THE CELIAC HUSBAND

FRUITS AND NUTS

2013-06-19T03:52:00.002-06:00

And some chickens. They live in a yard with some of my favorite trees.

I believe the main reason why we don't walk as much in American suburbs is for the lack of visual stimulation. Not much to see, other than the nicely manicured lawns and the neighbor's clean SUV.

Over here, I am not sure why, but we walk a lot. Besides that it allows me to stay on my "Two Croissants diet", the changes month to month and impressions are much more varied. Which is much less boring and sometimes even exciting.

If you like fruits fresh from the tree, or young hazelnuts, you should walk in rural France. Though plenty of the trees I walk by are on private property, but if their branches hang over the sidewalk and so low that all you need to do is open your mouth to grab a fig......ehm, well, I go and grab it. Just make sure there is no bee on the fruit.

If the fruit tree is on a property owned by the commune or town, just go to the first "busy body" fonctionaire, smile and ask if you can pick some fruits. I have yet to be turned down, I think they feel sorry for me as my french sounds very wooden to them. Poor guy needs some vitamins and less carbs......

In the fall if visit the Brocantes or if you look online, many locals sell jams or nut oil for 1.00/jar in every village. Amazing.

REINE CLAUDE

READY TO EAT

PLUMS ARE LATE THIS YEAR

ONE OF "MY" FIG TREES

STILL NOT READY

SOME NICE APPLES

DEEP RED CHERRIES

TWO KINDS OF HAZELNUT BUSHES

MAYBE ANOTHER MONTH THEY WILL BE READY

LOTS OF TREES ON THIS PUBLIC PROPERTY

FINAL BOWL OF LAST YEAR'S

NICE CHICKEN

HE RULES THE YARD

JARNAC ON THE MOVE

2013-06-17T01:13:00.005-06:00

It seems that spring and early summer has brought a hive of activity to town. New underground works to be done for an improved sewer system, the market being demolished for a new and better space, more and more "SOLD" signs on houses that were on the market.

And lots and lots of renovation going on in town.

I am not sure if this is an annual spike in rural France, or if finally some of that Cognac money is trickling down to the locals. After all, 2,5 billion US$ of annual (mostly export) sales, but if you walk around Cognac or neighboring strongholds of this industry, you would not know it.

I have heard from numerous people, both locals and expats, that the Charentaise people don't like to flaunt their hard earned cash for fear of taxation. apparently throughout history, this area has been a target on numerous occasions. Well. I understand that. Socialists in Paris may just invent another tax to grab a larger share.

So it is exciting to see smaller projects underway, renovated facades, old townhouses being converted into rental apartments and new businesses opening up.

QUITE A FEW SOLD SIGNS

A RENOVATION PROJECT....

SOLD!

PROPERTY ACQUIRED!

RENOVATION ON THE OUTSIDE

AND ON THE INSIDE

STILL WAITING FOR PERMISSION

A NEW FAMILY MOVING IN

PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT

REDOING THE SEWER SYSTEM

THE OTHER PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT, A NEW MARKET

THE RENOVATED HOTEL LIGARO

A NEW NAIL STUDIO

SADLY, THIS BAKERY SHUTTERED

NICE RENOVATION

OUR "RENOVATED" DOOR

AND ISABELLA'S TUB

IN HER OWN BATH ROOM

FROMAGE FRAIS

2013-06-12T11:49:00.001-06:00

Or Fromage blanc. One of my favorite desserts right now. You can find it at every Supermarket here, next to the Yoghurt products, it's similar to Cream Cheese, just tastier and better. The closest I can compare it to is Quark in texture and that is not easy to find in the States.

We buy our fromage frais from the cheese vendor at the market, she brings it in from a dairy company in St. Isigny. A bit more expensive than the supermarket versions from Danone, but well worth it.

A lot of restaurants offer this cheese for dessert with honey, not bad, but I prefer my dark brown cane sugar, which adds a nice molasses flavor to the cheese. A fairly rich proposition, so you should not eat to much of it.

FRESH CHEESE WITH UNREFINED CANE SUGAR

THERE'S SOME FAT IN THAT

SOME EXCELLENT SUGAR, FOUND IN GIBRALTAR

WHAT I BOUGHT AT THE BUTCHER'S TODAY

2013-06-11T04:53:00.002-06:00

I think they know me at the Butcher's. And all the food issues I am trying to explain. A great thing about small town France living is that you get to connect with the shopkeepers if that is what you want.

Which is great when you cannot eat things with gluten or other ingredients you can't stomach. Like onions. I don't want to over romanticize life in France There's much I could nag about), but small shops and their artisan keepers in this country are something to write home about.
Already most things I buy from this butcher are made in house and if they are not, they will go to source (many times another small business) to find out what is in that saucisson sec. What's the label say for the spices on the paprika flavored spice mix he uses.

But mostly I buy stuff they prepare sur place. One of my future posts will be about the shop itself and all the great things they offer.

