I use tapioca in the slow cooker to thicken sauces…. Because it’s easy. I add regular tapioca at the beginning, and if the sauce needs more at the end, I add instant tapioca. It never occurred to me that tapioca could be used as a thickening agent until I moved to France. It’s very popular here. If you prefer you can add maizena / cornstarch stirred into a bit of … Continue reading →
One of the things I love stocking up on when we go to the Asian market in Bordeaux is herbs. Yes, this is France, so I can buy big bags of Herbes de Provence at the Asian market. One of my finds on the last trip was dried celery leaves. It’s not anything I even thought about using or have ever seen being used, but it made so much sense … Continue reading →
I’m getting into this slow cooker thing….. This was another hit: the veal was falling off the bone, moist and flavorful. It was also totally unplanned as so many of our dinners are. Oh, the dinners involving pork chops or chicken breasts are always planned, but whenever I’m looking for something specific and a bit nicer for a weekend dinner it’s always a gamble. I’ve now learned that on my … Continue reading →
Our workers arrived Wednesday morning, 8am sharp (white van). About 10 minutes later the stairs arrived (blue truck). Naturally, the first order of business was to stand around for 15 minutes or so and catch up on the news. It turns out that the guy who brought the stairs, (white hair, nearest the truck) had been born in this house. As had his father before him. A discussion ensued as … Continue reading →
