Claudine, Oui c'est Francais

My Book: It's in print and ready for purchase

I know that each and everyone of you are counting down the days to the start of the 2010 Tour de France, 19 in case you lost track, but just in time you can today order a copy of my 2009 Tour de French Cuisine in BOOK form. It took me almost a year to get it finished and together but its just in time for the start of the 2010 TdF and 2010 Tour de French Cuisine.  Its over 120 pages and filled with recipes, history of  hundreds of town in France and loads of pictures. When the Tour reached Paris you will find over 30 pages just on Paris and history behind the name of evey street they crossed (the only comprehensive guide of the Paris streets in one place)

the cover is my custom painting made for me by the wonderful Fifi of Fififlowers, I love it every single time I look at it and was so happy to include it onto the cover, nothing describes the things I adore more.

I do want to send a big thank you to my friend Darby Higgs for all the help on getting my book published, he has a fantastic website, Vinodiversity and has published two books on wine, Vinodiversity-the Book and Bacchus and the Bird: a cookbook for poultry and wine and was a wealth of knowledge and support to get this baby into print.

It arrived today on my doorstep and I was so excited to see it all in one handy little volume. So I hope you order one today.......

roasted asparagus with prosciutto and poached egg

I saw a picture earlier today of this dish and decided I needed to recreate it for dinner tonight. Roasted asparagus is one of my very favorite foods and pair that with a poached egg, prosciutto and shaved gruyere... how can you go wrong?

To start you need to roast the asparagus, preheat the oven to 450. I like the shave the tough ends of the asparagus a little to make them a little tender. On a sheet pan place the asparagus onto a bed of 15 to 20 springs of fresh thyme and then toss with a tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Place in oven for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly roasted.

Poaching eggs is just about one of the easiest things to do but some find that it can be intimidating. This is one of those things that once you get it, you never forget. Bring a saute pan filled with 1 to 2 inches of water to a light boil, add a tablespoon of vinegar (don't forget this part it's the key to the whole thing) While the water comes to a boil in individual teacups or ramekin crack each egg. When the water is ready holding the cup very close to the water, slowly pour the egg in. After about 20 seconds with a slotted spoon very carefully start to fold the whites over the yolk in the water. You just want it to envelope the yolk. After 2 to 3 minutes remove the egg with the slotted spoon onto a stack of paper towels or even better a heal of bread to soak up the water.

To plate: Place the asparagus down on the plate, top with the prosciutto and then place the poached eggs into the bed of prosciutto.  Add a few shavings of gruyere and serve with some sourdough toast points.

A fast and easy dinner or would also be great for a Sunday brunch.

Bon Appetit!

roasted asparagus with prosciutto and poached egg

I saw a picture earlier today of this dish and decided I needed to recreate it for dinner tonight. Roasted asparagus is one of my very favorite foods and pair that with a poached egg, prosciutto and shaved gruyere... how can you go wrong?

To start you need to roast the asparagus, preheat the oven to 450. I like the shave the tough ends of the asparagus a little to make them a little tender. On a sheet pan place the asparagus onto a bed of 15 to 20 springs of fresh thyme and then toss with a tablespoon of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Place in oven for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly roasted.

Poaching eggs is just about one of the easiest things to do but some find that it can be intimidating. This is one of those things that once you get it, you never forget. Bring a saute pan filled with 1 to 2 inches of water to a light boil, add a tablespoon of vinegar (don't forget this part it's the key to the whole thing) While the water comes to a boil in individual teacups or ramekin crack each egg. When the water is ready holding the cup very close to the water, slowly pour the egg in. After about 20 seconds with a slotted spoon very carefully start to fold the whites over the yolk in the water. You just want it to envelope the yolk. After 2 to 3 minutes remove the egg with the slotted spoon onto a stack of paper towels or even better a heal of bread to soak up the water.

To plate: Place the asparagus down on the plate, top with the prosciutto and then place the poached eggs into the bed of prosciutto.  Add a few shavings of gruyere and serve with some sourdough toast points.

A fast and easy dinner or would also be great for a Sunday brunch.

Bon Appetit!

Happy Birthday Meatball

the 8th is my little buddy Payton or as we recently nicknamed him Meatball's birthday. While my sister and family were at the beach for the weekend John and I sneaked in and decided to fill his room with balloons. I didn't tell them I was going to do it so when they came home they had no idea until they went upstairs and saw the banner on the door. My sister said that when they opened the door my nephew was so excited he was dancing around and screaming....

happy birthday little buddy! Love you lots

June 5th

(picture taken only days before Robert Kennedy died in Gearhart Oregon. It's hard not to think about it every time we are down and on the beach)

"My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, to be remembered simply as a good decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.

"Those of us, who loved him and who take him to his rest today pray that what he was to us and what he wished for others will someday come to pass for all the world. "

As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him:

'Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not.'"

As read by Teddy Kennedy at Robert Kennedy's funeral

Robert Francis Kennedy Nov 20, 1925 - June 6, 1968

What would this country be like if Bobby and his brother had lived. I think it would be a much better place than it is today....

June 5th is not on a rather sad anniversary but also my mom's irthday. A very happy birthday to my mom, a very strong and wonderful woman that I am so lucky to have in my life every day.  I love you mom

T-Minus 30 days and counting the TdF

One of my very favorite things of the whole year starts 30 days from today, the 97th Tour de France

 and I can hardly wait! I started watching the tour 7 years ago and it has become an obsession ever since. Right now I need to devote any spare moment to planning the 2010 Tour de French Cuisine, now in it's 3rd year. I am running out of days and hours so lets make this a short update..... 

 

I have already started to stop at Borders every other day to look for the special issue on the tour with details of every stage and city. (still not out yet) But until then I will dream of what is to come. The best parts is the beautiful French countryside that you get to see along the way over 3 weeks. Yes, 3 wonderful weeks. There will be sunflowers, hay bails made into bicycles, cows that are near the road that could care less and the crazy guy that dresses like the devil and runs alongside the riders. Oh and then there is the oh so dreamy Phil Liggett & Paul Sherman, with there wonderful stage by stage reports. And then there are all my fellow cycling lovers that I have met online that enjoy it just as much as me that I will look forward to chatting with every day.

So, 30 more days or 720 hours, or 43,200 seconds..... but whose counting

Vive la Tour!

 

I have already started to stop at Borders every other day to look for the special issue on the tour with details of every stage and city. (still not out yet) But until then I will dream of what is to come. The best parts is the beautiful French countryside that you get to see along the way over 3 weeks. Yes, 3 wonderful weeks. There will be sunflowers, hay bails made into bicycles, cows that are near the road that could care less and the crazy guy that dresses like the devil and runs alongside the riders. Oh and then there is the oh so dreamy Phil Liggett & Paul Sherman, with there wonderful stage by stage reports. And then there are all my fellow cycling lovers that I have met online that enjoy it just as much as me that I will look forward to chatting with every day.

So, 30 more days or 720 hours, or 43,200 seconds..... but whose counting

Vive la Tour!