tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4653518714206906282024-02-21T19:00:23.698+01:00Cuisine de ProvenceCooking, living, exploring Provence - it's markets, food festivals, seasonal highlights.Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.comBlogger242125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-68979338353248632332016-01-02T14:41:00.004+01:002016-01-02T14:42:31.454+01:00Time to say Goodbye<br />
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<b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> Foto: Scott Scheuer</span></span></b> </h4>
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It has been a great five years writing this blog, reading lots of
other blogs, exchanging comments and recipes, even meeting some fellow
bloggers, developping online friendships and friendships that swapped
over into real life. But now the time has come to say Goodbye. As you
may have noticed, my last blog entry was a few months ago - I have just
been too busy living, laughing and cooking of course.</h4>
<b>If you are still interested in what is cooking at Cuisine de Provence, I say "au revoir" on<span style="background-color: white;"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cuisinedeprovence/" target="_blank">Cuisine-de-Provence's Facebook page</a>. And merci for stopping by!</span></b><br />
<br />Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-53240826785798393822015-11-13T18:15:00.000+01:002015-11-13T18:15:40.666+01:00Cuisine de Provence meets The Café Sucré Farine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know, I know - not too long ago that I said I wouldn't blog anymore, but I guess I will just have to eat my words. Because something great happened and I just have to share it!<br />
A little while ago I got a mail from a blogger I have followed for a long time and always very much admired. Chris Scheuer and her husband Scott of the absolutely fabulous<b> <a href="http://thecafesucrefarine.com/" target="_blank">The Café Sucré Farine </a></b>were planning a trip to Provence and wanted to visit<b> <a href="http://www.cuisinedeprovence.com/" target="_blank">Cuisine de Provence. </a></b><br />
To cut a long story short - we met, we clicked, we had great fun and Chris' husband Scott who is a more than excellent photographer (check out his work on the blog) took loads of photos.<br />
Plus a got to try out a state of the art KitchenAid Turbo Mixer. Which, and this now I really have to share with you, is the the giveaway on Chris' blog. So go on over to<b> <a href="http://thecafesucrefarine.com/" target="_blank">http://thecafesucrefarine.com/</a> </b>and try your luck to win this très chic mixer that I can vouch makes soups and smoothies just silkily smooth. Good luck!Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-88724281720176184632015-07-09T16:52:00.002+02:002015-07-09T16:52:41.043+02:00Summer Market Bounty - Heirloom Tomatoes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Who could resist? Every Tuesday I get one of these crates full of the most beautiful assortment of heirloom tomatoes at Vaison's Provençal market. We are suffering a real heat wave here in Provence right now so this is the perfect summer food - cut up into a colorful summer salad, served with mozzarella or burrata, black basil cut into a chiffonnade, our own, very best olive oil, some sea salt and pepper fresh from the mill. Summer bliss!<br />
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<b>Perfect Summer Lunch</b></div>
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<br />Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-1522702784618179402015-06-03T16:59:00.002+02:002015-06-03T16:59:23.700+02:00Bold and Adventurous: Marrow Bone Appetizer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Even when we were still real young our parents took me and my sister and brother travelling. One of our first foreign trips was to a farm in Denmark, where we played with little piglets and the lady of the house treated us to wonderful thick hot chocolate. I remember fabulous sauerkraut stuffed and brined red peppers in Austria, huge piles of then to us very foreign watermelons in Yugoslavia,where we also got our first taste of Slivovitz simply because the fruit salad was generously perfumed with it.</div>
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Later we graduated to the real good things in life: the first lobster which we went to pick out in the market and boiled ourselves. And then oysters. I still admire how our parents taught us to eat all these things by making it a great adventure. So all three of us are the probably most unfussy eaters there are. There are things we like better or less, but nothing we won't at least try once. Saying that I do draw the line at snakes and dogs - a very firm line that is. </div>
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<b>Deliciously roasted Marrow Bone at L'Epicurien restaurant in Crestet</b></div>
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So when the other day I found something on the menu at our friend's Eric and Nana's restaurant <a href="http://www.epicurienvaison.fr/" target="_blank">L'Epicurien </a>that I had never eaten before I just had to try it. Now I have encountered marrow bones before - Osso Bucco is only worthy if served on the bone, but I never had it "raw" so to speak. Raw in the sense of it being served no frills style. Just the bone, beautifully roasted with good bread on the side and some sea salt. What can I say? It is wonderful.<br />
