Our weekly “À Table”dinner series gets its name from the mealtime call to the dining table. Since 2018, we have invited friends new and old to share a meal focusing on food, music and traditions from various places in the Francophone world. It has proved to be a fun way to connect with friends and practice our spoken French. Here on our site, we share portraits of some of our favorite meals so that you can easily do a version of the same chez vous Bon Appétit!
story
Quick Quiche
Quiche is such a great weeknight dinner that is hearty yet feels luxurious and is great for a crowd. This is heavy in the rotation for our “À Table“ series, and it’s helpful that the recipe for the crust makes enough for 2 quiches (just keep the other in the freezer).
It will leave you more time for getting your French brain ready, and taking deep listen (or ten) to ‘Cet Air,’ and the rest of the Lamomali album. `
Bon appétit!
music
Lamomali
“Cet Air,” is a song that really hits me deep, and I had trouble finding it’s origins, so when I heard it coming from the turntable at Shirly’s home the night we enjoyed her quiche for the first time, I had to confirm the album name: Lalomali! And now her quiche will always be paired with the album.
The name Lalomali refers to an imagined world where all are welcome as they are. It is a collaboration between French pop rocker -M-, grammy award-winning master cora player from Mali Toumani Diabaté and Toumani’s eldest son Sidiki Diabaté.. You can read a bit more here, but otherwise, it’s mostly French sites that have covered it.
Though I had originally come across the song via Spotify, it was actually quite hard to track down the original album (at least at the time of writing). Even once I was sure of the album name (Lalomali), Spotify only had a live version, some remixes and only a fraction of the full original album.
I’ve ordered the vinyl and it’s on it’s way from Engliand. In a few weeks, I’ll be enjoying the additional collaborations with Amadou & Mariam, Youssou N’Dour, Santigold… can’t wait!
Alors, for the purposes of this playlist, we will start with “Cet Air” and the other 2 songs available on this album, then jump into both albums of the Lamomali Airlines (Live) album set.
recipe
Shirly’s Quiche
This quiche is perfection, but if the playlist has you craving Malian food instead of French, we’ve got you covered! Head over to this portrait with some Malian classics that we made for a Salif Keita show in Prospect Park. It also has its own fab playlist, song study, and info about Salif Keita and Mali Rising.
Shirly’s Quiche (Including Dough for 2 Quiches)
Equipment
- Tart pan, or 9 inch round pan (Pyrex pie pan works fine).
- Pie weights (or cashews or dried beans. Don't use popcorn kernels. Tried in a pinch and the were a pain to get off.)
Ingredients
Crust (pâte)
- 10 1/2 tbsp salted butter, melted 150g
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup dried beans or cashews (or pie weights)
Custard
- 8 oz crème fraîche 226g
- 3 eggs
- 3 small leeks, white part, minced. or 2 shallots
- 4 oz pancetta, diced
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or more to taste
- salt
Instructions
Crust
- Mix all of the ingredients until a dough forms, and chill in fridge for 2 hours. Then divide it into into 2 even balls, and freeze one for next time.
Prepare Quiche
- Preheat oven to 440.
- Heat pan to medium heat, at a bit of butter and when melted, add the leeks and begin to cook. After 1 minute, add the pancetta and continue to cook until pancetta is cooked. Allow to cool in a small bowl.
- Meanwhile, roll out the chilled dough (half of the above recipe) into a thin, round shape, and put it into the tarte pan. Push the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan, and crimp the edges to make a nice frame. Put in the pie weights or dried beans, and pre-cook the crust at 440F for 10 minutes.Meanwhile, whisk eggs and crème fraîche, and add pancetta mixture, mozzarella and salt, and keep aside until crust is ready.After 10 minutes, when it begins to brown, drop the heat to 375F. Remove the pan from the oven, remove the pie weights, and pour in the quiche mixture. Cook at 375F for about 25 minutes, first checking at 20 minutes. The top should brown a tad, but it's most rich if you're careful not to overcook the custard.
- Serve with a simple green salad with a nice French vinaigrette. Et voila! Délicieux.
story
Fun Fact: Quiche
As a site where food + stories are two-thirds of the magic, we love fun histories of foods (did you see this one about foie gras?). According to the Wikipedia entry “Quiche:“
“Quiche is considered a French dish; however, using eggs and cream in pastry was practiced in English cuisine at least as early as the 14th century and Italian cuisine at least as early as the 13th century.[2]”
music
Cet Air
This is a great live version of ‘Cet Air’. After a deep watch/listen, we recommend another listen while looking at the lyrics translation (below). Beautiful.
Bonus
Cet Air Lyrics
Lyrics aside, this song transmits such a deeply felt sense of bittersweetness. I find this song so powerful, and once I better understood the lyrics I felt it even more strongly.
The song references the loss of the carefree time before the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris and the La Terrasse attack in Bamako that soon followed.
This song is a memory of Paris and Bamako, of what these cities were and will never be again.
-M- Translated from an interview w/ France Inter
Lyrics for ‘Cet Air,’ with English translations by Megs
Cet air t’en souviens tu?
Do you remember it?
Ce bel instant perdu
This beautiful moment, lost
D’un Paris qui n’est plus
From a Paris, that is no more.
Cet air t’en souviens tu?
This tune, do you remember?
L’odeur d’un matin nu
The smell of a morning, naked.
D’un Mali dévêtu
From a Mali, stripped.
Part et ne te retourne pas
Leave and don’t turn around.
Chaque fois qu’une chose est sifflée
Each time a thing is whistled
Un morceau de ta vie est passé
A piece of your life has passed
Va et tu le retrouveras
Go and you will find it.
Cet air t’en souviens tu?
Do you remember it?
Se perdre dans les rues
Getting lost in the streets
Dans un saut continu
In a continuous jump.
Cet air t’en souviens tu?
This tune, do you remember?
Souffler le soir venu
Blow that came in the evening,
Vers ceux qui n’sont plus.
To those who are no longer.
Part et ne te retourne pas
Leave and don’t turn around.
Chaque fois qu’une chose est sifflée
Each time a thing is whistled
Un morceau de ta vie est passé
A piece of your life has passed
Va et tu le retrouveras
Go and you will find it.
Cet air t’en souviens tu?
Do you remember it?
Cet air t’en souviens tu?
Do you remember it?
Cet air je m’en souviens
I remember it.
Comme un rêve qui m’étreint
Like a dream that embraces me.
Toute la chaleur détient
All the heat holds
la douceur de sa main
The softness of its hand.
Chaque fois qu’une chose est sifflée
Each time a thing is whistled
Un morceau de ta vie est passé
A piece of your life has passed
Oui pars et ne te retourne pas
Yes leave and don’t turn around
Chaque fois qu’une chose est sifflée
Each time a thing is whistled
Un morceau de ta vie est passé
A piece of your life has passed
Va et tu le retrouveras
Go and you will find it.