french

French Foie Gras Industry Expects Record Year

Filed under: Dining

In spite of bans and animal rights outcries against its production, fois gras might be more popular than ever before at eateries. Luxury and gourmet foods are becoming increasingly popular and more diners are seeking out high-end meals in general. There are only a couple of farms in the US, but the French fois gras industry is expecting a record year. 85% of the world's production of the fatty duck (or goose) liver comes from France and the French foie gras producers see the 6% growth from the last year as in indicator of things to come, though they do say that half of the annual sales of fois gras are generated in December.

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Tags: business, delicacy, duck, fois gras, france, french, French Foie Gras Industry, FrenchFoieGrasIndustry, liver, sales

French Heart-Shaped Sugar

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

As far as sugar goes, these French Sugar Hearts are as elegant as you can get. Each heart has a notch in it so that it can sit easily over the edge of a tea or coffee cup, adding a bit of whimsy to the presentation in a way that a regular sugar cube, a certainly a bowl of loose sugar, could not. The cane sugar hearts come in white, amber and ebony, with the darker colors adding a hint of flavor that is more akin to brown sugar or raw sugar than white. Each box is imported and includes 64 hearts. Price: $25.

[via bookofjoe]

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Tags: candy, cane sugar, coffee, dining, food, french, heart, sugar, sugar hearts, sur la table, sweets, tea

Rod Stewart's New French Getaway

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Rod Stewart and finacée Penny Lancaster have ended a four-year search for the perfect house (in addition to Stewarts properties in Beverly Hills, Essex and Palm Beach), buying a £3.3 million ($6.3 million) estate in a village near Nice, France. The house is set on about an acre in the hills over Nice, looking out towards the coast with "stunning views", and has four bedrooms, a nursery, a swimming pool and spa, indoor gym and a theater. Rod and Penny plan to be married there later this year.

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Tags: cote d'azure, estate, france, french, nice, penny alastair, PennyAlastair, rod stewart, villa

Morice Cookers

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Hailed as the french standard for luxurious cooking, Morice Cookers have style as well as power in the kitchen. Their old-world look is far more sophisticated than some of the "retro" models available, and it is much warmer than sleek, commercial-style ranges and cookers, which have little or no personality of their own. One of Morice's biggest selling points is the fact that the ovens have a very thick steel base, which allows for consistent, even heat conduction. There are three sizes available, the Marengo, the Supreme (pictured) and the Grand Veneur, and apparently, there are 1,600 colors to choose from.

[via Appliancist]

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Tags: cooker, elegant, french, kitchen, morice, morice cookers, old fashioned, range, stove

Zilli, French Dandywear

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

The Moodie Report has a piece on the expansion of French luxury menswear brand Zilli. The brand has recently opened a new boutique at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. Zilli makes luxe leather accessories and menswear that features a variety of fine materials such as python, alligator, Egyptian cotton, ostrich and sable. The styling is perhaps a bit dandified for the American male but just right if you are looking to go international and it's especially popular with Middle Eastern clients. They also do made-to-measure items in their Lyons workshops. A handful of boutiques in the U.S. sell Zilli but if you want the full experience you will have to travel to one of the Zilli boutiques scattered around the world.

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Tags: france, french, menswear, zilli

Les Louisettes Wall Decals

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

These French wall decals by Les Louisettes are not only fun, but they're much easier to apply than actual wallpaper and much versatile than, for example, a framed print. You can tile them around the room, apply them to just about any flat surface, including furniture and mirrors, or simply add a few interesting accents in your home. Print & Pattern has shots of most of their line - the ice cream sundae is probably my favorite. You can find some of the prints online for €9 each.

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Tags: decals, decor, french, waall

Love And/Or Hate T-Shirt

by Anne Metz (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

So, at $22, this screen printed top by French designer, Rachel Pelfger isn't your typical Luxist fare. But what this shirt lacks in the way of weighty price tags, it more than makes up for in another type of equally valuable luxury -- namely, the ability to say two contradictory things at once.

A politician's dream, this cherry t-shirt says "hate" when you are looking at one way, but reads "love" when you the see the shirt through a mirror image. All you have decide, I suppose, is whether you are a "hater" or a "lover". And if you can't decide, thanks to this nifty anagram t-shirt, you can always be both! After all, isn't being able to have it both ways the greatest luxury?

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Tags: french, hate, love, screenprint, t-shirt

ABK6 Single Estate Cognacs

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

ABK6 is a line of single estate cognacs that includes three distinct varieties, all from grapes that are grown, processed, aged and bottled by Francis Abécassis in France. They have been aged from three to six times longer than other spirits in their categories, resulting in a drink that "is as versatile and mixable as vodka." The cognacs, in addition to being some of the first single estates in the US, have already won numerous international awards for taste. The three cognacs for ABK6 are VS Premium, VSOP Super Premium and XO Grand Cru and are expected to retail for $35, $45 and $100, respectively, per 750mL bottle.

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Tags: abk6, alcohol, cognac, france, francis abecassis, french, international awards, single estate, spirits

Batali's Bistro du Vent for Sale

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

A mere 15 months after opening the midtown Bistro, Mario Batali has put his Bistro du Vent on the market. Though it is grossing over $2.1 million per year, the scandal caused last August by some overly amorous employees and the so-so location are not making the restaurant worth Batali's continued time. The restaurant is approximately 2,000 square feet and seats 80 indoors with a 24 seat sidewalk cafe space, and an all new first-class turn-key installation by Mario Batali. Apparently, the two-star restaurant is unlikely to retain its chef past the sale date. There are 12 months remaining on the current lease at $13,500 per month. The asking price is $400,000.

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Tags: batali, bistro, bistro do vent, celebrity, closing, french, mario batali, new york, restaurant, sale

Revolutionary Cognac and the Lanesborough

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

The Lanesborough Hotel in London recently began serving a revolutionary drink. Actually, the cognac it is offering is from the time of the French revolution, bottled in 1790. It is being served in small one and one-half ounce servings that cost £1,700 each. Unlike the $3,000 Bombay Sapphire martini, the drink doesn’t need to come with a pair of custom-made diamond and sapphire earrings to justify its price tag.

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Tags: 1,700, bar, bottle, Cognac, france, French, historic, hotel, lanesborough, London, oldest, revolution, spirits

Salt and Pepper by Peugeot

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Gadgets

Slashfood likes to spice up their food, and judging by the enthusiasm that they have for Peugeot's electric Salt and Pepper Mills, they don't like to expend a lot of energy to do it. Fortunately for the diner who seeks convenience in addition to good taste, these mills automatically grind up salt and pepper at the touch of a button, no twisting or shaking necessary. The mills use mechanism that is nearly identical to the one that was invented by Peugeot for the first pepper mills back in 1842. Price: $200.

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Tags: design, electric, france, french, gadget, grinder, mill, pepper, pepper mill, peugeot, salt, salt and pepper, shaker