Maurice and Co. had a wonderful vacation away from their everyday lives of having to forage for food, hide from predators and keep out from under the feet of giant gardeners. They slept their days away, only to emerge at sundown for an evening of eating and frolicking.
As it goes, all vacations must come to an end and Maurice and his friend's vacation ended yesterday.
I couldn't do it. I was giving them names for heaven's sake!
They were set free last night to live out the rest of their days eating our lettuce, cilantro and tomatoes.
And I have to say I'm relieved to have them out of my kitchen. For all of those out there who can raise animals and then eat them, I commend you.
I obviously couldn't!
Pin It
June 30, 2008
June 29, 2008
June 28, 2008
Think Pink - Sour Cherry Frozen Yogurt
This year's bounty of sour cherries were turned into some fantastic, colorful, sweet and savory concoctions.
First, I got a batch of Liqueur de Griottes started, then made several jars of Griotte Cherries with Bay Leaf and Sour Cherry Compote. Then, just as I was about to make a tub of Sour Cherry Gelato, I stumbled across a recipe for David Lebovitz's Strawberry Frozen Yogurt and decided to try the same thing with some of the sour cherries.
The result was amazing!
I cooked the griottes a bit first, then cooled them down before adding plain yogurt and churning in the ice cream maker. The cherries released juices that turned gorgeously, vibrantly pink. The flavor was both sweet and tangy...just perfect for summer.
Sour Cherry Frozen Yogurt
makes about 1 quart
1 pound sour cherries, washed and pitted
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup plain, whole milk yogurt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Put the cherries in a heavy pan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cherries give up their juice.
Cool.
If you want a smooth texture, place the cherries in a blender or food processor, pulsing several times. (I left mine whole.)
Stir in the sugar and let sit, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Stir in the lemon juice and the yogurt and make sure everything is well blended.
Place in the refrigerator for an hour then freeze in an ice cream maker according to its manufacturer's instructions.
. Pin It
June 27, 2008
June 26, 2008
June 25, 2008
Maurice and Co.
Happy to report that all is well in snail land. Maurice and Co. are contentedly munching away on a combination of fennel fronds, thyme and parsley - with no idea of what fate has in store for them. Pin It
Photo du Jour - Coco Rose
These are a stunning sight at the market. The bright pink vibrates against all the surrounding green.
Haricots coco rose, also known as le haricot marbré or borlotti beans. Pin It
June 24, 2008
La Fête du Fromage - le Cados
The jury's still out on this one.
I take a bite and it is pretty tasty. Then I start chewing and absorb the full, heady, boozy flavor, and it practically knocks me on my ass.
Le Cados.
Another cheese by Carole Brihier of La Société Fromages Service in Campigneulles-les-Grandes, in the Pas-de-Calais département. She's the genius behind le Cameau, a cheese we tasted a few weeks ago.
Calvados soaked breadcrumbs surrounding rich Camembert
My husband and I both tasted it. Both of us were undecided. Was it good? Did we like it? It was highly unusual for both of us to be this ambivalent. We aren't shy about expressing our opinions around here!
So we recruited six friends to be guinea pigs and give us their opinion as well.
"Too strong."
"Would taste delicious with apple or pear slices to cut the strong flavor."
"Strong and unusual. It's...interesting."
"Wow. Really rich and has a strong alcohol flavor."
Do I sense a pattern here?
Le Cados' strength is exactly why neither my husband nor I were sure about it. Not that I don't like strong cheese. Au contraire. I love it.
But this Calvados soaked, raw milk Camembert is exceptionally potent and intense.
So, as half of it sits in my fridge, uneaten and mocking me every time I open the door and look in there, I have to state my honest opinion and say that it is highly doubtful that we'll finish it.
I wanted to like le Cados, I really did.
However, I won't be pursuing this one again any time soon. Pin It
I take a bite and it is pretty tasty. Then I start chewing and absorb the full, heady, boozy flavor, and it practically knocks me on my ass.
Le Cados.
Another cheese by Carole Brihier of La Société Fromages Service in Campigneulles-les-Grandes, in the Pas-de-Calais département. She's the genius behind le Cameau, a cheese we tasted a few weeks ago.
