Sous l’égide du Conseil d’Administration de l’Alliance française du Westchester, le directeur/la directrice dirige, pilote et organise les différents services de l’association : administration, comptabilité, pédagogie, programmation culturelle, communication et marketing, fundraising.

As you know, our team has been working very hard to resume offering in-person classes this term. As more in-person classes, workshops and events are organized in the next few months, we hope you will drop by our office to spend time with other Francophiles. In the meantime, here is a quick preview of what our new offices look like!

AFW's in-person operations in White Plains will resume later this Spring! Here is what to expect during this exciting transition period.

As Spring is on its way and as our team is actively working towards resuming in-person operations, we would like to inform you about our updated policies regarding COVID-19.

Our guest Janet Skeslien Charles really enjoyed meeting our members and she would like to share her favorite locations in Paris with all AFW members.

Pain d’épices is a delicious, velvety, and moist dessert with different variations in different parts of the world. Some of the other names for it are gingerbread, lebkuchen, and gaulderye bread, all with slightly different recipes.

This article was originally written by our intern, Emily Saurack.

Although its original name is French, it is unknown who the true creators of this delicious custard and caramel dessert are. Its many other names include flan, crema caramella, crème renversée, and caramel pudding.

This article was originally written by our intern, Emily Saurack.
Photo: "Original Vanilla Crème Caramel" by L.A. Foodie, licensed under CC BY 2.0

The traditional tarte aux mirabelles from Lorraine is made with delicious yellow and red-dotted mirabelle plums (the symbol of Lorraine) grown only in this region and in parts of Alsace.

This article was originally written by our intern, Emily Saurack.
Photo: "première tarte aux mirabelles de l'année" by fidber licensed under CC BY 2.0

Originally made as a savory buckwheat flour flan with meat dishes, the Far Breton evolved into a French custard dessert. It is similar to Clafoutis, but filled with soaked prunes.

This article was originally written by our intern, Emily Saurack.
Photo: "Far Breton" by Merle ja Joonas licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

As the new academic year is starting soon, we're excited to show you how to use your brand new virtual classroom. In this post, you will learn more about how our team is working hard to integrate more learning resources and tools to improve our students' learning experience.

Oreillettes are a traditional, delicious fried dough dessert that originated in Provence. These pastry puff fritters are made all across France, and commonly eaten for Noël, Mardi Gras, and many other celebrations.

This article was originally written by our intern, Emily Saurack.
Photo: "Chiacchiere" by Ciccio Pizzettaro licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Here is the recipe for galettes, a typical dish from Brittany, which can be eaten traditionally with one egg, ham and emmental cheese, also called “galette complète”. You can also choose your own filling! For example, with smoked trout, cream and chives or with goat cheese, nuts and honey. 

Here is the recipe for piperade, a typical dish from the Basque country, which can be eaten with meat, such as chicken or lamb, or fish, such as tuna. It can also be eaten with scrambled eggs and Bayonne ham. Bayonne ham is also a speciality of the Basque Country, it is cured and dried raw pork ham that is eaten in very thin slices.

Discover the winners of our photo contest about "Frenchness beyond clichés"!

Today, let’s learn about Rosa Bonheur, the Most Famous Female Artist of the 19th Century.

The content of this article has been sponsored by VeronicTravel and was originally written by Véronique. For more information, contact her at: www.veroniquetravel.com | vero@veroniquetravel.com | 917 495 5058

A lot has been happening at AF Westchester since the start of the pandemic. In this blog post, we're excited to introduce our new virtual online classes!

Today, let’s learn about Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, a French sculptor from Colmar (Alsace) internationally known for being the author of the Statue of Liberty.

The content of this article has been sponsored by VeronicTravel and was originally written by Véronique. For more information, contact her at: www.veroniquetravel.com | vero@veroniquetravel.com | 917 495 5058

Our team is going to welcome a new French intern this Spring and Summer. Due to the pandemic, she unfortunately cannot join us in Westchester County and will be meeting our members remotely. As she would like to learn more about American culture, we hope you can join the various cultural workshops and events she will be organizing for our members. Here is a short text Camille wrote in order to introduce herself to all our members.

Martinique, also known as "l'île aux fleurs", is one of the French Caribbean islands. For those who don't like skiing and who prefer tropical fruits to fondue, it certainly is one of the best French destinations at this time of year. Discover this fantastic island and all it has to offer!

