French Countryside Cooking Review by Ruth Paget

French Countryside Cooking Review by Ruth Paget 

Michelin-star chef Daniel Galmiche writes about the mountain food of his native Haute-Saône region in the French Jura Mountains in his cookbook French Countryside Cooking. 

What stands out in this cookbook are delicious dishes made from root vegetables and offal, variety meat like kidneys and thymus glands. Not all of these items have been Michelin menu items in the past, but the following items in French Countryside Cooking may soon be changing this situation: 

-chicory and radish salad with vinaigrette dressing 

-swede (rutabaga) boulangère made with onions, cloves, and thyme 

-rabbit terrine with onion marmalade 

-lamb sweetbread and wild mushroom vol-au-vent (pastry encased lamb thymus glands with wild mushrooms) 

-heirloom beetroot tagliatelle 

-Jerusalem artichoke velouté with truffle oil and chive cream 

Root vegetables and variety meat are terribly expensive which is an incentive to try making the dishes in French Countryside Cooking by Daniel Galmiche at home for adventurous cooks. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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French Cuisine and Status by Ruth Paget

French Cuisine and Status by Ruth Paget 

Maryann Tebben shows how the French have used their cuisine to establish itself as an elite nation in the world in her book Savoir-Faire: A History of Food in France. 

Tebben begins her book by writing that when King Louis XIV set up a royal printing press the first books he had published were cookbooks to be distributed throughout Europe to reflect the splendor of his court at Versailles. 

Reviewing restaurants that ensured travelers, especially businessmen and nobility, good meals promoted competition to provide high quality food that guaranteed a secure livelihood for inn and restaurant owners.  

Many French writers included significant scenes devoted to food in their books. Tebben provides samples of this kind of writing at the end of her chapters. Food becomes more than sustenance in this way be calling up emotion and making cultural references. 

Bourgeois homes in France eventually adopted the food system of the aristocracy and the royalty by planning marketing based on seasonal products. Once food was purchase at the market, bourgeois homes planned meals for the upcoming week and set up pantries or garde mangers Tebben writes. 

Discussing food and wine at the dinner table is a practice the French still keep alive, creating tomorrow’s gastronomes among youth. 

For a well-documented glimpse into the world of French cuisine, Savoir-Faire by Maryann Tebben is an informative and enjoyable read. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Parisian Budget Food by Ruth Paget

Parisian Budget Food by Ruth Paget 

The words “Parisian” and “budget” rarely go together, especially when applied to food. However, in the book The Bistros, Brasseries, and Wine Bars of Paris author Daniel Young lists recipe after recipe of bargain meals. 

If you make these recipes at home, they are even more of a deal. Young also chose recipes for dishes that are easy to make with a little organization. I especially like his fish recipes that hide the fish. 

I think the following recipes would go well with either beer or wine: 

-marinated red peppers with anchovies, white wine, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and canned crushed tomatoes 

-tomato toast – a specialty of Barcelona and Catalonia – toast rubbed with garlic and tomato halves that is drizzled with olive oil. Serrano ham can be served on the side. 

-salt cod and avocado brandade dip or spread with cilantro – poach cod and then place it in a blender with avocado, lime juice, and lime zest. Blend and serve with toast or tortilla chips. 

-warm lentil salad made with onions, cloves, carrots, olive oil, and sherry vinegar 

-mackeral croquettes made with poached fish and potatoes that are made into balls and fried 

Other delicious recipes in this book include cream of carrot soup with cumin, pan-fried steaks with mustard-cream sauce, and pipérade – a dip, spread, topping, or main dish made of green and red peppers, tomatoes, olive oil, onions, garlic, Basque piment d’Esplette (this dish is Basque) and scrambled eggs. 

