Poached Egg with Polenta, Green Garlic and Asparagus; an Award

It must be spring! I've been out of the 'award' circuit for a long time and now two lovely awards in less than a month! This came from Christine, of Christine Cooks. The Beautiful Blogger Award. The rules (there are always rules) are simple:  Tell seven things about yourself and then pass the award on to other … Continue reading…

Shrimp Cocktail; Too many books; Weekly Menu

I love books. All sorts of books: big ones, tiny ones, new ones, old ones, fact, fiction, entertaining, teaching. Mon mari would say I like them a bit too much, since I have enough to start my own book shop…. or two. Today I unpacked my 'good' books.  The leather-bound hard cover books.  The books … Continue reading…

Velvet Corn Soup; Country v City Ham; Weekly Menu

I often call for Prosciutto in my recipes; not a lot, just a bit to add flavor.  It’s the case of a little going a long way. But, I never, or rarely, use actual Prosciutto. I use Bayonne or Vendéen or Serrano, or any number of other dry-cured hams that are available here. In my … Continue reading…

Spinach Strudel; Balsámico de Vinagre de Manzana

I love new toys! I decided I wanted to get these rings for making fancy stacks and gratins and things…. I thought I would have to go to a fancy food shop. I was wrong.  They were hanging right there with all the other standard kitchen utensils in my regular little supermarket.  Some things are … Continue reading…

White Pizza; The Stairs, part trois

Last July, when we decided it was time to order the stairs, we called 2 people for proposals. One was a local craftsman who would hand-make them to our specifications.  We’ve seen his work; they would have been gorgeous.  They also would have been slightly more expensive and he couldn’t do it until January. The … Continue reading…