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The New York Times goes to La Zucca Magica in Nice, and discovers that vegetarianism is far from synonymous with asceticism:
Zucca has few equals among well-known Western restaurants serving no meat or fish. Nor are there many that can so readily satisfy omnivores, because Zucca’s owners, Marco Folicaldi and Rossella Bolmida, believe in sizable portions, […]

It was a calamity for French viticulture - and it sparked a wine war that rages even to this day.
In 1976 a group of 11 distinguished wine experts were asked to compare some of France’s finest wines with some little-known California bottles in a blind test. At the time it was carved in stone that […]

I’m probably prejudiced, but I’m not sure I would fancy this:

French makers of gourmet ice cream Philippe Faur have added a new dimension to their high-quality line up of products. Latest in the range are foie gras ice cream, consisting of 50% foie gras de canard, and caviar ice cream, made with 60% white sturgeon […]

The French can see goodbye to their traditional Christmas oysters this year. Up to 8 billion young oysters, or 80% of the total harvest, have died in just a few days. The probable cause is a virus, but there may be a link with global warming. The disease has hit ostriculteurs on both the Atlantic […]

In the twelve months since June 2007, fruit in France has gone up 18% in price, and vegetables 11%. Bad weather (frost and rain) has been the main culprit. Peaches and apricots have seen the highest rise: 24% and 54%, resp. Wheat and corn are also up, but the trend is slowing.
Source: Liberation

I pity the vintners in Tricastin:

For years they’ve worked hard to give their Coteaux du Tricastin wine some notoriety, and now they feel forced to start all over again, with a new name. The reason? Tricastin happens to be the place where one of the biggest nuclear sites in the world started leaking two weeks […]

Just in case you have no idea how to make French Vinaigrette or a Gratin, here are Keith and Roanne to help you:

The French government wants youngsters to drink less. Here’s the latest TV clip, introducing the side effects of alcohol abuse: vomiting, rape, drowning, and a coma to end the party:

Etienne Meneau makes, as he calls them, strange carafes. This one is called Carafe N°5. It’s 62cm tall, and contains a full 75cl. I hope the borosilicate glass is strong enough for actual use — especially at a price of 2,200 euros a piece.
Strange carafes | Via NotCot

Brazilian wine importer De La Croix has a great way to counter label snobbery:

In this ad (click for bigger) they promote “vin de garage”, which is made 500 yards away from a French château, and is equally good but a lot cheaper. I don’t think you’ll ever see this sort of publicité in France.
[…]

And the race hasn’t even started yet! (Via Reddit)

Madame Figaro has a photo series about modern restaurants. This Claude Closky menu is presented as cartoon bubbles, so “the menu tells a story”.
Can’t say it wets my appetite…

Good news if you want to travel with your pet snails: they can now ride for free on French trains
French national railways operator SNCF has given in, and reimbursed the substantial amount of 5.10 euros to a passenger who traveled with live snails in a tin. The conductor had fined the passenger, arguing that snails […]

When an American contributes to WikiPedia:
American andouillette is quite acceptable to the American palate. French andouillette, on the other hand, is an acquired taste and can be an interesting challenge even for adventurous eaters who don’t object to the taste or aroma of feces.
Served cold and sliced thinly, the smell, taste, and texture may […]

Dramatic statistics reveal that champagne is a dangerous weapon.
Each year, 3,000 people in France are the victim of passive popping: injuries caused by champagne corks travelling at the speed of 13 meters per second. Opticians report multiple eye injuries, and some people have even become blind after a cork blew their eye out.
But fear […]