Welcome...

The 'F' Word

2011-03-19T15:24:00.000-07:00

Here in France, animals and some humans (Kate ;D) are 'à la lettre'That means that all dogs born in 2010 have names beginning with 'F'
Following the birth of Enya's puppies (that's another story!) we launched an appeal for name suggestions on Facebook and came up with Frenchie (makes sense!)Fado, Filomene and Freckles. A couple of months on and lots of kitchen paper, mopping up etc. we're delighted that all have gone to nice homes - Fado is gone to friends down the road, Freckles off to Paris for 'la vie parisienne', Filomene down to a great home on the beach and Frenchie has gone to a recently widowed man where he's being spoilt rotten. Enya is back to digging holes in a desperate, however unsuccessful,search for rabbits in the field, that is when she's not stuck to the Rayburn or trying to get into Kate's bed!
Happy days!

2011-03-19T14:32:00.001-07:00

Macarons....those delightful, delicate, almond-based meringues, filled with delicious ganache, fruit, jam or jelly have been the subject of great amusement in our house for quite a while!
The girls would kill for them, the other half hasn't to date expressed any great opinion on them, but enjoyed telling all in sundry of my culinary disasters, which only encouraged the determined side of my character to come out and succeed.
To be honest I, personally, could take them or leave them..but where there's a macaron there's a challenge....and yeees, I've enfin managed to make the finicky, french delicacies - 'the little black dress of french pâtisserie' as Raymond Blanc calls them!
Cooking to me is not generally about quantities - 'au pif' is an expression I use regularly - Pif a slang word for nose - so basically, just throw it in if the fancy takes you....but NOT where these babies are concerned...there are lots of basic rules....Right now I feel a little like Julie in Julie and Julia after days of expeimenting in the kitchen in a quest to make the perfect macaron!

Macarons
Ingredients
For the pâte à macaron
• 185g/6½oz icing sugar, sifted
• 185g/6½oz ground almonds
• 2 medium free-range egg whites
For the Italian meringue
• 2 medium free-range egg whites(at room temp.)

• 185g/6½oz caster sugar
• 3 tbsp water
For the ganache filling
• 100ml/4fl oz whipping cream
• 100g/4oz dark chocolate, or white chocolate if you wish
• Or lemon curd .....or raspberry jam....or whatever!
Preparation method
1. Heat the oven to 160C/300F
. In a food processor with a knife blade, mix the icing sugar, ground almonds then sieve them to remove any impurities (takes yonks!)
3. In a large bowl mix egg whites, icing sugar and ground almonds to form a paste. Don't overmix!

4. For the Italian meringue, whisk the egg whites on a medium speed until stiff (i.e turn the bowl upsidedown - the mix shouldn't fall out!) Add colouring.
5. Meanwhile, place the sugar and water in a small pan and cook over a high heat until it has reached 117C/242F.
6. Reduce the speed on the mixer to its lowest setting and pour the sugar syrup onto the firmly whipped egg whites.
7. Increase the speed to high and continue to whisk for 2-3 minutes.
8. Using a spatula,fold the Italian meringue mixture into the pâte à macaron until it reaches the ribbon stage. Do not over-mix or the macaroon will crack when cooked.
9. Place the mixture in a piping bag fitted with a 8mm/¼in nozzle.

10. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper and pipe on 3cm/1in discs, at least 2cm/¾in apart.
11. Leave to ‘rest’ for about 10 minutes.
12. Bake in the middle of the oven for 8 - 10 minutes and then leave on a tray until completely cold.
13. Place on cooling tray.

14. Pipe about one teaspoon of ganache/lemon curd/jam onto the flat side of a cooled macaroon and top with another macaroon to make a sandwich.
15. Repeat with the remaining ganache and macaroons and store in a single layer in an airtight container in the fridge.

Note: Macarons are best eaten a day after baking. They freeze very well (ungarnished) Remove from the fridge for at least 15 mins. before tasting.

Poulet Vallée D’Auge

2010-11-15T11:25:00.000-08:00

Chicken with cream, Calvados and apples

For 6 people
2 tablespoons olive oil
75g/3 ozs. butter
2 onions, finely chopped
6 chicken pieces/ 1 whole chicken,portioned
A small glass of Calvados
500ml/1 pint dry cider
500g/1 lb mushrooms, finely sliced
500ml/ 1 pint crème fraîche/double cream
salt and pepper
a few shelled walnuts (optional)
675g/1 ½ lbs apples, peeled and cored
2-3 tsp light muscovado sugar

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2

In a heavy-based saucepan, heat the olive oil with a little butter. Add the chopped onions and the chicken pieces, browning them all over.
Pour the Calvados over the chicken. Ignite the alcohol to flambé the dish. Add the cider and apples.

In a separate pan, melt the remaining butter and fry the mushrooms until they render their juice.

Add the mushrooms and the shelled walnuts to the chicken, season lightly, cover and place in the oven.
Cook gently for about 45 mins - 1 hour (depending on your chicken - real free range ones take longer than others!) Just before serving, add the crème fraîche, heat gently and garnish with parsley.
Serve with puréed potatoes (with a little hazelnut oil)to mop up the juices.

Black pudding with apples

2010-10-12T22:42:00.000-07:00

Serves 4 as a starter

500g/1lb2ozs. Firm apples
juice of 1 lemon
4 small/2 large black puddings (boudins)around 500g/1lb 2 ozs. in total
25g/1 oz. Unsalted butter
salt and pepper
1 teasp. brown sugar
1 tablsp. red wine vinegar

Peel and core the apples, then cut the flesh into slices.
Add the lemon juice to a large bowl of water and soak the slces for around 15 mins.

Slice the boudins across on a diagonal.
Melt butter in a heavy pan over a high heat and cook the boudins for around 3 – 4 minutes on both sides.
Remove and set aside.

Drain the apples, add to the pan, season and fry until browned.
Add the sugar and the vinegar and return the boudins to the pan, turning briefly in the sauce.
Cook for another minute or so and serve......

Bon appétit

Camembert with Apple and Calvados

2010-10-12T00:25:00.001-07:00

For 8 people:
1 Camembert
1 apple (pink lady)
40 g/1 ½ ozs walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts
5 cl/1 teasp Calvados
2 tablspoons butter

Peel and slice the apple. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and caramelize apple. Flambé with Calvados and leave to cool. Cut the Camembert in 3 disks and sandwich with apple mix. Use the remaining butter (melted) to coat the camembert.
Whiz the nuts together in a food processor. Coat the cheese with this. Place in fridge and serve at room temperature with a green salad and walnut vinaigrette.

Julia and Julie.....

2010-03-20T01:57:00.000-07:00

Happy days - I've finally seen it - yeah!! Life in rural France isn't always all it's cracked up to be - I mean until yesterday I still hadn't seen Julia and Julie!!
It was shown in our Mega CGR in Cherbourg ages ago, but alas... in french - version originale takes too much effort for your average Joe Frog....sooooo, I've been putting serious pressure on Mr. Orange to install our Orange TV whereby we can pay to view in .....yes......version originale!!The girls and I huddled around a roaring fire (Papa went to bed) and indulged ourselves in a couple of hours of fun....It was hilarious - Meryl Streep fantastic..
Afterwards, witty Ellen called me into my 'office' (the kitchen) and told me she'd found a touch of 'Julia' about me......