Today's standout is the Pork tongue terrine. Thinly sliced, with some of Victoria's bread, very very good. Did you ever have it? I added a bit of horse radish to spice it up a bit.

How about freshly made Roast beef? Not the product with the same name at Sobey's. Real beef, really roasted at the shop and sliced that day.

THE HAUL

SAUCISSON SEC ESPELETTE (PAPRIKA)

SAUCISSON SEC

PÂTÉ DU CHEF

ROAST BEEF

TERRINE DE LANGUE DE PORC

JAMBON BAYONNE

AND THAT'S LUNCH

STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES

2013-06-07T01:12:00.001-06:00

Ever since Kindergarten in Las Vegas 10 years ago, it is my job to take Isabella to school. Here in France is the first place where we walk to school instead of driving. Through town and along the river for about 1,3 km, almost a mile. So with my walk back to the house being a detour to get to my favorite Croissant maker, I walk 2 miles every morning. Much needed, Croissants have a lot of butter in them.

Impossible to convey scents through pictures, but let me tell you, there are roses everywhere here in Jarnac. If I were to stop at each garden and smell them, it would be lunch time. The concept of growing colorful and sweet smelling Roses may have old origins since vintners use them to attract bees to their vineyards. Maybe they brought some home and started planting roses in their yards as well.

I have no idea how long it takes a rose bush to reach 2 meters in height, but I doubt it happens fast.

Enjoy the images.

FITTING, THAT WE HAVE A PAINTING WITH ROSES

ALLEY LUNCH

2013-06-06T05:22:00.002-06:00

So when we bought our house in Jarnac, we forewent a yard in lieu of being in the middle of it all. Any kind of green. While it is great for low maintenance and an even easier lock & leave property, we have only a small courtyard off the kitchen, which has a 3 meter wall and it can feel somewhat shaded at times.

But. We have an alley. A very long one. In the middle of Jarnac's pedestrian zone. A shortcut really, for people to walk through from one end to the other. When I came back for lunch from an all day auction today (how french is that??), I suggested to set up the small table in that alley and have lunch in the sun.

Maybe Victoria was skeptic to start with, but she already sits there every day to soak up some rays. Why not eat outside as well. So we did. Nothing major, the usual cold cuts and salad, ideal for this time of year when the sun beats down and you don't want to eat heavy lunches.

It was so nice in fact, that I am planning to put a larger table in the alley permanently, if Madame la Policier me laisser that is. She started ticketing cars a while ago that park at the end of our alley, behind the bollard.

It's for fire and rescue access she explained. not that any trucks could fit in that alley space....but if she says so, we smile and agree.

In case there is an emergency along that way (we are the only ones who live in that alley), there will be a table full of food and wine ready for the Pompiers after the rescue mission.

NO DRIVE THROUGH

IT'S A LONG HOUSE

IL NOUS MANQUE DU ROSE

PATE ESPELETTE, ROSBEEF, CHEESE, OLIVES & JAMBON BAYONNE

LE SALAD, BIEN SURE

BACK ENTRANCE TO THE UNION CAFE

DEMOLITION

2013-06-05T02:03:00.002-06:00

May 13th was the last day of Jarnac's fresh foods market. A smallish affair, but a very vital part of french village life. Open 6 days/week, with Tuesdays and Fridays being the "big" market days, that hall adds to the town center people meet, shop, gossip and get out of the house.

So now we have a temporary market along the river, not quite in the center Official construction time for the new structure is 12 month. If you talk to locals however, they say it may take more like 18 month, since the country needs employment and public projects are easy to stretch out and pad the numbers. What a concept of stimulus.

They started yesterday afternoon and this morning the big bulldozer came in and by the time I got around to take these pictures, the roof was gone. When we went to school at 8 am, the building was still complete. So maybe the cynics are wrong and this project comes in on time and budget.

THE MARKET IS GONE

A MORNING'S WORK

OPEN TO THE TOP

NOT WORTH SALVAGING

THE NEW MARKET SHOULD BE READY IN 12 MONTH

OF COURSE THERE IS A TEMPORARY LOCATION FOR ONE YEAR

GRAFFITI SIGNS SHOWING THE WAY

DUCK FOOD

2013-06-04T09:21:00.000-06:00

We do buy bread. Once in a while. Not for the house, but when it's nice outside and after school, we buy a baguette and go down to the steps along the Charente river and feed the ducks.

Bread may not be the best choice for them, but they eat it with mucho gusto. No nutrition the smart people say.

Well, chocolate doesn't have much food value either and I eat a lot of it....

When I watch the ducks interact with each other I have to wonder how they communicate. They display a degree of great instincts if you ask me. Though they seem to share, there is the odd fight that breaks out, especially if there is not a lot of food to around. Today I saw two of them take on a third, by muscling their necks on top of the poor third one and pushed her under water for quite some time. Never seen that before. Some nipping and chasing maybe, but an attempted drowning?
Oh no, what would PETA do?

But all in all it's a nice way to spend some time outside. I think some of them may recognize Isabella by now, as they come really close and two or three of them even take food from her hand but not mine. I am not there that often, or they do know what I order at the restaurant when I go to China......

