In the Gastronomic Capital, Women Are at the Helm

In the gastronomic capital, women are at the helm

Laura Vildi (left) and Isabelle Comerro are the owners of Le Bouchon des Filles in Lyon, France. Their specialties include green salad with smoked herring terrine, pomme au four glace vanille et caramel; and pork rilettes and cauliflower.

Vocabulary Preview

A) Match the words to the meanings.

1. __ offal

2. __ bouchon

3. __ proliferate

4. __ contemporary

5. __ burgundy

6. __ pendant

7. __ napery

8. __ piquant

9. __ vinaigrette

10. __ ubiquitous

11. ___ filigree

12.___ assortment

B) Complete the sentences with the correct word.

1. A______is a type of restaurant found in Lyon, France, that serves traditional Lyonnaise cuisine, such as sausages, duck pâté or roast pork.

2. New problems have______in recent months.

3. Toss the salad with goat cheese, walnuts and sherry______for a simple dish.

4. The company's advertisements are______.

5. The book has a wonderful______of characters.

Reading passage

P1)LYON, France — The culinary scene here, called the gastronomic capital of France, is famous for a proud lineage of women at the helm. Known collectively as les meres (the mothers), many at one time cooked for wealthy families in the region. Slowly, during the 18th century, they began to set up small restaurants. They presented traditional Lyonnaise cuisine, based around meat and offal, and offered good value and seasonal menus. These establishments became known as bouchons and today they proliferate across the city.

P2)Nowadays the female tradition is kept up by les filles (daughters or girls). Two women in particular have attracted attention in the city. Trained at Cafe des Federations, one of the oldest bouchons in Lyon, Isabelle Comerro and Laura Vildi shared a vision of a restaurant that would encourage women into an environment that tends to be more popular with men. Seven years ago, they opened Le Bouchon des Filles, introducing a contemporary flavor to traditional dishes.

P3)Walking in at lunchtime on a rainy Sunday, you might think you’re transported to a French grandmother’s home. Floral wallpaper and burgundy velvet curtains warm the room, while mismatched glass light pendants hang from heavy beams. Napery is stored in an armoire polished to a golden hue. An old-fashioned telephone hangs on a wall, while a portrait of an elderly woman takes pride of place.

P4)The four-course menu, a great value at $27, includes many of the dishes for which Lyon is famed, but these have a personal touch. It begins with a collection of salads served in large white bowls. Puy lentils with a piquant mustard sauce is known in these parts as “caviar de Croix Rousse,” that being a working-class neighborhood of the city. A green salad, dressed with a snappy vinaigrette, contains cubes of smoked herring terrine, while a platter of pork rillettes is paired with florets of pickled cauliflower. Along with a basket of chewy sourdough and a small carafe (called a “pot”) of Cote du Rhone, this course alone would have made a fine lunch.

P5) “Yes, the portions remain generous,” agrees our server, a young woman glowing with enthusiasm. “But the dishes are more oriented toward women. It is traditional to serve lots of meat, but there are more vegetables, it is more diverse. Lots of women come here.” The feminine touch is apparent when the main course arrives. Boudin (blood sausage), ubiquitous in Lyon, is encased in phyllo dough and adorned with a pretty scattering of micro herbs and flowers.

P6)Quenelles de brochet, another native dish, made from pike, is creamed and mixed into a dumpling, then baked and served in a lobster sauce. These are light and airy, topped with pastry filigree. The Bourguignon is deep, dark, and rich, the beef braised in a full-bodied wine. Served with a colorful melange of spring vegetables artfully arranged, it is the finest Bourguignon we can recall.

P7) The cheese course introduces yet more local specialties. Cervelle de canut (silk workers’ brains), is a bowl of cream cheese whipped with pungent garlic and herbs. (Silk workers’ weaving turned Lyon into an important industrial center.) Another regional cheese, Brillat-Savarin, is fresh and soft in the style of a flavorsome brie.

P8) Desserts bring the hearty meal to a satisfying end. An oozing cake, moelleux de chocolat, is paired with a scoop of hazelnut ice cream; a baked apple sports a tiara of spun caramel; and finally, a tarte praline with panna cotta showcases the Lyonnaise penchant for praline found in every bakery and restaurant. The nuts cook in sugar and food coloring to attain a shocking pink hue, our server explains.

P9) The restaurant is filled with an assortment of couples of all ages, groups of young adults, parents with small children. The owners and staff work the room with good cheer, taking time to stop at tables for a chat.

P10) Suddenly the diners burst into song as a chocolate fondant with a candle emerges from the tiny kitchen. We join in full-throttle, applause rings out, and congratulations are offered to the honoree. It feels as if we are all family, the result of spending a few hours in this welcoming place. As the candle is blown out, we raise our glasses in a toast and celebrate our good fortune in having joined les filles Lyonnaises for lunch.

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A) Reading Comprehension Questions:

1) According to the passage, what city is called the gastronomic capital of France?

a) Paris

b) Lyon

c) Champagne

d) Bourges

2) According to paragraph 2 and 3, what is Not mentioned about Isabelle Comerro and Laura Vildi’s bouchon?

a) They serve a contemporary flavor and traditional dishes.

b) Their restaurant is one of the oldest bouchons in Lyon.

c) Guests would enjoy their dinner in a modern restaurant.

d) Inside of the bouchon is ornamented classically.

3) According to paragraph 4 and 5 , what is indicated about Le Bouchon des Filles ?

a) A guest would have a meal costs him/her around $27.

b) The first course tasted sweet and salty.

c) Boudin is everywhere an eater can find in Paris.

d) It is traditional to serve lots of vegetables in Lyon.

4) The word “penchant” in paragraph 8, line , is closest in meaning to?

a) a strong smell

b) a strong liking

c) a strong attitude

d) a strong action

5) According to paragraph 8 and 9, what is True about the customers?

a) Most of the customers are elder citizens.

b) Children age under 8 is not welcomed.

c) Customers enjoy eating with hospitality ambience in Le Bouchon des Filles.

d) Staff are very professional servants.

B) Choose T for True and F for False

1) True or False: The Bourguignon is a dish of braised beef.

2) True or False: Le Bouchon des Filles serves various local cheeses.

3) True or False: Quenelles de brochet is believed to originate from Italy.

4) True or False: Brillat-Savarin tasted hard and chewy.

Answers:

Vocabulary Preview

Part A

1. a

2. i

3. f

4. d

5. b

6. k

7. g

8. c

9. j

10. e

11. h

12. l

Part B

1. bouchon

2. proliferated

3. vinaigrette

4. ubiquitous

5. assortment

Reading Comprehension

Part A Part B

1) b 1) True

2) c 2) True

3) a 3) False

4) b 4) False

5) c