 |
| Seven Letters from Paris by Samantha Vérant |
Welcome to
‘France et Moi’ where this week, to celebrate the launch of her first memoir
Seven Letters from Paris: A Memoir
, I am talking to author Samantha Vérant about what
France means to her.
Samantha
Vérant is a travel addict, a self-professed oenophile, and a determined, if
occasionally unconventional, French chef. She lives in southwestern France,
where she's able to explore all of her passions, and where she's married to a
sexy French rocket scientist she met in 1989, but ignored for twenty years.
Firstly,
I think France is a special place and it is famed for many things including its
cheese, wine, and diverse holiday locations plus, dare I say it strikes and dog
poo littered streets. What do you think makes France so very unique and
‘French’?
Samantha: I think France is unique because of
the fact that I’m able to drive somewhere exciting within two hours (sometimes
less) and the landscape dramatically changes right before my eyes. One minute,
I’ll see medieval castles on the route of les Cathares, and the next moment, I
could be skiing down the Pyrénées Mountains, scuba diving in the Mediterranean
Sea, surfing in Biarritz, or tasting wine in St. Émilion. Plus, in all these
fabulously beautiful locations you are literally walking in history --
sometimes circumnavigating those pesky “landmines” on the cobbled streets.
Thankfully, my husband, Jean-Luc, is a history buff and makes for an excellent
tour guide. Viva La France!
2) What is
your first memory of a trip to France?
Samantha: In 1989, my family lived in London,
and my best friend, Tracey, and I wanted to travel Europe while we had the
chance over the summer break. Paris was our first stop. The first two days, we
crammed in everything we could-- boat rides on the Seine, shopping at the
markets, visiting the Eiffel Tower, and dashing through most of the museums.
But the biggest highlight of the trip was meeting Jean-Luc at Dame Tartine, a
restaurant in le Beaubourg by Le Centre Pompidou. Like the cliché goes, my eyes
connected with his from across the room. And bam! Love at first sight. I’ll
never forget the spark or our first conversation.
3) When you
first arrived in France what was the best thing about being immersed in French
life and the scariest thing?
Samantha: The best part about becoming immersed
in French life was all the new meal options, which, thanks to Jean-Luc, I
learned to prepare. I guess I’m a bit of a foodie. (Note to self: don’t prepare
French food in American-sized portions. The first year living in France, I
gained a lot of weight. Gasp! Over 25 pounds/12 kilos. I’ve since lost most of
the weight. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little extra padding).
As for the
scariest thing, it was a toss-up between talking in French– in a loud enough
voice so that people could actually hear me (I call this my mouse voice phase)–
and driving a stick shift (manual gearbox). Now, after five years of living
here, I drive and yell at the same time...without the fear of rolling backwards
or weirdly rolling my Rs. French, of course, is a beautiful language, but not
if you sound like a cat coughing up fur balls.
4) Do you
have any embarrassing language mishaps you are happy to share?
Samantha: Where do I begin? There have been
so many and, unfortunately, they always carry a sexual innuendo. The worst,
which is mentioned in the book, took place my first Christmas in France. I’d
just met Jean-Luc’s sisters and they asked me if we wanted to have children. In
the best French I could muster up, I said, “After the marriage. We’re waiting
for July.” Apparently, I mispronounced July like the verb jouir, which
definitely isn’t a month. So his whole family thought I’d said, “After the
marriage. We’re waiting for the orgasm.”
Ahhh,
Americans! We are such an amusing species.
5) I have
to ask you about French women, what do you think makes them different to us and
gives them that je ne sais quoi?
Samantha: I think it all comes down to
confidence, which French women wear very well! They also take great pride in
their appearance, which is probably why there are over fifteen hair salons and
six salons de beauté in my town of 13,000. That’s a lot of beauty.
6) Imagine
you are sitting outside a French café at 10.00am on a sunny morning watching
the world go by, what do you order from the waiter?
Samantha: I’d order une noisette, an espresso
with a dash of milk. And then I’d have another one.
7) France
has many different cheeses, a silly question, but which French cheese are you?
Maybe, a hard and mature Tome, a soft, fresh and lively goat cheese, the creamy
and rich Camembert or the salty and serious Roquefort?
Samantha: I’m a soft, creamy Cabécou, a goat
cheese from the Dordogne region in France, about two hours north of my home.
Before I’m wrapped up in chestnut leaves to age, I’m dipped in plum brandy and
sprinkled with black pepper. Delicious. And I could say, “Coucou! I’m Cabécou!”
