A Diary of France: Market Day in Chalon-sur-Saône, Lunch and a Drive Through the Vineyards of Meursault

"Today was one of those days. A typical day in France where we aim to experience a week's worth of fun in the time span of a day. We had a leisurely walk through the market in Chalon-sur-Sâone, enjoyed a glass of wine on a busy terrace, had lunch in a nice restaurant, visited a very typical French antique market and drove through the vineyards of Meursault.
Let me begin with the market in Chalon...

How I love French markets like this one!

Stall after stall of beautiful, fresh produce! Cheeses, meats, wines, exotic spices, the best fruits and vegetables, succulent, tasty olives and beautiful sausages in every flavor imaginable!

Everyone is in a good mood. Some people trying a piece of sweet melon or a fragrant little olive. Many are engaged in conversation with some of the very vibrant sellers.

Others are watching the spectacle from the sidelines while enjoying a drink at one of the many restaurants and bars in front of the church. 

On this warm August day, the market looked different than it did the winter. Not just because of the products being sold or the fact that there were more people having drinks outdoors, but because this time it was mainly around the church, instead of beginning in one of the side streets. 
So what did I buy? A bagful of tasty olives, a bunch of pink garlic (I can't imagine cooking with anything other than pink French garlic!), huge, ripe tomatoes, glossy, purple aubergines, a bunch of freshly-picked parsley and a bag of juicy apricots! Oh, and the best strawberries I've had this whole summer!

I also forgot to mention that before we went to the market we did some shopping in Buxy. I visited the local butcher for lamb cutlets and parsleyed ham (jambon persillé). We then stopped at the baker for baguette and fresh croissants for breakfast. I've always liked this kind of shopping much better than supermarkets. It makes me happy to know the people behind the food and secretly, I feel just a little Frencher shopping this way. I am so looking forward to trying those lamb cutlets along with a gorgeous looking salad I saw in a French cooking magazine. Perhaps I'll add some pommes sarladaises to go with the meal...
But back to the market...
Our intention was to round off our visit with lunch at the square so we sat down and ordered some  drinks just about a half an hour before noon. Unfortunately, when lunchtime rolled around and we asked for the menu, we were told they weren't serving lunch in this part of town today but only over the bridge. That's when we found ourselves at a great little restaurant called La Cigale. At first, we were a little disappointed at the desertedness of the streets. Two streets full of restaurants and only a few with eating customers. 

Luckily though, a few more people joined us, which made it just a little cozier. We chose the menu du jour this time. Kirstie and I started off with a tomato mozzarella salad which was very fresh and tasty. I like the idea of using lemon juice in the dressing instead of my usual balsamic vinegar. The addition of finely chopped chives was also lovely. Hans went for the chicken salad. He seemed to enjoy it, although he did mention it was rather garlicky! We followed with a steak cooked in herbs de provence and served in a light, creamy gravy. The fries were absolute fried perfection! Crispy and so nicely seasoned! Kirstie, the little gourmande, had the salmon in beurre blanc served with wild rice and girolles. Dessert was definitely a winner. A beautiful layered raspberry tart with fine pastry, sweet cream and icy, bright red raspberries! I can still taste it now if I close my eyes!

After a petit café, it was our intention to visit the city of Beaune again. Like Saint-Émilion or Nuits-Saint-Georges, it is one of those wine places in France we always keep coming back to. Instead, we wound up in Meursault, oggling the lush vineyards and making ourselves familiar with one of the few villages we had never visited. 

We then stopped at Nolay where we visited an antique market that was taking place under the square's covered market center. Lovely things, but most too large or too fragile to take back home.
That pretty much rounded off our day. At around 5PM, we drove back for an apero by the riverside before dinner.

Dinner was simple- steak haché, salads and bread. You really have to eat light at dinnertime when lunch is such a big affair! The lamb would have to wait until tomorrow! Too bad the evening rain didn't allow us to take our walk. That was a lot of fun the evening before.

Not really sure where the day will take us tomorrow. We are, however, debating about whether or not we should visit the very controversial market in Louhans. Till next time!"

A Diary of France: The Day of Arrival

I'm back! We've had the most wonderful two weeks, filled with sunshine, feasting on great food, drinking fabulous French wine and talking to lovely people. When we visit France, we change. I don't know if it has to do with the fact that we are on vacation. In my opinion, it has something to do with our love for the country. I still have people ask me why we don't choose another vacation destination. Why would we? There's so much of France to see and we feel at home there. We love the country's people and culture and in our hearts, the three of us feel Frencher than the French!
Of course, we also love France for its food and wine. We love floating out of a restaurant after enjoying a three course lunch with a bottle of local wine. We love going to markets and buying fresh fruit and local cheeses. We love lazy drives through vineyards and then actually tasting the terroir in the bottles we later open. In France, our tastebuds awaken. They come to life and shout with excitement!
If you asked me to name all of the wonderful meals we had, I would probably make you a cup of tea and ask you to make yourself comfortable. Add to that the fact that we did drink our weight in wine (not including what we brought back), and you pretty much get an idea of the extent of our French gluttony!

