France

Have you heard about Frexit?

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This is my French dream – a little house in the country with a small restaurant attached.  This was a lockkeeper’s house on the Canal du Midi.

Every now and again I get struck by a bout of melancholy.  Not a down-in-the-dumps doom and gloom kind of downheartedness, but more a feeling that everything is not quite in its place… as if I have lost something… or have not seen a loved one for a while.  The self-diagnosis took some time… but in the end it became clear to me.  Occasionally I suffer from an ailment I call Frexit, which is the feeling I get when I have been outside of France for a while.

As with any diagnosis it is immediately important to understand the root cause of the disease and in my case, Frexit is a withdrawal-symptom based sickness, brought upon by a yearning for a few major things:

No red lips:  This seems to be a staple of the chic French woman.  Minimal make-up, but gorgeous red lips.  Whenever I am in France I always take out my brightest red lip colour and always imagine that I blend in like a local!  Who does not want to look like a French woman!

Me and hubby by the Eiffel Tower
Red lips!

No sidewalk cafes:  I love the café culture in France.  What is better than sitting down, side by side, sipping a café latte in the morning while watching French life go by?  Wait, I know… Sitting down, side by side, sipping a drink at the end of the day and watching French life go by!

Tree-lined squares with cafes
Watching French life go by in Carcassonne

Not French fresh produce markets:   The pride and confidence with which stall owners display and sell their products is inspirational.  It makes you want to head home and cook something amazing immediately.  And two of my favourite things – bread and cheese.  The sheer variety!

Not enough long lunches:  Food is something to be celebrated; in France it is a key part of life and not something to just be had in a rush.  It is a time to sit down and catch up with family and friends and should not be had without acknowledging the momentousness of the occasion!  It’s the way life should be!

That beautiful blush pink rose
Salad of magret duck breast
An almighty lunch of cassoulet in Castelnaudary
Some creme brulee for dessert

No French in my ear:  I can’t speak French apart from a few essential words, but oh, what a beautiful language.  The flair with which even the simplest baguette is served – “Voila!” – will make you believe that you are having a 5 star meal! (And I must admit, the way a handsome French man pronounced my name once, left me weak in the knees!  Of course hubby says it best, though!)

Lack of French wine:  My favourite red wine will always be a Bordeaux, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec.  Last year we came across a white Bordeaux (which was sauvignon blanc based) for the first time.  But a newly found favourite on that trip was the beautiful blush pink rose’s of the Languedoc Roussillon.

And just like Brexit, it is important to realise that Freixt can also cause unprecedented economic turmoil and uncertainty as all I want to do is book tickets on the next plane to France. So before things go so far, as with all ailments, prevention is better than cure…

To make sure that I remain healthy  this weekend I will make sure that I put my red lips on.  It’s going to be a cold one here in Cape Town, so I am going to scour the shops for beautiful red Bordeaux (not the easiest thing to find here) and the long lunch is going to be nonnegotiable!  I might even take out that special table cloth I bought in Provence but have been too scared to use!

Here is to banning Frexit – at least for the weekend – and santé to joie de vivre!

Do you suffer from Frexit?  I would love to know why and what you do to get over it!  Please leave a comment and let me know!

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A beautiful square in Roussillon, Provence

Blue jewel… the Mediterranean

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The view over the Mediterranean from Praiano

I will never forget the first time I ever laid my eyes on the Mediterranean.  We arrived in Rome after a 21 hour flight from Cape Town.  Exhausted we had to rush to catch a train from Rome to Naples.  Two hours later (and no chance of sleep; I was petrified of missing our stop!) we arrived in Naples and had to rush to make the next train; a commuter train called Circumvesuviana that runs to Sorrento.  That was a horrid journey – “commuter train” translated means that there are no seats (well, at least not in the coaches we were in) and we had to stand the whole way to Sorrento.  I was so tired and exhausted that I could hardly stand on my feet and hubby had to give a lot of moral support to stop me from bursting into tears from sheer exhaustion.   Arriving in Sorrento, waiting at the station for the SETA bus that would finally take us to our destination, Praiano, I caught I small glimpse of some blue water between a row of houses.  So to be fair, that was probably the first glimpse of the Mediterranean.  But then, as we finally got on the bus and started the last leg of our journey, the blue jewel revealed herself to us and in that instant we fell under her spell.

