American-born Wendy Jaeger admits that France is in her soul. The founder of Bliss Travels met with Nutmeg for coffee, in the Luberon, to chat about the company’s culinary and wine vacations.

(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Bespoke, Bliss Travels, Food and Wine, France, Interview, Provence, Small Group, Tours

Charming, was what Nutmeg expected from the Tuesday market in Saint Quentin la Poterie; a village known for its collection of resident artisans (40+) and the annual European Ceramic Festival – Terralha.
A concrete abomination was what she got.

This town was the birthplace of Joseph Monier the inventor of reinforced concrete. As a tribute to the creator, a raised concrete canopy shelters market stalls from sun and rain.
Practical.
(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Cook'n with Class, Cooking classes, Cooking School, Culinary Holidays, Uzès

The group emails started well before Christmas…
Would Nutmeg be interested in a girl’s getaway to Uzès?
Seriously?
As if, anyone needs to escape Provence.
Yes!

The proposed itinerary was to include a short visit to Uzès in the Gard. Many visitors who venture westward in Provence to see the Pont du Gard aqueduct, the amazing restored Roman structures in Nimes and the ancient walled city of Uzès, might not even realise they had crossed a regional border. The boundary today is indicated by a road sign, in the Middle Ages, it was marked by bloody religious and territorial battles.
(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Gard, History, Hotels, Road Trip, Travel Tips, Uzès

OK, so Alberta suffers from a few extra months of winter than other locations in Canada, but that has not stopped foodies from noticing what the Province does produce — naturally. Events such as Cook it Raw Alberta (2015) have raised culinary awareness levels globally.

Karen Anderson, the founder of Calgary Food Tours, is a self-professed food lover. Her passion for the kitchen influenced by a family of cooks, with roots in St. Andrews by-the-sea, in New Brunswick, Anderson tells Nutmeg that “One grandfather owned a fish market, and the other was a farmer.”
(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Alberta, Alberta Food Tours, Canmore, Culinary Travel, Edmonton, Food Tours

Ginger and Nutmeg had to stay in Provence for a couple extra nights due to a Lufthansa strike. For many reasons, this was inconvenient but far from devastating, they had a comfy bed in a small corner of paradise. Less fortunate passengers had no option but to stay in the zero-star airport hotel.
(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Chicken, Chicken and Chickpea Stew, Easy Healthy Recipes, Healthy Chicken Recipes, stew

A mixture of seawater, alkaline solution and fat
Documented use as far back as 2800 BC in Ancient Babylon
A carved “recipe” found on a stone slab from 2200 BC
The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all used it
Cooked for 8 days in a cauldron, dried for 2 days in a mould
Latin word Sapo

(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
History of Marseille, Provence Travel, savon de Marseille, Traditional soap making in Provence, Travel in France

Boutiques filled with shiny objects, and a congested ring road of honking diesel trucks and cars. These are the modern-day realities in a large Dordogne town of 9,300 residents. The town bustles with over 1.5 million visitors a year yet the ancient core of historical Sarlat provides some instant reprieve, begging you to step back in time.

(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Dordogne, Dordogne Travel, GPSmyCity, Sarlat, Travel in France

Ginger has long loved olives, for their salty taste.  Nutmeg’s appreciation for olives has been acquired in recent years and certainly more so after spending time in Provence.  The olive tree is probably as old as the earth and may have even been one of the plants in the “Garden of Eden”. The Olive Story will give you more details on olives if you are interested. Nutmeg is fascinated by the olive, for its history, the tiny spring buds, the widespread use in Mediterranean cooking and of course because they taste fabulous. The following post is a photo expose and a new favourite recipe in honour of the olive.
(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Easy Appetizers, Food info in France, French Food, Green Olive Cake, Provencal Food, Recipes with Olives

Aioli is the name of a garlic mayonnaise.  Aioli is also a traditional Provencal dish that was typically served on Fridays.  The classic dish le grand “Aïoli” Provençal is served with salted cod and potatoes. A meal suitable for the days of penance. Practised cooks would methodically re-hydrate the cod and transform it back into an edible protein. The preparation of the traditional ingredients requires time to soak and desalinate the cod. This process involves removing the excess salt, cutting the cod in pieces, and soaking in fresh water for up to 15 hours (changing the water 2-3 times). Once the salt is removed the fish is poached gently in a pot with milk and water. The cod should not boil as it becomes rubbery. Interested yet?
You should be!
(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Aioli Recipes, French Food, Provencal Food, Seafood Recipes

Does that sound romantic? 

Actually… Ginger was away in Canada, and Nutmeg was certain that he had zero interest in visiting the Provence perfume distillery le Musée des Arômes or candle maker at the Ciergerie de l’abbaye des Prémontrés.
(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Flowers in France, Food info in France, Provence Travel