Southern Fried French

The "Cover Girls" of French Villages, Part II

Photo, Saint-Cirq Lapopie, from Trekearth.com

This week we have edition II of those supermodels of French villages, the ones that are post-card ready.  They grace the covers of of travel magazines everywhere.

Last week we circled around Provence, Bugundy, and the Dordogne.  This week we’re off to the Lot, which has way more than it’s share of Kodak moments (It seems we may need another installment someday, for the Côte d’Azur).

First up is Saint-Cirq-Lapopie (photo above), a tiny village near Cahors. Rachel mentioned in the comments and it was on my list as well.  It’s precariously perched, be prepared for an interesting drive to get there.

Then there is that famous town of Rocamadour, spilling down the cliffs. Famous for centuries as a matter of fact, as it is a pilgrimage site.  How, one wonders, did they even build it?  The town is full of monastic sites, churches, and the sanctuary of the Blessed Mary. The tradition for the faithful was to mount the steps, from the base at the Dordogne River, on your knees. At right, it’s pictured on a poster (photo from photorail.fr).  

I see the shot belowt SO often, which is taken from the Perigord Noir (photo from  meteocity.com). I’ve been, and I want to go back! There is a little boat you can take to make the trip between Beynac-et-Cazenac and La Rogue-Gageac, and catch the view of the medieval Château de Beynac high up on the hill. The towns are on the Dordogne river. 

Can’t resist one more iconic photo. I’ve stood on this spot and marveled, more than once. It’s the view of the Dordogne River you will see if you walk to the top of the charming bastide town of Domme and peer over the edge. A peaceful spot except in August, when you will have to fight your way through masses of les touristes (photo below, redbubble.com).

Well, we could go on. As gorgeous as these villages are, there are so many less famous views to discover. Is it any wonder that France is the most visited country on the planet?

In the COMMENTS:  For more beautiful villages, Susan mentions the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France designation, 157 villages chosen by an association started in 1982 by a French mayor.  You can see the list here, along with planned village-viewing routes. Beth metions an old article, "In Search of the Perfect French Village" from National Geographic Traveler, which sadly I could not find on-line but I did find Drives of a Lifetime: 500 of the World's Most Spectacular Trips  by the same publisher, with contributions by the same author. Meanwhile Ann is just back from Semur, and Mary James (of Mary James en Provence), we've always said exactly the same thing about Gordes. Maria, I hope you get to see them all some day! 

 Favorite BLOGS: A new one I've discovered, by one of our readers:  Eileen's Travel Adventures.  Eileen, a self-described travel addict, takes small groups to interesting places.  Like an upcoming trip to Tuscany, Umbria, and Rome.  Do check out her site.

And even if you're not an American in France you will like Jeff Steiner's Americans in France, which has all sorts of useful info about living in, or just traveling to, France.  

Michel Sablet has a house in the Vaucluse (which they rent out sometimes), and his blog post this month at Our House in Provence is all about the very pretty town of Uzes, which happens to be a favorite spot of ours when we want to take a quick trip down south.  

Favorite READS: reader Sue Wallace absolutely raves about Edward Rutherford's  Paris: The Novel , and Natalia agrees.  This is the next book I will read (oh for more time to curl up with a good novel!) Meanwhile reader Mel is taken with Adam Gropnik's Americans in Paris: A Literary Anthology (and if there's anyone who writes prettier than Adam Gopnik, I don't know who it is).

Gee, I've run out of space and there's no room for a recipe.  Next week, then!

 

 

 

The "Cover Girls" of French Villages, Part 1

I didn’t realize until we moved to France how many beautiful places there are in this country. Not just the places you’ve heard of, but a zillion others.  It’s hard to find the words to describe the variety of the terrain and how rapidly it changes, the abundance of beautiful historic buildings, the gorgeous villages. It’s a small country, but you couldn’t see it all in a lifetime.

But It’s a funny thing. Though we haven’t even scratched the surface when it comes to seeing this country, when I see a French village or charming scene on the cover of a magazine or other media, it is very often familiar. There are certain locations that seem to make the photogenic cut, shots I’ve seen multiple times and always recognize. These are the Cover Girls of French Villages.

So I’ve been collecting a personal list of those photos in France that hog the media coverage. These are the pictures I constantly encounter in travel magazines, etc. I feel sure that you, happy travelers all (even if only the armchair variety), can identify many of them, and add to our list. They're great places to visit, though you shouldn’t stop there! I’ve got three for you today, and more for another day. Maybe we’ll even have a post on some unknown ones that should be added to the list.

We’re going to exclude Mont-Saint-Michel because it’s just too obvious a choice. After that the first one that comes to mind is Gordes, in the Vaucluse department of Provence (Photo above, from Wikimedia Commons). With its sun-washed houses in pale Provencal stone spilling gently down the hillside, it’s hard to beat. There is a certain spot approaching the town that always gets its picture taken.   

In northern Burgundy there is a ville that to me is among the most gorgeous in France: Semur-en-Auxois. Viewed from afar, it’s my fantasy of a French town.  Circle down past the very cute town center to the river that surrounds it, its steep bank lined with fine old houses, and you’ll see a spot that has graced many a magazine cover. Photo, Cote d'Or Tourisme.

Carennac is a tiny village in the Lot. When we happened across it years ago we were cycling, and we rounded a corner to a breathtaking view of a little bridge, lined with flowers boxes, that crosses a deep ravine. The sort of view that makes you gasp, and start clicking that shutter.  The spot has popped up so many times in the media that I’ve lost count. Photo, All-Free Photos.

