Understand the French ! JOIN US FOR A WINE AND CHEESE CELEBRATION OF FRANCO-AMERICAN CULTURAL DIFFERENCES Warning ! All this, and much more, is now on my NEW SITE at www.frenchfolio.com Check it now !

Wine & Cheese Tastings Talks to College students VIP Events Testimonials from participants Speaking Engagements Useful links

Harriet Welty Rochefort, author of French Toast and French Fried, loves France and loves cheese. She gives regular wine and cheese tastings and talks on France for American students and can arrange tailor-made tastings for small groups upon demand.

Tailor-made Wine & Cheese Tastings and Talk

Tailor-made Wine & Cheese Tastings upon request ! Harriet can organize wine and cheese tastings for groups (minimum six persons / maximum 10, two weeks advance notice). Whether you're coming to Paris or already here, don't hesitate to ask Harriet to arrange a tailor-made tasting of carefully selected regional French cheeses and wines just for you. Coming tastings : sign up now! February 22 March 22 April 26 May 24 For information and to reserve, call Harriet at 33-(0)6 13 61 55 51 or email her

Testimonial FANTASTIQUE! What a wonderful and intimate way to learn about French cheese and wine! Your tasting and discussion was *THE *highlight of our recent trip to Paris. Our group learned an appreciation of wine and cheese pairings along with an overview of the locations they were made. Our afternoon was filled with great food, wine, stories and laughter. You both made our group feel welcome and comfortable in your home. I'm already trying out my "fromager" skills in the local cheese market...thanks to you I'm now a confirmed Goat Cheese addict! Your course is a "must-do" travel trip for those looking for an authentic French experience! Thanks again for your hospitality and knowledge. "Jusqu'a notre prochaine rencontre" - until we meet again. (Kim Jackson - Boston) WARNING: Please note if you have a comcast address: For some reason, I can receive comcast emails but when I answer, my emails are returned systematically. If possible, I'd greatly appreciate it if comcast users could avail themselves of another server (a friend's?!) so that we can communicate with no hitches. Merci!

In researching French Fried, which nine-star chef Alain Ducasse called "lively and hilarious", Harriet thoroughly explored the world of cheese. She'll share her adventures with you ­ and serve a delicious assortment of some of France's most well-known (Camembert, Pont l'Eveque) and lesser known (Boulette d'Avesnes) cheeses with a selection of French wines while she regales you with tales of Franco-American cultural differences and demystifies the French!

Talks and/or Wine & Cheese Tastings for college students

The author of French Toast and French Fried, freelance journalist and writer Harriet Welty Rochefort is often asked to speak about cultural differences to students from U.S. universities. As a long-time resident of France, she will be happy to share her French experience with you, from how to cut a Brie to how to put a smile on the face of the sourest salesperson and how to get what you want even when the answer is "non".

Harriet has spoken to students at the AFIS, the International Media Seminar, Northwestern University, Missouri Southern State University, University of Wisconsin, Duke University, University of Nebraska, Trinity College, etc.... Next events : To be announced in January If you have a student program in Paris and wish to have Harriet as a speaker, please contact her for information at harriet.welty AT club-internet.fr. In 2006, Harriet and her French husband Philippe welcomed several student groups to discuss cultural differences (family and friends, politics and philosophy of life, business) over wine and cheese. Duke University : "Thank you for the wonderful wine/cheese tasting we had at your home this summer. Many of the students said it was one of their favorite activities of the 6 weeks!" University of Nebraska-Lincoln : "We had a wonderful time learning about modern France from Harriet and Philippe. They welcomed our depth reporting class into their home to share the nuances of French life and thought. It was a gathering we won't soon forget and a perfect introduction to our time in Paris."

Special VIP events "Haut de Gamme"

Wine & Cheese Tasting, Buffet Lunch and Talk by Harriet and Philippe Rochefort This "prestige event" has been conceived for those very special visitors who are curious to discover and understand more about France and the French This special event takes place in Harriet and Philippe's garden apartment. It's a unique glimpse into a French home and the discovery of an off the tourist track neighborhood as well. Harriet and Philippe will serve you a representative array of goat, sheep, and cow milk cheeses from the various regions of France with appropriate accompanying wines. Harriet will answer your questions about France and the French, based on her thirty years of living in France and her many talks on Franco-American cultural differences Philippe, former executive VP of a major French bank and a "new old" student at the Sorbonne, will explain some ins and outs of French business customs ("working with the French"), the mysteries of French politics, and some of the most important issues in France today.

