Used to the typical British supermarket-scrum at Christmas, I was amazed arriving in Aix at the care and attention that goes into putting together the Provencal Christmas. My new French friends would recommend this boulanger for the buche de Noel and that cave for the vin cuit. I also learned about the treize desserts which have graced the table on Christmas Eve from time immemorial.
But to my surprise this week, I read that these treize desserts are not all that traditional at all. The current issue of A 
Table explains that the first recorded instance comes from Aubagne at Christmas 1925. So this carefully prescribed ‘custom’ emerged less than a hundred years ago! You can read all about it in the magazine.
Plus there are:
- details of how to make your own pompe a l’huile and mendiants for the table
- recommendations for choosing good vin cuit and bubbly rosé to toast the festive season
- lots of recipes for plats de fete
- ideas for making 10 different buches, if you have the patience
- details for making a gateau des rois
- a selection of local restaurants to celebrate Christmas.
The Aix recommended restaurant in this issue is Le Café Jeanne in the place Ramus. Unusually for Aix, it is a Parisian-style bistrot with checked tablecloths and old posters on the walls. It’s run by a young man who prides himself on quality products and is, according to the journalist, ‘passionné par les légumes’. Must try it.
One of A Table’s regular features is ‘Le Match’. This time it’s a competition between 2 Italian restaurants out on the road by the sea in Marseille. They are judged on ambiance, main course and dessert. An interesting feature and the winner is now on my ever-lengthening ‘to try’ list.
A Table (Nov-Dec issue) costs 2,80€ and is on sale at newspaper kiosks in town now. It is a bi-monthly supplement of La Provence and written by their journalists.
aixcentric 
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