Photo du Jour

enchanting

Auberge Gourmande by the Loire

On the way to Tours, between Blois and Chaumont sur Loire, we stopped at the Auberge Gourmande for lunch. The tables were set with taste, with delicate Gien plates over a white impeccable tablecloth.
We ordered the menu at 27 Euros per person and enjoyed a tasty and well prepared meal.
As apetizer I had smoked fish on a bed of salad (home smoked), a main course of Loire fish baked with a garnish of vegetables, a large cheese platter with plenty of local cheeses to choose from, and a mouthwatering desert (chocolate, chocolate ..) We ordered a Touraine wine which was perfect with our meal. Service was excellent. We'll come back!

Auberge Gourmande. 5, Rue André Raimbault 45130 Baule, France+33 2 38 45 01 02

http://www.auberge-gourmande.fr/carte.php

Notre Dame de Pepiole: A 5 C chapel and a light lunch

We decided to have a light lunch and take off for the afternoon to leave home chef and house chief Jean-Pierre enough time to prepare the farewell dinner. We opted for an all Corsica lunch. Corsica is a French Mediterranean island south of the French Riviera, north of Sardinia, and west of Italy. It is full of wild beauty and very nationalistic inhabitants to protect it!We started the meal with a light spinach, corsica tomatoes, and olives salad, seasoned to perfection by Michele. She had peeled the tomatoes as I learned to do when I arrived in France.Then followed a platter of Corsica charcuterie or cold cuts bought at a speciality store in Sanary.

Among them, a coppa and boar (sanglier) saussage. The coppa was very lean and delicious. The difference between Italian coppa and this one is that it is lightly smoked. We learned that most Corsica charcuterie is smoked, but lightly.

After the salad and cold cuts, we had a cheese platter. When I thought of taking a picture of the rose wine we had .. the bottle was already emtpy, but here it is! A Corse Porto Vecchio rose that we had very chilled.

We then left for Six Fours, a nearby town, to visit the ancient Notre Dame de Pepiole chapel.

This small chapel was built here in the 5 C, it has had some addings several times, but the largest part of the building keeps the architecture of the time. It exists today thanks to the perseverence of Dom Paul-Celestin Charlier, benedictin monk and priest, who throughout his life worked and collected funds to restore this chapel. He died in 1976 and was buried here.

After a walk in Sanary - and some shopping - we returned home.

Photo du Jour - le Chocolat

le Chocolat Craquant* in a pool of crème anglaise


*A chocolate sponge cake layered with crispy chocolate nut praline and topped with a classic French chocolate mousse.

Photo du Jour

A secret passageway.

Baked Asparagus Risotto - No Stirring!

Risotto is one of those dishes that I find particularly easy. I've made it so many times that it's kind of like second nature. And I love its versatility!
There is always some sort of vegetable or leftover meat lurking in the back of the fridge or freezer that I can mix with pearly, fat grains of arborio rice, hot stock and Parmesan to make a hearty meal.

The one thing about risotto is that you have to stand there and stir. And stir.
For about 30 minutes.
Sometimes this can be tedious. Especially when there are more interesting things to do. Like laugh at celebrities on gofugyourself.com read up on world events or study French.


So to give myself more time to be studious and worldly, I have a baked risotto recipe that cuts the amount of time in front of the stove by about two thirds.

The texture is a bit different that stovetop risotto. The grains are softer, not as al dente, but the flavor is wonderful!

Baked Asparagus Risotto

• 8 ounces/250g thick, smoky bacon, chopped into small pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons/25g butter plus 1 tablespoon/12g
• 10 ounces/300g risotto rice
• 8 ounces/ 250g fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
  
• 1/2 cup/125ml of white wine (optional)
• 3 cups/700ml hot chicken stock
• pinch salt
• freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1/2 cup/50g Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat oven to 200C/400F
Fry the bacon pieces in an ovenproof pan or casserole dish with a lid for 3-5 minutes until crisp.
Stir in the onion and 2 tablespoons/25g butter and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft.
Add the rice and stir for a minute or two, until all the grains are coated.
Pour in the optional white wine and cook for 2 minutes, until absorbed.
Add the hot stock, the salt and the asparagus pieces, then give it all a quick stir.
Cover with a tight fitting lid and bake for 20-30 minutes, until just cooked.
Stir in half of the Parmesan and remaining butter.
Serve, sprinkled with the remainder of the cheese and pass the pepper mill.