DAS BAGUETTE

ISABELLA ENJOYS THE DUCKS

AND THE DUCKS ENJOY ISABELLA

MUST BE HUNGRY

THESE TWO ARE A COUPLE, SWIM TOGETHER

SHE MAKES THEM JUMP

THEY ARE GROWING FAST

THE CHABOT, JARNAC'S TOUR BOAT

THE INDUSTRY OF FEEDING PEOPLE

2013-05-30T04:06:00.002-06:00

THE TEN COMPANIES THAT FEED US

(GRAPH FROM ZAZENLIFE.COM)

You need to click on the above graph to see all the companies that link back to the ten big ones who feed us. One way or another. Snacks or frozen meals, from Restaurants to TV Dinners. Milka. My favorite Austrian chocolate is owned by KRAFT. When did that happen? me being able to buy it evrywhere,not just in Austria, should have been a giveaway... They are everywhere in our food supply chain.
Even I, the natural born cynic, was surprised. Still not shocked, but yes, an eye opener for sure.

I have been following the ever increasing debate about GMO seeds and the one company everyone loves to hate, Monsanto.
Monsanto is the most visible of all companies who look at food and it's supply to the consumer as an industry, but they hardly are alone. They may be at the root of it all, the GMO seed business, but looking at all the other large conglomerates above, they certainly have some skeletons in their closet, don't you think? Apparently DuPont is just as bad, but so far escaped all that bad PR wrath facing Monsanto.

Nobody said it's an easy game for consumers. I for one firmly believe that this is the ultimate bottoms up issue, meaning unless consumer patterns change, the big ten for sure won't change. Why would they. We keep buying it all. It's convenient. Am I always paying attention? Nope. But we should.

Which brings me to GF PATISSERIE.
I do remember a conversation very early in the game, pre Farmers' Market in 2008. Victoria told me that if she goes into gluten free baking, she'd make sure all her ingredients will derive from non GMO products.
While back then I certainly waved it off as "who cares", I also do recall her phoning all those people she intended to buy from, if they could furnish her with certificates and guarantees to their wares.
Stubborn she can be.....

Back in 2008 the debate about GMO did exist, but nowhere near with the intensity of today. So when I asked Victoria the other day if the GFP flour mix is still made of those non GMO products (after all, her business did grow since Bearspaw), she gave me one of those looks only a husband can get.....

So there, consumers of gluten free baked goods. GF PATISSERIE'S flour mix is certified to that extend. It may even say so on future packaging. In the end it is up to us consumers who to patronize. How to eat and what to eat. Start a garden. Value your food. Buy from vendors you like and trust. They deserve your $$.

ALWAYS NON GMO

BEAU MONDE'S NON GMO GLUTEN FREE BREAD

C'EST PAS LA TOUR DE FRANCE

2013-05-29T13:26:00.002-06:00

Mais quand meme, ca roule.
We had a small race here in town today, La Nocturne de Jarnac. An evening race. First time for me to watch anything bicycle life. Though there were only 36 riders, I do understand the fascination with the big race, La Tour De France much better now. It is very much a spectator sport. And the French love it.

They blocked off the roads of Jarnac at 7pm and it all got under way an hour later. From Place du Chateau in a circle around town along the river back up to the Chateau for 90 minutes plus 5 extra rounds. Not sure how close you can get to the road during the Tour, but today I was so close to the racers, I felt the swoosh.
Sadly, my little point & click camera did not take any great shots, but you get the idea. SWOOSH.

Isabella came with me and enjoyed the whole action as well. What she really wanted to do though was take a ride on the lead quad for one round. Ehm, no go.

FIXING THE CLOCK

GETTING READY

36 RIDERS AND A PROGRAM

THE TEAM FROM PERIGEUX

AND FROM BORDEAUX

ISABELLA'S FAVORITE

PLACE DU CHATEAU

FIRST ROUND

SWOOSH

THE MAIN FIELD

ALONG THE RIVER

STILL GOING FAST

GETTING TOUGHER

THE FIELD STARTED TO BRAKE UP HALF WAY THROUGH

THE VEGETABLE GARDENS OF JARNAC

2013-05-27T01:52:00.001-06:00

More homes than not do have a vegetable garden here in Jarnac. When we walk to school I see them, when I go grocery shopping there are a few along the way. Vegetables, fruit trees, strawberry fields, raspberry bushes, some just potatos, the variety of gardens is impressive.

One of them, virtually across the street from Intermarche is my favorite. Martha Stewart would approve. The owner told me that he is retired and needs to keep busy, so he gardens. He tells me that at the beginning of the year he usually buys 20.00 Euros worth of seeds for his whole set up. The salad seeds he cultivated himself. Last year he harvested 400kg of potatos from his yard. Luckily he has an extended family he said, because the two of them can't eat that much.... maybe he can adopt me?