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The first picture we took of the beautiful Mediterranean – from the SETA bus!

The famous Amalfi Coast drive was everything the books tell you it is – twisty, turny, breathtakingly beautiful and quite the adrenalin rush.  The speed with which the bus drivers navigate the narrow road is something to experience.  At first I did not understand why the driver was hooting randomly; was he just greeting people or were people upsetting him on the road?  After paying a bit of attention I figured it out; he hooted every time we approached a bend so that if there were cars approaching from the other side, they would hear the bus coming.  That way they would know to stop or get out of his way!  Ingenious!  And testament to the fact that they slow down for nothing!

Views of the Amalfi Coast drive from the bus!
Views of the Amalfi Coast drive from the bus!
Views of the Amalfi Coast drive from the bus!
Impossible to believe how the lemon groves cling to the side of the cliffs!
Views of the Amalfi Coast drive from the bus!

So just about 24 hours after we left Cape Town we finally arrived in Praiano.  Exhausted, but in love!  I have previously written about my love for Praiano and its little beach La Praia.  This is undoubtedly where our love for the Mediterranean comes from.   I know what made this extra special for hubby was a trip that we took from Praiano to Capri.  A local tour operator offered day trips to Capri and eagerly we signed up, wanting to see Capri but also the beautiful Amalfi Coast from the water.  The journey by speedboat was amazing.  Half way to Capri, in the middle of the ocean, our skipper stopped the boat.  In his best English and with some hand gestures he indicated: “Now you swimming!”  Hubby loved it!  They had snorkeling equipment on the boat and he said it was the experience of a lifetime.  The water was crystal clear; you could see down into the water for meters and meters and the fish….according to him it was like seeing a world that you never knew existed; swimming alongside fish that you have never seen before.  With the water being so salty you did not really have to do a lot of swimming and floating was easy.  To this day this is really one of his biggest highlights of any holiday.  Me, being a novice swimmer, I didn’t have the courage to jump into the ocean; if my toes can’t touch the ground I get panicky!

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View from the boat.
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Amalfi Coast from the water…
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The view from the top of Capri!
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Fraglioni rocks, off Capri

And maybe that is part of the allure of the Mediterranean for me.  The gentle waves.  And the swishing sound it makes.  The sea along our coast is much different, with waves thundering down.  I’ve never known what “gentle waves lapping the shore” meant until I experienced the Mediterranean.  And the best part of that is that it gives someone like me that is a bit scared of the big, rough seas the opportunity to swim in the ocean.  Oh, and how I love it.  The water is so quiet and clear that even I feel comfortable splashing about; even swimming a bit… provided that my toes can touch the bottom!  Some of the best times on our holidays have been when we were laying next to the sea, listening to the hypnotic sound of the waves.  Very few things come close.

Laia Praia harbour and beach
La Praia Beach

 

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Sunset on our last night in Praiano

But in talking about the first place where we’ve seen this beautiful blue ocean, my mind instinctively wanders to the place we last basked on her shores.

It was last year September (way too long ago, if you ask me!) and on the last day of our holiday on the Côte d’Azur we took the train to Menton.  What drew us there were all the good things we read about its stunning beaches and with Menton also being just about the last stop on the French Riviera before you head into Italy it made me think that I might be able to have a pretty decent pizza while we were there!  (It was uncanny to see road signs, showing Italy was just 10 miles away!)

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The beautiful Menton beach

When we arrived at the train station we immediately set off for the beach.  It was not hard to find; we just followed a group of locals who were carrying beach chairs and umbrellas!  And when we got there, we knew that we picked the perfect place to end off our holiday.  The water was warm, calm and clear; I could swim and for a moment I forgot that my toes needed to touch the bottom because for once there was a view that could compete with the beauty of the Mediterranean –  Menton’s old city cascading down the hill.

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The Mediterranean and the old town of Menton.  Bliss.

