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Un Repas Traditionnel en France. A traditional meal in France.
L'art du savoir-manger. The art of "Savoir-Manger" |
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Trois petits trucs astuces.
Le savoir-faire =the knowledge of how to behave and what to do in polite society.
Le savoir-manger = the knowledge of how and what to eat.
Le savoir-boire = the knowledge of how and what to drink.
La politesse.
It's always polite to take a little gift when you are invited out to dinner.
- Flowers are always appreciated - BUT never take chrysanths as they are the flowers of the dead!
- it may be better to avoid a bottle of wine since it can suggest that you think your host might not be offering you a good wine. However, if it is unusual or say, offered as Australian wine from an Australian, then it is very acceptable.
- A typical souvenir from your own country, not too ostentatious, is quite appropriate.
- A box of chocolates never goes astray!
Always arrive on time for a meal. It is "impoli" to be late. If you are held up in traffic or with something happening unexpectedly, ensure you telephone your host to warn them, and to say how late you will be.
Avoid overeating! It is tempting to fill up on delicious early courses, not leaving enough room for the later ones. Refusing your host's food may be seen as impolite!
Une entrée - a salad with walnuts and goat's cheese
Une entrée, duck pâté with orange, in aspic.
Terrine with fresh and smoked salmon.
Un trou normand - a little shot of Calvados, apple brandy from Normandy.
Des pâtes avec une sauce bolognaise.
Pasta with a Bolognese sauce.
Du poisson et du riz
Fish with rice.
Fromage de chèvre
Goat's cheese.
 Une île flottante- A "floating island" île flottante is meringue, with crème anglaise - "English cream", a fancy name for custard!
 une tarte tatin: tarte tatin is an upside down apple pie
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The French love celebrating special occasions, especially with a meal. There are four or five courses. Different wines are chosen to go with each dish. Bread is eaten with each dish, except dessert.
A meal for a special occasion can last up to four or five hours. No-body gets impatient. People profit from the time in savouring the different dishes, tasting the diferent wines and in friendly discussion. That's the art of "savoir-manger". |
Les Français adorent célébrer les fêtes – surtout avec des repas spéciaux. Il y a quatre ou cinq plats. Des vins différents sont sélectionnés pour accompagner chaque plat. On mange du pain avec chaque plat, sauf le dessert.
Un repas de fête peut durer quatre ou cinq heures. Personne n’impatiente. On profite du temps qui passe en savourant le choix de plats, en dégustant les vins différents, et en discussion amicale. Ça, c’est l’art de savoir-manger. |
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Une boisson alcoolisée, eg. Le whisky, l’Oporto, le Pernod, le champagne.
C'est normal de prendre un petit apéro et de discuter avant de servir le repas. Voilà du pastis, de l'Oporto, du Kir et du Whisky. |
An alcoholic drink, eg. Whisky, Port, Pernod, Champagne.
It's usual to serve the apéritif and to have a chat before eating. Here, the host is offering Pastis (an aniseed alcohol drunk with water - in the blue jug), Port, Kir, (blackcurrant liqueur drunk with white wine) and whisky. |
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Un apéritif (un apéro)
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Les hors d’œuvres
 Vol aux vents are a popular form of hors d'oeuvre. They may have mushrooms, prawns, chicken, fish or meat in a savoury or cream sauce inside them. |
Les amuse-gueules, eg. Les noix, les chips, les canapés, etc.
Les vol aux vents sont aussi populaires comme hors d'oeuvres. |
Nibblies, eg. nuts, chips, savouries on toast, etc. Vol aux vents are a popular form of Hors d'oeuvre.
Hors d'oeuvres literally means "outside the masterpiece". They are eaten away from the dinner table. |
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L’entrée
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Souvent une salade, du pâté, de la charcuterie ou des crudités.
Voici des entrées qui sont assez répandues - des terrines, des crudités ou des salades. |
Often a salad, pâté or terrine (which is a type of coarse pâté), a selection of cooked cold meats or sliced raw vegetables.
Illustrated are some entrées which are popular, various types of terrine and fresh salads. |
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Un trou normand / un sorbet
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Pour se rafraîchir entre les deux plats.
Un trou normand est un petit calvados – une eau de vie de pommes - une boisson de la Normandie.
Quelque fois, on sert un petit sorbet. |
This is to refresh your taste buds between courses.
Generally a little glass of Calvados - a strong, clear apple brandy whch comes from Normandy. Illustrated on the left is the sorbet which may be served instead. |
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Le plat principal
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Le « plat de résistance » - Tu ne peux pas résister à ce plat délicieux !
A gauche, un confit du canard, aux marrons et aux haricots verts. |
The main dish - you can't resist this delicious meal!
Duck confit, with chestnuts and green beens is illustated on the left. Confit is a special way of preparing duck by cooking and preserving it in its own fat. It is re-cooked and served with very crispy skin. |
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| Une truite à la meunière et des pommes de terre à vapeur. |
Trout in a butter sauce with boiled potatoes.
Trout is a prized fresh water fish, caught in rivers. |
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Une salade 
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Une salade verte pour se rafraîchir avant le fromage.
Par habitude, l'hôtesse prépare la vinaigrette de sa propre recette. |
A green salad to refresh your taste before the cheese course.
Normally, your hostess will prepare the dressing herself |
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les fromages
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Au moins 3 ou 4, surtout des spécialités de la région.
A gauche, du Roquefort, un fromage de brebis, et à droite, un fromage de chèvre.
On mange le fromage avec du pain. |
At least 3 or 4, especially the special cheeses from the local area.
On the left, Roquefort, which is ewe's cheese and on the right, goat's cheese.
You eat the cheese with bread, not crackers. |
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Les desserts, les fruits
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| On offre un gâteau, une tarte, une glace, des fruits en saison |
You could be offered gâteau, a tarte, ice cream or fruit that is in season. |
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A gauche, une tarte aux framboises, au centre, un sorbet aux fruits rouges
On the left, a raspberry tart. in the centre, red berry sorbet |
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The menu above is a special one for a Birthday
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As you can see, the hostess has prepared a gourmet meal since she is offering: lobster, scallops for an entrée, followed by truffles with scrambled eggs (considered one of the best ways of serving truffles).
The main course is Fois gras of duck, served with a little soft bread with prunes. Truffles are very a expensive type of fungus (mushroom). People often call them "black gold" since they cost about $1,000 a kilo! |
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