Knowing Nantes

Mont D'or, the golden gooey mountain of French cheeses

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 08:37:00 +0000

Went to dinner with friends a few months ago and they served us a cheese they put in the oven to get 'gooey'. Called “the holy grail of raw milk cheeses”, Mont d’Or (also called Vacherin Mont d’Or, and Vacherin Haut-Doubs). It's a fresh seasonal cheese served in the Winter in France,

Apparently the origin of this cheese was a point of contention between the Swiss and the French for centuries, with the Swiss finally conceding to the French. In Switzerland, it’s called Vacherin Mont d’Or, whereas in France, Vacherin refers to the same cheese molded and ripened in large wooden hoops, and the smaller ones, packed and sold individually, are called Mont d’Or.

It's delish and perfect for a Winter dinner party - but you have to know when to stop!

Smelly French storytelling from Maison Trudon... available now in John Lewis

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Sat, 20 Jun 2015 07:59:00 +0000

The "Josephine" Collection from Maison Trudon

I follow a 'fragrance' specialist from the UK called Odette Toilette. She appeared on BBC Radio 4 last week talking about the huge trend in scented candles worth currently 78 million pounds in the UK.

She was talking about the storytelling aspect behind some of the larger priced candles (ranging up to £195) Some of the candles found in their visit to John Lewis were produced by an 18th century French candle maker and smelt like the waxed floors in the Palace of Versailles or another with a fragrance inspired by Marie Antoinette.

Intrigued by this collection I tracked down the French company Maison Trudon which dates back to 1643 and uses only Beeswax to make its candles, in the 1700 the court of Louis 15th and the largest Parish churches were seduced by Trudon's candles. in 1737 Jérome Trudon bought the royal wax manufacturer and when Napoleon was crowned in 1811, Trudon supplied the Imperial court.

Talking about Napoleon, I wanted to take a closer look at one of its ranges, Josephine, sold at 65 euros. Here is Trudon's story, which brings the scent to life...

"The muffled light of dawn slips through the flower beds. A fine shadow sneaks among the roses, jasmine, camellias and irises. With her delicate green thumb, she awakens the dazzling fragrances of a garden with an imperial destiny."

You can even have your own wax pillar made by Trudon, as seen on the photograph below.

You can find the radio programme here, just click along to the part about Scented Candles (around 29 minutes in).

Nosing around Nantes.

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 08:34:00 +0000

Image courtesey of https://parfumsdenantes.wordpress.com/

Have any of you noticed particular natural odours or smells around Nantes? These could be from particular shops, or places (I'm not talking about the pumped odours from machines, like Nature et Decouvertes). I have already noted Talensac market, Hangar à bananes, Beghin Say sugar factory, le Lieu Unique, the Lu factory (not in the centre of Nantes now), le jardin des plantes, le marché de Noêl, and the printing museum. I also have noted some shops that have particular smells, but perhaps you have others?

Here's how someone describes the smell at le Lieu Unique:

"Dans la première salle au premier étage du Lieu Unique, un parfum de réminiscence sollicite l’olfaction, et la gustation.

C’est une odeur puissante et envahissante, telle qu’elle devait régner dans aux abords de l’usine à Nantes; une odeur qui fait saliver, où la vanille, exaltée par les effluves de la pâte en train de cuire, rencontre la texture friable du biscuit naissant. C’est doux et sucré comme un souvenir d’enfance, et celui d’une époque révolue."

This odour has been fabricated, it called LU+LU and was developed by Laurence Fanuel and Emmanuel Martini DC with the Nat’Arom technology. https://perfumedup.wordpress.com/2014/06/27/luetlu/

Image courtesey of https://parfumsdenantes.wordpress.com/

Perhaps you live in a road which refers to an odour that may have been there in the past. Take a look at these signs (right). Just by looking at them, we can imagine the odours coming from these particular places as we can see from the photo of rue de civelles at the top. We can imagine the scene, the sights, sounds and the smells...

I would like to develop a couple of new workshops around aroma, and one of them would focus on Nantes.

Here's a teaser of the longer video which was put together for an exhibition which took place in 2011 called Parfums de Nantes. Pity I missed it! Did any of you go along?

So get your noses twitching as you move around Nantes, and please post up here as a comment any sensory observations you have. If you do not know what the odour is, try to describe it (easier said than done, I know!)
Thanks in advance.

Getting to know Basse Goulaine...

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 09:07:00 +0000

We have lived in Basse Goulaine for 5 years now. When we arrived we went on walks around the town, we have been on numerous bicycle rides but until we received this year's annual Summer Magazine from Nantes Metropole, we hadn't really discovered our own town. In the back of the magazine there are various walks to do. So, last Sunday, with our in-laws, we did the 3.2km walk around Basse Goulaine, and discovered lots of treasures... the hidden manor houses, the people who owned them, and some of the traditions relating to Manor living. We started at the Cemetery... not a great place to start a walk, but I had never walked through it before or seen the commemorative plaque to first world war victims...

Then we walked up to the Moulin Souline, no longer in use this windmill is now part of a private property. We then walked down to the last farm in Basse Goulaine at la Quintaine. It wasn't open so we couldn't see much from the outside, but there was a lovely walk to follow in fields we had never discovered before (see number 4 on the link attached). Then we came across this Manor, la Manoir de la Prétière, Number 5 on the link attached).