And, unfortunately, very rich - I rather not tell you about its fat content as otherwise you will never try it. Which would be a shame because half the fun of of finding new culinary adventures is throwing yourself into them wholeheartedly. And what can be wrong about something so delicious that is even said to cure inflammatory conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease and gluten intolerance? So be bold and adventurous and bon appétit!<br />
<b>Restaurant L'Epicurien, Quartier Glacière, 84110 Crestet, Tel: 0490419982, www.epicurienvaison.fr</b>Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-802673227787809192015-05-25T13:02:00.000+02:002015-05-25T13:02:10.957+02:00Culinary Snapshots from Provence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What a busy month of May this has been! In May the tourist season starts to really pick up in Vaison la Romaine. This is the month when friends who know when Provence is at its best start to appear on your doorstep. There are birthdays to be celebrated, tomatoes to be planted, it is the month of asparagus which we now eat about every other day and I even cooked the first twelve jars of cherry jam yesterday! My <a href="http://www.cuisinedeprovence.com/" target="_blank"><b>cooking classes</b></a> had to be prepared, new recipes were tested and cooked by my lovely guests. So in between our private lunches or dinners tend to be fast and improvised. Have a look at what we ate lately: </div>
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<b>Beef capaccio with lemon vinaigrette, shaved parmesan and a little side salad </b></div>
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<b>Tomato-Mozzarella revisited - I let the cherry tomatoes wilt with a little lug of olive oil over moderate heat, deglazed them with a splash of balsamico. Served lukewarm with baguette on the side.</b></div>
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<b>Round zucchini stuffed with onion, garlic, sausage meat and some grated cheese, served in a very light tomato sauce</b></div>
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<b>A wonderful dinner at my <a href="http://sablethouse.blogspot.fr/" target="_blank">blogger friend </a>Michel and Shirley Augsburger's beautiful Sablet house who served us</b></div>
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<b>the best ever leek Risotto with steamed cod on a delicious fava bean puree</b></div>
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<b>These two cuties visited Cuisine de Provence </b></div>
Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-76400265292207416102015-05-09T18:15:00.000+02:002015-05-11T08:50:34.083+02:00Spring Leeks with a Fishy Twist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Even in deepest winter it is a pleasure to visit Provence's beautiful farmer's markets but now that nature empties its horn of plenty full of fresh spring produce on all those stalls I can hardly contain my excitement. Today's bounty was white asparagus, skinny sweet leeks, the first fat, juicy bulbs of pink garlic, some basil and a huge bunch flat leaf parsley.<br />
So tonight's dinner will be the asparagus. Steamed and served with a little Sauce Hollandaise, new potatoes and a slice of cooked ham. This is the traditional way white asparagus is served in Germany where they know a thing or two about this noble vegetable what with all those acres and acres of asparagus fields that you find all over the country.<br />
After peeling the asparagus (that is the downside if you eat the white instead of the green) I tackled the leeks - just topped and tailed them, washed them thoroughly (they love to hide lots of sand) and very gently poached them for about 5 minutes in some vegetable stock.<br />
Now you have to dry them real well - paper towels are good for this. Then I just melted about 50 g butter and three anchovy fillets, finely chopped up a handful of basil and parsley leaves, added a few generous turns of the peppermill and the juice of half a lemon. Stir all ingredients together and pour over the still warm leeks. Eat toute de suite with a slice of baguette or, if left for later, warm up for about 15 seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in a hot oven. Très, très bon!Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-55200640889524890902015-04-15T10:00:00.000+02:002015-04-15T10:00:04.127+02:00Freezer Soup - Sunshine in the Kitchen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Somehow I always buy too many vegetables. So there is the odd zucchini left, two carrots, half a red or yellow pepper, a celery stalk - you know how it is. But since I think it is kind of sinful to just discard these leftovers, I am forever chopping and freezing them. And then one day the freezer is so stuffed with little bags I don't find anything else in there anymore.<br />
That is the day of what has become known as the "Freezer Soup" in our house, to which, I am happy to report, my OH is always very much looking forward to.<br />
I just empty all those little bags into a big pot, add water and vegetable stock and bring everything to the boil, then let simmer for about 10 or 15 minutes. If there is a sausage lying around (think Saucisse de Morteau or Kielbasa) I cut it into chunks and add it to the soup. Even better, if there is still some Pistou left over in the freezer from last summer, it is added just before serving the soup. Pistou is the Provençal version of Pesto, but without the pine nuts and even the addition of cheese is optional here.<br />
