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Sunday, February 21, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Burnt out in France - The Village People
The Village People
And, I am not talking about from the YMCA but from Ligny le Ribault.
I was across the street, in the café, watching the flames eat up my life and spit it out in ashes. I was in my stocking feet. But at least I had time to grab a pair jeans. This was just plain luck. The fact that I was even dressed at all was chance. If it hadn’t been so cold….well, just to say I don’t own a pair of pjs. But Saturday was cold, cold enough that I kept on my socks when I went to take a nap.
Within an half hour I had a pair of boots and a coat. My new belongings given with such heart from people I don’t even know! It was like that all afternoon into the night, food, clothing and so many offers of help. One man from the village, who I didn’t know at all even offered his second house for as long I wished! And the number of beds to lay down my head….too many to count. And the best, I now six tubes of toothpaste with brushes to go with, four deodorants, four shampoos and two shower soaps. NOW, who says that the French don’t bath!
The result
Just a few of the Angels and Devils who stopped by.
And, of course, every French village has a few of these....
The Christines with whom I was doing the dinner have also organized a thé dansant (an afternoon tea dance) without my knowledge and the benefits are for me. With all this generosity has come the discovery just how much I have been accepted by this village. In spite of my horrible no-good accent and strange ways they somehow still love me!!
But I can't accept the tea dance money. Yes, my life will never be as it was before; I will never have what I had before. But what I will have will still be so much more than so many others. I will be giving many thanks to those who will be dancing Sunday afternoon and I will giving the money to the woman who helped clean my house something I will no longer need and to a couple that I know are struggling to pay their rent.
But did I have a good time at that Tea Dance!! It was karoke and the music I love. I took great advantage of the fact that absolutely no one was going to tell me to stop singing because of my horrible, terrible, no good voice; they wouldn’t have the heart to say that to someone whose house just burned down. SOooooooooooooooooo I sang my heart out much to the chagrin of the listeners.
After the kids left...
At the end there a few of us still hanging on.
Kristi Anderson is the orignal owner of Tea & Tattered Pages and until February 6, 2010 ran a bed and breakfast near Orléans.
kristi anderson
le saint jacques le coin perdu
15, place de l'église
45240 Ligny le Ribault
TheAmericanFrog@aol.com
And, I am not talking about from the YMCA but from Ligny le Ribault.
I was across the street, in the café, watching the flames eat up my life and spit it out in ashes. I was in my stocking feet. But at least I had time to grab a pair jeans. This was just plain luck. The fact that I was even dressed at all was chance. If it hadn’t been so cold….well, just to say I don’t own a pair of pjs. But Saturday was cold, cold enough that I kept on my socks when I went to take a nap.
Within an half hour I had a pair of boots and a coat. My new belongings given with such heart from people I don’t even know! It was like that all afternoon into the night, food, clothing and so many offers of help. One man from the village, who I didn’t know at all even offered his second house for as long I wished! And the number of beds to lay down my head….too many to count. And the best, I now six tubes of toothpaste with brushes to go with, four deodorants, four shampoos and two shower soaps. NOW, who says that the French don’t bath!
With the Coin Perdu lost in the fire I thought I would have to cancel the Saint Valentine's dinner that was organised for Saturday Feburary 13, but, no. Jean-Luc and Sylvie have graciously "loaned" me
their restaurant Auberge Sainte Anne and have even offered pro bona their services.
Here are the Christines decorating the Sainte Anne.
The dinner was a success but I have to admit it was hard for me. Not to be in my own kitchen I was looking all over for everything.
The Christines with whom I was doing the dinner have also organized a thé dansant (an afternoon tea dance) without my knowledge and the benefits are for me. With all this generosity has come the discovery just how much I have been accepted by this village. In spite of my horrible no-good accent and strange ways they somehow still love me!!
But I can't accept the tea dance money. Yes, my life will never be as it was before; I will never have what I had before. But what I will have will still be so much more than so many others. I will be giving many thanks to those who will be dancing Sunday afternoon and I will giving the money to the woman who helped clean my house something I will no longer need and to a couple that I know are struggling to pay their rent.
But did I have a good time at that Tea Dance!! It was karoke and the music I love. I took great advantage of the fact that absolutely no one was going to tell me to stop singing because of my horrible, terrible, no good voice; they wouldn’t have the heart to say that to someone whose house just burned down. SOooooooooooooooooo I sang my heart out much to the chagrin of the listeners.
After the kids left...
Kristi Anderson is the orignal owner of Tea & Tattered Pages and until February 6, 2010 ran a bed and breakfast near Orléans.
kristi anderson
le saint jacques le coin perdu
15, place de l'église
45240 Ligny le Ribault
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
A pheasant in the pot....
After feeding the four footed zoo (they are easy, it is "croquettes" otherwise known in English as kibble) I am thinking what I should do about the two footed beasts in the house (Samantha Laurent and I) as we usually desire something more than kibble.
Sologne,just next to the Loire Valley is the hearting center of France. We have thousands of forested acres where the deer and, not buffalo, but "sanglier" (boar) roam as well as pheasants and partridges.
