Photo du Jour - Puffy Cheese Straws

I whipped up a batch of these flaky, cheesy nibbles yesterday. They were delicious!

Puffy Cheese Straws

• 12 ounces/350 grams puff pastry, either pre-made or homemade
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  
• 1/2 cup finely grated Emmental
  
• flour for rolling pastry

Heat oven to 450F/220C.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out puff pastry into a big square, about 1/8 inch thick.
Scatter evenly with the grated Parmesan, then fold in half and roll out again until it is 1/8 inch thick.
Cut into ½ inch strips, lay on a baking sheet, and then twist each strip 3-4 times.
Scatter over the Emmental and bake for 12 minutes, or until golden.
Cool on baking sheet.
These can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 days. They are fragile, so handle carefully.

Oils

Oils, oils, oils!

Nut oil, hazelnut oil, sunflower oil, pumpkin oil, raisin seed oiland many more types of oils, made out of the first cold pressing: simply the best. We tasted several of them - and would have liked to buy one of each.

Many of the oils produced by James have the European Organic Label.

These are the oils used by A World in a PAN.

La Fête du Fromage - Tomette des Corbières

Monday evening:
Sitting here with a generous sliver of Tomette des Corbières and a glass of local red wine, enjoying a tranquil evening together.

Life doesn't get much better.



France is referred to as l'hexagone - the hexagon, because it is six sided, and this hexagon shaped Tomette des Corbières is a fantastic representative of its country.
However, the cheese isn't named for the shape of France, rather for tomettes, the rustic, orange-brown tiles that are so commonly found in the area.



The Tomette des Corbières is an unpasteurized sheep's milk cheese produced in the picturesque and rugged Corbières region that is known for its wine, honey and goat cheese. It comes from the sole sheep farm in the area, owned by Chantal and Jean-Gabriel Donnet, who have a small herd of 150 ewes.
During its approximately 2-3 months of aging, each cheese is washed twice a week with salt water and then sprayed with Grenache, a local, amber-colored, fortified wine that has a 16% alcohol content. This process allows the cheese to develop a mild, honeyed flavor.

It is a dense cheese, with a substantial, toothsome texture and a nutty tasting rind. My first taste had me thinking hazelnuts and honey with gentle hints of mushroom.
I enjoyed its refined, sweet and soft flavors. Not too strong and not too mild, but a very elegant cheese. I was very happy to finally taste this one and I'll be equally happy to have it again in the future!



You can find Tomette des Corbières in many cheese shops around the world: in Paris, New York, Tokyo and in California.
If you can get a hold of some, you must try it!

My deck in spring

Such a bright day in Paris today!
All my windows (and I have ten!) are wide open, the sun is all over my flat.

Typically, Parisian stone buildings built under Baron Hausmann, the great urbanist, have a balcony in both the second and the fifth floor.

I live in the second floor, so I have a long balcony on one side of the building and from the bedrooms you can see red geraniums.

I cleaned them today. I do not like geraniums that much, but they're faithful, and always give me flowers - even when I forget to water them. True is that they are resistant.
The red bright flowers are a nice contrast with the black iron work of the balcony. I have one such pot in front of every balcony door.

Now, in the front side of the 1865 building where I live, where my living room and dining room are, the balcony was replaced by a deck when the restaurant underneath made an extension, at the turn of the century (19C that is). The name then was "La Coupole", I believe; and it is now Le Congres Auteuil - a fine restuarant which I recommend.

I am soooo lucky to enjoy a big enough deck . They are very rare in Paris.

I have plenty of plants, little bushes, and small trees on this deck.

I also have two chairs, and tables, some with plants, some to use when we have tea or a drink outside.
I enjoy having coffee here in the morning quiet.
I love flowers, and it is now the right season to enjoy them.

My favorite colors? Pink, blue,purple ... Dana and Brian gave me this beautiful azalea when they came for dinner a two weeks ago. It's fully blossomed and the shocking pink flowers are beautiful!

Goodbye New Orleans...Hello La Selva Beach!

Yesterday I said goodbye to friends in New Orleans and traversed the country, finally ending my trip in San Jose, California where my sister picked me up to drive me to her home in La Selva Beach.
Yes, my sister lives a mere quarter mile from one of California's most beautiful beaches. Sometimes I think we both lead charmed lives, location wise.
This little beach town is just south of another charming little beach town, Capitola-by-the-Sea, on Monterey Bay.

