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Visiting France? You OUGHT to visit a local market!When I visited Normandy last summer, I was very pleased to see at the museum of the Tapestry of Bayeux, circa 1066, a reconstitution of a market scene of that time. It was lively and colorful!Note that if you rare curious and read my post about Bayeux , you will see a delightful top picture of the town at sunrise that Fifi Flowers later painted - and I could ...
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Whether painting, framing old Chinese emrboideries or cooking, Marie K Verbois usually runs her own show. She is always ready to create a new recipe, to try unusual combinations, taking cuisine to another level. Recently she had dinner at a Chinese restuarant and was inspired by one of the appetizers to create her own exotic salad. She prepared a delicious Sea ...
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Thank you Kristy for the award. I love your blog and invite all my readers who do not know Kristy to discover her talent!It's a source of good recipes, great posts, histories and traditions from Malaysia .. and moreAnd for those of you who love Paris, this is for you :Arc du Triomphe at sunset....
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I could not resist buying these strands of green fresh pepper at the Asian market the other day! I do not go often to Chinatown so I thought I might take advantage of the visit and bring back something unsual. What could I do with it? I had a sea bass in my fridge. I decided to do a sauce for my fish. Ingredients:3 Tbsp of Fresh green pepper2 Tbsp olive oilone can of good tomatoes (no additives, only tomatoes)1 glass ...
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I want to thank very specially Anncoo for sending me two of her best and easy recipes for my Chinese New Year feast!Stir-fried Mixed Vegetables with Prawn MeatIngredients:100g Cauliflower, cut into florets100g Broccolli, cut in florets100g Green peas1 small Carrots, sliced½ green Capsicum, cut into pieces½ red capsicum, cut in pieces200g Prawn meat1 tsp Chopped garlicSeasoning:½ tsp Salt½ tbsp Oyster sauceDash of ...
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Vegetarians , delete before reading! In my February newsletter I wrote about Bruno, my Paris butcher, who had been mentioned in a recent issue of Saveur magazine.Bruno is at the Auteuil market and his stall is always full of clients waiting patiently to be served. Look at the long line at his stall one cold Paris morning! I told him he should offer ...
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When I visited my friend Jamini in Pittsburgh last October I saw, among the many beautiful things she has in her house, a great collection of antique silver spoons displayed in "spoon glasses" on her dining room cabinet.Each one was a piece of fine art and they were all different!When I inquired, she told me that they came mostly from her grandaunt and grandmother. She explained to me that they used to be presented in the crystal spoon glasses she had them in, and when friends came for tea and cakes, each person would help ...
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Xin Nian Kuai Le! The end of the year of the tiger saw me landing in Beijing. It was just a couple of months before the Chinese New year which had been a good one for my family, for sure, we had been posted in China. The winter of 1986-87 was very very cold and in the frozen whitness of Beijing I discovered the warmth and joy of this celebration.It seems so far .. it's again the year ...
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Sorry my friends, I missed La Chandeleur!I forgot to share with you this French tradition last Tuesday February 2. Candlemas is a catholic holiday. In France, crepes are served on this day. The tradition is to toss the crepe in the air (see picture below) with your left hand while holiding a gold coin in your right hand to have wealth throughout the year.All this is history and legend, but crepes remain!Crepes originated in Brittany, where savory and salty ...
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Thursday night (yesterday) we had, as we often do, friends for dinner. THursday is an unsual day, but a couple was in Paris for a few days only as they live in the South. Entertaining is a delightful way to keep friendships alive. You all know that I am not for spending too much time preparing the meal .. my recipe?A nicely dressed table - 20% of your success,presentation - 20%,your creativity - 30%, so that leaves ...
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It was snowing very hard in Paris this morning!I made this short video and shots for all of my readers who love Paris as it is an unusual view. But also for my dear daughters Aurea who is in Sunny California, and Celine, who's "freezing" at 75F in Dubai, and for my dear friends, Jennifer, who left Paris Thursday last week and must be in deeper cold back in Montana, for Jamini and Priscilla who may have never seen ...
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Did you know cheese was first invented in Mesopotamia & India in 15C B.C.?Did you know the word "fromage" dates back to the 15C?Did you know there are over 350 types of cheese in France ?And .. do you know how cheese is made?Do you know how to pair it with wine?This and more is ...
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Oh, how I love scones! My grandmother's were delicious, and my mother's too. This receipe has traveled across the continents and seas!The first time I visited Lndon I was very sad to see that you cannot find them freshly baked - even those from good houses such as Fortnum and Mason were good, but not great.I had not made for a loong long time, and the other day, I invited Jennifer, a friend who lived in London, for tea, ...
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The building where I live was build in 1865. I found in a brocante a postcard dated 1906; I blew it up and framed. On the left, my building. The trees, that reach the 2nd floor in the postcard, are very high now, they reach the 5th floor! Today the train tracks have disappeared - and the horses too! I live in the 2nd fl (American ...
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I live in a typical 19C Parisian stone building. These 6-7 storeys buildings have all a similar architecture, and give Paris the feeling of harmony one experiences when visitng.Every one of these buildings has two floors of basements where the cellars are.They were meant to store wine - although we now used them as storage of everything we cannot fit in our small flats: suit cases, Xmas decorations, old furniture, tools .. and more....
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When Jo Ann contacted me sometime ago, I loved her story: six girlfriends, all married and with children were coming on a "girls-only" trip to Paris to celebrate the birthday of one of them.Since they're all foodies we arranged to do together a 4-hour Paris market discovery and French Cuisine atelier! To my dismal, it was snowing on ...
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We were invited by Martine and Denis to welcome 2010 in their Saint Germain the Pres beautiful flat - and Martine entertains with style! She had chosen silver as the main theme where the colorful touch was given by her beautiful red and gold glass ware. The apéritif is a wonderful invention - it is a drink that is ...