Laying on the beach was surreal.  Just closing my eyes, feeling the sun on my skin and listening to the ocean.  Staring out in front of me into the big blue and when I turned my head sideways, this stunning old city (and hubby) to my right.  It was a perfect day!  For lunch we didn’t have to go far; there was an amazing restaurant close to where we were.  Hubby had an amazing seafood platter; he says the best he has ever had and me?  Well, I had my pizza!

Hubby enjoying the water!
Perfection!
Me, doing some r&r!
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View from the restaurant in Menton.
According to Hubby: “The best seafood platter ever!”
I love pizza!

So if you crave a taste of the Mediterranean, I suggest you play this video on repeat, while preparing a bit of fish.

Cheers, until my feet touch your shores again!

Kingklip with sundried tomato marinade

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 kingklip fillets (or any firm fish that you can source locally)

 

Juice of half a lemon

60ml olive oil

3 tablespoons of sundried tomatoes, chopped

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 clove of garlic, crushed

4 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped finely

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees
  2. Mix lemon juice, olive oil, sundried tomatoes, sugar, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper together
  3. Pour over fish and marinade for 30 minutes
  4. Transfer the fish to a baking tray and place in the oven for 15 minutes until the fish turns opaque and flakes easily when prodded with a fork
  5. Serve with a fresh salad

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Incredible Narbonne… with sardines on the side

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Last year the holiday I have been dreaming about for so many years finally came to be.  We hired a boat and went cruising down the Canal du Midi in the south of France.  From there we went on to experience the picturesque Provence before finally ending our trip on the beautiful Côte d’Azur.  It took careful planning… how to make the most of our limited time and to stay within budget!

One place that I really wanted to include in our schedule was Narbonne.  Rick Stein briefly visited its fresh produce market (one of the largest in southern France), in Rick Stein’s French Odyssey (the tv show that was really the starting point of our aspirations to cruise the canals of southern France) and because it is not a big city it seemed like it would be a great stop to catch our breath before we embarked on our trip to Provence.

Apart from the market we didn’t know much about it, so I must be honest in saying that we had no real expectations; apart from buying some great produce at the market that we could make back in the self-catering apartment we rented!

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We arrived by train and because we only stayed two nights we set off to explore the medieval center of town straightaway.  I was immediately taken with how picturesque it was.  I loved the streetlights in the streets surrounding our apartment and the buildings were so beautiful.  The Canal de la Robine goes through the middle of town and each bridge that crosses the canal was covered in beautiful flower baskets.  I just loved the feel of the Narbonne.  It felt authentically French; it was without pretense, without masses of tourists and without trying to be anything that it was not.

We found our way to the tourist office, which was not far from the Pont des Marchands, or Merchant bridge, which basically is the foundation for a row of houses and shops.  (It actually reminded me of a miniature version of the Ponte Vecchio.)

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Armed with a map in hand, we were amazed at all that Narbonne had to offer.  It might be a small city but it had so many hidden treasures.  It is hard to pick just a few (and we definitely did not get to see all that we would have liked to) but here are our favourites:

Cathedrale de St-Just and St-Pasteur

Building on the cathedral started in 1272.  If you climb the adjacent Donjon Gilles Aycelin you can really marvel at the architectural beauty.

The Roman Horreum

This was a fantastic experience and a must do if you visit Narbonne.  It was a Roman underground warehouse and dates back to the end of the first century BC.  It has been set up with a wonderful display of light and sound… goosebump stuff!

Musee Lapidaire

This is another must do.  Inside the old church of Notre Dame de La Lamourguier about 1 300 blocks of stone from all kinds of Roman buildings are housed.  We paid for our entrance tickets and when the door opened I literally gasped for air – the setting is that beautiful.  (The lady selling the tickets was bursting with pride; the biggest smile on her face!)