Taken during the February break by Ellen!

Britain vs. France en cuisine.......

2010-03-09T02:02:00.000-08:00

The French have long been considered masters of cuisine but Britons spend longer in the kitchen and prepare a wider variety of international food, a survey shows.

The cross-Channel study by BBC Olive magazine and French title Madame Figaro found that the French eat out more and stick to family recipes while at home.

It found that 72 per cent of Britons cook at home every day, compared to 59 per cent in France.

When in the kitchen, 50 per cent of Britons spend more than 30 minutes cooking, while 27 per cent of the French do so.

However, people in France tend to produce more, with 47 per cent preparing two courses or more compared with 18 per cent of Britons.

The French eat out on average three times a month compared to twice a month in Britain.

Ninety-three per cent of Britons and 87 per cent of French said they cooked Italian food; 76 per cent of Britons and 40 per cent of French cooked Chinese; 76 per cent of Britons and 31 per cent of French cooked Indian; and 62 per cent of Britons and 55 per cent of French cooked Spanish.

The French cooked more Moroccan food than the British, with 49 per cent to 43 per cent ever preparing such dishes.

"Although the French have an enviable food heritage, it's fascinating to see how much British people have embraced home cooking and international cuisine over the past few years," Olive editor Christine Hayes said.

While Italian was the favourite foreign food for both countries, just one per cent of French respondents said British cuisine was their favourite.

And while 46 per cent of Britons said the dining out experience was better in the other country, the percentage of French who said likewise was zero.

Olive readers thought that 1970s favourite crepe suzette was the dish which best symbolised French cuisine, while the French said it was veal, followed by foie gras.

Madame Figaro voters reckoned Christmas pudding best symbolised British cuisine, but British readers said it was a roast dinner with Yorkshire pudding, followed by fish and chips then a full English breakfast.

Madame Figaro editor-in-chief Jean-Sebastien Stehli said people now had access to multiple sources of inspiration: books, magazines, television and the internet.

"It feeds into their thirst for experimenting new ways of cooking, exploring new restaurants," he said.

"What's striking about the survey is that in both countries people are moving toward a cuisine which is more international, more open, curious of other cultures, less nationalistic."

The survey questioned 2061 readers of BBC Magazines and 1345 Madame Figaro readers in January.

2010-02-11T22:27:00.000-08:00

Toward the end of Sunday service, the Minister asked, "How many of you have forgiven your enemies?"

80% held up their hands.

The Minister then repeated his question.
All responded this time, except one small elderly lady.

"Mrs. Neely, are you not willing to forgive your enemies?"
"I don't have any," she replied, smiling sweetly.

"Mrs. Neely, that is very unusual. How old are you?"
"Ninety-eight," she replied.
"Oh, Mrs. Neely, would you please come down in front & tell us all how a person can live ninety-eight years & not have an enemy in the world?"
The little sweetheart of a lady tottered down the aisle, faced the congregation, and said: "I've outlived the bitches."

Snow

2010-01-07T07:55:00.001-08:00

Welcome Molly and Tyrone!

2010-01-07T07:43:00.000-08:00

Our latest addtions to 'animal farm',and a most original Christmas presents - Molly and Tyrone - a couple of pigeons - named after the infamous Molly of Coronation Street and her hubby! We haven't dared let them out as they may not find their way home in the snow, or even recognise the place once the snow has melted!

Tapenade

2009-11-08T04:09:00.000-08:00

Tapenade

250g/10ozs. black olives - stone them yourselves for extra flavour - tedious yes, but worth the effort
50g/2 ozs. anchovy fillets
1 tablsp. capers
2 cloves garlic, crushed
15g/1/2 oz. basil, chopped
zest and juice of 1 lemon
200ml/12 tablsp. extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor, whiz together the olives, the anchovies and the capers.
Add garlic, basil, lemon zest and juice, then the oil.
Season with pepper.

(NOTE: the tapenade will keep for up to one month in the fridge and can be served on crostinis)

Preserved Lemons

2009-11-08T04:07:00.000-08:00

2 lemons, scrubbed and cut lengthways into 8
75g coarse sea salt
125ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
125ml extra-virgin olive oil

In a bowl, toss lemon wedges, salt and juice. Mix well. Transfer to a 500ml glass container with a non-metal mid. ( a Kilner jar is the business)
Close container and leave at room temp. for a week, shaking daily to distribute the salt and juices evenly.

To store: Add olive oil to cover and store in fridge for up to 6 months.

Quarante Quatre '44'

2009-11-08T00:50:00.000-08:00

Fragrant and fruity, served as a digestif or with white wine, as a aperitif,'Quarante Quatre'is one of my local recipés which, once tasted, is frequently requested!
And the good news is that, at 47 days to go to Christmas (!!!) you can make it now and serve to guests at your festive table or offer it as an original Christmas gift.

You will need:

1 litre of Calvados/clear eau-de-vie or Vokda
1 orange
44 sugar lumps
44 cloves or
44 coffee grains (I use both!)

and 44 days of patience!

Pour the Calvados into a large Kilner jar with 44 sugar lumps and 44 coffee grains or ...... if you’ve opted for cloves....
Stick the 44 cloves into an orange and add to jar.
Wait at least 44 days before tasting.
Quarante quatre will, however, keep for centuries in the Kilner jar but once it's all gone you may like to try a vingt-deux...
Add some white wine to the Kilner jar, leaving the orange in the jar, and leave for, yes, you've guesses it - 22 days!!
Santé...

Into The West

2009-11-03T09:51:00.000-08:00

The Wild West (of Ireland) - a beautiful and enchanting place!

Three Legged Tom

2009-11-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

OK OK... any of you who've been to La Blonderie will know how I feel about cats! I'm more of a dog person and that says it all, but, our Tom, I feel, is worth a mention. He's a survivor. A charmer who's been known to charm his way into the holiday apartment and B+B on many an occasion with his sorry limp (lost a leg in a trap)on his quest for food and affection.
Before the mid-term break we lost Tom....His quest for food got the better of him as he jumped into the back of a refrigerated van, parked outside the house here, much to the surprise of the owner of the same as she opened the van outside a school about 10 kms away! A confused and frightened Tom jumped out and hobbled off into the sunset! Many posters and spottings later Tom arrived home - it took him about a week but he's here now - Tom the three-legged traveller!

Paella

2009-09-26T00:17:00.001-07:00

O.K .....not exactly french.... but very good and very handy for entertaining....It's a one course meal - no starters - perhaps a few fancy nibbles....I reckon the Paella is to the Spanish what the Risotto is to the Italians...
A Spanish friend of mine explained that Paella is based on leftovers - i.e we had chicken one day, prawns the next, mussels after that and so on.....and let's throw the whole lot together with a bit of rice and Bob's you uncle....Once you get the hang of it, you can experiment with all kinds of leftovers..
Anyway, Geraldine, this one's for you....

