Visiting an Old Friend

10 years ago I taught at an 18th century country manor here in the Dordogne called La Combe en Perigord owned by Wendely Harvey, former publisher of the Williams Sonoma Cookbooks and her husband, Robert Cave-Rogers.  It was a magical week, I taught 3 classes, and in between we were visiting pre-historic caves, starred Michelin restaurants, watching ducks being butchered, and walnuts being crushed into oil, as well as hunting truffles. 
Wendely sold La Combe several years after her husband died, and La Combe is now a hotel.  Dr. C. and I fired up the Mercedes on this dark, rainy day and headed there to see it again. 

To the left you can see the old sign for La Combe en Perigord, the 'new' hotel is the big sign.  When we pulled up there were no cars in the parking lot, and I'm assuming they don't open for a while since the weather has been cold and rainy this week. 

The road we took to get here was an adventure; Google maps has been quite a wild ride.  We had thought we would go in from Les Eyzies where the prehistory museum is, but we went in a back way, over the river, and through the woods, on narrow graveled lanes, through people's yards.  It's all an adventure. 

After this trip down memory lane, we headed to Les Eyzies, and the prehistory museum.  This area is riddled with caves, and paintings and many artifacts have been found here due to the limestone which has preserved the fossils. 

Each day on these driving trips there is a set map with detailed directions for visiting towns, and villages as well as stops for coffee and lunch.  We decided to try one of the places recommended for lunch 90 minutes away which was a great choice.  In the middle of nowhere, we found a lovely restaurant with an all British staff---who knew? 

Vegetable soup

calamari

Chicken tarragon on potato

Pear Crumble

After a double caffe au lait, we were on the road back to our hotel to have a bit of a rest before dinner.  Tomorrow we visit the caves of Lascaux and move on to Brantomme. Ciao for now. 

Cool and Creamy

Here in San Diego we have been experiencing the coldest summer on record. While my kids in NYC, and Bloomington, IN are sweltering in the heat, I've got the slow cooker out making soups and stews! If you want to beat the heat, this cold strawberry soup is not only refreshing, it's lick the bowl delicious!  Simple to prepare, and refrigerate ahead of time, try this as a starter for your next dinner on the patio; it's cool, creamy, and topped off with sweet and salty almonds to give it a nice crunch. 

Cold Strawberry Soup with Sweet and Salty Almonds

Serves 6

1 cup water
1 cup rose wine
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 quart (4 cups) strawberries, washed, hulled, and pureed
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped
1cup crème fraiche

1. Combine the water, wine, sugar and lemon juice in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes.
2. Add the strawberries, and cook an additional 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl, and cool.
4. When the mixture is cool, combine the whipped cream and crème fraiche and fold into the strawberry mixture.
5. Chill, and serve in small cups with sweet and salty almonds for garnish.

Sweet and Salty Almonds

Makes 2 cups

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons sugar
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 cups sliced almonds
2 tablespoons Fleur de sel
1. In a large non-stick skillet, melt the butter and add 2 tablespoons of sugar, and the cayenne pepper. Stir until the sugar melts.
2. Add the almonds, and stir until the almonds are coated, and the almonds begin to turn golden brown.
3. Transfer the almonds to a mixing bowl, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and the Fleur de sel.
4. Toss the almonds, and spread out on a baking sheet or paper toweling to cool. The almonds can be kept in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 6 months, or at room temperature for about 1 week.

An overabundance of  cherries at La Combe en Perigord led to making this delicious lemon pudding cake.  Although cherries are still available in many markets you can substitute any number of different fruits on the bottom (think blueberries, raspberries, nectarines).  The lemon pudding cake is an old recipe from the 60's where the cake separates into a nice cake on the top, but the bottom forms a pudding like mixture.  Adding fruit to the lemon pudding gives it a really nice texture and flavor.  I love this served with creme fraiche, but sweetened whipped cream, or ice cream works well, too.  If you are using cherries, get yourself a cherry pitter to make quick work of the cherries--we used Chuck Williams old cherry pitter to make the chore easier---almost like using one of Julia's old tools! This recipe is similar to the post using plums instead of cherries. 

