Geordie

Pancake recipes, pancake mixes, I must be missing something here, but pancakes must one of the easiest things in the world to make without any help.

I suspect the French family may have made a few in the past, although in the crepe / galette fashion.

As you only know the people through your daughter, I think the Californian wine is the best idea, just buy it in duty free after you've gone through security in SFO.

I'm sure it'll be well received and a good talking point over dinner.

Geordie

beaupeep

We do have brownie mix over here in Europe, at least in Switzerland, so I can't imagine that France, a much bigger country, doesn't have it. But I agree with the maple syrup! What we get here in the supermarket isn't very good quality and every year our favorite Christmas gift from my husband's sister in Maine is a big jug of maple syrup.

Christina

I don't even like maple syrup myself, as I'm an American, so I wouldn't ever give it to someone as a gift unless you knew they liked it. There isn't much you can do with it, anyway.

I don't get why anyone would want American pancake mix, either, although I think some German above said they did. I never use it myself, I can't imagine why someone wouldn't just make the batter themself, it only takes a few minutes and the basic recipe consists of very basic ingredients that anyone should have around (flour, etc.). Actually, using a mix you still have to put stuff in it so it hardly saves any time, I guess measuring out the baking soda/power and salt or something.

Underhill

Another suggestion, this one from our friends in France: American measuring cups and spoons. Those make a good addition to the brownie and pancake/waffle mix.

abranz

the 2 things that my dd's host family in spain loved were

1. cocktail tray in laminated fabric with san francisco landmarks from www.decorativethings.com
2. coffee table photo book of san francisco with favourite places bookmarked. it gave them an idea of what my daughter enjoyed here and what to look forward to when they chose to visit us.

if you are a mill valley resident have you checked with vintage wines about packing wine for travel? a friend had a very good experience with them.

Passerine

Brownies are found easily in much of western Europe, however the quality varies widely and some of them are almost tasteless. It is difficult to come across a Goldilocks brownie--one that tastes "just right."

But I wouldn't send a mix. Seems a bit insulting to send a French family a packaged mix (and might also confirm the erroneous but common stereotype that Americans can't cook). If anything, bake up a small batch of your very best brownies, put them in a decorative tin, and bring those.

The idea of bringing pancake mix also seems bizarre. If you know they like maple syrup, by all means bring them a bottle of one of the best brands.

Otherwise, your best bet is still a bottle or two of very good California wine from a top vintner (pref. one red and one white). Or perhaps a coffee table book on northern California or the California coast. Or a lush photobook on California-style decor.

TPaxe

I agree with the other posts. Taking pancake or brownie mix is not really a special gift, but a good bottle of wine from the States or a beautiful coffee table book of America would be very very nice.

ira

Hi Coco,

Good to see you here again.

> ... first Australian guests (wine growers and gite owners in Barossa Valley) brought him a bottle of their own wine. ...<

If the OP were a wine grower, I would agree with you.

cigalechanta

One Christmas, I sent those log cabin tins of our local maple syrup
to three different parts of France. All three thought it too sweet(good enough friends to finally tell me what they's like)

Pvoyageuse

This is what I always buy in the States to take back to friends and family in France:

- kitchen and bath towels, the designs are different.

- 4 seasons salad seasoning (with the cruet!) they taste different too.

- padded satin hangers.

- woven cotton kitchen or area rugs (small!)

- smoking wood chips

sfmvca

Having just returned from our all too brief visit to France, I wanted to provide this followup note to the generous contributors to this post: After much consideration, we elected to take our daughter's host family a bottle of California wine and chose an excellent Ridge Zinfandel, plus a box of Ghirardelli chocolates in a cable car design box. I found a styrofoam-and-cardboard wine container that I thought would keep the wine at a fairly even temperature and protected from breaking in my checked luggage. All went well. The wine arrived perfectly intact and was greatly appreciated by the wonderful family watching over my daughter during her semester abroad. Many thanks again to those who contributed their experiences and advice.

travelgourmet

<i>chose an excellent Ridge Zinfandel</i>

Great choice. Zin is perhaps the most American of wines and Ridge is such a solid producer. We are hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for a mixed crowd of ex-pats and others and I could kill for some Ridge to accompany the turkey.

suze

I would bring at least one bottle of California wine. Wrapped well and packed into your checked luggage.

fosterag

My DH is leaving 11/30 for France to visit his brother who has lived there for over 30 yrs. Some of the things he wants are pinto beans, corn tortillas, and anything about NASA. We are from Texas.

Guenmai

I'm from L.A. area and wherever I go in the world of which France is one of my annual oversees destinations,I pick up boxes of Sees candy right in LAX airport on the way to my flight. I know there's Sees candy in the San Franciso airport. It's right across from the Yankee Pier restaurant. Non one has not liked Sees candy. My Parisien friend and her dad would always ask when I arrived if I had brought any Sees candy. I also used to mail it, for years, to my best friend's uncle, who's from L.A., but lived down on the French Riviera for 25 years. He used to eat it and also give boxes to his neighbors. Happy Travels!

Guenmai

Yes, I forgot pure maple syrup. A Parisien friend of mine just went back to Paris last Monday and while he was here we zipped up to Santa Barbara for lunch. On the way up, I usually stop at a little restaurant about a half hour before Santa Barbara, across from the ocean, to have breakfast. We ordered Belgien waffles and they brought maple syrup. He'd never had it before and ate every last piece of waffle drenched in maple syrup. I told him that we could buy a bottle for him to take home. Unfortunately I totally forgot about it until just reading this thread. I'll take him a bottle in the spring when I see him in Paris. Smiles. Happy Travels!