Summer has arrived. We are now alternating between chard and summer squash every day. Last week we were keeping the house closed up because it was cold; this week it’s closed because it’s hot. I opened the windows to close the shutters against the afternoon sun and a lizard fell on my head. I don’t know where it went. In honor of summer I sent an email to Steve the … Continue reading →
These are not McDo’s or B.K.’s or Wendy’s cheeseburgers. They’re not children’s cheeseburgers. These are Adult Cheeseburgers. The beef is seasoned, hand-formed into a burger, cooked to medium at most, then topped with a strong, runny cheese – with a rind; not a manufactured slice of American cheese. I used goat cheese but Brie would work. Or Limburger. Or Stilton. It should be something that you can’t keep for long … Continue reading →
We’ve been enjoying real, thick, rare steak from the grill this summer – thanks to discovering a butcher that ages his beef and cuts it to order. A good steak is probably the only thing I’ve missed since moving to France. We never thought about beef in Ireland because the lamb was so good. In Andorra we had aged country, grass-fed veal that was fabulous. The beef in France is … Continue reading →
We love making giant stuffed burgers….. and giant stuffed cheeseburgers. I think it started when we stopped eating hamburgers on buns.. We can’t get buns here, and, as wonderful as French breads are, there really isn’t a substitute for a hamburger bun. They come close….. but not quite. Besides, big stuffed burgers are fun. You can fill them with lots of different stuff – just not all at once…. You … Continue reading →
I planted 4 kinds of onions this year, plus the shallots. We all know that the bunnies ate the shallots, but for a reason only known to bunnies, they left the onions alone. They are French bunnies, after all…. The brown onions and the red onions are pulled, cured, braided and hung in the cave. It wasn’t a particularly good year for any of them…. Possibly a bit too wet … Continue reading →
Did someone say Burgers? It’s summer…. It’s time for burgers…. In winter we love meatloaf; in summer we love giant stuffed burgers. You could make smaller burgers, but we like the big one. Cut it into wedges and let the cheese ooze out of the center. You can fill them with anything you like – this one is filled with mushrooms, olives and Gruyère cheese. A grill basket makes it … Continue reading →
I know, I know….. I finished grilling season a month ago….. But we’ve had some lovely weather and mon mari had this whole bag of charcoal and these steaks looked really good. What can I say…. I succumbed to the moment. I will have to admit that mon mari, while very happy that he got to play with fire one more time this fall, was not at all happy with … Continue reading →