Calvados soaked breadcrumbs surrounding rich CamembertMy husband and I both tasted it. Both of us were undecided. Was it good? Did we like it? It was highly unusual for both of us to be this ambivalent. We aren't shy about expressing our opinions around here!
So we recruited six friends to be guinea pigs and give us their opinion as well.
"Too strong."
"Would taste delicious with apple or pear slices to cut the strong flavor."
"Strong and unusual. It's...interesting."
"Wow. Really rich and has a strong alcohol flavor."
Do I sense a pattern here?
Le Cados' strength is exactly why neither my husband nor I were sure about it. Not that I don't like strong cheese. Au contraire. I love it.
But this Calvados soaked, raw milk Camembert is exceptionally potent and intense.
So, as half of it sits in my fridge, uneaten and mocking me every time I open the door and look in there, I have to state my honest opinion and say that it is highly doubtful that we'll finish it.
I wanted to like le Cados, I really did.
However, I won't be pursuing this one again any time soon. Pin It
June 23, 2008
June 22, 2008
Flirting With Maurice
Uh oh.
I'm becoming attached.
I swear these slimy little creatures have personalities. When they stretch their bodies toward you and rotate those funny antennae around, it's like they are flirting!
Meet Maurice. Yes, I've started naming them.
Maurice and Co. are currently grazing on parsley and thyme and have plenty of water to keep them happy.
I'm starting to wonder if I'll have the heart to cook them next weekend. Pin It
I'm becoming attached.
I swear these slimy little creatures have personalities. When they stretch their bodies toward you and rotate those funny antennae around, it's like they are flirting!
Meet Maurice. Yes, I've started naming them.
Maurice and Co. are currently grazing on parsley and thyme and have plenty of water to keep them happy.
I'm starting to wonder if I'll have the heart to cook them next weekend. Pin It
June 21, 2008
Photo du Jour - Escargots
My evening of snail collecting yielded only eight snails.
It was still too warm outside but I wasn't about to wander around the garden in the dark with a flashlight. I probably would have stepped on more than I collected!
I'll give them fresh fennel fronds and parsley later today and keep them away from our cat. She's freaked out by them! Pin It
June 20, 2008
One More Thing
This is the most I've written in days!
I'm about to embark upon a gastropoda gastronomic adventure.
Tonight will find me in our garden looking for snails to bring home, where they will be lovingly fed fennel fronds and bay leaves for a week, then served up for dinner next weekend.
I'll keep you posted... Pin It
I'm about to embark upon a gastropoda gastronomic adventure.
Tonight will find me in our garden looking for snails to bring home, where they will be lovingly fed fennel fronds and bay leaves for a week, then served up for dinner next weekend.
I'll keep you posted... Pin It
Mon Panier Bio (My Organic CSA Basket)
Last winter I was offered the chance to subscribe to a weekly organic CSA basket, which I would have loved to do. However, the pick up station was 40 minutes from our house and it seemed to me that the amount of fuel I would use up driving back and forth would cancel out all the good I was doing for the environment by buying organic - called BIO in France - in the first place.
I also wanted to support the farmer who offered the service, but economics were also an issue. The basket was 13€ a week and it would have cost me about 10€ a week to drive back and forth, so those would have been some seriously expensive veggies!
Last weekend I discovered that a woman in a village just a few miles away was starting her own CSA basket subscription service.
Actually, it isn't that formal yet. You show up and she picks her organic vegetables, herbs and fruit while you wait, then charges you for a crate. No subscribing for months at a time and the cost was only 7€.
Even better, our friend picked up our crate on his way through her village last night (he comes to our village café to play bridge with my hubby every Thursday) and delivered it right to us. Talk about service!
Now I can get wine and garden fresh, organic produce delivered to our house. Almost like living in the city. Now if we could just get some Chinese food delivered...
As you can see, this first week's offerings are green, green and more green.
And it looks like we'll be enjoying zucchini at virtually every meal until next week's panier is delivered.
Which will probably include more zucchini!
This week's basket contained a few kilos of different varieties of zucchini, 2 varieties of lettuce, 2 green peppers, fresh fennel and mint.
