“A table!” (Time to eat!)
It’s easy when sitting down to a meal in France to think primarily about the food and the wine. After all, it’s arguably what the country is best known for.
But after years of meals in this gastronomically-blessed country, I make a point to look beyond what’s on the plate. Of course, the food is fabulous but I have realized that a significant part of dining pleasure—in Paris or in the provinces—is the setting. The table setting, that is.
From glassware to silverware to ceramics to linens, the French table brings these elements together with a panache that is uniquely français. Whether humble or haute, every item on the table speaks to French creativity, to French craftsmanship, and to the French love of proportion and order. Even the arrangement of breakfast breads in a basket exudes a French touch.
And yet, the art of the French table is hardly ever practiced in a vacuum (maybe at an industry trade show??). The French set a table with a clear purpose in mind—to enhance the food experience. Long ago, they realized that the aesthetics of dining are essential to enjoying what’s on the plate and what’s in the glass.
So when I am in France, I love to pay attention to table settings…to capture an idea, to get inspired, to appreciate yet another thing the French do very well. I then put these impressions together with my own personality to create my own French tables.
It doesn’t take much to create your own table à la française (in the French style). There are a few tried and true tenets that the French use to transform a potentially banal daily event into a work of art:
- Keep it simple
- Combine the practical and the aesthetic
- Mix the old and the new
- Add in some whimsy
- It’s all in the details
That said, it is still true that the French do it best—and on their own soil. Food writer and France-lover Elizabeth David sums it up thus:
“A country’s national food appears completely authentic only in that country…The climate, the soil, the ingredients, the saucepans, the stove, even the way of arranging the food upon the serving dish, of folding the napkins and setting the table, as well as the French attitude of mind towards food, and the very smell of their kitchens while they are cooking, all play their parts.” (From her classic volume French Provincial Cooking)
If you have a special recipe from your table, a photo of a memorable table setting chez vous, or a good “French table in France” story to share, please take a moment to post it here. We all could use some great ideas French-style. Possibilities for creating wonderful tables are endless—and opportunities to create new tables arise every day, three times a day. A la bonne table!
French Take-Out™ ~ La France à Emporter
French tables are on my mind this week. This afternoon, I had the great pleasure of giving an illustrated talk on the ‘Art of the French Table’ at Pierre Deux in the Dallas Design District. The lecture, food and wine evening was complemented by lovely examples of French provincial table settings throughout the store. Rather than lugging Provence pottery all the way back from France, I should have been checking out the offerings at Pierre Deux! It’s a bit of France for home and table here in the U.S.