Serves 4

Have You Ever Dropped A Frozen Banana On Your Toe?

Well, it hurts.

That was my indication that the freezer needed some attention.
It is currently a bizarre mélange of odds and ends. It's a mess in there!

Bags of egg whites, super ripe bananas, 3 lamb shanks, bagels, vanilla ice cream, frozen berries, Parmesan rinds, frozen baby peas, 3 varieties of nuts, breadcrumbs, coconut milk, stalks of lemongrass, basil leaves and chile peppers.
And tucked way in the back is a pack of Hebrew National hot dogs that a friend brought us from America.

All crammed into a 14 x 16 x 11 inch space.

I've taken the bananas and some walnuts out for banana bread and the egg whites and some almonds out to make low fat biscotti.
Then I'll make a spicy lemongrass paste or curry with the chiles and lemongrass and coconut milk.
If the weather stays cool over the weekend I'll do something with those lamb shanks.
And as soon as I find some hot dog buns at the store we'll be eating those hot dogs. If only I could find some relish...


My favorite low fat biscotti recipe comes from Great Good Food by Julee Rosso.

Biscotti With Nuts
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, toasted

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly spray or wipe a large baking sheet with vegetable oil.
2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, egg whites, and vanilla. Mix unti well combined. Add the sugar, flour, soda and salt; beat until a dough forms. Stir in the nuts.
3. Turn the sticky dough (it is very sticky) onto a lightly floured board. With clean floured hands, and with the aid of a spatula or pastry scraper, knead the dough several times. Divide the dough in half.
4. With floured hands form the dough into two flattish logs, about 15 inches long and 2 inches wide. Place the logs on the baking sheet, 3 inches apart. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove and cool for 10 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat to 275 degrees F
6. On a cutting board, cut the logs diagonally into 3/4 inch thick slices. Arrange the slices on the baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn and bake for another 10-12 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the biscotti to crisp in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Makes 45 cookies

La Fête du Fromage - Le Saint-Christophe

Heavily perfumed with the scent of woody herbs and goat-filled barnyards, Le Saint-Christophe is not for the faint of heart!

This is a bold cheese.

It looks innocent enough - a nice, soft white rind wrapped around a creamy, melting interior - mais attention, looks can be deceiving! One taste and your senses are hit with a blast of tantalizing, spicy and seductive flavors.
I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least.

If you love assertive, intensely flavored goat's cheese, this is one that you must try.


Le Saint-Christophe is an unpasteurized goat's milk cheese, produced and matured on a farm near the small town of St-Christophe Vallon, in the Aveyron.

A glass of crisp Sauvignon Blanc or Sancerre would be a good match to this cheese's robust flavors.

Photo du Jour - The Coffee Maker

I don't think a more perfect machine has ever been invented. I hate to say goodbye...

Endive salad variation

If you are watching your weight (maybe I'm projecting my own concerns!) and having salads often, don't make it boring.
For instance, if you buy 1 lb endives, you can prepare them once with apples as in the previous post, and the following day, mix them with a sharp Gouda with cumin, golden raisins, pine nuts, and season with hazelnut oil. A beautiful degrade of autumn colors!

The Need to Knead

Olive Oil Focaccia with Chopped Green Onions, Arugula and Feta


Seems like forever since I've dug my hands into some soft, squishy dough, stretched and kneaded it into a glossy, springy ball and made some homemade bread.

For a long time I was making my own bread almost every day. Or at least every other day. I had the luxury of time and love the meditative rhythm of this domestic activity.
Then things got so busy over the holidays that I simply got out of the habit.

This morning, once again, I was overcome with the need to knead.

It is impossible to get a good photo of yourself kneading with one hand.


This Olive oil dough is the perfect blank canvas. Some delicious combinations I've experimented with:

• extra bits of cheese (something we always have lying around) and tomatoes
• a mélange of raw onions and minced garlic
• a simple mix of fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme, and a heavy drizzling of olive oil
• caramelized onions
  
• a gutsy mix of bacon and arugula
• roasted red peppers and ricotta
• coarse sea salt, red pepper flakes and olive oil

Today I made up an interesting mix out of a few things I had sitting in the fridge; a half a bag of arugula, a couple green onions and some feta. I chopped up the onions and arugula and mixed them in a bowl with some olive oil, salt and spicy red pepper flakes. Those were scattered on the dough and then dotted with crumbled feta cheese.

