Detail of an old stone sink and hand painted decoration.
Peonies as big as a sun!
Have you ever seen peonies this beautiful? 
This is the story behind them: When we leave Paris for more than two days, we always send an e-inivtation to close non-Parisian friends who may enjoy visitng Paris solo while we are away.
Our dear friends James and Martica lived many years in Paris and moved to the Loire Valley a few years ago where we visit them very often. Here we are having a drink at Montseareau.
This is the story behind them: When we leave Paris for more than two days, we always send an e-inivtation to close non-Parisian friends who may enjoy visitng Paris solo while we are away.Our dear friends James and Martica lived many years in Paris and moved to the Loire Valley a few years ago where we visit them very often. Here we are having a drink at Montseareau. It happens that Martica's sister is visiting from Bogota. I thought it would be a welcoming change from the quietness of their place to the thrills of Paris and I proposed our home to them first.
To thank us they gave me this bouquet of the most beautiful peonies I have ever ever seen in my life. One week after they gave them to me, I am still enjoying them every day. Every friend who has come to our home has asked where we got them! If you're curious too, Martica bought them at Fleurs d'Auteuil, right opposite my home.
To thank us they gave me this bouquet of the most beautiful peonies I have ever ever seen in my life. One week after they gave them to me, I am still enjoying them every day. Every friend who has come to our home has asked where we got them! If you're curious too, Martica bought them at Fleurs d'Auteuil, right opposite my home.
Where to Buy Cheese in Paris
I'm really not trying to show favoritism, but after spending a week at the award winning Fromagerie Laurent Dubois in Paris in December, getting to know the owners, staff and incredible array of mouth-watering cheeses while working both in the front of house and down in the caves d'affinage, I feel like I should have an opinion about the place.
And I can tell you in all honesty that Monsieur and Madame Dubois and the staff at both of their shops are incredibly passionate and quite happy to share their knowledge with you, whether it be helping you to select a small wedge of perfectly aged Comté to enjoy on your own, or by putting together an entire cheese board for you to share with your guests.
La Fromagerie Laurent Dubois has two locations: one in the 15th arrondissement (their original shop) and one in the 5th arrondissement.
Both places offer almost the same selection, but the ambiance of the two shops is considerably different. The shop in the 15th has the feel of a local, neighborhood place, while the one in the 5th on the Boulevard Saint-Germain caters more toward tourists.
Fromagerie Laurent Dubois
2 rue de Lourmel
75015 PARIS
Métro: Dupleix
47ter Boulevard Saint-Germain
75005 PARIS
Métro: Maubert-Mutualité
Please do not be intimidated by the Fromageries in Paris.
In general, the staff love to share their passion for the product and most of them speak English. They will be happy to help you.
I also found that they really appreciated when cheese loving foreigners came in and wanted to try something new!
In addition to la Fromagerie Laurent Dubois, there are two other cheese shops in Paris that I highly recommend:
Fromagerie Chez Virginie
54 rue Damrémont
75018 PARIS
Métro : Guy Môquet
and
Marie-Anne Cantin
12, rue Champs de Mars
75007 PARIS
Métro : École-Militaire
Photo du Jour - Green Almonds
Fuzzy, pale, fruity tasting green almonds make a brief appearance at the end of April. In just a few weeks their short season will be over. The outer shell will harden and the tender, ivory colored seed will wrinkle and mature.
Panzanella - A Summer Staple
Leftover bread.
Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning in it. You wouldn't believe the amount of crumbs I clean off our kitchen counters on a daily basis.
Baguettes, gros pain, campaillettes, ficelles, pain de campagne...
The amazing variety of bread available in the boulangeries in France is a carbophobe's nightmare.
And a bread lover's dream!
So when you are surrounded by all this gorgeous bread you tend to buy it almost every day and occasionally, (unless you have guests or are eating something that just screams out for lots and lots of it) you have leftover, half eaten loaves that becomes stale within hours.
The perfect solution is Panzanella, an incredibly satisfying Italian bread and tomato salad.
I make Panzanella a lot in the summertime. It combines all that I love about summer cooking;
The recipe I've given here is merely a guide. I added some arugula and minced shallots to the most recent batch which blended well with the other ingredients.
The olive oil and vinegar amounts are to taste. I love a really vinegar-y salad, so usually add more than most people.
Panzanella
serves 4
about 6 cups of day-old, crusty peasant-style bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large tomatoes, trimmed and cut into 8 wedges
1 cup peeled and seeded cucumber, sliced
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/3 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 4 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
a handful (about 15-20- I like a lot) of fresh basil leaves, torn up
Mix everything together in a bowl and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning in it. You wouldn't believe the amount of crumbs I clean off our kitchen counters on a daily basis.
Baguettes, gros pain, campaillettes, ficelles, pain de campagne...
