My Favorite Books about France and a Giveaway

Being a life long Francophile, avid reader and cookbook addict lover means that my bookshelves are literally overflowing with books about France.

Books about French regions and travel, French cookbooks, French phrase books (which now pretty much just gather dust), Paris food guides, memoirs written by people living in France, French restaurant guides, French maps...
You get the idea.

I have many, many favorites. If I had to narrow them down to just a few, these are the 10 that would be on my French themed Desert Island Books list.

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A Hopeful Week in Paris - Part 2

Have you ever had what seems like a golden opportunity literally fall into your lap?
Then in the end, for one reason or another, you have to say 'no thanks' and walk away from that opportunity?

Well, if you haven't, I can tell you that it kind of sucks.


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Neglected

My poor camera has been feeling neglected lately. 
Take Monday for example.

I made a generous batch of David Lebovitz's Roast Chicken with Caramelized Shallots, a recipe that I've been making for years via Susan Herrmann Loomis' French Farmhouse Cookbook. (though I think that David's addition of soy sauce to the recipe makes it irresistible!)
As I was putting away the leftovers, all the while happily scraping up and eating the rich browned bits of caramelized shallot sticking to the side of the roasting pan with a hunk of baguette, I realized that I once again had forgotten to take photos.  
zut

Sometimes the food just looks and smells so good you can't wait to dive in! Pin It

Blog Notes and Links

My guest post for Andi's French Friday series on her blog, Misadventures With Andi, was posted the other day: Beyond Paris:  My South of France.
A huge merci to Andi for including me in the series!

If you are a cheese lover or a francophile and have the photos to prove it, then please come and join one or more of the Flickr groups that I administer.
French Cheese
La Fête du Fromage
French Markets
French Windows
Colors of the Languedoc - of which I am the only member!  How sad is that?
Minervois

I still sometimes get questions about how many French cheeses I've tasted for La Fête du Fromage.  I've put a link to the entire list - all 177 and counting - under the "Pages" category. 

Our house is still available if you're looking for a place in the south of France, and I've added another house for sale to the sidebar.  Sadly our friends are moving away and need to sell their charming home with a garden and terrace in Saint-Thibéry, located about 15 minutes from the beaches near Cap d'Agde.

If you've ever asked yourself (or someone already living in France - you wouldn't believe how many emails I get on this subject) the question, Should I Move to France?, then David Lebovitz's post might help you come up with a definitive answer.  

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Photo du Jour - David Lebovitz's Carnitas

I could go on and on about David Lebovitz's carnitas recipe. Instead I'll just say that they are simply spectacular.

If you've got a few hours and are craving an aromatic mound of succulent, caramelized pork to grace your tortillas, look no further. Pin It

Photo du Jour - Quelle Vue!

It doesn't get much better than this.

Putting your feet up while you sip on a refreshing, cool glass of white Burgundy and dive into a fantastic book while the sun sets over Paris on another warm and sunny day.
With that view! Pin It

Paris Insider Information

Thanks to one of the wittiest food writers I know and an all-around, really nice guy (who I am forever indebted to for turning me on to Korean food), I recently found myself included in some very impressive company.
Company like Susan Loomis. And Clotilde Dusoulier, Dorie Greenspan and Rosa Jackson. And my fellow cheese lover, Camille Malmquist.

David wrote to me at the end of February, asking for a cheese shop recommendation in Paris. It was a tough choice, and obviously I didn't have the chance to visit them all in the four splendid days I spent in Paris last autumn, but out of the few that I did visit, Chez Virginie in the 18th arrondissement was my favorite.

Monsieur Lebovitz has compiled a list of favorites that includes tempting food spots and tantalizing insider information from chefs and writers who live in Paris (and in France).
If you're visiting the City of Light in the near future you couldn't ask for better advice! Pin It

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.

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