I'll be spending the week with my wonderful sister, my fun and fabulous brother in law, my four amazing and very lovable nieces and nephews and my dad has booked a ticket to come down from Spokane to see us too!
It's going to be a great week.

La Fête du Fromage - Brie de Melun

Brie de Melun is not your average Brie.

It achieved AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) status in 1980 along with Brie de Meaux and is produced in the same area as Brie de Meaux, about 50 kilometers outside of Paris in the Île-de-France region, but that is where the similarities end.

Brie de Meaux is soft, Brie de Melun is robust.
Brie de Meaux is refined, Brie de Melun is lusty.
Brie de Meaux is perfumed, Brie de Melun is heady.
If Brie de Meaux were Jackie O, then Brie de Melun would be Marilyn Monroe.

The difference in flavor has to do with the method of production. Whereas Brie de Meaux's production uses rennet to achieve coagulation in a mere 30 minutes, Brie de Melun relies on lactic fermentation, which takes at least 18 hours.
Seven to ten weeks of affinage* produce a dense, pale yellow colored interior and a bloomy, white rind that is brushed with reddish-brown streaks. The flavors are fruity, salty, slightly sour and rustic. I also tasted hints of mushroom and hazelnuts.

Brie de Melun is strong and absolutely fantastic!



Serve with red wine such as Sancerre, Bourgogne or Gaillac.



* the process of maturing and ripening cheese

Photos du Jour - Mint

There's a huge patch of mint growing in the garden...


...and it is extra crunchy!

Photo du Jour - Sparkling Clean

Notre Dame de Paris, all cleaned up and dazzling against a perfect blue sky.

Zucchini and Ham Risotto Gratin

The shiny, sunny days of spring have been quite the capricious flirt this year.

A day of sun here, four days of rain there. A half a day of sun here, two days of rain there. With the exception of one little day, the last week has been downright dreary and I heard that it has been nicer in Copenhagen than in the south of France! To whom do I send my customer complaint card?

Ok, ok, enough moaning about the weather. On to the food!

These dark and drizzly days call for a bit of spring comfort food.
This risotto is topped with thick slices of golden, melted Brie that ooze down into the rice as they heat up, making a wonderfully rich and creamy dish. Just the thing to satisfy us as we huddle next to the heater and wait for some sun. We hope we won't be waiting for much longer.

photos of risotto never seem to do it justice


Zucchini, Ham and Brie Risotto Gratin
serves 4
Inspired by this recipe.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
  
• 2-3 slices thick ham, chopped into small squares
  
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 3½ cups hot vegetable or chicken stock
• 6 ounces Brie*
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the zucchini and sautée for 10-12 minutes until it just starts to turn golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. Add the remaining oil to the pan, lower the heat and add the ham, onion and garlic.
4. Cook on low heat for about 6-8 minutes or until softened and lightly golden.
5. Add the rice and stir the grains for about 2 minutes.
6. Pour in the wine and stir until it is absorbed into the rice, then pour in about one third of the hot stock and increase the heat to medium.
7. Cook, stirring frequently, until the stock is absorbed. Repeat with the remaining stock, in two batches. This should take about 20 minutes, and the rice should be tender.
8. Preheat the broiler.
9. Remove the rice from the heat, gently fold in the zucchini and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
10. Put the mixture into a big, earthenware gratin dish.
11. Slice the Brie and lay it on top of the rice.
12. Put the dish under the broiler for 3-4 minutes, until the Brie is golden and bubbling.
13. Serve at once.

*Don't go all out and spend a lot of money on unpasteurized Brie de Melun or Brie de Meaux for this dish. The cheese's flavor really mellows during cooking.


Another delicious springtime dish is this Baked Asparagus Risotto recipe that I perfected last year.

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Photo du Jour - Canal du Midi

A quiet, tree lined bend on the Canal du Midi.

Photo du Jour - Fig Trees

I often say that figs grow literally everywhere here.

Here's proof: two little volunteer fig trees coming out from under the stones of our next door neighbor's house.

La Fête du Fromage - Brebis Frais and le Bouchon de Chèvre

We tasted a soft, earthy Fromage de Brebis Frais and a deceptively strong Bouchon de Chèvre this week.


The Brebis Frais comes from a sheep farm in the Corbières whose cheese we've tasted before. In January we tried their sublime Brebis des Corbières, so I was excited to try another cheese from their farm.
This cheese was frais, meaning fresh, thus the flavor was mild. At first bite it was very soft, then as the flavor developed it became tangy and sweet. We loved it! It was a dewy, dense little disk that had a grassy, fresh aroma.
An all around very friendly cheese.

