Quiz on French food and gastronomy

I love Asterix comic books by Gossiny and Uderzo. I read them all when I was a kid. And recently took a trip back in time and read the entire collection again. I realized now that these are ok for kids, but much funnier for grown-ups because you get to understand all the historical jokes and the amazing word play in them.

Asterix and the banquet ("Le tour de Gaule d"Asterix" , in reference to le tour de France) gave me the idea for this French food quiz.

In this book, Julius Caesar has enough of being ridiculed by this indomitable Gaul tribe so he barricades them in their village. Asterix and Obelix, the heroes of these stories, decide to show Caesar that Gaul belongs to the Gauls and that they can go everywhere as they please. So they make a bet with the Romans: they will bring food specialties from around the country as proof. Read the book if you want to know how it ends!

What is a Tartiflette?: it is a gratin of reblochon cheese, potatoes, onions, cream and bacon. Artery clogging and absolutely delicious. Not difficult to make either. Tartiflette is a traditional and classic dish of Savoyard cuisine. I make tartiflette at home pretty often, but I do my own "lazy and too busy" version. The proper recipe is cooked in the oven, I do mine in a skillet. And no, there is no "light" version of the tartiflette, thank Teutates!

Tartiflette photo is a courtesy of Agathe B under creative commons

Why are the famous hard candies from Cambrai called Bêtises?: Bêtises means foolish mistake and these candies were the result of a cooking mistake. Betises are a mint flavored boiled sweets with caramel stripes on it.

Betises de Cambrai available from Histoire Sucree

Orleans is famous for?: Orleans and its vicinity produces fine vinegars.

Manufacture of vinegar image is a courtesy of El Bibliomata under creative commons

How do you call a grilled cheese and ham sandwich with an egg on top?: a croque-madame. Croque-monsieur has no egg on top. Parisien and jambon,-beurre is the same: a baguette sandwich with ham and butter.

Croque-madame image is a courtesy of Catastrophysicist on Zazzle

What is the name of the famous cake, specialty of Douarnenez in Bretagne region?: It's call a kouing-aman. My all time favorite sweet. It's a dough with butter and more butter and sugar and more sugar and a bit more butter, slowly baked until the kouing-aman caramelizes. Kouing-aman is the Breton word for butter cake.

The Kig Ha Farz are buckwheat dumpling (another Bretagne specialty). The clafoutis is a cherry cake from Limousin region, and Paris-Brest is a choux pastry with praline cream.

Kouing-aman image is a courtesy of bochalla under creative commons

The Tarte tropézienne pie was made famous by which actress?: Brigitte Bardot is responsible for the success of this pie. In 1955, during the shooting of "Et dieu créa la femme" movie in St-Tropez, she indulged herself with what was just called cream cakes. She liked it very much, and rumor wants that she suggest the name "tarte Tropezienne" to the chef who inventetd this cream cake. The rest is history: the movie was an international success, making Bardot a superstar, putting St-Tropez on the map. The Tropezienne tart became St-Tropez staple dessert .

Tarte Tropezienne photo is a courtesy of donutgirl under creative commons

Restaurant La Mère Poulard on Mont Saint Michel is famous for?: Its oversized omelette, cooked on a real fire in copper pans. Also known for decadent Brittany butter cookies

La Mere Poulard restaurant photo is a courtesy of austinevan under creative commons

Potatoes cooked in duck fat is called?: Pommes de terre Sarladaise. An excellent dish. I always keep duck fat in the fridge, so whenever I feel like it I can do my Sarladaise potatoes express version. Gratin Dauphinois is another classic French recipe: in an oven dish, rubbed with garlic, you slowly cook thinly sliced potatoes mixed with lots of cream.

Pommes de terre Sarladaise photo is a courtesy of romytetu under creative commons

Dijon is famous for?: Its mustard!

Fallot Dijon Mustard Tin Pail w/ Jar 15.8 oz available on amazon

How do you call the famous cheesecake, specialty of Poitou region?: Tourteau. It's a cake made with goat cheese, sugar, flour and egg yolks. You recognize it by its burned-like charcoal colored top. I love tourteau. You can have them as aperitif as well as dessert. Personally I love them at apero time.

Tourteau photo is a courtesy of donutgirl under creative commons