Market=Table: a winter-to-spring menu
Ten a.m. and the Wednesday market in Agen is lively enough with turn of the season produce that begs winter to leave and spring to arrive. Plum trees are wearing new white frocks all across the Garonne River Valley, yet this morning I lit a fire in the cheminée to take the chill off of the old stone bones of Camont. By the time I return from the market, the doors are flung open as two young pups run road races through the open doors. MARKET Vegetables & FruitAillets-... Read More
Truffled Rabbit Pie- a Word-of-Mouth Recipe
Living in Southwest France is living in an audio cookbook. A recipe here, a ‘truc’ there, and after 19 years later, I have accumulated a repertoire of very traditional and very personal recipes. This week, direct from the mouth of Marthe Delon, renowned Kiki trainer and long time truffle cook at the Lion d’Or in Lalbenque, a Lapin aux Truffes recipe- a straightforward braised rabbit in white wine perfumed at the last minute with a handful of sliced truffles. Back on the... Read More
Truffles- Lalbenque Market Road Trip #2
Lalbenque Tuesday Feb 20 2007 2:20 The town fills fast with cars with license plates that end in 24, 01, 31, 33, 47—the numbers of the French departments. We head straight to the Café Le Lion d’Or to score a table—oops, already too late. ‘No reservation? Sorry.’ Impossible, I think, as I spy a space at the bar. “Ok. Merci. Come on, Pim, let’s have a drink.” But before we have gotten our glass of Vin de Noix and a heaping plate of pistachios, the manager returns,... Read More
Road Trip- aux truffes
I rarely need to leave my beloved Gascony for gastronomic amusement. But when I whispered the word “truffe” during our Winter Gathering Weekend, Pim changed her train ticket and agreed to yet another adventure. Just to north of the Garonne River Valley begins the vast limestone plateau and hills of the Quercy. This is the home to black-eyed lambs, fat walnuts, Cahors wine and those little herbacious goat cheese called cabécou. This is also the destination for those... Read More
aux Truffes with Pim
This is what we saw. This is what we bought. This is what we ate. Read More
