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In 2016, France reorganized its administrative regions, combining Haute-Normandie (Upper) and Basse-Normandie (Lower) into a unified Normandie, to the delight of its inhabitants. But we’re keeping the division for our tour de France because it’s a large region with much to share.
Normandy owes its name to its association in the late dark ages with Viking raiders, or Norsemen. We’ll explore the invasions to and from Normandy in part 3.
For now, we take a look at the rich contributions to art and literature, beginning in the ancient city of Rouen, the region’s capital. Located on the River Seine, it was founded by the Gauls and has served as a center for many dynasties, including the Merovingians, the Dukes of Normandy and Anglo-Norman kingdoms.
Rouen boasts beautifully-preserved half-timbered houses and other delights of medieval architecture. The Gros-Horloge is a 14th-century astronomical clock and one of the oldest mechanisms in France.
Gros-Horloge, Rouen.
The Cathédrale de Rouen is among its most famous attractions and was painted by Claude Monet.
Cathédrale de Rouen. Yoyo6507 [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
Normandy gave birth to the Impressionist art movement. In the 1870s, Monet named his hazy painting of the sea at Le Havre “Impression, soleil levant” (Impression, sunrise), and that became the name of the style of painting by free-thinking artists of the late 19th century seeking to capture scenes of nature and everyday life.
Impression, soleil levant. Claude Monet [Public domain]
Initially met with derision by the art world, the Impressionists now are beloved. Monet was their leader and the countryside of Normandy a favorite subject. Monet’s home and beautiful gardens at Giverny are a top tourism draw.
Monet’s garden at Giverny. Art Anderson [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
Other famous French people, and even an English king, were born in Rouen. Joan of Arc was tried and burned at the stake here.
Another literary Norman was Flaubert’s protégé, short story master Guy de Maupassant. One of his stories, The Englishman of Etretat, was inspired by a dramatic incident involving the near drowning of English poet Algernon Charles Swinburne, who had taken refuge on the Normandy coast from the constraints of Victorian society. A very flowery account of Swinburne’s ordeal in the surf and its aftermath, along with de Maupassant’s role in it, is a fascinating read, with a cameo appearance by Oscar Wilde. Victor Hugo, who spent significant time in the area, also contributes to the tale.
Algernon Charles Swinburne. Balliol College Portraits: 139 Oil on canvas, 18×13, 1860. Poole number 74
With the exhaustive list of “must-sees” in Normandy, a month seems insufficient for a trip there, even a virtual one. We’ll try our best to provide an enticing overview in our four week stop. Join us next week for some tasty recipes, and don’t even think about counting calories!
Last week, we ended our look at Picardie’s culture with an introduction to its extraordinary native son, Alexandre Dumas. This week, we begin our exploration of Picardie cuisine with Dumas. Perhaps one reason we love the French so much is that it seems every French person, regardless of profession, is obligated to contribute to the cuisine. Dumas was no exception.
Dumas is famous for his novels, notably The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, but the last great work of his life was the massive Grand Dictionhnaire de Cuisine, a volume of 600,000 words published posthumously in 1873. According to the publisher of the abridged English translation, Dumas on Food, it was for this work that Dumas wished to be remembered.
As with many French persons, Dumas viewed the entire world of foodstuffs as his eminent domain. He provided descriptions, anecdotes, stories and recipes of foods across the globe, some discovered on his travels. It is a fascinating first-hand account of the gourmet habits of a 19th century French gentleman. [Note: If you wish to read this book, you will need to track down a copy in the used book market as it is unfortunately out of print.]
I have not seen Dumas’ original work, so I can’t know what was omitted in the abridged version. Perhaps he wrote extensively on the food of his boyhood and the editors chose not to include it. Nevertheless, the dishes that are now considered the icons of Picardie cuisine are not described by this most famous native son.
Fortunately, you have me to look them up.
And unfortunately, some can not be easily replicated outside their place of origin.
Unless you are one of those people who can obtain what she wants wherever she happens to be, you will need to go to Picardie to try agneau de pré-salé, lamb that feeds in the salt water marshes of the Baie de Somme and is prized for its unique flavor.
Also, you probably need to go to Amiens to sample its special pâté en croûte of a boned duck baked in pastry. I’ll be doing a hacked version here since I do not have the skills or patience to try the original and I highly doubt I’ll find it on a restaurant menu stateside.
However, easily accessible to the home cook is the delicious almond cookie of Amiens, a simple cake with chantilly cream, and a crêpe dish that could be described as French enchiladas.
More photos are on this week’s video episode.
First up is that hard thing, the pâté en croûte. Amiens, the premiere city of Picardie, is known for its version of this French classic. My old edition of the Larousse Gastronomique has a recipe, but otherwise most of the instructions I found for making it were in French. I’m sure the effort is well worth it, but I settled for a cheaper and less time-consuming version.