In the following blogs, I would like to give you a peek into our days in France by sharing little excerpts from my own travel diary. I have always made a point of keeping a travel diary. It helps me remember all of the places we visit and is also a great read when I'm feeling a little nostalgic. Because of the length of my diary, I will start today and continue into the week ahead. Perhaps with a recipe here and there along the way.
First, I'd like to tell you about where we stayed. Our first week was spent in Burgundy at the house we are renting to host our creative/culinary vacations. The house is a fully renovated flour mill located in the countryside of Cersot, a quiet town not far from Buxy. The second week was spent in the medieval bastide town of Duras, in the Lot-et-Garonne. This is the area of France which we have all fallen in love with and the place where we envision our future.
So come with me and let me show you a little of our joie de vivre! Let's start with that magical day in which we left the gray clouds behind us in exchange for the bright, blue French sky and beautiful sunshine...

August 13, 2011
"We're finally here! The trip to Cersot went very smoothly. Quick even, or at least it felt that way. The only thing that was a little difficult was getting to sleep the night before and waking up at 4AM the next day. A mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation..."
"What a difference when we arrived! From a gray and cool summer we suddenly found ourselves in paradise again. Sun, warmth and smiling faces. The first thing we did after unloading the car, was head to Buxy for a drink. I could almost cry from happiness when I had my first sip of Aligoté!"
"Too tired to go out, we decided to cook dinner at the house. Just a simple steak, some salad and a bottle of the local Givry. The apéro by the riverside was also quite lovely. How could you go wrong when you're in the heart of France, drinking local wine and eating terrine de campagne with great bread and spicy olives! Speaking of olives- I just discovered how incredibly delicious it is to buy a tub of spiced olives and dip pieces of bread into the fragrant oils. Wow!"

Kirstie by the riverside. On most nights, we sat here to have a drink and a nibble.

The door leading to the lovely place where we stayed the first week.

A beautifully renovated mill in the French countryside.

A Trip Down Blog Memory Lane

I really wans't planning on posting today, but I just couldn't resist Jennifer's tag from the blog Chez Loulou. I love her blog because it keeps me very connected to my dear France. It could be the middle of winter, but if I see her bright and beautiful posts, I'm immediately in France.
The purpose of this meme is to show how diverse blogs can be. Which ones are the most popular? Which ones surprise us the most? Which ones are we most proud of? So here is my list!

Most Beautiful...

Our Heart's Home
I love all of France and my heart is French, but I simply adore South-West France. We have to be there at least once a year, otherwise I don't feel like myself.

Most Popular...

Vegan Cupcakes Rule!!!!
I still have people looking at this post daily! They are some fab cupcakes!

Most Controversial...
Hmmm, I guess I'm not a very controversial blogger, because I seriously cannot think of any post that caused a commotion. I do have the occasional person who writes in to tell me about the dangers of pork, but that's another story...

Most helpful...

Great Steak and Great Wine
I've gotten a few thank-you's for writing this post. It appears cooking a steak is not as easy to prepare as I thought! Glad I could help!

Post Whose Success Surprised Me the Most...

Nutella Day! A Better-Than-Cinnamon Buns Challenge!
When I wrote this blog and came up with the recipe for my Nutty Nutella Buns, I never imagined I would be the winner of World Nutella Day 2008!

Post I Feel Didn't Get the Attention it Deserved...

FOODMOOD: Classic Madeleines
Hmmm, I really thought I'd hear more about this one, especially about hubby's wonderful filming (I'm a proud wife), but this one kind of slipped away into the background.

Post I Am Most Proud Of...

Tiens!
Why am I so proud of this one? Because it is something I worked on together with my husband! I did the writing, recipe development and food styling and he did the photography! It's such a beautiful magazine, so if you missed it, I do hope you'll have a look! You can find us on page 5!

I really enjoyed this trip down blog memory lane and I hope you did too! Here are the bloggers I've chosen. A few of them I've only recently discovered so it would be great to see them join in!

Home Cooking with Sonya
Life in the Expat Lane
Live, love, laugh and eat
At Anna's Kitchen Table
Magali March

See you again in a few weeks!

Semana Española: Gambas Pil Pil

Today's post will not only round off my semana Española, but it may just be the last one for the next couple of weeks. We are leaving for France this Saturday (yay!) and between packing and rounding off some other work, I am not sure if I'll be able to post again after today. I will definitely try to post little messages about my adventures on twitter, so if you're interested in what I'll be doing in Burgundy and Lot-et-Garonne, just check out my twitter!
Vacations are a time of inspiration for me, so I do hope you'll join me again at the end of August for some tasty French stories and lots of new recipes! In the meantime, let me tell you about today's Spanish dish- gambas pil pil!
I adore prawns, especially the thick, fleshy ones that we've sometimes purchased at the Dutch fisherman's village of Volendam. Give me a serving of those pink, juicy babies with a dollop of garlic mayonnaise and a cold glass of rosé and you can't find a happier woman! I also love prawns in pasta with a little red pesto, some lemon and a handful of rocket leaves (a Jamie Oliver recipe). In Spain, prawns are a much-loved tapas dish. Gambas pil pil are a classic dish in many Spanish tapas bars, but I also happen to think that they make an excellent light meal if served with some bread, a nice, big salad and a bottle of chilled wine. 
For a little mediterranean flair, I recommend you serve the following recipe for lunch on a warm, cloudless summer's day. Preferably outdoors, perhaps after a few sangrias and definitely in good company. Buen provecho y hasta la proxima!

