Olive Oil

Like all French families, we use a lot of olive oil. We use it for cooking and our salads dressings. We even put some in our dog food to prevent his eczema ... And it works!

Olive oil is the main reason we started Truly France. As we thought about starting our business, the first thing we wanted to bring in the United States was our wonderful olive oil. To be honest, before Truly France, we had our olive oil shipped from France all the time. It was the first item of Truly France's catalog!

Nothing can replace the taste of a very good olive oil and everyone says that is the healthier oil. Cardiologists recommend to have at least two tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil each day. It is known that extra virgin olive oil  is really good for your health and heart, but it has many other benefits I can't listed here because the list is really long. But I encourage you to Google: benefits of olive oil.

If you are thinking about changing your habits and switching to olive oil you need to go for an extra virgin olive oil for a superior taste and highest quality. 
What extra virgin olive oil mean? This means the oil is extracted directly from the fruit of the olive tree, just after the harvest, by grinding the olives using "cold-pressed" method to keep the oil from losing its flavor. This also means the oil is bottled with no chemical addition and it is not refined to insure it retains its natural flavor.
At Truly France we propose only extra virgin olive oils because we want to ensure  that you purchase the best quality oil. 

Truly France vinaigrette:                                        

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove
Salt & pepper
Mustard
Herbes de Provence

Mix together olive oil, mustard, Herbes de Provence and salt & pepper until the mixture is smooth. Add Balsamic vinegar and crushed garlic clove.

It's the time of the year...The time my skin is dry and itchy because of the cold and as it get colder and colder outside, my skin get worse. Do you have the same problem? Well, I found a solution, I am using organic bar soaps and I can tell you there is a huge difference! 
Why organic? Here the answer:
It should come as no surprise that the majority of soaps that are sold in stores contain a large amount of chemicals that most of us have never even heard of. If you are concerned about the toxins that your family uses in your home, then you might want to consider switching to organic soap as a healthier alternative.
By using organic soap, you can potentially avoid, or at least reduce, many common skin problems. Organic soap contains ingredients that have been produced without using herbicides, chemical fertilizers, or pesticides.
Commercial soaps are hard on regular skin, and worse if you have sensitive skin. The chemicals used to make and enhance their product and dry and damage skin. Regular soaps will remove naturally present glycerin and instead include harsh substances like dyes, synthetic fragrances and preservatives. Is it any wonder that some people are medically required to switch to natural soaps?

Don't you think it is time to switch?
Visit our website (www.truly-france.com) and you will find the organic bar soap for you. Handmade with natural ingredients and no palm oil.
Organic soap will leave your skin feeling clean and moisturized, and give you the peace of mind to know that you're doing a good thing for yourself and your family

I love to cook! 
In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport, said Julia Child.
It's true, we love traditional meals where you spend hours around the table enjoying an whole dinner cooked by our hostess from starters, appetizer, entree, salad & cheese, dessert and of course coffee.
Just for the record, entree means appetizer in french...Made me confuse at the beginning I was in USA.
One of the dishes I like most here are soups. They are completely different from ours. We made soup with vegetables more often. Soups here and I would say especially the ones we can have in the dinners are made with beans, chicken, ham, cheddar etc etc etc...And they are delicious!! 
So I decided to start cooking soups as you and yesterday I cooked a ham & bean soup, one of my favorites. I think I did pretty good (as my husband says . I had a bowl for lunch too, and I don't need anything else.
Here is the result on picture:

And the recipe:

Ham bean soup

Cook time:2 hours

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

8 cups water

1 pound Great Northern beans or navy beans

2 cups cubed ham

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste

1 bay leaf

1 carrot, chopped ( I put 2)

1 rib celery, chopped and sliced thinly ( I put 2)

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 cube chicken flavor bouillon (not in the original recipe, it is personal addition)

Preparation:

Bring water and beans to a boil; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 1 hour.

Stir in ham, pepper, bay leaf, carrot and celery. bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until beans are tender( skim foam from top), about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If soup is too thick, add a little water.

Add tomato sauce and salt; simmer about 15 minutes longer. Remove bay leaf.

Enjoy and let me know if you like it!!

Yesterday, I baked my first "galette des rois" = Epiphany cake to celebrate the Epiphany.
Epiphany commemorates the visit of the three Magi Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar who came to bring gifts to the baby Jesus myrrh, frankincense and gold.
To find their way to the manger, the wise men followed a star brighter than all the others. This is what has guided and is called the evening star.
Today, the tradition is for the "Day of Kings," we share a cake called "galette".
In this cake is hidden a bean. Whoever eats the part containing the bean is declared king. In our family, it is customary that one of my kids hide under the table while I cut the cake. I choose a piece of cake and the children choose for who it is. like that, nobody can cheat for the bean!
A legend tells that the bean is born on the day of Peau d'Ane had forgotten his ring in a cake for the prince. In fact, its use certainly dates to the thirteenth century. Bean exists in many forms and in different materials, there is something for everyone. Dry bean to bean golden 24 carat gold, we can find plastic white or mostly porcelain. The bean has become a collector's item!
In 1801, it was decided that the date of the Epiphany (which means "appearance") is January 6.

Recipe Galette des Rois:

Ingredients:

2 puff pastry

3.5 ounces of butter

4.4 ounces of almond powder

3.5 ounces of sugar

2 eggs + 1 to glaze the cake

1 tsp of milk

1- In a bowl, mix all together, the melted butter, the sugar and the almond powder. Add the 2 eggs, one at a time. Turn on your oven to 460°F.

2- Roll out one of the puff pastry. With a brush, humidify the edges of the dough.

3- Spread the almond cream on the dough but not where you humidified it. It is time to put the bean. Because I don't have any here, I put a whole almond to replace.

4- Put on top delicately the second dough. Press the edges of the cake with your fingers, then fold them to the inside to properly close. Press again with your fingers.

5- Mix together the left over egg with the milk. Brush the cake with it.

6- With the tip of a knife, draw diagonals on the Galette or any other design.

7- Bake at 460°F. for 10 minutes, then bake at 355°F. for the last 20 minutes. Serve warm.

8- Enjoy and tell me what you think!

Some beans examples: