Juice glasses v. wine glasses

Anyone who has ever traveled with children knows the value of finding the one restaurant that serves food that your children will eat, oui? So, when we found Le Napoli Restaurant and Pizzeria on our first trip to Annecy, we knew we had found a dining-out solution for les enfants.

On one of our visits to Le Napoli, we ordered wine with dinner. It turns out that the wine was served in small juice glasses instead of the usual stemware wine glass. I loved the casual, everyday presentation, and when I returned home I set out to find my own small glasses.

I found them at Crate and Barrel and bought two dozen, knowing that they would have many different lives at many different gatherings. Over the years, these small glasses have served wine, water, pastis, juice, and most recently soup as my Thanksgiving amuse bouche.

I treasure these glasses, small and reminiscent of French bistros; they were a worthy investment and they'll grace my table for years to come.

Thanksgving, à la française

Like many of you, I am elbow deep in preparation for Thanksgiving. But no complaints here; Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, an authentic celebration of family, friends, and food.

We all have our traditions, our particular way of preparing everything from sweet potatoes to the pumpkin pie, oui? That's why I couldn't resist posting this link to a story about how one French chef has put her own twist on Thanksgiving.

Food Network fans will be familiar with Dominique Crenn, and everyone will be amused by her French twist on this revered American holiday.

Wishing everyone, everywhere a peaceful, joyful Thanksgiving.

Amuse bouche

Thanksgiving is not celebrated in France, but that doesn't mean I can't bring a touch of France to my holiday table. This year, France will arrive as a lovely amuse bouche.

Traditionally a single-bite hors d'oeuvre, the amuse bouche is a lovely way to begin a meal. My amuse bouche will be a velvety smooth cream of carrot soup with tiny curry croutons. I'll serve the soup in small juice glasses, but it could also be served in small teacups, or cocktail glasses.

How much soup will I serve? About as much as pictured here, just enough for three or four tastes. The soup will not be served at the table, but rather I'll carry glasses to my guests, with a small soup spoon, an invitation to come to the table and begin the holiday meal.

We'll see if my guests are amused . . .