Think about it. Thirty bucks and a great hobby to boot. In one of the pictures I tried to show the upside down water bottles he uses for irrigating his tomatos. The rainwater off his roof is all the water he needs and an old above ground pool is now converted into a huge pile of compost.

And if you live in an apartment without a garden? Well, either make friends with those people who do garden and I am certain they let you have some of their harvest in exchange for some weeding, or of course you can rent a plot from city hall.

In 2011 the town of Jarnac set up an acreage behind Isabella's school, where you can rent a plot, garden hut and water storage container included. In fact, it is quite common all over Europe that cities large and small provide land for gardening.

If you ever took the train across Germany or Austria, you may have seen acreages along the tracks around the outskirts of cities with smaller garden plots. What a concept. eat your own grown food.

CP Rail owns a few unused acres along their railway lines I think. Now that's an idea worth pursuing.

NOT MUCH GROWING YET IN THIS ONE

LOOKS LIKE ONIONS IN THE FRONT

THIS ONE IS ONLY HALF USED, IT SEEMS

LOOK AT THE SIZE

MY FAVORITE GARDEN

INEXPENSIVE IRRIGATION SYSTEM

RAIN WATER COLLECTION AND COMPOST

A PROUD GARDENER

JUST ADD SALT & PEPPER

LES JARDINS FAMILIAUX

RENT A PLOT OF 200M2 FOR 40.00/YEAR

THE TEENAGER

2013-05-23T11:56:00.000-06:00

Happy birthday Isabella. 13. Where has the time gone? From May 24th, 2000 in Las Vegas to May 24th 2013 in Jarnac.

Not your average childhood to say the least, we are looking forward to make your teenage years as exciting.

Now let's cut the cake!

TIME FLIES

11 YEARS LATER

SOMETIMES SERIOUS

SOMETIMES A BRILLIANT SENSE OF HAHA

SOMETIMES STUBBORN LIKE AN ANDERBERG

ALWAYS A DAREDEVIL

AND CURIOUS

A GREAT WORLD TRAVELLER

AND MOSTLY HAPPY

AND CRAFTY

LOVES HER CHOCOLATES

FRONT ROW, BLUE DRESS

SAME BLOOD LINES

AND WITH HER OTHER SISTER

WITH HER FATHER

AND WITH HER MOTHER

I AM CANADIAN

LEFTOVERS

2013-05-17T10:49:00.000-06:00

The last chicken I bought for the weekend was a bit heavy at 1.8kg. We never eat that much, the three of us. So half the carcass went into the fridge for future meals. What I did not see happen though when I planned lunch today, was that Victoria already made a couple of sandwich' with the white meat. Healthier she says. Good for her. I prefer the dark chunks of meat anyway.

I bought some more Ile de Re Potatos (http://theceliachusband.blogspot.fr/2013/05/pomme-de-terre-primeur-de-ile-de-re.html) , roasted them up in plenty of butter and garlic, added all the leftover meats, some Cilantro, salt, pepper and that's it. 15 minutes from start to finish. Le tasty lunch.

This may sound like a broken record, however I cannot say it often enough. Back in North America, we threw away too much food. Here, where you pay a pretty dollar for some choice meats, one learns quickly to pay more attention to waste.

Believe it or not, Victoria froze the Carcass (sans dark meat) and when she has three of them, she will make a huge pot of chicken stock.

Besides not wasting money, it makes you feel good for valuing food more.

WHITE MEAT IS FOR GIRLIE MEN

PLENTY OF DARK MEAT FOR ME

EVERYTHING TASTES BETTER WITH BUTTER (AND GARLIC)

SOAKING UP THE BUTTER

ADD THE LEFTOVER MEAT

PLENTY FOR TWO PEOPLE

IF IT IS NOT BROKEN.....

2013-05-16T23:50:00.002-06:00

........no need to fix it. I wrote about Le Sarment Brulant before (twice actually, http://theceliachusband.blogspot.fr/2012/07/gluten-free-cognac-our-favorite.html), once more this time.

Still the same care for gluten free options, still the great wood fired grill which gives the meat a very good smoky flavor and still one of the best chocolate mousse' around.

So if you are eating gluten free, this is a safe bet in Cognac. My Pizza may have been not as good as the last few times, but I hope it was an off day. The cheese was not melted completely and the crust lost some of it's luster. But then, you Celiacs would not order it anyway....

THE WOOD FIRED GRILL

VERY GOOD LENTIL SOUP

VICTORIA'S MEAL, EXACTLY AS ORDERED (ALL SAUCES ON SIDE, NO ONIONS, NO GLUTEN)

FROMAGE BLANC AVEC DU MIEL

THE VERY GOOD CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

LE CHEESE

2013-05-14T22:00:00.000-06:00

I think that's my first post about cheese. Might as well, since we are in France. And if our host country is known for something aside of great designer fashion, it's cheese. Lots of it. I think any animal that produces consumable milk, some french artisan will make cheese with it. And that's a good thing.

It has been said that France has more cheese varieties than days in a year (Charles de Gaulle, The prez) and I believe it.