Nice to look at, but not as interesting at this, the highlight, le chateau de la Ravelonnièr, (see 4 images below) one of the oldest sites in Basse Goulaine dating back to 1650. The second image below is the oven. These ovens were common to help those with no oven at home bake bread. Peasants, who didn't have ovens in their homes, didn't always have bread with meals, but they could bring the loaves they had prepared to the village's communal oven. There the baker would bake it for a fee, part of which would go to the lord. Peasant bread was usually coarse and brown. Interestingly, having done a little research on these ovens, bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "upper crust." which is where the expression "Upper Crust" comes from.

There was also a beautiful apple tree with lots of red apples (last image) just about to drop - too irrisistable - and perhaps they were for the use of the general public too? ;-) This property is now private, but we were able to go right up to the gate as the guard dog was pretty friendly and docile. A beautiful property.

Then, finishing our walk, very close to where we live, we could only see from the long outside stone wall, the grounds of the (now) a chambre d'hôtes - la domaine de la Champagnère take a look at this link It has an Italian style similar to to the architectural style found in Clisson.

We missed out the end of the walk which was the Church as we have been there for a communion, a marriage and a funeral already. It was good to get to know our neck of the woods. More on Basse Goulaine on future posts. We have the bug now to find out more about the history of our town.

Here is the link to the walk where you can find out all the history and details of each property. Perhaps you'd like to discover it too?

Laulhere, the last beret maker in France... they hope!

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 22:28:00 +0000

Image courtesey of www.bloomberg.com

Based in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, where the round and flat woollen hat was invented by shepherds to protect themselves from the Basque region’s damp, Laulhere prides itself on its “Made in France” label as foreign-made berets steal an increasing share of a shrinking market.

Rescued in a purchase by French military-garment maker Cargo-Promodis with a 500,000 euro ($686,000) injection in late 2012 part of President Francois Hollande’s competitiveness challenge. French companies are struggling to compete and retain market share due to fierce Asian competition.

The beret became fashionable for women in the 1930s and turned into a symbol of the French resistance during the German occupation in World War II. Armies in France and the rest of the world started adopting the beret as part of their uniform after the war.

Image of Tradition collection. Courtesey of Laulhere.

But did you know these interesting facts about the French beret?

When the ancient Roman male wished to become engaged to a girl, he merely snatched off her beret. This symbolized that she was accepted.
The aboriginal inhabitants of England during battle wore only close-fitting berets and no other apparel whatsoever.
The Lhardi tribes of Northern Tibet always wear berets made from the hair of departed relatives as a sign of respect.
Korean gentlemen always wear two berets, one above the other. They take off only the outer one when indoors.

And how do you like this one: Superstitious maidens of Afghanistan sleep with their native beret on so they will not be annoyed by evil spirits that prevent them finding a husband.
These facts are courtesey of http://beretandboina.blogspot.fr/2009/11/scientific-facts-on-beret.html

And now for more practical information... The traditional French beret is made with a half mile of merino wool and has a ring of leather inside to help it fit snuggly on the head. It’s waterproof and resistant to ultraviolet light. It keeps its shape even after it’s been rolled.

So if you haven't yet bought a beret, now might be the time... it might just save a great French tradition and a company proud to be "Made in France".

The Republican Marriage (or Murder by drowning) in Nantes...

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Sun, 15 Sep 2013 07:36:00 +0000

The Drownings at Nantes by Joseph Aubert

According to listeverse.com, ..."the Republican marriage (French: mariage républicain) was a form of execution that allegedly occurred in Nantes during the Reign of Terror in Revolutionary France which “involved tying a naked man and woman together and drowning them”. This was reported to have been practiced during the noyades massacres that were ordered by a local Jacobin, Jean-Baptiste Carrier, between November 1793 and January 1794 in the city of Nantes."

Most accounts indicate that the victims were drowned in the Loire River, although a few sources describe an other means of execution in which the bound couple is run through with a sword, either before, or instead of drowning.

According to Wikipedia, "...One historian described the use of the practice as follows: A Revolutionary Tribunal was established [at Nantes], of which Carrier was the presiding demon—Carrier, known in all nations as the inventor of that last of barbarous atrocities, the Republican Marriage, in which two persons of different genders, generally an old man and an old woman, or a young man and a young woman, bereft of every kind of clothing, were bound together before the multitude, exposed in a boat in that situation for half an hour or more, and then thrown into the river."

The origin of the term...
"The use of the term appears to be a mockery of the concept of "republican marriage" as an actual "secular" marriage. Books describe parents horrified to learn that their children planned a "republican marriage" instead of being married in a church.

At the time Napoleon and Josephine were married (in March 1796), "few people considered the religious ceremony at all necessary: people got married with so much facility, and in so simple a manner, that the exaggeration is merely verbal which states that the republican marriage ceremony was completed by dancing round a tree of liberty, and that the divorce was effected by dancing round the same tree of liberty backwards" "

According to the blog www.bunniesand beheadings.com, as many as 2,000 prisoners were drowned in the Loire River. Maria Williams described how “innocent young women were unclothed in the presence of the monsters; and, to add a deeper horror to this infernal act of cruelty, were tied to young men, and both were cut down with sabers, or thrown into the river; and this kind of murder was called a republican marriage.”

I wonder what other stories relate to this river which runs through the city of Nantes...

Vegetarian Restaurants in Nantes from our FB page

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 07:38:00 +0000

Some recent recommendations from KN's Facebook page by our members...