La Combe Hot Lemon Pudding Cake with Cherries
Serves 6


1 1/2 cups pitted sweet cherries, rinsed and stems removed
4 large eggs, separated
grated zest of one lemon
1/3 cup lemon juice
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 2/3 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream, whipped stiffly with 1/4 cup sugar for garnish or 2 cups creme fraiche

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Coat the inside of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Spread the cherries over the bottom of the pan.
4. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and set aside. In another mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and blend in the zest, juice, butter and milk.
5. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, flour and salt and add to egg yolk mixture beating until smooth and fold into the reserved egg whites.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is firm. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 15 minutes before serving warm, with sweetened whipped cream.

To Foie or Not to Foie

The Perigord is famous for foie gras, or duck liver. The ducks are fed a diet of corn, so that their livers will be larger than other ducks. There is a huge debate about foie gras, with many chefs, and whole cities banning it from menus rather than risk the wrath of animal cruelty organizations. My hero Anthony Bourdain (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABeWlY0KFv8) decries this and after my week in the home of France's best foie gras I have to agree.

These are very happy ducks, in the shadow of a Chateaux; what could be finer?

Preparation of foie gras at La Combe en Perigord. The foie gras is flash sauteed, and then served with a fig and onion confit and Monbazillac a sweet wine from Bergerac---heaven on a plate!

This is the recipe for the fig and onion confit which is delicious dolloped on goat cheese, or served on the side with poultry or chicken.

Fig and Onion Confit
Makes about 3 cups

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 large yellow onions, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
12 dried figs, coarsely chopped

In a large sauté pan, melt the butter, add the onions, and sauté until the onions begin to turn golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Add the brown sugar, vinegar and figs, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, until the figs have dissolved into the confit, and the mixture is thickened like jam.
Cool completely before refrigerating for up to 1 week. Serve the confit with pork, or poultry.

Taking your breath away

Stunning scenery is another reason to travel; this chateaux appeared around a corner on a drive to St. Cyprien market; we looked up and there it was!

The vine outside my room at La Combe en Perigord
The view from the town of Domme across the Dordogne valley

The Dordogne River

Almost like being in Storybook land, this region is filled with breathtaking sights, as well as breathtaking foods. Far from tourist crowds, and noisy cities, the serenity here makes your inner clock slow down, giving you peace and relaxation, which is what vacations are all about!

Pretty Cheesy

France has so much delicious cheese to choose from, I'm enthralled in the markets. Always serve cheese at room temperature.

Don't forget the bread!


wrapped in walnut leaves

up close and personal

Stunning blue cheese tart made by one of my students at La Combe en Perigord. Puff pastry, a bit of egg custard, and plenty of blue cheese. Make sure to serve only 3 types of cheese on a cheese platter, and include something sweet, whether it's a honey, or fig jam, or sweet onion confit to counter the salty flavor of the cheeses.

A Baker's Dozen Reasons to love France

1. The food! There is nothing like a ripe cheese, fresh produce from the markets, and pastries from the patisserie, not to mention ....

2. The bread; how can three ingredients, flour, yeast and water yield so much crusty goodness? As the saying goes, you gotta be there!



3. The wine: OK, French wines have gotten a bad rap for pretentious reputations, but European wines, unlike those in the US, Australia and South Africa are made to be drunk with food; they are not a beverage like Coke. Taste a French wine with a French cheese, then tell me it's as good at that Yellow Tail you've been drinking.

4. The scenery: spectacular from Paris, to Normandy, to the coast of Brittany, along the Dordogne, into the Languedoc, Provence, Alsace, the Loire, all looking like story book towns with ancient castles, ruins, and even prehistoric cave paintings.

5. History: You cannot escape it here; prehistory in the Dordogne in the caves at Lascaux and Cro Magnun man in Les Eyzies, Roman ruins, ancient castles, chateaus reminiscent of an era of wealth and opulence, Paris with its museums celebrating art, and history of France, Normandy with its wealth of World War II historic places. Around every corner, there is another reminder that this is country rich in history, and culture as well as the food.

6. Lunch: Every Frenchman sees it as his duty to have his lunch from 12 to 2, shutting his shop to enjoy the pleasures of a meal. The French don't eat, they dine. Long lunches with several courses, washed down with local wines to pair with the meal.

7. Aromas of the markets: Head to the local market and be assaulted with the smells of fresh produce: musky melons, bright strawberries, ripe tomatoes, garlic, onions, fresh lettuce (yes, it does have an aroma) olives, fish smelling only of salt water, and not the least bit fishy, and the aromas of ripened cheeses. Compare this to the antiseptic grocery stores, that we frequent in
the US and there is a reason you will be begin to shop at farmers' markets when you return.

