Photo du Jour - Festive

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

On the 6

The Paris Metro line #6 offers spectacular views of la Tour Eiffel.

I took this route every day for a week when I was in Paris earlier this month.  As soon as the train came above ground to cross a bridge over the Seine and this iconic monument came into view, almost every head turned to catch a glimpse.
I saw many smiles on the 6.

South of France Shutters

Photo du Jour

The work of stone carvers never ceases to fascinate me.

Photo du Jour - Crenelation

The interesting, crenelated roof line of the Cathédrale Saint-Just in Narbonne.

Photo du Jour - Charlotte aux Fruits Rouges

Le dessert du moment - Charlotte aux Fruits Rouges

The Cost of Living in France - Two Years Later

The cost of living in France is a subject that continues to be of interest to my readers, so I thought it was time to update my Cost of Living in France post and show you how we do it.

Living here is possible, even on a limited budget. We've been living in France full time for seven years and though we've had some difficult times with the $/€ exchange rate and almost packed it in and moved back to the States at one point, we managed to hang on by selling our garden and cutting back as much as we could.
We don't live extravagantly, never go out to the theater or to the movies, rarely eat out, and when our friends and family come to visit they offer to help with the added expense.  So it works.
  
Food prices have gone up in the last couple of years, as they have everywhere, and our income went up for several months when I worked last summer, but what we have to depend on every month is my husband's pension and my advertising income from Chez Loulou (a small part of the total), which equals about $1600, or €1290 at today's conversion rate.

As I stated before, we live in a village in the south, not in a big city, so the prices might be totally different to those living in cities like Paris, Lyon or Marseille.  Also, we own our little house outright so have no mortgage, nor do we have car payments or credit card debt.

EDF (electricity) €122
Phone and Internet €50
Heath Insurance (to cover the 30% that isn't covered by the state) €130
Car and Home Insurances €63
Taxes (habitation and foncières and TV) €50
Water €25
Fuel (to fill up the car twice) €90
Groceries (approx.) €350

Total €880
 
It leaves enough to live on.  Simply.
The good news is that the US dollar has been slowly gaining strength against the Euro.  Let's hope it continues!

We still do the majority of our fresh food shopping at the local markets.  The prices aren't any higher than what it would cost in fuel to drive to Narbonne or Carcassonne (a little over an hour round trip) and shop at the enormous grocery stores such as Géant Casino or Intermarché.  Those places drive me crazy and I would much rather support the small shops, local honey, wine and cheese producers, butchers, and fruit and vegetable growers in the area.

The one problem with living in rural France is finding a job.  Two years ago I didn't have the right to work, so it wasn't an issue.  Now it is an issue. The jobs are few and far between and are most commonly agricultural.  If only I knew how to drive a tractor, or had training as a shepherd.
So I continue to look for work and we continue to enjoy life to its fullest.  Proving that even with very little money, it can be done.

Lunch in Santa Barbara

A few days ago, we visited Santa Barbara, North of Santa Monica - where we're spending some days. Santa Barbara was founded by the Spanish in 1782 and keeps to this day a traditional style.The port is a forest of masts of all sizes! A very pleasant and relaxing walk.

We had lunch at Brophy's, a place where fish and seafood are king and that was recommended to us by friends! It's on a second floor on the wharf, you have to see the sign from a distance in order not to miss it. It has a deck with several tables, mostly in the sun, with an incredible view. The pleasant though a bit noisy large room, has many neat square tables and a counter where you can have a drink while waiting for a table to be available.My friend had a shrimp salad, very nicely presented with giant black olives, a hard boiled egg cut in two, half avocado open like a fan, all on a bed of lettuce.I ordered grilled wild salmon. You have a choice of chowder or salad, I had the latter, and it comes with rice pilaf or fries, I also had the latter, and home made cole slaw. The salmon came with a sauce on top, and I am no fan of sauces when fish is grilled so a pushed it to the sides. The salmon was perfectly cooked.
Traditional and tasty.
I had a glass of Chardonnay wine with my meal.
No desserts at Brophy's, so we headed to an ice cream parlor after this very good lunch.