Siobhan Gately http://www.restaurant-laurence.com/

restaurant-laurence.com - Accueil - Restaurant de Laurence à Nantes. Tendances végétariennes et bio.

www.restaurant-laurence.com

restaurant-laurence.com - Restaurant de Laurence à Nantes. Tendances végétariennes et bio - Restaurant, salon de thés et vente de thés - Accueil

Alison Parratt Unfortunately lots of french restaurants don't know what vegetarian means ! I would try the indian restaurants where he can order a vegetable curry with rice. We recently tried a new (for us) one in rue des Vieilles Douves (off place Royale) and it was very good.

Esther Young Try organic restaurants/cafés, which would usually have at least one vegetarian option! I went to L'ile verte which was okay and somebody told me about la Dinette d'Annette, which is near Rond point de Rennes (not very central)....

Zoe Lacey Resto revue, tiny restaurant near the cathedral. Lots of vegetable dishes but meat dishes too. It's surprisingly cheap too
Zoe Lacey http://www.lestablesdenantes.fr/resto-revues-2013/Restaurant Resto-revues - Les Tables de Nantes - Restaurants et gastronomie à Nantes www.lestablesdenantes.fr

Sue Alouche Tablo Gourmande does some nice tartines, tarts and salads and there are some vegetarian selections amongst them I think http://www.tablo-gourmand.com/restaurant/sugestions

Find other restaurant suggestions from our members here: Member's Restaurant Reviews

Recent Restaurant Reviews in Nantes from KN's Facebook Page...

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 07:33:00 +0000

Micro Restaurant Review: http://www.2potesaufeu.fr/
This is one of my favourite restaurants in Nantes not just because it's the closest decent place serving food I've yet to be disappointed in their food and have probably eaten there about 7 or 8 times at this stage (for lunch) They've a plat du jour / nice menu selection ... a touch more expensive than a lot of lunch menus but well worth it in my opinion. ( on the tram Line 1 get off at Souillarderie lot of construction going on around the place but it's well worth a visit to the restaurant ) by James Larkin.

Favourite Restaurants in Nantes: Here's a few from our members:

Judy K Frels Le Pallatium, Le Paludier, Casa Nostra, La Pasta (if you can catch it open), and

Jay Seius "le 1" looks like they moved to another location
Alison Parratt Too many to mention !! In the centre Le coq en pâte springs to mind, but if you want a really good "gastronomique" try Le Clos Saint Thomas at Sucé sur Erdre, or Villa Belle Rive by the pont de Bellevue.
Andrea Singer Le Paludier, Pieds dans le Plat, Shalimar, Le 1, Le coq en pâte, Tai shogun, ... - aaah - stop asking these questions, I'm on a diet here ...
Kate Thomas Colleen, my faves were: Le Vanola (esp in the "salle traditionale"), Restaurant Jade (delish Vietnamese) on Quai de la Fosse, Les Copains d'Abord, La Pasta, Shalimar, Inde et Vous, Creperie La Broceliande, Les Comptoirs d'Armorique (must reserve!), Le Rital (my fave pizzas in Nantes), and was learning to love a new one on Rue Joffre: La Pie Colette. *sigh*
Zoe Lacey Bouche a oreille, rue jean jacques Rousseau. Been going there for over 10 years and never been disappointed.

10 Events to Celebrate Nantes' Green Future...

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:02:00 +0000

I promised you in my last post that I'd tell you more about the events planned this year to celebrate Nantes as the European Green Capital... you can find them here, thanks to Nantes Just Imagine.

Perhaps this is the year for you and Knowing Nantes to organise a Green event in Nantes? Any ideas, please drop them on a comment here, would be great to hear your views, and perhaps together we can make them happen...!

During this year, you might see this amazing machine travelling around... It's called Aéroflorale II and it was built by les Machines des iles, the same people that built the elephant and the famous Nantaise Giant... It is the symbol of Nantes green year and it will travel across Europe to share Nantes' green ideas.

This novel greenhouse is made up of three sub-sections: four legs attached to the main body, a greenhouse similar to that of an 18th century botanical garden, and an aerostat made up of five balloons, which are on top the structure and make it fly. Aéroflorale is 16 metres tall and weighs eight tons, it is made of perforated steel, larch and canvas.

The "Nantes European Green Capital 2013" tour will visit four cities European cities: Brussels, Hamburg, Turin and Istanbul with a team of scientists, politicians, and environmental professionals at the helm. It aims to raise awareness of the environment and biodiversity among the general public.

For more about Nantes European Green Capital 2013 take a look at the official website.

A very Happy (Green) New Year 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 07:53:00 +0000

Firstly, I know it's been a while since the last post, but here I am again bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for this new year!

Why a Green New Year? Because Nantes is turning very green this year... It has been nominated as European Green Capital 2013 and as a result has many ecological initiatives already in place, hence the award, and a year packed-full of green events...

I'll bring you more news on that later.

You can find a post about this here from Nantes Just Imagine
And here at EcoCity

And they'll be another to follow later on today about the events coming up for professionals and the general public alike.

So keep it GREEN and perhaps think of ways your neighbourhood can participate and become more eco? Have some green initiatives...?

Christmas is coming... the goose is getting fat... so where can we buy unique, local gifts...?

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 23:12:00 +0000

There are some great Christmas Market and Fairs in the Pays de la Loire at this time of year, a great way to buy local or regional products.