8. The language: I admit it, I have NO ear for French, but I have to say that everything sounds better in French, even if you have no idea what is being said!

9. The transporation system: Not since I lived in Japan, have I been on such great trains, traveling at speeds over 150 mph through the countryside. They are clean, efficient, and comfortable. Ditto the metro and buses in Paris--the taxis in Paris sometimes go more than 150 mph, but that is another story!

10. Cooking and eating like the French: I had the opportunity this week to teach 6 amazing students at La Combe en Perigord. We used local ingredients, and they learned new skills to add to what they already knew. I even had a carrot master in my group, who'd never peeled a carrot. The fact that we could use the finest ingredients in the world, only enhanced their experience. Our last lunch was a 12 course tasting lunch at a 1 star Michelin restaurant--tres bon!

11. Shopping: Much has been said about the shops in Paris, but leave the cities and go into the towns and find lovely shops selling vintage clothes, beautiful linens, hats (why don't we wear more hats in the US?) copper pots, housewares, and local specialties.

12. Macaroons: Laduree, the legendary shop in Paris selling macaroons in every flavor imaginable, has been copied in every patisserie in every small town. These are not the cloyingly sweet macaroons you remember but rather a subtle taste that is divine.

13. Meeting the people: I had the opportunity this week to meet a truffle hunter and his dog, a woman who still does duck decoupage (no she doesn't use modge-podge--she butchers the duck) and vendors in the market places---all full of smiles, a wink of the eye, and maybe an extra macaroon if you play your cards right.

Exploding ice cream and other air travel delights

I probably should have posted this yesterday, but Paris was on my mind yesterday. I fly almost 100,000 miles each year, so I've been through a lot of airline adventures (note the Charlie Trotter meal) On Sunday when I flew from San Diego to Toronto to connect with my flight to Paris; I flew Air Canada for the first time. Service was fine, and before we landed we were served ice cream and fresh cookies---I've never met a cookie I didn't like, so I was ready---when I began to open the Haagen Daazs mini ice cream cup it exploded all over me, the computer and my black airplane clothes. The flight attendant then told me it was becasue of the pressure in the cabin, but it was really because the ice cream had melted when she'd cooked it alongside the cookies-the replacement she gave me was also melted--I may not be the brightest bulb in the pack, but at least I know that much!
I'm off to find a sandwich for lunch on the train, and possibly a fruit tart at the little patisserie next door to the hotel. That's the good news about Paris, there is something good to eat on every corner. Bon jours from Paris, next stop La Combe en Perigord.

Searching for the real France

This morning I arrived at Charles De Gualle airport in Paris; me and 300 sleepy passengers, stumbling off the plane, into the light, and then down a tunnel into the baggage claim area, all tapping our feet, wondering whether we'd ever see that bag we packed 2 days ago. Why is it that baggage claim is your first hint of what the country will be like---I think that's pretty unfair, since France is a lovely country, once you get outside of the cities. Although my friends love Paris, it's not my favorite city --- granted it's got great art, food, and culture, but it's also congested, sprawling, and today it's an oven. I hopped over to St. Germain des Pres on the Metro and stopped in at Simrane a lovely store that sells linens and some women's furnishings; the ride over on the metro was hot, hot, hot, and reeked of BO, sweat, leather and gym socks. I walked back to the hotel, it was worth the sun burn. Tomorrow I will be going to the real France, the one that isn't crowded with tour buses, or Ma and Pa from East Oshkosh complaining about everyone speaking a foreign language, and the pace is slower. When I come to Europe, I want my clock to slow down---I'd stay at home if I wanted to continue at Mach II. A two hour ride on the TGV high speed train to Angouleme, then we will be picked up and whisked another 2 hours away to La Combe en Perigord (www.lacombe-perigord.com) for a week in the Dordogne. I'll have students, and we'll do 3 hands on cooking classes, but the rest of the time we will be going to markets, seeing the incredible sights this part of France has to offer, including the prehistoric cave paintings at Lascaux. And the food---if you ask any Frenchman where the best food is in their country, they will say the Dordogne. Foie gras, goat cheese, walnuts, prunes, and Bergerac wines---I'm ready and will be posting this week as time allows with photos and stories, as we savor the joy of the real France.