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About me


 I am Hélène Billiet, the founder of Lyon City Blog, a blog in English for the lovers and residents of Lyon and its region.

As a native of Lyon, I would like to share my experience and my knowledge of this beautiful region with English-speaking people.

I write blogs in English about local topics to help the expats and the tourists enjoy our beautiful region.
I am also a tourist advisor and I organize personalized stays in Lyon region
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The Côteaux du Lyonnais Wines

The French Wine-grower Michel Ruiton

Rating: 3.3/5 (6 ratings)

Michel Ruiton awaits you with a warm welcome in his farm that was built in the 17th century. Situated in Dardilly in the West of , this small family farm has a traditional Côteaux du Lyonnais wine cellar where you can taste the red and rosé wines from the Gamay grapes






Michel Ruiton accompanies the tasting with explanations and shares his passion for the vineyards with his guests. 
Do not hesitate to taste and savor the regional products he produces in his farm like fruit juices, cheeses, sausages… 






You can also experience the friendly atmosphere of a wine tasting day and discover their lovely goats, pig, and rabbits after buying some of their products. 









Michel Ruiton
25, route de la Tour de Salvagny 
69574 Dardilly
(+33) 4 78 47 42 79 
 


A Unique Food Lovers Club in Lyon

The Communauté du goût is dedicated to traditional foods

Rating: 2.9/5 (10 ratings)

The Communauté du goût in is a unique food lovers club dedicated to preserving and tasting traditional foods. It was created in 2007 by Frédéric Bessard, the founder of the Good and Food Ideas agency and a member of the Slow Food movement that supports the traditional food production systems.  Individuals or corporate can join the club and benefit from all the services offered.
All the members of the club share the same passion for exceptional fresh products produced by local, regional or national producers mainly from France, but also from Italy.
They can meet, exchange tips and advice with the local producers and the food experts, taste a large selection of exclusive high quality AOC and bio-products such as vinegars with fruit pulp, great wines of Burgundy or the Bigorre black pork considered as the most ancient breed of pork in France.
 
All the products can be bought on-line or directly in the warehouse that looks like a big meat safe with a kitchen, a library, a cozy room and a 250m²cellar. This original space is the ideal place to organize Le pot des potes, a recreational meeting followed by a meal with your friends or your colleagues.
The club also offers cooking and wine classes taught by famous chefs to discover all the products and exchange very original theme recipes like cooking the duck or the veal, typical Burgundy cuisine, wok cooking…
No doubt, the Communauté du goût is the only food lovers club in where you will rediscover the enjoyment of eating excellent food and drink.

 



La Communauté du goût
25, rue Chinard
69009
04 72 85 93 11
http://www.communautedugout.com
e-mail : communautedugout@orange.fr


French Chef Jean-Marc Villard in Lyon

Hands-on cooking lessons in Lyon

Rating: 2.8/5 (13 ratings)



Famous Chef Jean-Marc Villard welcomes you in his private townhouse for hands-on cooking classes in his professional kitchen surrounded by a beautiful and peaceful garden in Champagne au Mont d’Or, just 15 minutes from center. With his 30 years of experience in some of France’s best restaurants and his 10 years as Professor and Chef at Paul Institute, Chef Jean-Marc Villard will guide you through the maze of discovering French cuisine.
During the cooking classes, you will discuss the menu over coffee or tea. Then, Chef Jean-Marc Villard will help you prepare a three course gastronomic menu (two dishes and dessert) followed by lunch or dinner around the table with the Chef and his wife Alice. The classes for amateurs or corporate are conducted either in English or in French.
Depending on the opening days of your visit, Chef Jean-Marc Villard can also guide you to the Halles Paul , the most famous indoor market for its high quality fresh products in , or to a great outdoor market where you can meet a lot regional producers. The gastronomic visit can be combined with a cooking class.


If you wish to discover the secret of French Macaroons that you will take back home, baking classes are organized either in the morning or in the afternoon and a glass of regional sparkling wine is usually served at the end of the class.
What is more, Chef Jean-Marc Villard offers morning or evening cooking classes for groups up to 24 people. Divided into 2 groups, one group will prepare 2 dishes selected from a traditional or a gastronomic menu while the other group will have an aperitif with Mediterranean olive oils tasting or cheese tasting with expert advice from “Meilleur ouvrier de France fromager”  Etienne Boissy  to discuss the art of serving cheese. Then, the two groups will have their meal along with a selection of wines and they will enjoy delicious dishes according to the seasons, such as “Carré d'agneau rôti, jus brun parfumé à la sauge et légumes de printemps” (Roasted rack of lamb, brown juice flavoured with sage and spring vegetables) or "Velouté de petits pois aux saveurs coco et mousse de mangue"  (Cold peas velouté flavoured with coconut and mango mousse)or “Velouté de potimarron vanillé, trompettes de la mort et foie gras de canard poêlé” (velvety vanilla-flavored small pumpkin soup, wild craterellus mushrooms and pan-sautéed duck foie gras).
Of course, you can also organize your meetings with your friends or colleagues in the kitchen of the Chef who will prepare your lunch or dinner.