Economical and tasty recipes abound in Bistros, Brasseries, and Wine Bars of Paris by Daniel Young making it a great purchase for home cooks. 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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A Progressive's View of French Civilization by Ruth Paget

A Progressive’s Version of French Civilization by Ruth Paget 

When Florence was a student at the Waldorf School in Monterey, I often took her to the outdoor labyrinth at the Community Church of Monterey in Carmel Valley to keep up her French heritage. This labyrinth is a miniature version of the labyrinth laid in the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France during the 12th century. 

Florence had rolled across this labyrinth in a baby stroller when we lived in France, but had not been back to walk it there. Children in France walk church labyrinths. They slow down their lives to not miss a turn. They are too busy concentrating to smile. Sometimes they scold one another for jumping a lane.

Chartres is not the only cathedral with a labyrinth. Amiens in northern France has a black and white labyrinth still in use. The cathedral in Poitiers, France has a wall labyrinth that people point out to children and trace out the path with their fingers after mass. There used to be many more labyrinths in France, but church authorities have removed them over the centuries. 

In Chartres, the labyrinth persists, I believe, because its links to pagan Greek myth were eradicated. The original center of the labyrinth had a leather cover that depicted Theseus, the dead minotaur, and Ariadne’s thread. 

The first time we went to the labyrinth I planned to show Florence why Chartres Cathedral was important to understanding the history of France. Florence was looking forward to a mom adventure. “This circle is like a game. You enter here facing the mountains. Then, you follow the path to the center. When you are in the center, you rest a bit and think, and then come back here,” I said.

Florence looked at the labyrinth and said, “This looks a little hard.” 

“Just concentrate on what you are doing. When you get to the center, I’ll tell you a story,” I said. Florence went off walking. When she reached the center. She stood facing me. 

I began my story. “In Chartres, the center of the labyrinth had a leather cover showing the Greek hero Theseus, the minotaur he killed, and Ariadne’s thread that allowed him to get out of the labyrinth. I’ll tell you another story when you get back.” 

Florence laughed and wound the labyrinth and came out to stand by me, facing the mountains. 

“What’s the second story,” Florence asked. 

“Well, there are two things to remember here. First, killing a minotaur is like solving a big problem. Solving a problem makes you smarter, but it also disrupts a previous pattern. Being smarter helps you solve the consequences of solving the problem, too. The result is that when you exited this labyrinth, the Greeks would have said you are transformed or changed by becoming smarter,” I said.

“And…,” Florence said, waiting for my story thread. “Second, Ariadne’s thread saved Theseus from the consequences of killing the minotaur. The church put Ariadne’s thread there to say that belief in Christ serves the same purpose. The early church used an older religion to explain the new one. ” I said.

I took out a book I had on the stained glass windows of Chartres and showed Florence the eastern rose window with Christ at the last judgment. 

“This window is what you see when you leave the labyrinth at Chartres. The people who do more good than bad go up to heaven with singing angels at the right. The people who do more bad than good go down to the left with monsters who dance in fire. This image usually appears in stone over the doors of churches in France from the Middle Ages,” I said. 

“How big is this window?” Florence asked. 

“I’ll give you an idea,” I said and stood opposite of her with the mountains to my back. I put my right arm up and my left arm down. “The rose window with Christ at the Last Judgment looks the size of those mountains behind when you look up from the labyrinth at Chartres,” I said. 

 “Do you have to be perfect to go to heaven?” Florence asked. 

“The last perfect human was Christ, and he was crucified. You have to do more good than bad. According to Catholicism, we are born with original sin. No one is perfect, but we can strive to do right. The Catholic Church also has a tradition of warrior saints, who protect the faith and country. This is especially true in France where Joan of Arc is said to have saved France,” I said.

“Who was Joan of Arc?” Florence asked. 

 “She was a shepherdess, who became a general. She felt that her civilization was in danger of disappearing and fought to protect it. Many people think all the French do is sit in cafés, drink wine, and talk philosophy all day long. This does not reflect French civilization for almost all of its history. France has been at war most of the time,” I said. 

