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Visiting & Cooking in the French Alps
About 20 km outside of Grenoble, deep into the French Alps near the Italian border, is a beautiful hidden little hamlet called La Bérarde. I spent some time there, exploring the life and food of the French, outside of the tourist areas.
Not only most of the streets, but many of the homes, are cobblestone, and all are nestled against the mountains or tightly juxtaposed in the few flat areas. Tall French windows, nouveaux wrought iron, baguettes, cheese and fresh flowers.
You can find stone Roman aquaducts that make their way through the mountains, still working, still bringing the freshest water anywhere to their destination cities.
The people use utensils in their kitchen which they dearly love, Berard olivewood and La Guiole (The Bee) Cutlery.
The Bee is the main symbol of France's greatest King, Louis XIV, the Sun King. These cutlery pieces, each with the King's Bee, have a long and cherished history in France.
The fact that La Berarde is near to the Dauphin's own castle, and near the Bastille, adds to the depth of history and heritage the French feel in their homes, their architecture and their cooking.
The Glacier Carré
Magnificent
One of the big attractions of the area are the magnificent glaciers. La Berarde is far enough away to be relatively safe from the frequent avalanches they cause, but close enough that, if you have the nerve, you can be driven up the alps heart-stopping ribbon roads to the resort areas where you can ski nearly all year, and take incredible mountain walks.I had often seen pictures of models in bikinis on a glacier or snow in the Alps, but I didn't really believe those pictures until I spent time there. It is true. The air and sun are warm enough in three seasons to wear a bikini, all the while you are standing or skiing (or slipping) on a glacier.
La Berarde Breakfast Utensils
Berard Olive Wood Utensil Holder
Amazon Price: $88.99 (as of 07/10/2009) 
Berard French Olive Wood Handcrafted Mortar and Pestle, Large Size
Amazon Price: $59.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
Berard Olive Wood Cheese Board with Knife, Small, 12.5 by 7.5 Inches
Amazon Price: $70.00 (as of 07/10/2009)
Berard Hand Turned Olive Wood Salt Bowl and Spoon
Amazon Price: $31.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
Berard Olive Wood Kitchen Whisk
Amazon Price: $27.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
Breakfasts
Renowned Bread, Cheese, Fruit
Outside of the tourist areas, and often inside them, NO ONE COOKS BEFORE NOON.(THIS is why McDonald's is so popular in tourist areas- you can get a COOKED breakfast!)
The famous breakfast of crusty bread or croissant, cheese and jam still rules the day.
I was immediately assessed by the citizens as an American 'riche 'ippie'. Now, I am neither rich, nor a hippie, but as my late dad said, "I never could live that down!"
The French have a different relationship to food than we have. Condiments are not condiments to them. Jam is fruit. Butter is cheese. Ketchup IS a vegetable.
But, their utensils! Along with 'the bee' - La Guiole, they had beautiful cooking utensils which I have found and shared here.
Le Berarde Wooden Utensils
HIC Harold Imports Olive Wood Wide Spatula 12-1/2-Inch
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 07/10/2009)
HIC Harold Imports Olive Wood Spoon 12-Inch
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 07/10/2009)
Berard Olive Wood Mini Mustard Spatulas - Set of 4
Amazon Price: $14.50 (as of 07/10/2009)
Berard French Olive Wood Handcrafted Lemon Press
Amazon Price: $20.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
Berard Olive Wood Economy Pack- Spatula, Stew Spoon, Jam Spreader and Jam Spoon
Amazon Price: $29.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
Chicken Leek Soup
Delicious Hot Leek Soup
8 large leeksolive oil
1 whole brown roasted chicken
julienned fresh carrots
fresh ground pepper
salt to taste
lemon zest (1 tbsp)
if you have roasted a chicken the night before for dinner, roast two! Use the second roasted chicken in your soup. Once roasted, pour off fat, reserve browned pan drippings, skins, bones and gizzards.
Chop and set aside chicken meat.
Pour water in the pan with all the leftover chicken parts and boil. You are making a stock. Wash and chop leeks, putting ends into stock pot and add the ends and pieces of your fresh carrots. Season to taste, add a little lemon zest. Cook on medium heat. Strain when the main vegetables and chicken are finished cooking and ready for the stock to be added.