To subscribe to your own CSA basket:
In France: mon panier bio
In America: local harvest Pin It
I also wanted to support the farmer who offered the service, but economics were also an issue. The basket was 13€ a week and it would have cost me about 10€ a week to drive back and forth, so those would have been some seriously expensive veggies!
Last weekend I discovered that a woman in a village just a few miles away was starting her own CSA basket subscription service.
Actually, it isn't that formal yet. You show up and she picks her organic vegetables, herbs and fruit while you wait, then charges you for a crate. No subscribing for months at a time and the cost was only 7€.
Even better, our friend picked up our crate on his way through her village last night (he comes to our village café to play bridge with my hubby every Thursday) and delivered it right to us. Talk about service!
Now I can get wine and garden fresh, organic produce delivered to our house. Almost like living in the city. Now if we could just get some Chinese food delivered...
As you can see, this first week's offerings are green, green and more green.
And it looks like we'll be enjoying zucchini at virtually every meal until next week's panier is delivered.
Which will probably include more zucchini!
This week's basket contained a few kilos of different varieties of zucchini, 2 varieties of lettuce, 2 green peppers, fresh fennel and mint.
To subscribe to your own CSA basket:
In France: mon panier bio
In America: local harvest Pin It
Photo du Jour - Beekeeping
Our friend's beekeeping equipment. His bees make the most flavorful, succulent honey!
miel de romarin - rosemary honey - my favorite!
miel de garrigue - garrigue honey - the hives are kept near Minerve
miel de montagne - rich, dark mountain honey from the Montagne Noire
miel de bruyère - heather honey - lovely and rich Pin It
June 19, 2008
June 18, 2008
Photo du Jour - Cherry Picking Time
Le Temps des CerisesOur friends picked more than 30 kilos of Napoleon cherries last Saturday! These golden and blush pink cherries are my favorites of the season. Pin It
June 17, 2008
La Fête du Fromage - Trappe Echourgnac
Smoky
That was my first impression of Trappe Echourgnac.
Nutty was my second.
Which would make sense as Trappe Echourgnac is matured in walnut liqueur from the Périgord.
And that isn't the only unique aspect of this week's cheese.
Also notable is that this cow's milk cheese is produced by nuns at the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Bonne Espérance (our Lady of Good Hope) in the Dordogne.
Previously, monks made cheese at the same site, then called the Abbaye d'Echourgnac, until war interrupted their lives in 1910. A group of Cistercian nuns took over the Abbey, changed its name, took up where the monks left off and began producing this special walnut liqueur infused cheese in 1999.
Trappe Echourgnac has a heady, smoky aroma and a smooth, buttery texture. Surprisingly, even though this is a rich cheese, the flavor is quite mild. I would happily eat it again!
A robust red Cahors is a good match for this aromatic cheese. Pin It
That was my first impression of Trappe Echourgnac.
Nutty was my second.
Which would make sense as Trappe Echourgnac is matured in walnut liqueur from the Périgord.
And that isn't the only unique aspect of this week's cheese.
Also notable is that this cow's milk cheese is produced by nuns at the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Bonne Espérance (our Lady of Good Hope) in the Dordogne.
Previously, monks made cheese at the same site, then called the Abbaye d'Echourgnac, until war interrupted their lives in 1910. A group of Cistercian nuns took over the Abbey, changed its name, took up where the monks left off and began producing this special walnut liqueur infused cheese in 1999.
Trappe Echourgnac has a heady, smoky aroma and a smooth, buttery texture. Surprisingly, even though this is a rich cheese, the flavor is quite mild. I would happily eat it again!
A robust red Cahors is a good match for this aromatic cheese. Pin It
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. Pin It
June 16, 2008
Apricot Clafoutis
A Clafoutis is a luscious fruit and custard dessert that I make all year around, either with fresh, seasonal fruit or aromatic dried fruit. It is simple to throw together and is always appreciated!
(And if there is any left over, a cold slice out of the fridge is really good for breakfast).
In the autumn I love a clafoutis made with fresh pears, in the wintertime a combination of dried plums and raisins with Armagnac is amazing, in the height of summer the figs and peaches are delicious, sweet clafoutis ingredients and in the spring I use the ripest cherries and apricots I can find.