Photo du Jour - It's a Boy!

I heard the plaintive mewing coming from behind the giant barn doors early Thursday morning. It went on all day then finally stopped in the early evening. Phew, I thought, mama had come to rescue its baby.
At midnight the mewing had started again and I just happened to see one of the family members who own the barn while he was out walking his dogs. He got the giant keys to open the giant doors and we searched under the huge wine vats, finally spotting this teeny tiny black thing tucked into a corner surrounded by enormous spider webs.
He wanted nothing to do with it so I gathered it up and brought it home. We made up the cat crate with warm towels and a hot water bottle and left it to sleep. The next morning our vet told us that it is a mere two weeks old, a boy and that our only option if we didn't want to keep it or find it a home is to take it to the local SPCA. Well, I'm not about to leave a two week old kitten at the SPCA. There's no guarantee that he won't be euthanized if he isn't adopted.
So, I bought a can of infant kitten formula and a little baby bottle and brought him home. He eats every 3-4 hours and we have to teach him to use the litter box. So far, so good. He's a smart little guy. (he obviously takes after me)

The intention is to find him a home and we already have friends who are interested. But yesterday my husband decided to name him.
Uh oh.

Great Valentine Class!

What a great crowd! A hands-on class where everybody participated and enjoyed the day.

Patty James and I had lots of fun during this class and have made projects to meet again for more French cooking. Follow up the news in both of our websites

http://www.pattyjames.com/

http://www.aworldinapan.com/

Photo du Jour - Cépage

Cépage - French for grape variety
Each individual color represents a different cépage that grows here in the Minervois.

In London, much more than just Stilton ..

While in London last week, I was introduced by a friend who is attending a course on design at Saint Martin's to a fabulous cheese shop at Neal's Yard. Jen,, you took me to the right spot!
The name of the shop is Neal's Yard Dairy, the sales assistants are very friendly and patient; they help you choose by sampling different cheeses. Many cheeses have a sign with the name of the farm where it comes from.

http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/
I got Colston Basset Stilton, Montgomery Cheddar, Kirkham's Lancashire, and Doddington. The Montgomery Cheddar was simply delicious, and the Stilton, stunning.

Tao had a hair cut

I'm not sure it was the best thing to do, it's been unusually cold in Paris these past days, but Tao had a haircut and he looks very cute!

Photo du Jour - Onion Rouge

Sweet red onions from Toulouges, a Catalan town near the Spanish border, close to Perpignan.

Amazing. Five and a half years here and I've never seen these before!

(and no, they don't look red to me either)

Photo du Jour

In a quiet wooded area about 2 kilometers outside of the village you will find La Chapelle Saint-Germain, a beautiful, unassuming 12th Century chapel.

Pad Thai

Over the years, especially the twelve I spent in Seattle, I have most definitely eaten my weight in Pad Thai. Well, probably more than my weight, if I'm totally honest.

My favorite was from Tup Tim Thai on lower Queen Anne. Their Pad Thai was spicy, sinfully slick with flavorful oil, and chock-full of broccoli, shrimp, tofu, eggs, bean sprouts and green onions. It was so unbelievably good, I could easily polish off an entire order in one sitting.

Since moving to rural France we've been severely deprived of Asian and Indian food. There's a serious dearth of any kind of restaurant other than French around here.
Not that we don't love the local French cuisine: tapenade, paté, duck in its many preparations, Cassoulet, goat cheese salads, brandade de morue, gigot d'agneau, etc. But variety is the spice of life and sometimes we need a little variety. And a little spice!
(and we can only spend so much time in places like Cognac and Paris trying to quench our Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean and Indian food cravings)

So I've learned to make my own versions of the take out food that we love and miss so desperately - Indian and Thai curries, Chinese food, even pizza.

Pad Thai is one dish that I've tried to make from time to time, but was never really pleased with the results. Until now.