The amazing variety of bread available in the boulangeries in France is a carbophobe's nightmare.
And a bread lover's dream!
So when you are surrounded by all this gorgeous bread you tend to buy it almost every day and occasionally, (unless you have guests or are eating something that just screams out for lots and lots of it) you have leftover, half eaten loaves that becomes stale within hours.
The perfect solution is Panzanella, an incredibly satisfying Italian bread and tomato salad.
I make Panzanella a lot in the summertime. It combines all that I love about summer cooking;
- no oven necessary so there is no "cooking"
- uses lots of fresh, local produce
- takes almost no time to throw together
- tastes wonderful with a cold glass of rosé
The recipe I've given here is merely a guide. I added some arugula and minced shallots to the most recent batch which blended well with the other ingredients.
The olive oil and vinegar amounts are to taste. I love a really vinegar-y salad, so usually add more than most people.
Panzanella
serves 4
about 6 cups of day-old, crusty peasant-style bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large tomatoes, trimmed and cut into 8 wedges
1 cup peeled and seeded cucumber, sliced
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/3 to 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 to 4 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
a handful (about 15-20- I like a lot) of fresh basil leaves, torn up
Mix everything together in a bowl and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
St-Denis sur Loire
An early morning walk along the Loire river ... my idea of heaven!Last August we spent a weekend in Sologne over at good friends'. To stretch the feeling of being on a holiday we took Friday off and stayed at Saint Denis sur Loire, 4 miles east of Blois. From here you can visit Blois, Chateau Chambord, Cour Cheverny, and more, and then come back to the quietness of a small town.
This delightful town was the home of Bernard Lorjou a well known French painter (1908-1986).
One walk took me to this peaceful small chateau of which I have not been able to find the name!
Another took me along fields of flowers in the countryside. Here, they plant flowers on the parcels of land the leave at rest (to lie fallow). It is called something like flowerd fallows (jachere fleurie) ... isn't that beautiful?This is my 281th post.
Summertime Sangria
Our local co-op sells Minervois rosé for the bargain price of €1.30 a liter.
We enjoy its thirst-quenching, refreshing qualities all summer long, and like to do all we can to support our local vignerons!
Husband recently decided that we should try to make Sangria with rosé instead of red so I happily mixed up this concoction late this morning and left it to sit and infuse in the fridge for a few hours. At lunchtime we poured ourselves a couple of icy cold glasses to taste.
What a wonderful flavor!
Tangy, not too sweet, invigorating and delicious. I'm so happy with the results!
Loulou's Summertime Sangria
Leave in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight to allow the flavors to blend.
Serve over ice.
¡Salud!
*no need to use your best Cognac for this recipe
.
We enjoy its thirst-quenching, refreshing qualities all summer long, and like to do all we can to support our local vignerons!
Husband recently decided that we should try to make Sangria with rosé instead of red so I happily mixed up this concoction late this morning and left it to sit and infuse in the fridge for a few hours. At lunchtime we poured ourselves a couple of icy cold glasses to taste.
What a wonderful flavor!
Tangy, not too sweet, invigorating and delicious. I'm so happy with the results!
Loulou's Summertime Sangria
- 1 bottle of dry rosé
- 1/4 cup Cognac* or brandy
- 2 lemons, cut into pieces
- 1 orange, cut into pieces
- 3-5 tablespoons sugar
Leave in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight to allow the flavors to blend.
Serve over ice.
¡Salud!
*no need to use your best Cognac for this recipe
.
Cleaning-Out-The-Fridge Cake
By cake, I mean a savory cake that is baked in a long, narrow loaf pan.
I've come up with a savory cake batter that allows me to throw in whatever needs to be used up in the fridge. I always have bits of cheese lying about and often have bacon, ham or even leftover roasted chicken. Add some sautéed vegetables for texture and flavor, mix it up, bake it and voilà! Dinner is served!
I call it Cleaning Out The Fridge Cake.
The basic batter recipe:
3 large eggs
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk - whole or 2%
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix everything together in a big bowl.
Create the ultimate combination to suit your taste!
Some great ones are smoked salmon and sautéed fennel, ham and olives. Chèvre, plumped up golden raisins and mint. Mozzarella, sun dried tomato and rosemary.
The amount of additional salt and freshly ground pepper will depend upon what ingredients you're using.
Here are a few more savory cake recipes with slightly different batter recipes.
Roquefort and Pear Cake
Savory Cheddar-Chive Bread
Roquefort Walnut Savory Loaf
I've come up with a savory cake batter that allows me to throw in whatever needs to be used up in the fridge. I always have bits of cheese lying about and often have bacon, ham or even leftover roasted chicken. Add some sautéed vegetables for texture and flavor, mix it up, bake it and voilà! Dinner is served!
I call it Cleaning Out The Fridge Cake.
