I am thinking of opening a shop in Paris that carries American products that can't be easily found in Europe. (Yes, I know a similar shop, Thanksgiving, already exists. I'd like to open one on the right bank, perhaps nearer the business/government hubs.) In early prep work, I'd like to ask the American expats now living in Paris -- what are some things you miss from your former U.S. grocery markets? Merci!
What American products do you miss?
bobainsocalif
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For info. to the OP; whilst trawling for Fletch's coffee, I found this:
ÉPICERIE AMÉRICAINE en Ligne: Acheter Produits Américains - Import USA
h
ÉPICERIE AMÉRICAINE en Ligne: Acheter Produits Américains - Import USA
h
That's the one with the lousy customer service as a few of us have discovered
Apologies - haven't been paying proper attentionThat's the one with the lousy customer service as a few of us have discovered
US foodstuffs are an unpalatable enigma to me (apart from the Chicago Pizza Pie Factory that used to be in London), so flounder when broaching such trivia
The other one - L.S.Grunts - was way betterApologies - haven't been paying proper attention
US foodstuffs are an unpalatable enigma to me (apart from the Chicago Pizza Pie Factory that used to be in London), so flounder when broaching such trivia
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Ooooooooh , your sooooo cruel. F.Just did some surfing; now I'm jealous of people in Paris (first time ever!)
There's a CPPF in Paris
Not familiar with Grunts (well apart from those emanating from the male of the species
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Go to Amazon.co.uk and look for "Folger's bags" and you'll get the coffee in the regular one pound sacs. BUT click on any of the standard offerings, and then check down at the bottom of the page, and there are links to places you can get Folger's coffee singles in the UK. Has to be cheaper than shipping it from the US!
Cheers,
Bev
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Since it failed to make much of an impression before, I'll repeat it:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bevdeforges
I'll admit that, after a certain point, some of us longer term expats fail to see the attraction of some of the comfort foods from "back home" or we have found perfectly acceptable substitutes in the local markets. But, to each his (or her) own.
Cheers,
Bev
Hear! Hear!
One of the HUGE pluses about moving to another country either as a immigrant or an expat (big difference - if you have to ask, you are an expat) is the opportunity to enjoy a new cuisine with a whole new range of foodstuffs especially in the fresh food department rather than the version that was picked under-ripe days/weeks/months before, partially frozen/chilled and then artificially ripened or even canned stuff.
OK, there may be some things that are quite difficult to do without but buying canned pumpkin? They come from the field/garden, they are lumpily round (perfect for making coaches to be drawn by mice and for use when going to a ball) and you chop them up into chunks, cook them, scoop out the flesh and use as for the canned sort except that the fresh is full of flavour. A few of the seeds that you gather up during the chopping process, you then plant in the garden/in large pots on the patio then grow your own ready for next year. Most of the things that you looking to find in an American home from home type shop at astronomical prices are either readily available in a local shop at a quarter/third/half the price or you can easily make fresh at home. In any case, you should be supporting your local economy!
hils likes this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bevdeforges
I'll admit that, after a certain point, some of us longer term expats fail to see the attraction of some of the comfort foods from "back home" or we have found perfectly acceptable substitutes in the local markets. But, to each his (or her) own.
Cheers,
Bev
Hear! Hear!
One of the HUGE pluses about moving to another country either as a immigrant or an expat (big difference - if you have to ask, you are an expat) is the opportunity to enjoy a new cuisine with a whole new range of foodstuffs especially in the fresh food department rather than the version that was picked under-ripe days/weeks/months before, partially frozen/chilled and then artificially ripened or even canned stuff.
OK, there may be some things that are quite difficult to do without but buying canned pumpkin? They come from the field/garden, they are lumpily round (perfect for making coaches to be drawn by mice and for use when going to a ball) and you chop them up into chunks, cook them, scoop out the flesh and use as for the canned sort except that the fresh is full of flavour. A few of the seeds that you gather up during the chopping process, you then plant in the garden/in large pots on the patio then grow your own ready for next year. Most of the things that you looking to find in an American home from home type shop at astronomical prices are either readily available in a local shop at a quarter/third/half the price or you can easily make fresh at home. In any case, you should be supporting your local economy!
hils likes this.