Apricot Clafoutis
12 ounces fresh apricots, pitted and cut in half
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
½ cup vanilla sugar*
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 pieces
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.
Butter and lightly flour a 9½ inch round tart pan or baking dish with deep sides.
Place the apricots, cut side down, in the tart pan,
Combine the flour and the salt in a large bowl and whisk together.
Add 1 cup of the milk and whisk until completely smooth, then add the eggs, one by one, whisking briefly after each addition.
Whisk in the vanilla sugar, the vanilla extract and the remaining 1 cup of milk.
Pour the batter over the apricots and dot with the butter pieces.
Place in the center of the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
Let cool completely before serving,
Serves 6-8
This recipe isn't overly sweet. I like the contrast of the tangy apricot with the sweet custard. If you enjoy a really sweet dessert then add a bit more sugar.
*vanilla sugar - place a cut vanilla bean and 2-3 cups of sugar in a glass, airtight container and let sit for a couple of weeks to infuse the sugar with flavor. Pin It
(And if there is any left over, a cold slice out of the fridge is really good for breakfast).
In the autumn I love a clafoutis made with fresh pears, in the wintertime a combination of dried plums and raisins with Armagnac is amazing, in the height of summer the figs and peaches are delicious, sweet clafoutis ingredients and in the spring I use the ripest cherries and apricots I can find.
Apricot Clafoutis
12 ounces fresh apricots, pitted and cut in half
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
½ cup vanilla sugar*
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 pieces
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.
Butter and lightly flour a 9½ inch round tart pan or baking dish with deep sides.
Place the apricots, cut side down, in the tart pan,
Combine the flour and the salt in a large bowl and whisk together.
Add 1 cup of the milk and whisk until completely smooth, then add the eggs, one by one, whisking briefly after each addition.
Whisk in the vanilla sugar, the vanilla extract and the remaining 1 cup of milk.
Pour the batter over the apricots and dot with the butter pieces.
Place in the center of the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
Let cool completely before serving,
Serves 6-8
This recipe isn't overly sweet. I like the contrast of the tangy apricot with the sweet custard. If you enjoy a really sweet dessert then add a bit more sugar.
*vanilla sugar - place a cut vanilla bean and 2-3 cups of sugar in a glass, airtight container and let sit for a couple of weeks to infuse the sugar with flavor. Pin It
June 15, 2008
Photo du Jour - 24K Gold
Golden apricots ripening on the tree.
We're in the midst of Clafoutis Season. Also know as cherry and apricot season.
Apricots thrive in our Mediterranean climate of long, hot summers and cool, fairly wet winters. They ripen in early summer, just after the local cherries.
Here's a little tease...
the recipe will come tomorrow.
Pin It
June 14, 2008
June 13, 2008
Magazine Mention
I've been told that there is a blurb about Chez Loulou in the June edition of French Property News magazine. If anyone has a copy and would please scan the article and email it to me, I would greatly appreciate it!
The mention is in an article about Homps, on the Canal du Midi.
Merci beaucoup! Pin It
The mention is in an article about Homps, on the Canal du Midi.
Merci beaucoup! Pin It
June 12, 2008
Photo du Jour
a beautiful, natural centerpieceMeeting new people can sometimes be a little nerve-wracking for me. This time it was easy.
On Tuesday I had the pleasure of spending a good chunk of the day with a group of eight who have come to stay in a gîte in our village for part of their European vacation. We were introduced through a friend of a friend and hit it off immediately.
They are a mélange of Americans and Germans who currently live in Seattle and love food, wine and traveling as much as I do. And they all have a magnificent sense of humor.
After a shopping trip to the morning market in Olonzac, we gathered in the evening and cooked together and shared stories and drank some stunning local wine that they introduced me to (yes, I was embarrassed that I'd never had it before, so I owe them one).
Here's to new friends! Pin It
June 11, 2008
La Fête du Fromage - Brocciu
Many years ago in Seattle, in the paleolithic era before Trader Joe's and Whole Foods and the availability of many cheeses from around the world, I made a gorgeous, fluffy, lemon zest infused Corsican cheesecake called Fiadone.