Wine from the same area, the Corbières, would pair well with this cheese.



This flavorful little goat cheese is named for the object it resembles, a wine cork - a bouchon. (which can also mean a cap, a plug or a traffic jam - go figure)
Le Bouchon de Chèvre was commonly referred to as le Bouchon de Sancerre, until it became clear that people were confusing it with an actual Sancerre wine cork, so the cheese's name was changed to le Bouchon de Chèvre. It hails from the region around the town of Sancerre, in the gorgeous Loire Valley.

To achieve its small cylindrical shape, the curds are wrapped in linen and placed into little cork shaped molds to age for at least seven days. It had a smooth texture that was oozing a bit around a blooming, white crust and had a heady aroma. It made for a very smelly kitchen! The flavor was difficult to describe: hints of sourness that became spicy on the tongue and an undertone of wine or marc. That doesn't sound very appealing, but let me tell you, this was an excellent cheese!

Avoid red wine, instead have a glass of Sancerre wine with le Bouchon.

blooming exterior

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La Fête du Fromage - May Round Up

This month's La Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting event is a fantastic mélange of five cheeses from five countries.

Danielle of Savor Culture takes us on a journey to the Sweet Grass Dairy in Thomasville, Georgia, in the southern United States, to taste Sevenwood. This is an aged, unpasteurized cow's milk cheese that is washed in balsamic vinegar. Sounds very interesting! Danielle describes the flavor as, "a little spicy, a little sweet, buttery...sensations of white peppercorn and cumin, with hay and butterscotch lingering on the tongue."

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Snowy white orbs of fresh, Italian Mozzarella were hand made by Allison of Local Lemons. Her well tested recipe produces a succulent, perfect looking cheese in only 30 minutes. A huge thank you to Allison for sharing her homemade mozzarella with us. I'm definitely giving it a try!

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A very tempting looking Spanish cheese called Torta la Serena was tasted by Nathalie of Spaced Out Ramblings. Even its name is seductive. She describes it as creamy and mild, with grassy and nutty flavors, and notes that the milk used to make this cheese is coagulated with thistle flowers instead of rennet. Fascinating!

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Camille of Croque-Camille learned that "Stichelton is what Stilton is supposed to be" when she visited the celebrated London cheese shop, Neal's Yard Dairy. As the story goes, when traditional English, unpasteurized Stilton was banned several years ago, a couple of cheesemakers invented Stichelton, the same cheese as Stilton, only made in the old way, with unpasteurized milk. Camille offers a very tantalizing description of this cheese, "...piquant yet smooth, with toasty, caramelized flavors to round it out."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Le Cameau is a very special cheese from the Normandy region of France. I tasted it last summer and was immediately smitten with its unusual flavor. Le Cameau is an unpasteurized Camembert that has been soaked in Pommeau, then covered in a layer of crushed walnuts. This is a heady, interesting cheese that is especially good once it has had time to mature.

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Thanks to everyone who joined in La Fête du Fromage this month! I love being introduced to all of these different cheeses and hope that my readers are as inspired to try new cheese as I am.


Due to holidays and my work schedule for the next couple of months, La Fête du Fromage is taking the summer off. Look for more International cheese tasting adventures in September.

If you would like to join in the 9th Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting Event in the autumn, please have your entries to me by September 13. I'll post the round-up on September 15.

Tell us why you chose this particular cheese. Tell us how it tasted. Tell us about its texture and aroma. Did you eat it on its own? Or with something? Did you drink anything special with your cheese? Would you recommend it or not? Is there something unusual or interesting about it?

• Photos are wonderful, but not necessary
• Entries must contain the words La Fête du Fromage and contain a link to Chez Loulou
• Posts should be written specifically for La Fête du Fromage and not entered in any other food blog event
• Please send the link to your post to louloufrance (at) gmail (dot) com with the words Fête du Fromage in the subject line

Photo du Jour - Cognac

We're currently tasting our way through the great Cognac houses. Be back Saturday!

Butterfly award!

Gracias gracias a Martina, de Vivo en espiral, por este Butterfly Award!! No creo nunca haber hecho un "post" tan largo!! Espero no se aburran demasiado.

1. Tienes un diario? No, I do not have a diary

2. Crees en el amor? Of course I believe in LOVE

3. Sabes cocinar? I am told pretty often that I am a good cook!

4. Te quieres casar? I have been married for ... 35 years, so I do not have plans to get married again in the near future !