Paella
Ingredients .....for 6 people
6 chicken thighs
2 lemons, cut in half
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 shallots, chopped
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped or a tin (in winter)
2 bay leaves, broken in half
good pinch saffron or Paella spice mix
700g/1½lbs Valencia or paella rice
splash white wine
1½-2l/2½-3½pt hot vegetable or chicken stock
1 packet mixed seafood, defrosted
1 chorizo, sliced
225g/8oz mussels – cleaned, debearded and cooked in a dash of white wine until open (discard closed ones) ......oh yeah and ...... keep the wine and add to stock....
225g/8oz prawns – heads and tails on....
large bunch parsley, chopped
salt and pepper
Method
1. Seal and lightly colour the chicken pieces with the lemon halves in olive oil.
2. Remove from the pan and add the chopped garlic, shallots and tomatoes. Fry for a few minutes, adding the bay leaves, saffron, rice, wine and chorizo.
3. Return the chicken and lemon to the pan and pour in enough hot stock to cover the mixture. Partially cover the pan with a lid and bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Continue to add the stock a ladle at a time, allowing each to be absorbed before adding the next.
5. The rice should be almost cooked after 10-12 minutes. Check to make sure the chicken is cooked through before adding the seafood. Cook for about 3 minutes, adding more stock if necessary.
6. To finish, stir in the prawns, the cooked mussels (shells and all – ‘nothing like scooping out the rice from the shell) chopped parsley, season.....reheat thoroughly (for the added shellfish) and serve from the pan. You may ....i.e you have to use your fingers – it’s all part of the fun .....just don’t forget the fingerwipes!

Bon appétit!

P.S Serve with a nicely chilled Rosé wine

The Green Goose

2009-09-14T23:41:00.000-07:00

In an effort to get the girls away from MSN, the TV and their mobile phones - I asked them to express themselves creatively with a couple of tins of paint.....and gave them carte blanche for the chicken house!!!!
Completely underestimating the effect of a tin of green paint on our Nicloas (de goose), off went Ellen and Kate with great plans for a makeover job...
Yes, you've guessed what happened next....Nicolas, on seeing the shiny green acrylic, went ape, thought all his heavens had come together and niw sprots a green beak......and the chicken house - which they decided would be a disco (!!???) for the lively chicks, has been called 'The Green Goose'...

Enya

2009-08-13T01:17:00.000-07:00

Our latest addition to 'Animal Farm'.......Kate has been saving up all her pocket money, has sold her saddle (!!!), has worked for Papa in the surgery and emptied his pockets before loading the machine......and managed to come up with enough dough to splash out and buy her new friend - the 'handbag' arrived yesterday much to the joy of her new mistress!!

Holidays

2009-08-12T13:38:00.000-07:00

A few photos from our holidays - Venise, Croatia, Vienna...

Moules

2009-08-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

Time to get back to 'normal' .....whatever that is, as the holidays are over...
We drove from Benoistville to Paris, then on to Venise for 3 nights (check out Novotel - kids go free until the age of 16...great breakfast buffet and often a pool which, given the heat that we're not used to, is fab)and from there to Croatia where we met up with some pals for a week of sailing....and ended our holiday in Vienna...

On the cookery front, I felt like Rick Stein when 'Gus' our friend and skipper went diving and presented me with a bucket of fresh mussels ....
So,obviously, busman's holiday apart, I had to come up with something to feed the crew...

Mussels in Garlic butter...easy, tasty - a classic french recipé. All you need is:

Garlic butter (see prawns in garlic butter recipé) and cleaned, debearded mussels...

Place mussels in a large, heavy based pot with a glass of wine, cover and place over a high heat for 3 - 4 minutes, shaking pot now and then, until the mussels have opened. Drain into a colander, tehn break off and disgard the empty half shells, leaving the mussels in the other shell.
Preheat the oven/grill to very high. Place a little garlic butter on each mussel ( yes, a very good friend of mine tells me life is too short for stuffing mushrooms - mussels too I imagine, but what a taste....)
Put into oven until bubbling hot and serve with lots of crusty bread and a dry white (Muscadet/Rosé)

The 'Wilde' Geese....part II

2009-07-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

Et voilà......a new addition to the 'basse-cour'
Nicolas and Carla are settling in nicely, enjoying the sunshine....Carla's the bigger of the two, by the way!!

The 'Wilde' Geese....

2009-07-07T09:25:00.001-07:00

Monday morning...That's it ... off to the market like the little piggy we went...(Remember, 'this litle piggy went to the market?.....')Our decision was final, we were going for geese this time..
Names..Nicolas and Carla....that way we'll have no problem eating them at Christmas.....
and guess what...?

They were all gone.. ...

we're too late for the geese from Toulouse....A bit like the Randy Travis song that ....'you've been too gone for too long...it's too late to come back now...'

Anyway, they're ordered for the Friday morning market in Les Pieux ..

Here is a song, that I learnt in secondary school,which I now sing to my girls to get them used to the idea of what we'll be eating at Christmas...

The Goslings - Frederick Bridge
===============================

She was a pretty little gosling, and a gay young gosling he:
And “I love you,” he said, “so dearly;” and “I love you too,” said she.
“But alas we must part,” he whispered, “I’m off to the world so wide;
but love, don’t fear, I’ll come next year, and make you, and make you my little bride.”

’T was Michaelmas day at morning, that he came home once more.
He met his true love’s mother, and oh!, she was weeping sore.
“Too late you’ve come,” she whispered, “They’ve taken your love away.
She never will be your bride, ah, me! For she’s going, she’s going to be cooked today!”

Then up he went to the farmhouse: “Where is my love?” he said.
But the farmer’s wife she took a knife and cut off his little head.
And she served him up with his true love, on a dish so deep and wide.
So though in life they were parted, in death they were side by side.

Tarte à la Rhubarbe

2009-05-18T05:51:00.000-07:00

I recently spent a day with François in his boulangerie, at La Ferme Auberge de Bunehou, and came away laden with recipes and tips, and dying to try this one out on my loved ones in June, when one of our favourites... rhubarb, comes into season ... Tarte à la rhubarbe (with a Norman twist...Calva and crème fraîche !)

The result was definitely worth waiting for.....

Pâte Brisée
250g plain flour
125g butter, at room temp. cut into small pieces
1 egg yolk
40g caster sugar
pinch of salt
50ml water

1 kilo Rhubarb, chopped
50g sugar

For the filling:
3 eggs, beaten
3 tablsp. crème fraîche
1 dessertsp. flour
80 – 100g brown sugar
Drop of Calvados

For the Pastry
Sieve flour and salt. Rub in butter until mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in sugar and make a ‘well’ in the centre. Pour the egg yolk (beaten) and water in and mix in with a knife until a ball is formed....Leave to ‘rest’ in fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 180°C

Line a lightly buttered quiche tin with pastry. Bake ‘blind’* for about 15 minutes.
Place chopped rhubarb on top and sprinkle with sugar.

Mix all the filling ingred. together and pour over rhubarb. Sprinkle extra sugar on top.

Bake in a hot oven until nicely set.

*Baking ‘blind’ is simply pre-baking the pastry, to avoid a soggy base!
Prick the base of the pastry with a fork. Put some baking paper on top and a few dried beans/pasta so that the pastry won’t rise...
(I always do this for quiches and tarts.)

Happy Days !!

2009-04-23T00:33:00.000-07:00

Merci les filles.....for being our first residential 3-day program guinea pigs.....Apart from some minor hiccups where EDF and their strike policy are concerned, things went very smoothly.....oh, and Janine's 'verrine' ......

Done and dusted!

