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French Food and Wine
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 15/05/2008, 11:40
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foxyloxy25
Joined on 23/07/2007
Albi (81)
Posts 28
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Advice Please! and thanks in advance.
I would like to have an open house/bbq/picnic for my husbands adult French students, studying beginners and advanced English. What I don't want is everyone sat at one long table as there could be as many as 40 people. So (1) how do I issue the invite? so that it will be clear that there will be no formal eating, would I call it a picnic? (2) would it be considered rude to ask them to bring a plate of salad/dessert etc (3) any suggestions as to the meat/veg I can bbq for that many people. I appreciate this is a tall order, I have ideas, but I am looking for fonts of knowledge from more experienced folk, any do and dont's would be appreciated.
Again many thanks for your time.
Jeanne
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15/05/2008, 22:15
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Gardian
Joined on 15/02/2006
Gard
Posts 1,263
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Jeanne ..........
1. Just call it a bbq
2. Probably: do plenty of interesting salads, forget the dessert (many don't bother & you'll waste it), loads of nice cheese (pricey, but whatever!)
3. Buy whole frozen legs of NZ lamb in the hyper: 4 @ €10 - €12 each should do it. De-frost, bone and dice in to 2cm chunks. Marinade for 4 hrs-ish in loads of olive oil, red wine and chopped rosemary + pepper. Kebab them, maybe with the odd bit of diced pepper for colour. (Any too small bits of meat can be 'curried' and re-frozen). Quite a lot of work, but worth it + easy to cook. Allow a mix of sausages each if you want, but it's so easy to over-cater in these situations.
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16/05/2008, 10:07
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Kim
Joined on 16/05/2008
Seine Saint Denis
Posts 26
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Hi Jeanne,
This is my first time posting to this forum. I've been living in France for 17 years and have learned everything the hard way - never thought to connect with other English speakers. Maybe this has actually helped me some, because when one learns from one's mistakes, it really sinks in.
Your affair is definitely a bbq and not a picnic. The French people will know what you are talking about and won't be surprised to find that it is not a sit-down together meal (imagine trying to time that!) However, I would make sure they had a place to sit down, especially the ladies. I've been to events at my husbands work where everyone was asked to bring a salad or dessert and the hosts provided the drinks and the meat for the bbq. So asking people to bring something should get a good response I imagine.
I heard a French man recently moaning about the terrible bbq he went to in the States. I think the French expect something a little different from a bbq than what I grew up with. They usually have skewered meats and vegetables, merguez and other sausages, and perhaps some steaks. I haven't seen them do hamburgers and hotdogs.
Whatver you do, don't forget the baguettes! And I'm sure they wouldn't say no to cheese, but than you have to worry about not letting that sit out for too long.
One thing I've seen people do here that is very effective is to get a huge ice chest (my husband can get these at work) and fill it with sodas, beer, and even wine. Everyone serves themselves as needed.
I've never had 40 people to entertain at once. You are very brave. It would be fun to hear how your event comes out and what you learned.
Kind Regards,
Kim
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17/05/2008, 8:14
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Frenchie
 
Joined on 31/05/2007
2 Sèvres,79
Posts 3,515
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" I've been to events at my husbands work where everyone was asked to bring a salad or dessert and the hosts provided the drinks and the meat for the bbq. So asking people to bring something should get a good response I imagine "
Seconded.. I sometimes do it and it is very normal now in France.
I would go for merguez ( yes, don't forget the baguettes!!) , chipollatas, pork chops, chicken, steak maybe, salads, taboulé, crisps, green salad, then cheese, and ice cream or fruit salad for dessert.
Coffee , and everybody has fun !!!
Happy
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17/05/2008, 16:15
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Acegundog
Joined on 28/05/2005
Pons, Charente Maritime (17)
Posts 72
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![Beer [B]](/cs/emoticons/emotion-22.gif)
Re: BBQ/PICNIC?
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Hi foxyloxy25
We did a bbq for 65 last year - everyone in the hamlet and our old car club - initially we only anticipated about 30 but it escalated as these things do.
I second all the comments so far and would also say that it would be a good idea to ask them to bring a chair - none of our guests minded at all and some even offered to bring their garden tables.
We did merguez, chicken drumsticks (marinated the day before and cooked in the oven and finished on the bbq) and kebabs (pork, chicken, green & red pepper, cherry toms) again marinated the day before. A selection of salads - the most popular by far were the tomato and mozzarella with olive oil & black pepper and the hot potato salad (whole small new baby pots scrubbed) with chives and a sprinkling of olive oil & sea salt! Selection of cheeses - goats, ementhal and brie. Dessert - banans (in their skins) sliced in the middle and half a mars bar stuffed in, wrapped in foil and stuck on the barby for a few seconds - the guests died for it - took us back to our Scouting & Guiding days ............... Plus of course lots and lots of bread!
Quantities - not everyone will want one of everything - we did about 40 of each item and there was far far too much!
Also drinks - we used boxes of wine and decanted them into bottles, cheapest bottles of supermarket water and a some orange juice and put them out so everyone could help themselves but found them reluctant at first so make sure a few people are ready to help with serving these and getting proceedings going............
Invitation - we just did A5 sheets and headed it up BBQ, put the date, time, place, our names etc and did an open invite to hand to people in person - the written invite was really just a reminder for them for the verbal invite and date etc. Seemed to do the job!
Good luck ![Big Smile [:D]](/cs/images/emotions/biggrin.gif)
AGD
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18/05/2008, 9:36
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Jill
Joined on 23/08/2004
Posts 552
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 Kim wrote: | |
However, I would make sure they had a place to sit down, especially the ladies.
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I'd agree with this about sitting down. At all barbecues and buffets I've attended in France, there have always been tables and chairs. I've never come across the informality of eating standing up or sitting on the ground that we have in England. Also, other French friends have commented on the importance of being able to sit at a table properly to eat meals. However, I daresay this will have changed quite a bit now, especially the way the French walk around eating fast food and shop bought sandwiches these days. Something which horrified them 15 years ago.
Jill (99)
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18/05/2008, 10:15
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Cerise
Joined on 23/08/2004
Laguepie Tarn & Garonne
Posts 695
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Not sure it has changed much Jill. Most of our French friends and clients are panicked even by having aperos in the sitting room instead of at the table. Eating anything whilst not at the table seems to be alien. We prefer to have our coffee away from the dirty dishes too - but have to explain that moving doesn't mean we want them to go home! Even when out walking they prefer to find a picnic table rather than sitting on a wall or perching on a fallen tree as I often do. I find the french habit of picnicking in laybys with traffic rushing by too weird for words - but each to their own!
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France Forum » French Culture » French Food and... » BBQ/PICNIC?
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