Carved into the old rempart walls in our village.
Happy Thanksgiving
If you couldn't manage to make the home made iced dessert shown in my previous post, or the creme brulee, or your own special Thanksgiving dessert and you're running late, here's an easy and delicious mousse.
Separate the eggs in two different bowls. Add the sugar to the yolks and beat on high speed until it becomes whitish.
Then add the Creme Fraiche one spoon at a time, beating on low speed.
In a small bowl, break the remaining cookies, add 2/3 of the pine nuts and the remaining coffee + whisky mixture. Stir with a spoon so that it's evenly mixed.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup creme fraiche (or heavy cream)
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup powder sugar
1/2 cup pine nuts (or other nuts)
18 sable cookies (or speculos, or other)
1/4 cup whisky + 2 Tbsp
1/4 cup of strong coffee
1 tsp cream of tartar or salt
Use nice bowls (these are Daum crystal) as presentation is what your guests will see first.
Mix the coffee and the whisky in a soup bowl. Place one by one six cookies until wet, remove and place them in the bottom of the bowls where you're going to serve the mousse.
Separate the eggs in two different bowls. Add the sugar to the yolks and beat on high speed until it becomes whitish.
Then add the Creme Fraiche one spoon at a time, beating on low speed.Add the 2 Tbsp of whisky.
Leave aside.
Beat the whites with the cream of tartar or salt on high speed until you have peaks.
Then carefully mix the yolks and creme fraiche mixture with the whites, allowing as much air as possible to remain in the final blend. Be patient, the more air you allow in the mixture, the lighter your mousse will be.
In a small bowl, break the remaining cookies, add 2/3 of the pine nuts and the remaining coffee + whisky mixture. Stir with a spoon so that it's evenly mixed.Place a ladle of mousse in every bowl. Then make a layer of biscuits and pine nuts, then add another ladle of mousse. Topple with pine nuts.
keep in the fridge at least 3 hours before serving.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Feeding My Addiction
Almost 2 kilos of fragrant, unpasteurized deliciousness was delivered to me today, direct from a farm in the Auvergne. Add to that the giant slab of Beaufort d'Eté (so perfect looking that I hesitated cutting into it) and the generous wedge of Tomme des Bauges that a friend hand delivered from his trip to the French Alps last week.
It's great to have friends who will willingly feed my cheese addiction.
A simple tart
A bit lazy last night. Took a bunch of fresh onions, with the green leaves, one ripe tomato, a generous slice of feta cheese.
Then I made a crust pastry (recipe in my website), cooked it a bit.
I chopped and cooked 5 minutes the onions in olive oil, with the green leaves. Then I added the diced tomato and feta. Fresh thyme, salt, pepper. Tastes good! Removed the tart from the oven and spread the mixture and some olive oil on top, then back in the oven for 5-7 more minutes.
Believe me, it's delicious and SO EASY!
Why eat junk food if this healthy tart can be ready in a few minutes!
Photo du Jour - Elegant Béziers
An elegant facade in Béziers, bathed in the light of the setting sun.
Photo du Jour - Purple Peppers
Our friends are growing these gorgeous purple jalapeños that pack a punch.
La Fête du Fromage - Le Roves des Garrigues
Le Roves des Garrigues is an amazing, tangy little button of fresh, artisanal chèvre.
This snowy white cheese is produced in the Cevennes Mountains of the Languedoc-Roussillon by wandering goat herders. It is named for the Rove breed of goat and the Mediterranean pastures, the garrigue, where they graze. This breed produces considerably less milk than other goats - about 2 liters a day compared with an average goat's 5 liters a day - making it very rich.
The dense, creamy, rindless Roves des Garrigues has a sweet, peppery aroma and a rich, lingering flavor. It is full of citrus and pepper, is perfectly tangy and very fragrant with Mediterranean herbs such as lavender, thyme and savory.
I absolutely loved it!
Provençal rosé or white wine such as Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc or Pouilly Fuissé are good matches for this chèvre.
La Fête du Fromage - le Pisé du Lot
Le Pisé du Lot is not a shy cheese, by any means.