But the smell! Pistou is the quintessential perfume of summer in Provence, so no matter when I serve this soup there is sunshine in the kitchen!Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-44083993636047885762015-04-10T16:09:00.001+02:002015-04-10T18:53:05.474+02:00The first Sign of Summer in ProvenceIt has been real sunny for last last two weeks here in our corner of Provence but since the Mistral has been very busy too, we still have the central heating on and cannot plant all those beautiful little tomato, eggplant or zucchini plants you find in the markets now.<br />
But today I spotted the very first sign of summer to come! What from afar looks like just another tree still dreaming the last dreams of its wintery sleep - <br />
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sprouts, if you look closely, the tiniest, very first baby figs!<br />
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It is the sign that summer lurks around the corner. I can't wait for these little beauties to grown into juicy, fat and fragrant fruits that we eat fresh from the tree, cook jam from or transform into sweet or savoury tarts. Maybe I will be courageous and plant my tomatoes this weekend....Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-22273928966963888152015-04-03T19:08:00.002+02:002015-04-03T19:17:12.781+02:00Rachel Khoo's Little Paris KitchenWhen in Paris we always make it a point to visit all the English language bookshops. Until recently this used to be WH Smith on Rue Rivoli and the wonderful and rightly famous "Shakespeare & Company" on the Left Bank. But during our last visit while strolling along Rue Rivoli we discovered <b><a href="http://www.galignani.fr/histoire-de-la-librairie-galignani.php" target="_blank">Galignani</a></b>, which is not only the oldest English language bookshop in Paris but also on the continent. And the most beautiful and elegant bookstore you can imagine with maybe not the most comprehensive choice of books but certainly the most select - any bibliophile's dream.<br />
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<b>Lentil Salad with red beets, Goat Cheese and Dill Vinaigrette</b></div>
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Which is not where I bought Rachel Khoo's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Paris-Kitchen-Classic-Recipes/dp/1452113432/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1428079544&sr=1-1&keywords=rachel+khoo" target="_blank"><b>"The Little Paris Kitchen"</b></a> a book that has been sitting on my kitchen bookshelf for a while until I now finally started "cooking it". My nephew and his wife along with my darling OH aka guinea pig No.1 tried "<b>Puy lentils with goat cheese and red beets with dill vinaigrette</b>" and guess what? They liked it! And so did I. All of it, but totally and especially the dill vinaigrette. Dill is hard to come by in Provence so now we planted it in our kitchen garden as this is a vinaigrette you will want to serve with steamed fish, chicken breast or just lick off a spoon, so good it is. So look up the recipe which I am not supposed to give you here because of copyright reasons. And if you only make the vinaigrette (which involves a bunch of dill, some sunflower oil, white wine vinegar, some sugar and salt) you will be one happy bunny. Talking of bunnies:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Happy Easter!</span></b></span></h2>
Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-63563119792887663682015-03-22T17:26:00.001+01:002015-04-03T18:15:33.472+02:00Parisian Priorities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>We would say "Eat & Drink", wouldn't we? But it seems the Parisians have different priorities. "Drink & Eat" this clever poster says. Found in a brasserie on Rue des Abesses in Montmartre.</b></div>
Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-90935306597374681722015-03-05T15:24:00.000+01:002015-03-05T15:24:49.314+01:00Rustic Goat Cheese LasagneIf you would just look at the view from my study into the garden and over the vineyard next door you'd be jealous: brilliant sunshine, blue sky, the first daffodil is blooming - it looks just like Provence is supposed to look this time of the year. What you don't see however is that our "beloved" Mistral, the icy wind from the north is slapping nature and us around. Our fireplace is working overtime, no one feels like going outside unless we absolutely have to. Which for me meant getting fresh vegetables to try out some new winter warming recipes. <br />
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For the<b> filling</b> of this melt in your mouth delicious<b> Rustic Goat Cheese Lasagne </b>(serves 6) you need:<br />
1big red onion, sliced<br />
2 zucchini, diced,<br />
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, diced<br />
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved<br />
4 herby, spicy sausages (think chipolata, salsiccia)<br />
1 can chooped tomatoes <br />
1 soft, mild goat cheese<br />
2 cups bechamel sauce<br />
8 lasagne sheets - I use ready made Barilla sheets that don't need precooking<br />
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Put to the side 1 cup of the halved cherry tomaotes. Mix all the other sliced and diced veg with a bit of olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper and let roast in the oven (180 C/ 350 F) for 30 minutes. Meanwhile skin the sausages and break up the filling, then fry over medium heat until cooked through. Degrease over some layers of paper towels. Mix the sausage meat into the roasted vegetables and add the can of chopped tomatoes. Either prepare or use a ready made bechamel sauce.<br />