Gambas Pil Pil
Serves 8 as a tapas dish or 4 as a light lunch


5 tbsps mild olive oil
5 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
1 red chilli pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
500g fresh prawns, cleaned
1 tbsp dry sherry
pinch of smoked paprika powder
sea salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste
few handfuls of freshly-chopped parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and gently sweat the garlic and the chilli pepper for about 5 minutes. Make sure your heat is low and your garlic doesn't burn! Turn up the heat, add the prawns and the sherry and stir-fry until the prawns turn pink and feel firm (2-3) minutes. Sprinkle with the paprika powder and a dash of salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve. If you are serving this as a light meal, just put the pan on the table and let everyone help themselves! And remember to mop up those fragrant juices with chunks of fresh bread!

Semana Española: Garbanzos con Chorizo

Beans and pulses were a staple at my house while I was growing up. I remember my mom cooking Cargamanto beans in her pressure cooker at least three times a week. Every now and then she would make a pan of lentil soup and for Christmas, we sometimes ate moros y cristianos (a dish of black beans and rice). I still love beans. These days I am particularly fond of using kidney beans, Puy lentils and chickpeas. I use them in stews, soups and even salads. Not only do they add a rich, nutty taste to dishes, but they're also full of protein and fiber!
Today's Spanish dish is a treat if like me, you're especially fond of chickpeas. It's also real lifesaver if you find that it's almost time for dinner and you still haven't got a clue about what to make. The recipe calls for ingredients which are pretty much found in every pantry, with the exception of the chorizo perhaps. I'm all for fresh, but in a pinch, there's nothing quite as comforting as opening the door to my pantry and making a meal using things like canned tomatoes and beans!
The beauty of this recipe not only lies in its simplicity, but in its full, earthy flavors. It's amazing to spend just 20 minutes in the kitchen, feel like you haven't cooked and then sit down with a glass of red to enjoy this gorgeous meal. You can serve the dish over some rice, with bread or even with a healthy serving of spinach, like I did. Buen provecho!

Garbanzos con Chorizo
Serves 4

2 tbsps mild olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, halved, deseeded and thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
250g spicy chorizo sausage, sliced
an 800g can of chickpeas, rinsed
a 400g can of chopped tomatoes
sea salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste, although you probably won't need much
fresh, chopped parsley and extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan and gently sweat the onion and the bell pepper. Increase the heat just a little, add the garlic and the chorizo and cook for a further 8 minutes. The chorizo will begin to release its fragrant oils- yum! Add the chickpeas, stir well and follow with the tomatoes. Allow the dish to cook for 10 minutes in an uncovered pan, stirring every now and then. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. I find the chorizo has enough flavor, so I usually omit the use of salt. Perhaps a grinding of fresh pepper is all you'll want to add. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley and a drizzle of good, extra virgin olive oil.

Semana Española: Albóndigas

Buenos dias and welcome to day two of this semana Española! My family and I are really delighted with all the Spanish food I have been cooking these days. The rich, earthy flavors and ingredients of the Spanish kitchen are really bringing in the sunshine- a welcomed treat considering the cool, gloomy weather we are having this summer here in the Netherlands! It can be gray and raining outside, but the moment I start frying chorizo or I smell the oaky aroma of smoked paprika, I am in sunny Spain!
Around this time of year, many of the Dutch are returning home from their vacation, and since Spain is one of the most popular destinations, I really hope these posts will help you hold on to that holiday feeling for just a little longer. For me, these last couple of days have been very inspirational. I am really looking beyond what's in the pan and trying to understand the ingredients that characterize the country's cuisine. It's also amazing how much similarities I sometimes see with the kitchen of my parent's native Antioquia- a region of Colombia which appears to have a particularly huge Basque influence. This is evident in foods such as morcilla, chorizo and many of the beans and meat dishes we Paisas eat. I even discovered yesterday that our arepa (small cake made of cornflour and water), may be closely related to the talo of the Basque Country! I am still in the processing of discovering my own culinary roots, but understanding the Spanish kitchen and cooking techniques is really shedding some light on many of the dishes my family prepared while I was growing up. 


Today's dish is albóndigas, or Spanish meatballs. I remember we ate a lot of these when I was little. My mother usually served them over rice or sometimes she served them in a soup with potatoes. In Spain, albóndigas are served as tapas or as a main dish. The following recipe also comes from the book I mentioned in yesterday's post, The Real Taste of Spain. Again, I have made a few alterations based on my own preferences and keeping in mind the ingredients I had at hand. 
These tender, juicy albóndigas are first browned before cooking for about 45 minutes in a flavorful tomato sauce. You'll notice that the recipe asks that you first roll the balls through some flour before rolling them in egg white. I must admit I've always done this the other way around (and in a whole beaten egg), so I found this technique rather messy. I leave the choice up to you! The  albóndigas and their hearty tomato sauce go beautifully over a bed of fluffy, white rice. Buen provecho!

