In the spirit of the summer travel season, I thought I’d do another posting on getting the best out of Paris. Many of you wrote in that last week’s article on current art exhibitions in Paris was very helpful–and timely. This week’s article is about Pariscope–the insider’s guide to everything going on in Paris every week. I…

It’s travel season and one of the biggest draws when visiting Paris is, of course, art. I have put together a short list of some of the big exhibitions going on in the City of Light now through mid-summer. When planning your travel to France, keep in mind that the main cultural calendars for art,…

Do you love books about France and the French? So do we! Join us for our unique French book club as we meet quarterly to read and discuss books on French culture, art, cuisine, wine, language, and travel. Our meeting locations and hosts tie to each month’s book theme which makes our gatherings and events…

To Anglo-Saxons, French people are well-known for their pride of place. They are very fiers (proud) of their country, its history and its culture. After all, France was the world’s trend setter in diplomacy, art, architecture, literature, philosophy, science, and more for centuries. Many English speakers are also aware that the French hold their language…

Celebrated French gourmand and food writer Curnonsky—also good friend of Julia Child—was the arbiter of French taste in the first part of the 20th century. He was a food journalist par excellence and wrote numerous books and articles on French cuisine. He had two favorite sayings: « Et surtout, faites simple! » (And above all, keep…

Today in Paris, stunning boxes of chocolates, beautiful heart-shaped cakes and gorgeous bouquets of flowers have been whizzing out the doors of shops all over town in celebration of la Saint-Valentin. I thought I’d send a couple of ideas to make your Valentine’s Day a little more French if you are so inclined: – Send a French Valentine’s…

In the popular film Something’s Gotta Give starring Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson, Keaton categorically declares that the Paris bistrot Le Grand Colbert has the “best roast chicken in the universe.” That got me thinking recently about Paris restaurants and French culinary classics–who has the best île flottante (floating island)? who has the best mousse au chocolat?…

A few hardy souls ventured out the Dallas snow and ice last weekend for the French Cuisine & Culture workshop on French vinaigrettes. Here are some photos of our hands-on culinary adventure using dijon mustards, vinegars and oils to create outstanding French salad dressings. And then we enjoyed our various salad creations with homemade quiche lorraine  followed…

The French do many things well, and we have seen a lot of them in these pages. So since it’s winter and downright frigid this week in France and in North America, let’s take a look at yet another French talent—the art of tying scarves. A well-tied scarf in France is both a fashion statement…