Photo du Jour

This little dog has got the life!
And people think our dogs are spoiled...

Second day in Provence

When you visit Provence in January - while the rest of France has almost freezing temperatures - and can enjoy having lunch outside, you understand why the French love love love to come here all year round.

Michele and I met when we were both living in Baghdad. Daughter Marylaure came back from school one day saying that there was a new girl in her class she had played with and we found out we were neighbors. This was back in 1984 and we have been very good friends ever since.

We started the day with a long morning walk to the beach, always blue, always beautiful.
For lunch, we served mussels in a "poulette sauce a notre facon" for lunch, I say "our way" because we replaced the usual hen stock with ... white wine.

Ingredients and steps:

Mussels for four.

1/2 bottle white dry wine
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup creme fraiche

1 Tbs corn starch
juice of 1/2 lemon
per1 Tbs chopped parsely
sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Clean and steam the mussles in a covered pan over low-medium heat until they open. Keep warm.

Mix the two egg yolks with the lemon juice in a small bowl and leave aside.

Dissolve the starch in the wine and put in a small pan. Add the cream, the water you have in the mussles pan (you may want to filter in case there is sand), and bring slowly to a boil stirring constantly with a whisk. Let boil a few seconds, then add the egg yolks and lemon mixture and stir well. Season to taste and remove from the heat.

Divide the mussels in four small cassolettes (individual pans), pour 1/4 of the sauce evenly over the mussels in each pan, add the chopped parsley and serve immediately.

We served them with a butter lettuce salad and had the same Chateau de Mauvanne we had yesterday, a AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controle) Cote de Provence, because it was divine!
After lunch we drove along the coast to enjoy the view of the "calanques", a Mediterranean fyord! It is a deep small valley with very steep sides, typical of the area. La Ciotat, Cassis, Bandol ...

In the evening, Michele made fish quenelles, which is a French light dumpling made of a mixture of fish, cream, breadcrumbs, starch, and a light egg binding. The shape is oblong, very much like a thick sausage, and they raise when they are poached. Wikipedia says "formerly quenelles were often used as a garnish in haute cuisine; today, they are usually served on their own."

Michele poached them in a provencale sauce made with tomatoes, green peppers, onions and white wine, where she had added some mussles left from our lunch. She served the quenelles with white rice.

For the dessert, we picked some mandarines from the area from a a large basket and we shared two candied clementines, a speciality from Apt, near Avignon.

Off to Lafitte & light lunch!

I was listenting to a podcast of Good Food (see my favorite links) as I was returning from shopping at the local market. I had bought French Green Beans that lookd sooo fresh (they had been picked the day before) among other green treats while I was listenting to a LA chef who was talking about how good green beans were this season! THey are good over here too and these are for you, simply steamed and with a branch of rosemary for extra flavor!
Yesterday we had them steamed! I served them just warm and tossed with some olive oil and chopped garlic and parsely. Try them. You can prepare in the same way Yellow Beans or any VERY FRESH beans.
The following day (today) I sauteed the rest. Heat olive oil in a pan, add a sliced onion, let brown (I added 1/4 yellow bell pepper I had in the fridge from another preparation) then add two/three VERY RIPE tomates (best without the skin) and let cook 5 minutes (medium heat), then add the green beans and let cook 2 more minutes. Simple and delicous.
We're off to Lafitte for our Recreation French Country Vacation. I'll come back from Lafitte with more recipes.

Photo du Jour - Gnocchi

Homemade gnocchi, or cavatelli, as my family calls it. We made a huge batch when we were all together last year and this year we're doing it all over again.

There are four generations cooking together today. My grandma, who turned 92 last week, down to the youngest, my niece, who is 10. We're making pounds and pounds of cavatelli and meatballs and sauce.
There will be a grand feast tonight!

A visit to my cellar

I live in a typical 19C Parisian stone building. These 6-7 storeys buildings have all a similar architecture, and give Paris the feeling of harmony one experiences when visitng.
Every one of these buildings has two floors of basements where the cellars are.
They were meant to store wine - although we now used them as storage of everything we cannot fit in our small flats: suit cases, Xmas decorations, old furniture, tools .. and more.
The walls are in rough stone and the entrance arched. The doors are pretty rustic!

We have around 150 bottles stored - and classified - in our cellar. There is always Champagne! I have some fine wines here, such as Pomerols, Saint Emilions, Pauillac, and more. I love Bordeaux wines!

