My last posting was "First Things to Buy in Aix-en-Provence" and I forgot one essential item: un tablier! How can I do any cooking without an apron? I'm not going to bring one from home because of course I want a Provençal apron to add to my collection. My only problem is that I can never remember the French word for apron. Tablier doesn't make much sense to me but it turns out it is from the Latin tabularium which comes from the Latin tabula or table (also table in French) as something to protect the clothes, not the table.If you need to learn how to wear un tablier like a proper French chef, you can watch this YouTube video by Philippe Etchebest, who also discusses other kitchen essentials like un torchon or dish towel to tuck in front of your tablier. Torchon. That's another French word that makes absolutely no sense since it has nothing to do with torches.
In any case, I saw the prettiest tablier with cicadas on a yellow background in Provence the Cookbook by Caroline Rimbert Craig. See the photo above left. By the way, she's carrying a Tarte de Blettes (a classic Niçoise tart with Swiss Chard).
You'll find images of cicadas everywhere in Provence but I can never remember the French word for cicada either! So how am I going to ask for an apron with cicadas if I can't remember the French: un tablier avec des cigales.
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| Remember Provence Dish Towels |
Frankly I should have no trouble finding un tablier avec des cigales even if I don't remember the French because you can find them online at Remember Provence so they must be fairly common. Their website lets me explore torchons as well and they seem more expensive than the aprons ($25). They are 3 for $40 but most are jacquard and have selections of woven designs including a petanque player drinking anisette, sardines (for Will of course), olive branches, lemon branches, chives, and sunflowers. They are really pretty with the colors and designs woven into the cloth, not just printed. I'll keep an eye out for them. Maison Empereur in Marseille has a lot of torchons on their website but none quite as beautiful. They do have tea towels by the meter: cotton for €10.80 and linen for €21.40. I remember when Altmeyers in Monroeville used to have linen dish toweling by the yard. Those were the days.And do you realize I haven't even explored all the options for tablecloths, les nappes. No, les nappes aren't napkins.