The basic batter recipe:
3 large eggs
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk - whole or 2%
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix everything together in a big bowl.
Then you fold in:
4 ounces grated cheese such as Gruyère, Comté or Swiss
4 - 8 ounces sautéed vegetables such as zucchini, peppers, fennel, onions, jarred roasted red peppers or roasted tomatoes
8 ounces soft cheese such as chèvre or feta
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs or 1 teaspoon dried
freshly ground black pepper
optional: 1/4 - 1/2 cup of diced ham or diced, cooked chicken, smoked salmon, dried fruit, pitted olives
Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serve warm or cold.
4 ounces grated cheese such as Gruyère, Comté or Swiss
4 - 8 ounces sautéed vegetables such as zucchini, peppers, fennel, onions, jarred roasted red peppers or roasted tomatoes
8 ounces soft cheese such as chèvre or feta
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs or 1 teaspoon dried
freshly ground black pepper
optional: 1/4 - 1/2 cup of diced ham or diced, cooked chicken, smoked salmon, dried fruit, pitted olives
Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serve warm or cold.
Create the ultimate combination to suit your taste!
Some great ones are smoked salmon and sautéed fennel, ham and olives. Chèvre, plumped up golden raisins and mint. Mozzarella, sun dried tomato and rosemary.
The amount of additional salt and freshly ground pepper will depend upon what ingredients you're using.
Yesterdays bread with roasted red peppers, fresh goat cheese, herbes de provence and grated Comté cheese.
Here are a few more savory cake recipes with slightly different batter recipes.
Roquefort and Pear Cake
Savory Cheddar-Chive Bread
Roquefort Walnut Savory Loaf
Paella for all!
Paella is the perfect dish when you have a great number of guests. And that is what was served one lunch to the some 28 guests of Lafitte in Southwest France, 70 miles from Bordeaux - of course, chicken paella and, you guess, Bordeaux wine.Paella is from Valencia, in Southern Spain. To make one you need rice, saffron, and olive oil and a flat, large, paella pan. It used to be made with whatever else was available, chicken, fish, vegetables ... and there was always rice in the pantry of all Spanish houses.
We had green and yellow bell peppers, ripe tomatoes, onions, green peas, green beans, a few garlic cloves, 4 lb of rice, saffron, chicken, and used olive oil.
We cut the onions in slices and the tomatoes in dices. In the big (huge) paella pan that Fernando brought from Spain and that covers all four burners of the stove, we fried the onions a few minutes and then added the tomatoes.
We let the vegetables cook for a few minutes (about 6-7 minutes because the pan is so big) and added the peppers cut in slices and the garlic. Again, we let the vegetables fry while stirring occasionally so that they do not burn. 
Then we added the chicken that we had previously cut in small pieces. Because we had a lot of guests we had bought 1 lb of chicken breasts instead of a more traditional whole chicken cut in pieces. We stirred and let brown a little. In the meantime, we were infusing saffron in hot water. 
We added the boiling water with the saffron (add carefully) bringing the whole paella pan to a boil for a few minutes. Then we added the rice (4 lb) stirring so that the grains were coated with the flavors of the vegetables and chicken.
Once it boiled we lowered the heat to low and let cook until the rice was only beginning to be soft, adding water if necessary. Once all the water had been absorbed, we turn the heat off and let rest for 15 minutes before serving it.
We had green and yellow bell peppers, ripe tomatoes, onions, green peas, green beans, a few garlic cloves, 4 lb of rice, saffron, chicken, and used olive oil.We cut the onions in slices and the tomatoes in dices. In the big (huge) paella pan that Fernando brought from Spain and that covers all four burners of the stove, we fried the onions a few minutes and then added the tomatoes.We let the vegetables cook for a few minutes (about 6-7 minutes because the pan is so big) and added the peppers cut in slices and the garlic. Again, we let the vegetables fry while stirring occasionally so that they do not burn. Then we added the chicken that we had previously cut in small pieces. Because we had a lot of guests we had bought 1 lb of chicken breasts instead of a more traditional whole chicken cut in pieces. We stirred and let brown a little. In the meantime, we were infusing saffron in hot water. We added the boiling water with the saffron (add carefully) bringing the whole paella pan to a boil for a few minutes. Then we added the rice (4 lb) stirring so that the grains were coated with the flavors of the vegetables and chicken.Once it boiled we lowered the heat to low and let cook until the rice was only beginning to be soft, adding water if necessary. Once all the water had been absorbed, we turn the heat off and let rest for 15 minutes before serving it.
Here is one of our tables (two more were also served).
Photo du Jour - La Vie en Lavande
Our friend's house that is absolutely swimming in a sea of lavender right now.
Photo du Jour
Poor Domino. Here he was last night, sleeping peacefully, not a care in the world.
The little guy had no idea what was in store for him at the veterinarian's office today.