 Albóndigas 
Serves 4


500g minced beef and pork
sea salt and freshly-ground pepper
pinch of nutmeg
2 garlic cloves, pressed
4 tbsps dry sherry
small handful of chopped parsley
small handful of fresh breadcrumbs
2 eggs, split
4 tbsps mild olive oil
30g flour


For the sauce:
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
a can of chopped tomatoes (400g)
200ml good beef stock
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika powder
pinch of sugar


In a large bowl, combine the minced meat, salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic, sherry, parsley and breadcrumbs. Allow this to stand in the fridge for about an hour. Add the egg yolks to the mixture and make sure everything is combined well. I like to use a potato masher to do this. Whisk the whites lightly in a separate bowl and put the flour in a shallow plate. Divide the mixture into 12 balls and roll them first through the flour and then through the egg whites. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the meatballs in two batches until they are browned but not cooked. Place the browned meatballs on a separate plate. Once all the meatballs are cooked, lower the heat and add the onions and garlic to the pan and gently sweat them. Add the chopped tomatoes, stock, bay leaf and paprika powder and allow the sauce to cook for about 5-8 minutes or until it has thickened a little. Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover the pan and let them simmer gently for about 45 minutes. Serve over white rice as a main meal or make the meatballs smaller and serve them as tapas.   

Semana Española: Pollo Con Aceitunas!

For the last couple of weeks , I have been glued to BBC2 on Thursday evenings. The reason? Rick Stein's amazing culinary journey through Spain! Watching Rick on his travels has always been a pleasure. Wherever he goes, he makes sure the viewer is there with him, cooking and eating with the locals. He really does a great job at letting us taste the places he visits and this make his shows very inspirational.
In his Spanish series, his enthusiasm and passion for food were once again evident. After every episode, I had the urge to run into the kitchen and cook with pimentón, fry some chorizos until they released their spicy, orange oils or pour myself a glass of Jerez! If it wasn't for the fact that the shows finished around 10 PM, I probably would have.
Inspired by Rick and craving the taste of my ancestors, I decided to make this past weekend a Spanish one. It started with a bottle of Jerez and ended with a satisfying meal of albóndigas. We had tapas: paper-thin slices of sweet, perfectly marbled Jamón Ibérico, garlicky olives and pan al ajo. We drank Rioja and for two days, my house had the scent of Spain. 
Initially, I had intended on buying the book that went with the series, but my local bookstore did not carry it yet and because we are leaving for France this week, ordering wasn't an option. I had no choice but to be patient and leaf through other books on Spanish cuisine. I was lucky enough to find a gorgeous book inspired by the markets of Spain: The Real Taste of Spain. The beautiful photography, combined with easy, straightforward recipes made me love the book from the moment I picked it up. That and the colorful inside cover composed of pictures of just about every tin of pimentón imaginable!
I have cooked two recipes from the book so far and thought I would like to share my versions with you in today and tomorrow's post. I may just give a few more recipes a whirl by the end of the week, so if you like a little sabor Español, make sure you stay tuned for what may turn out to be a semana Española (Spanish week)!  
Again, these recipes are pretty much original, with the exception of a few alterations made to our tastes in my kitchen. For the actual recipes, check out the book. I'm sure you'll love it just as much as I did.
And for those of you living in the Netherlands who really want a taste of Spain, I highly recommend a visit to my favorite Spanish shop, Hollandaluz- the place for wonderful Spanish hams, oils, wines, spices, cheese and even Spanish pottery!


Today's recipe is one we really enjoyed for dinner on Saturday- pollo con aceitunas (chicken with olives). You'll notice that the recipe calls for authentic Spanish ingredients such as paprika powder, dry sherry, plump black olives and aromatic lemons. Your best bet is to serve the chicken with lots of bread. Even the pan juices are a fragrant example of the elaborately balanced flavors of the authentic Spanish kitchen. Buen provecho and muchas gracias to Rick Stein for the Spanish inspiration!

Pollo Con Aceitunas
Serves 4


4 chicken quarters (preferably free range/organic)
sea salt and plenty of freshly-ground peppercorns
3 tbsps mild olive oil
a few sprigs of the following herbs: rosemary, thyme and mint
1 1/2  tsp of smoked paprika powder
2 onions, halved and finely sliced
6 cloves of garlic, bruised and left whole
1 red chili pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
100 ml dry sherry
100 gr fat, juicy black olives
1 lemon, halved and each half quartered


Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan and fry the chicken until it browns on all sides and the skin crisps beautifully. This will take about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Reduce the heat and add the onions to the pan. Gently sauté for a minute or two. Add the garlic and the chili pepper and do the same, making sure that the garlic does not burn. Place the chicken back in the pan, sprinkle with the smoked paprika powder, add the chopped herbs and pour in the sherry. Cover and cook on a low-medium heat for about 45 minutes. Check every now and then to see if the dish is too dry. If so, add a little more sherry. Add the olives, squeeze in the lemon parts, add them in and let the dish cook for a further five minutes. As I mentioned, I served the chicken with bread (how else would we clean the pan?), but mashed potatoes might also go wonderfully with this dish. 