5. Te gustan las tormentas? Storms? Not sure .. but "storming" .... maybe yes!

6. Podrías comer un gusano? Creo que ya comi!! I believe I have already done so. What's called in China "sea cucumbers" are actually a type of sea slug ... so have I? It seems yes.

7. Te consideras pija? I must confess I do not know what "pija" is ... so I say: Joker!

Marci dice: PIJO= se dice de la persona que ostenta una posición social y económica alta y tiene una actitud snob o afectada( definición de la RAE).

Laura dice: Entonces no, no me considero pija!

8. Perdonarías una infidelidad? NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

9. Aprendiste a andar en bicicleta? Yes, and I had a bordeaux color English bicylce that I loved!! I used to bike up and down the backyard alleys a hundred times! I was 5 - 6 years old and my mother used to call me Atilio Francois, after a famous bike rider of the time.

10. Te has quedado dormida en publico? Not yet ...

11. Te atreves a cantar un Karaoke? NO WAY! It's one of my terrible frustrations ... Oh I wish I knew how to sing .. maybe not to sing in a Karaoke, but just not to be embarassed when I simply sing Happy Birthday out of tune!

12. Podrias ser vegetariana? Yes, as I grow older I feel worse and worse about eating animals. For instance, I do not eat anymore veal, have reduced beef to once every two weeks ... and when I go to the countryside and see cows in the landscape .. I reduce even more.

13. Te has pasado una noche bailando sin parar? I may sound boring, but Nope!

14. Has perdido alguna vez tus llaves? Not that I can recall.. but that also will come one day (both forgetting and losing my keys!).

15. Eres de los que les gusta la Coca- Cola? How come if I am one of those who likes a cool Coke? OF COURSE, I love Coke! Most refreshing drink ever - and I do say Coke - not Pepsi or anyhting else!!

16. Tienes carné de conducir? YESS! One from France, once from California, once from China (Yes, China!), once from Uruguay. My daughters joke that I collect them!

17. Te gustaría saber el día de tu muerte????? Easy to say yes before you actually know it .. but I guess no, I see how painful it is for people to know that they have so much time to live .. and not more. But of course, this is because of illness, so it's difficult to compare. Given a second thought .. maybe yes, I'd go to Central Asia, a project not realized yet - of course provided I had enough time left!

18. Has subido a algun helicóptero? Yes, first with my father when I was little (he was a Navy officer) and recently when friends got married in the Loire valley and hired a helicopter for their guests to see the Loire and the Chateaux from the sky. A dream!

19. Podrías matar a alguien? I do not think so ..I feel bad when I kill a fly .. so when it comes to "someone" .. but you never know in advance how far emotions can pull you.

20. Aprendiste a nadar? Yes, as a child I lived by the Atlantic ocean. So it came naturally ... and I cannot stand to bathe in fresh water (lakes, streams, rivers, pools) I need my salty water!

21. Te gustaría tener un pecho más grande? Si, yes, oui!

22. Roncas? It seems sometimes I do - when I have a cold or that I have had a heavy dinner. Oh, what a shame!

23. Lloraste con Titanic? I told you I was boring .. no, I didn't cry because I did not see the movie!

24. Te has emborrachado alguna vez? Yes, once and only once. The New Year of my 18th year of life ... I felt stupid, I threw up (at the beach), I behaved silly and had a terrible headache the following day .. never again!

25. Olvidaste el cumpleaños de algún ser querido? Yes, sometimes ... more often than I would like...

26. Te has quedado en blanco en un examen? Yes, but fortunatley not for all the questions in the test ... so I passed.

27. Has viajado en barco? Yes, many times .. el vapor de la carrera between Montevideo and Buenos Aires when I was little ... the Mabua Express between Bali and Lombok, my hsuband's sailboats .. and more.

28. Has dado o recibido una patada en los huevos?????? No!

29. Te han robado la cartera? Yes, when living in Bogota in 1975.

30. Has pasado alguna noche en un calabozo? I told you I was boring .. no, I have not.

31. Te has desmayado alguna vez? Yes, because of low sugar in the morning and once when I was an adolescent and for the first time I was going to have blood taken.

32. Te fuiste sin pagar de algún bar o restaurante? No, I do not think so ..I do not run fast enough!

33. Has escrito cartas de amor? YES!

34. Pagarías por sexo? NOPE!

35. Morirías por amor? I do not think so.

I enjoyed replying to these questions. And if you find where the butterfly is - in the questions or answers- let me know!