In an ovenproof dish start with one layer of the vegetable/sausage filling, cover with lasagne sheets, evenly distribute one layer of bechamel sauce and crumble some goat cheese on top. Repeat this layering process once more, ending with pasta sheets generously covered with bechamel sauce onto which you now crumble all the rest of the goat cheese and decorate with the halved cherry tomatoes.<br />
Bake at 180C/ 350 F for 30 minutes.Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-76450581885901698122015-02-11T15:13:00.001+01:002015-02-11T15:13:38.847+01:00Almost Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>As found in "Azucar" the very best ice cream parlor in Little Havanna, Miami</b></div>
Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-79548969684800804112015-01-14T12:46:00.000+01:002015-01-14T12:49:09.664+01:00My Top Three Provence CookbooksGuests at my<span style="background-color: white;"> <a href="http://www.cuisinedeprovence.com/" target="_blank"><b>Cuisine de Provence</b></a></span> cooking classes often ask me to tell them about my favorite Provençal cookbooks. Although I am a self confessed cookbook junkie, the books I turn to again and again when checking out Provençal specialities have stayed the same throughout the years.<br />
My alltime favorite is Gui Gedda's<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-School-Provence-Guy-Gedda/dp/0756628458/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1421232474&sr=8-5&keywords=gui+gedda" target="_blank"> "Cooking School of Provence"</a></b><br />
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Written by a true Provençal chef and beautifully illustrated, this book covers all the Provence classics from Aïoli, Bouillabaisse and its Rouille, Ratatouille, Pan Bagna, Tapenade and Anchoiade but also includes some French Classics such as the Poule au Pot, Lapin Chasseur or a Tarte Tatin.<br />
Very useful: the glossary where you find explanations for what I call "kitchen latin" such as "écumoire" - a flat perforated spoon used for skimming foam from cooking liquids. Or did you know that a "beurre composé" is a butter mixed with herbs, anchovies or other aromatics? And if ever the urge strikes you to prepare "ketchup à la provençale" - this is where to find the recipe!<br />
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Patricia Well's<b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Provence-Cookbook-Patricia-Wells/dp/0060507829/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421233259&sr=8-1&keywords=patricia+wells+provence+cookbook" target="_blank">"Provence Cookbook"</a></b></div>
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I bought after I had seen it displayed at my<b> <a href="http://www.loucanesteou.fr/loucanesteou.htm" target="_blank">local cheesemonger's</a></b>. Patricia Wells, the famous doyenne of cooking class instructors, had of course included Josianne Déal in her book, just as Vaison la Romaine's butcher, the fishmonger and truffle king, the honey vendor and best restaurant chef are featured. Although this book came out 10 years ago and needs some updating as far as the people featured or adresses go the recipes stand the test of time. Very often authentic homecooking recipes of friends of Patricia Wells these are simple and delicious true Provençal dishes prepared with love and the sundrenched produce of Provence. You also get stories of everyday life and the histroy of Provence and I bet your copy with soon look as dogeared and well thumped as mine!</div>
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Alex Mackay's<b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Provence-Alex-Mackay/dp/0091924944/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421234658&sr=8-2&keywords=alex+mackay" target="_blank">Cooking in Provence</a></b></div>
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After having cooked at Britain's most famous French restaurant, the "Manoir aux Quat'Saisons", Alex Mackay ran a Provence cooking school - sadly now closed, because the chef went on to even greater things and now teaches in Britain. This book, where he tells the story of his school is dotted with the most succulent recipes. Zucchini flowers stuffed with tomatoes, roasted pigeons with ceps or orange and chocolate tart, anyone? Mackay teaches you how to stock a Provençal pantry, tells you about the hunt, the harvest and the winter in Provence and tempts you to recreate your very own little Provence with beautiful photos of our little corner of the world. This is probably the most beautiful book of my favorite Provençal cookbooks - it makes me want to try each and every recipe and a lot I already have!Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-55531972760314296852015-01-09T15:19:00.004+01:002015-01-13T15:48:36.189+01:00I am Charlie, you are Charlie, we all are Charlie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A heartfelt thank you to all my wonderful Cuisine de Provence guests who sent very moving messages of support during these trying times in France. All of you said: We are Charlie!<br />
Last night we took part in a <span style="color: blue;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZsCSArWcJs" target="_blank">silent march</a></b></span></span> through Vaison la Romaine.<br />