By the way, Loyal Reader Dani of American Girl in France has a Cover Girl photo on her blog this week too. Do you know all these Cover Girls, and do you have more to add to our list?

In the COMMENTS: Speaking of corn, that unloved European veggie:  Cynthia M. is working on the Italians on her end. To that Lazy Girl of And Then Make Soup: Jiffy Mix, my my! Lin, of my favorite English Bookstore in Valbonne, I was eyeing the polenta in the supermarché just today. To Liza of Provence in Ann Arbor, we can get peanut butter in Burgundy now--globalization has arrived! To my mom, Mickey, I don't make corn bread with bacon grease because your daughter is trying to stay healthy and French-girl skinny, but I'm sure you will love the bacon brittle recipe over at Mary James en Provence.  And Frank, yes we have to work on our British English as well! To Claude, mille mercis, may I sign you on as my honorary editor?

Loyal Reader Cynthia Hinson has a great blog you might be interested in called Archi-trouve.  She's currently doing a great series on Romanesque architecture in Burgundy, surf on over and say bonjour!

 

An Unloved Vegetable Gets a Chance in France

Photo:  French bread is gorgeous.  But where's the cornbread?

When we first moved to France, we noticed the French didn’t eat, or sell, fresh corn. When we asked why, we always got the same response:  “Corn is for cows!”

 Which immediately explained the salad I had ordered once in a Paris bistro. It was billed as an “American Salad”. Curious, I ordered it. It was a normal mixed green salad–--topped with canned corn.

But there is corn for cows (or in a can), and then there is real corn. In Charleston corn is king, or rather queen. The tender, sweet Silver Queen that arrives in the summer markets is a treat like no other.

Then there’s the problem of making cornbread here. Over the years I have eventually been able to find most any product in France that I can get in the states except for two:  cornmeal and grits. Both, of course, involving ground corn.

I was excited then, when I first glimpsed the sign in the boulangerie for Pain de Maïs (corn bread).  But no.  Pain de Maïs is a sort of baguette with corn kernals stirred into the batter.  Delicious, but cornbread it is not.    PHOTO, right:  Pain de Maïs is made partly with finely ground corn flour (not corn meal) and has corn mixed in.

It’s hard to complain when there are so many other lovely vegetables and breads, but still, it’s a taste of home. Fortunately I can now buy fresh corn in my local supermarket. I’m not sure if that’s because the French are coming around, or because I hounded the manager of the store until he finally decided to carry it.

When friends visit from the states, they sometimes ask before the trip, “I want to bring you a  gift, is there something you'd like from the states?” I quickly answer:  “Yes please--cornmeal!”

So today I will share with you my very favorite cornbread recipe. Another day, when I'm feeling brave, I'll tackle  that lovely Pain de Maïs.

RECIPE:  The Best (only?) Cornbread in Burgundy

In the South, there are two basic cornmeal camps: with a little added sugar, and without. With sugar, cornbread has a light, crumbly, cake-like texture, which is divine. Without, it’s denser and heavier (I use a sugarless recipe to make cornbread croutons, or homemade stuffing).  The recipe below is very light, and super quick to make.  Note there is also the white vs. yellow cornmeal debate but I won’t even go there because to me the only real cornmeal is yellow.   PHOTO: Getting ready to make cornbread.  Don't even think of making it without the best cooking tool ever invented, a cast iron skillet.  I've been researching them, by the way, because I want to buy a bigger one; Lodge Logic brand gets top marks most everywhere.

  

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 beaten egg

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  When pre-heated or nearly so, pour the oil in a 10" black skillet and let it heat in the oven for several minutes.  Meanwhile, mix dry ingredients in a bowl.  Combine egg and milk and add to dry mixture all at once, stirring JUST until barely combined. Remove skillet from oven and pour oil into batter; stir just until mostly incorporated, but don't overmix. Pour batter into hot pan and bake for 20 minutes, until top is golden.  Watch it the last 5 minutes, you may need to reduce heat. Cut into wedges and serve it hot with lots of butter. 

 

In the COMMENTS, and the news:  I was so touched this week by all the wonderful support for my book (which supports the blog as well, thank you!). All the lovely comments, the Facebook shout-outs, the tweets, the reviews at Amazon--it was truly overwhelming and I can't thank y'all enough. When you go to Amazon, I am the #1 best-seller in my category--thanks to you, loyal readers and friends!

Special thanks to Delia Bourne of the Mon Coeur est Dans La Campagne blog, who did a post on the book this week.  As did Kristin Espinasse of French-Word-a Day (I wrote an article for her blog called Learning to Chitchat in French).  A big merci  also to Cynthia Bogart, editor of The Daily Basics, who interviewed me on her site.  And this just in: Check out The Local: France's News in English.  I was interviewed today for their article, Ten Free and Easy Ways to Learn French.

Sidenote: In the comments on Kristin's post, I asked readers to share their French bloopers. If you missed these, surf right over to that post, and you will be on the floor laughing by the time you read all of them. 

And if you haven't bought THE BOOK, How to Learn a New Language with a Used Brain, please click here for the US, here for the UK, and here for France. NOTE:  several folks asked about how to read an e-book without a Kindle.  Click here to download the free Kindle app. Then in an instant you can download it and read the book on your computer (Mac or PC), your phone, your iPad or other readers.  You can't read it on the Nook, but it will work on just about anything else you can think of!