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Much as I have tried in the past to understand the "Americans" fascination with pumpkins, I still really don't get it. I have tried pumpkin pie in America and I have tried the same dish cooked in France cooked by the French. I still find it exceedingly tasteless, bland and very unimpressive, perhaps it is my palate. I still think that the best thing to do with a pumpkin is too cut a face out of it and insert a candle for Halloween. That appears too give more pleasure to more people than eating the stuff.
Perhaps I have never been fortunate enough to sample the "real McCoy".
Now, Key Lime pie, that's the "dogs".
Fletch.
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You've got it, Fletch. Pumpkin is really bland and you have to add lots of spices to make it taste of anything.
MS
MS
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Met quite a few people in life like that. Now they would have been real "pumpkin heads" without any carving. Come ready prepared.
Go on, give me a name.
Fletch.
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SWMBO and the m-i-l make them and enthuse about them but for me if it wasn't for the cinnamon in them, My views would echo yours. I don't usually eat them, much prefer a quite under-ripe banana. But then I am not particularly into over-sweet things anyway, although I do make an exception for Turkish Delight especially of my own making (must do some this year - I gave up in the UK since the air was always too humid so it was always sticky.)
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Turkish Delight, love the stuff. My kids always bought it for me for birthdays. For me, the only way to eat is, out of the freezer box in the fridge. It never seems too go solid.
With the old teeth in their present state a very small piece lasts ages.
"Turkish Delight sucks".
Fletch.
Aren't pumpkins those things you plant, KNOWING they'll produce SOMEthing and make you feel good about having a vegetable garden? (& then, as Fletch says, carve out for a candle or something, tossing the flesh away as being too bland to do anything useful with?)
---> Baldi: cinnamon is for apples! nutmeg is for anything else Altho' to be honest, anything other than the "poubelle" (or, at a pinch, a doorstep on 31 Oct ONLY) isn't where I'd want a pumpkin in my life!
---> Baldi: cinnamon is for apples! nutmeg is for anything else
Altho' to be honest, anything other than the "poubelle" (or, at a pinch, a doorstep on 31 Oct ONLY) isn't where I'd want a pumpkin in my life!
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Take that you old pumpkin. You have been told. Matron has spoken.Aren't pumpkins those things you plant, KNOWING they'll produce SOMEthing and make you feel good about having a vegetable garden? (& then, as Fletch says, carve out for a candle or something, tossing the flesh away as being too bland to do anything useful with?)
---> Baldi: cinnamon is for apples! nutmeg is for anything else
Turkish Delight? nooooooooo; too sweet - my judgement possibly coloured by the number of empty boxes under my Mum's bed, and living the wrong side of the "sweets" immigrants for my daily journey into Uni.
h
btw; as marginally successful as my cherry jelly may have been, it got binned 'cos it was just too sweet and too gelatinous. Will stick to "au naturel" in future - or possibly with a slab of duck-meat.
h
btw; as marginally successful as my cherry jelly may have been, it got binned 'cos it was just too sweet and too gelatinous. Will stick to "au naturel" in future
- or possibly with a slab of duck-meat.
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Actually, many of the French folks I know consider pumpkin pie to be a "bizarre" notion - as pumpkin here is mostly used as a vegetable and in soup. Kind of the original "comfort food" for some French folks.
I've got a pumpkin pie recipe that calls for little or no cinnamon at all - but it gets its "kick" from a bit of cognac and finely chopped candied ginger! But I also have a dynamite recipe for chile con carne that includes pumpkin.
Cheers,
Bev
I've got a pumpkin pie recipe that calls for little or no cinnamon at all - but it gets its "kick" from a bit of cognac and finely chopped candied ginger! But I also have a dynamite recipe for chile con carne that includes pumpkin.
Cheers,
Bev
But that's not French or Spanish
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