2009-04-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

We have now officially opened our holiday accomodation....We're exhausted and yet thrilled with the final result, and at the prospect of offering lots more here at La Blonderie....

Many thanks to our first clients who drove all the way here from Amsterdam - Andrea, Jacklyn and Glenn.....

Check it out at

http://www.wildegites.net/

A bientôt,

Sinéad

P.S More to come soon with the opening of 'La Chambre de Bonne' (what used to be the maid's quarters !!!!!!)

P.P.S We're not quite ready for the bicycle rentals as yet!!!

Cherry and Almond Tart

2009-04-11T06:02:00.000-07:00

Fancy a real french tart? Check out this one!

One 23cm (9inch) fluted tart tin with removable base (buttered)
The pastry
125g (4oz) butter, melted and cooled
100g (3 1/2ozs) sugar
Pinch salt
Almond extract
Vanilla extract
2 tablsp. ground almonds
Flour

The filling:
5 tablespoons double cream
1 egg, beaten
Almond extract
Vanilla extract
60g (2ozs sugar)
1 tablsp. Flour
4 tablsp. Ground almonds
1 tablsp. Cherry eau-de-vie/Kirsch
500g/1lb cherries, stoned

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4
Mix together butter, sugar, salt, extracts, and almonds. Stir to blend. Incorporate enough flour, to form a smooth dough. (like biscuit dough)
Place dough in centre of tin and push out with a small spoon to cover bottom and sides of tin.
Bake ‘blind’ (10 minutes)
Meanwhile combine all filling ingredients and whisk to blend.
Sprinkle a little ground almond on pastry base. Place cherries on top and pour over filling. Sprinkle with a little more ground almonds.
Place in centre of oven and bake until golden-brown, about 45 minutes.
Sprinkle with icing sugar just before serving.

I was on the telly!

2009-03-28T05:35:00.001-07:00

http://www.5050.tv/au-quotidien/lexpatriation-made-in-france

Prawns in Garlic Butter

2009-03-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

For the garlic butter:

1 bulb of garlic, peeled

loads of chopped parsley ( buy it frozen to save time, if you like)

125g butter, at room temp.

a tiny drop of red wine

a drop of olive oil

salt and pepper

Whiz all together in a food processor. Spoon onto some film and roll into a 'sausage'. Freeze until needed. It's dead handy to have in the freezer and can be used in loads of recipés. ( I use it for my prawns in garlic butter or sliced, from frozen, over beef cooked on the bone over the barbeque/open fire)
Peel 1 kilo of (cooked) prawns and heat a large pan. Melt some garlic butter and add prawns. Heat quickly, add a little more butter, some freshly-ground pepper and a little freshly-squeezed lemon juice. Sprinkle some chopped flat-leaf parsley on top. Serve with lots of crusty bread and some dry white wine (Muscadet is perfect) as a starter/light lunch.

Alternatively, place 6/12 prawns in escargot dishes (1 in each hole) put a little garlic butter on top. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs/parmesan cheese on top and bake in a hot oven until bubbling.

Bon appétit Britt......enjoy!

Mousse au Chocolat

2009-02-19T09:42:00.000-08:00

If you crave chocolate and love a chocolate and orange combination, check out this one .......

For 6 people
Preparation Time : 15 mins.
Setting Time: 3 hours

200g/8 ozs. Nestlé/other good quality dark chocolate
6 eggs
pinch of salt
3 tablsp. Grand Marnier/Cointreau/Orange Juice
Grated rind of one orange.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave (for one minute on high) with 4 tablsp. orange juice ( or Cointreau/Grand Marnier) Whisk thoroughly.
Separate the eggs and whisk the whites with the salt until stiff.
Whisk the melted chocolate gradually into the egg yolks.
Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mix very gently, so as to prevent the whites from flopping!
Add the grated rind of one orange and leave to set in a fridge for at least 3 hours.

Bon Appétit

Snow sculptors à la nature...et à la Ellen.....

2009-02-04T11:22:00.001-08:00

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow !!!!!

2009-02-04T10:42:00.001-08:00

As you can see we've been having a fun time ot it here at La Blonderie......no school, a little work and lots of snow!!!!! Happy Days.......

What's seldom is wonderful!

2009-02-03T20:24:00.000-08:00

No Monday morning blues in this house this week.....or Tuesday....or even Wednesday for that matter - il neige - yes, it's snowing........and what a treat for kids in Normandy!!

Our two, Ellen and Kate, apart from les sports d'hiver - skiing holidays - haven't ever seen so much of the white stuff......they're having a ball......the dogs too.....Maman too....Papa, who has to venture out to work, a little less, no doubt, although on Monday was able to enjoy the welcomed change from rain and wind with the rest of us....and off we went to our nearest wood - le bois de Saga - after which we enjoyed a mulled wine.......

Vin Chaud......... you will need:

1 bottle of fairly cheap Bordeaux

1/2 bottle of port and the same quantity of water

freshly ground nutmeg

1 cinnamon stick

A few grains of Cardamon

Grated rind and juice of an orange

Sugar to taste

Slowely heat all up together and serve piping hot, preferably beside a roaring fire....

Santé!

Chicken/Lamb Tagine

2009-01-28T22:45:00.000-08:00

'Tagine' simply means 'stew' in Morocco....and once you've grasped the idea you'll be hooked - they're easy and delicious - parfumé, as opposed to spicy!

In Morroco, nomads carry these conical vessels around as their mobile ovens along with a mini-barbeque style tin so that they can grill their merguez sausages whenever and wherever they like.
If you don't have a tagine, a large heavy based casserole will do.

For 4/6 people

1 chicken, jointed ( or chicken pieces)
2 onions, sliced
2 tablsp. olive oil
1 preserved lemon
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teasp. ginger
½ teasp. cinnamon
1 tbsp coriander seeds,crushed
1 cinnamon stick
3 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
1 preserved lemon, chopped finely (optional)
Salt and pepper

Other optional extras:
Dried fruit, such as apricots and prunes.
A couple of handfuls of almonds, sesame seeds or pinenuts, toasted.

Heat the olive oil in a ‘tagine’ or a large casserole dish (with a lid)
Add the chicken pieces and onions and brown together.
Sprinkle in the spices and cook for a few minutes.

Add enough water to cover the meat and bring to the boil.
Add the preserved lemon, season well and cover.

Leave to simmer for at least 1 ½ hours. (you may need to add some water from time to time)
About 20 mins. before serving add the dried fruits.

If you like, sprinkle with nuts and herbs and serve with couscous.

Note:
You can replace the chicken with 1.5 kilos of lamb, from the shoulder, chopped into chunks. Just allow for extra simmering time – about 2 ½ hours.

Tagine is perfect cooked the day before eating, giving the flavours time to develop.

Leek,Potato and Onion Soup

2009-01-13T23:38:00.000-08:00

A great believer in soups, here's another one....
LEEK, ONION AND POTATO SOUP
For 4 – 6 people you will need..
4 large leeks
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, chopped
50g butter
850 ml chicken stock /water
275 ml milk
Salt and pepper
To serve :1 ½ tablespoons chopped chives ( I buy frozen herbs in winter….available in all supermarkets here)
2 tablespoons crème fraîche (optional)

Trim off the tops and roots of the leeks, discarding the tough outer layer. Slice them up finely and rinse thoroughly.In a large pot, melt the butter and add the leeks, potatoes and onion stirring them with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper, cover and let the vegetables sweat over a very low heat for about 15 mins.Then add the stock and milk, bring to a simmerinig point, replace the lid and simmer very gently for 20 mins. Liquidise to a purée. Reheat very gently. Add the chives and the cream just before serving.