 

My Book Release Party: You're Invited!

Photo:The book is out and it's Partytime! (I shot this party-hearty group of clowns just sitting down for a post-performance expresso, at a café in Parma, Italy)

Well after a year of talking about (and working on) my ebook, How to Learn a New Language with a Used Brain, the book is OUT! I wish I could invite you all to a big book release bash---but instead we'll have to be content with a virtual one!

So put on your dancing shoes, and let me tell you about the book. Why did I write it?  Because it's a subject I'm passionate about, and because I've received so many questions on the blog about language learning.  It's a short and sweet,  an upbeat ebook on language learning that you can read in an hour or two. The book is specifically targeted at folks who are past college age (some of us, way past) but are studying a language. And not just French, by the way, but ANY language. It doesn't matter if you're just starting out with a new language, or you've been studying for ages, I hope you'll find something in this book to help you along on your language adventure. Here's what's included:

• Surprising reasons WHY you should be learning a new language, and how to do it right.
• A program for learning that you can tailor to your needs and learning style, called Six Steps to a Bilingual Life: A Roadmap for Your Language Journey, with a focus on keeping your motivation up, and finding ways to immerse yourself and practice conversation, plus keeping it FUN.
• Learning tips and secrets from YOU, dear readers, and from expat friends, language experts, and professors. 
• A "Best of" review of all the major resources for language learning, from freebies to packaged programs and including lots of the dazzling new online opportunites out there.
• A special section for expats, on how they can optimize their language learning.

All this for $2.99, and it's available by clicking right here here on Amazon,com,  here for Amazon.co.UK or here for Amazon.fr.  It will work on your Kindle reader, your ipad or iphone, or Android reading devices (or even on your computer: get the free Kindle for Mac app here, or Kindle for a PC here). It's also available on Amazon in Italy, Austria, Germany, Canada, China and Japan.

Even if you're not learning a language, this makes a great inexpensive GIFT for language students of all ages, even young ones.  (You can gift a Kindle ebook easily on Amazon, find out how right here).

If you’d like to help spread the word, please post my link on Facebook, tweet it, or add it to your Pinterest book page.  And it would be hugely helpful if you add a REVIEW on Amazon or on Goodreads.

Now Ron (my publisher and I.T. department!) and I would like to raise a toast to you, all of our Southern Fried French friends, for your contributions to book and blog, and for your help, support, and loyalty along the way.  Bonne Santé! 

 

RECIPES:  Treats for our Book Fête

For our virtual party, let's serve some really fun nibbles.   

Since the book is international, we'll go with that theme, beginning with something Italian.  That it can only be our own Patricia Glee's Italian Wine Cookies, from her Umbria guest post of February 2011.  I've been making these barely sweet wine crackers  a lot lately for nibbling.  

Now a little something southern:  Here's how to make quick spiced pecans.  Put 2 cups of pecans in a black skillet over medium heat and stir for a couple of minutes until they begin to smell toasty.  Add 2 tablespoons (28 gr) of butter, and keep tossing until it melts and nuts are well coated.  Sprinkle with sea salt, fresh ground pepper, a dash of cayenne pepper, and a teaspoon of sugar.  Toss for another 2 minutes.  Drain on paper towels and serve warm or at room temperature.

Of course we need something French!  For that I would choose bite-sized grilled cheese sandwiches with gruyere and smoked salmon.  Grill them in butter on thin-sliced bread, cut into quarters, and serve hot.

Now pour a good bottle of white Burgundy, and you'll be talking like a native before you know it! 

 

In the COMMENTS:  I expected to get some funny comments about my pigeon adventure, and I was not disappointed, merci.  Check them out, and  Bennett, by email, said "Lynn, your blog insprired me, I had pigeon pie for dinner."  And to Jetagain, yes I would problably release all the lambs and cows too if I could.  Now about that bird market in the painting:  It's every Sunday in Paris at the Place Louis Lepine near Notre Dame.  I don't dare go, it would be too expensive!

Please go over to Kristin Espinasse's blog, French-Word-A-Day this week if you'd like to read my guest post, "Learning to Chit-chat in French".

 

The Pigeons Go to the "Puces"

Photo:  Painting by Jan Ayers, "Bird Market at Notre Dame" 

Last Sunday morning I went to les puces  (flea market) in a small village, though it was really more of a vide grenier, where the country folk empty their attics of unwanted junk.

At one stand, I spotted a bird cage sitting on the ground, with four fat pigeons crammed uncomfortably inside.  Two of them were pure white and beautiful--doves, perhaps.   “Fifteen euros” said the handwritten sign.  

Now I am not fond of putting any birds in cages, and these, I feared, awaited a particularly ominous fate. Monsieur le vendeur, who owned the house just behind, came over as I contemplated them.

“Bonjour Monsieur.  I’ve never seen pigeons for sale at a village flea market,"  I said in my best French. "Can you tell me what one does with pigeons bought at les puces?” 

“Well Madame,”  he said politely,  just managing to conceal a smile, “you take them home and cook them.”

I was sure that Ron, who was waiting in the car for me, was not going to tolerate a cage of 4 frightened rescue pigeons in the back seat of our sedan.  Our truck, unfortunately, had been left at home. “I won’t be needing the cage,” I said.  “Can you give me a better price on just the pigeons?”

At this point a small crowd had begun to gather. You know, to watch the stupid American.  One of the other vendors came over.  “She’s going to let them go!” he protested.

Monsieur raised his hand to stop the new arrival and said calmly “Please let ME handle Madame.”  No fool this vendor, he knew he was about to make a sale.

“Madame,” he told me kindly, “if you take the pigeons to your village and release them, they are just going to come back to my barn. This is their home.”

“In that case,” I said,  “I’m going to offer you 10 euros for their freedom, we’ll release them now.  Americans don’t eat pigeons, or rabbits either for that matter,” I explained. “The money  is to buy their liberté--you can never again trap, or eat, these pigeons.  You must promise!”

Many hearty reassurances were forthcoming; we shook on it and the money changed hands. Then it was time for the grand release ceremony.  Monsieur placed the cage on a table, and opened the door with a flourish.  The pigeons happily fluttered out, and like idiots landed on the top of a wall next to him, so close he could reach out and grab them.

“Shoo!” I said, waving at the clueless pigeons. “He wants to eat you!”  They retreated, at least temporarily, to the roof of his barn (that's one of the happy, liberated pigeons, in the photo).  

The French crowd who had gathered rolled their eyes heavenward in unison, and snickered.

“On vas faire les bises! “  Said Monsieur as I departed.  Let’s have a kiss!  A sure sign that I had made a friend, in spite of our differences.  We both got our money’s worth--10 euros for a good story, and at least some borrowed time for the birds.

Though I’d like to believe otherwise, I fear those pigeons were back in the cage for the afternoon crowd.  “He’s got a great new business model,”  Ron said, when he heard the story.  “He can just keep selling those same pigeons!”

 

RECIPE:  Frenched-up Shepard’s Pie

While we’re talking of saving animals (and getting healthier ourselves, by eating less meat), here is a fabulous cooking tip I came across, from cookbook author Martha Rose Shulman (The Very Best Of Recipes for Health and Mediterranean Harvest: Vegetarian Recipes from the World's Healthiest Cuisine) reports that chef Samuel Scott makes a great, juicy burger by adding a roasted mushroom mix to ground beef.  Which could stretch your ground beef for ANY  dish with ground beef.  Click here for the burger recipe–haven’t tried it, but I will and if you have, please report! 

Mushrooms are always great paired with beef, so I used a similar technique to stretch out my ground beef and make a tasty shepard’s pie this week.  Shepard’s Pie is unbeatable for a one-dish meal when you’ve got dribs and drabs of veggies to use up.  I frenched it up with a little gruyere cheese, though you could use swiss, cheddar or parmesan (and you could even leave out the beef).  I've given directions rather than a real recipe, since substitutions are welcome.

Serves 3.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees (200C)

In a dry black skillet, sauté a half pound (225 grams) of sliced mushrooms on high heat, until they’ve released their liquid and it evaporates, and mushrooms begin to brown.  Remove mushrooms to a plate.

Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the same skillet and sauté together, over medium heat:  some chopped onion, red pepper, celery, maybe a sliced leek--or most any other veggies you have in your fridge--with ¼  to ½ pound  (115 to 225 grams) of ground beef, seasoned with salt and pepper.  When beef is well browned, add 2 cloves of chopped garlic and the mushrooms, and cook a couple of minutes longer, stirring.  Turn heat to high and add about ⅓ cup of wine or water and 2 teaspoons of worcestershire sauce, plus a dab of hot sauce, and stir for about a minute, until liquid is mostly gone.  Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, peel and slice 4 medium potatoes and steam until tender.  Mash them with a little butter and a splash of milk,  plus salt and pepper.  Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of gruyere over the meat mixture.   Spoon the potatoes in mounds over the meat mixture and spread out evenly.  Top with ¼ to ½ cup more cheese.  Bake until golden, 15-20 minutes.

 

Hop on over to The Daily Basics this week to read more about Olivier Magny, author of Into Wine: An Invitation to Pleasure, who was interviewed here last week.  (And for those of you who commented on how cute he is,  there are more photos!).

Raising a Glass with France’s Most Famous (and Cheekiest) Sommelier

A confession:  Though I live in La Bourgogne, wine central for France and maybe the world, I’m a miserable failure at being a Wine Snob.  Though I’ve visited more vineyards, cavs, châteaux and wine co-ops than I can shake a grape vine at, I’ve improved my palate a bit but I just can’t Talk the Talk.

Olivir Magny, everyone’s favorite wine blogger at O Chateau (and owner of the famous Paris wine bar and wine school of the same name), is a sommelier by training who reassures us all that we don’t have to sprinkle fancy-smanzy jargon around to appreciate wine.  In fact, Olivier wants you to put your nose to the ground and muck around in the dirt a bit. I interviewed him about his new book, Into Wine: An Invitation to Pleasure which you must read if you’re a wine sophisticate and especially if you aren’t.  Here’s what he had to say.

Not being an amateur du vin [that's a knowledgable enthusiast] myself, I was surprised at how much I loved the book--as did my husband, who IS an amateur. Who did you envision as your target audience for the book?

That's great to hear, thanks!! Into Wine is a terrific read for anyone with who's ever drunk a glass of wine! Everybody will learn something: about wine, but also about its beautiful and inspiring culture. I did my very best to find the right balance between informative and fun. That's how I do things at O Château, and I think it's a strategy most people enjoy - novices just as much as seasoned drinkers. Makes learning new things both easy and really exciting!

The topic of the book is unusual: explaining the concept of terroir, a complex French word for which there is no translation. Can you talk a little about that?

Well terroir is truly the key to the understanding of anything wine. It's the one idea that makes everything fall in place and suddenly make sense. Why are French wines so complicated? Terroir. Why is this wine so delicious? Terroir. What's so wonderful about Burgundy? Terroir! It is a tricky notion but one it is tremendously rewarding to grasp. The beauty of it is that when you step back for a second, you realize that terroir is an idea that goes far beyond wine. Into Wine is also the story of this eye opening journey. 

Your book is irreverent and full of humor, not things we normally associate with wine writing (only with drinking it). Does the professional wine community not quite know what to make of you, or do they appreciate a breath of fresh air?

Thank you Lynn! You know, no matter what I do, I try to do it well, and also, I try to do it with my heart. I think most people recognize it when you do something with your heart. So at the end of the day, though some stuck-up wine professionals might look at me with a bit of circumspection (which I can very much understand), I think most people - amateurs or professionals - just see a young guy with a real passion, they see someone who's not scared to go out and take some risks for what he believes in.   

The global wine market has given the French fierce competition. Will the French be able to maintain that close connection with the land that makes French wine so special?

I think so. As I explain in the book, French wines are going through a fantastic Renaissance right now. The connection between vignerons and their land, which had been vastly lost in the 70s, 80s and 90s is being rebuilt. And that's not going anywhere. There are so many people interested in wine these days that the future is quite bright for all the wineries that make the most interesting and delicious wines. And no matter, that means focusing on your land and on your grapes. Now will the French realize this and start drinking more wine, that's a whole different question...

After getting into the book, I was shocked to find out you were French, since your English is current and beyond perfect. Where and how did you learn it? 

Thank you very much. School mostly, though I do recall trying to make sense out of the lyrics of the English or American songs I heard on the radio. I would record them and play the tapes over and over again. Since I liked rap, I guess I caught up on a fair bit of ebonics at a young age! I also worked for a little while in California, and then at O Chateau, we have tastings in English every day, so that helps too!  

OK, so we live in Burgundy, and we drink mostly white Burgundies and Côtes du Rhône reds. How should we go about picking our ‘house wine’ for everyday drinking? Or how should anybody, for that matter?

I'd say first, buy your wine from a wine shop, not from a supermarket. This way, you can get better advice and a better (usually healthier too) selection. If you're after value for money, don't go for the well-known names, for you always pay more for those (so for white burgundies, for instance the wines from the Côte Chalonnaise will be better value than those from Pouilly-Fuissé), And as a general rule, I would recommend going for wines with less chemicals, they're simply much better for you. In the book, I listed a bunch of awesome value organic and biodynamic wines, worldwide. Just take a picture of these pages on your phone and you'll never feel lost again comes the time to pick a wine!

You seem like a really fun guy. If we visit Paris, can we come hang out at O Chateau and talk to you? 

Absolutely!! We offer great food and over 40 wines by the glass... so even if you think I'm dull and boring, chances are you'll still have a good time!! 

 

 

Restaurant tip:  On a recent visit to Paris, Ron and I and friends visted Olivier's wine bar, O Chateau, and had a lovely tasting dinner.  I highly recommend it!  (Plus our server knew her wines well and was so cute that the guys were ready to follow her home).

Favorite Reads:  In addition to grabbing Olivier's new wine book, Into Wine: An Invitation to Pleasure , be sure to get his other book, tthe best selling  Stuff Parisians Like: Discovering the Quoi in the Je Ne Sais Quoi. It's really funny, and if you want to get to the heart of what makes Parisians tick, he nails it.  

You can read more about Olivier and his new book over at The Daily Basics later this week.  

 

Photo courtesy of Olivier Magny.

Tweaking a Famous French Sauce

Photo:  Orange Gran Marnier Caramel Sauce over cinnamon ice cream.

The French are masters of caramel sauce. Caramel and it’s nutty cousin, praline, are favorite flavors here.  Think of Crème Caramel, or Tarte Tatin, with it’s gooey, caramelized bottom. Think of the sensuous Sauce Caramel au Buerre Salé (salted butter caramel sauce), which is all the rage in Paris and has now spread everywhere.

I’ve alway had a deep fear of making caramel sauce, perhaps rooted in an episode in which I had to throw a pan away after the sugar melded permanently to the bottom.  But my friend Dee has taught me to make a luscious caramel sauce (see this post) and now I can’t get enough.  

Recently I’ve been playing around with and tweaking a recipe for caramel sauce which I spotted in Gourmet a few years ago.  Big benefit:  it’s NON-FAT! (well, but maybe not low-calorie).  It’s made with orange juice instead of cream. Ice cream is  “in season” now, which I like to serve for company desserts, but dressed up a bit.  So this is perfect. You can also pour it over a chocolate cake or a brownie sundae or vanilla pudding or fresh fruit.  To be honest, I can get a spoon and just lap it up. Is caramel soup a food group? 

 

RECIPE:  Orange Gran Marnier Caramel Sauce, to pour over Everything

• ½ cup sugar
• 1 cup orange juice
• zest of an orange or tangerine
• 1 orange or tangerine, sectioned and then coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of Gran Marnier

Put the sugar in a small heavy saucepan, shake it to get it even, and heat it over medium heat.  Don’t disturb it until it starts to melt around the edges.  Then loosen the sugar with a fork and start stirring it. (Don’t wait until it all melts to start stirring, or you may have that pan problem). It will be in grainy chunks. Keep cooking it, stirring occasionally, until it all melts and you have a deep golden liquid.  Add the zest and stir it for a few more seconds. Then tilt the pan and carefully pour in the OJ.  It will sizzle and sputter.  

