Oh, I believe-you and I'm sure you are hundred times more expert than I in wines.
What I tried to explain is a difference between our lifes and approaches of wines and food that is hard to reduce, because ti comes form our parents.
I noticed that American people are more involved in wine expertise, some kind of "fashion" with it.
It tends to disappear, but, for many French guy of our generation, gastronomy was, as I said, part of our ADN. Even when you prepare a simple salad for yourself in your kitchen. You know, an Olive oil from your friend producer in the south of France, a real balsamic vinegar (outpriced nowadays ;-(, flower of salt from Guerande, a touch of purple garlic from south west and nice Dijon mustard, and your own recipe that you never realize twice the same ...
Yes, it tend to disappear, MacDo every where, and, from time to time, a dinner in a five star restaurant ;-)
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I used to holiday on the med coast. Everything there you buy fresh tastes wonderful. Oddly the Rose you buy from the vineyards to drink by the gallon is excellent, until you bring a bottle back to the UK. It hates the journey and tastes nasty. Nothing to do with being back in cold,wet dank England and having to go back to work, no sir 😛
Christophe,
Don't believe everything you read in the papers. There is no one kind of American, we come from every culture an place on earth. I live in a city with every kind of food and all kinds of people. We are not mono-cultural but we have one goal that I think is universal, the desire to have freedom to do as we please. I cook almost every day, very rarely do I look at a recipe, only when I am baking, can't fool with baking. And yes wine is just the latest craze for those who have nothing better to do, drink in moderation and you are fine, forget that and things aren't so sweet. Enjoy life while you can, I think Europe and America are more the same than truly different.
Don't believe everything you read in the papers. There is no one kind of American, we come from every culture an place on earth. I live in a city with every kind of food and all kinds of people. We are not mono-cultural but we have one goal that I think is universal, the desire to have freedom to do as we please. I cook almost every day, very rarely do I look at a recipe, only when I am baking, can't fool with baking. And yes wine is just the latest craze for those who have nothing better to do, drink in moderation and you are fine, forget that and things aren't so sweet. Enjoy life while you can, I think Europe and America are more the same than truly different.
Outside of the US, it is not well understood that we are about the size of Europe, with perhaps even more diversity. Cuisines vary tremendously by region- there is more difference between (say) Texan and (say) New England that there is between (say) Polish and (say) French. There are even major differences between cuisines within those areas- for example, Central Texas Tex-Mex is very different than Border Texas Tex-Mex, in the same way that Provencal and Perigord will be different (though both French).
Ditto languages: most of the US is functionally bilingual English/Spanish, but in Louisiana or the northern parts of New England, you're more likely to encounter old-style French. And in Chicago, one commonly hears Polish spoken.
I blame TV, particularly aaron spelling! You really have to live and travel in America to understand what the media doesn't show you. I loved my two years in Chicago and would move back if anyone wanted me!
Of course, brother. I'm not so stupid or "patriotic" to believe such thing. And it is the same for each country. Millions of individuals, many of them kind of brothers.
I was just referring to a kind of "perfume" you can feel, different in each country you visit.
Anyway, As my aunt married a GI just after the war, half of my family is US native. And I had spend lot of time, even for work, in your country that i love for many aspects for the few areas I was in. (Mainly NY and LA).
My cousin, with the same christian name than I and the same age is teaching history at Yale.
I had worked long time, too, for a Company form Texas. Very involved in Art, and so far from John Wayne ;-)
And you know, our generation was feed with Hollywood movies and R'n'R ;-)
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You ruined my answer.
I was waiting from you for a kind of answer like "No ?", and had prepared my reply: "We just don't call them".
SY, just an anecdote about this. I had to record a LP for a Cajun group. You know, those fiddles banjos etc. Authentic Louisiana farmers.
It was in Paris, the first time in their life they were outside of US.
They were so proud and happy to speak french, but, :-(, I was unable to understand the lightest word with their incredible accent and expressions and we were obliged to exchange in English most of the time.
It was sooo sad, in a way. And this strange expression to be in a time machine, if you see what I mean. They were lovely.
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Yes, T.V. and politics makes things look completely different than real life. Just illusions that the rest of the world sees that have little to do with reality.
Music is more of a universal language, it may be different across the world but it does bring us all together. Here we are from around the world and we all seek similar experiences and the love of music.
Music is more of a universal language, it may be different across the world but it does bring us all together. Here we are from around the world and we all seek similar experiences and the love of music.
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And, in the same time, TV kills the real life and 'differences'. France was, when I was a child, like the US, but in miniature, an incredible assembly of very different landscapes, climats, accents, customs, clothing, architecture, way to think, cook and traditions.
Hundred more time different from each other's than today can be people from the other side of the world. Cannot see a lot of difference between Portuguese people, where I'm living for the moment and people of my native courtry, language apart. Everybody wear the same bluejeans and Teeshirts, drive the same cars, have the same mobile cars. And politicians are the same liars ;-)
Even architecture is going to be the same everywhere. Buildings of concrete, glass and steel.
Little planet, now. And we had lost a lot in the same time
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So, you are VERY different from most of the French people, witch had who ate frogs no more than, may-be, 5 time in all their life ;-)
It does not form part of the basis of our diet
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Frogs and snails once in my life, enough to try them but not something I would go out of my way for.
Maybe because my AHerd started in Flambandes (Gel-bique if you enjoy Verlan)
I grew up eating Fla-jambes at family across the border.
Some pianobar stuff from mon grand-oncle : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkSNxQ-z4zQ
Myself, I prefer la Téte et les Jambes by Les Maxel's (de la Guadeloupe)
I'll bet even fewer ortolans. I wasn't aware of the frog's legs, I thought they were quite ordinary and more common like in Vietnam for instance. I guess it's like prairie oysters, from the food channel you would think everyone in the west here eats them every week.
Conch, snails, periwinkles, etc. I'm quite fond of them all but draw the line at the new interest in slug egg caviar.
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