Since I am the only true cheese eater in our family, we don't have cheese trays or such big splashes, but once in a while I do buy a small piece of something that I want to try.

And today I bought some blue cheese. Not a Roquefort or Bleu d'Avergne, the two most known fromages bleu in France, I bought a Bleu de Laqueuille. No worries, you are not the only one who has no idea where that is. I had to Google it as well. Here is the official description from a cheese blog:

Bleu de Laqueuille is produced in the mountainous Auvergne region of France during the summer and autumn months from the milk of Salers cows. This robust blue, reminiscent of Bleu d'Auvergne, is a bit salty and full-bodied with a creamy blue paste. It pairs well with many robust reds and with most dessert wines.

Since it was barely lunch time, I did not pair it with any wine, just some cherry tomatos and Victoria's gluten free bread. Have you ever walked into an old, dusty room where you have difficulty breathing? That is my first impression of eating this fairly sharp blue cheese. Glorious.

It sticks with you for a while, that's for sure.

Strange really, that not many people in America like blue cheese, but they all order blue cheese dressing with their salads. And that's what happens when you bastardize a food group. The consumer gets dulled down to a vanilla everything attitude. No sharp edges please. Those crumbles in your salad have not much similar with real, artisan cheese from France.

There's lots of information, better than mine out there, here are a few sites:

http://chezlouloufrance.blogspot.fr/2007/08/la-fte-du-fromage_21.html

http://www.artisanalcheese.com/

YOU WILL FIND ONE YOU LIKE

BLEU LAQUUILLE

IT'S STRONG

BUT VERY GOOD

POMME DE TERRE PRIMEUR DE ILE DE RE

2013-05-14T04:58:00.000-06:00

Another great thing about France is that regionality to a degree still trumps mass production. Don't get me wrong, I know there are industrial cheeses, meats and wines available at Carrefour nationwide, but in the small towns around this country you have an easier time to find something authentic regional. Cheese and wine being a given, but there are lots of other items unique to their areas which carry an A.O.C. lable for being from one specific region And one of them being potatos from the Ile de Re.

We went to that island last year, but not during the season when you see them being sold. A new Epicerie in town here had some this morning, so I finally bought a few. And now that we tried them, I am going back for more. Unbelievable that such a common product can have such a different flavor from any I had before.
To be honest, I was not sure what to expect, saltiness from the climate and soil? They apparently use seaweed as fertilizer, maybe that? Not so. Not sure which variety I bought, but they had an incredibly sweet flavor to them. Hard to compare, but really really good.
All I did was simmer them until soft to the core, cut them up and added some raw milk butter and salt.
When a product is that good, no need to mask it with anything.

Not sure how widely they are available, but if you see them at a store near you, buy some. They are worth the money.

YOU PAY FOR QUALITY

SIMMER, DON'T BOIL THEM TO MUSH

HAD A SMALL CHUNK OF RAW BUTTER FROM AUSTRIA IN THE FREEZER

SPRINKLE SOME SALT, NOTHING ELSE

SAUCE HOLLANDAISE - MADE FROM SCRATCH

2013-05-13T09:25:00.002-06:00

Do you know why Eggs Benedict are usually the most expensive item on a breakfast menu? $15.00 for a pair of poached eggs on a soggy bun with some egg flavoured gravy? Canadian bacon is not that expensive. Or that razor thin slice of salmon some smart chef came up with, for an even greater profit margin.

I believe it's because Restaurants & the Chefs know that nobody wants to make their own Hollandaise sauce at home, especially not at 8 am on a Sunday. So they buy it pre made from Sysco, heat it up and ding you for it anyway. "Yumm, those Eggs Benedict at the Banff Springs were sooo good!" (Most overheard comment on the way back to Calgary)

EASY to make. Just like mayo.

Since my images are usually not the best instructions and I don't want to type out a recipe for this simply Simon sauce, here is a 2 minute video which demonstrates that my theory is not that outlandish......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGw_gs8UaeI

SALT, PEPPER, EGG YOLKS, BUTTER, WINE AND SOME LEMON JUICE

BEAT YOLKS OVER STEAM UNTIL CREAMY, FLUFFY(?)

MELT BUTTER (CLAIRFY IF YOU HAVE THE PATIENCE)

ADD SALT, PEPPER, DASH OF DRY WINE

SOME LEMON JUICE FOR MORE FLAVOR

BEAT IN THE BUTTER UNTIL YOU GET GOOD CONSISTENCY

NOT MY BEST EFFORT......

ASPARAGUS WITH SAUCE HOLLANDAISE

2013-05-12T05:11:00.000-06:00

It's asparagus season. No matter where you go, super market fresh market, even LIDL, you are bound to see specials advertised.
When we when for a walk this Sunday morning, we saw a van with signs just across the bridge, bringing in asparagus from the closest growing region, Blayais. About 100 km (62 miles) from Jarnac, the farmland is located along the Gironde, northwestish of Bordeaux.