Now you will have the “OMG  what have I done” moment that invariabley comes with making caramel sauce.  Your sugar will seize up into one big hard lump. Calme-toi. Keep  stirring over medium heat, until the lump dissolves, and in a couple of minutes you will have a sauce.  

At this point the sauce will be very thin. It’s not meant to be as thick as a regular caramel sauce, but I like keep it at a low boil for 5 minutes or so, stirring frequently, to thicken it up a bit. (It thickens a tiny bit as it cools, but not much.)

Then remove from heat and stir in the orange sections. Stir in the Gran Marnier. While no one is looking, get out your bowl and spoon, and enjoy a little bowl of caramel soup.

Tip: anytime you make caramel sauce, wash your pan right after you pour the sauce out, and it will be easier to clean than after it cools.

In the COMMENTS:  Several folks asked Jane questions about her lovely property near Cluny, and she has responded to all of them in the Comments section.  

Favorite Reads:  Let's face it, it's reason enough to move to France, just for the sauces!  If you're a sauce fanatic, then you will need the book that chef's, of the professional and home variety, consider to be the classic: Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making.  Award winning chef James Peterson studied in Paris.  His book includes everything from the fanciest French sauce to a recipe for gravy for your Thanksgiving turkey. (Hmm, that cover shot looks like a BIG bowl of caramel soup--think he had the same idea?)

 

Renovating a French Country House & Gîte

I met my neighbor Jane Williamson after she found my blog.  She and her husband Jim live a half hour away in the beautiful Clunyois area of Burgundy.  They've renovated a farmhouse and a gite which they rent to guests.  For anyone who has dreamed of doing the same, here is their story.  AND Jane shares a beautiful spring French recipe.

We had been looking for a holiday and retirement home for some time and as we drove into the courtyard at Aux Tetes, just off the Route Touristique between Cluny and Charolles, we tried not to show our excitement.  It was the end of February and very cold and had snowed recently, but the sky was blue and the view was magnificent and we fell in love with it.  

The property, surrounded by its own land and actually being two houses divided by farm buildings, was usable for holidays and ticked more than enough boxes for us.  We had a second viewing then drove back to Cluny, negotiated the price and made the appointment with the notaire to sign the compromis de vente (initial contract) and pay our deposit.  The system is totally different from the UK.  Christiane, the lady vendor, was there with her family, estate agent and the lady who accompanied visits for English clients.  Two months later we were all back in the notaire’s office to sign the acte de vente (final contract).  Christiane, who had lived all her life at Aux Tetes, took us for a celebratory drink at the Brasserie du Nord.  We also changed our marriage regime to circumvent the French inheritance system and I was very disappointed that we did not have to go to the Mairie (mayor's office) for a proper cermony! 

We engaged the architect son of a French friend to make sense of the layout and draw up the plans, obtain the planning permission and estimates.  Not being in France, we felt we were at the bottom of his list and we made little progress until we came over to live in 2009.  We have been environmentally friendly installing good insulation, geothermal heating and solar panels.  The heating is also used for the pool.  We hoped not to renew the main roof, but inspection revealed the beams had been eaten by Capricorn beetles, although we have managed to retain the splendid A-frame beams in the bedrooms.  Seeing workman on the walls with no safety gear was terrifying to us!  It took us over a year of being invaded by workmen until we were ready for Jim to hand build the kitchen in the gîte and lay the oak flooring in the salon and both bedrooms.  We are now delighted with both of our houses and welcome guests, friends and family, who enjoy the warm welcome, comfort, heated pool and those marvelous views.

Regular readers know of the outstanding wines and gastronomy in this part of Burgundy, its historic buildings, walking, cycling and leisure activities which make the Clunysois such a wonderful place in which both to live and holiday.  You can find us at www.oneoffplaces.co.uk .

For our guests who have made a long journey, we can provide a supper ready and waiting for your arrival.  An example of one of our delicious tarts is this recipe which comes from Good Things to Eat by Lucas Hollweg.  The taste of Spring into Summer.

Merci and a big bisous (that's a kiss on the cheek) to Jane, for sharing her story and this yummy recipe! 

RECIPE: Pea, Asparagus and Parmesan Tart

• A blind baked shortcrust pastry case for a 23 cm - 9” tin.
• 150g 5 1/2 oz thin asparagus
• 125g 4 1/2 oz spring onions, thinly sliced
• 200ml – 7fl.oz crème fraiche
• 1 small garlic clove crushed and finely chopped
• 25g- 1oz Parmesan cheese
• 2 medium egg yolks
• 100g-3 1/2 oz150g peas, defrosted if frozen or cooked for 3 – 4 minutes until tender if fresh
• A knob of butter
• Salt and pepper
• A big handful of mint leaves 

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus and cook in boiling water for 4 – 6 minutes until tender.  Drain and keep to one side.  Melt the knob of butter gently and add the spring onions until soft and keep to one side.  Mix together the crème fraiche, garlic and Parmesan and egg yolks.  Season well and add the spring onions and peas.  Retain five or six mint leaves for the garnish and tear the rest and add to the mixture.

Spread the mixture evenly over the base of the tart case and arrange the asparagus stems on top, pressing them gently into the mixture.

Put in the oven at 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and cook for about 30 minutes until the top has puffed up.

