French Summer Playlist
Pretend this is an audio track: “Just pull over here.” = Field of Sunflowers. “I’ll go get the Rosé. Buzet or Cotes de Gascogne? = Night Market “How many tomatoes should I buy?” = Lavardac Wednesday Market “Turn the water on to the shower, please!” = Gypsy Caravan Campers “Can you hold the diffuser, please?”= Food Photographers at work “More ice!” = The Aperitif Hour Barman “Can... Read More
May Day ~ Mayday ~ M’aider: in a pickle
May Day. All is quiet this early morning but the vast aviary outside my kitchen door. In France, this first seasonal holiday, Labor Day, is the promise of Summer to be. Although it still smacks of worker’s right and labor issues, waving red flags or lily of the valley, it is just a very quiet day in the Gascon countryside. Mayday- Mud! The famous Garonne River Fog is late this year; it has rained, rained, rained these last two weeks. So much... Read More
Jambon de Bayonne en fête! A Basque Country road trip with Kate.
What’s red and green and red and white… and ham all over? The Foire au Jambon in the colorful Basque port of Bayonne. A memory of a Bayonne surfaces from a long ago road trip looking for marine goods along the Atlantic coast for my barge, the Julia Hoyt. Rope, cord, and lines I was searching. I drove along the river port of the Adour outside of Bayonne in the very southwest of Southwest France looking for some fishermen, a working boat... Read More
Inspiration rolls into town- Les Fromages de Marie
Where does it begin? “It” being the Frenchness of the good food made here in Gascony. “It” being the idea for recipe. “It’ is an homage to a certain way of life. My life. For me, it begins and ends 100% with a list of names that sketch across the Gascon landscape like 18th Century signatures. Jehanne = foie gras, rillettes, vin de peche. Narcisse = amber bramble honey Pierre = dense and crusty baguettes Chapolard... Read More
What goes around comes around, again and again… New trends for 2012
It's just bacon. A couple of years ago someone, some too-clever-for-their-own-good someone, declared bacon was out… and that in the coming year pork belly was in. That set me off. It’s been cupcakes in and in and in and then- pies at last. In. Pickling came in and smoking went out. Butchery, charcuterie, and brewing are in, in, in. Potlucks, Pop-ups & Popsicles… all get their share of spin IN. Every January there is media... Read More