I am proud of my town and happy to see how many, regardless of their faith, political conviction or nationality took part. Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-28835626140095485742014-12-29T14:49:00.001+01:002014-12-29T15:53:20.115+01:00Les Pastras - Truffle Hunting in Provence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b> Expert truffier Jean Marc with his adorable truffle hunters - </b><b>Pupuce and Mirabelle</b></div>
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This summer guests of<b> <a href="http://www.cuisinedeprovence.com/" target="_blank">Cuisine de Provence</a> </b>asked me to find them a truffle hunt - not easy during the summer months as truffles, also known as the black gold of Provence, are mostly to be found between November and February. Thankfully I found out about <b><a href="http://www.lespastras.com/" target="_blank">Les Pastras</a></b> an organic olive and truffle farm in the Luberon owned and run by Johann and Lisa Pepin, a French-American couple. </div>
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The feedback I got from my guests was so enthusiastic that I decided we had to experience this for ourselves and also that it made a wonderful gift for my husband - a gift with benefits so to speak as I got to go, too!</div>
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Truffle hunting is a highly secretive business as truffles are not only called the black gold of Provence, they are also, just like gold, sold by the gram (or ounce) and so sought after that unfortunately a lot of poaching is going on. Owners have to keep their truffle pastures secret and only those who book a tour are given the GPS coordinates to Les Pastras, the Pepins' beautiful old Provençal farmhouse set within acres and acres of vineyards, olive and truffle oak groves. </div>
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Yesterday was a typical Provence winter day: brilliant sunshine, blue skies but a very strong Mistral - the dreaded wind from the north. Johann's friend Jean Marc, the truffle expert, was almost doubtful if his dogs, mother and daughter team Pupuce and Mirabelle, would find any truffles at all because of the strong wind that takes the scent away. But it turned out the only ones suffering from the wind were we, the fascinated onlookers - no matter how much we had bundled up it was still very, very cold!</div>
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<b>The first truffle of our hunt,</b></div>
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<b> small but oh so fragrant!</b></div>
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<b> The dogs at work</b></div>
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While the dogs were doing their work Johann explained all the ins and outs of truffles and truffle harvesting - how the dogs are trained, how truffles come to grow, how to find them, the difference between summer and winter truffles, how to distinguish between original and synthetic truffle oil (if it only says oil and truffle aroma on the back of the bottle it has never seen a truffle).<br />
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<b> Johann explaining the ins and outs of truffle hunting</b></div>
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<b> Just beginning, but it looks promising...</b></div>
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<b> Found another truffle!</b></div>
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<b> We proudly present the truffle harvest of the day</b></div>
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<b> Work done - now I want my belly rub! </b></div>
After our bracing two hour walk hunting truffles and visiting Les Pastras' olive groves and vineyards, finding wild herbs and braving the wind, then came the real exciting part: tasting the truffles! Lisa had prepared a wonderful spread - we even got to taste a truffle infused dessert - and we warmed up with plenty of Champagne! To put it in a nutshell - if in Provence go truffle hunting with Jean Marc and Joahnn and Lisa Pepin - a wonderful experience! <br />
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<b>Toast, salted butter and truffles - what more do you need?</b></div>
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<b><b>Our wonderful hosts - Lisa and Johann Pepin</b> </b></div>
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<b>Truffles are sold by the gram - yesterdays price was € 70 for 100 grams </b></div>
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<b> Bethmale cheese, truffles and a drop of Les Pastras' finest truffle oil</b></div>
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<b> Dessert with a truffle infused Crème Anglaise</b></div>
Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-13238766900561510482014-12-21T17:21:00.001+01:002014-12-21T17:22:06.460+01:00Christmas In Provence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b> </b><b>A children's Christmas in Vaison: kids can post their letters to Father Christmas in the little red letter box</b> </div>
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<b> Having our photo taken with Père Noël</b></div>
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What do you do on a beautifully sunny Sunday morning? Take a walk of
course. We mostly drove I have to admit, but only in order to inspect
three different Christmas festivities. Our surrounding villages of
Sablet and Séguret were holding their "Fête de Noël", which in Sablet was a Christmas market held in a tent on the main square.