I am pleased to give this Butterfly to two bloggers:

La cuisine de Helene a lovely food blog from Helene, a Canadian blogger (your challenge is to understand the questions out of my replies!)

and

Rina and Argentinian who lives in Santiago de Chile.

Enjoy!

Mousse au chocolat a go go!

Sunday's dessert for lunch : Mousse au chocolat! I made it in a large bowl and served it with a wooden ladle I brought from Japan, which meant that one could have "generous" portions!

For the recipe of the Mousse au Chocolat, visit my website, and search in the Recipe Window.

www.aworldinapan.com

Warmest Wishes and Many Thanks

A sincere note of thanks to all of my readers and friends. I enjoy and appreciate your comments, thoughts, recommendations and stories. Please keep them coming!

It has been a great year, despite the $/€ debacle. We're still here! And hanging on!
My husband got his own radio show and I snagged a paid writing gig. (which may not be around for much longer...more on that later...if it ends as suddenly as it started, there is always something new to take its place)

On a personal note: to my family and close friends, thank you for all of your love and support. And to my wonderful husband who tirelessly pursued Compaq in France for three weeks to get my laptop repaired - You are the best husband! Ti Amo!

Wishing you all the best that the season has to offer. Thanks again!


Joyeuses Fêtes!

Photo du Jour - A Glance

Ever feel like you're being watched?

Best wishes

BEST WISHES FOR A VERY PROSPEROUS & TASTY 2008

At home 2008 starts with plenty of hot, tasty soups!

Minestrone, vichyssoise (leeks & potatos), mixed vegetables, onion soup (soupe a l'oignon), chestnut, pumkin ...

If you're in a mood for soup, check all the recipes at http://www.aworldinapan.com/

Photo du Jour - A Diamond in the Rough

Stone barn in the Charente.
I love the pattern of the white stones and that diamond shaped window.

I Love Christmas In France!

It's all about the food, family and friends. I love it!

There were hordes of people doing their food shopping at les Halles in Narbonne this morning and they were all in a good mood. Everyone. The shoppers and the salespeople. It was wonderful!


a little something to start with


un mélange


main course


the cheese course


don't forget the dessert


all presided over by one of Santa's elves and his reindeer

La Fête du Fromage - Le Galletout

My endless pursuit to taste every French cheese means that any time we take a trip in France, some of our holiday time must be devoted to tracking down a Fromagerie or two.  Or three.
I have a very patient husband.

Before each trip I try to do some research online, but it really is surprising how many cheese shops and cheese makers either don't have websites of their own or attempt to include up to date information, like opening days and times, on public websites run by the local Mairie.
So most of the time I just ask for recommendations from the locals.

During our morning of wine tasting at le Tasting Room in the Loire last October, the owner, Cathy, mentioned her favorite little Fromagerie in Saumur.  She couldn't remember the name or the address, but described where it was in relation to a couple of the well known landmarks in town.  I finally found the charming little shop, tucked back on a little lane between the river and la Place Saint-Pierre.

Being that we were in the Loire Valley, home to many famous fromages de chèvre, I expected a decent selection of goat's cheeses.

I was not disappointed.

Le Galletout was the first one that caught my eye.
It looked so intriguing; like a crumpled, pale mushroom cap or cloud of meringue.  I always seem to be attracted to unconventional looking cheeses.

Its flavor is sublime!  Cutting through the thin, bloomy rind reveals a dripping, oozing, velvety textured pâte that tastes like a goat's cheese, but not an overly strong, goaty one.  The perfectly balanced flavors are slightly tangy, with hints of soft citrus and milk. 

Le Galletout is an unpasteurized chèvre produced in the Lot, in southwestern France.  It can be eaten young and mild, after only two weeks of affinage, or it can be aged a little bit longer if a stronger flavor is preferred.

Pair with a Pouilly Fumé.

A Greek Feast in the South of France

After several months of holidays, milestone birthdays, travel, and life in general getting in the way, the World Food Group finally got together to cook another meal. This time we decided to explore the aromatic and feta-filled cuisine of Greece.

Recipe research began immediately, and what better website when looking for Greek recipes than Peter Minakis' Kalofagas. His mouthwatering photos and recipes make me want to hop on a plane to a tiny sun-drenched island dotted with quaint whitewashed houses with blue shutters faster than you can say Mamma Mia.*

Instead I enjoyed a fabulous Hellenic feast cooked with good friends in the south of France. I really can't complain!



