Culinary Reconciliation?

From my new favorite cafe, The Morning Glory, Dijon

     Here I am in Dijon, where MFK Fisher's desicatted heart resides, in the midst of Burgundian wine, mustard and jambon persillé, ham in aspic with parsley. 

     And I am freezing, literally hovering a few degrees above. Last night, my taxi driver told me the farmers welcome this, for the sake of killing off bad microbes, so we shouldn't complain. 

     Sleepless from a mixed up travel day and a new bed, I was up at 4:30. As soon as it was light I ventured from my BNB apartment for coffee and breakfast. It's a dry cold, and there is a hint of woodsmoke in the air. I have no mittens. After a brisk walk into the center of town, I warmed my hands over an Americano and croissant, all the time wishing for an egg or some yogurt. 

     I'm here to observe the 87th Gastronomic Fair of Dijon, but as I stumbled into Dijon's central market, that was secondary to shopping for breakfast. That market wasn't open when we were here last summer. Several vendors have the famous poulet de Bresse, at a much more reasonable price than Lausanne. I'm tempted to cook that on Sunday when my husband joins me, but then again I got instructions from the vendor of larded beef on how to cook that. Who needs a gastronomic fair when they have a grand indoor marché?

     Shopping done, I still needed some solid breakfast immediately. I found the Morning Glory café, which does a coddled egg with toast points and scones/biscuits with house made jam of apricot slices as big as your thumb.

     Now I'm ready to study the Foire Internationale at Gastronomique de Dijon.

The Foire began in 1921, because November was a slow period for business in Dijon. November is also the month after the harvests are over. The Foire continued until World War II. 

     Local merchants started it up again in 1949. In 1961, Canon Kir, heroic resistance fighter, Catholic priest and politician opened the event, and gave his name to the cassis tinged drink, made strictly with Burgundian aligoté. 

     When I arrived last night, the father of my host told me that the Foire is much changed from the old days. Once gastronomy and agriculture were the sole focus. Nowadays, all manner of things related to the kitchen and home furnishings are displayed. I doubt if MFK Fisher, in the 1930s, could have imagined that Vietnam would be the invited guest of this year's Foire. 

     I can't wait to see how much of that old grandeur of French cuisine is presented, and of course to taste it.