New Orleans Vernacular

New Orleans has a vernacular and a flavor all its own.
A rich gumbo of music, people, architecture, celebrations, food and history. It's impossible to describe, really. All I can say is that you must (and should!) experience it for yourself.

 

Photo du Jour

Just because the window has been closed up doesn't mean it shouldn't have a flowerbox.

Some simple desserts

Sometimes I like to be sophisticated (look at my Valentine proposal) sometimes I like simple things. And today I go for simple desserts.

I start with this baked apple I did. I peeled 4 apples (I used the Belle de Boskop type, if you do not find it, try the Pink Lady),

I emptied the middle and put a tablespoon of Calvados (apple brandy, if you do not have any, use Cognac), added 4 Tbsp of water in the pan, and baked them 25 minutes in medium hot oven. The result is great, isn't it?

Another delightful presentation is a "verrine" of cream cheese mixed with a tsp of both vanilla and honey, toppled with home made preserve. I sprkinkeled some pine nuts on top.

Here you see the apricot preserve I did last summer in the Sarthe (west of Paris). I still have some jars left! I also made plum preserve, cavaillon melon preserve, and pear preserve. I have some every morning with my low fat yogurt.

In season I often serve plain ripe strawberries with red "cremant" from the Loire (cremant is a French sparkling wine). I do not add any sugar. Oh, how I look forward to having strawberries in May!

Photo du Jour - Vendanges

Our neighbors from Domaine Coudoulet bringing the grapes in from the fields.

Photo du Jour - Calm After the Storm

After the howling winds and dark, rainy skies on Saturday we awoke to this on Sunday.
Blue, blue skies. No wind. A gorgeous day.

Photo du Jour

The weather hasn't been very spring-like around here since Friday.
This burst of yellow next to the bright blue of our neighbor's painted door and shutters was an encouraging sight.


We're in the midst of several days of long, lively lunches with friends. Today we're heading to a casual, pot-luck style Easter lunch with lots of nibbles and one hearty main dish, which I'm making.
Very non-traditional, this pasta dish, but we enjoyed a whopping gigot d'agneau yesterday, so we're lambed out!


Baked Shells with Sweet Sausage, Tomatoes and Peas
serves 4 as a main course

from Food and Wine magazine

The pasta shells in this hearty dish don't get stuffed; instead, they are tossed with the sauce and hold the small pieces of meat and vegetables.

• 1 pound medium pasta shells
• One 28-ounce can peeled Italian tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Pinch of dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 pound baked ham, cut into 1/3-inch dice
• 1/2 cup frozen baby peas
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain and return to the pot.
2. Puree the tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Pass the puree through a fine sieve to remove the seeds.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the sausage and cook over moderately high heat, stirring the meat and breaking it up with the side of a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate and set aside. Wipe out the skillet.
4. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until golden, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, heavy cream and oregano and season lightly with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce over moderately low heat for 10 minutes. Add the sausage and ham and simmer for 10 minutes longer.
5. Stir the sauce into the pasta along with the peas and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is heated through and the Parmesan is melted. Serve hot.

MAKE AHEAD This baked pasta can be prepared through Step 4 and refrigerated overnight. Add about 10 minutes to the baking time.

Happy Easter!

La Fête du Fromage - Le Pavin d'Auvergne

Le Pavin d'Auvergne's bright, tangerine colored exterior literally glowed amongst the neighboring pale, white and beige cheeses at the Fromagerie.
It was impossible to resist.

This is another spectacular, washed rind, unpasteurized cow's milk cheese produced in the Auvergne, home to some of France's most famous fromages: Cantal, Bleu d'Auvergne, Gaperon, Saint-Nectaire and Fourme d'Ambert are a few examples.


It is named after lac Pavin, a lake that was formed about 6000 years ago in the crater of an extinct volcano in the Puy-de-Dôme département. The lake is known for being the deepest in the Auvergne and is considered to be one of the most beautiful lakes in the region.

Le Pavin d'Auvergne is a strong cheese. Its intoxicating flavor is rich with the taste of mushrooms and walnuts. The texture is dense and chewy, and very smooth and supple. It has a memorable, pleasant mouthfeel.
This one comes highly recommended!

Red wines from Bordeaux such as Côtes-de-Blaye or Côtes-de-Bourg pair well with le Pavin.