Care for a glass of vino? How about a dry, fruity rosé? We really enjoyed the palate-cleansing, well-balanced flavor and ripe tannins of the Parador 2010 Rosado from Navarra. This fruity wine is made from a selection of Garnacha Tinta grapes. It has a hint of red berries, beautiful floral notes and a fresh, long finish.

  

Inspiration, Utter Enjoyment and Palatable Gratification

There was a time, long, long ago, when calories, fat, carbohydrates, sugar and salt were regarded as the enemy. Dirty words almost. Words that kept me from truly enjoying food and kept me overly focused on its nutritonal content. Not that I no longer regard good nutrition as important. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Believe it or not, in the past, my diet consisted of mostly processed food masked as 'healthy'. I was a sucker for things labeled 'fat free', 'low carb' or 'sugar free' and could care less about reading labels to see what I was actually putting into my body. I remember a time when I started my day with a huge cup of coffee sweetened with a few of those pink 'fake sugar' packets. Perhaps some fat free waffles sprayed with a certain butter replacement which was so good (not) that it was hard to believe it wasn't butter (not, again). I shudder at the thought now.
The changes slowly started to take place when I moved to Europe in the autumn of 1997. From Hudson County, New Jersey to the countryside of Borger- a town in the north of the Netherlands. My mother-in-law was the one who introduced me to real food- I saw how she cooked simple, good meals- while  Hans was the one who actually pulled me into the kitchen to cook. I'll never forget the first time I peeled a clove of garlic. I was nineteen and it was Hans who showed me how to do it. It was at that point that the transformation from city health freak to country home cook started to take place.
Our trips to France opened up my eyes even more. I saw how many of the French had their own fruit and vegetable gardens. Markets were a big deal and freshness and regionality of great importance. I've always regarded France as my cooking school. It was there that I truly discovered a great passion for food, simply by observing, tasting and cooking.
The other day I came across an interesting wine columnist for The Globe and Mail, Beppi Crosariol. I really liked the way he talked and wrote about wine-informatively and unpretentiously. There was a particular video that caught my attention and that video is actually the reason why I am writing this post. In the video, Beppi is in his Italian father's garden and they are discussing wines to go with tomato based dishes. What I loved most about the video was his dad's enthusiasm and love of food and wine. He made a wonderful pasta sauce and mentioned that he had picked the tomatoes from the garden that same morning. He also talked about his love of wine and expressed an opinion I wholeheartedly agree with: "Listen, I always said, first France maybe, but then Italy and Spain, and then come all the others." He went on to make a pasta sauce (one I knew I had to recreate) and he commented about how much he loved the moment of breaking bread with his son. His passion for life really touched me. It reminded me of how far I've come and how lucky I've been. Real food has become so important to me. My idea of good nutrition evolved from a media brainwashed perception of 'healthy' to a pure way of eating, living and most of all, enjoying.
But that pasta sauce! I could almost taste its freshness, the homegrown tomatoes and the gently sweated onions and garlic, the good olive oil! Yum! This is my version. I had no recipe to go by. Just pure inspiration and a quest for utter enjoyment and palatable gratification. Buon appetito!

Fresh Italian Tomato Sauce
Serves 2

1 kilo of the best vine-ripe tomatoes you can get your hands on
2 tsps dried oregano
2 tbsps sherry vinegar
3 tsps sugar (I used my rosemary infused sugar)
3 tbsps mild olive oil
a few beautiful sprigs of thyme
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 fat cloves of garlic, finely chopped
a small bunch of fresh basil, roughly chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
good pasta, to serve
excellent extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling over the pasta

The first thing you need to keep in mind is the simplicity of this dish. There's no room for inferiority here. Get yourself the best tomatoes, herbs, olive oil and pasta you can get your hands on. First, you'll need to blanch your tomatoes. Using a sharp knife, make a cross on the underside of each tomato. Submerge them under boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until their skins begin to curl. Put them in a cold water bath and start to remove their skins, coring them and de-seeding them as you go. Chop the tomatoes roughly and put them in a large bowl along with the oregano, sherry vinegar, 2 tsps of the sugar, 1 tbsp of the olive oil, thyme and plenty of salt and pepper to taste. Give everything a good stir and let this sit in the fridge for about three hours. A little longer will do no harm. In fact, the longer the better.
About an hour before you are going to eat, heat up the remaining two tbsps of the oil and gently sweat the onions and the garlic for about 5 minutes. Increase the heat and throw in your beautifully marinated tomatoes. Allow everything to cook at a high temperature for about 2-3 minutes and then immediately reduce the heat to  a low-medium temperature. Cook in a covered pan for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining tsp of sugar, taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. take the sauce off of the heat, add in the chopped basil and serve with some freshly-cooked pasta. Don't forget a drizzle of good olive oil, a loaf of wonderful bread and a bottle of Chianti. Salute!