“Is that bad?” Florence asked. 

“It’s not a question and good and bad really. It’s historic fact. France is beautiful and many people want what the French have worked very hard to create. They have maintained their culture for centuries by fighting to protect it,” I said. 

“That’s a lot of war,” Florence said. 

“It is. Let me walk through the labyrinth with you. Another thing you should know about France is that the kings and aristocrats had the nicest stuff. The farmers, called peasants in France, prayed that soldiers would not march through the fields and take all the crops. The peasants absolutely rejoiced when they could bring in food at harvest,” I said, finishing my French history lesson in Carmel Valley. 

By Ruth Paget Author of Marrying France and Eating Soup with Chopsticks

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Isigny Ste Mère: The Global Butter Brands Game Created by Ruth Paget

Isigny Ste Mère: The Global Butter Brands Game Created by Ruth Paget 

Number of Players: 1 or Teams of 2 or 4 

Objective: 

Improve knowledge of world butter culture and production methods to make better purchasing decisions about elite butter brands. 

Game Tools:  

-Butter: A Rich History by Elaine Khosrova – available in hardback, paperback, or kindle 

-notebook paper

-index cards 

-pens 

-access to Google pronunciation tool with speaker function 

Game 1: 

Read about butter production techniques in Butter: A Rich History by Elaine Khosrova. Try to visualize each step taken in the production process. 

Write the name of each production method on top of a piece of notebook paper. 

List the steps needed to take in each production method with numbers. Cover up the steps for each production method and try to write them down to memorize them. Do this until you have memorized the steps in each production method. 

Knowing this information will allow you to make better-informed buying decisions about butter and get the best value for your money. 

The different butter production methods to research in Butter: A Rich History by Elaine Khosrova follow: 

-batch-churned and artisan sweet butters 

-continuous-churned sweet butter 

-European-style (higher butterfat) sweet butters 

-traditional vat-cultured butters 

-whey cream butters 

-goat butters 

-sheep butters 

-raw milk (unpasteurized) butter 

-canned butters 

-ghee, smen 

Game 2: 

Once you know butter production methods backwards and forwards, you can go to the next level in butter knowledge by learning the top brands for each production method and the countries they come from. 

Khosrova lists top butter brands by production method in an appendix. 

Step 1: Type the brand name into Google Pronunciation with the country language and learn to correctly pronounce the brand name. 

Step 2: Quiz yourself on brand names and production methods by flipping through the index cards. 

Step 3: Quiz yourself on brand names and country of origin by flipping through the index cards. 

Learning all the information in this game will help with buying butter and might interest potential employers in catering, restaurants, upscale grocery stores, and companies with in-house dining. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Senf: The Mustard Society Game by Ruth Paget

Senf: The Mustard Society Game by Ruth Paget 

Number of Players: 

Unlimited as long as the mustard lasts 

Materials Needed: All the materials you need for this game can be ordered from the Mustard Museum in Wisconsin (mustardmuseum.com). 

-3 different kinds of mustard 

-pretzel sticks Game 

Preparation: 

-On a sheet of paper, note the name of the three different mustards with a line after it where players will note a number of a matching mystery mustard. Make copies of this game sheet for the number of guests coming to your game 

-Put out a dish with many pretzels so people dip once to avoid double dipping and germ spreading -cover the jars with paper so you cannot see the labels. Number them 1 – 3. 

Game Play: 

-Each guest will use one pretzel stick per mustard jar to scoop out a taste. -Guests will discuss mustards and note on their game sheet what mustard they think the mystery mustards are. 

-Take the white paper of each jar to reveal the mystery mustard. 

Everyone is a winner if you set all the mustards out to go with brats, hot dogs, or kielbasa and potato salad, coleslaw, and chips. 

People who got everything right can take a jar of mustard home, if there is any left. 