Here's one at Chateau de Brissac, Anjou, details thanks to Guide to Pays de la Loire

Cheateau Brissac the tallest chateau in France.

Chateau de Brissac, Anjou is the tallest Chateau in France and each year it holds a Christmas Market.

"A fairytale atmosphere and amazing Christmas decorations await the visitor to Chateau de Brissac. Christmas trees aplenty sparkle with traditional decorations and lights as Chateau de Brissac at Christmas gives a whole new meaning to 'Deck the Halls with boughs of holly'. It's much more than just a Christmas Market as the chateau comes alive for a magical Christmas experience for all the family.

For Santa Claus, too, it's a big event as not only does the Big Man himself attend, but so do 50 of his helpers!

Traditional music and the tempting wafting smells of warm brioches, chocolate and of course mulled wine add to atmosphere and magic of Christmas in beautiful surroundings.

Chateau de Brissac's Christmas Fair is one not to be missed!"

Date: 24/25 November 2012

Prices Adults 8 euros 50 and children 2-12 1 euro.

Another unique Christmas event is the Christmas Market underground at the Chateau de Brézé, 8 and 9 December 2012.

Held in the underground fortress, there will be around 50 stalls selling their regional Christmas specialities, whether artistic, delicious foods.

Father Christmas will be there for the children along with other animations such as story-telling, pony rides.

Christmas Market underground at Brézé Castle

This is also coming up at Vallet... in vineyard country, not far from where I live.

..and here's a great link to all the Christmas markets going on in the Pays de la Loire region, like the one below:

Christmas Brocante, Saint Herblain, 9/10 November

9-18.30 Friday and 9-17.30 Saturday.

at the Social centre in la Bernardiére. Large number of games and toys, verified and washed for those families in need of aid this Christmas.

Organised by Secours Populaire.

There are also other festive events such as carol concerts...

Carol Service in English 9 December 2012 5.30pm.

Followed by Refreshments.
L'Eglise Vie Nouvelle, 27 Quai Carnot, 49400 Saumur.
Contact Leonard Clark for more info on 0241599073 or 0666611720

Try and buy from local shops and suppliers this Christmas and support your local communities...

My local Christmas Fair at Basse Goulaine is always great for those little stocking fillers and delicious local foods... except last year, when I was strongly encouraged by a stallholder to eat a cracker with some supposedly delicious snail pate which made me feel really sick! That's one local product I won't be buying this year!

Please also feel free to add your own services or products as comments here and share them with our readers...

"Parlons du Monde" a new radio programme from Nantes, starts tonight...

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 22:18:00 +0000

"Parlons du Monde", a new radio station from The International Agency, Nantes has produced a radio series in partnership with Euradio the European Radio station based in Nantes. Each month you can find out more about current European and International news from Nantes Saint Nazaire.

The first show broadcast this evening on frequency 101.3 includes: a presentation of the International Agency Nantes Saint-Nazaire: You can hear it here

1 – Why create an international agency?

2 – On what values are local communications based at an international level?

3 – What tools do the agency make available to local actors to talk about Nantes Saint-Nazaire?

4 – An example of a successful operation: Interview with Frédéric Degouzon, director of Strategy of l'école de Design Nantes Atlantique

If you are a partner of the International Agency and wish to participate in our programme, contact them here:

"Parlons du Monde" A new radio programme from The International Agency, Nantes.

Rachel Goasdoué

Animateur de réseaux

r.goasdoue@nantes-international-agency.com

02 40 74 12 80

Unusual places to stay in Nantes....

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 21:53:00 +0000

Over recent years there has been a trend worldwide towards staying in unusual places... Nantes is no exception... here are a selection of places to stay which are out of the ordinary... please check back and tell us what you thought of them.

1. la Villa Cheminée, Bouée, near Cordemais
A small house perched 15 metres high designed by Tatsu Nishi as part of the art Festival Estuaire in 2009 to look like a factory chimney, this is a unique place to stay with its own small garden and a great view of the Loire Estuary. You can find a video of it here plus details of how to rent.

2. La Cabane du Capitaine Nemo. Rue du Briord Nantes.

This maisonette is situated in the centre of Nantes and has a nautical theme. There are services included in this deal, such as food delivery. There is a sleeping area, flat-screen TV and bathroom and show. A stone's throw from the cathedral.

3. The Villa Hamster Gite allows you the chance to live like a rodent, complete with fur costumes and a romantic hamster wheel for 2 to play on...

"A compact space of 18m2 in a building dating back to the 1700s, the unusual rental home has been deliberately designed to evoke a hamster's cage. It boasts such authentic facilities as containers of organic grain, a water tube which guests can sip, and a double bed accessible only by a step ladder and a quick scramble on all fours. The pièce de résistance is a 2m-wide metal wheel in which both residents, if they wish, can take a turn side-by-side." reported The Guardian back in 2009 when this gite opened its doors to hamster-loving customers. You can reserve the Villa Hamster here.

4. Le D'O, urban gite/boat on the River Erdre, Ile de Versailles Nantes.

This stylish place to stay opened in 2009, it's a promenade boat from the 30s of 45 metres2 with an indoor and outdoor terrace with magnificent views of the river, the perfect stay for a weekend...

Book here...