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For the culinary part of our visit we spent quality time in Les Halles de Narbonne.  We arrived early morning and drank coffee with the locals at one of the coffee bars inside.  And then we went on the hunt for what we came for… sardines!  Rick Stein made sardines on the barbeque when he was there and although we would not have the luxury of that, we hoped to pick up a few that we could fry with some butter, garlic, lemon and parsley back in our little apartment.  Oh, and we were not disappointed.  Apart from all the wonderful seafood on offer, the market was brimming with everything your heart can desire.  One can easily stay in Narbonne a month and would still not be able to eat your way through the market!

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Our supper that night consisted out of a starter of fried sardines and a main of fresh pasta with clams, tomatoes and parsley, while we sipped wine from the region.

So Monday was a public holiday in South Africa and hubby and I had some gardening to do… more specifically, it was time to harvest our olives!  After such hard labour we sat back with a glass of chilled dry rosé and barbequed a few sardines.  Although this can hardly be called a recipe – because it really just relies on the wonderful flavour of the fish and the smokiness of the barbeque – here is our take on sardines on the barbeque.  We enjoyed it with our fond memories of Narbonne.

Sardines on the barbeque

(serves 2)

Ingredients:

6 sardines, gutted and cleaned

3 tablespoons of olive oil

Juice of half a lemon

Handful of roughly chopped parsley

Coarse sea salt flakes

Method:

  1. Light barbeque and wait for the coals to get hot
  2. Rub the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with lemon juice and salt
  3. Place the fish on the barbeque once the coals are really hot and grill for 6 minutes on each side
  4. Remove from heat, sprinkle with parsley and lemon juice
  5. Serve with lemon wedges and a side salad

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Aubergine á la Avignon

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Food is such a big part of our lives.  Just about everything has a food angle to it!

“It’s our anniversary, where are we going to go for supper?”  “Saturday looks like it is going to be a great day for the beach – shall we pack a nice picnic basket?”  “The in-laws are coming over for Sunday lunch – what new dessert recipe can we try?”  “Let’s watch some videos of our trip to France; then we make some Frenchy foods.”

Benjamin Franklin said “Eat to live, don’t live to eat.”  Well, thank goodness then that I need to eat to live, because I really like living, which means I can really like eating!

We have never returned from our travels with bad food memories (apart from one really bad pizza we had in Rome; think the restaurant was too close to a drain because the smells were awful!).  There are always things that we’ve tasted on our journeys that we try and replicate at home.  A recent favourite is from our trip to Provence a few months ago.

Avignon was our base.  On the must-do list was a picnic on the Ile de Barthalese with its iconic view over Pont Saint-Bénézet and the Palais des Papes.  We decided to stop over at Les Halles to pick up some substance for our al fresco lunch.  Walking around, the “Aubergines á l’ Italionne” caught my eye.  (I love aubergine – a love that only developed a few years ago.  I blame it on all the badly cooked aubergines I’ve had in my life up until that point!)  It looked so good and smelt divine and when one of the local residents standing in line in front of us chose this for her lunch, the deal was done.  What more do you need than the local stamp of approval?!

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Who would not want to have a picnic if you can have such a view?!

Back at home, in the absence of a recipe, hubby and I only had our taste buds and memory to go on when we tried to recreate the dish.  Here is to encouraging a few more aubergine converts with our version.

Aubergine á la Avignon

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 large aubergine

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped finely

1 teaspoon garlic, chopped finely

400g beef mince

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 ½ teaspoons tomato puree

2 cups water

1 ½  teaspoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of dried Provençal herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary and basil)

Salt & Pepper to taste

125g mozzarella cheese, grated

Method:

  1. Cut the aubergine lengthways in 1cm thick slices. Keep the skin on.  You need four slices.
  2. Remove the skin of the remainder of the aubergine. Chop into small cubes.
  3. Heat two tablespoons of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. Fry two slices of aubergine until soft, turning regularly to ensure a nice brown colour on both sides.
  4. Transfer the aubergines to a baking tray.
  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the remaining two slices of aubergine. (Aubergines love butter so it is better to do them two at a time to ensure each gets enough to keep them soft and get that nice and golden colour.)
  6. Heat a table spoon of olive oil in a pan. Add the chopped aubergine, onions and garlic.
  7. Fry until golden brown and soft.
  8. Remove the aubergine, onion and garlic from the pan and set aside.
  9. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan and add the mince. Fry until brown.  This really adds to the flavour.
  10. Once the mince is brown, add the chopped aubergine, onions and garlic back in.
  11. Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, two cups of water, sugar, herbs and salt and pepper.
  12. At this stage, pre-heat the oven (on the grill setting) to 180°C
  13. Let the mince mixture boil until the sauce is reduced completely.
  14. Once done, place some mince on top of each aubergine.
  15. Top it off with grated mozzarella.
  16. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
  17. Serve with a salad.
Slice aubergines 1cm thick
Fry until golden brown and transfer to a baking try
Fry chopped aubergines, onions and garlic
Add some herbs for great flavour
Place your mince on top of the aubergine
Sprinkle with cheese and place in the oven

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Voilà! Aubergine á la Avignon

 

Market meandering

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Looking towards the Place de la Bastille

I love the fresh produce markets we’ve encountered on our travels to Europe.

One of my favourites is the Marché Bastille in Paris.  From the Place de la Bastille (where the Colonne de Juillet stands in the center) long lines of stalls with colourful canopies stretch out on to the Boulevard Richard Lenoir.  (Caution – crossing the road at the traffic circle can be quite the adrenalin rush!)

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Olives, glorious olives

Hubby and I went fairly early on a Tuesday morning and not knowing exactly where it was, we spotted two elderly ladies with their shopping trolleys heading down the road, looking as if they had things to do and places to get to.  We had hunch that they had to be heading where we wanted to go so we followed them – and we were not wrong!  We were greeted by a food lover’s paradise.

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As much cheese as your heart desires

Walking along the merchants stalls you are tempted with all kinds of delights. There are delectable cheeses (some of the really mature ones not looking safe for human consumption!), a wide selection of fresh meat, from chicken and rabbit to beef and sausages.  And the seafood!  There is such a vast variety.  And it is impossible to ignore the gorgeous piles of fruit and veg (and not looking as if it was just dumped there, but like it was polished and arranged carefully to create beautiful works of art.)  And breads.  Charcuterie.  Olives.  Magnifique!

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The variety of seafood is amazing

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What really enthrals me are the stall holders, and the pride they have in their goods.  You can see it in the way they put it out on display, the way they call you over and confidently offer you a wedge of cheese or a sliver of ham.  On the day we were there, the vendor at one particular fruit stall did not want me to pass by before I did not taste the delicious mangos on offer.  I’m not sure if the mango was really that sweet or if it was his French accent! Either way, I still remember it – just over a year on!

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Foodie inspiration

To top it off, alongside the amazing produce, you will find stands selling all kinds of knickknacks, secondhand clothes, leather bags, shoes and even jewelry.  It’s the mixture of all these things that come together to create the magic of this market.  There is truly something for everyone’s taste (and wallet)!

But it is not only what I see and taste when I visit these places, it is the emotion it evokes.   While browsing the stalls I change from a faltering novice in the kitchen to believing I could be some sassy cook that would even put a Michelin starred chef to shame with what can be produced with the abundance at hand.  Inspired by the fresh produce and the beauty, passion and flair with which it is exhibited makes me believe that cooking should not be difficult – and how could it be with all this inspiration.

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Hubby looking at some caps

The Marché Bastille operates on Thursday, 7am-2.30pm and Sunday, 7am-3pm.

Why the travel bug bites

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My dream job would probably be touring the world (seeing it, experiencing it, cooking, eating and drinking it!) with hubby.  Yes, I definitely think so.  The travel bug has bitten and I will never recover from its fever!

But what is it about travelling; why do I love it so much?  Let me count the ways…

The feeling I get when hubby and I sit in the plane, ready to take off; arms locked, holding hands

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Aeroplane selfie

It’s hard to describe the feeling.  Anticipation.  Excitement.  A bit of nerves.  Like it is just me and him against the world (in a good way; not as in some sci-fi movie where we are the only people left to save the world from an alien invasion).  Together we are standing on the edge of the unknown, of an adventure, not knowing what awaits us, but knowing that together will make it through and that we will be forever changed by the experience.  Goosebump stuff!