Mustards you can order from the Mustard Museum in Wisconsin include: 

-Colman’s Original English 

-Bornier Original Dijon 

-De Echte Zaanse Mustard 

-Löwensenf Bavarian 

-Lakeshore Wholegrain with Irish Whiskey 

-Bacik Spicy Horseradish and Honey 

-Amora 

-Clovis Herbes de Provence 

-Edmond Fallon Honey 

-Delicious Gourmet Big Easy Cajun 

-Pommery Moutarde de Meaux 

-Inglehoffer Sriracha 

-Kocsiusko Spicy Brown Mustard 

-Australian Outback Mustard 

-Baumgarten Horseradish Mustard 

-Löwensenf Extra Hot 

-Sierra Nevada Stout and Stone Ground 

The Mustard Museum has an online catalog that you can request to make unique parties with society games. 

Happy Gaming! 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France 

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French Wine Place Name Game - Reds by Ruth Paget

French Wine Place Name Game – Reds by Ruth Paget 

French wines are known by their place names, which give no information about the varietals (grapes) used to make it. A distinguished wine drinker in France in supposed to know from the place name what larger region the wine comes from and the varietals used to make the grapes. 

In this game for French red wines, you will make index cards with the following information for each wine below and quiz yourself to do the following: 

-Learn to pronounce the wine in French. 

 -Learn to spell the wine name 

-Learn the larger region where the wine is produced

-Learn the varietals used to make the wine 

Use The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson to look up information.  

--Bordeaux 

-Graves 

-Saint-Julien 

-Saint-Estèphe 

-Pauillac 

-Moulis 

-Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux 

-Saint-Emilion 

-Pomerol 

-Fronsac  

--Burgundy-La Côte de Nuits 

-Gevery-Chambertin 

-Morey-Saint Denis 

-Chambolle-Musigny 

-Vougeot 

-Flagey-Echézeaux 

-Vosne-Romanée 

-Nuits-Saint Georges 

--Burgundy – Côte de Beaune 

-Aloxe-Corton 

-Beaune 

-Pommard 

-Volnay 

-Givry 

-Mercurey 

 --Burgundy – Beaujolais 

-Saint-Amour 

-Juliénas 

-Fleurie 

-Chiroubles 

-Morgan 

-Moulin-à-Vent 

-Côte de Brouilly 

 --Côtes du Rhône 

-Châteauneuf-du-pape 

-L’Hermitage 

-Côtes-Rôties 

 --Jura 

-Arbois 

 --Southwest 

-Bergerac 

Making your own index cards and doing your own research will make the information in this game stick. 

This is just the game to play before a visit to the Total Wine store in Seaside, California.

Happy Gaming! 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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French Wine Place Name Game - Whites and Rosés by Ruth Paget

French Wine Place Name Game – Whites and Rosés by Ruth Paget 

With the exception of Alsace, French wines are known by their place names, which give no information about the varietals (grapes) used to make it. A distinguished wine drinker in France in supposed to know from the place name what larger region the wine comes from and the varietals used to make the grapes. 

In this game for French white wines, you will make index cards with the following information for each wine below and quiz yourself to do the following: 

-Learn to pronounce the wine in French. 

-Learn to spell the wine name

-Learn the larger region where the wine is produced 

-Learn the varietals used to make the wine 

-Learn if the wine is a white or a rosé 

Use The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson to look up information.  For Alsatian wine, Alsace can be both the place name and larger region.

