There's no better time to break out the bubbly than to celebrate the New Year. In this video, you will learn all about champagne, including how bubbles occur in a glass.

Take a tour of this family-run cookie factory in Chaillé-les-Marais, where each family member is responsible for a different stage of production, from harvesting the wheat to packaging the final product. They take the idea of "homemade" to a whole new level!

Alessandro becomes a pique-assiette (freeloader, literally "plate-stealer") for a day with his friend Marc Antoine who takes him to rue Montorgueil in the second arrondissement of Paris. What's the big attraction? Friendly shopkeepers give out free food and wine samples daily.

Where can you get a gourmet meal for eight euros seventy? Hélène Ober is the proud owner of the restaurant "Au Caveau de l'Étable." She will show you around the kitchen and share some of her secrets on how to prepare a fantastic meal without breaking the bank. If cooking risotto is not your thing, you will at least be able to speak like a pro in a French kitchen.

Alessandro visits with some chefs on the occasion of the launch of their book, "Les Grandes gueules et leurs recettes" (Big Mouths and Their Recipes). They take their profession very seriously and are perfectionists like the famous Vatel, King Louis XIV's chef, who was so distraught when a seafood delivery was delayed that he ran a sword through his stomach. Modern chefs need to keep their sense of humor. They are, thankfully, no longer at the mercy of a powerful king, but the Internet can be just as unforgiving.

This video will make your mouth water! In this interview, Lionel Augier talks to Maurice Roeckel about his new book, One Hundred Recipes for One Hundred Alsace Wines. Not only will you discover the originality of some chefs who combine amazing wines with amazing food, but you will also learn a few words in the Alsatian dialect.

The French love their cheese, and as this video demonstrates, their appreciation begins at a young age. In the Touraine region, a group of students taste an incredible variety of raw milk cheeses from the area and learn about the ways in which they differ from their "industrial" imitations. Who says that kids can't have refined palates?

Lionel shows us around a family farm that spans three generations. This traditional dairy and cattle farm takes good care of its animals, which enjoy a special "cow wash." Nursing cows are allowed a break from milk production prior to calving, and nothing is left to chance as the sex of the newborn calf is predetermined thanks to artificial insemination.

Over thirty French bakeries from the Vendée region show off their skills in a galette des rois (Kings' cake) contest. The lucky judges, whose onerous task is to taste those delicious galettes, go to great lengths to explain their choices and make our mouths water. The galette des rois is traditionally served at Epiphany and is notoriously difficult to make. It comes in two varieties, flaky or brioche, and is available at French bakeries throughout the month of January.

"Maître Restaurateur" (Master Restaurant Owner) is a title bestowed upon a select number of restaurants in France. What does it mean and how does a restaurant achieve this honor? Find out in this episode of "Grain de Sel" (Grain of Salt).

Losing weight is one of the most common New Year's resolutions, probably due in part to the richness of holiday feasts. As you'll see in this video, a lot of French people switch to a diet of fresh fruit, vegetables, and soups as they get ready for the new year or recover from holiday indulgences. Clementines are an especially popular and low calorie wintertime snack.

Joanna will show you around a lovely little boutique called La Torréfaction du Faubourg (Faubourg Coffee Roasting House). The owner is proud to say that she roasts her own coffee—to perfection, no doubt. You'll have to use your imagination to experience the boutique's lovely aromas!

More and more restaurants are resorting to frozen food instead of preparing dishes from scratch. The Micro-trottoir team took to the streets to ask people whether restaurants that don't cook their own food can still be called restaurants. Many people are concerned about not knowing where the food is coming from and would prefer to enjoy local produce, while others say that the quality of the frozen food source as well as the chef's expertise are the key. Let your discerning palate be the judge!

It is common knowledge that French people love their wine, but did you know that France is only the second largest wine consumer in the world, just behind China? As you will see in the video, winegrowers from the Savoie region put a lot of love and passion into winemaking. It's very often a family affair passed on from generation to generation. Long may it continue... and remember—enjoy your wine in moderation!

In this video, Lucette teaches us how to make some delicious, homemade apricot jam. She also skillfully recites an apricot-related tongue-twister!