection for this New World vegetable. Although you will never find a pumpkin pie served for dessert in a French home, in autumn the country’s markets abound in every shape and size of pumpkin. Here is how this fondness of potirons came to be and a recipe for the preferred way for the French to consume pumpkins, in a velouté, a thick and creamy soup.

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Surprising Stories: Chantilly Cream

Chantilly cream is a crowd-pleaser: from a dollop on fresh summer berries to a transformative spoonful that makes a cup of coffee into a tantalizing dessert, Chantilly cream is a world renown gastronomic delight. This week’s Surprising Story looks at the history of this Chantilly cream—whipped milk combined with sugar—and how it was concocted for celebrations at the most famous garden parties in seventeenth and eighteenth century France.

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