I don't know much about the differences in quality, but seeing that there were a few locals lined up,
we bought some. The vendor told me to take the thicker ones, as they are easier to peel, but personally I prefer the thin stalks over the bulkier ones. "You have a lot to peel now", he told me. Thanks. I like you too.
It's not really that much work, but apparently I did not enjoy it, as Isabella drew a stick figure on her water bottle that depicted me while peeling.....hmmmm, where does she get that from?

I also made Hollandaise from scratch, a sauce to prepare similar to Mayo, just with butter and warm. The classic condiment to go along with the Asparagus. It's available in supermarkets prepackaged, but I have never found one that I liked, nor gluten free. And really, short of cleaning up the pots, not difficult to make. And you know what's in it. Cook more at home and buy less pre made stuff. It's really better for you. Just train your kids to do the dishes......

BUY IT DIRECT FROM THE FARMER

DIFFERENT QUALITY AND PRICES

I ALWAYS CUT OFF THE ENDS A BIT

AND I PEEL THEM

APPARENTLY I DID NOT LOOK EXCITED ABOUT IT, SAYS ISABELLA

MAKING THE SAUCE

SIMMER THEM FOR A BIT UNTIL MEDIUM SOFT

THE SAUCE SHOULD BE THICKER (WITH SOME PATIENCE)

JARNAC RESTAURANT NEWS

2013-05-10T07:27:00.000-06:00

Lots going on in our town. Just in time for tourist season, three new(ish) places are about to open up. No high hopes for visiting Celiacs, your safest bet remains our kitchen. Unless you love your daily dose of greens ...

For the rest of us, I am glad to report one of the three excites me after having seen a wood fired Pizza oven being installed. Lots of potential with that equipment, but judging by the size of the space, I am somewhat concerned that it will be more of a take out joint than a sit down. They are carving it out of the existing Maxime's Restaurant (100% no relation with the Paris Maxim), which already is a smallish place . Well if the Pizza is any good, add it to Croissants I will have to eat while walking the streets of Jarnac.

Just around the corner from our house in the Zone Pietonne, a Kebap shop is opening up next week. And you know a town in Europe has arrived when it gets a proper Kebap shop.....

Not generally known for their cozy atmosphere, it's good to see that this place keeps the trend going with it's pale yellow paint scheme, neon lighting and industrial comfort furniture. Think waiting room at a Polish train station.

But I do love a good Kebap once in a while and it is perfect take out food.....

And across the bridge, a place that recently got closed down by the tax authorities (much better news than having been shut down by the health inspector) has opened up with new owners. "The Charentais Corner" is offering Pizza, Pasta, Fish, Meat and Salads.

We had a great salad there before the shutdown, while the Pizza was not a stand out. For sure we will try it out soon and tell you what we think of it.

FORMER BUTCHER SHOP

LOVE THE LIGHTING

RIGHT NEXT TO COURVOISIER

WOOD FIRED PIZZA OVEN

LE COIN CHARENTAIS

LA CARTE

L.A. TIMES FINDS GLUTEN FREE BREAD THAT TASTES AS GOOD AS REGULAR

2013-05-07T00:23:00.001-06:00

Beau Monde Bakery had a booth at the Gluten Free expo in Pasadena last weekend to get some extra exposure to the important Southern California market. After all, that crowd makes up a large part of the drive in traffic to Las Vegas week after week.

There were over 100 exhibitors at that expo, from cookbooks to cake mixes, cookies, gluten free beer and of course breads.
The LA Times published an article about it all in their living section yesterday. With a picture of Beau Monde's bread! How cool is that. You can read the article here:

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/dailydish/la-dd-gluten-free-beer-bread-cookies-snacks-20130505,0,973281.story

Not only the was the journalist impressed to single out Beau Monde's bread, even a reader in the comment section mentioned Beau Monde as well. And that guy is not even Celiac, he just eats as his wife does. And that guy is not even Celiac, he just eats as his Celiac wife does.

"......Most gluten free breads are a poor imitation, because they don't rise due to the lack of gluten. Beau Monde has done something right and their bread is great - no "for a gluten free bread" asterisk needed"

Victoria is extremely happy about the recognition her licensee received. From a national paper no less.
Chapeau Dr. Zimmerman and Beau Monde team.

Please visit http://www.gfpatisserie.com/ to find all locations where you find that outstanding bread.

THE EXPO TEAM

BEAU MONDE'S GLUTEN FREE ITALIAN FLAT BREAD

AND LET'S NOT FORGET THEIR CUPCAKES

THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THE RECIPES

ANGOULEME

2013-05-04T07:43:00.000-06:00

The capital city of our region, Charente. Located about 20 minutes east of Jarnac, it's the city we go to for more action and shopping for things we don't have in Jarnac. With a population of over 100000 in the greater area, you are bound to find more stores and places with less common products. When you come and visit us from from Paris, you'd take the TGV to Angouleme, a mere 2 1/2 hours from the capital.

