Traditional French Dishes

France has been able to enchant the world with its cultural stream of art, history, architecture, fashion, and food. If you’ll be staying in France, either with your group of friends as an all-women tour of France, or traveling with family or by yourself, you will definitely come across these traditional and elaborate dishes. French food is best known for its unusual and unorthodox combinations of ingredients, so prepare your taste buds for both an elegant and intricate ride ahead.

1. Blanquette de Veau: Delicate, fine pieces of veal are soaked in a creamy sauce and garnished with rice, such as pilau rice, along with onions and their staple mushrooms, such as button mushrooms and others that come from their mushroom caves.

2. Steak Tartare: Although this may intimidate some people, this dish is meant to evoke the primal instincts within you. The meat cooked in this dish is not exactly cooked at all, as it is eaten raw. The fresh meat is simply finely chopped and mixed with various herbs such as onions, and served with yolk from an egg and bread such as rye bread.

3. Salade Comtoise: This rustic salad is very iconic to France, as it makes use of specially prepared smoked sausage, cheeses, lettuce, croutons that are excessively crusty as well as crunchy, lettuce, nuts, and your choice of delicious seasoning.

4. Ratatouille: Although this may remind you of a famous and lovable Pixar movie, the film is not the only lovable aspect of the term ratatouille. It is also a dish which is served as a side dish or main course for a simple lunch with onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, zucchini, and other delectable ingredients.

5. Piperade: This is similar to ratatouille, except it is spicier, more richly-flavored, and can be easily made at home rather than ordering it at a restaurant. It uses red and green peppers and fresh eggs.

6. Caramel: Everyone knows the taste of caramel, but caramel from France is a different story. Both natural caramel and ginger caramel are highly recommended, as they are exceedingly rich and buttery in flavor compared to the usual caramel treats.

These are only glimpses of the wonders of French cuisine, and there are many other dishes and pastries to try, such as Jacques Genin chocolate, kouglof pastry, and socca pancakes. To catch a wider glimpse of this fascinating cuisine, visit France and immerse yourself in the origin of the diverse dishes you’ve only just heard of.

Tips for Marking Your Luggage

Anyone who has traveled will be familiar with the feeling of looking out for your luggage in the airport, with at least one other bag looking just like yours. It can be quite a hassle to heave a bag out of the belt only to realize it wasn’t your bag, or even bringing home another’s bag and having someone else take home yours. It can be expensive to avail of custom shipping services, so marking your luggage is more affordable. Although some people have devised several methods to prevent these accidents from happening, such as a keychain, it can still be difficult to locate these marks with the amount of bags rolling in.

While the best way to avoid confusion on the carousel is to invest in a unique luggage that will significantly lower the chances of someone else having the same  bag as you— such as one with polka dots or zebra stripes, you may already have an ordinary bag at home and do not want to spend on another luggage.

Keychains are a good investment as they are not costly and can be easily spotted but be careful; some keychains are very small and can easily be detached from your bag. If not detached, the size can also make it difficult to locate. Make sure the keychain is not only large but also brightly colored, and does not blend in with the usual colors, such as dark blue, black, or red. A brightly-colored orange or anything neon would be more eye-catching.

If you do not have a keychain, a ribbon or a strap of cloth can also be used, but with the same concept— it must be brightly colored. Find a bright t-shirt or glossy, metallic ribbon and tie it securely on the handles of your luggage. If you cannot find any neon t-shirts, pastel and Easter colors will also work well, as they shy away from the normal colors. The strip of t-shirt of ribbon must be thick enough and securely tied so as not to fall off or untie itself during the sometimes rough handling of bags.

If you’d like to veer away from the ordinary means of marking your luggage, you can try iron-on stickers, spray paint, or even pictures. Personalizing a bag to this extent will ensure no one else obtains your luggage by accident.

Lastly, do not wait until morning to mark your bags. Do it at least the night or week before to ensure you are not rushing to place your marks, which may make them more unstable.

Once you’ve secured all the luggage necessities, you are now ready to travel and enjoy a vacation. Book a custom Italian vacation or a women tour getaway today, without the worry of someone mistakenly getting your bag.

Foods to Try (Besides Pizza) in Italy

Italy’s cuisine is perhaps best known for its classic pizza, which captivated the world to the point where it has become a worldwide favorite. A movie night or birthday celebration is never complete without pizza, but Italy is also not complete without its other dishes that are much lesser-known, but still as enchanting and flavorful as pizza.

What dishes should you look out for the next time you visit Italy, and would like to try their other specialties?

1. Gelato: Although this is not a main course, it is one of the most loved desserts around Italy and in many parts of the world. Gelato is a blissful, creamy ice cream that consists of a softer texture than the usual ice cream. While its trademark texture truly makes it a unique dessert, it also comes in almost every flavor, whether you like the classic chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry, or the more eccentric flavors like Nutella, biscuits, and green tea.

2. Risotto: Found in many cities, it is most dominant in the city of Venice This rice dish available in seafood style or mushroom style, and can also be ordered as seasonal dishes, such as summer or spring risotto. These seasonal dishes make use of certain herbs and vegetables that are only grown during its respective season.

3. Prosciutto: For those who have a taste for extremely thin slices of meat, this is the dish for you. Known as the finest of Italian pork, these thin slices are mixed with many types of pasta and wrapped around layers of different kinds of cheeses.

4. Gnocchi: Otherwise known as the ‘flour dumpling’, it can come in many kinds of flavors and styles. They are available for vegetarians as well, particularly the ‘pomodoro style’, which makes use of sauce and cheese. Meat lovers will enjoy these flour dumplings with fine slabs of meat, all with different seasonings.

5. Saltimbocca: Also containing thin slices of meat, specifically veal, the dish is topped with prosciutto, usually salty, and herbs. These ingredients are combined using a toothpick and specially sautéed in a pan. Chicken and mutton can also be used for this dish, and the thinness of the meat promises to delightfully melt in your mouth along with the wide variety of flavors.

There are still many dishes to try in Italy that are not only at par with pizza, but you might also find them to exceed these standards. Find out for yourself the delicious extent of these dishes and book a custom Italian vacation today.