My pâté en croûte, after the first slice.
Start this two days in advance, or at least very early on the day before you plan to serve it. Basically, you’re chilling the filling and the dough for several hours.
Cook’s note: The original recipe used a combination of chicken breasts, chicken thighs, pork tenderloin and pork belly. My market didn’t have pork belly, so I used more tenderloin, but I’m certain the pork belly would have made it richer with the extra fat. Also, 1350g of total meat was a little too much for my pan; 1kg would have sufficed. And I only needed half the gelatin recipe.
160 g unsalted butter
1 egg
1 pinch sugar
1 tsp salt
50 g water
250 g all-purpose flour
Melt the butter, let it cool, then beat it with the remaining ingredients for 20 seconds. Knead it until a dough forms, wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight. The next day, roll it into a large rectangle that can line a greased 9×5 loaf pan, about 1/2 inch thick. Place the dough in the greased pan.
Cook’s note: I highly recommend bakeware from the USA Pan company. You don’t even need to butter or oil these pans.
650 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, ground or chopped finely
350 g pork tenderloin, ground or chopped finely
350 g pork belly
28 g sea salt
freshly ground black pepper (about 15 turns of the mill, maybe 1 tsp)
1 pinch spice blend (I used garam masala)
1/3 cup white wine, vermouth, brandy or port. (I used vermouth and sherry.)
120 g shelled pistachios
Combine all and refrigerate, wrapped, overnight. The next day, after lining the loaf pan with the crust, add this filling. Bake for about 25 minutes at 400F, then lower the heat to 275F and baked until the center is 149F on an instant read thermometer.
While the pâté is cooking, make the gélee.
1 pkg gelatin
4.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup port
Melt the gelatin in the warm broth, then stir in the port.
Remove the pâté from the oven and fill it with some of the warm gélee. Repeat this step about four or five times in 30 minute intervals. Refrigerate the pâté and any remaining gelée overnight.
The next day, heat the remaining gelée and pour over the top of the pâté. Refrigerate until set. To unmold, gently warm the tin in the oven to loosen the crust from the pan. Slice and serve.
macarons d’amiens
Now that we’ve gotten the hard one out of the way, let’s go for the easiest. These little cookies are simple, delicious and gluten-free! Another treat from Amiens, they just require a little forethought as the dough needs to chill.
There are several recipes on the internet. I used this one, but I forgot to brush the cookies with the egg yolk.
ficelle picarde
A newer entry (circa 1950s) into the cuisine de Picardie is this dish that reminds me of enchiladas. I made it to great acclaim, even from our French houseguest who had never before tried it (he’s from the south of France). I used this recipe, substituting white wine for the lemon juice and using emmantaler cheese.
gâteau battu
A sweet ending or an afternoon snack with tea, this cake is not difficult to make and uses pantry ingredients. It’s almost more of a bread than a cake, and it is traditionally eaten with jam. In Picardie, it is baked in a mold that resembles a chef’s hat, but lacking such a thing, I happily discovered I could approximate the effect with my English pudding pan, thus creating another role for that aside from the annual extravaganza that is Nigella’s Christmas Pudding.
The gâteau also provided a nice base for a dollop of chantilly cream, a classic version of whipped cream originating from the Picardie town of the same name.
There are so many dishes from Picardie that I read about but did not have time to try this week, and now we’re off to Normandy. I feel like I need to move to France and do this over a decade, at least!
CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=146840
The second stop in our virtual tour de France is the region of Picardie in the north. In 2016, it was combined with Nord-Pas de Calais to form a new administrative region called Hauts-de-France, but for our purposes, we’re keeping it old school.
In what we suspect will become our introduction to every region of France, we’ll point out that this area is noteworthy for its history, natural beauty, picturesque villages, stunning architecture, and contributions to culture. Where is Ugly, Boring France? We know it must exist, but so far, we haven’t discovered it.
If you like books, read on to the end. Literature gets its place in the sun, or the Somme. And be sure to check out this week’s video, which features Story Time!
Let’s start with history. Of the many wars and battles that have plagued this land, none surpassed the horror known as The Great War, or World War I. More than a million soldiers perished in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. Two years later, an armistice was signed in the Forest of Compiègne.
Today, visitors can tour memorials, preserved trenches and battle craters to remember those who fought in The Great War. Maybe even a cemetery, if it’s not raining.
Also prevalent through the region are former battlefields covered in poppies, the blood red flowers that were the first plant species to repopulate the disturbed soil after the battles.
Alex Morley [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
Nature enthusiasts “flock” to the Baie de Somme estuary to witness tidal surges, bird migrations and France’s largest seal colony. Leah is eager to see this!
Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]
We now interrupt this post for a general assessment of the nature of travel, or travel in nature.
