The 2009 France Guide Prestige magazine is out!

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Yes, this is a review for yet another event. As my reader, you must know that I will sacrifice my waistline to indulge at any event that involves French food.

As a former food editor who specialized in French food (I did that for five years), I can tell you that I have yet to be bored, blasé or unimpressed by French food. I know many would argue, but as far as I’m concerned, my food Nirvana is either a restaurant in Paris, a country farm in Provence, a wine tour in Loire or any little ma-and-pop trattoria in any city in Italy!

A few weeks ago La Maison de la France (office taking care of promoting France as a travel destination to foreigners) had an event to launch their new 2009 magazine – a 76-page glossy magazine that embodies sophisticated French art de vivre and offers the discerning traveller a fresh look at the world of fine dining, art, beauty, fashion, culture, accommodations and entertainment.

As much as French cooking is as healthy as can be, I can assure you that if my dream of living in Paris in one of those huge appartement with twenty feet windows (see cover photo of the new 2009 France Guide Prestige magazine and replace the model’s photo with mine), I would be the size of a Beluga whale because I would spend every waking moment eating.

Every time I land in France, I have one thing on my mind … how much new food can I discover today!

Well, luckily for us France is a country that is known for more than it’s incredible food – France is also all about amazing travel experiences AND incredible luxury brands.

This might be blatant discrimination, but I always favour products from France or Italy (my other Mecca)! If you get me started on French (or Italian) fashion, I fear that I will never shut up! I just LOVE it so much – shoes, handbags, silk scarves (le carré de soie), the clothing, the perfume, the skincare products, the jewellery (OH THE JEWELLERY!).

Yes, I am a francophile and I’m (damn) proud of it. I’ve always had a soft spot for French culture and my days as an editor for a French food guide were heaven.

Now that I’m focusing on aging-well, I think there is no better example of women aging well than French women. Let’s not forget that well before Demi Moore decided to pull a Demi (aka my way of saying she married a younger man), French women had been having affairs (oh la la) and relationships with men that could easily pass as one of their offspring because French women age well and they gain an insane amount of confidence as they age (we so need a little of that confidence dust sprinkled on women over 35 in North America so they too can believe that getting older simply means getting better).

If you don’t believe me, I’d suggest that you don’t take my word at face value and I suggest that you flip through the pages of the new 2009 France Guide Prestige magazine and plan your 2009 trip to France to see it for yourself and experience all things French!

I could end this post here, but I thought I should include the excerpt I sent to my friends when I got back from the launch of the 2009 France Guide Prestige magazine. The event was hosted at one of the city’s finest restaurant that is located on the third floor of an old building with a huge terrace (which screamed the quartier St Germain in Paris). The event was about mingling, but mostly enjoying the delights of French food:

Subject line: I’m stuffed silly!

I just came back from an event for the launch of a new French Guide mag. This event comes from the days of as a food editor when I published my own French food guide.

Moet was pouring all night long (I’ve not drank water since like 4 pm) and since the Moet et Chandon Nectar Imperial is my favourite champagne I thought I had died and gone to champagne heaven.

The cheese plate was bloody amazing — bleu d’Auvergne, Tomme de Nom (I only knew the one from Savoie) and brie and a few others I didn’t see names for, but I think they were all imported straight from the motherland of cheese. They also had a few other dishes and then as I was finishing my duck (magret de canard) I spotted the profiteroles and macarons (stuffed pastry and French merigue cookies).

I stood in the middle of the restaurant eating a macaron and laughing hysterically because it was soooooooooooooo good. People thought I was ill and I was … ill (in a good way) from all this good food. The profiteroles were topped with toffee … I don’t even like toffee, but girls I can tell you that I went back for more.

I’m sorry I didn’t know this was going to be so freaking amazing or else I would have asked someone to come with me to share this extraordinary experience.

North Americans can find the 2009 France Guide Prestige magazine by contacting the North American office of La Maison de la France via their Web site or you can call them at 1 866 313 7262: La Maison de la France Canada and La Maison de la France USA.

Here are a couple more phone numbers from La Maison de la France that might come in handy if you are planning a trip to France:

France-on-call hotline: (514) 288-1904

Los Angeles: (310) 271-6665
Chicago: (312) 327-0290

International readers should visit the France Guide Web site and locate a local office in their city!