If you want to share a fantastic culinary experience in , the Capital of , Chef Jean-Marc Villard will undoubtedly introduce you to the unforgettable flavors of French cuisine.

Cooking Classes with Jean-Marc Villard
1, rue de Bellevue
69 410 Champagne au Mont d’Or
(+33) 4 78 35 06 07
(+33) 6 03 58 30 34
http://www.cuisinedechef.com



French Dark Chocolate

Bernachon Chocolate house in Lyon

Rating: 3/5 (10 ratings)

All of us know the French chocolate is the best, much better than the Belgian or the Swiss ones. 

Bernachon and Voisin chocolate houses in symbolize the French love for the chocolate flavor that is supposed to take away our stress at Easter. Some even think the only genuine chocolate should be dark instead of the milk chocolate invented by the Swiss in 1875. 
Dark chocolate contains much less sugar than milk chocolate and a small daily treat of dark chocolate may be good for the heart. Dark chocolate addicts are convinced that some of the ingredients of dark chocolate can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, especially lecithin and antioxidants known as flavonoids.
What is more, dark chocolate is considered as an aphrodisiac because of the presence of alkaloids that release the feel good hormone in the body.
Of course, many French pastry cooks use cooking chocolate (chocolat de couverture) to make desserts with bitter chocolate, dark chocolate, hazelnut chocolate, white chocolate…
Chocolate can give its flavor to the dessert like the traditional chocolate cake, the chocolate cream, the chocolate macaroon, the chocolate mousse. It can also garnish almost every dessert as you can make chocolate chips, hot chocolate sauce or have your favorite dessert topped with chocolate lace or with bitter chocolate and  coated with a hot chocolate sauce. A chocolate lover will always be delighted by a symphony of two chocolates.
In his book Le chocolat selon Bernachon, the French pastry cook Bernachon tells us about  the Bernachon family’s biography and reveals some of his best tips to make the most successful chocolate desserts. The Succès, the Sicilien or the Ardéchois are usually made with basic preparations that cannot be a failure like the ganache chocolat (ganache cream) or the glaçage chocolat (chocolate sweet icing) .
 


Jacques Lafargue Delicatessen Caterer in Lyon

High quality catering services in the West of Lyon

Rating: 3.7/5 (6 ratings)



Jacques Lafargue
welcomes you in his prestigious delicatessen shop where he prepares original dishes that add a world of flavors to your menu. He always surprises his clients by finding his inspiration in the new methods of making and cooking the world food. 



Creativity, originality and high quality are the most important ingredients for Jacques Lafargue to share his passion for gastronomy. In his experimental laboratory, he loves testing new aromas and flavors to create a memorable symphony of delicious tastes.
If you are planning a wedding, a cocktail party, a birthday party, a buffet dinner, a conference luncheon, Jacques Lafargue provides high-quality catering services in unique places. 

The 350 m² Aqueducs adaptable room is the perfect event and meeting space with all the modern high-tech facilities and original settings that can truly leave a memorable impression on your guests.
The Garon restaurant with a bar and sound system can host 85 tables if you plan to organize dinner parties, cocktail parties or birthday parties. The restaurant also offers take away trays and menus that change every week to reflect the seasons and the events.
The Orme meeting room has all the most advanced technology to organize business meetings and welcome groups that will enjoy the complete buffets of coffees and milk bread pastries or the cocktail parties.

If you want to share a memorable event with your colleagues or your family, Jacques Lafargue is certainly the best delicatessen caterer who will introduce you to a world of unique flavors.