The content of this article has been sponsored by VeronicTravel and was originally written by Véronique. For more information, contact her at: www.veroniquetravel.com | vero@veroniquetravel.com | 917 495 5058

Think cozy ski resorts, beautiful chalets, dynamic slopes, and the most breathtaking mountain views. The Alps spans eight countries, reaching their pinnacle on France’s Mont Blanc. Discover this fantastic region and all it has to offer!

The content of this article has been sponsored by VeronicTravel and was originally written by Véronique. For more information, contact her at: www.veroniquetravel.com | vero@veroniquetravel.com | 917 495 5058

At a stone’s throw from Paris and Lyon, the Burgundy region provides a concentrate of all the charms France has on offer: the good life, good food, incredible wines, centuries-old architectural heritage… Get inspired by Burgundy!

The content of this article has been sponsored by VeronicTravel and was originally written by Véronique. For more information, contact her at:
www.veroniquetravel.com | vero@veroniquetravel.com | 917 495 5058

While most of our activities and classes are currently happening online, some of our classes are resuming in person, and we're hoping more will follow soon!

As our fall session begins, we would like to introduce you to our team. Our first interview is with our receptionist, Alice Amundson.

Do you want to bring a little bit of French cuisine into your home? Be sure to try out this simple and delicious recipe and make an île flottante!

Although we can't travel right now, our sponsor VeronicTravel is giving you a virtual tour of the Northwestern region of Brittany.

The content of this article has been sponsored by VeronicTravel and was originally written by Véronique. For more information, contact her at:
www.veroniquetravel.com | vero@veroniquetravel.com | 917 495 5058

Today, we will teach you how to prepare a traditional quiche lorraine. This French recipe is surprisingly very easy to make, and is a nice way to add a little bit of French cuisine and culture to your kitchen!

As we are all stuck at home, our sponsor VeronicTravel is giving you a quick tour of the sumptuous and most Northern region of France: the Hauts de France. 

The content of this article has been sponsored by VeronicTravel and was originally written by Véronique.
For more information, contact her at: www.veronictravel.com | vero@veronictravel.com | 917 495 5058

As we are all stuck at home, our sponsor VeronicTravel is giving you a quick tour of nice regions in the East of France: Franche-Comté and Alsace. 

The content of this article has been sponsored by VeronicTravel and was originally written by Véronique.
For more information, contact her at: www.veronictravel.com | vero@veronictravel.com | 917 495 5058

In this article, curious Francophiles, French food lovers, or French expatriates will find information like good places and websites to find the best French food products in Westchester, for your pre-dinner drinks. This is a good opportunity to prepare French appetizers, or add a little bit of France to your typical meals! We will also tell you how to find the products necessary to prepare the French cocktail called “kir”. 

As we are all stuck at home, our sponsor VeronicTravel is giving you a quick tour of the stunning city of Chamonix.  

The content of this article has been sponsored by VeronicTravel and was originally written by Véronique.
For more information, contact her at: www.veronictravel.com | vero@veronictravel.com | 917 495 5058

Even though many cities and states around the United States are beginning to open up, many people are still using this time in quarantine to master their baking and cooking skills. With our Alliance Française being located so closely to the “Big Apple,” what better recipe to try than Tarte Tatin, a well known French food similar to apple pie? 

As we are all stuck at home, our sponsor VeronicTravel is giving you a quick tour of the sunny and peaceful region of the Provence.  

The content of this article has been sponsored by VeronicTravel and was originally written by Véronique.
For more information, contact her at: www.veronictravel.com | vero@veronictravel.com | 917 495 5058

Read this Zoom tutorial for your upcoming online classes and online events with us! 

As we are all stuck at home, our sponsor VeronicTravel is giving you a quick tour of two other beautiful locations of France's Atlantic coast, the city of Bordeaux and the Basque Region! 

The content of this article has been sponsored by VeronicTravel and was originally written by Véronique.
For more information, contact her at: www.veronictravel.com | vero@veronictravel.com | 917 495 5058

As we are all stuck at home, our sponsor Veronic Travel is giving you a quick tour of one of the prettiest locations you can visit on France's Atlantic coast, Arcachon!