5. Hotel Sozo, Nantes.

The Sozo is a 4 star hotel in the centre of Nantes in a completely transformed 19th century chapel, 28 rooms offer a unique mix of design and historical architecture. The Sozo offers all the luxuries of 4 star living including 24 concierge and WIFI, seminar rooms etc. Find out more here

Past Events "A Cuppa and a Declutter..."

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 06:42:00 +0000

In August we organised our first event around clutter and cuppa's... it was a great success with around 20 people coming along on a sunny afternoon to get rid of their clutter, have a cuppa and some delicious English and French cakes and biscuits... children came along too.

To be held again!

The De-clutter in full swing!

Nantes had a unique taste last Friday Night... it was served by Alain Plassard

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 20:12:00 +0000

Photograph courtesey of Ouest France

I went along to an interesting event last Friday evening at the Castle in Nantes. It was the closing event of the 'Voyage a Nantes' an artistic and cultural festival which took place all Summer here in the City.

This event was called "des Goûts Unique" (unique tastes) and was managed by Alain Passard a well known, celebrated French chef "a specialist in Vinegar and raw vegetables" with 3 star rating for his Parisien restaurant l'Arpege. The event, a dinner for 1,000 people, took place in the Castle Inner Courtyard with a magical ambience of thousands of twinkly lights, fresh herb plants giving off the most amazing odours and Alain Passard's team cooking up dinner in front of us all...on a large screen a projection was made of him making the sauce for the starter, which was delicious - a mix of raw vegetables and fruits with his famous sauce made from Acacia honey, lemon juice and olive oil.

The tables were arranged in long banks and as tickets were sold on a first come first served basis, most people were sitting next to those they did not know at all... giving a very quiet atmosphere to the evening.. no-one was talking to anyone!

Photograph courtesey of Voyage a Nantes

The end of the evening was magical with the theme tune from Harry Potter and lots of floating paper lights moving in the wind against the walls of the inner courtyard of the chateau lit dimly with LEDs... a lovely effect.

All-in-all, an unusual, memorable evening, a lovely dinner with friends from Paris and their friends (one of which was the scenographer of the event), food = starter lovely, main course of duck, delicious (but cold deliberately) would have been nicer warm? And my dessert an Apple dish with sablé biscuits, a custard sauce made with Sel de Geurande... delicious!!

The tickets were 30 euros each... apparently if you eat at Alain Passard's restaurant you can pay up to 360 euros...all in all, very good value.

Here is one of Alain Passard's recipes, typical of his attention to the vegetable and its sauce...

Sweet Onions with Curry and Parsley Coulis

CONTRIBUTED BY ALAIN PASSARD

SERVINGS: 4

FAST
VEGETARIAN

Cooking does not get much easier than this. At L'Arpège, Alain Passard serves these tender onions with a sprinkling of curry powder, making for an unusual and versatile side dish.

Plus: More Vegetable Recipes and Tips

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds sweet onions, such as Vidalia, Maui or Walla Walla, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
Sea salt
1/4 pound flat-leaf parsley, tough stems discarded
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock or canned low-sodium broth
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon Madras curry powder

Melt the butter in a large skillet; pour off 2 tablespoons and set aside. Add the onions and a pinch of salt to the skillet and toss until evenly coated. Moisten a piece of crumpled parchment or wax paper and press it on the onions. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the parsley and blanch until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain and press the parsley dry, then transfer it to a blender. Add the reserved 2 tablespoons of melted butter, the stock and lemon juice and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a small saucepan.
Toast the curry powder in a small skillet over moderate heat until fragrant and lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate.
Gently warm the parsley sauce and spoon it onto plates. Mound the onions in the center, sprinkle with the curry powder and serve.

The Deliciously Addictive Pineau Apero!

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 15:31:00 +0000

Having downed large-ish amounts of Pineau des Charentes on my recent holiday to the ile de Ré... I wanted to find out more about this deliciously addictive aperitif!

This drink was developed by chance, so the story says...

Henri IV was made King of France in 1589; that very year during the harvest in Charente, a Burie producer, who lived between Saintes and Cognac, stored his grape must in a barrel for fermentation and forgot that a bit of alcohol was left in this barrel. A few years later, an abundant harvest required the use of all available containers, including the said barrel. The mix turned out to be amazing and the producer’s name -Pineau- remained.

The story is a perfect description of Pineau des Charentes… an improbable mix of grape juice and Cognac. This beautiful alliance requires some time to blend: 18 months aging according to legislation. This is what gives Pineau all its flavour. It has to be aged in oak barrels for 5 years minimum to be labelled “old” and for 10 years minimum to be labelled “extra old”. Pineau belongs to the “mistelles” wine category. This name finds its origin in the Italian word “misto”, meaning mixture.

For a long time, Pineau des Charentes was kept a secret. Bottles of this unique wine were hidden, only to be used for important occasions.This fortified wine is now known around the world and is France’s most famous sweet, fortified wine.

It is a very hard wine to describe. It is really a combination of wine and Cognac as the history indicates. It's perfect for an apero with or without ice (I prefer it with ice)...

The regulations governing production of Pineau des Charentes are quite strict. For a start the product must come from the Charentes region. The grapes used for the must should be Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, Colombard, Sémillon, Sauvignon or Montils. Pressing must be light to ensure the pressed juice is of high quality. The cognac used for blending must be a minimum of one year old, 60% or higher alcohol by volume, and from the same vineyard as the must.