My Pad Thai is a mélange of four different recipes that I've gleaned from cookbooks and from the Internet. It is loaded with flavor and isn't greasy, which I find many recipes for this dish are. It can be as spicy as you like and can be enjoyed with shrimp and chicken or packed full of vegetables and tofu for a fresh vegetarian version, like the one pictured above.


Pad Thai
serves 2-3 as a main course

• 8 ounces Thai rice noodles
• 8 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
  
• 4 ounces thinly sliced chicken breast
• 4 ounces firm tofu, cut into bite sized strips
  
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  
• 4 ounces bean sprouts
• 2 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, finely chopped
  

For the sauce

• 1/3 cup fish sauce
• 1/4 cup tamarind concentrate (some brands require diluting the concentrate in water, so please read the label)
  
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (or 1/3 cup palm sugar)
  
• 2-4 teaspoons chili powder

for the garnish

• 2 ounces bean sprouts
• 1 lime, cut into 8 wedges
• 1/4 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1. In a large bowl, cover the noodles with plenty of cool water and let soak for 1 hour. Drain.
2. Make the sauce by bringing the sauce ingredients to a gentle simmer on the stove. Add chili powder, 1 teaspoon at a time, to get the degree of heat you like. The sauce should be tangy, with a bit of sweetness and spiciness. Adjust it to your palate.
3. Heat oil in a large wok or frying pan until almost smoking. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add chicken, if using, and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add garlic and tofu along with a couple of tablespoons of the sauce and the shrimp, if using, and sauté until shrimp is pink, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the eggs and let them set for 10-15 seconds, then give them a quick stir with the other ingredients in the pan.
7. Add the drained noodles and most of the sauce, and stir together. If it seems too dry, add the rest of the sauce.
8. Add the bean sprouts, the green onions and the peanuts and stir everything together.
9. Taste for seasoning. Sometimes I add a bit of lime juice for extra zing at this point.
10. Serve with the garnish.
    

*A note about tamarind* (from Chez Pim)
"You can buy tamarind in blocks or readymade pulp that comes in plastic or glass containers (see the photo above). If you can't find a local market that carries tamarind you can order it online. If you buy readymade pulp, check to make sure that the ingredients only contain tamarind and water, no sugar or anything else. If you buy block tamarind, soak the block in 4 cups of hot water in a large bowl. Mesh the tamarind and water together and let sit until the water cool down enough not to burn your hands. Stick your hands -your impeccably clean hands as Julia Child would say- into the bowl and work the tamarind and water together until the consistency is a bit looser than room-temperature ketchup. Add more warm water if needed. Then, strain the mixture to remove the pits and tough membranes from the tamarind pulp. The consistency will be thick enough that you'd need to press it through the strainer. Use as much as you need for the Pad Thai sauce and keep the rest in a glass jar in your fridge. You'll have tamarind pulp handy for a long time."

Conchiglie al Salmone e Piselli

Lately, if you were to stop by our house for a glass of wine and a bite to eat, you might wonder where you are. Is this still France? Because the food coming out of my little kitchen certainly doesn't look like French food...

It isn't.
For the last month or so I've been craving all things Italian.

Except for French cheese of course. But that goes without saying.


There has been a crazy amount of frittata, pasta, pizza and risotto cooking going on. Why these four Italian dishes in particular?

• we don't eat a lot of meat and they're delicious when made with fresh vegetables
• they're economical (unless you want to whip up something like this)
• they're easy to make
• they're perfect for using up little leftover bits of this and that

The most recent pasta concoction used up three quarters of a bag of conchiglie pasta, a handful of frozen baby peas, half a package of smoked salmon and a slug of cream.
Oh, and some fresh chèvre. Just a little reminder that we still live in la belle France.


Conchiglie al Salmone e Piselli (e formaggi caprini)
serves 4

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 cup frozen petit pois, defrosted
• 4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, chopped into 1/4 - inch pieces
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon whipping cream
• 4 ounces fresh chèvre
• 1 pound conchiglie (or farfalle)
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the butter and olive oil together in a frying pan over medium heat and sautée the shallots until golden.
2. Add the peas and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add the smoked salmon, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Turn down the heat to low, stir in the cream and the chèvre, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water until al dente, according to package directions.
   
