French Countryside Living & Eating

There’s a slowness in the motions. No fast chewing or gulping. Time stands still between bites. Conversation, laughter, chatting. A leisurely relaxed aura permeates the air space. Whether we’re sitting at the dining room table, at an outdoor café or a restaurant, it’s magical. There’s simply something romantic and ethereal about the entire experience of food and eating. Probably the person I love to watch eat most is Frenchie. And, second? My husband, Ben.

“Frenchie”, as she is nicknamed, or Marie-Christine is a dear and treasured friend. Born in Brittany, she came to America in her early 20s. Settling in the mountains of Colorado where she relishes outdoor sports, nature, rustic life, and remote cabin living, she married a Boston boy and now calls America her home. But, her soul lies back in Brittany where her family still lives and where she returns several times yearly. I’ve learned so much about French eating, cooking and living from Marie-Christine—being with her, sitting in her kitchen, watching her cook, being in her home, listening to her stories of her life growing up is like scooping me into a time capsule and placing me in the French countryside in her small home village.

From an early age, French children are taught the art of eating and enjoying good healthy food. Food and dining are an integral part of their life and lifestyle. There’s conversation as they eat and the topic can oftentimes be the food—what’s in it, how was it prepared. Then there’s ‘real food’—not fake, take out, or fast food. And, fresh ingredients and things are bought sometimes daily—not many huge grocery store or big box shopping trips with a bulging cart or flatbed.

Food is eaten sitting down together, not in front of a television nor with cell phones in hand. Generous portions are served—fruits, vegetables, meats, breads, cheeses. When the kitchen closes, it’s closed. Unlike Americans, there’s little or no grazing or snacking between meals. Breakfast is light, maybe a pastry or fruit, toast—or on some occasions Croque Madame or Croque Monsieur! The midday meal can be quite filling and the evening meal possibly lighter depending upon the family. Bread is not a bad word. Baguettes are everywhere!

Great pride is taken by the French in their culinary expertise, which can be simply learning from generations of mothers and grandmothers cooking in the kitchen or possibly studying the fine art of cooking in a culinary school. From the hands of these artisans come bowls, platters, and skillets filled with healthy and scrumptious foods. The French seem to have discerning palates—maybe that’s because they’re taught early on that food and eating is not a ‘sin’ but something that explodes life! Meals are meant to be savored slowly, enjoyed with friends and family, and actual communal social experiences. It is a time to connect the souls and spirits of those who are seated at the table.

Beautiful serving pieces are used daily whether it’s a soup tureen or delicately patterned platter for meat. The table is set for a dining experience. Colorful linens, real cloth napkins, table clothes, maybe vintage pieces handed down from generations. Real china, possibly that has been in the family for decades, is used. These dishes can be mismatched, chipped, and well-worn evidencing layers of love heaped on them from use daily. Each, when filled with an array of food, is work of art that delights the eye and warms the belly.

The types of foods eaten vary from region to region of France with heavier game dishes in Normandy to lighter Mediterranean fare in Provence. Three meals a day are eaten Walking and biking are modes of transportation for the French whether they live in the city or countryside. They work up great appetites. As a general culture, weight issues related to eating too much food or the wrong kinds of foods isn’t a national epidemic.

Stepping back. Slowing down. Letting food become more than just fuel for the body but nourishment for the mind, spirit and soul. Yes, that is the French countryside style of living and eating. Memories are made. Etched deeply into the psyche around the kitchen table. Even if we can’t do it every day, maybe just one day a week would be the start of redefining what family is all about and a reshaping of the next generation to what really matters in life.

This Coq au Vin recipe is authentic from Marie-Christine’s, mother, Therese. Eighty-two, 100% Celtic, she continues to live on their Breton homeland farm. Food is fresh from her big garden. She’s well-known in the village for her other French dishes as well, buckwheat crepes, the traditional Brittany crepes and all her homemade pates from different meats wild boar, rabbit, pork, duck, roe. Her fresh tuna rillettes are ‘legend’ among friends.

Funny, witty and interested in everything and everyone, she still travels to Colorado to visit Marie-Christine and her husband. She continues to love rafting the Snake River in Wyoming or on the Colorado River.

Their old French home is always open to neighbors and friends who manage to stop by around lunch or dinner time. The well-worn 14 foot wooden farm table in their kitchen welcomes even strangers. There’s no rush when eating. A meal can last for hours, especially if there’s some kind of celebration. As Marie Christine says, ‘Her food is infused with love and fun and you get all dizzy from it!’