You can see here the stone which contrary to convrete, "breathes" and creates a perfect environnement for wine storage. No need of sophisticated systems that keep temperature and humidity even! Natural materials work great.

When it comes to whites, my favorite are Sancerre, Pouilly Fume, Chablis, and some Savennieres! The very yellow bottle on top is a Sauternes I keep for foie gras.
When I buy wine, I ask how long it needs to be stored before drinking it, and how long it can be kept, and I write it on tags that help me find my way when I want a bottle.

Cheers!

La Fête du Fromage...

...please tune in tomorrow. I apologize for the slight delay.



Here's a little preview to whet your appetite - le Caillou Creusois.


(is it obvious by the wrinkled state of that blue cloth in the background that I don't own an iron? I think I'm the only person in France who doesn't!)

La Fête du Fromage International Cheese Tasting Event - January Round-Up

This was another great month for La Fête du Fromage! Thanks to everyone who participated.


Not one, but two cheeses and a recipe for Date Chutney were included in Shira's generous entry for La Fête du Fromage on her blog, Petit Pois. A recent trip to Neals Yard Dairy yielded a duo of traditional British cheeses, Stilton and Lincolnshire Poacher. They both look delicious!

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

A rich, triple cream Norwegian style cheese won the heart of Rachel from The Crispy Cook. I can see why! Bergenost is a creamy, artisan cheese produced in Corfu, New York by Yancey's Fancy Cheese. Aren't these vintage cheese plates cute?!

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

Danielle of Savor Culture tasted Gouda for La Fête du Fromage, but not just any Gouda - Double-Cream Gouda! What exactly does having double the cream do for Gouda? Danielle says, "it imparts a luxurious, supple texture that melts beautifully and pairs well with a variety of assertive flavors Because the cheese is aged for only six months, its flavor is mellow, with only a hint of tanginess." I'm sold.

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

Nathalie of Spaced Out Ramblings tasted Tomino, a cow's milk cheese from the Piemonte area of northern Italy. She describes it as a very mild cheese that is meant to be eaten warm. Different variations include Tomino wrapped in bacon, Tomino sprinkled with fresh rosemary (like this one) and Tomino stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese and sprinkled with chopped walnuts. Warmed up, oozing cheese - sounds good to me!

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

Now this is a cheese I've never heard of; Apple Cinnamon Monterey Jack. Judith at A Shortcut to Mushrooms describes the apple and cinnamon flavors as very mild and not sweet, like she thought it would be. She enjoyed it on some toasted wheat crackers with a green salad, and melted on a tortilla as a snack. Thanks for sharing this one with us Judith.

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

Camille of Croque Camille tasted Bleu d'Auvergne, one of her favorite French blue cheeses, for la Fête. "Simultaneously creamy and crumbly, its texture is equally suited to smearing on bread or sprinkling on salad." I'm with you Camille, this is also one of my favorite French blues.

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

Pouligny Saint-Pierre is my entry for January. We tasted this luscious, creamy goat's cheese back in April and my husband immediately declared it his favorite cheese of all time. (I loved it, but have yet to choose one all time favorite - I could probably narrow it down to five.) It bears the nickname "la pyramide" or "la Tour Eiffel" due to its truncated, pyramid shape.

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

La Fête du Fromage will be on vacation in February so please join in the cheese tasting festivities again in March.

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?

The 15th of every month will be the official day for La Fête du Fromage. Please have your entries to me by the end of the 13th.

• 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 - Anadama Bread

A golden, soft and nutty loaf of Anadama Bread.*

This is my first successful loaf for the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge that the brilliant Nicole of Pinch my Salt launched just last week.
The goal is to bake each of the 43 impressive (and some daunting!) looking bread recipes from Peter Reinhart’s book, The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread over the next year.

It's not too late to join in. Have a look at the link to the BBA Challenge, get a copy of the book and start baking!

Next week...Greek Celebration Bread.



*Makes divine grilled cheese sandwiches and toast! Here's the recipe.

Photo du Jour

Pure, cascading color in a corner of our friend's garden.

Rainy Sunday Reading

I can finally put my old Rick Bayless cookbook to use.

Love this idea!

Started making my own yogurt two weeks ago. This article couldn't have been published at a better time.

Overflowing with creativity.

Simple and delicious party nibbles.

Haven't had cheese delivered right to my door yet. (other than when friends come for a visit and bring a basket full) Thinking seriously about trying them out.


Today's rainy view over the vineyards.

Posters and 2008 Calendars !