Put chopped leeks in soup pot with olive oil to saute leeks, add chicken and fresh ground pepper to taste. Once the leeks are cooked through, add zest and carrots. Pour in strained chicken stock. If desired, chop liver and put in soup. Season to taste. Simmer for 1/2 hour and serve. Wonderful with a dollop of sour cream.
Serve with crusty bread and/or croutons and white wine.
French Kitchen Essentials
HIC Harold Imports Olive Wood Spoon 12-Inch
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 07/10/2009)
HIC Harold Imports Olive Wood Wide Spatula 12-1/2-Inch
Amazon Price: $6.95 (as of 07/10/2009)
Berard Olive Wood Hand Turned Large Sauce Spoon
Amazon Price: $29.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
Set of 6 Berard French Olive Wood Handcrafted Spatulas
Amazon Price: $37.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
Berard French Handcrafted Olive Spoon, Solid Olive Wood
Amazon Price: $15.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
French Alps Cooking
Madeleine Kamman's Savoie: The Land, People, and Food of the French Alps
Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
French Kitchen Essentials
Berard French Olive Wood Honey Dipper
Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
Olivewood Salt Scoop 99570
Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
Beechwood Crepe Spreader 59110
Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
Laguiole Boxed Seafood Set in Wood gift case
Amazon Price: $66.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
French Olive Wood Spatula with Drainage Holes
Amazon Price: $10.75 (as of 07/10/2009)
Mountain Climbing Canes
No wonder they NEED them!
I had a lovely room, with handmade French lace curtains and those tall, breezy windows that I love. Beautiful views, gorgeous alpine flower gardens right out the window.But the beds were so soft that I sunk waaaayyy down in them, like Uncle Fester did in the Addams Family movie. They had NO firm beds in town! Within days, I was crippled. My hosts proffered a mountain walking cane, but were horrified when my preferred solution was to begin sleeping on the floor.
Well, who can understand a 'riche 'ippie' especially when with my accent, 'bad back' made no sense to them in French?
La Berarde Kitchen Utensils
Chicago Metallic Professional Nonstick Perforated French Bread Pan
Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 07/10/2009)
Villeroy & Boch French Garden 12-Piece Set, Service for 4
Amazon Price: $249.95 (as of 07/10/2009)
Reed & Barton Country French 18/10 Stainless Steel 5-Piece Place Setting, Service for 1
Amazon Price: $39.99 (as of 07/10/2009)
World Cuisine Wood French Rolling Pin
Amazon Price: $20.00 (as of 07/10/2009)
Villeroy & Boch French Garden Charm Canisters, Set of 3
Amazon Price: $134.00 (as of 07/10/2009)
Getting it ALL Wrong
American timing is DIFFERENT than French timing
They don't cook before noon, but they are certainly drinking wine before that time! With only one cup of coffee, or a 'suspicious' two cups (anybody understand THAT?), almost immediately the wine was broken out and enormous goblets filled. My refusals were dismissed and ignored, but once it became clear after about two weeks that my early afternoon naps were related, as a group they decided not to make me drink wine before 3 because 'it has an effect on you!' La Guiole~ The Bee
Highly Favored French Cutlery
They dearly love this cutlery and, if you find it at table, you have found at least a little favor with your hosts.
Laguiole boxed set of 6 stainless steel steak knives real horn handles
Amazon Price: $295.00 (as of 07/10/2009)
Jean Dubost Laguiole 24-Piece Flatware Set (Pearlized Ivory
Amazon Price: $179.95 (as of 07/10/2009)
Jean DuBost Laguiole 4-piece Stainless Spreaders Set
Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
Glacier Water
I never could capture that color...
Walking the alps with an enormous baguette, butter, cheese and a bottle of wine, I would be good for the day.The melting glaciers would form small rivulets running into nearby rocky streams, and the water was super-clear and of a bluish greenish color I could never capture with a camera.
These streams would darken as they went down the mountain, and by the time they reached Grenoble they were a hideous filthy and thick brown.
But in the Alps, it was beautiful, crystal clear, and I think added to the flavor of the animal's cheeses, milk and cream.