They had "vin chaud" - mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and sold wine, foie gras and truffles
(600 Euro per kilo - the typical somewhat inflated pre Christmas price,
after New Years they become much cheaper...). We bought Christmas tombola tickets and drove on to Séguret. The cobblestone village had made a real effort - beautifully decorated this was a very Provençal Christmas fête. The old communal charcoal oven was back in service, you could stock up on oysters and sausages, delicious tartes and Provençal Fougasse breads, all very joyful! </div>
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Our last stop, Vaison la Romaine, had this year decided on a children's Christmas. A giant teddy bear on Place Montfort, little kids posting their letters to Father Christmas and the man himself who graciously agreed to have his photos taken even with some not so small kids.</div>
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<b>Séguret: baking in the old communal oven </b></div>
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<b>Where delicious Tartes and</b></div>
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<b> Fougasses, the typical Provençal bread were baked </b></div>
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<b> Care for some oysters?</b></div>
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<b>The truffles had all but sold out</b></div>
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<b> Christmas market in Sablet</b></div>
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<b> Provence Christmas weather: and yes, it is supposed to stay this sunny until well</b></div>
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<b> into the New Year</b>!</div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Happy Holidays and a Happy, Healthy and Peaceful New Year 2015 !</b></span></span></div>
Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-64740938592162684382014-12-10T17:10:00.000+01:002014-12-10T17:10:25.399+01:00Tartiflette: One Dish Winter Comfort Food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is cold outside. Just overnight it has become so cold in Provence, you don't want to leave the house without a big scarf and mittens. And a beanie won't hurt either. But there is reason to rejoice - cold means comfort food and I found just the recipe that spells comfort in capital letters.<br />
Tartiflette hails from the Haute Savoie region of France and takes its name from the Franco Provençal word for potato - tartiflâ. And although it comes along like very simple, few ingredient peasant food this is not a dish with a long rural tradition but a genial bit of marketing dreamt up by some Reblochon producers in the 1980s to promote the sale of their cheese.<br />
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<b>Onions and Bacon</b></div>
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<b>Reblochon Cheese</b></div>
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<b>Tartiflette ready to go into the Oven</b></div>
Start by parboiling 1 kg/2 lb waxy potatoes. Leave to cool. Peel and finely slice two white onions and sauté them in a bit of butter together with 250 g/ 8oz lardons (bacon bits) until the bacon is cooked and the onion translucent, taking care not the brown the mix. Season with freshly grated pepper - black or white, it doesn't really matter.<br />
Peel and slice the potatoes. Layer the potato slices into a lightly buttered gratin dish, top with the onion/bacon mixture. Drizzle with a bit of either cream or white wine and top with slices of Reblochon. Cook in the oven at 180 C/350 F for 25 to 30 minutes until beautifully browned and bubbling. You won't have to call your family to the table, the wonderful kitchen smells doing their magic calling them all by themselves. To be served either with a crisp white or a robust red wine.Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-48869169674631121902014-12-03T18:22:00.003+01:002014-12-03T18:22:52.765+01:00Here we go again - Countdown to Christmas 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What a busy weekend this has been! Our "Countdown to Christmas" started on Saturday by volunteering for the "Banque Alimentaire", the local food bank. They do an annual collection where you hand out plastic bags to shoppers at the local supermarkets and ask them nicely to do a bit of extra shopping for the food bank. Much in demand this year: cooking oil, sugar, coffee and cans of vegetables and ready cooked meals. I am happy to say that the shopping carts filled up, maybe not quite as fast as a few years ago, but every little bit helps! <br />
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<b> Food bank collection - the vest was to identify the collectors...</b></div>
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Done that I did my own little bit of shopping making sure I had all ingredients for Sunday's big Christmas cookie bake. My friend Sabine's daughter Jade had asked me for a crash course in Christmas cookie baking, and I have a little suspicion she got more than she asked for: we baked almost non stop from 11 am to 6 pm - six different cookie recipes. Turns out Jade is a master decorator - my cookies never looked so pretty before!<br />