According to the Comité National du Pineau des Charentes the finished product must be matured in oak barrels for a minimum of 18 months. Other sources mention minimum maturation of 8 months for red pineau and 12 months for white, so there seems to be some ambiguity on this point. Old pineau can be aged for 10 years or longer. The alcoholic strength by volume must be in the range 16-22%. Most pineau is a blend of roughly one quarter cognac to three quarters wine must, with an alcoholic strength of around 17%.

The vast majority of pineau is either consumed within France or exported to Francophone markets. Less than 25% of pineau production is exported, and over 90% of exports go to Belgium and Canada.

I have also found a cocktail recipe using Pineau if you are interested to try something different?

The Reaulais

2 oz pineau
½ oz cognac
½ oz pineapple juice
1 dash grenadine
2 oz champagne or sparkling wine
Shake everything except the champagne over ice. Strain into a glass and top with champagne.
A very rich yet slightly lively drink. There are no real surprises but it is most pleasant. (Source http://talesblog.com/)

KN's Next Event, a Cuppa and a De-Clutter!

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:59:00 +0000

If you feel like a nice cuppa, some cake and a de-clutter of all those things you've been meaning to get rid of (either with money or with a swapsy) then come along to this KN end of Summer event, when hopefully the sun will be high in the sky and we can have a little vide grenier outside in the garden... See you here? (The event is at my house) email me for more info or leave a comment on this blog).

Tuesday, 28 August 2012 14:30 until 18:00

French Cheesecake - the Tourteau Fromagé

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 09:26:00 +0000

The Toureau Fromagé - a protected recipe Cheesecake a specialisty of Deux Sevres.

The traditional Tourteau Fromagé is a traditional Poitou Charentes cheesecake that has a very specific appearance. It is unique in the Poitou Charentes gastronomy and may also be the only cake with such an appearance on the French culinary scene.

This traditional French cake's recipe is rustic and makes use of salt and cheese. The final result is a spongy yellow cake with a black crust called Tourteau Fromagé. This cake is barely known in France.

It is made of goat cheese (since two thirds of the French goats are raised in the Poitou Charentes region) and eggs, flour and sugar. This round-shaped cheese looks like its top had been overcooked and burnt.

Where does it's name come from? Fromagé means ‘with cheese’, and Tourteau could originate from the word tourte which means ‘pie’, but its shape also resembles that of a crab called Tourteau in French.

This speciality is produced in the Deux Sevres, a little-known department of Poitou Charentes. The Tourteau Fromagé cheese was created in the 19th century and according to the legend is the result of an accidently burned cake, the top of which was eventually good and helped to keep the cake very fresh inside.

The charcoal-like top is now obtained by baking in a very hot oven before lowering the temperature for the rest of the baking time.

Like many other Deux Sevres and Poitou Charentes outstanding food products, a brotherhood was created by producers to protect and promote the original recipe.

London Olympics 2012 the New Chariots of Fire...?

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Sat, 28 Jul 2012 08:46:00 +0000

The last time the Summer Olympics was held in France was in 1924. It was the second time Paris had hosted the games, after 1900. The selection process for the 1924 Summer Olympics consisted of six bids, and saw Paris selected ahead of Amsterdam, Barcelona, Los Angeles, Prague and Rome.

"The cost of the Games of the VIII Olympiad was estimated to be 10,000,000₣. With total receipts at 5,496,610₣, the Olympics resulted in a hefty loss despite crowds that reached 60,000 people at a time." Source Wikipedia.

In all, over 3,000 athletes participated in the events, representing 44. countries.

Paavo Nurmi, called a "superman," was back running and won gold in the 1,500-metre (set an Olympic record), 5,000-metre (set an Olympic record), and the 10,000-meter cross-country run. Chariots of Fire the 1981 British film, tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice.
Here are some video highlights from the 1924 Olympics.

Interestingly, then, we saw the link again last night at the 2012 Ceremony between Chariots of Fire and the 1924 Olympics... but with a difference, Simon Rattle conducting the London Symphony orchestra, made of up one very talented pianist, Rowan Atkinson...

These Games introduced the Closing Ceremony ritual as we know it today. This involves the raising of three flags: the flag of the International Olympic Committee, the flag of the host nation and the flag of the next host nation. It was the first time that the athletes were accommodated in an Olympic Village, a group of wood cabins and it was the first Olympics to be broadcast. There were a total of 625,000 spectators and 1 000 journalists.

If we look at the 2012 Olympics which opened last night, there are some amazing comparisons with 1924.

10,500 competitors will take part from 205 nations taking part in 26 sports. Taking part in the Paralympic Games will be 4,200 competitors from 147 nations taking part in 21 sports. Over 9 million tickets will be sold for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Cost around 9 billion pounds... (let's hope that the UK get some money back to cover this enormous cost!)

The International Broadcast Centre, based in the Olympic Park, will be a 24 hour media hub for around 20,000 broadcasters, photographers and journalists, who will bring the Games to an estimated four billion people worldwide

The wonderful part of the Opening Ceremony for me was the Olympic Torch being lit... and the doves of peace on bicycles... see the highlights of last night here including 007!

The Olympic Flame stands for peace, unity and friendship let's hope that the Olympic Games 2012 stand for that... SO proud to be British!

Patrick Rimbert the new mayor of Nantes...

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 21:57:00 +0000

As you already know, France is now under the reign of a Socialist Government headed up by François Hollande and Nantes' ex mayor, Jean-Marc Ayrault.