 

 

The thrill of visiting a country where English is not the first language

The first country we visited where English was not spoken as a first language was France.  We arrived by train at Gare du Nord station and upon getting out on to the platform we were bombarded with everything in French; announcements, signage, people, the whole lot!  I could not see one bit of English anywhere!

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When we exited the metro station we just had to take this picture right on the Champs Elysees.

We honestly spent at least an hour inside that station trying to buy metro tickets and trying to find our way to the subway section.

(The reward was worth it though; we exited the metro at the Charles de Gaulle Etoile stop and as you come up from the stairs the magnificent Arc de Triomphe is right in front of you!)

A couple of years later we arrived back at Gare du Nord.  French/English signs everywhere.  Like they’ve always been. Clearly we were so in awe back then that we never noticed there was English aplenty!

Experiencing different cultures

There is something special about watching other people going about their normal daily routine and seeing how they just do things completely differently. From what they do, to how they do it.  It has definitely inspired some different behaviors from hubby and I; there is always something that you bring back with you and that will forever remain a part of you.

We were staying in a small town on the Amalfi Coast of Italy.  Hubby and I went for an early morning stroll by the little beach, following paths carved in to the rocks right next to the ocean.  On our way back we were met with the sight of people arguing.  It was three elderly ladies and two gentlemen in the water.  Hands waving in the air, gesturing, talking wildly.  I actually felt a bit afraid.  It seemed that someone could be drowned soon.  This was serious.  That’s until we got to the beach and saw them up close.  They were talking and laughing loudly, hands flying through the air as they told their stories.  No arguing there, they were just Italian!

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La Praia beach, Amalfi Coast, Italy

History (and landmarks)

I love history.  Ever since school.  (I don’t think the fact that my history teacher was kind of handsome had anything to do with it; I’ve managed to maintained my love for historic things years after his looks faded!)

Going to cathedrals, museums, visiting old squares and castles, monasteries – I love it, love it, love it!  It is just such an amazing privilege to see something from hundreds of years ago, that has survived all this time.  And not to see in on tv or in a magazine, but in ‘real life’.  I am forever changed by it.  Afterwards, if I see a place I’ve been to on television, I can’t help but see it in a different light, knowing that my footsteps were also once there.

It’s impossible to pick a highlight.  Each place is absolutely special in its own right.  However, the first cathedral we ever saw was the Notre-Dame de Reims in Reims, France.  Because it was the first, it will always have a special place in my heart.

Notre-Dame Des Reims facade
The back is just as beautiful

(Although, I must admit, the Eiffel Tower has some hypnotic power over me.  On each visit to Paris, whenever we pass it on foot, in a bus, on a boat, doesn’t matter how many pictures I have taken, I always have to take just one (or ten) more!)

Fresh produce markets, i.e. food and wine

We really love good food and wine, so it is such a thrill to try new things.  Each time we leave on holiday we go with a list of ‘must-try’ foods and we always come back with newfound  favourite recipes that we will continue to make for the rest of our lives.

 

Les Halles, Avignon, from the outside
Inside, anything your heart desires

The fresh produce markets are incredible.  In South Africa we don’t really have something similar and on the scale as we’ve encountered in Europe.  Because we really enjoy cooking we prefer staying in small apartments so that we can have cooking facilities.  This means we get to shop at the fresh produce markets to our hearts content and then bring it back to our little place to cook.

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Our own old blue door with our apartment just above the little pizzeria

 

Last year we visited Avignon.  We stayed in a wonderful little apartment in the center of the old city.  Just down the road (at 18 Place Pie) was Les Halles (the market).  It was the best experience going there, picking up some ingredients and then heading back to our little home away from home.  Normally when I walk in the streets I always wonder what is behind the old doors and this time we could open up our very own old door!

We spent many evenings cooking our hand-picked local produce, enjoying great local wine and looking out from our balcony at life going by in Avignon below. We really felt local and not like tourists at all.