Splash the top of the tart with a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and leave to cool.  Scatter the remaining mint leaves just before you eat the tart.

 

Favorite Reads:  I've discovered two more authors in our midst--our readers are a literary lot!  Please check out two books by Kim Defforge:  Solitary Desire: One Woman's Journey to France follows Kim's personal voyage from Paris to the Riviera. Her newest book is Sun, Sea & Savoir-Faire: Travel Focus on the French Riviera.  And we can all relate to this title: Falling in Love with France, by Jo Anne Marquardt.

Ebook authors, I'll be doing a post soon on tips for publishing your own ebook.  If you want to contribute a tip, something that helped you, or surprised you, or confounded you in the publishing process, please email me.

In The COMMENTS on the state of French cuisine: When restaurant soufflés are made from a mix, as Natalia discovered, there is for sure a problem.  Cynthia makes a good point--kudos to Jean-Marc, for calling out a fellow Frenchman.  Heather of Lost in Arles has proof of industrial cooking, she's checked the garbage cans!  Note Nicole's tip on how to pose the question:  "Dites-moi ce qui est frais et cuisiné sur place par le chef."  But as many pointed out, there are still places to get great meals in France. Look for an open kitchen as Jetagain and Katie at French Cravings both suggest. 

 

Is French Cuisine in a Downward Spiral?

I’ve avoided this post for quite a while. I like to keep things upbeat, and our life in France IS upbeat and wonderful. But after living here for 10 years and visiting for many years before that, it’s impossible to ignore the problem: The long revered French restaurant cuisine is going straight down the tubes. It’s shameful, really.  Happily, there’s a move afoot to correct it.  (PHOTO: The French are pouring their fabulous international reputation right down the drain).

Sure, at the very top level, French cuisine is unbeatable.  But at lesser restaurants and especially at bistros and brasseries, they’ve mostly switched over to commercially prepared dishes.  Noted Paris chef Xavier Denamur says the number of French restaurants serving ''industrial fodder'' is over 70%!  Not just opening a can or pulling ingredients out of the freezer, mind you, we're talking entire meals--from meat to veggies to sauces to desserts--that are pre-prepared, and then zapped when you order. It’s impossible to believe that the gastronomically-obsessed French are putting up with it.   

It’s a perfect storm of hard economic times, modern food technology, and the new fast-food lifestyle. Restaurants can make huge profits by serving industrial food. They don’t need the expense of a real chef, and they can cut down on all of their labor costs, as well as on food waste. 

A small but significant move toward change: Chef Alain Ducasse, along with a slew of other shining food celebs, has started a new label that will be awarded to restaurants  featuring fresh food prepared on site. The private group, College Culinare de France, will award plaques that restaurants can post (at right). "Most restaurants ‘only do industrial cooking’, " he says. "These days, the average person has no idea what they are in for when they open the door to a restaurant.”  He adds that to be awarded the new label,  restaurants will be required to have an in-house chef and not "someone who reheats a frozen bag".  

For a foodie like me, this problem is the end of civilization as we know it.  So, how to avoid these microwave mills in France?  Look for the new plaque, and search the Michelin guide (though many think it contributes to the problem).  And, when you see a menu at a small place with like a thousand items on it, you can be darn sure they’re not cranking out everything by hand. Search out places with the daily menu on a chalk board, and very few à la carte items.  And here is my other solution.  Every time I go in a restaurant or bistro, I’m asking:  what’s homemade and what’s industrial on your menu? (even though I don’t really have much hope of getting an honest answer).  And I’m making it clear which I’m choosing. If the consumers don’t demand change, who will?  I hope you’ll join me in taking them to task.  And I’m VERY interested to hear your experiences on this subject, please do share!  (PHOTO, A French exception:  A restaurant in Nice showcases the chef's fresh veggies and herbs right out on the counter).

Now, let’s show them how easy it is to cook up something fresh and fabulous, and easy too!

 

RECIPE:  Spicy Pork Roast En Croute

En croute is a French term meaning something wrapped in a pastry or crust of some sort.  This pork tenderloin is wrapped in a low-brow crust that’s easy and delicious: a crunchy baguette.

This recipe comes from the wonderful chef, Joanne Weir. I’ve followed her basic recipe, but kicked the flavors up a notch.  It’s my company main dish this year, and it’s fun and unexpected. It couldn’t be simpler to make. Carve it à table for a nice presentation.  (Photo courtesy of Traditional Home magazine).

Serves 8

• 2 pork tenderloins, total of 2.5 pounds
• 1 thin, fresh, good quality baguette (the length and width of your tenderloins)
• Olive oil, grainy mustard, soy sauce
• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced

Spice mix:

• 3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme leaves
• 3 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
• 2 teaspoons snipped fresh chives
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

The morning of: 

Season tenderloins lightly with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and brown the meat in oil for about 8 minutes, turning frequently and reducing heat a bit as needed.  Pour off any pan drippings  and save for later.  Set  tenderloins aside to cool slightly.

Mix 3 tablespoons of olive oil with a tablespoon of soy sauce, a teaspoon of grainy dijon mustard, and the garlic.  Roll the tenderloins with the mixture, on a plate. Leave them in the fridge for a few hours, turning them over from time to time.  

A couple of hours before you will cook them, drain the excess oil and coat tenderloins  with the spice mixture.  Slice the baguette lengthwise, evenly.  Scoop out most of the mie, which is the soft interior of the baguette, and discard. Set aside. Now you’re ready for your last-minute prep.