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<b> Jade with the first three cookie batches </b></div>
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<b>Jade's beautiful cookie decorations</b></div>
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Having given my "prettily" icing decorated kitchen a major clean I then made my husband get all our Christmas boxes out of the garage and while he was putting the outside Christmas lights up I decorated the tree. I have never counted but there must be hundreds of little ornaments going up that tree - it never takes me less than a full day to get it just right. Sorry about the less than fab photos but I dropped my camera on our stone floor and it went straight to camera heaven so I had to take these with a phone camera. At least Santa now knows what to bring me for Christmas....</div>
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<b> Collected from all over the world - our tree ornaments</b></div>
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<b>Done! The tree is up!</b></div>
Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-80976328145856818742014-11-26T10:30:00.000+01:002014-11-26T10:30:00.535+01:00Raspberrry Financiers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One thing I have learned in France is, when invited to a dinner party you don't just graciously accept and then think about what to gift your hostess. Oh no! It seems the polite thing to do is to ask "what can I bring?" That doesn't always mean your offer is taken, but sometimes it is and so today I am preparing a little dessert for six people to take along to an invitation tonight. Crème de Citron and Financiers aux Framboises it will be, elegant bite sized (oaky, two bites) petit fours that, as long as you have some frozen raspberries at hand are a cinch to make.<br />
All you need is 110 g powdered sugar, 3 eggwhites, 55 g almond flour (ground almonds), 35 g flour, 100 g butter and a handful of raspberries.<br />
With a wodden spoon, stir all ingredients except for the butter together. Melt the butter and let cook for a few minutes so its color changes to a nutty light brown. Let the melted butter cool down, then mix into the batter. Fill into a financier baking form (you could also use a madeleine form or miniature cupcake forms), push two frozen rasperries into each financier and bake at 180C/350F for 20 minutes.<br />
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<b>Rasperry financiers in their baking form</b></div>
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<b>Tonight's Dessert</b></div>
Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-75176719940860187272014-11-18T17:44:00.000+01:002014-11-18T17:44:20.904+01:00Primeur Beaumes de Venise - the new wine of 2014 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Primeur 2014</b></div>
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Last night we were among the first to taste this year's "Primeur" - the new wine of the prestigious Beaumes de Venise wine cooperative. Beaumes de Venise is famous for its fortified sweet Muscat wine that often accompanies foie gras dishes. Although grown for more than 2000 years in and around Beaumes, Muscat only celebrated its 70 birthday as an AOC (controlled designation of origin) wine last year.<br />
But Beaumes de Venise also produces wonderful red wines which became "cru"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cru_%28wine%29" title="Cru (wine)"></a> - the highest order of wines in the Rhone Valley in 2005.<br />
Now you cannot just go and have a taste of a new AOC wine whenever you feel like it. There are strict rules and regulations to obey: the Primeurs, the new AOC wines, are only allowed to be sold after the third Thursday in November, which means this year from Thursday, November 20th after 12 am. So we were lucky to have a taste but also couldn't buy any. Too bad, because the red and the rosé are very nice even drunk this young and the vintners are more than happy with their new vintage. Which means we better go back this Friday and stock up, not forgetting a bottle of Muscat or two!<br />
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<b>But savour we could: the beautiful halls of the Beaumes de Venise Cave</b></div>
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<b>and a scrumptious buffet the wine growers treated us to </b></div>
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<b> Great wine, delicious food</b></div>
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<b> The famous Muscat</b></div>
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<b>Professional tasters: the owners of the Vaison restaurant "L'Epicurien"</b></div>
Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-31182515026259628732014-10-29T02:00:00.000+01:002014-10-29T02:00:03.876+01:00Almost Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Salad ads seen at a Paris Metro Station</b></div>
Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-2721822152447561882014-10-04T16:08:00.000+02:002014-10-04T16:08:53.202+02:00I might become a baker yet...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Most people are either a cook or a baker, seldom both. I so do not care for baking that I am grateful for living where I do, as in France we are spoiled for our choice of bakers and patissiers. I have yet to find a French housewife who bakes her own bread and even dinner party desserts are very unashamedly bought in, inspite of often totally absurd prices. Today at a not even fancy village bakery I saw an medium sized apricot tart that even I would whip up in five minutes for the royal sum of € 25 ($ 31/£ 20) - highway robbery!</div>
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So what got me baking? Again - ridiculus pricing. What the Italians call Foccacia and in Provence is known as Fougasse is easily thrown together with ingredients that cost "trois fois rien" - three times nothing as we say in Provence: wholemeal flour, semolina, some salt, olive oil and warm water plus a few grams of yeast , some Herbes de Provence and about 4 or five chopped up sundried tomatoes. Lovingly kneaded, then left to prove for an hour et voilà! Fougasse! Next time to be varied with lardons (bacon bits) and caramelized onions. </div>
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Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-80386504725995961152014-09-17T05:30:00.000+02:002014-09-17T05:30:00.310+02:00Wordless Wednesday <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-63575327843566566852014-08-15T17:38:00.000+02:002014-08-15T17:38:33.303+02:00Up to my Elbows in Tomatoes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our kitchen garden is not exactly giving us much joy this year - the zucchini are flowering and flowering but have not produced<b> one</b> single fruit, our lovingly seeded butternut squash does the same, the peppers are probably proud to show one (in numbers: 1!) scrawny little pepper and the only tomatoes that grow are the cherry tomatoes we planted more or less for decoration purposes into pots against a sunny wall. So to our farmer's market I go. There, talk about adding insult to very much bruised gardener's pride, they are selling tomatoes cheaper than ever this summer since they have such a bountiful harvest....<br />
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Of course I can't resist and have been spending much time in the kitchen up to my elbows in tomatoes - coring and cutting then cooking them. Then passing them through my newest toy, the "Passatutto Master" that removes skins and pips (and no, unfortunately I don't get paid for this and even bought and paid for this tomato wonder machine myself).<br />
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<b> Tomato skin and pips remover</b></div>
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Once skinned and deseeded in went little chunks of carrots and zucchini, garlic and some onions, loads of basil, a bit of sugar and salt and pepper and lots of tender loving stirring care. Lots. For the best pasta sauce ever. Almost as good as the one a former colleague used to bring back from her Nonna when returning from her summer vacations in Sicily. But I can still practise - tomato season is still on and tomorrow is farmer's market day.<br />
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<b>Homemade Pasta Sauce </b></div>
Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-465351871420690628.post-89985496103551004282014-08-06T18:51:00.000+02:002014-08-08T14:54:01.889+02:00Almost Wordless Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfFJy8Z6XYL1j3_ihwFqy0Vd-lD-X_Xg4ymKANrlZpJmlTTB6JLaXrJsxMs2cf9YsvZRzWfn01V3XotRlUWxb9qvR8QxnuIofy8qsJ7Egyln9SkEygw5YkSOI3P93Fi8KVmJXm7Y1pcE/s1600/DSCN4278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfFJy8Z6XYL1j3_ihwFqy0Vd-lD-X_Xg4ymKANrlZpJmlTTB6JLaXrJsxMs2cf9YsvZRzWfn01V3XotRlUWxb9qvR8QxnuIofy8qsJ7Egyln9SkEygw5YkSOI3P93Fi8KVmJXm7Y1pcE/s1600/DSCN4278.JPG" height="400" width="357" /></a></div>
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<b> Lunch today: from here</b></div>
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<b>and here </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwK36cugV7T3v2Sqd4MNxckHs8a00yvID6RWoBNdzP5ZeglrYb9Px6ilWZLVwuAmVyWauaIsy_i-Ycw3GZ9nLZvvVa6b2L5pnjRQULpAtVrpgDGqjySihZD0nwQCGQ1M22vKRgUSIKuM/s1600/DSCN4191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwK36cugV7T3v2Sqd4MNxckHs8a00yvID6RWoBNdzP5ZeglrYb9Px6ilWZLVwuAmVyWauaIsy_i-Ycw3GZ9nLZvvVa6b2L5pnjRQULpAtVrpgDGqjySihZD0nwQCGQ1M22vKRgUSIKuM/s1600/DSCN4191.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>onto the table </b>- <b>Tarte Tatin aux Tomates</b></div>
Cuisine de Provencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14179654559093072126noreply@blogger.com3