Yesterday was Bastille Day in France: a day to celebrate the storming of the Bastille—a military fortress and prison—on July 14, 1789, in a violent uprising that helped usher in the French Revolution.
As well as holding gunpowder and other supplies valuable to the revolutionaries, the Bastille also symbolized the callous tyranny of the French monarchy, especially King Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoinette.
Bastille Day—known as la Fête nationale or le 14 juillet (14 July)—is a public holiday and is celebrated nationwide with festivities including fireworks, parades and parties.
Across France the tricolor flag is flown, the French motto Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité shouted and La Marseillaise sung - all symbols of France that had their origins in the heady days of the French Revolution.
In one of the world’s oldest annual military parades, Bastille Day of 1880, French troops march each along the Champs-Elysées in Paris before French government officials and world leaders. The tricolour flares of the military fly past always make s spectacular sight over the Arc de Triomphe.
Yesterday we had a French dinner tonight to celebrate Bastille Day, it's always good to have a little bit of my favourite country at home.
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| Cour-Cheverny 2011 |
No better way to start than a glass of this lovely Loire wine. We bought this back from one of our many French holidays. Resting in the only 2CV I'm allowed to own without divorce papers being issued, this peach/appley wine was perfect as an aperitif and with our goats cheese starter.
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| Baked goats cheese starter |
This year I made Beef Bourguignon for our main, so rich, so meaty. Mini dauphinoise potatoes, green beans and petit pois made a delicious plate of French cuisine.
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| Beef Bourguignon |
Our wine to accompany the rich beef was a Cotes du Rhone Villages, and surprisingly a village we have not yet visited.... Valreas. It wasn't from a producer we know either, this was a bottle we bought in Lidl a while back when it was on offer. It was all as expected from a Cotes du Rhone; lovely dark fruits, a hint of soft spice and an edge of smokiness. I haven't seen it again but would buy a few bottles if I did.
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| Cotes du Rhone Villages |
Our dessert was also courtesy of Lidl, it has recently been their French promotion and their creme brulee is superb. It's not always easy to make this smooth creamy dessert and with these being so good it isn't worth trying.
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| Creme Brulee |
To finish our French cuisine we had a small plate of cheese, nuts and plum drizzled with honey. As it was dinner for two and we had opened the Cour-Cheverny and the Valreas we decided not to open a dessert wine too.
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| Cheese plate |
However we did finish our meal with a coffee....of sorts.... a Expresso Martini!
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| Expresso Martinis to finish our French meal |
It's always good to have a reason to cook something different or special. I enjoy our themed dinners throughout the year but I especially enjoy celebrating Bastille Day, le 14 juillet - à votre santé.
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