Confessions of a Food Snob and Hans' Fabulous Chicken Wings

I really feel I must be honest. Yesterday after dinner, I had to come to terms with the fact that I am a total food snob.
Not the kind that has caviar on crackers every day or always has fancy champagne in the fridge. Instead, I am the type that cannot bear to eat anything not homemade because I can literally taste every additive and preservative. I'm talking about things like ready-made meals (although I do throw a pizza in the oven every now and then), most canned soups and store-bought salads.
There was a time when in an unusual bout of laziness I would grab a tub of potato salad from the supermarket, and I was ok with that. Not really thrilled, but ok. Well, here's a little secret-  that last time was yesterday. Shame, shame, shame.
You see, I can justify my behavior by saying that I have been very busy writing and finishing a few recipes for the autumn issue of two magazines. That and many other things, including being very Martha Stewart about the house, entertaining a child during summer vacation and getting ready to go back to France.
So there I was yesterday buying a ready-made potato salad to add to dinner. Disappointed in myself for actually paying for something I was pretty sure I would hate and even a little embarrassed (don't laugh) at stepping up to the cash register to pay for it. This is just me, you see. Everyone has their quirks. Mine happens to be a strong dislike, almost an aversion, for any food that isn't 'real'.
The potato salad was horrendous. I could only eat two bites and had to leave the rest. Never again!
I am also a bit of a snob when it comes to eating out. We prefer restaurants that work with good products, preferably organic. A few months back I wrote a review for a restaurant here in my city. The starter consisted of an egg poached in tomato sauce. Sounded good, except that the egg was raw and I could taste that the tomato sauce was some cheap, chemical-tasting concoction, probably from a jar. Uggh.
As far as fast food is concerned, you could probably already imagine that I don't spend a dime on yucky burgers, floppy fries or greasy, tortured chicken meals from popular chain restaurants. I do love a good hamburger though- the ones I make myself or the organic ones from a few good restuarants we sometimes visit. And if I want some really good chicken wings for example, all I have to do is ask hubby to make them!
Hans is an excellent cook who also happens to be a chicken lover. While I was finishing my last year at university a few years ago, he was a great help, staying home on Wednesdays to cook and clean and always welcoming me home with a plateful of love. One of my favorite dishes back then- and I still love it today- was his lemony, rosemary infused, braised chicken wings. I can make a roast chicken to be proud of, but Hans' chicken wings- wow, absolute utter perfection!

The poor guy. When I told him what I was serving for dinner yesterday, he kept insisting that we go out and get something else. I know he would've gladly cooked us these wings, but I was stubborn and told him (and myself) to try to be 'open minded'. A lesson learned and the fact that I'm a food snob finally accepted.
I know this is a recipe you'll want to have, so I am going to share it with you. Courtesy of the best home cook in the Netherlands, my hubby Hans. Enjoy, cook fresh- and guys who claim you can't cook- surprise your wives and run to the kitchen to make these wings! The recipe will come in handy the next time she tells you she bought potato salad...
PS: Those roast potatoes are also the product of the chicken master himself.

Hans' Lemon and Rosemary Braised Chicken Wings

Serves 4

1 kilo of chicken wings (or about 3-4 per person)

30g butter

3/4 tbsp mild olive oil

fleur de sel, or good sea salt

1 large lemon

2 large, full sprigs of rosemary

Heat the butter, olive oil and salt (yes, also the salt) in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Put the chicken wings in the pan and cook them for approximately 8 minutes, making sure that they brown evenly on all sides. Lower the heat and add the lemon juice and rosemary. Allow the wings to gently braise (with the lid on the pan) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, turning them carefully every now and then. Serve them with roast or mashed potatoes and a fresh green vegetable on the side. We happen to really love brussels sprouts with this meal! And as the Dutch say...

Eet smakelijk!

A Dish Full of Memories: Stuffed Tomatoes

I still remember the first time I ate stuffed vegetables. It was on vacation to Orange, a sunny and very windy city in southeastern France. The meal was simple yet extraordinary. We sat at a busy restaurant terrace on a sweltering summer day and enjoyed a meal of sundrenched courgettes, tomatoes and peppers. The vegetables reflected the abundant sunshine of the area in the same way the herbs in the filling reflected the taste of the land. That was one of those meals that will forever stay etched in my memory.
After reading about Susan Herrmann Loomis' tomates farcies last week on Chez Loulou's blog, I was taken back to that day in the Vaucluse. Being a food lover, those memories can pretty much have me swooning one minute while the next, I'm running off to the shops in search of ingredients- a desperate attempt to taste that moment once again.
Luckily, I had purchased about two kilo's worth of exceptional tomatoes at the market on Saturday- a miracle considering that this summer's tomatoes haven't been much to be proud of. The only thing that was keeping me from enjoying the beauty of a casserole full of deliciously bulging little tomatoes was some ground meat, so off to the butcher I went.
The good thing about this recipe is that I think it's forgiving enough to handle less than perfect tomatoes, and should you not have any tomatoes at hand, bell peppers would cerainly work too. If you do use tomatoes, I advise that you salt them and place them upside down on some paper towel after they've been hollowed. That way they lose a little of their moisture and the dish won't become too watery. You'll want to serve these over some steamed white rice or perhaps with some bread on the side. I think a young Chianti or a fruity Nero d'Avola would pair very well with this dish. Enjoy!

