Planning a French Dinner Party

The summer is coming to an end, or at least for students, so why not celebrate the ending to one hot summer by throwing a French-style party?  It is actually much easier than what you would expect and we are here to help you get started!

First, the French love great food and company.  Start with compiling a list of close friends that may or may not know each other; always great to meet new people.  The number of guests can be either small or large depending on your personal preference; I personally believe the more the merrier. 

Second, to do this the French way you will have to start the evening with an apéritif.  An apéritif is normally an alcoholic drink consumed before a meal to stimulate or activate the appetite.  Drinks do not always have to be alcoholic and should be changed accordingly to the party crowd. 

When I was in France the family I stayed with would more than often drink Champagne.  This bubbling, sparkling wine product was perfect as it is light and refreshing.  You however, may choose other drink options such as cocktails, juices for children, or anything that even the crowd may ask for.  We also served a few small finger foods as we drank.  You can consider doing the same.  Items such as grape tomatoes, spreads, crackers, pretzels, and other small finger foods are perfect. 

Next, start to plan the menu.  Depending on how hungry everyone may be you should decide how many courses to prepare. 

Here are some ideas for appetizers.

Chilled Tomato Soup with Tarragon Crème Fraiche

Salade Lyonnaise

Pork Rillettes

Main Dishes:

Sumer Tomato Bouillabaisse with Basil Rouille

Colorful Vegetable Tian 

Trout with Brow Butter and Almonds (Trout Meunière Amandine)

Desserts:

Apricot and Basil Shortbread Tart

Chocolate Mousse

Pistachio Financiers

After the dessert a cup of coffee or cappuccino may be requested.  From my experience this is the time when the in depth conversation continues.  The French are not afraid to start dinner later in the evening and stay up late to share ideas, converse, and rekindle with great company.   

Here are some rules and etiquette important to know about French dining..

-Do not rest your hands on your lap it is similarly rude to place your elbows on the table in America.  Keep hands on table.  

-Bread will most likely be served at every meal.  You should have a bread plate but if one is not present the bread should remain on the tablecloth and not on your plate.  Be aware to rip pieces of bread from a larger chunk versus taking bites from a larger piece. 

-Follow the host.  Wait until everyone is served to begin to eat.  Same for the apéritif, wait until the host raises his/her glass to make a toast to drink. 

Now that you have a general idea of how to host a French dinner party good luck and enjoy your company!

La Rentrée- It's a big deal in France

If it wasn't already evident from the back-to-school advertisements, August has somehow crept upon on us once again. School, for better or worse, lies right around the corner for kids and young adults all across America. 

La rentrée scolaire

The French, however, have an entirely different concept of "back-to-school." In France, what is called "la rentrée" applies to not only students but to all citizens, as the beginning of September marks the end of many adults' holidays as well. Restaurants re-open, television and radio programs change their programming, and novelists unveil their new works. There's an excitement and optimism in the air marked by the convening of some many beginnings at once- c'est la rentrée!
 
The dramatic commencement of the new work and school year is the result of several policies implemented by the French. The French school year begins nationwide for all schools at the beginning of September. This year, fittingly, schools will open the 1st of September. The French have a more nationalized school program than what we have in the USA, making la rentrée truly a more concentrated and significant event than our "back to school" season. The program is so nationalized that there is even an official French list of school supplies that all students must have!

"There we go! I don't we've forgotten anything."
"Yeah we did! A giant backpack to carry all of that!"

For adults in France, la rentrée holds major significance as well because labor laws make August a favored vacation month for the French. In France, the minimum work week is 35 hours, and all workers receive two and a half days of paid leave per month worked. For some odd reason, Saturdays are factored into this calculation, and all French workers are left with five full weeks of paid leave throughout the year (wouldn't that be lovely...).

One would imagine the French 35-hour work week looks a little like this

Another aspect of French labor law states that one of these five weeks of vacation must be taken separately from the main school holidays (the Toussaint in mid-fall, Christmas, the winter holiday in February, and the spring holiday in mid-April). This law, in combination with French tradition, leads many workers to take long vacations in the month of August.

As a result, August has become somewhat of sacred month in France. Millions of French northerners flee towards the southern beaches in August, leaving their jobs behind. Paris in particular feels empty in August due to the sheer number of shops and restaurants that close down due to the August tradition.

Parisian roads get very congested in the month of August as people
flee the city for the south.

Once September rolls around, however, you can be assured that everything in France will return to business as usual.