Musée du Cacao et du Chocolat

Madame Jo Draps, troisième génération d’une famille d’artisans chocolatiers, passionnée de chocolat a crée son musée au cœur de Bruxelles en juillet 1998. La réputation de la qualité du chocolat belge n’est plus à faire. Le belge consomme en moyenne 9 kg de chocolat par an et le chocolat « made in Belgium » se croque aux quatre coins du monde. En pénétrant dans le Musée du Cacao et du Chocolat de Bruxelles, vous plongerez dans les origines de ce met savoureux, au temps où les Aztèques cultivaient les fèves de cacao pour apporter en offrandes à leur Dieu. Le mélange épicé de fèves a ensuite traversé les océans pour conquérir l’Europe. Dans le Musée, vous découvrirez également les techniques de production et de fabrication du chocolat, et de nos célèbres pralines. L’arrivée du chocolat en Europe a influencé les fabricants et les marchands de porcelaine, le Musée présente d’intéressantes collections de tasses à chocolat et chocolatières. De superbes sculptures tout en chocolat sont à découvrir de même que des robes délicieusement enrobées. Un plaisir olfactif, gustatif, une aventure à vivre sans tarder, seul, en groupe, en famille, ou entre amis. Le Musée s’étend sur trois étages. Des panneaux didactiques, vidéo et des pièces de collection vous emmèneront dans ce voyage savoureux. La visite comprend une démonstration par un maître chocolatier ainsi que des dégustations. Une boutique est à la disposition des amateurs de chocolat.

A un jet de pierre de la Grand Place de Bruxelles, le Musée du Cacao et du Chocolat a trouvé un magnifique écrin : la maison De Valk (littérallement, le "Faucon"), située au numéro 9/11 de la rue de la Tête d'Or.
Cette maison classée a été construite en 1697. Elle doit son nom à la famille De Valk, propriétaire des lieux à l'époque. "De Valk" était aussi le nom de la bière brassée à cet endroit il y a des siècles. La maison a été restaurée en 1943 et depuis octobre 2005 elle est occupée par le Musée et du Chocolat.

Nouvel espace au Musée du Cacao et du Chocolat : Les bienfaits du chocolat pour la santé et la peau s’exposent au Musée du Cacao et du Chocolat. Plaisir gustatif pour petits et grands, le chocolat est un véritable trésor nutritionnel. Source naturelle de vitamines, de minéraux et d’acides aminés essentiels, il est scientifiquement reconnu pour ses propriétés anti-oxydantes, stimulantes et pour ses effets anti-dépresseurs. On retrouve aussi du cacao au rayon des cosmétiques. Il existe aujourd’hui des savons, des crèmes pour le corps, des soins de visage, des cires dépilation à base de cacao. Des produits que l’on aurait presque envie de manger… mais ne vous y trompez pas !
Cours pour les enfants de 5 à 10 ans. Initiation à la fabrication de la praline. Petit Groupe de 8-10 enfants. Le prix : 9 euros/enfants. Durée : 1 heure. Cours pour les adultes. Initiation à la fabrication de la praline. Petit Groupe de 8 personnes. Le prix : 10 euros/ personne. Durée : 1 heure.

Bon Apetite!

Boeuf Bourgignon comes from the Bourgignon region of France (in English, this region is known as Burgundy). Bougignon is famous for its rich cuisine, developed during a time when it was one of the richest corners of Europe. It's cuisine features beef, creamy sauces and of course wine (it is one of the two premier wine regions of France). Perhaps it's most famous dish is Boeuf (which is French for beef) Bourgignon, which combines all three traditions.

Mediterranean food has its own unique qualities. Compared to the rest of Europe and North America, it has: less meat (in particular, much less red meat), more fresh fruit and vegetables (with a greater proportion of raw vegetables), more olives, olive oil and herbs. Tomatoes also feature very prominently in the Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet has long been recognised as being very healthy and is seen as the main reason that people living in the Mediterranean have a longer live expectancy (e.g. the live expectancy in France Mediterranean is about 3 years longer than in the rest of France).

The black radish is part of the cuisine of continental Europe, in particular of eastern Europe. However, it is not commonly used in the UK or USA. They can be used in a variety of different dishes, including soups, stir-fry or salads.

It is black on the outside (thus it's name) and has white flesh. It can either be round in shape, or it can be elongated. The skin (the black exterior) is not suitable for eating and is peeled off. The flesh itself has a firm, crisp texture (similar to turnip). When raw the texture is slightly woody, which is mildly unpleasant to eat, so it is either cooked (making it softer) or it is shredded or finely cut to remove the woody aspect.

There are two types of black radish: spring and winter. Spring radishes are grown and harvested early in the growing season, while winter radishes are grown late and harvested in the fall or winter. Most cooks prefer the winter radishes, in part because spring radishes tend to be somewhat bitter.

Crème Brûlée is French for "Burnt Cream". If fact, neither the cream itself nor the sugar on top are "burnt", although both are cooked.
- Although a torch is now the standard tool for caramelising the sugar, or failing that an oven grill, at the time Crème Brûlée was first created neither existed. Instead, a small round iron has heated and then placed on top to caramelise the sugar (historical note: this iron was know as a "salamander"). This is a less controlled method than a torch or grill, so it is likely that some of the cream or sugar on the top was burnt instead of being merely caramelised. Perhaps this is where the "burnt" part of the name comes in. In any case, the term "Brûlée" is used by the French for a variety of different desserts which are toped with caramelised sugar.
- Various countries claim to have invented this recipe, including the French, Spanish and British. In the UK, it is claimed by some that the dish was invented in Trinity College in Cambridge. However, perhaps the earliest known reference was France in the 1691 release of Massialot's cookbook. In any case, there is a strong argument that the recipe was created in France. It is also true that the recipe is more popular in France than anywhere else, being a standard dessert offering in many French restaurants.

French Fashion Designers

Most of these fashion designers have their main store on Avenue Montaigne or rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, both near Champs-Elysées avenue.
The Saint-Germain des Près district on the left bank has many fashionable clothing stores.
Look for them in streets around rue de Sèvres, hosting Le Bon Marché department store.

YSL fashion on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris

From her first millinery shop, opened in 1912, to the 1920s, Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel rose to become one of the premier fashion designers in Paris, France. Replacing the corset with comfort and casual elegance, her fashion themes included simple suits and dresses, women's trousers, costume jewelry, perfume and textiles.

Louis Vuitton began manufacturing trunks in Paris in 1854, and the company he started went on to become one of the world's most famous makers of luxury goods, known especially for its designer luggage pattern: a beige-on-chestnut monogram, "LV." Vuitton's high-quality travelling trunks were such a hit that he had to expand his factory within a few years, relocating to Asniéres in 1860. As the years went by the Vuitton line gained international recognition, thanks in part to a bronze medal at the 1867 World's Fair and a gold medal at the 1889 World's Fair, both held in Paris. After Louis died in 1892, his son, Georges, took the company to new heights, developing what is recognized as the first "designer label" on a product. (Widespread copying of Vuitton patterns pushed Georges to design the distinctive "LV" monogram.) Vuitton's luggage company has since become a world leader in luxury consumer goods, with products that include travel books, perfume, distilled spirits and designer clothing.