Stuffed Tomatoes

Serves 4

8 medium-sized, preferably ripe red tomatoes

1 tbsp mild olive oil

4 scallions, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

300-350g ground pork and beef mix

40g fresh breadcrumbs (I make my own from slightly stale bread)

2 tsps herbes de provence

small handful chopped parsley

2 tbsps ketchup

2 tbsps pinenuts

1 egg, lightly beaten

sea salt and freshly-ground pepper, to taste

Preheat your oven to 220C and lightly grease a large casserole with a little bit of oil.

Cut the tops off of your tomatoes and hollow them out. Reserve the tops. Sprinkle the inside of the tomatoes with sea salt and place upside down on paper towel. Heat up the olive oil and gently saute the scallions and the garlic for about three minutes. To a large bowl add the ground meat, breadcrumbs, herbes de provence, parsley, ketchup, pinenuts, egg, cooked onion and garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Combine everything well, either using your hand or a potato masher like I do. Divide the mixture over the hollowed tomatoes, drizzle the dish with olive oil and pop in the oven for about 30 minutes. After this time put the tomato caps back on and allow the dish to cook for a  further 20 minutes. The tomatoes go beautifully well with steamed white rice. Make sure you drizzle each portion with some of the wonderful pan juices.

Great Steak and Great Wine

If you love a great steak and a great wine, stay tuned because this post is really for you...
Let me start off by saying that I've become, well yes, I guess you could say that- addicted to steak. Not just any steak though, but a properly cooked, tender steak. One that's so soft that it melts in the mouth. I recently had the misfortune of buying a less than perfect steak and believe me, even though the cooking was perfect, nothing could salvage it, or my jaw which hurt tremendously after chewing just a few bites. A typical case of a craving when my trusted butcher was closed.
In fact that's where a good steak begins- from a trusted source. Basically, the first thing you need to do is find yourself a good butcher. Preferably one that sells organic or free-range meat and one that understands his trade. We can basically consult our butcher for anything or ask for any kind of meat and he'll gladly help us. Please, please, please try to stay away from those plastic wrapped meat cuts at the supermarket, unless you're prepared to be disappointed- just like I was when I had a craving and my butcher was closed. I'm not saying that all meat from the supermarket is bad- they have a very decent selection of organic meat these days- it's just that if you want a good steak, you're better off looking elsewhere.
Once you have your steak (we happen to love filet mignon), you'll want it to come to room temperature. Therefore, it's best that you take it out of the fridge at least half an hour before cooking it. Keep in mind that all of these steps I am about to describe are essential if you want a juicy, tender piece of meat. I know there are some issues with leaving meat out of the fridge or undercooking it, but this method has been used for ages and I've also eaten my fair share of steaks with no ill effects.

You'll want your steaks to be nice and dry, so grab some kitchen paper and dry them off on both sides. Next, heat up a large frying pan and add one tablespoon of mild olive oil and 35 grams of good butter (not margarine or butter for frying, just plain, full-fat good butter). Season the meat on one side with plenty of sea salt and freshly-ground peppercorns. Once the fat is sizzling, add your meat and turn down the heat just a tad. I like my meat medium-rare, so therefore I'll give each side about two to three minutes. Depending on your meat's thickness and your liking, you'll probably need to give them about 2-5 minutes a side, more than that and you'll be giving your jaw an unecessary workout.
Try not to touch the meat a lot while it's cooking, just shake the pan a little here and there. The next step is to turn the meat over. Now whatever you do, do not turn your meat over with a fork! You'll risk losing precious juices! Instead use a pair of tongs. Make sure you season the other side and give it the same amount of time as the opposite side.

If you want, at this point your steak is almost ready to eat. The hardest part is the 3-4 minute resting time. This ensures that the juices spread nicely over the meat.
We love a good wine gravy with our steak, so here's what I do. Once the steaks are cooked, remove them from the pan and set them on the serving plate. Lower the heat to about medium and add about 100 ml of red wine to the pan. Stand back as it might just splatter a bit! Now add a clove or two of roughly chopped garlic (we like bite) and a good teaspoon of grainy mustard (we love truffle mustard).

Bring the heat back up a little and let this reduce while you stir. This will take about 3-4 minutes, enough time for your meat to rest. Pour these heavenly pan juices over the meat and serve. I definitely think you'll want to serve this with the best bread you can get your hands on. It will do a fabulous job at soaking up the wine gravy. As far as vegetables are concerned, keep it simple. Perhaps some grilled green asparagus or a salad with a homemade vinaigrette. I promise, make this and your tastebuds will be in heaven!

