Do you love French
markets? To me that is a crazy question. Being a huge Francophile I
adore French markets! As I don't live in France I have to make do
with the European markets that regularly come to Nottingham's Market
Place. I am often found excitedly buzzing around the cheese stalls
and the fabulous bakery goods stalls and of course, the charcuterie
vendors. I spend far too much but hey – you only live once.
 |
| Bordeaux France. |
In the meantime I
overdose on reading my favourite books on France and French market
life and I love to recall my holiday last year in Bordeaux and the
Sunday market on the riverside of the mighty Garonne through my
video below.
Two of the books that grace my heaving bookshelves are Joanne Harris and Fran Warde's terrific The French Market. This lusciously illustrated book is a collaboration inspired by the rural markets of Gascony. It contains plenty of beautiful pictures of market scenes and the appetising products on sale as well as a collection of simple recipes that 'recapture all the sensations and flavours of summertime. You can almost feel the heat and smell the produce as you flick through the lickable pages. Click on the Amazon. co.uk image below for more details and cheaper price offers.
My second favourite is Anne Gregg's Tarragon & Truffles – a guide to the best French markets. Author and cook, Joanne Harris, found it to be an 'Accessible book, easy to follow and full of interesting details'. The promotional blurb aptly describes the contents as: Traditional food markets and flea markets; markets devoted to foie gras or fashion bargains, oysters or truffles; massive everything- including-the-kitchen sink markets and magical Christmas markets. In a region-by-region guide, Anne Gregg picks out her personal favourites, usually in the most beguiling towns and villages, and points out the specialities to look out for, be they Mirabelle plums of Provenรงal cottons.
For
good measure, Tarragon & Truffles includes sections on nearby
highlights – a historical curiosity, a shop or a restaurant not to
be missed – as well as suggestions of where to stay, completing
each chapter with an at-a-glance alphabetical list of all the weekly
markets in that region.
The
Guide is essential for getting the most out of French markets.
Tarragon & Truffles creates a sense of actually being there;
absorbing not only the scents and flavours of the markets themselves,
but the atmosphere of the settings.' Click the image below for more details
and price offers.
Personally I found this guide very useful and terribly inspiring for other places to visit in France pertaining to local markets, and the days they take place, and, of course, to browse around and purchase from. If you have a similar interest to me then you can even plan your holiday or stay around the days these markets take place through Tarragons & Truffles. There is nothing worse than flying home without experiencing the very market you would have loved to have gone to!
Personally I found this guide very useful and terribly inspiring for other places to visit in France pertaining to local markets, and the days they take place, and, of course, to browse around and purchase from. If you have a similar interest to me then you can even plan your holiday or stay around the days these markets take place through Tarragons & Truffles. There is nothing worse than flying home without experiencing the very market you would have loved to have gone to!
Inspired? Both these
books are available to order by clicking the image. Your purchases
will grace your bookshelves and life your foodie heart for years to
come!
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