Good things

revisit-Tuna Salade Nantes style

With the 2010 Tour de France and the 2010 Tour de French Cuisine only 36 days away I happened to come across a photo I did for the 2008 TdF Cuisine when they were up in the Brittany region. (I hope they go back there in 2011) I need to make this salad again, it was great and perfect for a weeknight and even better when the weather starts to really heat up... revisit it with me and enjoy.

Boy as the Tour de French Cuisine grown since 2008, now each stage and post is its own novel

Stage 3 Saint-Mailo to Nantes

Here we are three days into the Tour de France and we are just leaving the Brittany region. Today's tour begins in the town of Saint-Mailo on the Northern coast of France, very near my grandfather's favorite place, le Mont Ste Michel and then riding south to the town of Nantes on the edge of the Loire valley. So what would be more perfect then "Tuna salade Nantes style"

It was wonderful and the perfect salad for a hot summer night. Made with white rice, canned tuna in oil, cucumbers and tomatoes. It called for Mache (lamb's lettuce) but I didn't have it so I used a more delicate baby green leaf lettuce instead. The dressing was a simple Lemon juice and oil with salt, pepper and fresh chopped chives.

Here we are three days into the Tour de France and we are just leaving the Brittany region. Today's tour begins in the town of Saint-Mailo on the Northern coast of France, very near my grandfather's favorite place, le Mont Ste Michel and then riding south to the town of Nantes on the edge of the Loire valley. So what would be more perfect then "Tuna salade Nantes style"

It was wonderful and the perfect salad for a hot summer night. Made with white rice, canned tuna in oil, cucumbers and tomatoes. It called for Mache (lamb's lettuce) but I didn't have it so I used a more delicate baby green leaf lettuce instead. The dressing was a simple Lemon juice and oil with salt, pepper and fresh chopped chives.

Less then three months to go

In less then three months the 2009 Tour de France will start. On July 4th, which happens to be John's favorite holiday, my favorite day of the year will collide into his. Will we be able to enjoy fresh homemade croissants for breakfast then hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch and then bouillabaisse for dinner?

So this year the "Grand Depart"  will be in the ultra fancy principality of Monaco. I can't help to think of Cary Grant and Princess Grace Kelly in "To Catch a Thief" when thinking of Monaco. But this year it will be the start of the Le Tour.

This will be the 6th visit the Tour has made to the tiny country of Monaco and will spend the first two stages there before moving clockwise across France. (each year is flips between counter clockwise and clockwise)

So with that I have less then three months to research and plan out my months worth of menus. Yikes! I better get off the computer and back to work on my research.

perfect Christmas gifts for the foodie

I don't have a lot of time to post at this time of the year, too much work to do. It is only the 13th and I have already had a breakdown, so cross your fingers I make it through the month. But I did want to take some time to post some of my favorite cookbooks that I have discovered this year and any foodie on your list will love them....

 

Anne Willan's Country Cooking of Franceis one of my favorite books that I have discovered in the last year. It is not only filled with amazing recipes but also beautiful pictures and great info on the regions of France. Something I found very useful to the Tour de French Cuisine this past July

 

Paley's Place Cookbook, from a hometown restaurant here in Portland is filled with recipes featuring the wonderful Northwest ingredients made in a classic French and Italian ways. I made the  Paley's burgers tonight after I ground my own beef sirloin to make some fantastic hamburgers and pommes frites.

 

Baked, new frontiers in baking by Matt Lewis...just for the Chocolate chip cookie recipe you need this book. It is really well put together and filled with these great graphics using a stags head. You can see a little of the graphic on the top of the cover

 I can't suggest cookbooks without throwing in a Martha book.This is a great gift for anybody and any cooking level. There is something for everybody in this massive book and an amazing French Onion soup recipe to boot....

 

Just imagine how long it took me to search and order this book, faster than a speeding bullet! It is by Countess Cristina De Voguefrom the famed French Chateau Vaux Le Vicomte and it is filmed some of the most amazing desserts you have ever seen.... French + desserts+ French Chateau= a must have for me.