It alerts you to its presence by filling the room with an earthy, goaty fragrance, then follows up by bombarding your taste buds with a piquant, rich, unforgettable flavor.
Not at all what I expected!
This unpasteurized chèvre has a rich, satiny texture and is creamy and fondant when young. As it ages the texture dries out and the flavor becomes distinctively stronger.
One of the most impressive characteristics was its lengthy finish. Ten minutes after tasting its flavor still lingered.
Le Pisé du Lot, as the name implies, is produced in le Lot, a gorgeous region in southwest France, known for the celebrated AOC cheese Rocamadour and home to one of my favorite goat's cheeses, Le Garriou.
A dry white wine would be a good match.
Brownie Points
Living in a small village of 400 people in the south of France has its advantages and its disadvantages.
Disadvantages
Advantages:
Last time I was dealing with bureaucracy problems, I took Lemon Bars as a 'thank you' to the Mairie. I think this time some gooey, dark chocolate Brownies are in order.
Our Mayor deserves a giant Merci.
It's good to live in a small village.
Disadvantages
- everyone, and I mean everyone, knows your business
- your neighbors always know if you're home or not - no hiding!
- the épicerie owner knows if you have guests arriving by how many baguettes you buy on any given day
- very slow tractor traffic
- can feel like a ghost town in the winter when everyone is inside, shutters closed, huddled next to the fire
- don't expect to run a quick errand to la Poste on the other side of the village without having to stop and talk to at least three people - a normal, 10 minute trip will take at least 30 minutes, so plan accordingly
Advantages:
- the owner of the épicerie will let you take things home without paying because she knows where to find you
- your neighbor the winemaker will deliver a case of his excellent Muscat Sec or Viognier right to your door
- concerts at the church are a 30 second walk down the street
- your neighbors (who know that you suck at gardening and take pity on you ) will leave lettuce, eggplant, green beans, fava beans, zucchini, cherries, apricots and tomatoes hanging in bags from your front door
- the Poissonerie van on Thursday, the Poultry van on Wednesday, the Fruit and Vegetable van on Monday, the Pizza van Friday and Saturday nights
- the mailman will deliver mail addressed to "Aunt Jenny, Our Village, FRANCE" - they must figure since it came from America, it must belong to les Américains
- delivery drivers can pretty much ask anyone who we are and where to find our house
- you can always have a quick snack of figs, which grow everywhere
- your Mayor writes you a very nice, complimentary letter to the powers that be, in support of you becoming a French Citizen
Last time I was dealing with bureaucracy problems, I took Lemon Bars as a 'thank you' to the Mairie. I think this time some gooey, dark chocolate Brownies are in order.
Our Mayor deserves a giant Merci.
It's good to live in a small village.
And a perfect dessert!
As I told you in my last post, we surely enjoyed the crab cakes made by host Charlie in the fresh deck of their beautiful Montclair hills home. 
Charlie had prepared for dessert a perfect upside down pineapple and plum cake, made with fresh fruit (and not canned). The bottom of the pan had been covered with melted brown sugar before the sliced fruit was placed on it. Then the cake mix was poured on top of the fruit and the whole baked in the oven for 35 minutes.
He served this delicious cake with a cool Napa Marsala, a good pairing.
He served this delicious cake with a cool Napa Marsala, a good pairing.
Thank you!
Photo du Jour - Spicy Kofta
Spicy Kofta.*
Whipped up a batch of these on Saturday. Served them with tzatziki (I prefer it made with mint instead of dill), rice pilaf and warmed pita bread.
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1-2 teaspoons chili paste or 1/2 hot red chili pepper, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
oil, for frying
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Form into small meatballs (about 1½ tablespoons per).
Fry over medium heat until brown and cooked through and drain on paper towels.
Makes about 45 kofta.
* also called keftes
A mushroom festival in Saumur!