In 55 years of living, I can’t recall ever hearing a friend or acquaintance mention traveling to France for a nature adventure. In fact, few people I know ever get beyond Paris. It’s perhaps understandable that Americans go to France for museums, castles, food and wine rather than hiking and kayaking. We don’t need to cross an ocean to enjoy the great outdoors.
Yet, travelers who neglect France’s natural attractions for its famed urban amenities are missing the full splendor of this country. France is one of the best destinations in the world for getting out there, and we will endeavor to make that case on this tour.
Your elder guide, Sharon, with the younger, Leah, concurring
In Picardie, the previously mentioned Baie de Somme is the big draw. The half tones of light and changing landscape of this coastal area provided inspiration and scenery for painters such as Edgar Degas, Georges Seurat, and Alfred Sisley.
Picardie has so much to do outdoors that we fear making a list here would fatigue our readers, so if you are interested in checking it out, we’ll refer you to this excellent tourist info site, conveniently in English or French.
When we eventually travel to Picardie, we’ll be sure to hit up natural and human-built attractions. The region has its share of castles and cathedrals, along with charming villages.
The largest city in Picardie is Amiens, which has this gorgeous cathedral, and I’ll wager the lines are shorter than at Notre Dame in Paris.
What would a visit to France be without a castle stop? We may go to Picardie just to see the Château de Pierrefonds, the exterior of which was used as Camelot for the very British television series Merlin (one of Leah’s favorites).
Château de Pierrefonds. CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=348349
And Picardie has tons of pretty villages, such as Gerberoy.
Now we need to talk about books. Possibly due to its convenient location to Paris, Picardie has been home to some of France’s greatest writers. Colette had a vacation home on the Baie de Somme. Jules Verne spent his latter years in Amiens, where visitors can tour his mansion.
Alexandre Dumas
Picardie is the birthplace of my favorite French novelist, Alexandre Dumas. The author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo was born and raised in the town of Villers-Cotterêts, just north of Paris. His father was a general in the French Revolution and in Napolean’s army. The elder Dumas’ life inspired some of his son’s adventure stories, and for more on that, I implore you to read the excellent, Pulitzer-Prize winning biography of General Alex Dumas by Tom Reiss, The Black Count. It’s testimony to the old adage that truth is indeed stranger than fiction.
Before beginning this project, we were aware that France had some minority languages – not only languages of immigrants, but regional tongues such as Breton and Occitan. However, even linguistics-obsessed Leah had not heard of ch’tis. Is it a language or a dialect? The jury leans towards dialect, although a French acquaintance told us when she visits the ch’tis area, she can’t understand a word.
We are fortunate to have an excellent film that explains the culture of Nord-Pas de Calais. Bienvenue chez les ch’tis, (English title: Welcome to the Sticks), is the most successful film ever at the box office in France yet nearly unknown in the United States. It is available on DVD and some streaming sources. We understand that Americans don’t like to watch movies with subtitles, but really, make an exception for this one. It’s hilarious, charming and informative. We loved it!
If you don’t want to take our word for it, perhaps this review will persuade.
We also recommend Norman’s video debunking the stereotypes of his people. (Be prepared to read very fast.)
Now, read on for more about the culture of Nord-Pas de Calais.
As noted in part one, the history of Nord-Pas de Calais is characterized by war. That may be true of Europe – and sadly, the world – in general. We’ll assume readers who are interested in the maneuverings of armies know where to find that information, so we’ll focus on the peaceful activities here.
Industry has been the cornerstone of the economy, although it has declined in this densely populated region since the 1950s. The area was once the leading coal producing region in France; Emile Zola’s novel Germinal was set here. Coal mining no longer exists in France, and automobile manufacturing now is the primary heavy industry in Nord-Pas de Calais.
The main square in Lille. Velvet [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons
The region’s largest city and administrative center is Lille, birthplace of Charles de Gaulle. Roubaix, Tourcoing, Calais and Dunkerque (Dunkirk) are other major cities. The Channel Tunnel and the high-speed train to Paris brings traffic to the area.
In Calais, be sure to check out a famous Rodin sculpture:
Burghers of Calais, Auguste Rodin [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)]
We’ve been so enchanted by le nord that we’re reluctant to move on, but a schedule is a schedule. Join us next week as we dip slightly south to Picardie.
[Here is the book review section of this website, which will occur sporadically when one of us is thinking about or reading a book and can’t find someone in our immediate vicinity with whom to discuss it.]
A conversation at lunch yesterday led me to contemplate, in the middle of the night, Steinem’s outstanding memoir, My Life on the Road. I read this a couple of years ago and was mesmerized, and I have recommended it frequently to friends and to customers at Brilliant Books.
The book chronicles the eight decades of Steinem’s fascinating life, focusing on the many social movements in which she was deeply involved. I expect this first-person narrative is already on the reading lists of some college courses and it’s well worth reading for any student of history, even those without a feminist interest.