--Alsace 

-Sylvaner 

-Riesling 

-Muscat 

-Traminer 

-Gewurztraminer 

-Pinot Gris 

 -Tokay 

 --Bordeaux 

-Sauternes 

-Barsac 

-Cérons 

-Graves 

-Sainte-Croix-de-Mont 

-Loupiac 

-Premières Côtes de Bordeaux 

-Entre-Deux-Mers 

--Burgundy 

-Chablis 

-Meursault 

-Puligny-Montrachet 

-Chassagne-Montrachet 

-Rully 

-Mantagny 

-Pouilly-Fuissé 

 --Côtes du Rhône 

-Château-Grillet 

-Condrieu 

-Saint-Péray 

-Tavel 

 -Lirac 

 --Jura 

-Château-Chalon 

-L’Etoile 

-Arbois 

-Poligny 

 --Languedoc-Roussillon 

-Banyuls 

-Côte d’Agly 

-Maury 

-Rivesaltes 

-Frontignon 

 --Southwest 

-Montbazillac 

-Montravel 

-Bergerac 

-Jurançon 

-Gaillac 

-Banquette de Limoux  

--Loire 

-Saumur 

-Coteaux du Layon 

-Coteaux de l’Aubance

 -Bourgeuil 

-Chinon 

-Vouvray 

-Montlouis 

-Muscadet 

-Sancerre 

-Pouilly-Fumé 

-Cabernet 

The vast majority of these wines are white, but researching them for information to make your index cards for quizzing helps make the information stick. 

This is just the game to play before a visit to the Total Wine store is Seaside, California.

Happy Gaming! 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Glimpses of Austrian Culture by Ruth Paget

Glimpses of Austrian Culture by Ruth Paget 

When I was the vice president of the Young Executive Program of the American Chamber of Commerce in Paris (France), I organized monthly networking cocktail parties for members as one of my duties. 

At one of these networking cocktails, I met Ms. S. who did public relations work for the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. I immediately told her that I watched the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra’s Christmas concert with my French in-laws. 

“That’s a good tradition and an Austrian contribution to building European culture,” Ms. S. answered. 

That comment led to a discussion about all the Habsburg queens of France who had Austrian heritage such as: 

-Anne of Austria, wife of Louis XIII and mother of Louis XIV 

-Maria-Theresa of Spain, who was a Habsburg and wife of Louis XIV 

-The famous Marie-Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI 

“The Austrian daughters-in-law were not always popular,” Ms. S. noted. 

“The French like Austrian desserts, though,” I said. 

I took this opportunity to note that I had just gotten my first food article published in newspapers in Rhode Island and New Zealand about Catalan food for the upcoming Olympics in Barcelona. I asked Ms. S if there were Austrian food traditions I could write about. 

Ms. S. said that her favorite holiday was the Catholic celebration of Advent, the 24 days before Christmas, which is a time for reflection and simple, but good eating. 

During Advent, Austrians do “jause,” coffee breaks with pastries. The Austrians like “Kaffe mit schlag” – coffee with whipped cream on top and a slice of Linzertorte. Linz is a city in western Austria. A linzertorte is a wedge of jam pastry with a lattice-work pie crust topping. 

On Sundays during Advent, Austrians eat wiener schnitzel, a breaded and fried veal cutlet served with lemon. It is accompanies by sliced cucumber salad, potato salad, and French fries. 

I thanked Ms. S. for the information and introduced her to several Young Executive Program members who worked in media. I noted down what she said and added the notes to my “to-do” list at home. The to-do notes have survived several international moves. 

Finally, about 40 years later after this meeting, I am getting the notes written up in the versatile blog format. The food information is still relevant. The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is still magnificent and easy to attend now thanks to online ticket ordering. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Teff: The Global Flour Game Created by Ruth Paget

Teff: The Global Flour Game Created by Ruth Paget 

Use: 

Droughts or floods may affect the availability of the flour you usually cook with. Knowing about other flours helps choose alternatives that may appear on supermarket shelves or what blends of flours might be like nutritionally. 

Background: 

I named this game after teff flour from Ethiopia and Eritrea in Africa. I used a reference book by British author Christine McFadden called Flour: A Comprehensive Guide to test player’s knowledge of 45 flours listed in the book. 

On the front of an index card, write the name of the flour. 