The recipe had been adapted to ingredients available in America, thus whole milk ricotta cheese was listed. Oddly, there wasn't a single reference in the recipe to the traditional Corsican cheese used to make fiadone: Brocciu.
A trip to Thriftway on upper Queen Anne Avenue yielded some decent Italian ricotta so I set about my baking, thinking to myself that this cake was basically an Italian ricotta cheesecake.
Such naiveté.
This week's Fête du Fromage has proven to me that there is indeed a difference between ricotta and Brocciu.
The next time I make fiadone - with the authentic, creamy cheese that was meant as the main ingredient - it will be taken to another dimension!
The sunny Mediterranean island of Corsica is home to the small farms and producers of this unique, soft AOC cheese.
The process of making Brocciu is vastly different from that of other AOC cheeses.
Normally the lactosérum, or whey, a nutritional by-product of cheese making, is discarded. To make Brocciu, the whey is kept, heated and salted, then mixed with whole ewe's or goat's milk and heated again. The result is a lactose free, fresh, pale ivory cheese.
It is best eaten within a couple of days of production, however there is a version called Brocciu Passe that has been drained and aged for a few weeks.
a spoonful served with homemade sour cherry compote
Brocciu is mild and sweet and has a pleasant, milky aroma. The soft texture, somewhat like thick yogurt, makes for a delicious breakfast, especially when served with fresh fruit or honey. It is also a wonderful addition to many recipes such as omelets, tarts and cannelloni. And there's always that famous fiadone, which I'll be making again very soon.
Wines such as Corsican whites or fruity Beaujolais pair nicely with Brocciu. Pin It
The recipe had been adapted to ingredients available in America, thus whole milk ricotta cheese was listed. Oddly, there wasn't a single reference in the recipe to the traditional Corsican cheese used to make fiadone: Brocciu.
A trip to Thriftway on upper Queen Anne Avenue yielded some decent Italian ricotta so I set about my baking, thinking to myself that this cake was basically an Italian ricotta cheesecake.
Such naiveté.
This week's Fête du Fromage has proven to me that there is indeed a difference between ricotta and Brocciu.
The next time I make fiadone - with the authentic, creamy cheese that was meant as the main ingredient - it will be taken to another dimension!
The sunny Mediterranean island of Corsica is home to the small farms and producers of this unique, soft AOC cheese.
The process of making Brocciu is vastly different from that of other AOC cheeses.
Normally the lactosérum, or whey, a nutritional by-product of cheese making, is discarded. To make Brocciu, the whey is kept, heated and salted, then mixed with whole ewe's or goat's milk and heated again. The result is a lactose free, fresh, pale ivory cheese.
It is best eaten within a couple of days of production, however there is a version called Brocciu Passe that has been drained and aged for a few weeks.
a spoonful served with homemade sour cherry compoteBrocciu is mild and sweet and has a pleasant, milky aroma. The soft texture, somewhat like thick yogurt, makes for a delicious breakfast, especially when served with fresh fruit or honey. It is also a wonderful addition to many recipes such as omelets, tarts and cannelloni. And there's always that famous fiadone, which I'll be making again very soon.
Wines such as Corsican whites or fruity Beaujolais pair nicely with Brocciu. Pin It
June 10, 2008
La Fête du Fromage
Due to procrastination and excessive busy-ness, la Fête du Fromage will be a day late.
Until tomorrow.... Pin It
Until tomorrow.... Pin It
June 9, 2008
June 8, 2008
So Nice!
Not just one, but two blog awards have been bestowed upon Chez Loulou in the last couple of months.
It just has taken me a little while to acknowledge them!
In April I was nominated by Anne of Anne in Oxfordshire for the Chatty Blog Award.
Am I chatty? Yes, sometimes I am. Especially if I'm waxing lyrical about cheese and wine or venting frustration about bureaucracy!
Merci Anne!
Pin It
It just has taken me a little while to acknowledge them!
In April I was nominated by Anne of Anne in Oxfordshire for the Chatty Blog Award.
Am I chatty? Yes, sometimes I am. Especially if I'm waxing lyrical about cheese and wine or venting frustration about bureaucracy!
