Let’s go Shopping for Food! And a little about the apéro

Okay let’s talk grocery stores, markets and food.  Man this is heaven let me tell you…

First let’s talk about the stores and their selection.  It’s incredible really.  As an American the grocery store has become a place where quality takes second place to convenience and quantity. Not here. Nope.  There are aisles of Dairy Products, aisles…  I mean, more kinds of yogurt than you can count, and cheese??? I counted 300 before I even finished.  There are 10 types for every one kind of cheese.  For instance, J’adore Goat Cheese.  I had 20 to choose from before my husband showed me the “good” stuff.  Who knew?

We shop at a store called Casino, but goes by other names in the Family like Geant (pronounced like Giant).  We also shop at CarreFour which is similar to Meier’s stores or Super Walmarts where they carry everything from food to house and garden.  However, one thing you won’t find in the grocery store, pharmaceutical products like Advil and the likes.  That’s a whole different shopping experience. 

 Like many things in France I find their marketing and branding to be charming and always playful:

Like many places here when it comes to shopping with a cart, even the first steps are different.  For example to get a cart (with wheels) you need 1€.  You put the euro in the lock and the cart comes free, and off you go. (You,ll get that euro back when you return the cart by taking to the designated area and connecting back to the other carts…think carts at the airport and you get the concept).

 Next let me tell you about this other little place they have called Picards: 

This place if fabulous.  It like a gourmet frozen food market.  This stuff is fantastic.  Everything you could ever want in prepared food, gourmet style.  You seriously never have to prepare a meal again.  You want it they have it…Even Sushi.   And it’s great.

I have been told by a few people that this behavior of mine of buying everything in site that I have never had or seen before is normal.  I think they even have a name for it, it’s something like Shopping Madness.   This gives a whole new meaning to the frozen pizza.

 There is another tradition here in France and much of Europe that many of you have heard about.  It more an art form really, and it the art of taking a drink at someone’s house before the dinner.  Much like cocktailing in the states but with some defined, but not written rules. 

 The apéro, which is the familiar form of apéritif, refers to a drink, generally alcoholic, served before the evening meal.  In some case the drink is already chosen by the host, and here in the south of France and all over in general you will find people drinking Kir Royale (Champagne cocktail, very yummy) or Ricard/Pernod or L’anis or a Pastis which is a licorice flavored drink.  Here are some pictures so you can go out and buy yourself some… But remember to mix with ice and water to taste.  Usually it’s a 3:1 ratio.  The 1 being the booze. 

  Along with the apéro a snack is served, often pistachios, chips or cashews. Or, you can even have small cakes or canopes, tapas or even cheese.  This is how I get you back to the topic at hand of Picards. They have all these great little appetizers all ready to go for your little apéro.  We now have boxes and boxes of them.  It’s embarrassing really.

One more small note about all apéro food…It’s never consumed like a meal.  Usually the host will put out only a small bowl or plate for the group.  Just enough to wet your whistle as we say.  Oh, and getting drunk during the apéro is poo-poo’d.  Save it for later. 

 We’ll talk more about this topic of food, and the art of eating later…Right now I have to make my espresso!

Advertisement