On the back of the index card, note the following information to test yourself on: 

1-plant source (cricket flour has an animal source – insects) 

2-other names for the flour, which McFadden refers to as AKA (also known as) 

3-Gluten: yes or no 

4-Protein percentage 

5-other nutrients – McFadden lists several of these, but for more detail the following websites list vitamins, minerals, and fiber: 

www.healthline.com 

www.webmed.com 

Christine McFadden’s Flour: The Comprehensive Guide can be found on Amazon and Kindle to set up the above information for the 45 flours she writes about. 

Quiz yourself on one item at a time until you know them all. 

Happy Playing! 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Light Lunch France by Ruth Paget

Light Lunch France by Ruth Paget 

I go through cookbooks looking for ways to eat well on a budget. I like international cookbooks, because they provide me with ideas for adding variety to my diet by using local ingredients in different combinations to keep costs down. 

With that thought in mind, I went through France: From the Source published by Lonely Planet Publishing and found the following five recipes that could easily be incorporated into an American diet for variety:  

-Gratin Dauphinois (Dauphinois Potato Gratin) 

-Salade Lyonnaise 

-Pissaldière (Caramelized Onion Tart) 

-Gâteaux des Noix (Walnut Cake) 

-Clafoutis (Cherry Flan) 

I have listed the main ingredients that go into these dishes below along with the page number with the recipe in France: From the Source: 

-page 52 – Gratin Dauphinois (Dauphinois Potato Gratin) 

-potatoes 

-garlic 

-single cream 

-thick cream 

-grated Swiss cheese 

-blue cheese for the topping to be broiled 

 -p.222 – Salad Lyonnaise 

 -poached or over easy egg 

-slab bacon 

-sherry vinegar 

-bread for croutons 

-lettuce 

-p.234 – Pissaldière (Caramelized Onion Tart) 

 -onions 

-garlic, herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper 

-black olives 

-cherry tomatoes 

-pizza dough 

 -p.206 – Gâteaux des Noix (Walnut Cake) 

-ground walnuts 

-eggs 

-sugar 

-white wine 

-walnut oil 

-flour 

-corn flour

-p.202 – Clafoutis (Cherry Flan) 

 -eggs 

-milk 

-sugar 

-vanilla extract 

-flour 

-butter 

-cherries with or without pits 

If you would like an introduction to France’s classic dishes, you might be interested in purchasing France: From the Source by Lonely Planet Publishing. 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Camembert: Cheese Games Created by Ruth Paget

Camembert: Cheese Games created by Ruth Paget 

I used The Book of Cheese by Liz Thorpe, a cheese consultant who began her career by devising a sales strategy to group 300+ cheeses at her sales counter into 10 main flavor-profile groupings to help customers make informed buying choices. 

Thorpe’s main cheese categories or gateways to 300+ kinds of cheese follow:  

1-Mozzarella 

2-Brie 

3-Havarti 

4-Taleggio 

5-Manchego 

6-Cheddar 

7-Swiss 

8-Parmesan 

9-Blue 

10-Misfits

Thorpe’s book may surprise readers with beverage pairings besides wine for some cheese such as brown ale, hard cider, and coffee. The pairings for the main type or gateway cheese apply to all cheeses in that category. 

Game 1: Cheese Type and Beverage Pairing 

On the front of an index card, write the name of the main cheese type. For the misfits, write the subcategories. Then, write the beverage pairing on the back.

Flip the index cards to quiz yourself to memorize the pairings. Then, play with a partner or as teams. 

Game 2: Cheese Type and Food Pairings

Grapes and apples immediately come to mind when considering cheese pairings, but Thorpe proposes assorted nuts, vegetables, spreadable salami, and candied fruits. 

This game will help buyers put together subtle cheese trays in no time. 

Write the main cheese type on the front of an index card along with the number of food pairings. On the back of the index card, write out the food pairings. 

Flip the index cards to memorize all the food pairings that go with the main cheese type. Then, play this game with a partner or with teams. 

For the next three games, you will need to make cards for the 250+ individual cheeses in The Book of Cheese. 