Anjou, a region alongside the upper part of the Loire valley, is where Saumur, the capital of mushrooms is located. The limestone soil and the man made troglodyte caves are ideal for cultivating mushrooms. In Saumur, there is even a Museum of the Mushroom !There are beautiful open air markets in the area, Saumur, the largest one, is on Saturdays. I also go to the Montsereau (10 miles from Saumur) market whenever I am around on Sundays, or to Bourgueil on Tuesdays - if we want to buy the Bourgueil or Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil wine.
Button mushrooms (above) are called Champignos de Paris, but most of the production is cultivated in or around Saumur, an it has been like that since the 17 C.
One of the many beautiful stands in these colorful markets is the mushrooms one. It is run buy a lady (picture top) who loves what she does, and is very generous with her recipes! 
She is always suggesting a way to cook them: "Do I suttee them with garlic?" says a client, "No, says she, garlic is too strong for the subtle flavor of this type, add a chopped shallot".She sells all types of cultured mushrooms that you can see in the many pictures in this post, such as oyster mushrooms, shitakes, abalone cap mushrooms, clam shell mushroom, cinnamon cap mushroom, enoki mushroom ... she's passionate about what she does, and is always coming with something new! 
She is always suggesting a way to cook them: "Do I suttee them with garlic?" says a client, "No, says she, garlic is too strong for the subtle flavor of this type, add a chopped shallot".She sells all types of cultured mushrooms that you can see in the many pictures in this post, such as oyster mushrooms, shitakes, abalone cap mushrooms, clam shell mushroom, cinnamon cap mushroom, enoki mushroom ... she's passionate about what she does, and is always coming with something new! Coming up soon, a mushroom recipe!
Wine Tours In The Languedoc
There's a lot to keep you busy while visiting the Languedoc.
You've got oodles of French culture in cities such as Carcassonne, Nîmes and Montpellier. There's Roman antiquity at sites like the Pont du Gard and the Oppidum d'Enserune. If you want to kick back and relax, there are miles and miles of Mediterranean beaches. If fresh air, hiking and river rafting excite you, head on up to the Haut Languedoc.
However, if you're like me, then the pursuit of great food and wine is the main reason to even bother boarding a crowded airplane, hurtling through space and time while trying to eat crappy airline food and ignore the kid behind you kicking the back of your seat only to land many hours later in a foreign place, disoriented and rumpled.
Luckily there is now a wine expert (and a great friend of ours) offering Wine Tours in the Languedoc. Juliet Bruce-Jones hold a prestigious Masters of Wine degree - one of only 246 in the world!
I've been fortunate enough to take a tasting trip with Juliet, attended Vinisud 2006 with her and have spent many, long lunches at her home, doing my best to helpempty out taste the wine in her vast cellar. She's a delightful woman who loves to share her extensive knowledge of wine with others.
So if you're coming to the Languedoc, either for sun, for a dip in the sea or for soaking up some culture, make sure to save some time to learn about the region's fabulous wine with Juliet.
You've got oodles of French culture in cities such as Carcassonne, Nîmes and Montpellier. There's Roman antiquity at sites like the Pont du Gard and the Oppidum d'Enserune. If you want to kick back and relax, there are miles and miles of Mediterranean beaches. If fresh air, hiking and river rafting excite you, head on up to the Haut Languedoc.
However, if you're like me, then the pursuit of great food and wine is the main reason to even bother boarding a crowded airplane, hurtling through space and time while trying to eat crappy airline food and ignore the kid behind you kicking the back of your seat only to land many hours later in a foreign place, disoriented and rumpled.
Luckily there is now a wine expert (and a great friend of ours) offering Wine Tours in the Languedoc. Juliet Bruce-Jones hold a prestigious Masters of Wine degree - one of only 246 in the world!
I've been fortunate enough to take a tasting trip with Juliet, attended Vinisud 2006 with her and have spent many, long lunches at her home, doing my best to help
So if you're coming to the Languedoc, either for sun, for a dip in the sea or for soaking up some culture, make sure to save some time to learn about the region's fabulous wine with Juliet.
Photo du Jour - Cookies in Marseille
On the left are Cancatelli and on the right are Croquant Amandes, which I love.
Easter!