La Galette des Rois

2009-01-12T00:55:00.000-08:00

January 6th, the feast of the Ephinany, and the famous Galette des Rois takes it’s place among the mouth-watering gâteaux and breads in boulangeries throughout France! Haven’t the French heard of new year resolutions to cut out all things wickedly sweet and tasty following an overindulgance of the same over the festive season? Apparently not! Suppose 'Frencwomen don't get Fat' and all that!!

Quand l’appétit va, tout va....when the appetite is O.K, everything is O.K. And so, for the entire month of January, galettes are eaten and Kings and Queens crowned. The youngest members of each family/gathering is sent uner the table to allocate pieces of this traditional cake to all in sundry!

A celebration of when the three kings visited Jesus, bearing gifts, the galette is round in shape, representing the moon, made like a brioche, with a hole in the centre and decorated with candied fruit, or else from puff pastry and almond paste, depending on the region. (Here in Normandy, the almond paste is sometimes replaced by apple purée).

There’s always a fève (a charm) in the galette and he/she who gets it, without choking on it that is (!!!) is king/queen for the day, and has the priviledge of nominating his/her queen/king! Glossy,cardboard crowns are provided for the coronation!

Give it a try..kids love it!!

To make the Galette you will need:

1 packet of puff pastry

For the almond paste: 100g ground almonds

75g butter, softened

3 egg yolks

pinch of salt

Mix together the egg yolks, sugar and salt. Add the softened butter and mix thoroughly.Divide the puff pastry in two.Roll out and line a (greased) tin with half the pastry. Prick with a fork.Spread the almond paste on top, throw in a fève, and cover with the rest of the puff pastry.Bake in a hot oven for 20 – 30 minutes.

Books for Cooks

2009-01-08T01:04:00.000-08:00

'NOBODY DOES IT BETTER''........This somewhat arrogant title quite honsetly sounds like something your average Frenchman came up with when the culprit is in fact, Belfast-born, award-winning food journalist, Trish Deseine.
Given her years of culinary experience and her self-development as an Irish foodie in France, we have to take her word for it that well, maybe, nobody does it better!
Having studied her book, I must admit that for all lovers of French food, this one's a treat!
Trish, through a great collection of anecdotes, explains why French home cooking is still the best in the world....Traditional recipés are demystified, but what makes this one really different from other classiques is that modern trends in French cuisine, inspired by the traditions of Moroco, Tunisia, the Réunion Island and the French West Indies are also included, depicting a food culture that's open to ideas from elsewhere......perhaps that's why nobody does it better?
Avaliable from Amazon.com

Winter Warming Soup

2009-01-07T13:53:00.000-08:00

Minestrone Soup is one solution to the big freeze that we're all experiencing!
Easy to make,this one's comfort food at its best!
You can use any combination of fresh and frozen vegetables you want....add some tinned tomatoes (no point in buying fresh ones in winter - they're too watery) and some pasta and enjoy with freshly grated Parmesan - delicious...

You'll need.....

1 onion, chopped finely
2 carrots, chopped finely
2 sticks celery, finely sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small tin sweetcorn
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tablsp. tomato purée
handful of spagetti, broken in two
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley
Freshly grated parmesan

Sauté fresh vegetables in olive oil for about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato purée, corn and cover with water. Simmer gently until all is soft.
About 10 minutes before serving, add the pasta and continue cooking....you may need to add more water at this stage. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle with parsley.
Serve piping hot with fresh, crusty bread and parmesan cheese.

Les Restes!!

2009-01-06T05:26:00.000-08:00

Les restes - quite a thing here in France...People are often invited the day after the night before (a party, that is) to eat les restes - the leftovers!! And admittedely, while I do enjoy a good soirée, the best parts for me are l'apéritif and le lendemain.....no plans de tables necessary, no fuss, just mingling, picking at food and enjoying un verre or two in a generally more relaxed ambience than the official gig!
On the recipé front, leftovers are, for me, a great challenge......I don't want to serve up a reheated version of the night before...I want to test my creativity and come up with new ways of serving the menu up.....again!!!
Over the Christmas I tried out a few ideas and would like to share them with you....

For Carina.....Oysters in a Creamy Camembert Sauce.....

A special treat from Normandy, using only the finest of our local ingredients. Quick and easy to prepare, this one is a winner and great for using up leftover oysters....

For 4 people

2 dozen oysters (ask le poissonier to shuck them for you)
1 camembert –au lait cru – from unpasteurised milk
4 soupspoons of crème fraîche
1 glass of cider/dry white wine
3 shallots
pepper
Coarse sea salt

Preheat the oven to 240°C
Remove the skin from the camembert and chop into small pieces.
Peel and finely chop the shallots and place them in a pan with the cider/wine.
Heat gently and allow to reduce before adding the cream, the camembert and some freshly milled pepper.
Pour the water off the oysters. Place a layer of sea salt on a large oven-to-tableware dish, and put the oysters on top. Spoon some camembert sauce onto each oyster and bake for 10 mins.
Serve immediately with some crusty bread and a bottle of chilled dry white or cider.

Bon appétit!

Bonne Année 2009

2008-12-28T01:49:00.000-08:00

With Christmas over, it's time to look to New Year's Eve - le réveillon - the 'awakening' which is, my personal favourites as parties go!
Perhaps, the only time in Normandy, to my knowledge, where we actually put on the glad rags and party in great style! Only the closest of friends are invited... the champagne will flow, the nibbles
un délice, the meal impéccable the chat great and the craic will be mighty! We'll eat, drink and be merry, embracing all in-sundry at midnight as we'll embrace the arrival of 2009, with it's expectations, hope, plans and anticipations!

Bonne Année....Santé, bonheur!

Lapin à la Moutarde

2008-11-30T11:58:00.000-08:00

Rabbit in mustard sauce:
Don't be fooled if you come to France and see numerous people on market day wandering around with cute little, live rabbits in their cute, little wicker baskets....they're for 'la casserole' and admittedly, do taste great!
Here's a recipé that I've tried and tested time and time again and believe you me it's simply delicious!

Serves 4
4 large/8 small thighs of farmed rabbit
1 tablsp. Dijon mustard (or a mix of whatever mustard you have
2 tablsp. olive oil
Black pepper
300ml white wine/cider
2 bay leaves
2 tablsp. full-fat crème fraîche

Wash the rabbit and dry well. Mix mustard, oil and season well with pepper. Smear this all over the rabbit pieces and leave for at least 30 mins. (or overnight)

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F
Place rabbit in casserole and roast for 5 mins.
Add wine/cider and bay leaves and cook for 30 - 40 minutes until tender, basting occasionally.

Reduce oven to 150°C/300°F and wrap rabbit pieces in foil. Pour the juice into a pan and boil to reduce. Add the crème fraîche and cook gently for a few minutes.
Put rabbit back into sauce and test for seasoning.

Serve with basmati rice.

