Photos du Jour

La Place de la Madeleine in Béziers.

We were in Béziers yesterday for a hair appointment and to drop off some papers, which we accidentally left at home. Merde.

The skies were grey but the temperature was perfect for walking around. I went to my favorite fromagerie in Les Halles to buy cheese for La Fête du Fromage and we had crêpes at La Table Bretonne.


Crêpe Vallé d'Auge: buckwheat crêpe with Camembert, emmental and homemade caramel au beurre salé.

A savory-sweet creation with oozing, melted cheese in a crisp, hearty wrapper. Sublime!
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A Day Out in Béziers

We go to Béziers a lot.
It is the "big city" where we go to run endless bureaucratic errands, visit the hairdresser's, for doctor's appointments, to buy impossible-to-find-elsewhere Asian groceries at an Asian épicerie, to drool over shoes and purses at little boutiques (that would be me, not my husband), to buy any necessary DIY stuff at Castorama, to eat some delicious crêpes or Chinese food and to browse at a wonderful little English bookshop, named, appropriately, Le Bookshop.


My ideal day in Béziers would begin around 10:30 in the morning. From our village it takes about 45 minutes to get there once you wind your way into the center and find parking. There are some charming little café's in the old part of town where I like to have a noisette and a pain au chocolat before running errands and window shopping.
First to Monoprix to see what's new and buy any make-up or hair products before heading down the Allées Paul Riquet to Galleries Lafayette to browse their shoes, purses and clothes.




Crossing les Allées, I head into the maze of little streets in the old quarter where I browse in shops like l'Occitane en Provence, Mango, paper shops, a shop full of wonderful kitchen utensils, pet shops, shoe shops and chocolatiers.
Le Bookshop is tucked away on one of these little streets. The owner, Deborah Bragan-Turner, sells English language books and greeting cards and the upper floor of the shop is a sweet little children's book section. Browsing through books is one of my favorite things to do, so I could easily spend an afternoon here!
Just up the street is les Halles, the covered food market. This noisy, smelly place is a fabulous French food shopping experience.
The ideal day also includes lunch. Partly because most shops are closed from noon to 2 pm so it's either eat or go home, and partly because there are some great little restaurants in Béziers.

Before I know it, my day comes to an end and it's time to have one last little coffee and head home.



We're going to Béziers again this Thursday. I got a letter in the mail on Friday that requires yet another trip to deal with bureaucratic incompetence. One benefit of our trip will be lunch at La Table Bretonne, a little crêperie with a beautiful, sunny terrace that looks out on the Gothic Cathedral Saint Nazaire. The savory crêpes are made using blé noir (buckwheat) and dozens of sweet crêpes are offered for dessert. The owner's, Jean-Pierre and Agnès Ponthieux, are a delightful, friendly couple and the restaurant is one of our favorite's.



La Table Bretonne
21, rue Viennet
34500 Béziers
04.67.49.00.66

Le Bookshop
18, rue des anciens Combattants
34500 Béziers
04.67.36.67.82 Pin It

Top 100 - 73 Through 80

73. La Table Bretonne in Béziers, France. This little crêperie in the center of Béziers offers delicious, savory buckwheat crêpes and tempting, sweet crêpes for dessert. My favorites are the Tartiflette, filled with bacon, potatoes and reblochon cheese, and the Popeye, filled with spinach, crème fraîche and emmenthal cheese. Dessert options include crêpes covered in cinnamon and apple compote with vanilla ice cream, a crêpe spread with homemade, bittersweet chocolate sauce and toasted almonds and the famous, flaming crêpes Suzette. The owner's are a delightful husband and wife team, he cooks and she works the dining room.

La Table Bretonne
21, rue Viennet
34500 Béziers
FRANCE
+33 (0) 4.67.49.00.66

74. A Crawfish Boil. Imagine a mound of bright, red crawfish mixed with potatoes and chunks of corn on the cob, piled high in the middle of a newspaper covered picnic table. The air is thick with the tempting aroma of cayenne, onions, garlic and bay leaves. Scoop one up, pinch da tail and suck da head!

75. Walla Walla Sweet Onions. We enjoyed these all summer long when I was growing up. Tomato and onion salad, one of my mom's greatest summer recipes, was my favorite. This sweet, mild onion originated in Corsica and was brought to this small town in southeast Washington State in the 1800's by a French soldier. It is now celebrated every year during the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Festival.

76. Piperade. A vibrant and hearty dish from the Basque region. Serve with plenty of crusty bread.

Piperade

1 onion, thinly sliced
3-4 Peppers - mix of red and green, at least one of each, chopped into large pieces
3-4 large, ripe tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
fresh chili, according to taste and desired heat
2 cloves garlic, minced
thyme
bay leaf (fresh preferably)
salt to taste
4 eggs, beaten

Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Gently cook the onion until it is soft. Add the peppers, and cook gently for 10 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, garlic, chili and herbs, and continue to cook until everything is tender and has melted together.
Add the beaten eggs to the mixture and stir, evenly and quickly so the eggs blend nicely into the sauce.

77. The Heat Resistant Spatula. I have three of these and think they're the greatest invention! They're virtually indestructible and withstand heat up to 500 degrees.

78. Copper River Salmon. One of the richest, tastiest salmon in the world. It's nutty flavor and stunning red color can be savored for only three to four weeks a year, from around May 15 until early June. Last year's price per pound was over $30.00, but if you can find some, it is well worth the price.

79. Dim Sum. When we lived in San Francisco, Sunday mornings meant dim sum for brunch. Trolleys stacked with little plates of various kinds of steamed and fried dumplings, sautéed vegetables, noodles and roasted meats are wheeled around for you to pick and choose from. A great alternative to omelets, waffles and hash browns.

80. Granny Smith Apple Sorbet. This was one of the sorbet choices on the menu at the restaurant where I was a pastry chef. I haven't made it in years but still remember the sweet, tart and tangy flavor. I'm making it again as soon as I get an ice cream maker.

Granny Smith Apple Sorbet

6 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2/3 C. lemon juice, lime juice, or a combination of both
1/3 C. sugar
1/3 C. calvados or applejack

Slice 5 of the apples and puree in a blender or food processor. Chop the sixth apple finely.
Combine all ingredients and whisk together until sugar is dissolved.
Pour into 1 1/2 quart (or larger) ice cream maker and process until firm following the manufacturer's instructions.
Serve immediately, or freeze for later use.

Serves 6.
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