My contribution was an oregano and cinnamon perfumed, Bechamel and tomato sauce laced, stuffed eggplant dish called Melitzanes Papoutsakia.

As Peter says, 'These stuffed eggplants are translated from Greek to mean “little shoes” as that’s what the finished product looks like. In Greek: μελιτζάνες παπουτσάκια (pronounced meh-leed-ZAH-nes pah-poot SAHK-yah)'
As the eight of us who ate the entire dish say, 'Absolutely delicious!'

Melitzanes Papoutsakia

6-8 small to medium eggplants, halved
1lb of extra lean ground beef
4 tbsp of olive oil
2 large onions, diced
3 bay leaves
6 cloves of minced garlic
1 can of plum tomatoes, pureed (or Pomodoro)
1/2 cup white wine
salt, pepper
1 tsp dried basil
3 tsp dried oregano
3 Tbsp of chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 recipe for Bechamel Sauce
1 cup grated Kefalotiri cheese

1. Wash and dry the eggplants, trim off the stems and cut in half, lengthwise. With a small spoon, scoop out the meat without breaking the skins (start at the centre with the seeds and then work carefully around. Discard the seeds and reserve the pulp. Drizzle the eggplant halves with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt. Place in a preheated 400F oven(middle rack) for 30-40 minutes or until firm. Reserve.
2. Start making your filling. In a heavy sauce pan, saute your onions, garlic, bay leaves, some salt for about 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent. Now add your eggplant pulp and saute for another 5 minutes. Stir in the ground beef and and saute until browned. Add your wine, tomato sauce, oregano, parsley, dried basil and simmer until thick. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. In about 30-45 minutes you should have a thick sauce. Stir in your cinnamon and set aside.
3. Make your Bechamel Sauce and reserve .
4. You should have your eggplant halves in a roasting pan. Sprinkle some cheese on the bottoms, then spoon in the meat sauce into each cavity. Now spoon the bechamel sauce over the meat sauce and top with grated cheese. Bake in a pre-heated 375F oven for approx. 30 minutes. The tops should be a nice golden-brown.

*Exactly how did a song with an Italian name, written by a couple of Swedish guys, end up as a play set on a Greek island?

All of Our Things Christmas

Ever year, preparing the house for our Christmas Eve dinner is a true enjoyment.
We usually start the evening with a glass of Blanc de Blanc Champagne. Our glasses were presented on a square red tray; I had placed two sets of silver candle holders with red candles to remind my Christmas theme: a white and red. A small bouquet of red roses completed the picture.
In the back can be seen some of our Persian rugs, bought in Iran in the late 70'ties, and under the table an antique blue and white Baotou Chinese carpet.
You can see through the coffee table top, Jean-Louis collection of daggers and swords. (Oh, how I regret not having succumbed to a silver Kris found at an antique shop in Yogyakarta in 1993! )

The table had been set with taste, I think!
I had found in the market mini Poinsettias, this beautiful flower that symbolises Christmas, and I had bought two red short vases. I used my white candle holders and two large square red candles. On the table, the white Jacquard Francais damasse table cloth given as a present by my dear friend Elizabeth.

Silver was out! The water pitcher given by my Mother on a round silver plate also given by my mother. I used the red square plates (I put one on top of the other) To each side, all the silver ware that we needed to eat foi gras, lobster, duck, and dessert. The white napkins were hold by a silver napkin ring and put on the plates.
My Egyptian mouth-blown water glasses gift of my Friend Fafa in 2000, completed the picture, together with large wine glasses - an American invention, pretty stylish but that the French do not like that much because it's not the "classic" size of a wine glass. I always joke that restaurant owners came up with this glass size to pour a whole bottle of wine in a first serving and to have the clients ordering another at the beginning of the meal!This year in lieu of a Christmas tree, I made a "forest" of orchids on a Qing Dynasty (19 C)rosewood console where I pinned here and there some of the Christmas cards we have received.

This wall displays paintings of landscapes: a chalk painting of Moscow's many bulb shaped churches and buildings, a watercolor of the Lake District bought at an auction in Nairobi, Kenya in 1981, a scene of the Baghdad bazaar, given by friends when we left the country in 1985.
In the kitchen, silver plates, trays, and serving forks and knives, were ready and handy!
The result was delightful! Tomorrow I will share with you our menu.