La Musique de Coeur de Pirate

Although she didn't come directly from France, this Quebecois singer and songwriter Coeur de Pirate has been calling lots of attention as of late.  Beatrice Martin, under the name Coeur de Pirate has been making quite the name for herself as an up and coming musician at the grand age of twenty-three.  She started playing the piano at the age of three, and has continued to play ever since.  She first released her self-titled album in September 2008, and it received a lot of recognition in a very short period of time.  It soon became a sensation not only in Canada, but in France as well.  In March of 2010, all of her hard work paid off when she received the award for best original song at the Victoires de la Musique, the French equivalent of the Grammy awards, for her song "Comme des Enfants."  This literally means "like children."  The video of this song is located here:  

In 2011, Coeur de Pirate released another album entitled "Blond", which made it's way to the top of the charts in Quebec as well as number five in France and part of Belgium.  My personal favorite songs off of this album are "Adieu", "Danse et Danse", "Place de la Republique", and "Verseau".  However, the whole album is absolutely wonderful and well worth listening to from beginning to end.  "Adieu" and "Danse et Danse" have a very timeless feel, and I don't think that I could ever get sick of listening to them.  "Golden Baby" is the most popular track on the album, and that also deserves a listening to.  Right now, Coeur de Pirate is on tour, going as far away as Paris and Luxembourg, and as close to us as Toronto.  She has even played shows in New York City and Boston.  She is definitely on my list of shows that I must go to see live one day, and if you ever get the chance, you most certainly won't be disappointed!

Les Romans Populaires Français

For anyone confused by the title, "Les Romans Populaires Français" literally means "Popular French Novels."  There are so many great books that one can read that are all written by French Speaking authors, coming from a French background.  As some do not come from France but from French speaking countries around the world, there is a wide variety of novels that are out there that fit into this category.  Don't fear, though, that the only way to read these novels is to learn how to read French.  Several of these wonderful books are translated into English to make it that much easier for you to enjoy. Some of the novels you may come across may even surprise you when you find out that they are, in fact, French.

One of my favorite French novels of all-time is Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo, or more popularly known to English Speakers as The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  This novel is a classic that everyone should read in their lifetime.  Originally published in 1831, it is still a novel that many people from around the world study today.  Although most people's only experience with the novel might be the Disney movie, the novel is very different from that.  While the characters are the same and there may be similarities in the plot line, the novel is much darker.  To me, I found the plot of the novel twice as interesting as the movie I had seen as a child because of this.

I hope that by seeing that you are already familiar with some of these French novels, that it will inspire you to go out and research more of them on your own.  It may be daunting to see something written in a different language at first, but many of these novels have been translated in to English.  Who knows, you might even be able to find your new favorite book or author by doing a little bit of research!

Le Ratatouille Parfait

This recipe is also one of my favorite recipes of all time, and is a great vegetarian dish to serve in the summer.  Ratatouille is a mixture of vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms served with a mixture of spices.  Everything about it is delicious, from the sauce light sauce it is prepared in to each individual vegetable in it.  However, if you are not a fan of mushrooms like myself, they can be easily substituted for something else.  I always put yellow summer squash in when available instead of them.  I also find that this recipe is best prepared with the freshest vegetables available, and farmers markets or side of the road farm stands usually have all the ingredients necessary.  It's a great way to ensure that you're eating fresh vegetables.

Ratatouille is also a very healthy dish to serve.  Each serving only has on average about two-hundred and seventy calories, so it's a great, filling thing to eat if on a diet or just wishing to cut back a little bit.  To make this recipe, you will need:

- Two Tablespoons Olive Oil

- Three Minced Garlic Cloves

-Two teaspoons dried parsley

- One eggplant cut into cubes, then lightly salted

- One cup grated Parmesan Cheese

- Two Zucchini, sliced

- One large Onion, sliced into rings

- Two cups fresh mushrooms, sliced

- One Green Bell Pepper, sliced

- Two Large Tomatoes, chopped

- Fresh Basil

To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat the bottom and sides of a one-and-a-half quart casserole dish with One Tablespoon of Olive Oil.  Heat the remaining Olive Oil in a skillet over the stove on medium heat.  Sauté the garlic in there until lightly browned.  Next, mix in the parsley and eggplant and cook it until it is soft.  Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste now, if you'd like.  Spread the eggplant mixture across the bottom of the casserole dish, and then sprinkle with a few Tablespoons of the Parmesan Cheese.  Spread the zucchini evenly over the top, and then add a little more cheese.  Continue to add the Onion, mushrooms, Pepper, and lastly, the Tomatoes, in this way, all while adding more cheese.  Salt this to taste.  Bake in the oven for forty-five minutes, and serve with a little bit of fresh basil on top.  Bon Apetit!