Merci Anne!
I would like to send this award to:
- the very amusing Colleen of Function of Time
- the chic Mme. Weasel of La Belette Rouge
- the vivacious Paola at In My Life
Then a couple of weeks ago, my friend Betty at Cuisine Quotidienne nominated me for the Arte y Pico award.
Thanks for thinking of me Betty.
This award comes with a few rules...
So, how do I choose from all the interesting and creative blogs out there?
Thanks for thinking of me Betty.
This award comes with a few rules...
The terms of the award are:
1. You pick five blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contribute to the blogging community, no matter what language.
2.Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and the link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.
4. Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of Arte y Pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of the award.
So, how do I choose from all the interesting and creative blogs out there?
- I'll start with Paula who writes Half Baked and contributes to the organic Waterberry Farm in Alabama's website. I would love to attend one of their scrumptious looking Farm Dinners. Next time I'm in Alabama, I'm reserving a place!
- Andreea at Glorious Food and Wine always inspires me. I love reading about her travels and think she takes beautiful photographs.
- Kevin Week's Seriously Good oozes food passion.
- Danielle is a woman after my own heart. She has that gardener's green thumb that I envy and is learning to make cheese! Her site, Savor Culture, shares her cheese making and small farming adventures.
- Finally, Katie at Thyme For Cooking. I admire her down to earth and witty writing as well as her delicious, easy and healthy recipes.
June 7, 2008
June 6, 2008
June 5, 2008
Photo du Jour - Fig Tree
One of the fig trees in our garden is literally growing out of a stone wall. They will grow anywhere! Pin It
June 4, 2008
Hiccup Number One
I wanted the title of this post to be an expletive that begins with an F and ends with a K, but I've calmed down now, so I'll be nice.
This morning a letter from the sous-préfecture arrived stating that I cannot apply for citizenship until October 22 and that I need to get apostilles for seven pieces of paper (birth certificates and marriage certificates for me, husband and parents).
First of all, where the hell are they getting the date of October 22? Did someone close their eyes and point at a calendar? We arrived in France on March 28. My first carte de séjour was issued on June 18. My husband's first carte de séjour was issued October 12.
So, why October 22? The date has no significance to us.
Secondly, the original list I was given for the mountains of paperwork I would need said nothing about needing apostilles. Now all the birth certificates and marriage certificates that I just ordered have to be sent back to various states they were ordered from to get apostilles.
And to add salt to the wound, I have to re-apply for my seventh carte de séjour in two weeks. You know what that means. Months of papers flying back and forth between here and Béziers because they'll either lose the first set or decide they need extra papers in which I have to attest to this or that.
I'm surprised they haven't asked for my first born child yet (which I don't have so they can't have anyway).
Do I sound bitter?
I'm having a really hard time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Pin It
This morning a letter from the sous-préfecture arrived stating that I cannot apply for citizenship until October 22 and that I need to get apostilles for seven pieces of paper (birth certificates and marriage certificates for me, husband and parents).
First of all, where the hell are they getting the date of October 22? Did someone close their eyes and point at a calendar? We arrived in France on March 28. My first carte de séjour was issued on June 18. My husband's first carte de séjour was issued October 12.
So, why October 22? The date has no significance to us.
Secondly, the original list I was given for the mountains of paperwork I would need said nothing about needing apostilles. Now all the birth certificates and marriage certificates that I just ordered have to be sent back to various states they were ordered from to get apostilles.
And to add salt to the wound, I have to re-apply for my seventh carte de séjour in two weeks. You know what that means. Months of papers flying back and forth between here and Béziers because they'll either lose the first set or decide they need extra papers in which I have to attest to this or that.
I'm surprised they haven't asked for my first born child yet (which I don't have so they can't have anyway).
Do I sound bitter?
I'm having a really hard time seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Pin It
Photo du Jour - Giant Mushrooms!
Here are some of the fantastic results of the torrential rain we've been having for the last few weeks. It was too dry for mushrooms last autumn, but we're making up for it now!
Our friend found these on her property in Caunes-Minervois.
Pin It
June 3, 2008
La Fête du Fromage - le Cameau
The sweet, yeasty aroma of this week's exceptional cheese seduced me immediately!
