Outcasts When you think about Christmas foods, what do you think of first, probably not fruitcake and mincemeat pie or maybe you do, I don’t know. I feel like fruitcake gets a bad rap. It’s the outcast of Christmas. People who don’t like it hate it and those who do spend their time defending it. […]
Dumpling, Pot Sticker, Gyoza
Dumpling Call them what you will, dumplings are delicious! According to Beijingservice.com the dumpling “dates back 500-600 years. As the Spring Festival marks the start of a new year, people choose to eat dumplings to connote their wishes for good fortune in the new year. Perfection China has been perfecting the art of dumpling making since […]
SPECULAAS ALMOND BISCOTTI
Speculaas Remember the windmill cookies you used to eat as a child? Maybe you never stopped eating them. They’re called Speculaas, odd name, tasty cookie. The word means figurine or log. They used to be a tradition during a holiday called St Nicholas’ Eve in Belgium and the Netherlands. Now they’re available year round. The spice […]
Homecoming – PECAN/PUMPKIN PIE
Homecoming Touching down in Montreal, it seemed as though we had just left. The European whirlwind was now a memory and while being thankful that we could make it happen, we were a little bummed out. Moving from country to country diving into the local culture and (of course) food was truly a wonderful experience […]
City Of Lights – PORCINI RISOTTO
Paris It was a trudge, weighted down with gear, to get to our apartment in the 11th arrondissement of Paris but it was worth it. The small dwelling on the ninth floor overlooked Paris with the Eiffel tower standing tall in the distance. Non-existent kitchen Although it was a studio with a virtually non-existent kitchen […]
No Plans In Les Vans (part 2) – CASSOULET
Thines With the heat still pushing over 30 degrees most days, we felt really lucky to be able to enjoy some great hiking and drives in beautiful sunny weather. One wonderful drive, down a very twisty, mostly one lane road, took us to the ancient and tiny (microscopic) village of Thines. The road takes you […]
No Plans In Les Vans (part 1) – PEACH PIE and CAILLETTE
Les Vans As we wound along the edge of the Ardèche valley on our way to Les Vans we were eager and nervous. 15 years ago Eager to see the town we visited 15 years ago and see whether our memories remained true. We were nervous because our temporary landlord and longtime friend is now […]
On The Road To Ardèche
South to Ardèche After our 48-hour rendez vous with J.P. and Maryse in Paris, we picked up our rental car and started heading South to Ardèche. Villedieu-les-Poêles We left ourselves a few days to make the trip and stop at some places of interest on the way. The first of which was a small town […]