October 31, 2012

Get Dressed for a Diner en Blanc

Get Dressed for a Diner en Blanc

Nutmeg believes that the celebration of Halloween is perfect timing for this post. Trust the French to come up with an annual event that is sophisticated, classy, a bit rebellious and a whole lot of fun. Diner en Blanc started in 1988, when a group of 100 friends got together for a reunion in the Bois de Boulogne. The story is that François Pasquier instructed everyone to wear white in order to recognize each other. This was a brilliant idea, given those were the days before fancy cell phones, text messaging, Facebook and Twitter. (more…)

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December 20, 2010

France Land of Boulangeries

France Land of Boulangeries

France is known for many things; art, music, food, wine, cafés, diverse scenery etc… As a population, they are very proud of all things French, and if there is one thing that is clearly a huge part of the national culture it is the bread.  This country does not easily cater to those who might require a gluten-free regime, unless you can survive on French fries.  The bread is made fresh several times daily; every small town and village has at least one, or in some cases a few boulangeries. Ginger of course is in heaven, since every meal promises a basket of fresh baguette or other equally good options.  Nutmeg has found you need to look a bit harder, but there are some options for “7-cereals” and multi-grain.  The Artisanal Boulangeries (fancier variety) tend to have some really decent quiche and/or tarts.  So far Nutmeg has tried quiche with tomatoes and Dijon (yum), quiche with salmon and capers, tarte aux aubergine et chevre and the best yet a tomato and chevre tart. Every good road trip should start with a stop at the local favourite purveyor. (more…)

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September 1, 2010

Cool Summer Soups

Cool Summer Soups

Nutmeg has a very dear friend Sassafras.  They have been friends for several decades and even though they live quite far apart, they usually manage, to get in a ski or bike or hike weekend here and there.  So a bit about Sassafras (besides the great name). She is so smart she has two university degrees because engineering was not hard enough.  She loves the open water, craves mountain vistas, has a great laugh and generally embraces live.  Sassafras also loves to cook and has decided that she will help Nutmeg out and provide a few of her favorite recipes for all of you to try.  So as Nutmeg is digging out her puffy down jacket, the rest of the country is still experiencing summer, so Sassafras’s first recipe is a cool summer soup:  North African Spiced Tomato Soup.   (more…)

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