Photo du Jour - Courge Olive
Olive Squash Cucurbita maxima
"... a dull-skinned heirloom with thick yellow, sweet flesh which is excellent in puddings and preserves."
Taken at the market in Éauze.
Fresh green pepper sauce
I could not resist buying these strands of green fresh pepper at the Asian market the other day! I do not go often to Chinatown so I thought I might take advantage of the visit and bring back something unsual. What could I do with it? I had a sea bass in my fridge. 
I decided to do a sauce for my fish. 
I decided to do a sauce for my fish. Ingredients:
3 Tbsp of Fresh green pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
one can of good tomatoes (no additives, only tomatoes)
1 glass of white dry wine
2 chopped shallots
sea salt to taste
3 Tpsp of creme fraiche (or mascarpone if you do not have creme fraiche)
Smash the green pepper grains. If you're sensitive to hot food, do not smash too much ...
Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the green pepper and fry one minute. 
Add the canned tomatoes. I use Cirio whole tomatoes. 
Bring to a boil. 
Add the wine. Stir. 
Add the two chopped shallots. Add the sea salt to taste. 
Let simmer 30 minutes over low heat. I froze half of it and used one half. Add 3 Tbsp of creme fraiche before serving and boil again so that it is very hot. Served aside with your steamed fish.
Let simmer 30 minutes over low heat. I froze half of it and used one half. Add 3 Tbsp of creme fraiche before serving and boil again so that it is very hot. Served aside with your steamed fish. If you do not have fresh green pepper, you can use canned green pepper. Add the water in the can to your sauce.
Photo du Jour
Looking up at Saint Louis Cathederal and the Louisiana State Museum in Jackson Square on my last day in New Orleans. Hard to believe it is already two weeks since I left!
Photo du Jour - Deep in the Heart of France
The beauty of the Languedoc-Roussillon never fails to amaze me.
Photo du Jour - Le Minervois
On the road that takes us from our village, population 402, to "civilization."
La Fête du Fromage - Séchon de l'Ardèche
This petit chèvre packs a serious punch!
When I choose this little cheese at my favorite Fromagerie in Narbonne, the woman behind the counter told me, actually it was more of a warning, that it was a very dry and strong cheese. "Oui, oui, d'accord," I replied, thinking, bring it on lady, I'm no cheese virgin.
Well, she was right to give warning.
Séchon de l'Ardèche may look like an innocent, little, wrinkly goat's cheese, but it surprisingly potent!
In a really, really good way.
The Ardèche is a rural département in southern France that is known for its rugged, natural beauty, stunning scenery, chestnuts, charcuterie and an AOC goat's cheese, Picodon de l'Ardèche.
Séchon de l'Ardèche is like Picodon on steroids.
Again, in a good way.
The slightly moldy, edible, dry rind breaks open to reveal a brittle, crumbling cheese that has an earthy, tangy and rather goaty aroma. The flavor is rustic and extremely rich and peppery.
The texture -wow! - dense and very, very chewy. It completely coats your mouth with its rich, full texture and flavor.
For those who don't appreciate strong cheeses or "goaty" chèvres, avoid Séchon de l'Ardèche. If you're like me however, and adore them, this is one to try!
Some red Côtes-du-Rhône or white Crozes-Hermitage would be good matches with this piquant cheese.
When I choose this little cheese at my favorite Fromagerie in Narbonne, the woman behind the counter told me, actually it was more of a warning, that it was a very dry and strong cheese. "Oui, oui, d'accord," I replied, thinking, bring it on lady, I'm no cheese virgin.
Well, she was right to give warning.
Séchon de l'Ardèche may look like an innocent, little, wrinkly goat's cheese, but it surprisingly potent!
In a really, really good way.
The Ardèche is a rural département in southern France that is known for its rugged, natural beauty, stunning scenery, chestnuts, charcuterie and an AOC goat's cheese, Picodon de l'Ardèche.
Séchon de l'Ardèche is like Picodon on steroids.
Again, in a good way.
The slightly moldy, edible, dry rind breaks open to reveal a brittle, crumbling cheese that has an earthy, tangy and rather goaty aroma. The flavor is rustic and extremely rich and peppery.
The texture -wow! - dense and very, very chewy. It completely coats your mouth with its rich, full texture and flavor.
For those who don't appreciate strong cheeses or "goaty" chèvres, avoid Séchon de l'Ardèche. If you're like me however, and adore them, this is one to try!
Some red Côtes-du-Rhône or white Crozes-Hermitage would be good matches with this piquant cheese.
Photo du Jour - Cheers!
Even though the New Year's celebrations have officially ended, we're still catching up with friends we haven't seen since early December. Yesterday was a scrumptious lunch at the beach where the sun was shining and the temperature was a balmy 65 degrees F!
Photo du Jour - Where am I?
If France is only 30 miles away, then why did it take me almost 24 hours to get here?
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