For me, equally compelling was the story of the events that shaped Steinem. Often in the memoir, she recalls a random encounter with someone that prompted her to change her views or pursue a different strategy. Sometimes these are conversations with strangers in a situation not typically conducive to attention, such as a cab ride.
mot français du jour— écouter
French word of the day, it means “to listen”
Reading My Life on the Road made me vow to become a better listener. I was reminded yesterday, while confessing my occasional lack of attention to exchanges with family members, that I need to renew this resolution.
In our hyper-busy world, in which we are emboldened to speak out — sometimes to excess on social media, right? — we may be well-served if we pause to listen, truly listen, to what other people have to say. I’m resolved to follow the glorious example of Gloria!
For centuries, English travelers have entered France at the port of Calais. This region – the first in our tour de France -is known as Nord-Pas de Calais, although since 2016 has been part of the new administrative region of Hauts-de-France.
Historically and culturally, this area has been part of the low countries that include Belgium (its neighbor to the west) and The Netherlands. Many of the iconic foods and beverages here are claimed as Belgian or Dutch. Indeed, the stew that is perhaps the most famous dish of the region -Flemish Carbonade or Carbonnade à la flamande, which is first up in our culinary tour – notes its origin in the name.
Due to its strategic location, the region has known war and more war throughout its history. You may have seen the 2017 film Dunkirk or read the book on which it was based. But since those events in World War II, things have settled down and the inhabitants have been left in peace to fish, farm, manufacture autos and sell petrol to chunnel travelers.
We’ll explore the culture, people and attractions in the next post. For now, let’s get to the food.
I wish I could’ve made the famous tarte aux maroilles (or flamiche au maroilles) and washed it down with a beer from the region, but I couldn’t find either from my local purveyors. But I was able to find the infamous mimolette cheese, which is apparently legal in the U.S. again.
Mimolette cheese
Faluche
And for bread, these little buns called faluche. I altered this recipe slightly by substituting a tiny bit of buckwheat flour for the all-purpose to make it a little less white.
For beer, I skipped across the border for a Belgian red ale.
Our main dish was the iconic stew, and it received such rave reviews that I think I’ll be making it again.
Check out our YouTube channel for a video of this week’s project.
1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley, celery stalk)
1 slice spiced bread or gingerbread
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp turbinado sugar
1 2/3 cup red ale
salt and pepper
boiling water
1 tsp capers
Preheat the oven to 300F. Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet or flameproof casserole, add the beef and brown on both sides, cooking in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan. Sprinkle with the flour, stir to coat and set aside. Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the onions over low heat for about 10 minutes. In a baking dish, place a layer of the cooked meat, top with a layer of cooked onions, then a layer of herbs, and repeat. Place the bouquet garni on top, crumble the bread over the top, sprinkle with the vinegar and the sugar. Add the red ale, season with salt and pepper, and fill the dish with boiling water to the level of the ingredients. Cover and cook in the oven for 3 to 4 hours. Remove the bouquet garni. Distribute the capers over the top and serve.
On this, my 55th birthday, a milestone in which I become eligible for the senior discount at the neighborhood grocery, I am launching The Proust Project, an ambitious personal program to go from beginning French to reading fluency in one year. In middle age, no less.
One year from today, I will begin reading – en français – Swann’s Way, or Du côté de chez Swann, by Marcel Proust.
I have vowed to read Proust every year since 1985, when I was a junior at Duke University and my roommate won a place in a very famous year-long course on Proust and subsequently skipped nearly every class. It so incensed me that I pledged to read those novels in her stead! Yet 34 years have passed and Proust remains unknown to me, except for his fondness for madeleines.
I’m in good company. One of my favorite weekly reads is the New York Times’By the Book interview with writers. For many years, among the standard questions was “What books are you embarrassed not to have read yet?” It seemed to me the most common response was Proust (including from such luminaries as Hillary Clinton and retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens).
Anyway, having already kicked the can down the road for more than three decades, I’ve decided one more year can’t hurt, and it gives me time to combine it with my goal of learning French.
Publishing this plan on my website forces accountability. I’m depending on friends asking me frequently, “So how is the Proust Project going?” And friends who speak French will ask, and expect to be answered, in that lovely tongue.
To keep myself motivated, I’ve planned a year-long cultural and culinary tour de France from chez moi, my home in Michigan. For each region of France, I’ll cook at least one regional specialty, pair it with a typical beverage and finish the meal with a cheese from the locale (assuming I can get one). My daughter, the linguist, promises to contribute a language component. And we’ll include regional history, famous landmarks, and literature/film/art of each region.
We will begin where many English speakers traditionally have first touched French soil, in Nord-Pas de Calais.
If you’d like to follow along, with recipes and recommendations, check back here and on our YouTube channel on Mondays. À bientôt!