Christmas in Normandy

2008-11-26T04:53:00.000-08:00

An abundant variety of mouth-watering dishes and delicacies is the highlight of this important family occasion. Called le réveillon (the awakening) and celebrated on Christmas Eve, festivities continue into the early hours of Christmas day. In some homes, the meal is interrupted by the welcomed arrival of le Père Noel at midnight, when gifts are exchanged, while in others midnight Mass remains an important part of Noel.
Amuses-bouche (literally meaning ‘mouth amusers –nibbles) and apéritifs are served at the beginning of this marathon evening of food, wine and conversation. Starters may include foie gras, smoked salmon or oysters, served on their own, or as part of a seafood platter including crabs, lobsters, periwinkles,sea snails, and prawns, served with lemon wedges, crusty bread, salted butter and homemade mayonnaise.

Traditionally, chestnut-stuffed turkey features on the menu, although seafood platters, scallops, duck, goose, capon (castrated and fattened rooster) and game in all its forms are often enjoyed today... Salad and cheese follows and the ever-traditional bûche de Noel (Yule Log) brings an end to this gastronomic evening.....

Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.....?
Eh non, not here in Normandy anyway, as the next day at lunch time , the food and festivities start all over again!

Joyeux Noel!

Savoury Cakes

2008-11-25T11:21:00.000-08:00

Oh là là.....les cakes salés!!!!
Savoury cakes are a great change from quiches and other nibbles for a drinks party, served with a green salad, make for a great, light supper or on warmer days, go down well in a picnic basket.....Once you've got the hang of the basic recipé, you can chop and change and come up with some great, original savoury cakes....Blue cheese and walnut, cheese and ham, spinach and goat's cheese..........A very clever French cook, 'Sophie', held a competition( on the net) for the best cake recipé, threw in a prize, and brought out a book on the same....I haven't bought it soooo, can't comment!

The following is a marbled green olive and black tapenade cake ( you can cheat and buy the tapenade) which is a colourful addition to any party, and can easily be transported so that you can bring along your very own, homemade gift!

Basic recipé:
3 eggs
150g S.R. flour
80 ml sunflower oil, heated for 1 minute in microwave
130 ml milk
Salt/pepper

100g grated cheese
100g green olives, stoned and chopped
100g black tapenade
1 teasp. Herbs de Provence

Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas mark 6

Mix the eggs with the flour. Add oil gradually. Then add cheese and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.... Divide mixture in two.

Add the green olives and herbs to one mix and the tapenade to the other.

Pour the green olive mix into a cake tin and then the tapenade mix. Bake for 45 mins.

Serve at room temperature.

A Cheesy Treat!

2008-11-16T10:29:00.001-08:00

Camembert in its box

An original way of serving a cheese course... Great as a 'light' lunch or supper, kids love it , adults love it and you'll love it too!

You simply choose a nice ripe Camembert IN A WOODEN BOX. Remove the cheese from the wrapping and cut a cross on top.

Meanwhile, soak the box in some water (prevents burning)

Then put the cheese (minus the wrapper) back in the box, close the box and place on a grill over nice, glowing embers until melted (about 10 mins.). Peel back the skin and serve the hot, melting délice with endive leaves, apple slices, celery or crusty bread.... Nothing goes to waste......great..

(Alternatively, you can place the cheese, minus the wrapper, in it's box, in a moderate oven for about 10 minutes.)

Pont l'Eveque would do the job nicely too!

2008-11-10T07:08:00.000-08:00

Poule au Pot
Chicken in the pot

Henri IV of France wanted all households in his kingdom to be able to relish in this great dish every Sunday... There are lots of variations on this recipe, I imagine stemming from whatever products were available locally. This one uses the best Normandy has to offer – chicken (or traditionally, hen) leeks, carrots, turnips and, bien sûr, crème fraîche.

Ingredients Serves 4 - 6
1 broiler, about 2 kilos (chicken will do but tends to fall off the bones quicker) r
2 onions, studded with cloves
3 carrots, peeled and chopped into large chunks
3 leeks, chopped and thoroughly washed (usually full of sand!!)
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
3 turnips, peeled
2 sticks of Celery, cut into long batons
Bouquet garni – Bay leaves, parsley, thyme etc...
Salt and pepper
Water
Tub of crème fraîche

Place broiler/chicken in a large saucepan and cover with water. Add onions, garlic and bouquet garni. Season well. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 2 1/2 hours (1 hour for chicken).

Meanwhile, prepare vegetables.
Add to chicken and continue simmering until vegetables are soft – about 45 mins.
Add a little of the water from the chicken pot to crème fraîche and heat gently.

Serve the meat from the broiler (minus the skin) on a large platter surrounded with vegetables. Pour the crème fraîche into a sauceboat and place all in the centre of the table.

(Basmati rice works well with this one.)

Bon appétit!

Irish Love Story

2008-11-08T03:01:00.000-08:00

An elderly man lay dying in his bed. While suffering
the agonies of impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma
of his favourite scones wafting up the stairs.

He gathered his remaining strength, and lifted himself
from the bed. Leaning on the wall, he slowly made his way
out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort, gripping the railing with both hands, he crawled downstairs.

With laboured breath, he leaned against the
door-frame, gazing into the kitchen. Were it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven, for there, spread out upon the kitchen table were literally hundreds of his favourite scones.

Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of love from his
devoted Irish wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left
this world a happy man?

Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself
towards the table, landing on his knees in rumpled posture.
His aged and withered hand trembled towards a scone at the edge of the table, when it was suddenly smacked by his wife with a wooden spoon ........................

"Feck off", says she...."they're for the funeral!"

2008-11-08T01:34:00.000-08:00

Coquilles St Jacques - scallops - are on every fishmonger's stall here at this time of year. We're lucky enough to have ones that are fished locally, great value for money and if you buy more than 5 kilos, the poissonier will clean them out for you too - le bonheur!
This recipé is seasonal, tasty, and easy to make with a certain show-off factor that'll dazzle all-in-sundry!

Scallops with Leeks and Crème Fraîche

Ingredients
Serves four
16 scallops (3 or 4 scallops per person) out of their shells and thoroughly cleaned – that’s the hard part - ask your fishmonger nicely!
4 leeks (only the white part) sliced into rounds
1 clove of garlic, crushed
Butter and olive oil for frying
1 pot of crème fraîche
Salt and pepper
Chopped chives
Optional:
‘Fleurons’ (little cresents of puff pastry – found in supermarkets here/maybe ordered at the boulangerie.... look great on top of the finished dish)

Directions:
1. Melt butter with the oil in a large saucepan (I use my Le Creuset one as it’s tableware too and saves on the washing-up) and add the garlic, then the leeks. Cook them gently for about 15 minutes taking care not to burn them. (Sometimes I add a little grated carrot, just for colour).
2. Put the lid on the saucepan, so that they steam away gently. Add the cream and mix thoroughly. Reheat gently and add salt and freshly-ground pepper.
3. Slice the scallops horizontally, so that they’ll cook quicker. Melt some butter and a drop of olive oil in a large frying pan and add the white part of the scallops, cooking gently over a low heat. It’s a question of 2 minutes. Quickly add the roes (the orange part of the scallop) and cook for 1 minute.
4. Meanwhile, reheat the ‘fleurons’ in a moderate oven if you are using them.
5. Stir the scallops into the leek, carrot and cream mix. Add some chopped chives (frozen if it is at the end of the year as there are none left in the garden.)
6. Put on nice big white plates, with the fleurons delicately placed on top and serve with basmati rice.