6. Drain, reserving some of the pasta cooking water, and add the pasta to the sauce.
7. Stir well over low heat until the sauce has thickened slightly and the pasta is coated. Add a bit of the reserved water if necessary to create a rich, creamy sauce.
   
8. Serve immediately with more freshly ground pepper if necessary.

Related Posts:
A Gutsy Cherry Tomato, Garlic, Arugula and Feta Cheese Pasta Sauce Recipe
Still Eating as Much Asparagus as Possible...
Calzone

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Photo du Jour - Knock Knock

Old door knocker.
A very feminine, graceful hand. I love that she is wearing a ring.

Photo du Jour - Château de Nérac

Tucked away in the rolling green hills of the Lot-et-Garonne, the small town of Nérac seems an unlikely place for a history so rich in extravagance, extramarital flings and religious wars.

Nérac saw several hundred years of glittering splendor and at its pinnacle the lavishness of its royal court matched the courts of Paris. During the late 16th century King Henri IV brought numerous lovers, eminent nobles and distinguished writers, musicians and poets here, creating a golden era that lasted until 1599.
Henri's wife, Queen Margot, finally got tired of his extracurricular activities and had their marriage annulled. Shortly thereafter Henri packed up the court and moved it to Paris, thus ending the good times in Gascony.

What remains of the Château, including its graceful Renaissance gallery, can be visited year-round.

another view

Photo du Jour - Old Stones and Old Vines

A weathered stone building in the middle of the oldest Carignan vineyard in the Languedoc, circa 1902.

La Fête du Fromage - La Bouyguette

La Bouyguette is a slender, wrinkly, quenelle shaped goat's cheese from the stunning Tarn département of southern France. It is an artisanal cheese, produced on a small farm where a herd of 160 goats are allowed to feed on the sweet grass and flowers of the mountains north of Albi.



The cheese's unusual shape is formed by hand from the curds of unpasteurized goat's milk. It is then wrapped up in linen cloth with a a small branch of rosemary and allowed to mature for three weeks.
The rosemary subtly perfumes the cheese and the linen cloth gives the exterior of la Bouyguette a striking, furrowed texture.

This is another delicious chèvre. It has a sweet, grassy aroma and it's snowy-white interior has a silky smooth, velvety texture that melts in your mouth. The flavor was soft and slightly goaty, with hints of grassy meadows and rosemary.
I absolutely loved the creamy texture and soft, sweet flavor of this cheese.



The farm where it is produced, la Colline aux Chèvres, has a great website (in French) with descriptions of all of their cheeses and photos of some of the goats.

The rosemary and grassy flavors of la Bouyguette paired well with our local red Minervois wine.

Photo du Jour - Black Bumblebee

A violet carpenter bee enjoying some fragrant jasmine flowers.

This is an impressive looking black bumblebee that lumbers clumsily around the garden. It has beautiful, iridescent, violet colored wings and is about three times the size of a regular bumblebee!
Don't be afraid though. It may look scary, but this is a very non-aggressive bee.

La Fête du Fromage - La Rouelle de Brebis

This must be the most fragile cheese that I've ever come across.

See how crushed it looks? When I bought it, it was a perfect, unblemished, white halo. A short trip in my market basket to the car, followed by the drive home from Narbonne, produced this slightly crumpled version.

As soon as we cut into it, La Rouelle de Brebis immediately oozed all over the place and seeped down into the gaps between the straw. The only way to enjoy it was to either scoop it up with a spoon or to scrape the pools of cheese from the plate (and mat) with a knife and smear it onto some bread.

And let me tell you, not a single drop went to waste!


La Rouelle de Brebis is wonderful!
It is super ripe and medium-strong, has milky, salty and mushroom flavors, and a surprising spicy and peppery finish.