Then… I also love the planning before the time – that is almost a holiday in itself.  And photography.  Hubby and I are keen photographers, so capturing these amazing places on camera is such a joy.  And fridge magnets.  We bring back a fridge magnet from every town we visit.  We ‘reveal’ them back home over some wine, reminiscing about each place as each little magnet gets its place of honour of the fridge.  And then there is…

Let me (further) count the ways another time!

Travel, laugh, encourage, eat

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The iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris

I hope you like travelling, because then you will know why I have fallen in love with it.  And I could tell you about all our favourite places Hubby and I have discovered. 

We haven’t travelled much internationally.  Wait, that’s not true. We have just not travelled as much as I would like to (i.e. permanently!)  That being said, we’ve seen quite a few places that we’ve always dreamt about, like Paris.

If you like a little bit of humour, you will enjoy this little story about our first time there.

Hubby and I eventually got tired of the hotel’s continental breakfast (only so many chocolate croissants one can have) that we really needed something familiar for breakfast.  This specific day we were on our way to Les Invalides  and we decided to look for something in the vicinity.  We settled on a small coffee bar.  It was run by an elderly gentleman.  His English wasn’t great but we managed to agree on an order of scrambled eggs on a slice of toast (not on the menu, I have to admit, but he was very willing to make it especially for us).  We were excited!  Soon enough he was back.  “Voilà!” Hubby and I were presented with a gigantic sized omelette, filled with what seemed to be a solid block of cheddar cheese… each!  What could we do?  “Merci-beaucoup!”

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Les Invalides, Paris, where Napoleon’s tomb lies under the golden dome

If you appreciate a little encouragement every now and then, I can tell you that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.  I’m a bit of a quote person and a favourite is one from Walt Disney.  He said “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”  I certainly don’t have the answers but I will gladly share whatever it is that I have figured out for myself along the way.

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Made it all the way to the Arc de Triomphe

And if you enjoy food, I could tell you about wonderful places we’ve discovered, or I could offer you a recipe now and then.  (I’m by no means an accomplished cook, but I enjoy it enough to try it often!  Or is it that I enjoy eating so much…?!)

One of my favourite chef’s is Rick Stein and in his book “Rick Stein’s French Odyssey” he has this recipe for small, shell-shaped French sponge cakes, called madeleines.  I’ve served as a light dessert many times.  It even has mother-in-law’s stamp of approval and that says a lot, because she really is a great cook.  It is very easy and quick to make.

Madeleines

(makes 24)

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium eggs
  • 100g caster sugar
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 100g plain flour, sifted (and a little bit extra for dusting)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 100g butter, melted (and some more for greasing the moulds)
  • 1 tbsp clear honey

NB:  You do need a madeleine baking tray to give them their unique shell shape.  I actually found a silicone version and it works perfectly.

Method:

  1. Brush your madeleine moulds with the melted butter and leave for a few minutes until the butter has slightly set. Dust with flour, and tap out any excess flour. This will ensure that only a small amount of flour sticks to the butter, which helps the madeleines turn out the mould easier and it also gives them a nice golden finish.  (I do this even though I use a silicone mould.)
  2. Preheat your oven to 190°C
  3. Put the eggs and sugar into a bowl and whisk until the batter becomes thick and mousse-like (about 3 minutes with an electric whisk). Whisk in the lemon zest.
  4. Sift the plain flour and baking powder together and gently fold in, followed by the melted butter and honey. Place the batter in the fridge and leave for 15 minutes to thicken slightly.
  5. Fill each of the madeleine moulds three-quarters full with the mixture and bake for 10 minutes until puffed up and golden. Leave to cool and then remove gently from the moulds.

In this recipe, Rick Stein serves it with vanilla ice cream and vanilla poached apricots.  However, in all the time I’ve been making this I have never been able to find fresh apricots, so I always opt for tinned apricots.  Works just as well in my opinion.

When plating, put two madeleines to one side of each of a shallow dessert bowl. Spoon some of the apricots and a little syrup alongside and add a scoop or two of ice cream.

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My madeleines, with Rick Stein’s French Odyssey in the background

Lastly, I hope that you will find enjoyment in travelling, laughing, finding a bit of encouragement and eating with me!

PS:  And I hope you like photography!