P.S You can freeze fresh scallops really well too!!

Raspberry Charlotte

2008-11-04T00:49:00.000-08:00

Try out this delicious dessert made from sponge fingers, raspberries and fromage frais. It melts in the mouth and because you don't have to cook it, it's easy food at its best. You prepare it in advance too, which is really great!

Ingredients

300g raspberries (frozen will do the job)
15cl orange juice and a dash of Cointreau/Grand Marnier
30 sponge finger biscuits/Madeira cake sliced into fingers
400g fromage frais
80g caster sugar
2 sachets vanilla sugar - about 14g (optional)

Directions

1. Line the base and sides of a charlotte tin or pudding bowl with biscuits that you have dipped in the orange juice and alcohol mixture.
2. Whisk the fromage frais with the sugars.
3. Place half the fruit in the tin or bowl and cover with half of the sweetened fromage frais.
4. Dip a few more biscuits in the orange juice and place on top of the fromage frais layer. Add a layer of fruit, a layer of fromage frais and finish with some more (dipped) biscuits.
5. Cover the tin. Place in the fridge and leave overnight. The next day, turn over onto a plate....and indulge yourself!
Bon appétit!

All Saint's Day - La Toussaint

2008-11-03T10:50:00.000-08:00

All Saint’s Day, November 1st, a public holiday in France, is the eve of All Soul’s Day, a time when our dead are remembered. In the past, a wake was held all night, prayers were said and chestnuts were roasted in the fire then eaten, the belief being that for each one a soul was saved from purgatory...

Forget about saving souls from purgatory, save yourselves from those long Autumn evenings by indulging in the following soup - the recipe, compliments of Yannick, Le Petit Bourg, Les Pieux. A fantastic combination of traditional, seasonal ingredients – Crème de potimarron aux châtaignes et Andouille de Vire – Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Chestnuts and Vire Andouille... this one’s a winner !!

For 8 people:
1 small potimarron – pumpkin variant with a slight chestnut flavour, cut into chunks
150g carrots, sliced
150g leeks, sliced
150g onions, sliced
150g potatoes, sliced
50g butter/ 2 tblsp. olive oil
2 litres chicken stock/water
4 slices Andouille de Vire,(Chitterling sausage - optional) roughly chopped
100g chestnuts (vacuum-packed are readily available), crumbled
Crème fraîche

Sweat the vegetables in melted butter/olive oil for about 10 minutes.
Add stock/water and simmer gently for about 20 mins./until the vegetables are soft.
Blend in a liquidizer.

Place the andouille in a pre-heated pan and add the crumbled chestnuts.
Add to soup and serve with a good dollop of crème fraîche.....

Bon Appétit

The 'hearth of the home'

2008-11-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

It's done - it's in - and we're all very happy.....We've recently installed our Rayburn wood-burning stove and I can safely say that we just love it!!
My kitchen is, however, no longer a place I can escape to - himself and the kids being too afraid to enter should I request that the dishwasher be emptied or anything else along those lines.....He's even bought himself an armchair...and is talking of putting a TV in here too... Doesn't he understand the 'gendarmerie' sign on the kitchen wall anymore?
Not to worry, we do Darby and Joan quite well in fact!!
The food is great, the temptation to cook enormous (as the oven is always warm)but best of all is that warm feeling in the morning....as two sleepy-eyed, little girls make their toast on the hot plate....
the simple pleasures in life.....
A bientôt!

Getting to grips with the past!

2008-03-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

Hello there .....long time ...no news ....we've been busy!
I've been learning the art of mastering a real, 18th century, wood-burning oven - you know the kind the French built in their gardens after 1789 - the French Revolution !! Any other nation would have managed to bake bread in their kitchen - over the fire or whatever - but here, food is all-important, bread, a daily feature and in the past, beautiful outhouses with refractorty bricks were built 'dans le jardin'!
Take the word for bread - pain - I've learnt that the word for 'friend' comes from bread....i.e he, with whom one shares one's bread - copain!
But, the bread ovens weren't only for bread - everything can be cooked in an oven - the taste, second to none...
Whole pigs were cooked, rice puddings, roasts, terrines and much more...
Fascinating stuff...great food.....great fun!

Don't count your chickens...

2007-07-18T01:53:00.000-07:00

before they've hatched......
Gloria is once again the proud Mum of 6 little chicks....

At first I was afraid..I was petrified!

2007-07-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Thought that I could never hatch without you by my side....

Thank you Tom, our three-legged cat, and Kate, for guiding us to Gloria....

This morning,9 year-old Kate was on animal duty..... she'd to feed the dogs, the cat, check that the horses had water, collect the eggs in the straw ( our hens lay in the straw, always in the same place, and take it in turns to do so !) and feed the chickens...They were starving and chicken run wasn't in it as they appeared from nowhere around the grub. And yes, there she was...Gloria, out for a morning stroll.
We watched her cautiously from the kitchen window and found her hiding spot....amongst the flowers! Tom has been hanging around there for awhile now so, I reckon that when we come back from our holidays, the place will be like something out of Hitchcock's 'Birds'!!!

Gloria's gone again!

2007-07-06T13:44:00.001-07:00

For those of you who've visited La Blonderie (the Wilde Kitchen) over the last few months you may be interested to know that our 'Titi' Cotentine chicken, Gloria, has gone missing! Last time we were certain that Mr.Fox had been to visit until one morning, as I fed the other animals, I came across, what I believed to be, one very lifeless chicken in the old hay cart...that was, until she blinked!!! Gloria was hatching!!!
Being from a housing estate in the suburbs of the Big Smoke (Dublin), I'm still learning a little every day about country living, and, believe you me, it's amazing.
Gloria had befriended Tom, the cat,who surveyed her cautiously during her hatching period, while Stevie, her rooster, flirted with Dubh and Dearg, our egg-laying chicks!
Three weeks later Gloria became the proud Mum of 9 little beauties...
and I fully understood the expression 'Mother Hen'...

Summertime and the livin' is easy.....

2007-07-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

Well....Let me tell you that when my beloved invited me to Normandy for the very first time (14 1/2 years ago)the sun was shining...apéritifs were taken out of doors as I thought to myself 'la vie est belle'.....and on February 14th......

I arrived here with all my worldy belongings in the boot of the car on June 29th 1993 and it lashed rain all Summer long....

History repeats itself and here we are again.....and I'm quite sure that my favourite photographer Thierry won't mind if I share his great photo with you.....

Anyway who cares? It could be a lot worse. On RTE radio one morning (thank you Internet..I feel I've got a friend or two in the kitchen who speak my language!) the story went that someone complained about a lack of Summer when a caller rang in and stated:'We did have a Summer...it was lovely on Thursday!'

My french pals put that down to Irish optimism so lets get on with it and make the most of what we've got!

And so for a Summer Special.....try out this apéritif:

Add some Tonic water to Martini Bianco, a few ice cubes and a slice of lemon...

Desperate Housewife?

2007-06-19T23:27:00.000-07:00

My friend, Sandrine,(alias Lynette) tells me I'm lke Susan out of our favourite American series.... she claims that all kinds of crazy things happen to me....

