Fait a la Maison

Ok, you have heard it again and again, but let me reiterate, food is a very serious thing for the French. It is one thing I love about them,but it drives me crazy at the same time. I love that both the preparation and the ritual of a meal are seriously important to them. We sit for hours (literally) at the table together and a large part of that time is spent discussing the food. I love the time factor because you really get to know people by hanging out for that long around a table with them. And as for the conversation, I am very interested, but I sometimes wonder if we are talking this much about the food because they are French and that is what they do or if it is because we are American and they think we are clueless about cooking and healthy eating. We have some wonderful French friends who have invited us to their homes for meals, and I so love going and getting to know them and experiencing their culture with them as opposed to observing it as a tourist or expat from afar. However, I do get tired of the stereotype that most of the French do seem to have about Americans and our eating habits. It is almost ingrained into them by the media here- that we (Americans) are all fat, unhealthy eaters. I mean I actually had a lady at the lab in my town remark as she was doing one of my monthly pregnancy blood tests, that we (Americans) don't eat "crudites", i.e. raw vegetables. My blood pressure shot straight up, I am sure, as I denied this ridiuculous statement. Of course we eat vegetables! Of course we eat raw vegetables! Salad anyone?

Anyway, when you watch TV or listen to the radio in France, it doesn't take long to realize that the French are deathly afraid of becoming like America with our fast food society and large percentage of obese people. On the news, they are sure to show large numbers of grossly overweight Americans while warning of this growing epidemic in France. I mean really, we discussed this on a number of occaions in my summer French class, and it got so old (especially since I was the only American and had put on quite a bit of weight during the pregnancy). Then there is this publicity campaign on TV that encourages everyone to eat 5 fruits and vegetables every day. I have actually had people explain this to me as if they thought I have never considered this option or realized that eating fruits and vegetables every day is a healthy way for me to live personally. I can assure you that this assumption did not come from observing my lifestyle. It is because I am American, and they understand us to be Neanderthals about what we put into our bodies. Well, I admit that I do go back and forth in my interactions with them- sometimes trying to prove them wrong and convince them that some of us do actually have a healthy diet and sometimes just throwing up my hands unwilling to compete with them in their food fanaticism.

So the other day I had my friend and her 2 girls over for "gouter" (afternoon snack). This is a daily event for French children and some adults as well. So, living here, I have adopted this part of the culture for SA. It's easy to have friends for gouter (especially French ones) as I don't have to prepare a whole meal and be worried about whether or not we do it the American way or the French way with all the courses, etc. Gouter usually consists of something sweet and some fruit for the children. So, I made my grandmother's fudge pie and served it with vanilla ice cream just as she recommended on the recipe card that she wrote for me years ago. Then I saw strawberries at the grocery store for less than a euro! I thought they would be a nice accompaniment to the chocolate, et voila, our gouter!

Well, this is very American thinking! The French are very seasonal eaters. My friend commented that she usually only eats "la glace" (ice cream) beginning in spring and summer and that she had never thought of eating it in winter. So, I am laughing to myself as I bring out the strawberries! These are, of course, a spring/summer fruit. In France, where the food comes from is VERY important. The law requires all food vendors to post where the food they are selling was grown. So, I knew that these strawberries were from Spain. Last summer I had a couple of hilarious conversations with different French visitors in my home about where the strawberries came from, and gathered that, generally, the French strawberries are better than the Spanish ones in my friends' opinions. On this occasion, my friend pointed out that as the weather in Spain is not yet warm enough to naturally grow strawberries, it is probable that artificial means were used to cause these strawberries to grow. Well, I quickly comforted my friend by telling her that she need not feel obligated to eat these suspicious strawberries. My friend politely dismissed my concern but later told her daughter not to eat any more strawberries as they would eat them in the spring. :)

The conversation around the pie was also humorous as we discussed it in French. I called it a fudge "tarte" as I understand that the French "tarte" is most comparable to an American "pie" and then attempted to describe what fudge is to my curious friend. Of course then there was a debate about whether it was a "tarte" or a "gateau" (cake) and my friend explained that normally a "tarte" has a "pate" (crust). I acknowledged that usually American pies have crusts as well but this pie is exceptional as it is "sans pate" (without a crust). After this exhausting discussion in defense of my grandmother's fudge pie, my friend asked me if I make a "gateau" (yes, she used the word gateau!) every day. I told her "no" and probably appeared a little puzzled after which she told me that she has friends that do.
"Why?" I asked incredulous at the thought of making a cake from scratch every day. She responded by explaining that her friend wants to know exactly what is in the gouter that she gives her child every day. She wants it to be "fait a la maison" (homeade). And so it continues, the perpetual culture clash in my brain- an American vs. a French perspective on everyday eating.