Since we’re back in lockdown, Five Friday Finds from France will temporarily be things that can all be enjoyed from home, wherever you are! There’s a virtual “Van Gogh in Arles” visit from the Musée d’Orsay, live concerts and an “investigation” podcast from the Musée du Louvre, two recipes by famous French chefs and a newsletter you need to subscribe to if you love France!
Van Gogh in Arles Virtual Visit from Musée d’Orsay
American Friends of the Musée d’Orsay board member and art historian Joachim Pissarro presents a virtual 20-minute “Van Gogh in Arles” visit on YouTube. You’ll learn wonderful tidbits and stories behind some of Van Gogh’s most celebrated works. While it’s not as good as an actual visit to the Musée d’Orsay, I think it’s wonderful prep for a future visit! If you’re craving more Musée d’Orsay, I have more on the impressionist floor here!
Jean-François Piège’s Grandmother’s Spinach Ravioli Recipe
I wanted to make my own pasta during the first confinement but for whatever reason never got around to it. During confinement 2.0 it was accomplished in the first week! Anytime I see a recipe by someone’s grandmother I know it’s going to be a good one, especially when that someone is a chef. Jean-François Piège’s Grandmother’s Spinach Ravioli didn’t disappoint. I need to perfect my ravioli folding technique but the taste was great. The only thing that takes a bit of time is removing the stems from the spinach…but you do it a day in advance anyways!
Musée du Louvre’s Virtual Programming
Musée du Louvre just released their November virtual programming and there are quite a lot of things to enjoy from a live concert to a podcast “investigation” and more. The programming is in French, so it’s a good way to practice. Otherwise just enjoy the concert! The programming is listed here.
Claudine Hemingway’s Newsletter
Claudine Hemingway’s Instagram posts are filled with wonderful stories and history, but her weekly newsletter takes some of these stories to the next level. I’m the kind of person that doesn’t like to have unopened emails in my inbox, but with Claudine’s newsletter I leave them unopened until I have a moment to sit down and really enjoy the stories. The newsletters are a wonderful complement to her weekly podcast and livestreams. I promise you’ll feel transported to France each and every week! Sign up for Claudine’s weekly newsletter here.
Cyril Lignac’s Stuffed Eggplant Recipe
Lockdown = lots of cooking. It’s fun to experiment with different recipes on the weekend, but during the week I look for easy, non-fussy recipes. Cyril Lignac’s Stuffed Eggplant recipe is going to be a new-go to. Not only is it one skillet (and one pan for the oven), but it’s also super flavorful and makes you feel good about your vegetable intake. Here’s the recipe in English – the only changes I made were adding an egg to the meat and vegetable mixture at the very end instead of breadcrumbs because I didn’t have any and I topped everything with cheese…because why not!
I hope you enjoyed this week’s Five Friday Finds from France. I’ll be back tomorrow with Weekend Links!