One of my very favorite spots to walk is in the fields around a medieval castle near my house. There I can fill my lungs with clean air and my head with cleaner thoughts… It is such a lovely spot. Picture “Game of Thrones” without the dragons or the Lanisters. Heaven!
Category: Art de vivre & Design
Of early summer, Rimbaud and leisurely walks by the Dordogne river…
The days are getting longer and the sun warmer. Summer is coming early this year..
Are Foodies the chosen people? I believe we are!
We are the chosen ones, the VIPs of this earth, because we care. We care about ourselves, we care about others and we care about living the life we were lucky enough to be given to the fullest. Getting way too philosophical here. All I mean to say is that if there is a group of people that always finds a way to make the world a happier place, it is indeed Foodies!
Wild asparagus surprise
I went to the market on Sunday to get some asparagus and came across bunches of wild asparagus. I had seen them on a book cover a long time ago and had always wanted to try some. I expected them to have very little taste and a texture that could only please a cow… I couldn’t have been more wrong!
My favorite antique fair
The village of Rauzan is located about 15 minutes from my house on the other side of the river. Twice a year, Rauzan hosts a remarkable antique fair near the old castle. Hundred of brocante and antique store owners gather there with a huge variety of objects. Silver, linens, tableware, armoires, toys…
Of Spring walks, crayfish and lonely days
French (European) crayfish tastes exactly the same as Louisiana crayfish. The only difference is that the American ones are easier to peal (their shell is much softer) and they are red once they are cooked when ours are kind of a dark orange.
My dad likes them boiled then chilled and dipped in mayo. I like them hot and spicaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
Mimi & Emma in My French Heaven
Mimi from Chef Mimi Blog came to spend a short holiday in My French Heaven with her lovely daughter Emma. We had only 4 days together so I wanted to design the perfect itinerary for them. So much to see, so much to taste and so much to share… Four farmers’ markets and 8 meals together. We focused on cheese and seafood as they are Emma’s favorites.
The best Foodie Day ever!
I call days I spend touring Bordeaux and cooking with my guests: Foodie Days. A few weeks back, Nancy and Emerson spent two Foodie Days with me. One was centered around local history; the other one, on Sunday, was all about food. That Sunday, I picked the couple at their hotel in Bordeaux and we headed for my home town of Libourne to go to the farmers’ market. We picked-up some seafood, artichokes, lots of cheese and lots of cakes and then went to my favorite bakery to get fresh bread. The bread just came out of the oven and was so hot I could barely hold it…
When a clan of foodies means business!
Besides the oyster and the best wines and Champagne we could find, the menu included rillettes, patés, kilos and kilos of the most amazing beef, my very own gratin Dauphinois, then the cheese, tarte tatin (apple pie) and a chocolate cake we’d made with Belgium chocolate and salted butter from Guérande
Please help me find my props!!
This is a call for help my friends. I love old enamel dishes and I have NONE. They would be the perfect props to display French dishes and fresh produce. I have looked for them in every antique store and brocante I could think of and have always come back empty handed. I think the…
Of meaningful lives, important people… and wild leeks
When we cook for others, we simply show we care. I believe that the thing people want most in this world is to know for sure that they matter… that at least one other person genuinely cares about them. Kind people who actually give a shit about others are ALWAYS significant and remembered
Of cured duck, vineyards and haunted mansions…
Cured duck breast – Wine tours in Bordeaux – Food and photography workshops – Food photography – Food and lifestyle photography
Early morning in the vineyard…
There is a blue fog in our vineyards, a soft yet heavy halo that I was never able to find nor feel anywhere else. And when I walk from the vineyard to the river on cold Winter dawns, the fog brings me peace.
Of Spring, flowers, color and decadent sweetness…
First let me apologize for the splash of color today. It is quite loud and quite out of character for My French Heaven. Spring is here and with it the sun, the birds and the primroses on my lawn. I just feel happy and couldn’t resist… I also wanted to share with you the incredible…
20 tips for a “stress free” dinner party!
This was supposed to be a short post, but then, as usual, it turned into a novel. I do apologize and please excuse the poor grammar :0) Some people have the wonderful ability to be able to throw dinner parties at the very last minute and make them a great success. THIS IS NOT MY…
The chapel and the Black Prince – La chapelle et le prince noir
(En Français plus bas) Between my house in town and the river Dordogne, lies a beautiful stretch of countryside with woods, meadows and swamps. I take my daily walks there. On my way, I have to go through a hamlet called Condat. In the middle ages, there was a grand castle in Condat. It was…
A year in my French heaven – 2013 en images sur Instagram
I have been using Instagram for almost a year now. I am mad about it… I thought I’d share some of my favorite picture posts as a way to recap 2013 here in my French heaven. So, from Bordeaux to the Dordogne and from my kitchen to the Farmers’ market, here is my French heaven…
My roasted Camembert – Mon Camembert rôti
(En Français plus bas) This is such a simple “recipe”, that I will only need one sentence to tell it to you. So we have a little room here to go over what REAL Camembert is. In 1790, a law is adopted by the republicans, placing the French catholic church under government control. A few…
MY FRENCH HEAVEN 