Jacques Lafargue Delicatessen caterer

Route des Troques 69630 Chaponost / tél 04 78 56 58 26 / fax 04 78 56 39 57  
 http://www.jacques-lafargue-traiteur.com



The Frog Eaters in Lyon

The Frog legs traditional recipe

Rating: 3.6/5 (8 ratings)

 The Frog Legs (cuisses de grenouille) are a very traditional recipe of France. They are very popular in the region of the Dombes in the North East of . They are usually prepared with butter (beurre), garlic (ail)  and sparsely sauce (sauce persillée). The French really appreciate their mild flavor that tastes like chicken wings (ailes de poulet).
What is more, the frog legs are often associated with the French cuisine as the English nickname for the French is “Frogs” or "Frog eaters" (mangeurs de grenouille). If the frog legs are mainly eaten in France and in China, they are also eaten in India or in the United States, particularly in the state of Louisiana where they are either fried or grilled.
The most famous recipe of to cook the frog legs is the Cuisses de grenouilles sautées à la persillade (Frog Legs sautéed in garlic butter):
 
4 people
 
Ingredients:
 
40 frog legs
1 tablespoon flour
200 grams onions
50 grams butter
Salt, pepper and parsley
 
1. Roll the frog legs in the flour.

2. Sauté the legs and the minced onions in hot butter.
Season with  salt and pepper, then stir and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Sprinkle with minced parsley at the last moment.
Serve very hot with a dash of lemon juice.


The Atelier Clafoutis in Lyon

Learn how to cook modern and original recipes

Rating: 3.6/5 (7 ratings)

The Atelier Clafoutis welcomes you in a very cozy home kitchen where all the fans of the kitchen can learn how to cook very modern and original recipes.

The bilingual chef Nathalie Guiral will share her passion for food with you as she teaches you how to prepare a large selection of dishes that you can bring home for a very reasonable price.

As a member of the slow-food movement she defends the local food traditions as she considers that biodiversity for food guarantees tastefully high-quality products and well-being.


In her workshop situated in the center of , Nathalie Guiral offers adult classes for individuals or private groups as well as classes for children and adolescents in French or in English. The adults can prepare full menus or menus for special events and they can also learn the expertise of pastry cooks whatever their level of cooking. The kids can learn how to cook their favorite recipe and prepare birthday snacks in a very festive atmosphere on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons or during the school holiday sessions.


The Atelier Clafoutis

138 rue Duguesclin, 6ème arrondissement .
Tel : 06 63 43 15 15


http://atelierclafoutis.com



In Cuisine Shop in Lyon for the Food Lovers

In Cuisine shop to discover food

Rating: 3.3/5 (9 ratings)

Situated in the heart of , the capital of the French cuisine, In Cuisine unique shop offers many products and services all dedicated to the food.
You can buy novels, culinary guides, dictionaries, studies about food and nutrition, but also books about the cuisines of the world, food history, recipes, healthy food, food for the children… in a very recreational atmosphere.
In addition, you may find the best kitchen utensils or have your name printed on a chef toque if you are ready for a gastronomic adventure.
To make your own recipe, you will find a wide range of high-quality products  in their delicatessen section .
Don’t worry if you aren’t a good cook. In Cuisine food workshops for the adults and the children can help you to learn how to make your best French macaroons or  Sushis.
What is more, you can have a tea or a meal in the tea room while you are looking at the exhibition of the art works about food.
As a professional you can also organize a cocktail party for your colleagues and use the business rooms available.
Of course, all the services and products of In Cuisine can be ordered on their on-line shop.
So, don’t hesitate to have a good time in In Cuisine shop if you are a food lover.

In Cuisine
1,
69002

04 72 41 18 00
info@incuisine.fr
http://www.incuisine.fr



NASA Astronauts Eat Haute Cuisine in Space

The French haute cuisine in outer space

Rating: 3.8/5 (8 ratings)

Can you imagine NASA astronauts eating French haute cuisine during their space missions to Mars?

In the 60s, the astronauts could not bring their home-made sandwiches (sandwichs faits maison) on board. Yet, space food (nourriture de l'espace) was awful. The compressed sandwiches into cubes and tubes were rather tasteless (sans goût) or even disgusting (dégoûtants). In 1965 John W. Young was reprimanded as he brought his favorite corned beef in 1965 on Gemini 3.

Today, space food is of much better quality since the astronauts are offered a wide range of starters (entrées), main courses (plats principaux) and desserts (desserts) packed in vacuum-sealed pouches. The chocolate cake (gâteau au chocolat) is always appreciated in orbit, especially by the astronauts who spend more and more time in the shuttles that are not equipped with refrigerators.