The content of this article has been sponsored by VeronicTravel and was originally written by Véronique.
For more information, contact her at: www.veronictravel.com | vero@veronictravel.com | 917 495 5058

As we are all stuck at home, our sponsor Veronic Travel is giving you a quick tour of one of the most iconic regions in France, the Loire Valley!

The content of this article has been sponsored by VeronicTravel and was originally written by Véronique.
For more information, contact her at: www.veronictravel.com | vero@veronictravel.com | 917 495 5058

Do you want to practice your French easily? In this article, find a selection of 4 short online quizzes on French verbs suited for both children and adults. Choose your French level, and work on either the present, imperfect, or subjunctive tense. 

Dear members and students,

So much has happened in the last few days, we thought it was time for an update.  You probably already know that Governor Cuomo has just signed several executive orders, making it compulsory for all non-essential businesses to close their offices until further notice.

Because of this, and following the enthusiasm and positive feedback from the vast majority of our members, this Spring we will be offering the following:

Dear members,

As we all know, the local COVID19 cluster is growing bigger every day, so it is our duty to keep all the members of our Francophile community safe. When you come to AFW to attend our classes and events, you might not meet all of our members and students, however our community has active members and students as young as 6 months old and then of all ages, including many senior citizens, most of whom attend all our activities on a weekly basis.

Because of this and because of the seriousness of the current local outbreak, we have no choice but to close the Alliance Française of Westchester from March 14th, 5.30pm until March 30th, 9am.

For the first time, our team is going to welcome a French intern this Spring and Summer. As she's leaving her native region of Brittany to learn more about American culture, we hope you will make her feel at home in Westchester County! Here is a short text Pauline wrote in order to introduce herself to all our members.

This article has been written by Karim Tounkara as part of our Semaine de Livre series of blog posts. Karim Tounkara is a student just finishing studying at Mamaroneck High School, currently volunteering at Alliance Française of Westchester to help our members and all local Francophiles find out more about some of the best books they can borrow from our library. If you’re interested in borrowing some of these books, please ask for further information at our front desk, or send us an email at info@afwestchesterny.org.

This article has been written by Grace Meador as part of our Semaine de Livre series of blog posts. Grace Meador is a student at Mamaroneck High School, currently volunteering at Alliance Française of Westchester to help our members and all local Francophiles find out more about some of the best books they can borrow from our library. If you’re interested in borrowing some of these books, please ask for further information at our front desk, or send us an email at info@afwestchesterny.org.

This article was written by Annabelle Bresnahan. Annabelle Bresnahan is a student at Pleasantville High School who volunteered at the Alliance Française of Westchester to share our events with our members and other local Francophiles. If you are interested in learning about our upcoming events please ask for further information at our front desk, or send us an email at info@afwestchesterny.org.

This article has been written by Karim Tounkara as part of our Semaine de Livre series of blog posts. Karim Tounkara is a student just finishing studying at Mamaroneck High School, currently volunteering at Alliance Française of Westchester to help our members and all local Francophiles find out more about some of the best books they can borrow from our library. If you’re interested in borrowing some of these books, please ask for further information at our front desk, or send us an email at info@afwestchesterny.org.

This article has been written by Grace Meador as part of our Semaine de Livre series of blog posts. Grace Meador is a student just finishing studying at Mamaroneck High School, currently volunteering at Alliance Française of Westchester to help our members and all local Francophiles find out more about some of the best books they can borrow from our library. If you’re interested in borrowing some of these books, please ask for further information at our front desk, or send us an email at info@afwestchesterny.org.

Annabelle Bresnahan is a student at Pleasantville High School who volunteered at the Alliance Française of Westchester to share our events with our members and other local Francophiles. If you are interested in learning about our upcoming events please ask for further information at our front desk, or send us an email at info@afwestchesterny.org.

The content of this article has been sponsored by VeronicTravel and was originally written by Véronique. For more information, contact her at: www.veronictravel.com | vero@veronictravel.com | 917 495 5058

We’re excited to launch our brand new website and we’re hoping you will find it easier to navigate than our previous site. Do let us know what you think!

Many of you have been asking us about opportunities to volunteer with Alliance Française of Westchester. Indeed, volunteering is an excellent way to improve your French language skills, to make new friends or to gain new experience and build your resume.