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Traditional? (Martica's Christmas tree in Varennes sur Loire) Red? (Place de la Madeleine, Paris) White? (Rue Royale, Paris)...
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My house is full of beautiful flowers! Roses, tulips, orchids, more roses, and more tulips! Yesterday December 14th we celebrated Celine ...
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Rami Restaurant in Sultanhamet, Istanbul, caters to tourists but is worth the visit. Serving Ottoman cuisine in a barroque Western style setting, the experience is very pleasant - but the check ... high! The dramatic view of the Blue Mosque at night as seen from the third floor is simply fantastic!...
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A must when you visit Istanbul is the Grand Bazar! Many bright colors shine under the high roofs and naroww alleys, they will delight your eye! Bags, jewels, rugs, paintings, and more ... I got a painting of a women's Hammam for ...
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The Christmas market at the Champs Elysees was full of treasures! Not only did I find the egg holders for you, but I also found a stand with specialities from Alsace (eastern France, on the German border) such as this lovely honey bread or pain d'epice. Pain d'epice is also prsented in big loaves, and they have different types of the basic ...
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I was looking for a good "recipe of the month" in my website's database of recipes and was so happy to see tat I have many recipes from bloggers! Thank you to all of you!But I did not find something "suitable" for my mood!Then this morning I was at the Christmas Market in the Champs Elysees with a friend, it was a cold early December day,the sun was low .. and we had one glass of vin chaud!What a good diea ... a Vin Chaud or hot wine ...Find my recipe on the right ...
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Meet Barbara!Barbara has been living in Paris for a couple of years - and loving it! A French teacher in, she was already loving everything French before she relocated here. And because French culture is related to the kitchen among other things, she had French glassware, French plates, French pots and pans, and more in her home in Saint Louis! ...
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This recipe was inspired by my luncheon at Texture in London. I have served it many times, more or less thick, more or less warm, and with different toppings, and it always a great success! It's a great idea for an easy yet unusual appetizer that you can serve for your Thanksgiving menu! Get a celery root from your local market. Celery root or Apium graveolens is a large brown root from the same family as the celery. It ...
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I was having guests for dinner, and had no time to plan. Plus, Xavier and Jia Lin are both excellent cooks; it is always difficult to match their talents! I had a look at my fridge and decided to do a "purple theme dinner"! My starting point was this beautiful (natural) purple cauliflower bought over at my local producer's at the Murat Market. I also had beetroot, a bit of trevise salad, red onions, and some pink potatos! The tone ...
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Le Beaujolais nouveau est arrive! (The new Beaujolais has arrived) read signs at wine bars, wine shops, and restaurants every year the third Thursday of November.Beaujolais nouveau is a French red wine produced in the Beaujolais region of France, which is South of Paris, roughly between the city of Macon (the Maconnais region) and Lyon (the Lyonnais region)...
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Rebecca's smile stayed all over my place when she left!Rebeca's lovely family in my living room tasting my apple quatre quarts with tea. Jasmine loved the "biscuits cuiller" that I had bought specially fpr her! Apple Quatre Quarts 3 eggs, separated250 g ...
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Chrisitne of Soul Aperture sugested a "simple things Monday" in her last post. I signed for it and here is mine: bread, one of the simplest if not the simplest of all meals!Kristy Gourmet who lives in Johor, Malaysia, and runs the fabulous My Little Space , asked me to take pictures of French bread, so this post is also for her!I have seven bakeries within walking distance from my Paris home! Today I will tell you about the two nearest ones: Le Grillon d'Auteuil and Bonneau. ...
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Ams, tram, gram, Pic et pic et colégram, Bour et bour et ratatam, Ams, tram, gram. Ams, tram, gram, Pic et pic et colégram, Bour et bour et ratatam, Ams, tram, gram.Tao wagged the tail while I was reciting over and over the lyrics above young French children recite when they play hide and seek or other games ....... and he is happy to annouce the happy winner of the French ...
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Today, November 11, is a public holiday in France. We commemorate the end of World War I. The armistice was signed in 1918 by the Allies and Germany. It is said that it was signed at 5 am in a railroad car parked in a French forest near the front lines.This year, Chancellor Angela Merkel will come to Paris to attend a ceremony at the Arc du Triomphe, where the unknown soldier tomb is. Get ready for 10 truthsand participate in my November giveaway !!...
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Let's talk healthy snacks! Apples are abundant in this season - and will be all throughout the winter.When friends bring us apples from their country houses, I peel them and put them in a tightly covered pan, with no water, and with a piece of cinammon bark and a vanilla bean.I let cook over very low heat until they are cooked and can be mashed. It's very nice when they just start to stick to the bottom of the ...
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Remembering ... On November 2, All Souls' Day, we remember loved ones who have left us. Traditionally in France people bring flowers to the graves and chrysanthemums are found in all the flower shops. I have preferred this delicate flower from my deck ... In spite of many joys, we had a particularly difficult year, so allow me to remember here family members and friends who are no longer with us.Family on my husband's side, in France: Andree, Maurice, Michel. Dear friends: ...
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While in Pittsburgh last week, I stayed over at a friend's who lives near Mount Washington. I had glorious weather. What a great view of the city from the street that runs along the river, and past Mt Washington. Beautiful stroll!This very dear friend went into the trouble of organizing a dinner to introduce me to some of her friends. The seeting was ...
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These days horror is king in the streets and the homes! Halloween is everything witch and everything pumpkin! I'd rather use the latter in the kitchen than trust the former!In Pittsbrugh, where I was last week, the tradition is followed with devotion! Spider webs, sticky and frightening, inspire anything from cookie...
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