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(HZ) France Christmas Deserts
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Aix en Provence, 18 November 2008
1. Various of market with Mireille Fouque doing shopping
2. Street view Aix en Provence
3. Mireille Fouque buying Christmas cake
4. Various Mireille Fouque buying Calissons
5. SOUNDBITE: (French) Clotilde Maltese, Biscuit Maker:
"They are made with a melon confit which we crush with almonds, we can add other fruits as well but the base is one third melons, one third almonds, and one third of sugar. Then we shape them with this machine, at the bottom we place a sheet of starch paper, we can then pick them out and cook them in the oven."
6. Mireille Fouque in kitchen
7. Close up fire
8. Mireille Fouque cooking and saying
UPSOUND: Mireille (French) "In Provence what we call 'the night of Christmas' Christmas is the evening of 24th December, called the Calenda Eve, which comes from the word 'calendar'."
9. Mireille Fouque putting food onto a plate
UPSOUND: Mireille (French) "A bit of cod, especially with this juice, the red snapper , voil�."
10. Close up finished dish
12. SOUNDBITE: (French) Mireille Fouque , Association for Provencal Christmas Traditions:
"Christmas eve is for us the most important evening of the year, with extremely important rituals.
13. Cathie Duchene setting the table
UPSOUND: (French) Cathie Duchene "The first table cloth corresponds to Jesus, the second to Mary, the third to Joseph."
14. Cathie puts nativity statues 'Santons' on the table
15. SOUNDBITE: (French) Mireille Fouque, Association for Provencal Christmas Traditions:
"Every dessert has a meaning. For a start there are 13 as Jesus and the 12 apostles. Every dessert belongs to a group. The first is the 'mandians' representing the dresses of the different orders like Franciscans and other orders.
16. Wide of Cathie putting dates on the table
17. Various of the dessert table: dates, calissons; hazelnuts, nuts, fruits. Dates again. Gibassier. Candy fruits. Nougat.
18. Close up figs
19. Close up walnuts
20. Biscuits and nuts on plates on table
21. Close up nougat
22. Cathie lighting the candles UPSOUND: (French) Cathie Duchene
"We have the thirteen desserts, we can light the last candle."
23. Wide market scene in Aix en Provence
24. Mid shot market stall
25. SOUNDBITE: (French) Voxpop - no name given: "Dates...I don't know"
26. SOUNDBITE: (French) Voxpop - no name given: "Nougat, Fougasse (a type of bread), the Yule Log...No?"
27. SOUNDBITE: (French) Voxpops - no names given: "Calissons d'Aix (an almond sweet), figs, nuts, oranges, mandarins... that's it, sorry!"
28. SOUNDBITE: (French) Voxpop - no name given: "I give you the complete list: raisins, almonds, hazelnuts, calissons, figs, dried almond cakes...and then... how many did I say?"
29. Close up fire
30. Close up cake
31. Close up sweets
32. Close up chocolates and nougat
33. Mireille and Cathie at table UPSOUND: (French) Mireille: "With the 13 desserts we have to drink 'Figoun' which is mulled wine."
34. Cathie drinking
LEAD IN:
Few nations are as serious about their food as the French.
So Christmas dinner in France is bound to be a culinary delight regardless of taste or budget.
There isn't a set Christmas dish in France. Regional traditions dictate the menu.
But in Aix en Provence the Christmas Eve's meal is an inalterable and respected institution - a feast where 13 desserts are served.
STORYLINE :
The city of Aix en Provence, in southern France is getting ready for Christmas.
And so is Mireille Fouque.
As a member of the Association for Provencal Christmas Traditions, she's charged with ensuring that centuries old regional practices are maintained and passed on to younger generations each Christmas.
Today Mireille is shopping at Aix market for the "Table des 13 desserts" - which in effect is Christmas pudding 13 times over.
Dessert is serious business in Aix. As Christmas drawers closer, shoppers will have access to a separate covered market area that specialises solely in ingredients for the 13 desserts.
13 represents the number of people at the last supper - Jesus Christ and his 12 Disciples. The table is decorated with three candles representing the Holy Trinity.
The thirteen desserts can vary slightly depending on region, but are generally a mix of fruits, nuts and sweet delicacies that are laid out on the Christmas table as carefully as the Nativity scene.
Each sweet has a meaning:
Black nougat made with honey and almonds symbolises evil.
White nougat made with sugar, eggs, pistachios, honey, and almonds symbolises good.
Dried figs, almonds, hazelnuts and raisins (dried grapes) represent four religious orders of monks - Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelite Nuns and Augustinians.
Dates are all important - they symbolise the safe journey of Mary and Jesus from the East.
Other desserts vary depending on the region. They include oranges, clementines, apples, pears grapes, quince paste, melon, Calissons d'Aix (almond-paste pastry with icing) and oil cake called Fougasse or Pompe � l'huile (made with Orange Flower Water and Olive Oil).
In Aix, the 'Calisson' is a must-have among the 13.
Mireille gets hers fresh from the local patisserie.
The owner explains they are made with a mix of melon, crushed almonds, and sugar.
Back at her home in Aix, Mireille is preparing a typical Christmas dish - red snapper and cod in saffron sauce.
She explains that Christmas Eve in Provence is when the main Christmas feast is eaten.
The table is set with three immaculate table cloths. Cathie, Mireille's daughter in law explains that they symbolise Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
The family enjoys a meal of vegetables and fish - meat is forbidden at Christmas Eve.
Then after 13 glorious desserts comes the 'Figoun' - a mulled wine representing Christ.
For Mireille, the ritual is as important as the taste of the cuisine.
One thing for certain is that the people of Aix will eat well this Christmas. What's not so sure is whether they'll get it all in the right order.