While gritty looking on the outset with a suburban area that is not so well kept up, once you do get up the ramparts into the plateaued inner city, it's a fantastic place to be. A 360 degree view as you walk around the city, wide into the country side, great architecture, a large pedestrian zoned area with lots of great Cafes and restaurants, quiet squares with churches, it's all there.
And more. Their Market hall is much larger than all others in the area and what I like most about that market, it has two sit down places where you are able to enjoy freshly prepared food or just a glass of wine.
I mean it's not Carcassonne, but Angouleme has it's own character from a rich industrial history. Most famous for it's past paper and pulp industry (it's still there, but not as prominent nowadays), today people in France recognize Angouleme for the annual Comic festival and a vintage car race held on the roads of the city. This race is very popular with car enthusiasts, since you are able to be so close to the action. This fall we plan to go as well, after having missed it last year.
With the influence of comic strip artists you do find some great sculptures and even the Graffiti is edgier than in other places we have been to. A university with it's student population makes it a great place for live music, not that we have been to any concerts yet, but I read about them in the daily papers.

The town even has an airport, which currently is without regular service, but a Canadian company has bought it and has plans to revive regular air traffic to Great Britain and other countries. When? No idea.
For sure if you are in the Charente and tired of lazing around the pool, Angouleme is worth the trip.

ANGOULEME

DRIVING UP THE HILL

LOOKING TOWARDS JARNAC

LOOKING SOUTH

A GREAT MARKET

CAFE INSIDE THE MARKET

FROM THE DORDOGNE (I HOPE)

PATIOS EVERYWHERE

DECENT INDIAN FOOD TO BE FOUND IN ANGOULEME

ALMOST LUNCH TIME

SIDEWALK SALE

OUR FAVORITE STORE

THE COURT HOUSE. OF COURSE WITH A PATIO CAFE....

CITY HALL

THE RACE ALONG THE REMPARTS OF ANGOULEME

SUBTLE. NOT SO SHRILL AS IN AMERICA

EVEN IN COLOR IT'S LESS LOUD

WHERE I GET THE BEST (REGULAR) PIZZA IN THE WHOLE CHARENTE

DAILY BREAD

2013-05-02T01:40:00.001-06:00

The French have a serious relationship with bread. Many Blogs about France detail the facts about breads and pastries, so there is not much new I can add really. You read it all before.

It is a highly regulated industry here, you can't just snow in from America or elsewhere, move to a small village and open a bakery or a fancy cupcake shoppe. Just because you are willing to work hard and have some talent. Nope. You first need a degree, then you can apply at the local chamber and then maybe, if there are not already enough existing places, you can open a bakery. There are some 32000 bakers in France that need protection from untalented foreigners.

What if it is just about gluten free baking? Ah. Forget it. Same restrictions. A local baker could do that, they don't need you. But why doesn't any of them do it? Offer some gluten free, freshly baked breads? A shrug from the fonctionnaire is all you will get. Move on, he has more paper to push. Stop asking questions. Why would anyone come to France and eat gluten free bread.
Visiting a government official's office in France is very similar to a comedic stage play set in the 1800's. Crappy set decor, mediocre actors, horrible dialogue but highly amusing. All paid for by your taxes.

Since our household is free of gluten, I am relegated to eat my daily Croissants along the streets of Jarnac, after I dropped Isabella off at school. Which I don't mind. Even if the locals wonder who that homeless guy is, crumbing around town.
There are three bakeries, one bread depot (from an out of towner) and three super markets I can choose from. And all are within eating two Croissants of our house. That's how close they are. I have my favorites, both bakeries and types of treats. But I rotate. Change it up a little.
Both, places and what I eat.
Today it was a Croissant and a Pain aux Raisins from a Boulangerie closer to school than the house. Tomorrow maybe two Croissants from the bread depot and Saturday I'll buy a Chausson au Pommes (Apple danish) from the fancy bakery in town. I have not yet tried anything from the Supermarkets, but to give you an idea, LIDL (No Frills) sells their Croissants for .35, can you imagine what is in those pastries?

The good thing is, there is always a bakery that's open in your village. They collude on holiday dates and when they take their weekly day of rest. Maybe they discuss prices as well, but I buy plain Croissants ranging from .60 to .90 cents and yes, there is a difference. Very similar to talented Chefs, each baker has his own handwriting and you can taste that. Not to mention butter versus margarine, industrial bake mixes versus organic flour, etc., etc.

PICK OF THE DAY

ONE OF MY FAVORITES

BACKSTUBE

CA, C'EST PAS LA FRANCE

POULET ROTI

2013-04-28T09:40:00.000-06:00

Roast chicken. Maybe one of the more traditional dinners around the world. No matter where you go around the planet, you are bound to find a Rotisserie selling chicken. Can't think of any country or religion that has an issue with chicken. (Veganism, though a belief, is not a religion. I googled it.)

But when was it the last time you made it yourself? From scratch? I can say that unlike here in France where we make it very often, during the years in Vegas and Calgary we made chicken almost never at home.

