Written by Jamie of Life's a Feast.

Mention France to anyone outside of the country and Paris will immediately jump to mind: the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, her panoply of restaurants, the Mona Lisa and Romance with a capital R. Or Provence with her fields of fragrant lavender, her quaint villages and her rich, vivacious garlic-kissed Mediterranean cuisine. Short on time and dollars, few tourists venture outside of these well known, well-trod vacation spots. But France is a network of wonderful cities all connected by the greatest train system in the world, and each city, town or village offers some hidden beauty, a wonderful mystery and a fabulous story.

Written by Shelly of Musings From The Fishbowl - Shelly is also The Daring Kitchen's new Daring Alternative "Cookie"! She'll be our "go-to" gal for any questions regarding alternative cooking.

When friends come to visit me here in France, it’s such a joy to watch them discover French cuisine in all its authentic glory. The cultural and culinary icons associated with France vary from country to country, but the most popular remain: the famed baguette, the sometimes misunderstood fromage, the mythic vin and our topic du jour, crêpes. I can usually do a proper introduction to the first three culinary delights for first-time visitors chez moi, at my place, but personally I believe that proper crêpe initiation must take place in a crêperie or crêpe restaurant.