Diet? What diet?
In January I went to Carcassonne (France) with my friend Didier. He and his wife were looking to buy a property, something like a house and a couple of gites or a guesthouse. We travelled 1000km looking for the ideal place.
Every day we ate a copious breakfast, a three-course lunch and a three-course dinner. The last two were always accompanied with industrial quantities of wine. Foie gras featured at almost every sitting...
We dreamed of chucking the lot back home and staying in France. Opening a cookery school. Taking our English regulars on culinary tours of the region. Teaching them a few dishes, sitting for dinner with them... Eating and drinking the night away...
Mmmmmmmmmm...
I took my camera with me but only managed to take a few photos of bridges.
Being a water sign, I love the sea, rivers, wine...
Didier has now changed his plans and decided to remain in England where he has just taken over the kitchen of a small hotel in our town.
Yesterday, for lunch I sampled his Guinea fowl in Port.
The legs are boned, stuffed with a wild mushroom farce and then roasted. The breasts pan fried. The whole lot is served in a rich port sauce made with the bird bones and a tiny bit of redcurrant jelly...
No, the salad days aren't over... Just having a break before I turn into a rabbit...
Labels: hols
I screamed and guess what?
26 Comments:
My mouth is watering -- but, look. If you do start up that business in France I volunteer my services as a teacher of art classes and appreciation to the filthy rich tourists you will attract. I'm cheap, too: room and board. But, oh, what board! (And I'm actually serious.)
...And I will bring my tour groups of artists and you will show them how it is done right:)))and charm them greatly in the process.
See Cream, you are not living your real life...yet. Someday, someday........
oh YUMMM! I'm drooling...
lovely pictures - there is something about french bridges, in particular.
Andrea, wouldn't it be fantastic if we could do it!
When I came back from France I was so excited that I googled cookery schools in France, etc...
Then reality hit!
L, you are right, somewhere over the rainbow is my real life...
Hayden, we could introduce bison to the students...
Lettie, you are right. "Le pont d'Avignon" do you know that one?
It seems we all reach a crossroads, stay or go, inlove or not, real, unreal.. I could go on forever.. next time you're in town let's meet up for some food huh..
Pssshh reality! I say go for it! Life is short :o (Of course that's the attitude that got me on the salad.)
Tat, you KNOW...
Next time I am in town I promise I will.
Thanks for the gentle nudge, Mary.
Hey Cream it sounds great - who cares about reality - just go for it!
I love your photos and I'm no water sign...
Absolutely, Cream! Bison is an under appreciated meat, and one that needs to be cooked with the same attention as grass-fed beef. Important info w/ a flair of the exotic.
Methinks I landed in heaven. Somebody else is dreaming, too. I am smitten. And have to thank Andrea for finally leading me to your blog.
I shall be back, for another dream voyage.
Thanks for the encouragement, Caro!
What's reality anyway?
Hayden, I will taste bison one of these days! Maybe a nice pot-au-feu...
Welcome, Merisi...
Isn't Blogland a total dream voyage!
Oopsie, I just spoilt my comment.
Thank you for your sweet comment on my blog.
I'll be back (and yes, Scwarzenegger is a native Austrian, and has not renounced his citizenship to this day).
He hasn't? Isn't that contra The American Way? (Sorry, I got reading the comments.) I actually visited Schwarzenegger's home town of Graz. I was more interested in the nearby Lipizzaners ... and I have no idea why I remember that piece of trivia!
You keep me in mind, Cream, when you start that food and art destination! Any idea where yet?
Strange that an American governor can hold dual nationality! What if Bush wanted to ban Schnitzel, would we see the Terminator rising from the dead?
Your photos of Vienna are amazing, Merisi!
Andrea, that is, I am afraid just a dream but if it ever comes true, you'll be the first one to know! Your style of art would stand out anywhere!
We all need our dreams, but hey some people do actually make dreams reality.
Listen to your soul Cream, ask you soul what it wants - and listen for the reply.
As for the food, sounds good but I don't think you should sample Didier's cooking too frequently, otherwise it will be you thats portly.
Beautiful photos, and a nice story to go along with them!
I'm not a water sign, but I love the sea, rivers, and wine too. Hmmm...
Nice photos :)
Andrea,
I read comments all the time. Is this not good manners? Guess I am a brat then. ;-)
Re Arnie there have been some voices to repeal his Austrian citizenship (last year, Arnie got fed up with all the negative press and forbad the city of Graz to continue using his name on their soccer stadium *lol*).
Cream,
thank you for your compliments.
I wished Congress would enact a law that forbad Schnitzel inside the American border. Most of them are good only for target shooting anyway. ;-)
Have a great weekend!
Thanks, Dizzy! I shall try and listen to my soul. I wonder what it will tell me.
As for Didier's food, all in moderation...
Thanks for visiting, Scott!
Welcome back, Viking! Nice to see you have a couple of minutes off work.
Last week, I watched a TV program about nasty things chefs did in their time....
Keith Floyd, in-famous TV chef confessed that he once breadcrumbed a piece of cardboard then fried it. His annoying old regular even complimented him on the delicious Schnitzel!!!
I rest my case, Merisi.
Nice weekend.
cream, you say the word, and I'm there! I'm sure you must have room for a brazilian kitchen porter or something of the kind?
P.S. how do I go about coming for a meal in your restaurant?
Carcassonne, the capital of the Country Cathar!! Didier is my first name and yet I didn't see you in the City of Carcassonne, were maybe you hidden behind some battlements, Gaps and archères, hourds, paths of round, there or was turned" The Visitors ".
Marcos, I started out as a kitchen porter myself a few years ago.
The best job in the world!
I will email you the restaurants details.
Monsieur Dip-dop/Didier, je vous assure que je ne me cachais nulle part!
En fait, je faisais la fête avec votre alter-égo en plein centre de la Cité.
Maybe next time we'll share a few glasses of Minervois.
Ce serait avec grand plaisir, mais pas plus d’un verre à la foi
You make me want to rn away! Your pix are superb and the food sounds divine!!
La di frickin' da!
*as HE sits eating a bowl of Frosted Flakes
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