Posts tagged: French Food

It is close to impossible to buy Ginger a present.  He loves sporting equipment, electronics, airplanes, wine and other expensive things.  He is diligent about doing the research on a product, and ensuring that he is getting it at the right price.  Ginger is also has very good taste, so these new toys have a tendency to raise the Visa balance to new levels.  Nutmeg often struggles to find the right gift.  This year with a bit of help from a friend, she landed on the perfect Christmas, Anniversary, Valentines, Birthday gift (read: $$$..).
Black truffle plants, ten of them. Nutmeg decided that the white truffle version he will have to buy for himself.  So yes, he is the proud owner of some 2010 variety plants, they should bare “fruit” in about seven years.  Ginger’s plants are very fortunate to be located on a plantation, in the well drained soil on the Valensole plateau in Provence.

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Recipes & Travel:
French Food, Provence Travel, Travel in France, Truffles in France

Nutmeg is not superstitious by nature.  That being said, she is not foolhardy either; there is no good reason to spend to much time with a black cat or walk under a ladder or generally tempt fate.
It is a tradition in Nutmeg’s family to eat lentils on January 1st every year.  In many nationalities, eating lentils on the first of the year is supposed to bring you prosperity through the coming months.  The round shape of the lentil is similar to a coin, and thus in theory the more you eat the more wealth you will gain.  Given the fact that Ginger and Nutmeg are living, eating and drinking in France without paychecks, a bit of prosperity would not hurt. (more…)

Recipes & Travel:
food info, French Food, Recipes with Lentils, Travel in France, Vegan friendly, Vegeterian Recipes

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…

Recipes & Travel:
Easy Appetizer Recipes, French Food, Provencal Food, Recipes for Savoury Tarts, Recipes for Tomatoes, Travel in France

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. (more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Easy Casseroles, French Food, Provence Travel, Recipes for Pot au Feu, Stew Recipes, Travel in France

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….
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Recipes & Travel:
Chamonix, Food info in France, French Food, Markets in Europe, Travel in France

A gift of time..
Nutmeg is happily jobless for the first time since the mid 1980s (you can do the math).  Ginger as you already know has been working very hard on a Masters degree for the last 10 months – and he has done it!  So what better way to celebrate by taking some well deserved time off than to travel?  Nutmeg has been negotiating with Ginger for awhile and it is finally happening, they are going to France for six months!  The planning began back in June and the list was very long.  The most important thing was the visa application to allow for an extended stay in the country (anything over 90 days requires a visa).
Several years ago, Nutmeg worked in France and she knows that if there is one thing the French love it is paperwork. What better way to emphasize the national love for bureaucracy than a lengthy visa application?  The process is 15 steps…

Recipes & Travel:
Coq au Vin Recipe, French Food, Healthy Chicken Recipes, Travel to France