Ginger and Nutmeg is a Food and Travel blog for Active Foodies hooked on travelling. We love food, history and digging into cultural traditions. This is a blog with a bit of humour, informative travel information and some great recipes.
In Southern France (Provence), many of the roads are lined with beautiful sycamore trees (sometimes called plane trees). Ginger and Nutmeg noticed, that the Christmas light installation in Aix en Provence, on the Cours Mirabeau started the third week in October. It was a lengthy process, as it took about 10 days for the light installation (there are a lot of trees). However, the lights are not illuminated at that stage, instead they hang in anticipation, for the upcoming festivities at the end of November.
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.
Ginger and Nutmeg have been overwhelmed by their generous welcome to Provence and Southern France. They feel very privileged to have been invited into peoples’ homes for some terrific meals during the last few weeks. The lovely lunches and dinners have included; sausage stuffed peppers and tomatoes, curry chicken, soupe de poisson, shrimp and scallop risotto, roast beef, chili, summer salads and a traditional pot-au-feu. These have all been very special occasions, highlighted by terrific company, lovely wine and great food.
The pot-au-feu and soupe de poisson are very traditional Provençal dishes. Pot-au-Feu is literally translated to “pot on the fire”, which is essentially a French stew. Typically, it is made with beef although can easily be made with pork as well. Many countries have a variation on pot-au-feu, as it is typically a way to use low cost (less desirable) cuts of meat. Continue reading →
Expresso used to love Caffe Beano on 9th Street and 17th Avenue SW in Calgary, for the coffee and the scene. Times have changed a bit and rumor has it that he now loves his Nespresso machine more.
Caffe Beano has been in existence and in the same location since 1988. The owners might have been slightly concerned when Starbucks first opened its doors in Calgary, in the late 1990’s a few blocks away. Any concerns were washed away by a very loyal following of coffee lovers, who were not swayed by the big shiny Seattle based brand. The loyal crowd continues to support this local coffee establishment. So a couple years back the when the barber in the adjacent retail space moved on, Caffe Beano expanded. Before Nutmeg left for France, she had the pleasure of several good-bye “coffee meetings” with good friends at Caffe Beano. Continue reading →
Nutmeg felt a certain obligation to attend a family reunion that Hot Sauce (Mum) had organized at a pub, where her family lives, an hour outside London. The event was scheduled for later in November – a lovely time to head to the UK :-). The pull was strong and the guilt factor very high, as Google Maps identified a 12 hour drive (not counting the channel crossing) and a distance of 1253 km! So Ginger got out his trusty bible of Michelin rated restaurants and charted a leisurely route that took us from Aix en Provence to St Pere de Vezelay, outside Dijon, then onto the Normandy coast to Honfleur and Calais. The plan was to drive no more than 4-5 hours a day to allow for Ginger to have a big nap and for Nutmeg to explore the surroundings in her running shoes or on her bike. The general plan was to eat in fantastic restaurants, and to stay in hotels that had better showers and beds than our apartment in Aix. Note: the last part was not that hard to accomplish.
As a way of getting acquainted with Provence, Ginger and Nutmeg treated themselves to a bike tour along with a good sampling of the local food and wine! The tour started in St Tropez with a day of biking around that area. It was beautiful and not too crowded, as the summer crowd was long gone. The harbour and surrounding vistas were terrific. However, for Ginger the best part was Le Club Porsche de France was in town for the weekend and he was able to check out some real fancy cars. There were over 20 in our hotel alone and likely over 300 in the whole town – quite a show!
Halloween (“Old Hallows Even”) has been typically associated with the Celtic festival of Samhain. The name means summer’s end. The celebration is to denote the end of the lighter half of the year and the start of the darker part of the year. Ginger loves Halloween, a big kid at heart he loves to buy the candy and hand it out to the many visitors who come by on that evening. Ginger loves the interaction with all the ghosts, goblins, princesses, cats, action figures, pirates and anything else that shows up looking for a sweet hand-out. Nutmeg is not as interested in this process of moving into the darker part of the year. She does however, love to see how her brother (Papa Q) and sister-in-law (Sugar) celebrate the event with much joy and festivity (and crazy outfits). Continue reading →
As we pointed out in an earlier blog entry the French love administration. So the fact that you have a visa stamp in your passport is only step number one. Once you enter the country officially, you have to fill out another form, take photocopies of the proper pages in your passport and then send it all off to the correct bureau for review. Once received they review the paperwork and schedule a meeting at their convenience (you are on holiday after all). After all of that, you get another stamp/sticker for your passport to make you officially “welcome” in the country ;-0. So Nutmeg and Ginger are awaiting the results of this last step in the approval process…we will be back home soon if we do not pass the test. Continue reading →
A beautiful Saturday morning in Chamonix with Saffron as tour guide, Nutmeg, Ginger and Jade (the dog) all head to the Chamonix Centre farmers market. The market runs Saturday mornings from 8am-12pm all year round. This market is about 50/50 food vendors and other merchants (clothes, traditional crafts, household goods). The food vendors run the full spectrum; of fruit, vegetables, cheese, bread, honey, fish, cured meats and flowers. There is lots of choice, and almost all of the food is “local” within a few hours drive. However, the market does cater to tourists as well so buyer beware! Our story below should serve to reconfirm that statement….
Ginger and Nutmeg is a Food and Travel blog for Active Foodies hooked on travelling. We love food, history and digging into cultural traditions. This is a blog with a bit of humour, informative travel information and some great recipes.
Perfectly Provence provides a vast online resource for all things Provence, France. Whether you are about to travel to Provence or currently live their as a local or ex pat, we have curated the region’s best experts to bring you everything you need to know. Perfectly Provence is all about great regional cuisine, France travel tips, local markets and things to do in Provence. Bon Voyage!
19 Spring Menu Ideas from Provence Easy Recipes for Entertaining
Calisson d’Aix a Sweet Almond Candy for a Queen of Provence
Canistrelli Recipe Sweet Corsican Cookies to have with Coffee
Couscous a Traditional Moroccan Recipe
Claufoutis aux Cerises Recipe for When Life Gives You a Bowl of Cherries
Banana Bread Love Affair
A Perfect Date Recipe
Easy Chicken Stew from the Pantry
Provence’s Olives Start to Finish
Aioli On Fridays in Provence
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Ginger and Nutmeg is a weekly travel blog for worldly foodies.
Ginger and Nutmeg is a digital travel guide aimed at an adult English speaking audience. These are educated, tech-savvy tourists and locals who want to understand unique stories and details behind a destination’s sights and tastes.
