Frugal in France: Is French Cooking Time-Consuming? Fancy Dinner

I would have to say:non. If you cook a la Julia Child, who was writing for American cooks remember, it IS time-consuming. That is because you have to make all the stuff French people buy: bread, pate, and the like.

Our fanciest dinner was at the home of Francoise and Herve. Here is the menu:
--melon, baked prunes and prosciutto
--lamb chops and zucchini tian
--cheese plate
--apricot crumble

Oh, bliss in the recollection of this beautifully composed meal. Note, however, the no-work elements in this fancy menu.

Then there are the dishes that require some labor. The prunes take almost no time. Lamb chops take no work, just timing. The zucchini for the tian were probably sliced on a mandoline, and then layered with cream and cheese, and then baked. The crumble consisted of sliced apricots topped with an easy mix of crumbs and sugar.

This did involve a goodly amount of work. But much less than I used to spend on my over-complex dinner parties in the days when I did such things.

We ate in a beautiful garden with our hosts and their nice teenaged sons, Julien and Vincent.

Thanks to our hosts for a lovely meal, good conversation, and an example of graceful and seemingly stress-free entertaining.

Any tips for simple, elegant cooking?

Frugal in France: Rags

If you're trying to save up for your trip to France--or wherever--try this French tip: use rags. I have been in 3 French homes and have seen not a single paper towel or napkin. Chez Daniele and Jacques, there are at least 10 piles of neatly folded rags. Well, some are napkins. Others are dishtowels. The most threadbare are bonafide rags.

As a connoisseur of dishtowels, I love the assortment. My favorites are the old raggedy linen towels.

Wait! In our clean-up before leaving, we spot a roll of paper towels. It was under stuff in the kitchen drawer. We dare not use it. I wonder what Daniele and Jacques use it for.

How much money could you save using rags I wonder.

Frugal in France: Bank of France and Monoprix

Are you dying to know what I got at Monoprix? It's not very exciting. Mr. FS and I nipped into the one in Nantes to get a bakery item, when I noticed that they were having FINAL MARKDOWNS. I had been in earlier and looked around and walked out empty-handed, with my head held high.

Final Markdowns: I am not that strong. I tried on a ton of stuff and put most everything back, even though the prices were ridiculous. To wit: a tank top for 2 euros. Anyway, I bought a cotton jersey cardigan, black leggings, 2 crinkly scarves (one for a gift), and--the budget buster--9 pairs of men's sport socks.Budget buster is tongue in cheek: total bill was 23 euros.

Meanwhile, Mr FS was at the Bank of France, a scary place where he had to go through severla layers of security, show ID, be photographed, and more. His mission? To change an obsolete 100 franc note for euros. He did it in the nick of time: the window closes in 2012. His "take"? 15 euros.

Almost even. Any recent successes in avoiding the temptations all around us?

Frugal in France: No Shopping

Now that I am in France, I realize how much time one can spend shopping in the USA. I'm not just talking about shopping in stores. Or even about my therapeutic thrift store jaunts (which I must cut down on).

First of all, there are no thrift stores here that I can see. Second of all, since going into stores here can be a bit pressure-filled, I confine myself to window shopping--if I am walking anyway. I love the French law that mandates prices in the windows.

In the US, I can't escape. Today I received an email announcing 20% off at Big Lots. OHHHH noooooo. I also received an email from Garnet Hill about their summer clearance. And Nordstrom sent me an email about their upcoming Anniversary Sale. It is so tempting to click on the email and see the offerings. i have been deleting though. And taking myself off of most email lists.

It has been head clearing to get away from all the shopping. I was going to end this triumphantly by reporting that I had bought nothing in my month here that was not consumable. I am sad to say that I stepped into Monoprix while Mr FS was negotiating the Bank of France.

Still, I've had almost a stuff-free month here.

How do you get away from shopping?

Frugal in France: Best Food Memory

Not the cheese, not the butter.

No: prunes wrapped in prosciutto, secured with toothpick, and baked. We had this twice. Where has it been all my life?

Butter, as expected, is the runner up.

What is your best recent food memory?

Frugal in France: Grocery Shopping

In Your Money or Your Life--a foundational text for frugalites--the authors ask of vacations: If you are content in your life, why do you need to vacate?

Good question. I have noticed that since I have been in France, the frugal buzz in my head is quieting down. Something is being vacated.

There are so many ways to be frugal in the USA: coupons (which I don't use), deals at the grocery, Big Lots, Dollar Stores, freebates at Walgreens, Rite Aid, and CVS, and on and on.

Here, while there's an occasional "Buy one, get second half off" (yawn), one is frugal in traditional ways: buy what is in season; buy the amount you need. So I knew cherries were on sale when a gaggle of women surrounded them in the store. I knew those skinny green beans were cheeeep when only a few remained in the bin. Ditto for peaches, pineapple, and those wonderful melons.

Also, dairy products are much cheaper than in the USA. I have been blissing out on fromage blanc, creme fraiche, camembert, and so on.

Frugality at the grocery is simpler here. I'm on vacation from my usual frugal ways. Who knows if I will ever return to them when I am back home.

Frugal in France: Choc! Part Deux

After giving the French a culture shock about the absence of a mandated 5 week vacation, I was the recipient of a shock. Our hosts were retired. One daughter had two young children and was, as she said, paid not to work.

I turned to the three well-educated 30-somethings at the table (Emile, son of our hosts, Elodie, his amie, and their friend ?? who was so sullen that we never asked her name). "Are you on vacation now?" I asked. Much laughter. "We're not on vacation because we don't work."

I was a little embarrassed and said something about how that was too bad, the economy was bad, blahblahblah.

One said, "Not too bad for us! We don't want the stress of a job." Then they explained that they live on government benefits.

More shock when they asked about such benefits in the USA.

Well, dear readers. You need to know that I am way to the left of most Americans. Perhaps my latent Puritan work ethic emerged.

Are you shocked? If so, at me, at them, or what?