Easter weeek-end in Paris! Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday ... it's a weekend of celbrations.Although Easter is a Christian holiday celebrating the re-birth of Jesus Christ, it is also part of Western cultures.
In Paris, the pastry and chocolate shops have chocolate eggs a plenty!There are also chocolate hens (which lay the eggs), chocolate bunnies (English tradition), and chocolate bells. Traditionally in France, bells bring the eggs and hide them for children to find them on Easter Sunday.
Around the season I decoarte my table with semi-precious stone eggs I have bought over the years in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Brazil, and Uruguay. 
Every year for as long as I remember I have bought a chocolate egg for each one of my dear daughters and husband Jean-Louis. I have delivered the Easter eggs myslef in many different countries when the girls were living afar - or sent them with a special messanger when I was lucky enough t have a friend going to the place where my daughters lived.Daughter Celine came from Amsterdam for Easter and she will get her chocolate egg tomorrow. MaryLaure will get hers by the end of the month .
Happy Easter!
A weekend in Geneva.
Last Friday afternoon I headed for Geneva, Switzerland, where I spent a wonderful weekend with very good friends. Geneva is 320 miles (500 km) from Paris, it can be reached in only 3 1/2 hours thanks to the marvellous French High Speed Train (TGV). The weather at destination was gorgeous, blue sky and 76 F. I have been numerous times to this very international city, therefore I did not go with a list of "must-see" things and I let my hosts organize the outings. 
The region around the Leman lake is a well known wine producing area, and last weekend was a very active one as the grape harvest took place. During the grape harvest the scenery is always beautiful! The orderly vines loaded with heavy and generous grapes were beautiful to look at. We stopped at one place that announced: "Grapes for free" and strolled in the vines admiring the stunning beauty of the landscape - and eating the sweet free bounty!Saturday the weather was as beautiful too, and my hosts had the best plans I could expect!
Sailing on lac Leman was new to me, so I promtly accepted the invitation! Lac Leman is in the border of France and Switerland - I am sure you all know Evian water, bottled on the French side of Lac leman. 
After sailing, a night walk in the old city was also a welcome option. 
No cars, a gentle breeze, a bit of music, people gazing and strolling, cafes and restaurants with tables outside, the premises to a good time were thus reunited. We walked into a brasserie to have a little something to eat. 
I had a plate of Viande de Grisons, a cold cut typical from the canton of Grisons, in Northern Switzerland. Viande de Grisons is made with lean beef ternderloin that is seasoned, compressed, and kept for several weeks in very cold temperature (almost freezing), before being cured in the fresh air. As you can easily guess, it was a way to preserve beef throughout the cold winter.
My friend, an "habitue" of this brasserie, ordered a good red Chamoson wine - with lots of character! It is made with Humagne Rouge grapes, a variety that grows also in the Rhine. 
On Sunday we drove along the lake, from little town to little twon, and bumped into a "brocante" where the items were very different from the ones one finds in Paris. Here, used clothes are everywhere. I stopped to have a look at this black velvet jacket - I had a very similar one 10 years ago that I loved! 
What about buying a bell for your cows? Or a scale, or old chairs, new tables, a model sailboat, chinaware and more. 
The stroll was so delightful that I did not want to leave .... A bientot Geneva! Before and .. after
When I browse magazines in a doctor's waiting room I always have fun with the "before"and "after" pages. What about you?Let's have some fun: Allow me to introduce Tao, daughter Celine's 7 years old bichon. They live in Amsterdam (and I have Rijsttafel every time I visit her) and when I last visited .. his hair had gone a little wild indeed!
So we took the tram and took him to the grooming place. He had so many knots that trimming his hair was not possible ... the only thing they could do was .. shave him!
It was freezing when we left the "beauty parlor" and Celine wrapped him in her pea-coat to take him back home.
Once at home, we took and old sweater and made a black paltot for kind shaved Tao. He felt comfortable right away and didn't let anyone remove it! "Grrrrr" he'd say every time I tried to!
Don't you think he looks great in his black paletot, with the red leather necklace, and the two "charms" that show his name and registration number!
Isn't he cute?
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