However, other people want haute cuisine when they travel in space. Some billionaire business men are ready to pay an incredible amount of money to be the first tourists in space, provided that their trip to Mars looks like a luxury cruise (croisière de luxe). They are not different from the 1st-class passengers of the Titanic ship that sank in 1912. Just before the tragedy happened, the rich passengers of the Titanic were having a French dinner mainly composed of salmon, oysters, foie gras and champagne of course in the prestigious Café Parisien. So, we can easily imagine the passengers of the next space mission to Mars having duck confit with capers (confit de canard aux câpres)or apple fondant (fondant aux pommes) prepared by very popular chefs like Emerile Lagasse who learned the art of the French cuisine in and before he opened his famous fine restaurants in the United States, especially in New Orleans.
The well-known French chef Alain Ducasse is preparing the menus for the future expeditions to Mars since his gourmet menus may have a positive psychological impact on the astronauts who may spend 18 months in space before reaching the red planet.
Emeril Lagasse
Emeril Lagasse

So, we may consider the Haute cuisine not only as a symbol of social position and snobbery, but also as part of the most adventurous and challenging missions of the future. All the international chefs can take part in this incredible adventure as soon as they know all about the French cuisine. That is why has a very important role to play as the capital of the French cuisine in the world in the future.


The Bugnes Lyonnaises for Lent in Lyon

A traditional dessert from Lyon

Rating: 2.7/5 (10 ratings)




The Bugnes
are a traditional culinary dessert from .
La bugne est une spécialité culinaire typiquement lyonnaise

It is a kind of sweet donut that the local people eat from January to Shrove Tuesday. Sorte de beignet sucré, la bugne se déguste en famille entre fin janvier et Mardi gras.
 
Jean Bérard was the inventor of the first recipe that was bought by the municipal offices of city in 1538. C’est en 1538 que la ville de acheta la recette à Jean Bérard, maître « bugnetier ».

At that time, people improved their diet by adding the Bugnes to the food for Lent marked by abstinence. They took only one meal a day . La bugne était alors un moyen d’améliorer le quotidien lors du Carême, période de jeûne pendant laquelle un seul repas par jour était autorisé.

The Bugnes are donuts made from flour, brewer’s yeast and water. They are fried in a frying-pan and then sprinkled with powdered sugar. À base de farine, de levure de bière et d’eau, la bugne est ensuite frite à la pôele. Les beignets ainsi obtenus sont saupoudrés de sucre glace.

Later on the Bugnes were flavored with lemon zest, rum or orange flower liqueur by the local housewives. Les mères de famille l’ont plus tard agrémentée et enrichie d’un zeste de citron, de rhum ou d’eau de fleur d’oranger selon les goûts de chacun.


Culinary speciality/spécialité culinaire: plat ou recette préparé pour une occasion particulière (cérémonie, fête…)

Donut/Beignet: dessert à base de pâte frite

Taste/ se déguste: boire ou manger avec plaisir

Shrove Tuesday/ Mardi gras: dernier jour du carnaval juste avant le carême

Chef in charge of making the bugnes/ Maître « bugnetier »: chef de cuisine don’t la spécialité est de faire des bugnes

Lent/ Carême: période de 46 jours de privation et de prière imposée par l’Eglise catholique entre le mardi gras et le jour de Pâques

Abstinence/ Jeûne: pratique religieuse qui consiste à ne pas manger
Brewer’s yeast/ levure de bière: champignons utilisés dans la fabrication de la bière, du vin ou du pain grâce à leurs qualités de fermentation

Sprinkled with/ Saupoudrés: couvrir lègèrement un gâteau ou un plat avec du sucre, du sel…

Powdered sugar/ sucre glace: sucre en poudre très fine


Lemon zest/ Zeste de citron: peau du citron pelée très finement

Orange flower liqueur/ eau de fleur d’oranger: liqueur à base des fleurs de l’oranger



Here is the recipe of the Bugnes Lyonnaises
Voici la recette de la bugne lyonnaise:

Ingredients/ Ingrédients

500 gr flour/ 500 gr de farine
3 eggs/ 3 oeufs
125 gr butter/ 125 gr de beurre
1 glass of water/ 1 verre d’eau
Lemon zest/ Zeste de citron or rhum/ rum or or orange flower liqueur/ eau de fleur d’oranger

Préparation

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl/ Mélanger tous les ingrédients dans un saladier
Roll out the fritter batter/ Étaler la pâte avec un rouleau
Cut rectangles and make an incision/ Découper des rectangles au milieu desquels vous ferez une incise
Fry the rectangles in a frying-pan/ Faire frire les rectangles à la poêle
Sprinkle with powdered sugar/ Saupoudrez de sucre glace




Boiled Beef with Vegetables Recipe

The French Recipe of the Pot au feu

Rating: 3.7/5 (12 ratings)

Le Pot au feu (boiled beef with vegetables) is one of the most popular French dishes since it is very easy to make and very cheap.
 In the recipe is usually made with beef broth, but the beef is sometimes replaced by sausage or pistachio sausage.
The Pot au feu used to be a peasant dish cooked in a big pot where the poor could cook soups or porridges that were sometimes garnished with meat and vegetables.