Because I strongly feel that eating great food would be a crime without the accompaniment of a great wine, I am going to tell you about our new favorite, which happens to be a limited edition. While we love driving around the classy vineyards in France and buying great wines for our collection, we also love good, no nonsense, exceptional wines such as those from Arrogant Frog. There's nothing pretentious about this young and very hip label. The vineyards are found in the beautiful Languedoc region and the wines are the product of 'humble winemaker' Jean-Claude Mas. If you're a cool wine drinker and haven't tried their wines yet, you're missing out- big time.

But back to the wine I served with the steak. This 2010 limited edition, a tribute to the Tour de France is a wonderfully soft blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot. The smooth wine is positively bursting with black fruit and ripe plums. It has a delicate bouquet and  includes velvety  tones of vanilla and even a hint of chocolate. If you happen to spot this wine, do yourself a favor and don't just buy a bottle, buy a box, or two.

And with that, dear reader, I end this tasty steak and wine post. I hope you've enjoyed it and I hope you treat yourself to something like this very soon! Bon Appétit!

Seasonal Pleasures and Gifts From Mother Nature

What a joy it is to wake up to a gloriously sunny Monday morning after a wonderful weekend! It's amazing how much fun we can pack into two days- going to the movies, having a Saturday wine lunch at a lovely restaurant, preparing a great steak and enjoying it with one of the best wines we've ever had (more on that later), doing some garden work and being the only ones brave enough to have dinner outside, by the wood burning stove that is. As I've mentioned before, we aren't having much of a summer in the Netherlands. Lots of rain, gray skies and cool temperatures. We're hoping to catch up on all of that missed sunshine in a few weeks when we go to France, but in the meantime, we make the best of what mother nature offers us now. And at the moment, that also happens to include strawberries!
I'm always amazed when I spot strawberries in the shops or at the market during the winter, mainly around the holidays. You'd be surprised at how much they're actually sold, despite the fact that they're watery, pink instead of red and about as big as a golf ball. It seems as though we've forgotten all about nature these days. Who cares if those strawberries are imported from halfway aroud the world! As long as we have them as a garnish for our fancy Christmas dessert!
This doesn't only apply to strawberries. In fact, it has to do with a gradual disconnection from nature. The days when we only ate what the seasons had to offer are long behind us. You can get anything you want these days, at any cost. Even if it means forgetting all about nature, disregarding those hard-working local farmers and instead contributing to unecessary food mileage. I can't help but feel a sense sadness, especially when I realize how many children are growing up today completely oblivious to nature. Forget those who buy summer fruit in winter and think about their kids who might not know the difference between a courgette and a cucumber!

The garden can be one of the best places to teach children about food and nature. By planting a fruit tree or growing things like cherry tomatoes and strawberries, they'll learn to not only appreciate nature, but also to respect it.

There's absolutely no need for a huge space. I grow many of my fruits and vegetables in large pots. And should your harvest be less than wonderful, there's no reason to panic either. This summer, for example, we've been luckier with some things than with others. You've heard enough about our courgettes and our apples are growing stronger and redder every day, but our strawberries...
While we did manage to enjoy some from our plants, the harvest just wasn't what it should've been. I'm not sure if I should blame the magpies who beat me to the punch every morning, or the gloomy weather and lack of sun, but I'm happy that I have at least done my share by teaching Kirstie one of nature's many valuable lessons.
Here in the Netherlands, strawberry season runs from June to right around the middle of August, but honestly, I think they're at their best for about two or three weeks- from about the end of June to about the middle of July. Therefore, I really notice a difference in their taste right now and instead of eating them fresh, I would rather use them for things like pies and jams.
My favorite strawberry jam recipe reminds me of France and is my own little tribute to the summer season. A friend once said that it "tasted like Provence"- what a delightful compliment that was! Perhaps it's the addition of lavender, one of the season's most fragrant (and beautiful) gifts, and a symbol of one of France's sunniest regions.
You'll love the jam on summer mornings, spread over a toasted, lightly buttered piece of baguette and washed down with a nice cafe au lait, preferably served in an authentic French coffee bowl. But even when the season has drawn to an end, you can enjoy the jam with pleasure- a tasty reminder of two of the many seasonal gifts nature had to offer us.

Note: make sure to use lavender that's safe for consumption in this recipe! 


Summer Strawberry Jam with Lavender
Makes about 500ml


600g strawberries, wahsed and hulled
250g gelling sugar
1 1/2 tbsp dried lavender
juice of 1/2 a small lemon


Cut the strawberries in half and place them together with the sugar and the lavender in a stainless steel pan. Mash them a little with a potato masher, but make sure you leave some nice chunks. You don't want to mash the strawberries into a sauce! Add the lemon juice, stir and quickly bring everything to the boil. Lower the heat  and allow the jam to cook for approximately 30 minutes, stirring frequently. You'll want to make sure that the jam is bubbling away nicely but that the heat isn't so high that it's splattering everywhere.
To check if the jam is ready, drop about a teaspoon of the jam on to a cold saucer. It should be thick and immediately start to set. Transfer the jam to your sterilized jars and allow to cool before placing in the fridge. The jam keeps well when stored in a dark, cool place.