Unexcused Absences

There are certain things we look forward to all winter as we anticipate our return to France. One of those things, interestingly, is our initial trip through a French grocery store. Call it our version of French comfort food. The following is what makes getting back to France special, for us. Our typical first-day shopping list:

• Le Rustique – camembert cheese
• Pavé au Poivre – thin slices of hard sausage, similar to salami, with a coarse-ground pepper coating
• Cornichons Aigre-Doux – either Kuhne or Amora brand, a modified dill pickle, sort of a sweet-and-sour taste
• Moutarde de Dijon, Fine et Forte – Amora brand strong mustard from Dijon
• Activa Nature – the yogurt in France is just that much better (ie., less sugary) than in the USA
• Configure Bonne Maman – jams made the old fashioned way, the ingredient list is a) fruit, b) sugar, c) gelatin, d) a touch of lemon juice. Our favorites are pêche (peach), mûre (blackberry), and myrtille sauvage (wild blueberry).
• Flocons d’Avoine – old-style oatmeal, which can be surprisingly difficult to find in France
• Oeufs – eggs
• Président Beurre, Demi-Sel – an exquisite, lightly salted butter available at even the tiniest corner grocery store
• Badoit Eau Pétillante – fizzy water with small bubbles (yes, the French fizzy water is categorized by the size of bubble)
• Lindt Fleur de Sel Noir – a dark chocolate with crystals of salt. This is one of the few items on our list that is actually available back in the US. Favorite wife’s favorite chocolate
• Carrefour 52% Noir – my favorite dark chocolate from the Carrefour supermarket house brand
• Petit LU Pépites de Chocolat – a light, crunchy cookie with little flakes of chocolate
• Nutella Pate a Tartiner aux Noisettes et au Cacao – chocolate hazelnut spread famous the world over
• Le Crottin de Chèvre – a slightly aged puck of goat’s cheese
• Epoisses Berthaut – an exquisite soft-in-the-middle stinky cheese with an orange rind that some rightly call the king of cheeses. Be sure to insist on the “Berthaut” brand; Germain or Gaugry are just not as sublime
• Cantal Entre-Deux – Cantal cheese comes in three varieties; jeune (young), vieux (old), and entre-deux (between the two)
• Salade Mixte – various ingredients for green salad (lettuce, tomato, pepper, etc.)
• Bierre l’Abbaye – Abbey-style beer brewed in France. Another favorite is Kronenbourg 7.2 Blonde
• Bourgogne Vin Rouge – Burgundy red wine, preferably one from Mercurey or Givry (for the traditional bold Burgundy flavor) or Tannay (for a more delicate take on the Pinot Noir grape). And if we could afford it, wines from Pommard or Vosne-Romanée
• Loire Valley Vin Blanc – Sancerre defines the best of the upper Loire whites, although wines from Reuilly make a strong backup.
• Bourgogne Vin Blanc – Macon-Villages, Viré-Clessé, or Rully are our first choices for the Chardonnay grape, and Saint-Bris makes a very affordable Sauvigon Blanc
• Crémant de Bourgogne – sparkling wines at a fraction of the price of Champagne, we look for Bailly-la-Pierre, Vignerons de Buxy, or Domaine Gruhier

And last but not least, a baguette tradition, which is made with a heritage strain of wheat flour, not as blindingly white as the inside of a regular baguette – tangy, chewy interior, crackly crust, can be eaten straight up with President Demi-Sel butter. Make sure to eat within six hours of baking.

Provisions that make us long for France

The first four ingredients (camembert, sausage, pickles, and mustard), along with a baguette tradition, just happen to make the perfect French sandwich. The list above gets us quickly back into the spirit of living in France. With these ingredients, we re-enter the sublime world of eating in France. And if you come to visit, you can be pretty much assured that most, if not all, of these foods will be found onboard Après Ski at all times.