Here I am with one. Now that is about 130kg of BEAST!
Yesterday was the last day of the season, at least for the pheasants and a neighbor was nice enough to give me one.
A beauty he is.
Because hunting is so important here in Sologne, game cooking is one of the regional delights. In fact, I give a cooking course in it at my B&B www.TheAmericanFrog.com.
The name of the course? "Eat Like a Wild Man - The Art of Elegant Game Cooking"
The "Eat like a Wild Man" is also the title of a very good game cookbook by Rebecca Grey that I use quite often. I will be doing a variation of her Etruscan Pheasant
1 whole pheasant
1 lemon
l large red onion
4 tbsps butter (I use "escargot" butter, garlic and parsley mixed into the butter)
2 cups chopped veggies (I used carrots and onions)
1/2 cup wine (I replaced it with my smoked chicken stock
1 tbsp your choice of herbs (I used sage and thyme)
Soak a terra-cotta pot for 30 minutes. Rinse, pat dry, then rub the pheasant with lemon salt and pepper it. Put 2 tbsps butter along with a quartered onion into the cavity. Put the pheasant into the rinsed pot, add the veggies, herbs and the wine or stock. Cover pot and put it into a cold oven for 90 minutes at 450°F, 230°, 8 gas mark.
But to go with the pheasant...yes, of course, Brussels sprouts!
This is easy too, but it does take some time. I slice the carrots then grill them just a bit, with a little butter. When they start to brown I add the brussels sprouts, then about 1/2 smoked chicken stock. I let it reduce, stirring occassionally. I "braise" the vegtables by continuing to add a little of the stock at a time until tender. I add about 1/2 cooked bacon and crumble chestnuts just add the end of the cooking.
I served it with, what I think, is the best Cherveny wine, Domaine des Huards. It is a local Loire Valley wine, their winery is just 20 minutes from our B&B.
The poor Loire Valley wines get lost among the Grand Crus from Bordeaux. Since living here I have happily tried most of them and find many very very good. The Domaine des Huards I serve at my "table d'hôtes" (dinner for my B&B guests). And, the best thing, is since they don't keep as well as a Bordeaux you can drink them sooner!
Kristi Anderson, the original owner of Tea & Tattered Paris, now runs Saint Jacques, le coin perdu. A B&B located just 1 1/2 south of Paris near Orléans.
Saint Jacques le Coin Perdu
15, place de l'église
45240 Ligny le Ribault
TheAmericanFrog@aol.com
Sologne,just next to the Loire Valley is the hearting center of France. We have thousands of forested acres where the deer and, not buffalo, but "sanglier" (boar) roam as well as pheasants and partridges.
Here I am with one. Now that is about 130kg of BEAST!
Yesterday was the last day of the season, at least for the pheasants and a neighbor was nice enough to give me one.
A beauty he is.
Because hunting is so important here in Sologne, game cooking is one of the regional delights. In fact, I give a cooking course in it at my B&B www.TheAmericanFrog.com.
The name of the course? "Eat Like a Wild Man - The Art of Elegant Game Cooking"
The "Eat like a Wild Man" is also the title of a very good game cookbook by Rebecca Grey that I use quite often. I will be doing a variation of her Etruscan Pheasant
1 whole pheasant
1 lemon
l large red onion
4 tbsps butter (I use "escargot" butter, garlic and parsley mixed into the butter)
2 cups chopped veggies (I used carrots and onions)
1/2 cup wine (I replaced it with my smoked chicken stock
1 tbsp your choice of herbs (I used sage and thyme)
Soak a terra-cotta pot for 30 minutes. Rinse, pat dry, then rub the pheasant with lemon salt and pepper it. Put 2 tbsps butter along with a quartered onion into the cavity. Put the pheasant into the rinsed pot, add the veggies, herbs and the wine or stock. Cover pot and put it into a cold oven for 90 minutes at 450°F, 230°, 8 gas mark.
But to go with the pheasant...yes, of course, Brussels sprouts!
This is easy too, but it does take some time. I slice the carrots then grill them just a bit, with a little butter. When they start to brown I add the brussels sprouts, then about 1/2 smoked chicken stock. I let it reduce, stirring occassionally. I "braise" the vegtables by continuing to add a little of the stock at a time until tender. I add about 1/2 cooked bacon and crumble chestnuts just add the end of the cooking.
I served it with, what I think, is the best Cherveny wine, Domaine des Huards. It is a local Loire Valley wine, their winery is just 20 minutes from our B&B.
The poor Loire Valley wines get lost among the Grand Crus from Bordeaux. Since living here I have happily tried most of them and find many very very good. The Domaine des Huards I serve at my "table d'hôtes" (dinner for my B&B guests). And, the best thing, is since they don't keep as well as a Bordeaux you can drink them sooner!
Kristi Anderson, the original owner of Tea & Tattered Paris, now runs Saint Jacques, le coin perdu. A B&B located just 1 1/2 south of Paris near Orléans.
Saint Jacques le Coin Perdu
15, place de l'église
45240 Ligny le Ribault
TheAmericanFrog@aol.com
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