L'étoile Nouveau: Camélia Jordana

Although you may not be able to understand Camélia Jordana's lyrics without a translator, giving her music a listen is well worth it.  Camélia Jordana is a French-born folk-pop singer who is well on her way to becoming a sensation.  She first became noticed in 2009 when she was a contestant on the popular French television show Nouvelle Star, where she made it all the way to third place before being eliminated.  From there, she signed a record deal with Sony Music, who then released her self-titled album  in 2010.  This album was incredibly popular in France, reaching number nine on the French SNEP Album Chart.

Her album is filled with upbeat tunes that could get anyone to start tapping their foot.  The most popular track on the album has to be "Non Non Non," which translates into "No, No, No."  This song made it all the way to number three on the French digital chart, as well as on the top of the charts of some other European countries, and for good reason.  The upbeat melody of this song makes it impossible for anyone to be in a bad mood while listening to it.  Even if you don't speak French well or at all, this is a great song to listen to first.  The lyrics are powerful while still being simple and refined.  After listening to it once or twice without looking at the lyrics, I highly recommend taking a look at a copy.  It really helps you to understand the song and the different changes in tempo and style.  While most of her songs on this album are in French, there is one song entitled "Little Monsters" that is entirely in English.  While it is different from many of her other songs on the album, it is one of my personal favorites.  This is also a good song to listen to first, as it is one that many of you may understand a bit easier.  Overall, this album is wonderful and I would recommend it to anyone that has an interest in this sort of music.  Listening to music in a different language may take some time to get used to, but it really is a wonderful thing to do from time to time.  Not only does it expose you to something a bit different, I have found that since I have begun to listen to it, it has helped me a lot with understanding the French language, as well.

Le Croque Monsieur

The Croque-Monsieur is one of the most famous French foods out there today.  It is not only a very popular food in France, but it's popularity has also grown in the United States.  In short, it's just a ham and cheese sandwich.  However, there is so much more to it than that.  It's a sort of hybrid between a wonderful ham sandwich and an updated grilled cheese sandwich.  The Croque-Monsieur is literally covered in cheese, then grilled with a sort of sauce all around it.  It is covered in a bechamel sauce, with mustard also baked in to the bread.  It is, in my opinion, one of the most delicious things in the world.  It is a mix of Gruyere Cheese and Parmesan, all blended together to create perfection.  It's crispy, crunchy, cheesey, and just about anything else you'd want in a sandwich.  It's literal translation is "Mister Crunchy," which explains the sandwich perfectly.  Similarly, the Croque-Madam is just as delicious, but has an egg fried on top of it while it is being made.  While this is very different, it is still very good. 

                                              See?  Look at that.  Doesn't that look delicious?     

One of my favorite Croque-Monsieur recipes is one of the easiest ways to make it.  To make a serving of four, it takes about twenty to thirty minutes.  To start, you will need:

-Eight Slices of White Bread

- Four ounces of softened butter

- Four Slices of Ham

- Four Slices of Gruyere Cheese

- Two slightly beaten Eggs

- One Tablespoon of Water

- Salt and Pepper

- Mustard

Spread onto each piece of bread a little of the softened butter.  Put one slice of the cheese and one slice of ham onto four pieces of the bread.  Spread a tiny bit of Mustard on the other four pieces of the bread.  Press the different pieces of bread together to make four sandwiches.  Beat the eggs and add the salt, water, and pepper together.  Then, carefully, dip the sandwiches into the mixture to coat them. Heat the rest of the butter in a frying pan, and once it has begun to sizzle, place the sandwiches in it.  Cook it for about three and a half minutes on each side, or until brown and crispy.  Then, you can serve them right away and enjoy!