FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

Salut from Provence where the snow is now melting. Yes, la neige! A few days ago, our village, which borders the sunny Côte d'Azur, was snowed in (according to this desert rat) and so today's recipe, which includes lardons, was on the menu du jour. Speaking of lardons, another Bacon quote today...

le lardon (lar-dohn) noun, masculine
  1. bacon cube; cutting remark
  2. (informal) child, kid

Also:
le lard = bacon

Expressions:
une tête de lard = pigheaded
ne pas jeter son lard aux chiens = to be stingy
rentrer dans le lard à quelqu'un = to attack someone
venir comme lard en pois = to be timely
(se) faire du lard = to (sit around and) get fat

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Citation du Jour:
L'espoir est un bon déjeuner, mais un mauvais dîner.
Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper. --Francis Bacon

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La Tartiflette -- Comfort food for the French

Tartiflette is not a traditional dish from the Savoy region but was invented by the Reblochon cheese trade union to increase sales of their product.

A trivia bit: "reblochon" is from "reblocher," which means, "to milk again." How's that for a useful verb?

You can make the following recipe in a casserole dish or simply throw all the ingredients together stove top, adding the cheese and covering the pan with a lid so that the cheese melts down.

For an easy cheesy recipe, use these ingredients:

5 or 6 potatoes
one medium sized onion, chopped
bacon, chopped
one disk of reblochon cheese (or camembert)
salt and pepper

Instructions:
--Parboil the potatoes, cool, then slice them (not too thin)
--Sauté the onions in a little butter. Add the lardons.
--Add the potatoes, salt and pepper. Mix well.
--Cut the reblochon cheese lengthwise and put both halves atop the casserole to melt. Cook 15 minutes stove top or in the oven at 325°F.

Bon appétit!