Well the new government now has lots of women and lots of lefties...

Image courtesy of http://www.pascalcardonna.fr

So how about Jean-Marc Ayrault's predecessor Patrick Rimbert?

Patrick Rimbert became Mayor of Nantes on 29 June 2012, following Jean-Marc Ayrault’s resignation from this position due to his appointment as Prime Minister.

Jean-Marc Ayrault and Patrick Rimbert - Image courtesey of lexpress.fr

Rimbert is a former senior lecturer in economics, with particular interest in employment issues and urban regeneration policies, he was a member of the French Parliament from 1995 to 2001, then First Deputy Mayor of the City of Nantes and finally Vice President of Nantes Métropole.

He has led major urban projects in l’Ile de Nantes and Malakoff. Strongly pro-European, he is currently Treasurer of EUROCITIES.

There seems to be lots happening in Nantes in terms of particularly developing its cultural policy this seems to be important to a lot of other French cities too as this article points out...

It begs an interesting question which the opponents, the Conservative party raise, should we be

protecting our heritage or creating a new type of culture to attract tourists...?

I personally think that Nantes is doing a great job of creating both new cultural events and happenings for local residents and tourists... as well as retaining and renovating Nantes' existing heritage - an example, the complete renovation of the Castle at Nantes and now a 3 year programme to completely renovate and extend the Musée de Beaux Arts.

What do you think?

The Tour Bretagne becomes the perfect nesting place...

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 21:02:00 +0000

Image courtesey of nantes-tourisme.com

This article originally appeared on Guide2PaysdelaLoire.com, an English language website covering travel, places to see and life and living in Pays de la Loire region in France. It is reproduced here with their permission.

La Tour Bretagne, Nantes - an iconic 1970s skyscraper in the centre of Nantes, France

The skyline of Nantes is dominated by La Tour Bretagne which opened on 18th November 1976. This building, principally given over to offices, is situated between la place de Bretagne and la place de l'Écluse, on the former course of the river Erdre.

At 144 metres in height, (about 470 feet) the Tour Bretagne is the third tallest building in France (outside Paris) behind la tour Part-Dieu in Lyon and la tour CMA-CGM in Marseille.

History of La Tour Bretagne in Nantes

La Tour Bretagne was designed by British architect Claude Devorsine in the early 1970s.

The area around the place de Bretagne was badly damaged during the Allied bombing raids on the city of Nantes during the Second World War. La Tour Bretagne formed part of redevelopment plans for this area of central Nantes conceived during the 1960s. The new tower was intended to represent Brittany’s economic strength, a beacon of re-generation. It was so called since Nantes lies historically within the ancient province of Brittany, although, administratively, it is situated in Pays de la Loire region.

Between 1966 and 1968, the architect Claude Devorsine and Marcel Andre, consulting engineer, designed a building to be build on an awkward shaped trapezoid parcel of land in Nantes city centre.

It is easy to see how attitudes to urban buildings and architecture have changed over the last 50 years or so since, in conception, the Tour Bretagne would comprise:

parking, spread over six floors(!) and featuring a petrol station which cars would access by an external ramp
a vast shopping centre, located immediately above the third level, with 25 shops and a self-service restaurant
offices in all the floors above
a terrace with a panoramic restaurant

Work began on 30th September, 1971, and after several delays, La Tour Bretagne was eventually opened in 1976.

A cuckoo in the nest...

La Tour Bretagne was not exactly loved by the people of Nantes at its inception, often decried as being of stark and monolithic appearance and not in keeping with the surrounding Nantes architecture. That large sections of the new structure were dedicated to car parking and office space, can hardly have endeared it to the inhabitants of Nantes, the Nantais.

It took almost 30 years for La Tour Bretagne to be accepted as part of the fabric of Nantes when the building started to feature on postcards of the city, having previously been notable by its absence from any views of the city designed to attract tourists.

Le Nid – the Nest atop La Tour Bretagne

In mid-June 2012 as part of the Voyage à Nantes cultural and architectural exhibition, which received publicity all over France and is renowned for its unusual street architecture and scenes, the rehabilitation of La Tour Bretagne was complete. The terrace high up on the 32nd floor of La Tour Bretagne was re-opened to the public after having been closed for almost 10 years.

As part of the Voyage à Nantes project, at the instance of renowned graphic artist Jean Julien, floor 32 of La Tour Bretagne became ‘Le Nid’ a restaurant and theme bar depicting a huge ‘bird’s nest’ inviting customers to sit on eggshells nearly 150 metres up. Le Nid offers visitors unrivalled 360° over the city of Nantes, the river Loire which flows through the city and out towards the surrounding countryside, the Muscadet vineyards and the Loire estuary towards the port of Saint Nazaire.

Opening times for Le Nid:

From 15 to 30 June: 14h-19h Mon-Thur; 10h-19h Sundays; Fri-Sat 10h-02h (2 a.m.)

From 1 July- 2 Deptember: Mondays 14h to 02h (2 a.m.); Tues-Sun 10h to 02h (2 a.m.)

From 2nd September 2012 – Times to be confirmed.

For more information on Guide 2 Pays de la Loire take a look here

One bike, a string of onions and a beret please!

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 22:48:00 +0000

Images courtesy of www.creativeroots.org

We all have stereotypes of different countries don't we, but are they really true? What are your stereotypes about France? Mine, bicycles, berets, onions, baguettes, garlic and Gauloises... are they true? I don't see many people with strings of onions over their shoulders, but I'd say the others are pretty true still...