The End of the Tour.. Pommes Frites

It is the last day of the 2008 Tour de France, and yes I am already in my Post Tour Depression. What am I suppose to do with myself every morning at 5am? I was up very early today to finish the wedding cake I was making, more on that tomorrow. So I was able to see the very start of the race live and awake. You know like way back when before we had DVR's, three years ago. As they ride into Paris through the Alma tunnel where Princess Diana died and then onto the Champs Elysee and then around the streets 8 more times with the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe in the background. What's not to love!

So tonight was a classic Bistro meal. Steak with a Cognac, peppercorn cream sauce, Pommes Frites and Haricot Vert with Garlic. A meal John really got on board with, what man doesn't love steak and potatoes.

So now the Tour is over and so is my Tour de French Cuisine. I can't go back to eating just any old food now. But don't worry I won't start making meatloaf. (I know there are lots of people that love meatloaf, so I mean no disrespect)

Viva la tour!

Stage 20, Cerilly to Saint-Amond-Montrond ; Tourte du Saumon

Almost to Paris and the Champs Elysees and then the tour is over. Today the tour was in the very heart of France for a individual time trial. Each of the riders ride alone with them starting them 3 minutes apart. This is where the tour is won or loss.  So for dinner in between baking cakes for a wedding cake tomorrow I made Tourte De Saumon from Anne Willan's French Regional Cooking cookbook.

Basically it is Salmon in Puff Pastry with mushrooms. I changed it just a little bit though. Mrs Willan's recipe called for raw salmon to be minced with the mushrooms in a food processor. I just did the mushrooms with a bit of butter and egg yoke. I rolled out the puff pastry and placed the salmon in the middle, spooned the mushrooms over it and then sealed it closed. I tried to cut it into a fish shape, it sort of worked.... It may look like a blob on the plate but it was really good. I don't think I have found one recipe in the last three weeks that I wouldn't make over and over again.

Stage 19; Roanne to Montlucon- Coq au Vin

We are almost to Paris, only two more days and then it is all over.... Good thing we have DVR's so I can save some of the tour to watch over and over again.

The tourtoday rolled from the Rhone Alps region thru the Burgundy and Lyonnais area and then finished in the Auvergne region. So I decided Coq au Vin was the thing to have tonight. Is there anything more French then Coq au Vin, even people that don't know French food, know Coq au Vin. Depending on the region it is made depends on the wine that is used. It also has onions, mushrooms, carrots and garlic. It is another one of those recipes that need to be planned ahead of time. But it turned out great and tasted fantastic...

It needs to marinate at room temperature for 6 hours or overnight in the refrigerator for at least 10 to 12 hours. So easy to do the night before.

Stage 18; Bourg-d'Oisans to Saint Etienne; Grillade Mariniere

The Tour is now in it's final days, I am already sad that there is only three more days. Stage 18 left the town of Bourg-d'Oisans located next to Ecrins National Park the largest and highest of the seven French National Parks and ending today in Saint Etiennewhich is located just 40 miles outside the city of Lyon and use to be the capital of French Cycling. The last time the Tour stopped here was in 2005 when Lance Armstrong won the time trial and then onto his 7th and final tour.... oh those were the days.

So for dinner tonight, thanks to Anne Willans French Regional Cookingcookbook we are having Grillade Mariniere De Calence or Sailor's Steak with anchovies and Gratin Dauphiois,Potato Gratin with cheese and cream. Grillade Mariniere has a sort of shaded past. According to my cookbook the story goes: "In the centuries preceding the railway barges were pulled up the river by draught-horses. Not needed for the journey downstream the were killed by the sailors (marins) who made them into a good steak dish flavored with Provencal anchovies, onions and white wine. But nowadays using a good steak like a sirloin is in better taste" Thank god for that, I may eat snails and sushi but I draw the line on horses. Maybe that is what happened to my pony Buttercup when I was younger.

Gratin Dauphinois is the perfect side made with sliced potatoes, cream and Gruyere. Melted cheese, whats not to love!