Must be the brandy talking.
8) Is there
anything French you won’t eat?
Samantha: There were quite a few food
catastrophes in the beginning of my relationship with Jean-Luc, namely a meal
called pot au feu de la mer– unrecognizable fish with their heads still on,
glassy eyes staring at me from a steaming bowl of cabbage. I will never, ever
order this again. But my tastes have changed a little bit. I hate to say it: I
now adore civet de sanglier, wild boar, as long as the sauce isn’t chunky and
grey.
9) Can you
describe your perfect French apero for us: the drink, the nibbles, the location
and the company?
Samantha: Drinks: Champagne or made to order
mojitos using fresh mint from my garden
Nibbles: In
addition to all the usual suspects, such as olives, potato chips for the kids,
peanuts, a platter of crudités with a lemon-infused dipping sauce, I also serve
hand-sized tartes, usually tomato and asparagus, and something in a verrine, like
a homemade soup (maybe a gazapacho made with tomatoes from my garden) or a
melon, dried ham, and feta cheese salad. One time, I served homemade sushi.
Location:
My backyard in the summer. It’s beautiful! We have two lilac bushes, a magnolia
tree, a cherry tree, wisteria, lavender, and lots of roses.
The
company: You! You’re invited! Come on over to Toulouse. I love entertaining.
FVD: How could I resist that
mouthwateringly delicious array of nibbles? I’m on my way.
10) France
has some beautiful cities and there are a few that constantly battle to be my
favourite, what is your favourite French city and why?
Samantha: We recently ventured off to
Biarritz for a surf weekend. One afternoon (after being completely knackered
out from all the waves in the morning), we headed to St. Jean de Luz, about a
half hour south of Biarritz, and close to the Spanish border. It’s simply
charming, filled with lovely shops, friendly people, and cute cafés and
restaurants. The moules à la plancha (mussels cooked on a flat grill) were
heaven in my mouth. Plus, St. Jean de Luz is located right on the Atlantic
Ocean. It really is the perfect little beach town. Seriously, forget about St.
Tropez!
Finally, do
you have any current projects you would like to tell my readers about?
Samantha: Sure! Why not! I do have plans for
memoir book two. In fact, I’ve already written 35k of it. It picks up where
SEVEN LETTERS FROM PARIS leaves off. I jump into a new life in France...but I
forget to pack a parachute and I land pretty hard. But as I settle into my new
life and Jean-Luc’s children and I become closer, and as the relationship with
Jean-Luc and I intensifies, no matter how terrifying things appear, I remind
myself I have love on my side. And with love on my side I can do anything
(including renovating a kitchen and building a bedroom-- the true test of any
relationship!) Memoir book two will be another love story, but the focus will
be on family. Of course, there will also be some romance. Maybe I’ll finally
get back to Paris with Jean-Luc? Or go on a honeymoon? Neither of these things
have happened...yet. I’m working on it.
Thank you
for taking the time to answer some questions about France and you.
Samantha: Thank you for having me! It’s been
a blast!
Seven Letters from Paris: A Memoir
is published by Sourcebooks and is available in paperback and ebook format. You can read my review of it here, it really is a lovely, romantic story. You can follow Samantha on Twitter, Facebook and on her blog.
by Julia Stagg and as I was lucky to
get my hands on an advance copy here is my review. 
by Jennie Goutet. Jennie lives in France with
her French husband and three children, but this is so much more than a new life
in France book. 
about what France means to her. You can read my
review of this delicious book that has now been released in paperback, 
. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times,
Condé Nast Traveler, South China Morning Post, Bon Appétit, and other
publications. In 2005, she was awarded a James Beard Foundation culinary
scholarship. Ann divides her time between New York and Paris, but loves eating
everywhere.
by Vanessa Couchman, an historical novel set in Corsica. I’ve never
been to Corsica, but the descriptions Vanessa gives of the wild and rugged
coastline and untamed mountains gave me a detailed image in my mind, which was
perfect as the backdrop to the turbulent storyline. It has also made me
determined to visit one day.
the sequel to 
by
Patricia Sands. 
a recipe ebook that features some of the delicious food Katherine learns to love in Provence.
by Shirley Ledlie. This memoir is Shirley’s story of her battle with a
French drug company when the combination of chemotherapy drugs she was given
for her breast cancer left her with an unpleasant side effect. Having come
through the cancer treatment and at a time when life should have been getting
back to normal she was told some devastating news that would change her life
forever. 