It was excellent!


Simple Olive Oil Dough

• 1 1/3 cup (325 mls) lukewarm water
• 1 packet yeast
• 1/3 cup (75 mls) extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 to 4 cups (450-600 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt

Whisk together the water and yeast in a large bowl until yeast is dissolved. Whisk in olive oil. Add one cup of the flour and whisk until combined.
Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the salt and slowly incorporate enough flour to make a soft dough.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead, using as little extra flour as possible, for about 5 minutes. The dough should look satiny and feel moist but shouldn't stick to clean hands.
Place the dough in a large, clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and let it rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, at least 1 hour. Two hours is better.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Punch down the dough and stretch onto a cornmeal sprinkled or olive oil drizzled baking sheet.
Add toppings of your choice and let it rest while the oven warms up.
Bake until golden about 30-35 minutes.

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Cooking techniques: Mirepoix

You my find recipes that call for vegetables cut in "mirepoix" and I thought the best way to explain this type of cutting in small, small dices, was to take a picture!

Here we have 1 onion, 1 carrot, and 5 button mushrooms cut in mirepoix. When we cooked them in 2 Tbsp of unsalted butter, we started with the carrots (3 minutes), then added the onions (3 minutes), and finally the mushrooms 3 minutes; which means that altogether, the carrots were cooked for 9 minutes, the onions 6, and the mushrooms 3. We used them to stuff free range chicken breasts - which later were poached in a leek and water cress sauce ... miammm.

Life Is Just A...

Thursday night I was handed a large opaque bag by some friends who have recently bought a plot of land with many, many varieties of fruit trees.
I peered inside to find it full of griottes - tart little cherries.
The second fabulous food gift this week!

A third of them is being made into Sour Cherry Liqueur which we'll be enjoying by Christmas.
A third will become Confiture de Griottes.
A third will be made into Griotte Cherries with Bay Leaf from Michel Troisgros.

200g griotte cherries (7 1/2 oz)
12.5cl white vinegar at 8° (1/2 cup)
10cl water (1/3 cup)
100g sugar (4 oz)
20 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves

Prepare the sweet-and-sour mixture: in a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, water and sugar and bring to a boil. Skim carefully and set aside in a warm place.

Rinse the cherries in cold water and dry them in a tea towel. Trim the stems halfway down. Prick each cherry a few times with a needle so that the juice soaks through.

As you prepare the cherries, place them in a jar. Add the crushed peppercorns and bay leaves, then pour the boiling liquid over the cherries to cover them completely.

When they have cooled, close the jar and set aside in a cold place for a few days before opening.

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Sweet Potato, Pea and Spinach Curry

One of the first things I learned to do when we moved to France was translate French recipes.

Each month I picked up copies of Cuisine et Vins de France and French Saveur at the local tabac and with my trusty French dictionary at my side I dutifully studied the names of ingredients and cooking terms, making translation notes in the margins and jotting down measurement conversions.
It's amazing how easy it is to pick up a language when the subject is something you're really interested in!

There's a great series of small, recipe packed cookbooks by Marabout for the very reasonable price of €4,95 each. I've bought two so far, one with Indian and Thai curries and one with recipes for comforting, wintery food called Tout Chaud.

I've made a few recipes from each book and one of the best so far was an aromatic, homey vegetarian curry. It is some serious comfort food! Low in calories and high in flavor and vitamins - I swear it makes you feel stronger after you've eaten it a plate of it.

The original calls for the addition of canned chickpeas, which I didn't have in the cupboard, so the recipe has been adapted to what I had on hand. Add them if you like, but this version is also fantastic!

Sweet Potato, Pea and Spinach Curry
serves 4

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon mild curry powder
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  
• 1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed with their juice
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 ounces fresh baby spinach, washed
  
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup frozen baby peas
• plain yogurt (optional)
  

1. Warm the oil in a deep pan with a lid and sauté the onions over low heat until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
2. Sprinkle the curry powder, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, turmeric and salt over the onions and cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant.
3. Add the sweet potato, canned tomatoes, brown sugar and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot and cook for 15-20 minutes over low heat, until the sweet potatoes are cooked through.
   
4. Add the spinach and baby peas and cook for another 2 minutes, until spinach is wilted and the peas are warmed through.
5. Taste and correct for salt and add more cayenne if you like it really spicy.
   