Stage 17 Embrun to Alpe d'Huez; Fondue Savoyarde

Stage 17 of the Tour de France, the Queens stage as they call it. This is the stage of all stages, the one all the fans wait for. It doesn't happen every year. So when Alpe d'Huezis on the route you can't help but be excited. Alpe d'Huez is filled with 21 hairpin turns filled with over a million fans that have been camped out and waiting for over a week. Part of the appeal of a mountain stage is that the riders move a little slower. On a flat or downhill stage that can go up to 50 or 60 mph. Thats a lot of waiting for them to whiz right by. Here is a picture of Alpe d'Huez with the route highlighted. The other thing about stage 17 is that when the get to Alpe d'Huez, they have already gone over two other huge mountains. There are cars that can't do it, much less a human being.

So what is more perfect for a stage in the Alps...... Fondue Savoyarde or Cheese Fondue. Fondue is mostly known as a Swiss dish, but Fondue is derived from a French word, fondre (to melt)or fondu (melted)The recipe I made was a very common one using just white wine, Gruyere, salt and pepper and Kirsch. I cut up some baguette and made some more roasted potatoes as well as some asparagus and sauteed mushrooms. It was very good and very filling.

I used the Martha Stewart Fondue set from Macy's, it is very lovely and comes with all the pieces. But there is nothing that works better then the one my mom gave me that she got in the 70's. It is a horrible orange color and plugs in but it works better then any other one I have ever used. Maybe Martha can make a electric one in Martha blue.... that would be a lovely idea....

Stage 16: Cuneo to Jausiers, Fricassee de Poulet

 We are winding down to the last few days of the tour, oh what will I do next week. I go through a little Post Tour Depression when it is over every year. But this year has been extra great since I have been cooking along with the Tour.

The Tour today started in Italy, they have been there since Sunday and yesterday was a rest day. So they took off from Cuneo riding over two huge mountains and then arrived back into the Provence town of Jausiers. 

Another great cookbook is the Provence Cookbook by Patricia Wells, she is expert in the world of French cuisine and a teacher with classes in Paris & Provence. How wonderful would it be to go to France and take classes with Patricia Wells and Anne Willan.... I will happily take donations for my cause....

So for dinner I made Fricassee de Poulet a l'Ail et a l'Ail Confit or Fricassee of Chicken with Garlic and Sweet Garlic Confit. I started the Sweet Garlic Confit the night before, it was 5 heads of garlic that needed to be pealed. I learned a little trick from Martha to make that a little easier. Bowl some water, throw in the cloves the garlic for a few minutes. Then drain the water and put into a bowl. With a bowl just a little smaller put inside of the other bowl so you have made a bit of a circle with the two bowls and shake, shake, shake. It will help get all of the outside off of them so that you aren't pealing 40 cloves of garlic.

The rest of the process for the chicken was very easy, just brown the chicken in butter and olive oil with salt and pepper on the chicken. After it has been browned on all sides take out and then throw in the 20 other cloves of garlic,put the chicken back in and cover tightly for 20 minutes. After that take the chicken and garlic out and then put in the Sweet Garlic and white wine and cook down and crush the garlic into a paste.... Oh so good!

Along with the chicken I made Les Pommes de Terre du Max Haut also from Patricia Wells. They are your basic roasted potatoes and I make something like these all the time, but these were so crispy outside and tender on the inside. Wonderful!!!!

Stage 15 Embrun to Prato Nevoso; Pissaladiere

The Tour de France makes a brief stop in Italy today and Tuesday with a rest day in-between. Embrunis on in the Haute-Alps on the edge of the Provence region, and is know as the "little Nice of the Alps"  And then they rode up 1500 meters in altitude to the ski resort Prato Nevoso in the Piedmont area of Italy.

So tonight I made pizza, but French pizza. What were you thinking I would make.... Pissaladiere to be exact. I have made the Martha Stewart recipe from her Baking book before, and it is a real treasure. This is one recipe that is in every French cookbook that I have and they are all the same. Onions, tomatoes, anchovies and olives all on a great crust that is flat and crispy.

Pissaladiere is a specialty of the Nice region of France and the flavors in the part are oh so Provencal....

make it tomorrow for dinner, you won't be sorry!

Bon Appetit....