Keyword wacky
SHOTLIST:
Aix en Provence, 18 November 2008
1. Various of market with Mireille Fouque doing shopping
2. Street view Aix en Provence
3. Mireille Fouque buying Christmas cake
4. Various Mireille Fouque buying Calissons
5. SOUNDBITE: (French) Clotilde Maltese, Biscuit Maker:
"They are made with a melon confit which we crush with almonds, we can add other fruits as well but the base is one third melons, one third almonds, and one third of sugar. Then we shape them with this machine, at the bottom we place a sheet of starch paper, we can then pick them out and cook them in the oven."
6. Mireille Fouque in kitchen
7. Close up fire
8. Mireille Fouque cooking and saying
UPSOUND: Mireille (French) "In Provence what we call 'the night of Christmas' Christmas is the evening of 24th December, called the Calenda Eve, which comes from the word 'calendar'."
9. Mireille Fouque putting food onto a plate
UPSOUND: Mireille (French) "A bit of cod, especially with this juice, the red snapper , voil�."
10. Close up finished dish
12. SOUNDBITE: (French) Mireille Fouque , Association for Provencal Christmas Traditions:
"Christmas eve is for us the most important evening of the year, with extremely important rituals.
13. Cathie Duchene setting the table
UPSOUND: (French) Cathie Duchene "The first table cloth corresponds to Jesus, the second to Mary, the third to Joseph."
14. Cathie puts nativity statues 'Santons' on the table
15. SOUNDBITE: (French) Mireille Fouque, Association for Provencal Christmas Traditions:
"Every dessert has a meaning. For a start there are 13 as Jesus and the 12 apostles. Every dessert belongs to a group. The first is the 'mandians' representing the dresses of the different orders like Franciscans and other orders.
16. Wide of Cathie putting dates on the table
17. Various of the dessert table: dates, calissons; hazelnuts, nuts, fruits. Dates again. Gibassier. Candy fruits. Nougat.
18. Close up figs
19. Close up walnuts
20. Biscuits and nuts on plates on table
21. Close up nougat
22. Cathie lighting the candles UPSOUND: (French) Cathie Duchene
"We have the thirteen desserts, we can light the last candle."
23. Wide market scene in Aix en Provence
24. Mid shot market stall
25. SOUNDBITE: (French) Voxpop - no name given: "Dates...I don't know"
26. SOUNDBITE: (French) Voxpop - no name given: "Nougat, Fougasse (a type of bread), the Yule Log...No?"
27. SOUNDBITE: (French) Voxpops - no names given: "Calissons d'Aix (an almond sweet), figs, nuts, oranges, mandarins... that's it, sorry!"
28. SOUNDBITE: (French) Voxpop - no name given: "I give you the complete list: raisins, almonds, hazelnuts, calissons, figs, dried almond cakes...and then... how many did I say?"
29. Close up fire
30. Close up cake
31. Close up sweets
32. Close up chocolates and nougat
33. Mireille and Cathie at table UPSOUND: (French) Mireille: "With the 13 desserts we have to drink 'Figoun' which is mulled wine."
34. Cathie drinking
LEAD IN:
Few nations are as serious about their food as the French.
So Christmas dinner in France is bound to be a culinary delight regardless of taste or budget.
There isn't a set Christmas dish in France. Regional traditions dictate the menu.
But in Aix en Provence the Christmas Eve's meal is an inalterable and respected institution - a feast where 13 desserts are served.
STORYLINE :
The city of Aix en Provence, in southern France is getting ready for Christmas.
And so is Mireille Fouque.
As a member of the Association for Provencal Christmas Traditions, she's charged with ensuring that centuries old regional practices are maintained and passed on to younger generations each Christmas.
Today Mireille is shopping at Aix market for the "Table des 13 desserts" - which in effect is Christmas pudding 13 times over.
Dessert is serious business in Aix. As Christmas drawers closer, shoppers will have access to a separate covered market area that specialises solely in ingredients for the 13 desserts.
13 represents the number of people at the last supper - Jesus Christ and his 12 Disciples. The table is decorated with three candles representing the Holy Trinity.
The thirteen desserts can vary slightly depending on region, but are generally a mix of fruits, nuts and sweet delicacies that are laid out on the Christmas table as carefully as the Nativity scene.
Each sweet has a meaning:
Black nougat made with honey and almonds symbolises evil.
White nougat made with sugar, eggs, pistachios, honey, and almonds symbolises good.
Dried figs, almonds, hazelnuts and raisins (dried grapes) represent four religious orders of monks - Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelite Nuns and Augustinians.
Dates are all important - they symbolise the safe journey of Mary and Jesus from the East.
Other desserts vary depending on the region. They include oranges, clementines, apples, pears grapes, quince paste, melon, Calissons d'Aix (almond-paste pastry with icing) and oil cake called Fougasse or Pompe � l'huile (made with Orange Flower Water and Olive Oil).
In Aix, the 'Calisson' is a must-have among the 13.
Mireille gets hers fresh from the local patisserie.
The owner explains they are made with a mix of melon, crushed almonds, and sugar.
Back at her home in Aix, Mireille is preparing a typical Christmas dish - red snapper and cod in saffron sauce.
She explains that Christmas Eve in Provence is when the main Christmas feast is eaten.
The table is set with three immaculate table cloths. Cathie, Mireille's daughter in law explains that they symbolise Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
The family enjoys a meal of vegetables and fish - meat is forbidden at Christmas Eve.
Then after 13 glorious desserts comes the 'Figoun' - a mulled wine representing Christ.
For Mireille, the ritual is as important as the taste of the cuisine.
One thing for certain is that the people of Aix will eat well this Christmas. What's not so sure is whether they'll get it all in the right order.
Keyword wacky