A World in a PAN presents its "Fruits" posters and "2008 Deserts" desk calendars!
The poster features pictures of fruits and desserts, and the calendar a selection of 12 of our season desserts.

If you want to know more or you want to get one, contact Jean-Louis@aworldinapan.com

Happy Mardi Gras!

Supposed to be a balmy 83 degrees today.
Music and merriment are guaranteed!



Happy Mardi Gras!

Photo du Jour - David Lebovitz's Carnitas

I could go on and on about David Lebovitz's carnitas recipe. Instead I'll just say that they are simply spectacular.

If you've got a few hours and are craving an aromatic mound of succulent, caramelized pork to grace your tortillas, look no further.

Photo du Jour - Indian Pommes Frites

Potatoes roasted in Indian spices and ghee and some mango chutney for dipping.
My version of pommes frites.

Recipe to come later today.

Guavas in Uruguay!

I love guavas. I have lived in Colombia, Kenya, and in several countries in Asia, where guavas are common; I used to find the round yellow pink inside fruit with a sharp yet sweet flavor that I loved.

My mother makes a delicious jam with it (pictured above) which sometimes I have had here in uruguay with yogurt as an afternoon snack.

In Brazil, they make a paste out of this fruit and sell it in rectangles called "ticholos". I have found them for sale in the Montevideo streets, and they have brought sweet childhood memories. Trust me, they are delicious too.

But Uruguay has a type of guavas that I have never seen elsewhere (picture above). They are small, green outside and whitish inside. The flavor is very close to the yellow ones. I cut them in two and eat them out of the skin with a small cofee spoon. I have had several pounds of guayabas so far!

Photo du Jour

Parading through the French Quarter.

Sunday snack

What happens when Uruguayan and French culture collide?

Well, look at this picture and be daring!

You get the sweetnes of dulce de leche in a crepe robe (the classic "panqueque con dulce de leche") and the finesse of French Champagne!

This is what friend Marie Francoise and I enjoyed for our Sunday snack yesterday on my deck.

Note that the best dulce de leche in Uruguay is the one produced at the Tambo El Sosiego under the brandname LA PATAIA This huge jar of this sweet delicacy was given to me by my friend Nora while in Uruguay (she actualy gave me two such jars). Heavy but rewarding!

The Champagne was a bit too fruity for our taste, but its smooth bubbles gave a fun contrast to the sweetness of dulce de leche. The crepes were home made.

Buen provecho!

Batard Montrachet: What a fabulous treat!

The second day of ou stay, little did I know, when I mentioned I liked the white Montrachet wines, that Peter Muehlhausen, our host, would take out of his fabulous cellar ... a Batard Montrachet, Jean Noel Gagnard, 1991.
This great white Bourgogne wine (Grand Cru) is made with 100% chardonnay grapes, as all white Burgundy wines. This Appellation is the high end of the area wines.

Later on, as I was browsing the web to write this posting, I discovered that I had tasted a $500 wine bottle! WOW!

Amsterdam and its fabulous market

I spent the weekend in Amsterdam - but had forgotten the cable that allows me to transfer my pictures to my pc. So here they are!

I visited the more than fabulous albert cuyp market . Enjoy these shots!

I could not resist having a herring with pickles (I passed the chopped onion!) a very good treat fro Euros 2.50, and bought some pickles to bring home too (another 2 Euros).

When it comes to chicken, French chicken rules! So the best free range chicken you can buy in Amsterdam ... is Made in France (red Label or Label Rouge which guarantees quality standards in every phase of the conditioning).
However, in France my choice goes to the black feet or the Bresse chicken, not available here.

The choice of fish is incredible! Oh, how I enjoyed the view of all the varieties of fish and shellfish! I have spent hours in the Tokyo market and the Seoul market walking along the alleys, tasting, exploring .. I love anything that comes from the sea ... and I had a broad choice here.For desert, I bought strawberries, and bought so much that I left behind a couple of preserve flasks!

So, bon appetit!

Photo du Jour

A big, fat bumblebee - taken near the beach in California.

Our neighbor, the beekeeper, was telling me that our early spring-like weather is confusing our local honeybees. C'est catastrophe, he said.

Reine Claude Plums

Ah, the Reine Claude plums! This type of plum developed in France. The name comes from King Francois I's consort, Queen Claude (1499-1524). Their rich flavor is full when very ripe, almost soft. They are juicy and sweet, and melt in the mouth. They have a green-yellow body and the pit detaches itself from the plum very easily (this sort of identifies the true Reine Claude from other green plums).

They are available and are best in August.

See a recipe in this blog.