I'm baacck! Well, for today I'm back. I can't say for certain I'll return tomorrow.
Last week Olivier and I were in France--the south of France to be exact. We were in Aix-en-Provence and Marseille; Aix is where his mother lives and Marseille is where he used to live. We had a lovely time even though it was a really quick trip (arrived on a Friday and left on a Friday.)
One of my very favorite things about France is the food, of course! For our first meal his mom always makes sure it's kind of a plowman's style lunch-- picnic-y types of food. We had olives to start--I'm not sure what kind they were or where they were from but they were fabulous. They had just the right amount of olive-ness to them--if that makes any kind of sense. The rest of our dinner consisted of saucisson (dried, cured sausage), prosciutto, ham and magret seche--this is like duck prosciutto. It's salty and fatty and melts in your mouth. I'm sure some people are probably cringing because I wrote "fatty" and "melt in your mouth" in the same sentence but it's delicious and a "must try" when you go to France.
The best part of the meal was the REAL baguette, butter and spring onions. I don't know what it is but the butter is different, the bread is different and so are the onions. The crustiness of the bread mixed with the creamy-salty butter and then the crunch and pungent taste of the onion send me straight over the edge! If it weren't for the taste of onions in my mouth morning, noon and night I would eat this morning, noon and night. You know me, I love butter and I love onions. I'm pretty sure all good things start with those two ingredients.
His mom also made asparagus with vinaigrette. Basically you cook your asparagus and then instead of butter and salt you just pour a little of your homemade mustard vinaigrette over it and voila, done. It's so easy and it's a nice change from the usual way I eat asparagus. Wait, what? What did I hear you say, you don't make your own dressing?! You buy it out of a bottle!? It's ok--I'm not judging but a simple mustard vinaigrette is one of the easiest things to make. Here is a great article on how to do so.
This was by far my favorite meal but we also had leg of lamb, the French version of a shepherd's pie (made with duck), veal roast, his mother's garlicky zucchini au gratin, cheese, cheese and more cheese, pan au chocolat, macaroons and lots and lots of wine!
We did not however have brains or hearts although we could buy them. How would one even cook this stuff!??!?
Last week Olivier and I were in France--the south of France to be exact. We were in Aix-en-Provence and Marseille; Aix is where his mother lives and Marseille is where he used to live. We had a lovely time even though it was a really quick trip (arrived on a Friday and left on a Friday.)One of my very favorite things about France is the food, of course! For our first meal his mom always makes sure it's kind of a plowman's style lunch-- picnic-y types of food. We had olives to start--I'm not sure what kind they were or where they were from but they were fabulous. They had just the right amount of olive-ness to them--if that makes any kind of sense. The rest of our dinner consisted of saucisson (dried, cured sausage), prosciutto, ham and magret seche--this is like duck prosciutto. It's salty and fatty and melts in your mouth. I'm sure some people are probably cringing because I wrote "fatty" and "melt in your mouth" in the same sentence but it's delicious and a "must try" when you go to France.
The best part of the meal was the REAL baguette, butter and spring onions. I don't know what it is but the butter is different, the bread is different and so are the onions. The crustiness of the bread mixed with the creamy-salty butter and then the crunch and pungent taste of the onion send me straight over the edge! If it weren't for the taste of onions in my mouth morning, noon and night I would eat this morning, noon and night. You know me, I love butter and I love onions. I'm pretty sure all good things start with those two ingredients.
His mom also made asparagus with vinaigrette. Basically you cook your asparagus and then instead of butter and salt you just pour a little of your homemade mustard vinaigrette over it and voila, done. It's so easy and it's a nice change from the usual way I eat asparagus. Wait, what? What did I hear you say, you don't make your own dressing?! You buy it out of a bottle!? It's ok--I'm not judging but a simple mustard vinaigrette is one of the easiest things to make. Here is a great article on how to do so.
This was by far my favorite meal but we also had leg of lamb, the French version of a shepherd's pie (made with duck), veal roast, his mother's garlicky zucchini au gratin, cheese, cheese and more cheese, pan au chocolat, macaroons and lots and lots of wine!
We did not however have brains or hearts although we could buy them. How would one even cook this stuff!??!?