This exquisite fermier cheese is produced on a small farm near the village of Laparrouquial in the Tarn département. The flock of 600 sheep spend 8 to 9 months grazing in the lush pastures before coming home to spend the winter at the farm. Each meltingly soft Rouelle is handmade from unpasteurized ewe's milk.

Choosing wine to go with this one is tricky. We were drinking local rosé, which didn't pair well. I would try something from the area where the cheese is produced, such as Gaillac or Jurançon.

Photo du Jour

Some BIG wedges of cheese.

La Fête du Fromage - Chèvre Fermier

Ahhhhhh...perfection.

Behind the soft grey, unassuming exterior of this local Chèvre Fermier lurks a truly divine cheese - one that I couldn't help but fall in love with.  
It has a fine, velvety texture and a flavor that is both sweet and salty, with hints of herbs and earth that are balanced by a mild, milky freshness.  The best thing is that it is produced in the "neighborhood," about an hour's drive from our house, so I know I can easily get more when I need to.
Which I'm sure will be soon.

This is the second cheese that I've fallen for from La Razègue, a small goat farm near the gorgeous village of Roquebrun in the Haut Languedoc.  The other one is Le Razégou, a very fresh and oozing little morsel that melts in your mouth and practically slides off your plate if you let it sit for too long.
I'm not sure if they produce any other cheeses, but I can't wait to find out.  I think they have truly perfected the art of fromage de chèvre.

Not surprisingly it paired perfectly with some red wine from the co-op just down the road in Cessenon-sur-Orb.

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La Fête du Fromage - Le Rogeret

It's funny, but I'm always a bit disappointed when I find out that a cheese is pasteurized. Raw cheese just appeals to me. It is more real, has more attitude.

On my last visit to the cheese counter in les Halles I picked up several delicious new cheeses, all of which were unpasteurized, with this one exception. Thankfully Monsieur le Fromager was so enthusiastic about Rogeret that I decided to trust him.

In the future I vow to be more open minded about pasteurized French cheese!


Le Rogeret is made from a blend of pasteurized* goat and cow's milk in the stunning Ardèche region of southeastern France. It is matured for about two weeks on straw mats, giving the exterior a striated texture, similar to Saint-Félicien.

It is a very agreeable, likable cheese that is deliciously soft and creamy. The flavor is rich with hazelnuts and earthy mushrooms, and there is a slight tangy bitterness on the finish. We both loved it!

A glass of Beaujolais would pair perfectly with le Rogeret.



*There is a fermier, unpasteurized version of le Rogeret called Rogeret de Lamastre that I am now eager to try.

South of France Views

Since October I've taken advantage* of friends who live in beautiful places and made a couple of trips around southern France to two stunning regions, each of which with their own unique personality and charm.
Last month I went east on the train to Marseille & Cassis and last week I jumped in our little car and drove north to Rodez.

Both times I was well taken care of!
There were local wines to taste and cheese shops to visit; I was driven to a picturesque Provençal village perched on a hill, and to a picturesque Aveyron village perched on a cliff; we explored le Panier neighborhood in old Marseille and sat with un café noisette in a sunny café along the pretty port in Cassis; we toured the lovely city of Rodez and sat with a glass of Marcillac red wine in a local bar looking out at the glowing nighttime Rodez cathedral.
Both times my French got a good work out, as did my little camera.

The view from Cassis


La Vielle Charité in Marseille


The Vallon des Auffes in Marseille


Provençal patisserie


Petite maison à Rodez


Gothic courtyard of Rodez


Cathedral in Rodez


Village of Bozouls

Église de Bozouls


Side street in Bozouls



Next week I'm taking trip number three.
Tuesday morning I'm pointing the car northwest and heading to the Lot-et-Garonne to visit Kate for few fun-filled days of Armagnac, duck fat infused cooking and Gascon markets.


No camp this time, (I will definitely miss my fellow campers) but I'm sure there will be Cassoulet!


le Relais de Camont



*I mean that in a nice way, of course