Group of 4 maximum Next events : 12:00 to 2:30 with a buffet lunch To be announced in January Writes Vicky A. (New York) : "WHAT a marvelous afternoon I spent at your delightful apartment last Saturday! You went to a great deal of trouble for all of us and made the time at your home memorable. The conversation was interesting and amusing, the food delicious, and the welcome truly a warm one. As to which cheeses I liked best, the camembert, the livarot, the roquefort, the comte and the curé nantais were my favorites (particularly as the camembert one buys here or in duty free shops is so awful!). Again, my great thanks to you both. Just keep that cheese and wine handy when I return to beautiful Paris."   (Note from Harriet: this lovely woman returned to France a few months later - with a group of twelve people from the school she works in. The best proof of the success of our events is our returnees and there have been many. We thank them all!).

Speaking engagements

Now on Harriet'site www.frenchfolio.com Click here for past speaking engagements Click here for a selection of articles by Harriet Welty Rochefort (or about her) A freelance journalist and author, Harriet has written articles on France for The Atlanta Constitution, Time magazine, the International Herald Tribune and France Discovery Guide, taught journalism at the prestigious Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris and has lectured and participated in panels on Franco-American cultural differences to groups ranging from ElderHostel to the French-American Foundation. She currently writes a monthly Letter from Paris for the Paris Pages website and is working on a fourth book. READ IT IN FRENCH! French Toast was published in French by Editions Ramsay in May 2005. Title : "French Toast - Heureuse comme une Américaine en France"

Testimonials from participants

Click here to find out journalist Joe Ray's take on French cheese and Harriet's wine and cheese tastings. "Don and I enjoyed the afternoon immensely - the information you so graciously shared, learning to taste the differences between your selections and those that accrued from the pairing with wine, and the delightful lunch you prepared for all of us. Most of all, we loved hearing about your fascinating experiences as a result of your life in France." J and D M., Danville, California The combination of participants including a young couple visiting Paris as well as residents who have been living here short term and long term worked out very well.... Sharing and comparing our various experiences and hearing your expert insights was most helpful. The way you selected delicious seasonal cheeses and a wine from the same region was perfect. And, much to my surprise we also enjoyed soup, salad and dessert. Regretfully, no one was present to give us (the participants) the hint that we overstayed your kind invitation. Or, perhaps we missed it! Thank you for being such a gracious hostess. "Just a little note to let you know how much I enjoyed your recent wine and cheese course. Although I've lived with a Frenchman for 30 years, I still learned a lot. It just goes to show that one person's experience is not another's. Also, it was so much fun to meet other Americans who enjoy Paris as much as I do." Beverly M., Brussels

"Thanks for your lessons on buying, keeping and eating the amazing cheeses found only in France. Also the wonderful introduction to many (new to me) french wines." Ann K, Florida. " This is just a note to say that we had a marvelous time with you. Obviously I know our visit was a paid presentation, but it certainly did not feel that way - you treated us as true guests, and I so enjoyed seeing your home and the 20th arr. which had not yet been part of my itinerary. Janice was so excited to start her visit with a "real" Parisian. The hours spent with you were a great start to a wonderful week." Elizabeth W., Washington, D.C. I attended your wine & cheese party June 10, and wanted to thank you for a lovely afternoon. It is fun for a regular Paris tourist to get to go inside an apartment that we always walk by. Patty C., Las Vegas, Nevada, USA " We very much enjoyed the wine & cheese session yesterday. Everything was incredibly organized, and the cheeses and wines were terrific.", Professor M.J. W., Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan "Just wanted to let you know what a lovely time we had. My husband, Bob, told me it was one of his favorite things that we did in Paris. I agree... it was a most pleasant way to spend a few hours. We loved all the cheeses and wine selections! It was so interesting to see what part of the country they came from, and how to cut them. Thanks again!" Sandy and Bob H., Peoria, Illinois. More to come

Useful links

winelovers : Wine Buying Tips, Wine of the Month Clubs, Wine Making Supplies and everything for the wine enthousiast On Rue Tatin, cooking in Normandy with Susan Herrmann Loomis more to come....

Welcome to the "understandfrance.org" Web Site on Franco-American intercultural differences

Send a message	If you liked "French Women Don't Get Fat", you'll love French Fried, Harriet Welty Rochefort's tale of how she learned the French secret for staying slim while enjoying the thinking about, shopping for, preparation of, and savoring of sitdown meals. No all day stuffing your face for the French - but when they sit down to eat, they eat well and without a shadow of a guilt complex. For Alain Ducasse, the only chef in France to have nine stars, French Fried is a a "lively, hilarious, and insightful" book.	this site is still under construction
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