Lunch under the umbrellas
Lunch in Albi
Albi was wonderful. The day was bright and the gargoyles on the cathedral came to life in the strong play of sun and deep shadow.
Lunch was less than wonderful. We were seduced by tables set out in an ancient cobblestone courtyard under huge square umbrellas, but the food was sorry mass-produced tourist fare.
Dinner made up for everything. It was the last night and Nese outdid herself. Read more
One day last summer I visited the little copper museum in Durfort with my sketch book hoping that I would be allowed to sketch the antique copper vessels for the rest of the afternoon. I was given a chair and permission to stay as long as I liked. Another world opened up to me, the world of pots and pans made for cooking local dishes the old fashioned way, in a fireplace. Each one of the pots in the museum was designed for a specific purpose. For instance the “tourtiere” which has an indented lid to hold coals becomes an oven when nestled in a bed of coals. Read more
This is the small upstairs kitchen that I use when Nese is cooking for classes downstairs. It reminds me of the galley I cooked in on Lora, our old schooner, where everything was within reach. I discovered the joy of shopping in local markets and preparing simple meals from fresh food when we cruised the Spanish Mediterranean coast one summer. I had only two burners, no oven and just a few pots and pans, but it’s where I fell in love with cooking. Nese’s cuisine suits me perfectly.
Lunch Menu
Salad with String Beans and bacon dressing
– steamed beans
– small boiled potatoes with skin on
– thinly sliced red bell pepper
– Vinaigrette with bacon*
*Vinaigrette
– smoked bacon
– balsamic vinegar
– olive oil
– salt and pepper
Fry bacon in olive oil until crisp. Pour fat into another pan and add vinegar. Add thin slices of red bell pepper and simmer to soften slightly. Pour over beans. Add potatoes to the pan bacon was fried in and roll about to coat evenly with bacon fat. Add to salad.
Dinner at Le Tournesol in Soreze where the owner-chef Gigi greets us with open arms, kisses on both cheeks and a great meal. I adore her salad dressing made with hazelnut vinegar.