Le Cameau is a raw milk Camembert that has been left to mature in an alcoholic apple and Calvados mélange from Normandy called Pommeau, then covered in crushed walnuts before being wrapped up and left to tempt the unsuspecting consumer with it's alluring look and fragrance.
It's creator, Carole Brihier, has created a société with her husband to continue the work of her Artisan Fromager Affineur father, André Faccetti.
La Société Fromages Service in Campigneulles-les-Grandes, in the Pas-de-Calais département, offers an array of unpasteurized Camembert and Brie cheeses that have been aged in either Cognac, Cointreau, Hard Cider, Pommeau, Calvados or Kirsch.
at room temperature - oozing all over the plate
the wet, sticky underside
The flavor was sweet, yeasty and fruity, with noticeable hints of apple from the Pommeau. It had a nice tang and tickled your tongue. The texture was smooth and supple and I thought the walnuts added a nice character.
I took some notes while I was tasting le Cameau for the first time and when I read them over, there was one word in capital letters; TANTALIZING.
That pretty much sums it up.
I couldn't recommend le Cameau more highly!
Hard cider would pair well with this cheese, but we drank a glass of local white, which worked just fine. Pin It
Le Cameau is a raw milk Camembert that has been left to mature in an alcoholic apple and Calvados mélange from Normandy called Pommeau, then covered in crushed walnuts before being wrapped up and left to tempt the unsuspecting consumer with it's alluring look and fragrance.
It's creator, Carole Brihier, has created a société with her husband to continue the work of her Artisan Fromager Affineur father, André Faccetti.
La Société Fromages Service in Campigneulles-les-Grandes, in the Pas-de-Calais département, offers an array of unpasteurized Camembert and Brie cheeses that have been aged in either Cognac, Cointreau, Hard Cider, Pommeau, Calvados or Kirsch.
at room temperature - oozing all over the plate
the wet, sticky undersideThe flavor was sweet, yeasty and fruity, with noticeable hints of apple from the Pommeau. It had a nice tang and tickled your tongue. The texture was smooth and supple and I thought the walnuts added a nice character.
I took some notes while I was tasting le Cameau for the first time and when I read them over, there was one word in capital letters; TANTALIZING.
That pretty much sums it up.
I couldn't recommend le Cameau more highly!
Hard cider would pair well with this cheese, but we drank a glass of local white, which worked just fine. Pin It
Photo du Jour - Chez Bruno
Chez Bruno restaurant in Bouzigues.
When we first moved to France my husband and I started calling each other Bruno and Loulou, the names of our French alter egos. I can't quite remember how this inside joke first started, but at one point we had a few friends in America who thought we actually changed our names when we moved!
Bouzigues is a sweet little village on the Étang de Thau that is famous for its succulent oysters. Pin It
June 2, 2008
June 1, 2008
Only in France....
I think I need to start a series of posts entitled Only in France...
Because every so often there are these funny/bizarre/surreal moments that I have and while they're happening there's this little voice in the back of my mind whispering in amusement/shock/disbelief, "only in France..."
For example, on Thursday I was in Metro, a wholesale restaurant supply store that only allows hospitality business owners to join (luckily I have a few friends with cards).
I picked up a bottle of Kirsch in the baking aisle and put it in my cart. When I got to the check out, the young woman picked up the bottle of Kirsch, scanned it and turned to me and said, "You do not have the right to purchase this. You are not a pâtissier. You must be a pâtissier to purchase this item."
Okaaaaay
Only in France... Pin It
Because every so often there are these funny/bizarre/surreal moments that I have and while they're happening there's this little voice in the back of my mind whispering in amusement/shock/disbelief, "only in France..."
For example, on Thursday I was in Metro, a wholesale restaurant supply store that only allows hospitality business owners to join (luckily I have a few friends with cards).
I picked up a bottle of Kirsch in the baking aisle and put it in my cart. When I got to the check out, the young woman picked up the bottle of Kirsch, scanned it and turned to me and said, "You do not have the right to purchase this. You are not a pâtissier. You must be a pâtissier to purchase this item."
Okaaaaay
Only in France... Pin It
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