6. Serve with steamed basmati rice and a dollop of the optional plain yogurt.
   

A tour of the "antiquaires"

Michelle and I wandered at the local antique shops in search of ... temptation.

Michelle found this beautiful set of wine glasses for 8 that I gave as a gift for their kind hospitality. The wine carafe that you see in the back of the glasses has a very cute shape. It is carved glass circa 1930; there are Champagne glasses, red wine glasses and white wine glasses, plus a wine carage and a water pitcher. I suggested she uses silver tumblers as water glasses.
Jean-Pierre served panisse as an appetizer. It is presented as a cylinder and it is made of chick pea flour. It is a Marseille speciality, and once the slices are cut, they must be fried.
It is tasty and perfect with a salad of tomatoes.
The main course was yet another handsome presentation by Jean-Pierre: Cod loin portions served with a citrus sauce and spring vegetables.
He had taken the time to cut thin filaments of orange skins that he cooked (Jean-Piere as many good chefs, does not share his recipes!!) and served on top of the fish, that had been baked. The sauce was incredible!

We had roquefort cheese for dessert, served with a red sweet wine, Maury, served chilled. Surprising and very interesting!

Finally, we had small financiers, which are a classic French cake made with powdered almonds instead of flour, plus melted butter, sugar, and egg whites. He used the same pans as he had used the day before for the pinapple small pound cakes.

We had an excellent Armagnac.

Food and Wine Courses at Château Ventenac

Julia Bristow, the owner of the spectacular Château Ventenac, situated on the Canal du Midi in Ventenac-en-Minervois, is offering two courses in the spring of 2009 for all you food and wine lovers out there.

May 3-7
A five day/four night Mediterranean Vegetarian Cookery Course which offers the opportunity to learn seasonal vegetarian cooking with Rachel Demuth, owner of the award winning Demuth's Vegetarian Restaurant in Bath, and Jo Ingleby, experienced chef and cookery tutor.

The vegetarian course includes four cookery sessions with a combination of hands on cookery and demonstration where we will create delicious Mediterranean meals together using the best seasonal vegetables, local oils and wines. We will visit a local market, visit local producers and have a special wine tasting with Juliet Bruce Jones, Master of Wine.

May 18-21
Discover the diverse and award winning wines of the Languedoc over 4 days on a Wine Tasting Holiday with your expert wine guide, Juliet Bruce Jones, one of only 287 Masters of Wine worldwide.
Juliet is a friend of mine so I've had the pleasure of being a second (and much less educated) opinion on a few wine tasting outings with her. Her knowledge of wine is extensive and her enthusiasm for the wine of the Languedoc is contagious!


Contact Julia Bristow to sign up for either course or for information about the other courses on offer at Château Ventenac.

Photo du Jour

Rusty, timeworn door knocker.

Herbs, herbs, herbs

Before coming back to Paris, we stopped in a local farmers market at La Ferte Saint Bernard, at the limit of the Sarthe and Perche, two French regions, to buy fresh herbs. They will not look that great on my deck or kitchen window, so I want to share with you this delightful picture!
I bought dill, basil, parsley, and mint!

Think Pink - Sour Cherry Frozen Yogurt

This year's bounty of sour cherries were turned into some fantastic, colorful, sweet and savory concoctions.

First, I got a batch of Liqueur de Griottes started, then made several jars of Griotte Cherries with Bay Leaf and Sour Cherry Compote. Then, just as I was about to make a tub of Sour Cherry Gelato, I stumbled across a recipe for David Lebovitz's Strawberry Frozen Yogurt and decided to try the same thing with some of the sour cherries.

The result was amazing!

I cooked the griottes a bit first, then cooled them down before adding plain yogurt and churning in the ice cream maker. The cherries released juices that turned gorgeously, vibrantly pink. The flavor was both sweet and tangy...just perfect for summer.



Sour Cherry Frozen Yogurt
makes about 1 quart

1 pound sour cherries, washed and pitted
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Put the cherries in a heavy pan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cherries give up their juice.
Cool.
If you want a smooth texture, place the cherries in a blender or food processor, pulsing several times. (I left mine whole.)
Stir in the sugar and let sit, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Stir in the lemon juice and the yogurt and make sure everything is well blended.
Place in the refrigerator for an hour then freeze in an ice cream maker according to its manufacturer's instructions.

