How to shop at the supermarket like a French woman.
Who I am
2. French pantry basics in America
3. Best gift box this holiday
Hurray for the first post!!! What a kick when your ideas come to fruition! My name is Marie. I am a French native living in the US. Let me explain why I created Frenchly Picked and what’s in it for you!
I was born in Mouscron, Belgium and raised in northern France.
At the age of 18, I traveled to the US as an AuPair where I eventually met my husband, Brian. We‘ve been married for 19 years and I’ve homeschooled our amazing children for the past 10 years. Now, they’re attending an international online school they love, leaving me time to tie some loose ends and do the self-care thing…
Self care, for me, is living authentically as an ex-pat in the US and actively creating the life I want. So I’ve decided to combine all the things I love in one place; Frenchly Picked! By sharing recipes or beauty tips, I share my culture and passions. By sharing my local recommendations, I support small businesses. And by selling my shopping spree hauls from my trips back home, I stay connected to the place I miss so much, in the most fun way possible! Yes, I will soon have beautiful jewelry and accessories for sale that are made exclusively for the French market.
Check the store often! For now and until my next trip, I have listed for the jewelry from my personal collection to give you an idea of what I like and what is coming! It will be my pleasure to shop with you in mind during my next visit home.
If you like what you see, make sure you subscribe to the newsletter to be notified when the store is updated!
Enjoy the visit!
MY top 10 Supermarket picks!
I wanted to start the month with a nice solid list of the top 10 pantry items I feel are “must haves”, according to a French girl who appreciates all things yummy!!!
Here are the top 10 items you should never leave a US supermarket without:
-Cornichons
They are the fancier pickles! Try them with smoked salmon on toast. They work well with salty foods because they are quite vinegary!
-Bonne Maman jams
A staple in the French pantry. The jar and lid themselves are reason enough to succumb but I assure you they are the best jams by far! (Decided by yours truly via blind test!) and brace yourselves; Bonne Maman sells an advent calendar with 12 or 24 different mini varieties. This is a wonderful hostess gift!
I never throw these jars away! The Bonne Maman website has even more ideas on how to reuse these pretty jars.
I have blind tested all these jams and they are the best by far! Real pieces of fruit, less sweet… They have delicious flavors but the one item that drive me wild if there Advent calendar special with 24 tiny versions of the adorable jars. It’s the absolute best hostess gift and don’t forget to get one for yourselves!
Best enjoyed on a fresh piece of toasted bread with a generous layer of butter. My favorite is the 4 berries. Delicious!
-Belgian Liege waffles
These really taste authentic to me. With the large sugary chunks and everything! The secret is to warm them up for 5 seconds in the microwave. They can always be found at Adam's Fairacre Farm near me and online at Belgian Boys Waffles. Enjoy!
-Biscoff and Biscoff spread (Lotus brand)
This spice cookie is called Speculoos in Europe and is very popular. I have never tasted a cookie just like this one in the US. With the Speculoos from Lotus brand, it’s a burst of flavor hitting your pallet and the light yet crunchy texture makes if the Get addicted to them first, then I’ll share some recipes!
-Fleur de sel
It’s on the coasts of France that this rare condiment is produced. The combination of sun and wind dries the salty ponds next to the ocean and the “flower”, whish is the hard layer formed at the top, is carefully harvested. You are left with delectable flakes of tasty salt that can take food to the next level. the biggest flakes are produced in the Guerande region when the west wind is humid.
If you are having a hard time finding it in your supermarket, here’s a handy link:
-Dijon mustard
This is another staple and what real mustard should taste like! Dijon is a city in France and I lived there as a little kid. So yes, once again, a food that gives me major childhood nostalgia... I suggest getting the seed version as well and adding it to your cooking sauces.
-Oui yogurts
We would naturally buy this for the jars alone but this yogurt happens to be the best tasting too! Super creamy, not too sweet and they have an amazing dairy free version too! This yogurt finally comes close to what I had been missing so much. My only complaint is the size. Too small of course.
-Ras el hanout
In Arabic, this means “top of the spice shop”. So this is a mix of the most commonly used spices in Morocco. I typically use it when I make Maroccan Couscous but it’s actually a great little mix of herbs that works on everything. A change from the usual mixes we tend to use.
-Herbes de Provence.
A staple. The main difference with Italian herbs is that this mix contains lavender. I personally think it makes all the difference and always buy the mix in bulk! It works great on grilled or roasted meats and veggies. “ Un régal! “
-Boursin
This is a tasty spreadable cheese that has been around since the 50’s in France. (Invented by François Boursin in 1957.) It’s in every US supermarket now it seems! Taste it on crackers or cucumber slices and let me know what you think. I’d like to share a couple of recipes with it!
https://youtu.be/9v71-4yhlEM
Please do let me know if this was helpful to you and if you’ve tried any of them! Next week, I will be talking about the Holiday Season in France and share a recipe my mom always made during the holidays.
Christmas, 1985, Wattrelos, France.