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Tag: French Culture

  • A Vitamin B Shot of French Culture in Fullerton CA

    Last night we attended the first evening of Fullerton College’s annual two-day French Film Festival. We tried it on a whim and wow! We had a fantastic experience. The students and faculty put together an impressive event. Prior to the screening of the 2022 movie The Innocent, the festival offered a great taste of French culture with: freshly made Nutella crepes, French doughnuts and other yummy tidbits. As we sat outside on a beautiful spring evening, we enjoyed a variety of French music while everyone hosting wore fun berets made by the students.

    I cannot tell you how uplifting the night was for everyone attending. I especially enjoyed seeing how enthusiastic the students were as they focused on the attendees and carried out their assignments. The first night had a great turnout; the organizers really set up everything so well that did not feel overwhelmed.

    If you have not seen The Innocent, I highly recommend you do so. It is a combination of a comedy and heist film set in current times. The star of the film, Louis Garrel also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. It was nominated for multiple Cesars Awards (the French national awards) and was screen at the 75th anniversary Cannes Film Festival in 2022.

    Social media is incredibly helpful for spreading the word about upcoming events. In this case, a Facebook posting informed me about a French film festival at college almost two hours away from where we live. This film festival has been going on for 13 years and is delightful. My husband and I were so impressed by the creativity demonstrated. As a result of our experience, I am putting it in my calendar for next year.

    Freshly-made Nutella crepe
    Faculty and students being honored by the city council of Fullerton

  • The Amazing French Cheese That Looks Like Cantaloupe

    A few years ago, my husband and I, along with a few other family members, were invited to a Thanksgiving dinner hosted by a French family temporarily living in the United States. It was probably one of the best holiday meals I’ve enjoyed – even the roasted turkey was fantastic (coated in a mixture of beer and Dijon mustard)! The hosts invited another French couple who were professional cheesemakers. Naturally, this couple brought the cheeses for the traditional French cheese course. Our hosts baked beautiful homemade baguettes to go with the cheeses. The cheeses were served after dinner – before dessert. I do not remember what desserts we ate but I still think about those amazing cheeses.

    Recently, I rediscovered the joy of specialty cheeses. Going back to that Thanksgiving with our French hosts, they served three cheeses and provided a suggested order in which to try them.

    When serving an assortment of cheeses, it is a good idea to include a mixture of cow, sheep and goat ones. In addition, the proper order is to go from mildest to sharpest varieties. Our French hosts served their cheeses with a few grapes and an anise aperitif. Personally, I prefer to pair my cheeses with dried fruit and a ruby port. As of lately, I am really into golden prunes that I buy at a local Middle Eastern market.

    Also, I think it is fun to introduce guests to less well-known cheeses. Recently, I was introduced to the French Mimolette made from cow’s milk and aged for 18 months. The exterior is rough and looks like a mini boulder. In fact, the hard exterior is covered in cheese mites. Consequently, the U.S. banned this cheese for a number years over unwarranted safety concerns. It is best to let this cheese sit out for a while to really enjoy its full flavor. It has a nutty and somewhat sweet taste.

    Finally, I am a huge blue cheese fan. I enjoy it in salads and cheese plates or as its own appetizer with thinly sliced pears, dates or toasted walnuts. It is a strong cheese so it is best to enjoy it last – after eating milder cheeses. Saint Agur is a French blue cheese produced from cow milk in central France.

    The Cheese Course at Our French Thanksgiving Day Dinner