Game 3: Cheese Name – Main Cheese Type Category 

This game is useful for buyers who would like to try new cheeses similar to ones they already like. 

On the front of an index card, write the cheese name. On the back of the index card, write the main cheese type. 

Flip the index cards to memorize the information. Then, play with a partner or as teams. 

Game 4: Cheese Name – Milk(s) Used 

On the front of an index card write the cheese name. On the back of an index card, write the milk or milks used to make it. Cow, sheep, goat, or a blend of milks are the choices. 

Flip the cards to memorize them. Then, play with a partner or as a team. 

Game 5: Cheese Name – Country (Countries) of Origin 

Write the cheese name on the front of an index card. Write the country or countries where it is produced on the back. 

Flip the index cards to memorize the information. Then, play with a partner or as teams. 

To gain even more advanced knowledge, read Liz Thorpe’s The Book of Cheese 20 times to learn about manufacturing and putting together all the tastings she suggests. 

For the avid cheese lover who would like to sell cheese, there is the Certified Cheese Professional Exam (ACS CCP™ Exam) run by the www.cheesesociety.org . 

Enjoy the cheese skills society games you can play during a tasting! 

 By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Ruth Paget Photo

Great Photo of Fort Boyard in Charentes-Maritime, France

Laurent Paget Photographer

Alesia: Roman Conquest of Gaul Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students

Alesia: Roman Conquest of Gaul Game Created by Ruth Paget for AP Students

Objectives:

1-Learn to break down books to learn more quickly

2-Obtain a glimpse into ancient Roman culture

3-Obtain a glimpse into ancient Gallic culture

4-Learn about menu planning to manage food supplies

5-Learn about storytelling

6-Write a media release for radio about the battle at Alesia

7-Play knucklebones the ancient Greek game that was also played in ancient Rome

8-Sample ancient Roman food

Historical Background:

In 52 BC, the ancient Roman victory at Alesia outside modern-day Dijon, France was hard won by Julius Caesar (100 BC – 44 BC) and confirmed his ascendancy as the virtual ruler of Rome.

The Romans used siege warfare against the Gallic fortress at Alesia, which was under the command of Vercingetorix (80 BC – 46 BC).

Both the Gauls and the Romans had supply problems.  Vercingetorix relied on his relief troops to win the battle.  However, Julius Caesar had his troops surround the Gallic fort to beat off reinforcements.

Battle Outcome:

60,000 Roman soldiers defeated 80,000 Gallic warriors under siege and 130,000 to 200,000 Gallic relief soldiers.

Final tally: 60,000 Romans defeated between 210,00 to 280,000 Gallic soldiers.

Managing Group Reading

To divide reading up, imagine you have a book with 33 chapters and 8 team members.

If you divide 33 chapters by 8 team members, you can reduce reading time and learn the material quickly.  The method for doing this follows:

33 chapters ÷ 8 team members = 4 chapters for each team member to read plus 1 remaining chapter to be assigned as decided by the group.  (Maybe a team member with a short assigned chapter among their readings could the remaining chapter.)

For each assigned chapter, team members will note 5 to 10 main points to be typed up and sent to the team secretary for grouping into a single document.

Team Set-Up

Break a group into two teams.

Both teams will complete tasks 1 – 4 as a team.

For task 5, the two teams will come together to write a media release for radio about the Battle at Alesia 52 BC, play the ancient game of knucklebones (also played in ancient Rome), and sample ancient Roman food.

Number of Tasks to Complete: 5

Task 1: Learn About the Battle at Alesia 52 BC

Read about the Battle at Alesia 52 BC in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information to look for any differences.  Note sources.

Read about Julius Caesar in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information to look for any differences.  Note sources.

Read about Vercingetorix in encyclopedias and books and on websites.  Compare the information to look for any differences.  Note sources.

If you find differences, set up guidelines about how to establish the facts to use.