Here's a great web-site by Creative Roots which has dedicated a page to everything French including the stereotypes we all have... So let's look at a few of their images...

The one above of the Loire Valley... I suppose it has the castles and the bicycle, but I don't really recognise this person as a Loire Vallian (not sure how you would say that!) or a Nantais? It says that Nantes is a cultural paradise... it is becoming that way, especially this Summer... And of course it has the wine that this region is known for, its vineyards of Muscadet amongst others...

And then there's this poster depicting Paris... with the centrepiece being the Eiffel Tower: perfume, cosmetics, wine of course... the boats on the Seine, the street cafés where you can smoke your Gauloises on the terrace outside! The monuments, and I love the pink baguettes... they are chic! Yes, this captures Paris, but there's something about the colours that don't...

But the video below is great... it has them all, the clichés we all think of when we think of France...
Voila! C'est tout! C'est le fin!

Can sugar really be that sweet!

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 09:14:00 +0000

Just came across this fab sugar shop in Paris... this is what epitomises Frenchness for me!
Take a look at their on-line shop, it's so sweet ;)

The Unique Place at Nantes - le Lieu Unique

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 07:36:00 +0000

Every month we hold our monthly bar in this unique building, I have loved this place ever since I moved to Nantes, as originally coming from Islington, I was used to spending a lot of time in this area, Hackney and Shoreditch, where you had fab "shab-chic" places like this in old factories and warehouse... so for me, le Lu (as it's called locally) was a little bit of London for me.

Well, not knowing much about the building other than the fact that it is the old biscuit factory for Lu Biscuits, I decided to do some exploration...

The Lieu Unique, is now a cultural centre created in the shell of the former biscuit factory.

After the LU company moved elsewhere the buildings stood empty for years, it was going to be demolished totally but ultimately it was saved from total demolition in order to retain one of the two prominent Belle Époque towers (see left).

During the 20th century, it was a Lefèvre-Utile factory. Today, the building is what is left of the architectural presence of LU in Nantes. The demolition of the manufacturer’s site started in 1974. It only left a decapitated tower and the building where the lieu unique is now. The disused spaces became a cultural squat.

After its refurbishment, it opened on January 1, 2000, it is housed in a former biscuit factory at the center of the city. It was founded by Jean Blaise and is now directed (since January 2011), by Patrick Gyger.

Scène nationale of Nantes (national center for contemporary arts), the lieu unique is a space which mixes genres, cultures and publics in the different areas of arts: visual arts, theatre, dance, circus, music, literature, philosophy, architecture and cuisine.

Now the Tour LU has been painstakingly restored to its former glory (a process which involved replicating its lost cupola) and is now open to visitors. There is also now a Hamman in the basement, and if you walk around to the back of the building you will find the "le Grenier du Siècle"... a museum of time capsules with personal objects left by 1000s of people living in Nantes. The items had to be left there betweek 1 October 1999 and 31 December 1999. The le Lieu Unique then opened on 1st January with its unique "Millenium Attic".

Image courtesey of http://www.nantes-tourisme.com/

The Magic of the Marine World... a unique Carousel opens this week!

noreply@blogger.com (Sue Alouche) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 07:12:00 +0000

Image courtesey of Nantes Tourism

You may have heard of Nantes' famous elephant? It has already paraded the streets of London, Liverpool and Japan... but have you heard of les Machines des îles? This is the place where this famous elephant was made... the most amazing mechanical creatures are made here... check out these beasts for example!

But the latest creation from this workshop of craftsmen, designers and engineers created by par François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice is the Marine World Carousel (Merry go Round)...

"On the Carousel, visitors become explorers as well as spectators as strange marine creatures revolve and pirouette all around them. They’ll discover many different aspects of the vastness of the oceans from the Giant Crab, the Reverse Propulsion Squid, or to the Bathyscaphe that climbs to the surface and descends to the ocean abyss..." Guide 2 Pays de la Loire

You can find out more about this new attraction that promises to be a hit with young and old alike here on Guide 2 Pays de la Loire.

Of course, this could all have been inspired by Jules Verne, who lived in Nantes when he was young and draw his inspiration from Nantes's proximity to the ocean. In his famous book Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea (1869... it is written:

"You like the sea, Captain?"

"Yes; I love it! The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides. The sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence. It is nothing but love and emotion; it is the 'Living Infinite,' as one of your poets has said. In fact, Professor, Nature manifests herself in it by her three kingdoms--mineral, vegetable, and animal. The sea is the vast reservoir of Nature. The globe began with sea, so to speak; and who knows if it will not end with it? In it is supreme tranquillity. The sea does not belong to despots. Upon its surface men can still exercise unjust laws, fight, tear one another to pieces, and be carried away with terrestrial horrors. But at thirty feet below its level, their reign ceases, their influence is quenched, and their power disappears. Ah! sir, live--live in the bosom of the waters! There only is independence! There I recognise no masters! There I am free!" (www.on-line literature.com)

And here again, his imagination runs wild with the creatures he finds under the sea...

So you see, Nantes history with the sea has created this imagination that people like François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice are now allowing the world to experience...

Here's further details about les Machines des îles... it's definitely worth a visit!

The Marine World Carousel opens on 15th July 2012.