The Pot au feu is always associated with the winter when it was possible to cook a dish for many hours.
Today, a very good pot au feu is composed of beef and vegetables that are stewed in a pot or pressure-cooker (cocotte-minute). The beef should include 3 pieces of meat with different flavors: 

Lean meat (blade-bone of beef)
Gelatinous meat : beef knuckle, silverside of beef, clod of beef, oxtail ( jarret, gîte, jumeau, queue de bœuf)
Fatter meat: beef brisket, flank of beef, short ribs of beef (tendron, poitrine, flanchet, plat de côtes).

 
wine can be recommended to go with the Pot au feu.

For 4 people
Preparation time: 45 minutes,
Cooking time: 25 minutes.
Utensils: saucepan and pressure-cooker

INGREDIENTS :
500 gr silverside of beef (gîte de noix)
250 gr short ribs of beef ( plat de côtes)
400 gr chuck of beef ( paleron de boeuf)
1 marrowbone (os à moelle)
3 carrots (carottes)
3 turnips (navets)
2 leeks (poireaux)
4 potatoes (pommes de terre)
1 big onion studded with cloves (gros ognion piqué de clous de girofle)
1 celery stalk (branche de céleri)
1 bouquet garni,
1 garlic clove (gousse d’ail)
coarse sea salt (gros sel marin) and pepper (poivre)
Guérande salt (sel de Guérande)
Lemon (citron)
gherkins (cornichons)


1. Peel the vegetables and cut them.
2. Boil all the vegetables (except the potatoes), the garlic, the celery and the bouquet garni in 2 litre boiling water. Add the salt and the pepper, then the meat.
3. Stew for about 10 minutes while you are regularly skimming.
4. Close the pressure cooker and cook at low temperature (cuire à feu doux) for 20 minutes
5. Take out the vegetables. Close the cooker again and cook for about 30 minutes when you have lowered the temperature.
6. Peel the potatoes and boil them in salted water
7. While the potatoes and the meat are cooking, cover the marrow bones with slices of lemon and boil them in salted water seasoned with lemon for 10 minutes
8. Drain the meat. Serve it with the garnish of vegetables, coarse salt and gherkin. Drain the bones and keep the beef marrow extract that you will serve with some toasts flavored with garlic. Garnish the dish with the meat broth (bouillon de viande)





New Year's Eve Menu by Paul Bocuse

Paul Bocuse's prestigious 2010 New Year's Eve dinner

Rating: 3.2/5 (15 ratings)

Many restaurants and night clubs in organize festive meals and New Year's Eve parties (see What's on in ?).

This year, Paul offers a prestigious New Year's Eve dinner in his well-known restaurant l'Auberge du Pont in Collonges au Mont d'Or.

Coupe de Champagne (a glass of champagne)

Escalope de foie gras de canard poêlée au verjus

Pan-sautéed escalope of duck foie gras with verjuice

Soupe aux truffes noires V.G.E
Truffled soup VGE*

Coquilles Saint-Jacques au beurre blanc
Scallops in white butter sauce

Granité au Champagne Rosé
Rosé Champagne granita

Noisettes de chevreuil Grand Veneur
Medallions of Grand Veneur venison 

Sélection de fromages frais et affinés "Mère Richard"
Selection of Mère Richard’s fresh cream and fully-matured cheeses

Marmitte glacée Norvégienne
Baked Alaska casserole

Gâteau du Nouvel An
New Year’s Eve cake
Petits fours et chocolats
Petits fours and chocolate

* The truffled soup VGE was created in 1975 by Paul for the presidential dinner when Valery Giscard d'Estaing was the French president (VGE are the intials of the president).

Champagne is a keyword that is part of many culinary expressions:

arrosé de champagne: drizzled with champagne
au champagne: with champagne, cooked in champagne
au vinaigre de champagne:
with champagne vinegar
braisé au champagne:
braised in champagne
déglacé au champagne:
deglazed with champagne
parfumé au champagne:
flavoured with champagne
rafraîchi au champagne: chilled with champagne
sauce au champagne:
in champagne sauce

Champagne wine is produced in the Champagne-Ardennes region and the most prestigious champagne wines are produced in Reims and Epernay.
But the first sparkling champagne was accidentally created and the méthode champenoise was used in the 19th century when the champagne wines began to be considered as prestigious wines. The wine producers used the méthode champenoise that enables them to produce a more complexed wine undergoing a secondary fermentation in bottle.

Le Remueur: 1889 engraving of the man engaged in the laborious daily task of turning each bottle a fraction
From The Lordprice Collection


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