Stuff

Shopping local

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Seen at the Halles de Biarritz, a dog who spent a good 15 minutes just watching this artisan butcher at work.  His master stopped to have a coffee and a chat with friends at a nearby cafe and the dog took up his place with a front row seat until the coffee was finished.  As […]

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Seen at the Halles de Biarritz, a dog who spent a good 15 minutes just watching this artisan butcher at work.  His master stopped to have a coffee and a chat with friends at a nearby cafe and the dog took up his place with a front row seat until the coffee was finished.  As

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Meats | Recipes

Tender braised lamb shoulder with chickpea

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Here’s a recipe that seems like it is going to be complicated but turns out to be very simple. It also looks impressive when served and is an easy way to feed six to eight friends.  Full disclosure, this is my adaption of a recipe I saw on a Jamie Oliver show – yes, I

Tender braised lamb shoulder with chickpea Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

Here’s a recipe that seems like it is going to be complicated but turns out to be very simple. It also looks impressive when served and is an easy way to feed six to eight friends.  Full disclosure, this is my adaption of a recipe I saw on a Jamie Oliver show – yes, I

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Recommendations | Restaurants

Lobster in Finistère

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We recently took a trip to Brittany, a first time for us, and more specifically to the region known as Finistère because it is literally where the land finishes.  After a morning visit the most eastern tip of France at Pointe Saint-Matheu, we an excellent lunch at a restaurant called An Atoll near the fishing

Lobster in Finistère Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

We recently took a trip to Brittany, a first time for us, and more specifically to the region known as Finistère because it is literally where the land finishes.  After a morning visit the most eastern tip of France at Pointe Saint-Matheu, we an excellent lunch at a restaurant called An Atoll near the fishing

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Recipes | Vegetables

Eggplant escabèche

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In the French reptatoire, cooking “en escabèche” is a technique that straddles the line between cooking and preserving.  This is because the item to be cooked (in France, typically a filet of fatty fish such as mackerel or sardines, or sometimes whole bone-in fish) is fried then bathed in a rich marinade made with shallots

Eggplant escabèche Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

In the French reptatoire, cooking “en escabèche” is a technique that straddles the line between cooking and preserving.  This is because the item to be cooked (in France, typically a filet of fatty fish such as mackerel or sardines, or sometimes whole bone-in fish) is fried then bathed in a rich marinade made with shallots

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Restaurants

Maitenia, Ciboure, France

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Located across from the fronton (the traditional court for playing pelota, present in nearly every Basque town or village), this humble little restaurant has continued to over perform through visits spanning many years.  At lunch, there is a daily chef’s menu with 2 choices each for entree, plat and dessert, is a steal at 26

Maitenia, Ciboure, France Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

Located across from the fronton (the traditional court for playing pelota, present in nearly every Basque town or village), this humble little restaurant has continued to over perform through visits spanning many years.  At lunch, there is a daily chef’s menu with 2 choices each for entree, plat and dessert, is a steal at 26

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Stuff

Green asparagus with warm goat cheese croutons

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The season for asparagus here in the Béarn has just about run it’s course, so its the moment to grab the last few tender spears before the long wait for next spring.  And goat cheese has only recently returned to the farmer stalls after the winter break for weening the kids. At the same time,

Green asparagus with warm goat cheese croutons Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

The season for asparagus here in the Béarn has just about run it’s course, so its the moment to grab the last few tender spears before the long wait for next spring.  And goat cheese has only recently returned to the farmer stalls after the winter break for weening the kids. At the same time,

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Pantry

Preserved grape leaves

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Preserved grape leaves are a standard ingredient in many Mediterranean cuisines.  Greek dolmathes, those tasty little bundles of rice, herbs and spices wrapped in grape leaves, are perhaps the recipe best known to Americans.  But they are also great for wrapping meat and fish for grilling or for wrapping goat cheeses during aging. A warm,

Preserved grape leaves Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

Preserved grape leaves are a standard ingredient in many Mediterranean cuisines.  Greek dolmathes, those tasty little bundles of rice, herbs and spices wrapped in grape leaves, are perhaps the recipe best known to Americans.  But they are also great for wrapping meat and fish for grilling or for wrapping goat cheeses during aging. A warm,

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Stuff

Spring apéro plate

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Ah, spring! That most ephemeral and fleeting of seasons. Especially with the changing climate, it can often seem like we pass from winter directly to summer. All the more reason to scoop up spring veggies while they last.  Nettles, peas, asparagus, radishes, favas, strawberries!  Eat them in season, then say goodby until next year.

Spring apéro plate Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

Ah, spring! That most ephemeral and fleeting of seasons. Especially with the changing climate, it can often seem like we pass from winter directly to summer. All the more reason to scoop up spring veggies while they last.  Nettles, peas, asparagus, radishes, favas, strawberries!  Eat them in season, then say goodby until next year.

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Stuff | Wine

Appreciating Vermouth

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According to Wikipedia, vermouth is defined as “an Italian aromatized, fortified wine, flavored with various botanicals (roots, barks, flowers, seeds, herbs, and spices) and sometimes colored, produced mainly in Italy, France and Spain. The modern versions of the beverage were first produced in the mid- to late 18th century in Turin, Italy”. Fair enough. I

Appreciating Vermouth Read More »

[portfolio_slideshow]

According to Wikipedia, vermouth is defined as “an Italian aromatized, fortified wine, flavored with various botanicals (roots, barks, flowers, seeds, herbs, and spices) and sometimes colored, produced mainly in Italy, France and Spain. The modern versions of the beverage were first produced in the mid- to late 18th century in Turin, Italy”. Fair enough. I

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France | Recommendations

Paris dining for 20 somethings

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                                                                     Abri Soba, Paris 10eme I recently received this question from a reader named Brian: “Our son and his girlfriend will be

Paris dining for 20 somethings Read More »

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                                                                     Abri Soba, Paris 10eme I recently received this question from a reader named Brian: “Our son and his girlfriend will be

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