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Celebrating
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French Affaires Book Series: Fall 2009Do you love books about France and the French? So do we! Join our unique French book club as we meet monthly to read and discuss books on French culture, art, cuisine, wine, travel, and language. Our meeting locations and hosts tie to each month's book theme for a special French treat. Whether or not one has finished the book, our book club gathering is interesting, informative, lively and delicious. And we finish up with French Affaires' signature "If you liked this book, then you'll also like..." Perfect for any Francophile wanting to enjoy casual conversation in English about great books on France and the French. Registration: The cost for the four-part book series is $80 per person (or $25 per single session) and includes handouts, wines, beverages, hors d'oeuvres, cheeses, and desserts as noted (cost does not include books). Advance registration / payment is required. To sign up online or by check, please click the registration button. Space is limited so that everyone can weigh in on the books and meet our wonderful hosts! 
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Events
& Classes
Judgement
of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting
That Revolutionized Wine by George M. Taber | Date: | Sunday, September 20, 2009 |
| Time: | 3:30 to 5:00pm |
| Refreshments: | Wine tastings & savory bites |
| Location: | Calais Winery, 3000 Commerce Street, Dallas, Texas |
October
The
Road From the Past: Traveling Through History in France by
Ina Caro Join us as we take a voyage around France via this month's stellar
book selection The Road From the Past: Traveling Through History
in France by Ina Caro. We'll meet at Hermitage Antiques in Dallas
which has one of the largest collections of vintage Louis Vuitton
travel trunks in the world. As part of our traveling through France
book discussion, Angie Diksa, Director of Research at Hermitage
Antiques, will share the history and allure of these special French-made
travel pieces--each of which has a unique story that harkens back
to a time when travel was an extra-ordinary experience.
| Date: | Tuesday, October 20, 2009 |
| Time: | 6 to 7:30pm |
| Refreshments: | French wines & cheeses |
| Location: | Hermitage Antiques, 1313 Slocum Street, Suite 101, Dallas, Texas |
November
Chasing
Matisse: A Year in France Living My Dream by James Morgan
Our November book pick is about the color-drenched art of French painter Henri Matisse. Chasing Matisse: A Year in France Living My Dream describes author James Morgan's year following in Matisse's footsteps around France and the Mediterranean. Over desserts and French liqueurs, we'll discuss this part memoir, part travelogue and part biography of Matisse at the Jacques Lamy art gallery in Dallas. French natives Jacques Lamy and his wife, Odile, sell stunning 19th and 20th century French paintings; their gallery also houses Jacques' own painting studio. After taking us on a tour of their gallery, the Lamys will share their perspectives on French painting as part of our book discussion on Matisse and his art.
| Date: | Monday, November 16, 2009 |
| Time: | 6 to 7:30pm |
| Refreshments: | Desserts & French liqueurs |
| Location: | Jacques Lamy Gallery, 1607 Dragon Street in the Design District, Dallas, Texas |
January
2010
Gourmet
Rhapsody by Muriel BarberyOur December book is the celebrated first novel of Muriel Barbery,
the French author of the best-selling fictional work The Elegance
of the Hedgehog. It recounts the last moments of the world-reknowned
French food critic Pierre Arthens, the 'Pope of Gastronomy.' We'll
discuss our book as well as the status of French cuisine with local
food experts including Michelle Rodarte, Senior Foodie and Cooking
School Manager at Central Market Cooking School Dallas. And we'll
enjoy gourmet bites and beverages as we talk about this hommage
to French flavors, tastes and culinary accomplishments.
| Date: | January 17, 2010 |
| Time: | 2:30 to 4pm |
| Refreshments: | Gourmet French bites & beverages |
| Location: | Central Market Cooking School, Dallas (SE corner of Lovers Lane and Greenville, near I75/Central) |
PREVIOUS BOOKS IN 2009 SERIES
February
All
You Need to Be Impossibly French: A Witty Investigation into the Lives,
Lusts, and Little Secrets of French Women by Helena Frith Powell
A native Parisian, Betty Reiter is celebrating the 10th year of her Preston Center boutique devoted to French and European fashions. A visit to her shop is a journey into flawless taste, the French way. She is an expert on French chic and will give us the insider view on the beauty and style secrets of the modern French woman as part of our book discussion.
March
The
Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at
the World's Most Famous Cooking School by Kathleen FlinnParigi (Paris, in Italian) is a Dallas restaurant gem. Female chef and owner Janice Provost will briefly talk of her French and Paris food experiences as well as what it's like being a female chef, tying in with the Paris Cordon Bleu cooking school experiences of this month's book author.
April
A
Motor-Flight Through France by Edith Wharton (paperback available at Barnes & Noble online)
Normandie Alliance is an outpost of France in north Dallas. Chef Gilles is a true French chef with a passion for quality and authenticity in all his cooking. We'll sample his famous dessert crepes from the region of Normandy as we discuss Edith Wharton's travels through Normandy and other parts of la belle France.
May
The
Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who
Ruled It by Tilar J. Mazzeo François and Anne Chandou of La Cave Warehouse will take us on a magical tour of their wine selections and cellars. François comes from a family of wine makers from the Bergerac region of France where their wine estate has been in the family for 200 years. We'll follow this wine journey with a Champagne tasting and our book discussion of one of the most famous Champagne houses in the world.
July
France,
A Love Story: Women Write about the French Experience, edited
by Camille Cusumano
In 1989, Francophile Suzie Patterson opened The Whimsey Shoppe in Dallas, an antique store specializing in French country antiques. Suzie's educational background in interior design with an emphasis on French furniture coupled with a family history of French ancestors created a fascination with France and all things French. She and her husband, Wendell, now own two Whimsey Shoppes and travel the French countryside every three or four months buying for their stores. Through these travels, they have learned to appreciate even more the amazing French people and their enviable way of life. Suzie will join our book discussion and share her own 'French experiences' from her antiquing travels in France.
August
The
Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery
Our second summer book, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, was a bestseller in France and has recently been translated into English. It is an intriguing novel about a 50-something frumpy concierge and a precocious 12-year girl who inhabit the same apartment building in Paris. We'll gather at The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture in Dallas for our book discussion. Its executive director and literary specialist, Larry Allums, will join our conversation about this modern work of French fiction over dessert and French liqueurs.
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