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Meme Time - I've Been Tagged

Being that I'm back from "vacation," I can finally get around to doing this meme that I was tagged for a couple of weeks ago by Amy at We Are Never Full.

I first heard from Amy when I wrote about Rachel Ray. Not big fans of Ray-Ray over there at We are Never Full. She has written some hilarious posts about her perky nemesis!

On to the meme...

THE RULES:

1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Sounds easy enough.

Seven Random/Weird Things About Me:

1. I loathe grating cheese.

2. From a very young age I used to tell everyone that I was going to be an Entomologist when I grew up. I still regret not following my dream...

3. The movie Friday the 13th, which I saw on my 13th birthday birthday slumber party thanks to the newest invention of the early 1980's- Cable TV, scared the living crap out of me. I looked under my bed every night for years afterward, expecting to find Jason there to kill me.

4. When I was 18, I once spent five days eating nothing but Lucky Charms cereal. For breakfast, lunch and dinner. For five days. I must have been on the biggest sugar high!

5. I adamantly refuse to use Starbuck's stupid coffee lingo. Not that I have the opportunity (thankfully) to do so very often. It is a large, dammit, not a venti. And you know what really bugs me, now that I'm on this rant... they use all this pretentious, Italian inspired language, then when you try to order a ristretto,* they didn't know what you're talking about!

6. Stationery, pens and paper products are my secret vice. New Orleans has a fabulous, little shop, Papier Plume, filled with gorgeous writing instruments, blank books and paper. I could spend hours in there along with my other favorite, Scriptura, which specializes in cards and stationery.

7. I love listening to frogs and toads singing and croaking.


Blogs I'm Tagging:

Jeanne at Cook Sister!
Aimee at Put Your Flare On
Lisa at Homesick Texan
Polly at Polly-Vous Français?
JenJen at Milk and Cookies
Ms. Weasel at La Belette Rouge
Camilla at Enlightened Cooking

Hope you all can join in and share some of your weirdness!


*a short, "restricted," more concentrated shot of espresso

Sunday Reading

We're having a heat wave. A south of France heat wave.
And I am sick of it!
Staying cool has become an obsession.


The perfect, icy pick me up to beat the heat on a sizzling afternoon. Or to wake you up on a muggy morning.

Refreshing and zesty. One of my favorites.

Soup in the summer? Absolutely! Especially when its full of garlic, almonds and sherry vinegar.
This lemongrass infused version also looks fantastic.

One of the most amazing, most refreshing salads. Ever.

How I long for central air on days like these.
We own a little, mobile air conditioner, but it only cools a small space, so we keep it upstairs in our bedroom. It is heavenly on those sweltering nights.




If anyone has a favorite beat the heat recipe to share, I would love for you to share it with me!

Grape Harvest in Layon!

Chateau Soucherie, Layon (near Angers), hosted our enology class. The Tijou family, owner of the property, collects all the grape by hand.
We started the fantastic experience at 9 am, each participant was given a bucket and scissors and off we went! We harvested Cabernet Franc grapes.
By lunchtime, we had harvested 5000 kilos of grapes – that will give a total of about 5000 bottles of Red Anjou.
The Tijou family knows what hospitality is and we were offered a consistent buffet of regional and home made food accompanied by a lavish display of the property wine production.

Photo du Jour - Spanish Lunch

Spanish lunch at Lafayette Gourmet. Simply wonderful.

French Citizenship - One Step Closer

Just home from the sous-préfecture in Béziers with (pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming) Good News!

My French citizenship dossier has been accepted! I have a signed, dated and stamped récipissé in my hands, which means that it is now up to Béziers to process my application, then send it all on to another office somewhere in France for the second part of processing.
The gendarmes should be knocking on our door for an interview sometime in the next few months.

They have asked for a few more pieces of paper such as copies of my diplomas from high school and university and an attestation from my French teacher stating that I have indeed made an attempt at butchering studying the French language since moving to France, but these are easy to provide.

I was walking on air when I left the sous-préfecture. Then as I was driving home and came around the last bend on the road to our village, there was a slice of rainbow stretching over the hills.
A good sign. And a very, very good day.

Photo du Jour - Coco Rose

These are a stunning sight at the market. The bright pink vibrates against all the surrounding green.

Haricots coco rose, also known as le haricot marbré or borlotti beans.