And sometimes, she's right!!

D-Day arrived.....THE photographer and the Americans were coming....

I was wrecked already.....the garden was perfect, the hair done.

Cleaning Diva, Marie 'Miracle' had indeed worked miracles once again....

Just a quick run over with the hoover and we're in business.....having peeled spuds for the Dauphinois, cried over the shallots, shucked about 50 oysters, prepared a leg of 'Barbeque' ( one of our lambs!) made the pâte brisée for the tarte tatin, fed and freed the chickens for the day, collected the eggs, fed Tara and Sammy, ran down to the end of the avenue for the croissants, which our boulanger kindly delivers on Sunday mornings......and all that before the arrival of Mr. Séni, photographe..... rendezvous 10 heure.....

Dressed in my red, satin, Gabrielle-style dressing gown that Ellen had so kindly given me for Mother's Day, the previous Sunday, an old T-Shirt of Philippe's (J'aime les vaches on the front...' I love cows'!!) and my wellies, I rushed around when out of nowhere, a guy appeared in our hall, telling me he was terified of dogs and apologizing for being an hour early........AN HOUR EARLY....I will never get used to the French attitude to early morning!!

I politely told him to lose himself for at least a half hour, reassuring him that the dogs had been fed, and we'd start again later...

The rest of the day went off a treat........

Experience Normande

2007-06-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

I had a very interesting phone call one morning, as I ran around the kitchen hoovering up the remains of a weekend of cooking and gardening, from a very professional and talented photographer, Thierry Séni.( for confirmation of the same please visit http.//tseni.canalblog.com)
Thierry had been asked by the Normandy Tourist Board to take a load of photos for their website on the 'Expériences Normandes'and the Wilde Kitchen had been chosen to take part.....I was estatic!
One slight problem that I couldn't reveal to this charming individual on the phone - I'd no reservations for the month of June.....Panic strikes, Sinéad has a near-knicker attack, but where there's a will there's a way, and so my evening I'd roped in a group of American victims and had a confirmation from a couple of Aussies.....perfect.

La vie à la française!

2007-06-16T06:49:00.000-07:00

June 1993: While sailing away from Dublin port, all my wordly possessions packed neatly into the boot of Philippe’s Volkswagon, I began to question myself – what on earth was I doing? Was I completely out of my mind to agree to this ‘life-changing experience’? No going back now... Wasn’t the Rough Guide to France explicit enough when they clearly stated that the best thing to do on arrival in Cherbourg was to leave the place as quickly as possible? How could I, of all people, not a woman of few words, survive in a country where I didn’t even speak the language? Wasn’t I quite happy, afterall, teaching Home Ec in various Community Colleges? Hadn’t I spent 4 years studying to get there? I’d parted with my Nissan Micra.....had wheels, did travel? Et oui... love is blind and all that and here I am today, having, not only survived, but more importantly, embraced the whole experience of ‘la vie à la française’.
Shortly after my arival in La Manche, I thanked all who’d encouraged me into the kitchen....I couldn’t speak the language but, more importantly, I could play the French at their own game...... I could cook!
La cuisine quickly became my way of communincating. French friends were quickly made to feel welcome, in the realisation that they, the French, no longer monopolised the gastronomic world. Their Euopean neighbours were quickly catching up with them!
I had, of course, my fair share of culinary disasters... the language barrier made sure of that! While trying to impress one couple, for example, in the knowledge that ‘Madame’ was renowned for the hours she spent preparing food for her ‘invités’, I asked the butcher for 4 steaks. I would leave no-one indifferent and dazzle them with Gaelic steaks (sirloin steak flambeed in Jameson) and garlic potatoes. Suffice to say that my jaws had never encountered such a challenge!
My first experience of a restaurant meal ‘en famille’ certainly didn’t leave me indifferent either. I ordered a plateau de fruits de mer – can’t go wrong with a bit of salmon, I thought. What arrived was a mountain of sea-snails, oysters, crabs, periwinkles, fresh prawns and much more all served decoratively on a bed of seaweed. A toolkit was provided too.Today, however, I willingly prepare and indulge myself in such delicacies – reserved for special occasions, shared with a loved one and topped up with a glass of chilled Muscadet – la vie est belle!
Food in france is like a national sport. The weekly market is a somewhat lively meeting place. The emphasis is on quality, as opposed to quantity. There is national pride in the nation’s produce. Time is taken to choose, buy and prepare meals. Eating is a social activity. Fresh, well-prepared food served on a decorated table and shared with family and friends for me sums up the french appraoch to eating.And while they come up regularly with new techniques, la cuisine de grand-mère remains a firm favourite throughout France, each region having its own local specialities, la cuisine du terroir: food that all culinaires should regale themselves with while, holidaying in France. Everything in France revolves around food. In Ecole Maternelle (between the ages of 2 and a half and 6) kids enjoy a gouter (snack) each morning and afternoon, each mother in turn, in our local school anyway, having the pleasure of providing biscuits, yoghurts, cakes, crêpes. Scones were my forté, as they’re my Kate’s favourite, although she mispronounced the word and told all they were called ‘stones’!Birthdays are also celebrated in school up until a certain age – l’age de raison (7). Again, Maman is expected to supply the cake. I had a ball with my two, Ellen and Kate, making original cakes ... castles and numbers in various colours and became quite a local celebrity (this is rural France) for the tiny kids who stared at this foreign woman with a strange accent and a weird array of cakes. (The french remain very traditional in their approach to any type of food – cakes included.)The school canteen provides a nourishing, well-balanced 3 course meal where children learn to sit and chat – a preparation for a lifetime of social eating. A birthday girl/boy of all ages often brings in the croissants to work to mark the occasion. And generally speaking, every happy event is commemorated with champagne. One gets used to that very quickly! I mean, when in Rome etc.......
There are, however, some areas about the French and their appraoch to cuisine that bugs me..... ‘modesty’ is clearly not a word that springs to mind when talking of the French, ‘chauvinism’, on the other hand....... well, let’s face it, that’s why we like them, arrogance and all!Mention sucré salé (sweet and sour) and they’ll ask you if you’ve learned to cook in a rosbif’s kitchen! Rosbif (roast beef) is what they mockingly call the English. Need I say more?However, serve up a carrot and orange soup and watch their inquisitive expressions and their pouting, for want of a better word, as they try to dissect each ingredient. (No other race in the world could possibly exercises facial muscles like the French). Victory follows as they come back for more!
Another area has to be their sandwiches. Here we beat them hands down.Half a baguette, lashings of (often unsalted) butter and a miserable slice of fatty ham is a jambon beurre. Live dangerouly and ask for a complet and you’ve a leaf of lettuce, a slice of ham, a slice of an over-ripe tomato and if you’re lucky a bit of mayonnaise.But then again, in a country where everything closes (even supermarkets) between 12.30 and 2pm for lunch, a sandwich is clearly not considered a meal.And so ends my synopsis of food in France and one Irishwoman’s experience. Today is an important day as the Beaujolais Nouveau has arrived – a great excuse for a party. Celebrations of the same will continue over the weekend and all over France, as people comment on the bouquet of the Beaujolais.
A la votre.....Santé.

The Wilde Kitchen was launched in 2006 in an effort to share the nitty grittty of everyday life in Normandy with basically anyone interested.