Task 2: Learn About Food Supply Management

Food supply management was a problem for the ancient Roman troops and the Gauls.  In the modern day, well-run institutions and homes have some sort of food inventory system and menu management system. 

Read the following book as a team, noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter:

Management by Menu by Lendal H. Kotschevar

Task 3: Obtain a Glimpse into Ancient Roman Culture

As a team, read the following books about ancient Roman culture noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter:

The Aeneid by Virgil

This national poem by Virgil recounts the story of the Trojan hero Aeneas who sets out to find a new homeland after the sack of Troy.

His quest leads him to Carthage, which he forsakes along with love to found Rome.

Other books to read give background on the religious and civic life of Rome.  Read the following books as a team, noting 5 to 10 main points for each chapter:

Mythology by Edith Hamilton

The Roman Way by Edith Hamilton

Read the following book for ideas on how to write stories that remain in the memory like myths as a team, noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter:

Made to Stick:  Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Charles Kahlenberg, Chip Heath, and Dan Heath

Task 4: Obtain a Glimpse into Gallic Culture

Very little written information remains about ancient Gaul.  Even the hilltop where the Battle at Alesia 52 BC took place (Mount Auxois) had a wooden fortress, which has perished.

Julius Caesar wrote about Gaul, and it is his history which describes the Gauls for us today.

Read the following book as a team, noting 5 to 10 main points for each assigned chapter:

The Gallic War by Julius Caesar

Preparing for Task 5:

Before the combined teams meeting, team members will type up their main points from their assigned chapters and send them to the team secretary via email to be compiled into one document.

Team secretaries will email the single document to their team members and the other team’s secretary for distribution.

Team members should read both documents before the task 5 combined teams meeting.

Task 5: Media Release Writing and Party

The combined teams will write a 2-minute media release for radio about the Battle at Alesia 52 BC.

The release should answer the following questions in order:

Who?

What?

When?

Where?

Why?

How?

Once the release is written, read it to see if it is 2 minutes long.

If it is too long, edit the text down to 2 minutes.

If it is too short, add in details to make the release 2 minutes.

(This activity should take 30 to 45 minutes to complete.)

Once the meeting is over, play the ancient Greek game of knucklebones.  Knucklebones was also played in ancient Rome.

Knucklebones games are sold for $27.99 on Amazon as of 3/13/2020.

Sample some ancient Roman food at your party from one of the oldest known cookbooks written by the Roman writer Apicius.  His cookbook follows:

Cooking and Dining in Imperial Rome by Apicius

Alesia Game Created by Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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The French Trousseau Tradition by Ruth Paget

The French Trousseau Tradition by Ruth Paget

I read about the French trousseau tradition in a French magazine in my high school French club at Cass Tech in Detroit, Michigan.

The French trousseau tradition is similar to the Hope Chest tradition of the American Midwest where a young woman would sew her future household linens, gather tea and coffee pots, and sometimes even sew her wedding gown to prepare for married life.

The Germans also had this tradition and called it aussteuerschrank.  The schrank is a two-door cupboard that would contain items such as the following:

-sets of sheets and pillow covers

-dish towels

-blouses

-tea pot

-coffee pot

-soup bowls

-serving dishes for vegetables

-sugar cube holder

-creamer

-soup tureen

-red and white checked tablecloths

-aprons

-hot pads

-placemats

(I used a photo of an aussteuerschrank in a museum in Baden-Baden, Germany on Wikipedia to identify items.)

Young couples planning to have children might consider collecting the above items today as well as these additions:

-Joy of Cooking Cookbook

-Reading and Math Flash Cards

-Roast pan with cover

-Metal tumblers

-Jellyroll baking sheets

-Small and large pots with covers

-2 skillets

-Cooking utensils plus holder

-Holiday items plus storage containers
-Everyday Cutlery
-Everyday Dishes
-Serving platter to hold a turkey

Having these items ready helps with setting up a new household.

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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