FOOD: Flourless Chocolate Cake
Why don't French women get fat? Because they skip the filler and load up on the good stuff. With flavourless flour left out of the culinary equation, this cake is richer than OPEC. (For the rest of the meal, don't forget the three B's to French cuisine: Butter, butter, butter... and, of course, a cheese plate!)
Flourless Chocolate Cake (with Grand Marnier), from French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano. Click here for recipe.
DRINK: Kir Royal
Parisians do dinner right. Before breaking bread or brie, they whet their appetitie by literally wetting it with an aperitif. Our favourite champagne cocktail, the Kir Royal, is a deliciously decadent treat (and doesn't require a mixology degree to make).
Kir Royal: Pour crème de cassis (blackcurrant liquor) in a flute. Add champagne.
DÉCOR: Setting the Seine
The Music: Marion Cotillard's Oscar win in La Vie en Rose set off a resurgence of Edith Piaf fans. Pop in your new compilation of the French singer (or join the bandwagon and pick up this one) to set a Parisian cafe ambiance.
The Icon: A classic tourist icon becomes an easy-to-apply wall decal for instant indoor Paris.
The Cheeky Stereotype: No, not a beret. Avoid setting off smoke detectors (or supporting lung cancer) with a carton of these candy cigarettes available in charmingly retro packages. (There are even 'Lights,' but we didn't spot any 'Slims.')
Eternelle Edith Piaf, $22.99. Available at www.hmv.ca.
Eiffel Tower Wall Decal, $79.99. Available at www.homedepot.ca.
Candy Cigarettes, $19.35 for pack of 24. Available online at www.candydirect.com.
SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT: Translation Guide
Top each place setting with our sweetly crafted French Phrase Guide. (It contains all the essentials, such as 'Please pass the wine.' and 'You are very pretty.')
© 2008 Rogers Publishing Limited All rights reserved.