Mt Blanc
Dramatic Vista, Tourist Favorite
Mont Blanc (4807m)is western Europe's highest peak, which is right on the Italian border. It was first climbed in 1786 and is a favorite climbing spot ever since.During my stay, the entire resort area closed for the season over a tremendous controversy. The resort needed employees but wanted to pay them so little that the workers couldn't afford to stay in the area. They would owe money at the end of the season just for rents, not to mention food, transportation and other hideously expensive necessities. The hotels, motels & chalets refused provide 'affordable housing' for the employees, because they wanted the highest rates possible for their rooms. The impasse was never resolved, even with government involvement, and so my visits to Mt Blanc were like going to a beautiful ghost town.
deglacer- a very useful French cooking technique
Adds great flavor but no fat.
Some of my favorite cooking techniques, which really do set me apart for family affairs, come from the French. Deglacer is one of those techniques.After frying, stir-frying or sauteeing something until it is brown, drain the fat or oil from the pan. The 'browning' that remains in the bottom of the pan is extremely flavorful. To deglacer, after the fat or oil is drained, add a little water, wine or broth to the bottom of the hot pan and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the browned, stuck parts are well mixed in with the liquid. Cook it down somewhat to concentrate the flavor.
You can use this in a gravy, or add it to your dish. It really, really adds flavor.
The French Alps
Julie, or the New Heloise: Letters of Two Lovers Who Live in a Small Town at the Foot of the Alps (Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, Works. Vol. 6.) (v. 6)
Amazon Price: $23.10 (as of 07/10/2009)
Michelin the Green Guide French Alps (Michelin Green Guides)
Amazon Price: $21.95 (as of 07/10/2009)
Walking Easy in the Italian & French Alps (Walking Guides)
Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
The French Alps (Hachette's Vacances Series)
Amazon Price: $15.56 (as of 07/10/2009)
Tell me how you like this page!
FarAwayJoe wrote...
Nice page and good idea combining travel and cooking information. And I can assure from firsthand experience that the French cuisine is indeed of outstanding quality. And the amazing landscape in the French Alps is even better.
Posted July 03, 2009
Sue_Dyson wrote...
Delicious-looking! I loved learning nothing gets cooked before noon! I think I'd like to adopt the French way of life. Thanks for this lens, it's great.
Posted June 07, 2009
telltilly wrote...
Hi Margaret, great lens. I will be watching to see what's next.
I'm just setting up my first lens and love the way yours is set up.
Posted May 20, 2009
LaraineRose wrote...
My love of travelling just got another boost. You make me want to see that part of the world too. Next year. 5*s, favorite, already a fan.
Posted April 18, 2009
dsrtlvr917 wrote...
Thanks for a wonderful, interesting lens. I can't wait to try the chicken leek soup!
Posted February 17, 2009
andre95
Hi Margaret, you made a great lense here, and as a French guy, I'm alway pleased to receive American visitors
Reading your lens, I understand that you were in a very specific area with special habits, so you can't really generalize what you experiment to "french peoples", even if you were right on many things.
So yes, we don't cook before noon, because we are too lazy :-)
Yes, we love crusty bread, cheese, meat and so many foods that we cook in a million manners, but no, no, no, we never drink wine before noon !!! I really won't be able to do that.
It's only in campaigns and mountains where you will see that.
It's because these people often wake up at five in the morning, then they work hard until 9 or 10, then they really need to eat some consequent foods (mainly ham, sausage, obviously cheese, with crusty bread and possibly some wine to drink with !
But in other area, it's very rare that we drink wine before noon
Russian Crafts
Posted February 03, 2009
PattB wrote...
Very nice. You've made me want to check it out...not just the Alps, but the cooking, too!
Posted December 19, 2008
GHouse wrote...
Hi!! Just come to see your nice lens. I did my travel lens too. It's about my hotel in hua hin Thailand. Hua Hin is a charming town of clean white sandy beach. If you come to Thailand, please visit us.
Posted December 06, 2008
rose08 wrote...
great sharing, thanks for introducing such a good place. I preffering travelling in the place out of tourist area. and the tools you're presenting are also very useful. It must be very unique but cheerful travel experience. I enjoy reading such kinds of fruitful and different Tourism information, which make me want to take the tour right away...
Posted October 17, 2008
Rob3 wrote...
This is a lovely lens with interesting information on a beautiful part of France. You certainly are a Lens Master, well done.
Posted September 10, 2008
