francofiled

La Cocotte, Cafe and restaurant Poulet basquaise with dauphinoise Hachis parmentier, confit de canard

It probably has nothing to do with Paris, so how did it get its name? I remember these from growing up in Belfast and Van Morrison mentions having one with lemonade in his song Cleaning Windows. They seem to be associated with poorer times in Ireland and Scotland and maybe the reference to Paris was a way to make them sound a bit grander than the simple ingredients of flour, milk, sugar and oil would suggest. They were made to look a bit fancy too, with a cherry on the centre mound and rock sugar sprinkled on top. Any ideas on where the name comes from?

It was nice at a family gathering of the Tracey clan to be able to get so close to a namesake bottle of Pouilly Fumé. We all took turns at posing with the bottle with the eventual aim of posting to social media. The back label provides some details on the wine and a stop at the Tracy sur Loire commune overlooking Sancerre will be a definite visit on our next trip to France. But it was the depuis 1396 on the front that really got me looking. Have they really been making wines there for over 600 years? Turns out they have and there's a Scottish connection too. I browsed to the Château's website and was pleased to see that it includes a short film in French with English subtitles. Even if your name's not Tracey, if you are a wine lover you'll appreciate it. There is the château in all its glory, the vineyards and cellars. And the occasional pop sounds of corks being eased from their bottles. Daniel, an old French friend, when he hears the distinctive sound of a poppin...

The Cercle français de Belfast's annual bal musette to celebrate La fête des rois started in sad and sombre mood. This was January 7, the day that the offices of #CharlieHebdo in Paris were attacked resulting in several deaths. Some at the réunion had not heard the news until their arrival, and we're anxious then to hear updates and share thoughts. What to say? What to do? The answers to both these questions came from France's own musical tradition of the chanson. A recent purchase and played several times over the previous days was an album recommended by a French friend - Paris by Zaz . Her songs are upbeat interpretations of some of France's best-loved standards. One composed in 1939 and performed then at a much slower pace by Maurice Chevalier spoke of Parisian resilience at another dark time in the life of the City of Light. It was Paris sera toujours Paris. One verse seemed entirely appropriate for the occasion and was shared with those present. It goes:   Par...

I was so interested in this photograph taken by my cousin, Greg McKernan on his recent trip to Paris. It is a montage of wood recovered from the Seine and attached to the quayside wall. It's a very creative idea. Wonder what "wood" the Lagan have in store?   Posted with Blogsy

FRANCE magazine has a brand new look, introduces new sections and columnists and still keeps those in-depth articles that make past issues such useful points of reference. I like it ! As a print and digital subscriber, I've been enjoying the new format for some days now and it's been hard to stay tight-lipped about the changes. The folks @Francemagazine on Twitter have been keeping the new look under wraps until today's official launch date and I wasn't keen to spoil the surprise. Now that it has hit the shelves, I thought it might be of interest to share what I notice and like about the changes. What strikes me most is the light, friendly, typeface supplemented in parts by a stylish, cursive font. There's an example of this on the front cover - a sense of adventure. All of the things that I liked about the previous format are still there but revamped and there is a lot of new stuff. This is immediately apparent from the double page contents spread. I much prefer...

The Cercle francais de Belfast has launched its new programme d'activites and we hope that there is plenty to interest you. The programme has been produced as a trifold booklet and we aim to circulate it widely. The membership push is on so do spread the word and we'll look forward to seeing you at as many events as possible.... And if you haven't yet seen what's in store why not head over now to www.cerclefrancaisdebelfast.org and check it out? A bientot !