Costco, Sobey's, Boston Market and many more vendors made it too easy really. And sadly, too cheap.
I have to stay on track here, otherwise I am going of on a tangent about true value of food. And I am not good at complaining, or sincere, since I really miss Costco. (not so much for the chicken though)

Anyway. The chicken we ate today came from the butcher around the corner, where I buy a lot of our meats now. By North American standards, this bird was very expensive. Not a 5.99 special, let me tell you. But when was it the last time you ate a chicken to the bone, gnawed around all sorts of weird pieces and enjoyed doing that? Not because it's expensive and you want to get your money's worth, but because it actually tasted really good, not just salty and there are no weird looking "extra bits" hanging around? You know, that yellowish gelatin kind of textured end at the bone?

Needless to say and almost like a stew, roast chicken is a very easy and forgiving meal to make. Whatever you feel like flavoring the bird with, just stuff it up it's rear end. Lemon pepper? If it fits. Garlic paprika? Why not all of them and make it a bunch of flavors that during the hour and some of roasting will make your home made chicken dinner much better than any store bought ever can taste.
If you miss the salty brine they use at Costco, no worries. Just dip in salt while you eat it. With a side of Lipitor maybe.

And the rest of the meat if you are a smaller house hold? Perfect, just perfect for chicken fried rice.

PERFECT WITH A LITTLE SALAD ON THE SIDE

BUTCHER RECOMMENDED

NUMBERED? WHAT ? WHY?

DOES NOT NEED MUCH FOR FLAVOR

READY TO ROAST

THIS BIRD TOOK 75MINUTES @ 175C

WHERE THE FLAVOR COMES FROM

FEEDS THREE, TWO MEALS

CAMPING ON WATER

2013-04-25T03:27:00.000-06:00

Or as it' known more common, House boating. Camping has never been a favorite activity of mine, but there are tons of fans out there and this seems to be a great alternative version for a tent on a campground. A decent equipped boat. Some people call them yachts, ehm well, how to say this? They are not. At all. Too much plastic and polyester......

In the early summer month when we walk to school along the river and after the maintenance crews finished cleaning and inspecting the fleet of a local boating company, Isabella and I always get to look at families on their boats, enjoying leisure times on the river.
There is something serene about that scene, they are discussing the day's activities, while enjoying breakfast on deck watching the town wake up. Families look relaxed, they all greet us walking by, their happiness about it all clearly visible. They are on holidays.

That look of content sometimes does turn into worry and concern, especially for first timers when they enter a lock to go up or down stream. Not that hard at all, most locks here along the Charente are operated manually and you are given excellent instructions, but a fun spectacle to watch nevertheless. Usually the head of the family takes control of the boat, while his family is being instructed where to tie up and hold the buoys. And if only one kid or spouse does not perform to the Captain's orders, especially in front of a bunch of know it all locals, it can quickly become entertaining.
There are about 24 locks between Jarnac and Rochefort and after the first or second trial, the families usually become very good at it.

PART OF THE FLEET

PRACTICAL INTERIORS

THE VIEW WHEN YOU FLOAT

FOR SALE

SOMEONE LIVES ON HER

NICE AND EASY SPEED

THINGS TO DO IN JARNAC

L'ECLUSE DE JARNAC

MANUAL OPERATION

A COUPLE OF METERS ELEVATION DIFFERENCE

SIGHTS ALONG THE RIVER CHARENTE ARE VARIED

JARNAC IN THE SPRING

2013-04-22T23:04:00.000-06:00

On my first walk around town (sans mon chien) since coming back from Austria, I could not help but being amazed in the change of colors around Jarnac. How quick the seasons turn.

Only ten days ago all I saw was some trees budding, but now all are in full bloom. The Mairie has planted all public spaces with spring flowers and we are back with gorgeous impressions. Even people seem to have a better disposition than a few weeks ago.

There are some major construction sites going up, another clear indicator spring has arrived. The old tourist office at Place du Chateau has been demolished and is being replaced with green space (I hope).

The town also finally started to renovate the market building, a ten month process (make that 14, this is France). They are making it bigger by a third almost. In the meantime the current vendors moved into temporary digs down by the river. There is talk about a major roundabout in town and a large canalization repair job is under way as well. Gotta love public funding.......

The shoe repair store has closed and moved to Angouleme, a new Epicerie has opened next door, no doubt taking advantage of low low rents in town.

It seems that a lot of houses are being renovated and improved by their owners, I saw a lot of "For Sale" signs on my walk, but even more important, quite a few "Sold" signs around Jarnac today. The buzz is definitely on, you can feel it. Tourism season is starting soon, there was a large cleaning crew down by the boat rental company, bringing all the equipment back to it's summer glory. Spring in France. The best times.

Hope to see you soon.

COLORS, SO MUCH MORE VIBRANT WITH THE SUN

OUR FAVORITE HAZELNUT BUSH

THE WHOLE TOWN IS CHANGING COLORS

FLOWERS EVERYWHERE

BEAUTYFICATION

LOTS OF SOLD SIGNS

SOME SHOPS CLOSED

SOME SHOPS OPENED

THE MARKET HALL IS BEING RENOVATED