When ready to cook, pre-heat the oven to 375F (190c) and brush the interior of the bread with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, combined with any leftover pan drippings.  Place the tenderloin inside the bread. Scoop up any spices that did not stick to the tenderloin and spread them inside the baguette. Tie the baguette tightly about every 3 inches with kitchen string.  Put it on a baking sheet and pop it into the oven.

Here’s the tricky part:  you can’t easily cut into it to be sure it’s done, so you need to carefully check the internal temperature with a  Quick-Read Thermometer . It cooks in 30 to 35 minutes, but I start checking at 25.  It should be 155 F to 160F (68-70c) at the thickest part, and then you should let it sit 10 minutes after you take it out, it will‘cook‘ a little more. It’s tastiest when it’s still a bit pink in the center, just like the photo.

Cut into slices (a bread knife works best) and serve--no sauce required. I like serving this with baked cheese grits and roasted mixed bell peppers.

 

In the COMMENTS, about coffee and tea:  Natalia talks about  good tea bags she got at Mariage Frère, the famous Paris maison du thé.  I would buy their tea just for the beautiful packaging!  Sip a cup while you check out their pretty website.  Chris, Sandy, and Jonelle are all drinking noisettes: it must be a trend!  Une noisette is a single-shot expresso, served in the usual small cup, with just a dollop of steamed milk. Rich but without the heaviness of a café au lait.  Noisette means hazelnut in French, and the coffee is called this because of its nut-like color.  And Caterina, I am absolutely with you, when it comes to feeding kids!  

Favorite Reads:  Want to read more about the crisis in French cuisine?  Try Au Revoir to All That: Food, Wine, and the End of France.

 

Coffee & Tea, the Fuel of Europe

My beloved step-daughter Suzanne is a busy executive who likes to start the day early with coffe in a giant round coffee cup  that looks a bit like something out of Alice in Wonderland, filled to the brim.  If you’re American, chances are you sip your way through the morning too, from a super-sized mug.  

Coffee and tea fuel the day in Europe too, but they’re taken differently in each country.  The Italians knock it back in shots, standing up.  The Brits sip tea off and on during the day, as a sort of comfort.  The French, as readers of this blog will know (see Café Nation, Tune up Your Coffee Lingo), have strict rules for taking their café.  A quick review:  a café in the morning is taken, with or without milk; an expresso is allowed, black, anytime during the day and certainly at the finish of a meal (but never with milk, after 11 am); tea lovers might partake in the mid-afternoon.  

 After being hard-core American coffee drinkers who turned up our noses at strong expressos, we have become complete converts to the French way.  And I’ve mentioned my theory before, which is totally untested except by me:  I think drinking coffee the French way is a weight loss strategy.  A nice little expresso with a dash of sugar at the end of the meal fills you up nicely when you’re dreaming of dessert. 

A pleasant cup of tea is also filling at that weak moment around 4:00 when you’re thinking how much you’d like a big plate of chocolate cookies.  I’ve taken to drinking chai green tea at this hour (and skipping the cookies. Well mostly).   We’re all supposed to be drinking green tea, they say, to prevent all sorts of diseases.  

In the states I drink Yogi Chai Green Tea, but I can’t find chai green tea bags in France, so I’ve experimented with making my own chait green tea.  It’s easy to make, and you might find you like it better than the tea bags.

Speaking of tea, here's an aside:  in Singapore recently, we ordered some tea from the menu, shown here.  I was partial to that first one, with the "beauty enhancing properties".  When I googled Lily Flower tea, I found out it also reduces wrinkles. Now there's a  tea recipe I'd like to have!

 

RECIPE:  Vanilla Chai Tea from a Southern Plate

This recipe mostly comes from another southern girl, Christy Jordon  of the Southern Plate blog. I’ve stolen her spice mix.  Christy uses instant tea and powdered cream with her spices, but I eliminated that part.  I make the tea fresh with a  green tea bag, but brewed with the mixed spices. 

Throw all these spices in a jar and mix:

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper  (or black pepper, fresh ground), or to taste.  

Put some of the spice mix in your cup or teapot and let it brew with your tea.  Add a touch of vanilla extract, a bit of brown sugar if you like, and an optional splash of light cream.  Store the rest in a jar(instead of the vanilla extract, you can cut a vanilla bean open and tuck it int your spice mix).

In the COMMENTS:  Colleen, we're intriqued by your trauma with the color gray!  Colleen, by the way, is a fabulous painter.  See her work here, including wall murals!  Shown here is my favorite piece, perfect Georgia peaches for spring. Don't miss the  many other interesting thoughts on gray and black (and about the book of the title), both for travel and as big-city uniforms (New Yorkers learned it from the French, I think!). Virginia of Paris Through My Lens sent a great cookbook recommendation: Fifty Shades of Chicken: A Parody in a Cookbook. This is a parody but a real cookbook, with recpies like 'Learning-to-Truss-Me chicken'. Take a look, it's too funny!

Favorite reads:  A book I wish I'd written: French Kids Eat Everything: How Our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snacking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters  It's SO true (see my post of 2/8/13.  There's a good review of it over at the Honest to Nod blog.  

And here's a photo of me with our new friend Mel from Michigan, a loyal reader of this blog who turned up in Burgundy (but doesn't he look so FRENCH?).  We had a great lunch in Macon.  And never say the French aren't friendly---Mel met a couple of French guys when he took a picture of their front door, and they ended up showing him around the area, and made him a part of the family for the week!