The Viking “Portraits of Southern France” river cruise I recently took was one of the most enjoyable vacation experiences I’ve ever had.  Our plane landed in Marseille and a one and a half hour coach ride took us to Avignon where we boarded our cruise ship. Our eight day cruise took us to Arles, Vivier, Tournon, Vienne, Beaune and Chalon-sur-Soane.  These old cities were built right along the rivers so we were able to easily walk to and explore them.  I have been asked so many questions about this cruise and I have several friends who are taking this same river trip this summer so I thought I would share some of the requested highlights and photos.

Avignon is one of the major cities of Provence and is famous for being the place to which popes fled in the 14th century to get away from the Church’s corruption in Rome.  It is located on the banks of the Rhone River and the Pope’s Palace still stands in the city center.  In Les Halles a group of approximately 40 small family-owned shops sell regional products: cheeses, charcuterie, meat, breads and fish, along with such items as dozens of varieties of tapenades or sea salt perfumed with rose petals.

The market hall was built in the heart of the city at the end of the 19th century.  In the 1970′s shopping malls threatened its existence so new parking facilities were built and the old market demolished and rebuilt. In 2006 the city of Avignon covered the stark market hall façade with a huge and dramatic vegetable garden  designed by the botanist Patrick Blanc, who also created a similar installation at the Musée des Arts Premiers in Paris. We visited many indoor and outdoor food markets on our trip and, if you can believe it, this is the smallest one we explored.  

As you approach the market hall the first thing you will notice is the stunning display of flowers and plants.

Wine, bread and cheese are on everyone’s shopping lists.

What an impressive display of herbs and spices!  I bought an herb blend for fish and a large bottle of herbs de Provence.

This was our first sighting of the large white asparagus that is available for a few weeks in the Spring.

The olive vendor’s booth was one of the most popular spots at the market. Our cruise director (red jacket) was in line to purchase olives for the evening dinner buffet.

The variety of available prepared foods was amazing.  I wanted to try every single item.

It is easy to spend several hours browsing the aisles of a wonderful market like this one.    You can purchase little bits of this and that so you can try foods you aren’t familiar with or have always wants to taste.  Les Halles wasn’t a part of the organized tour but it was easy to walk to on our own.  There are several restaurants inside where you can stop for lunch, or picnic supplies are available to take to the park in the town square.  The market opens early and closes at 1:00 pm.

You're reading Les Halles d’Avignon – A Traditional Food Market in Provence by Cathy, originally found at Wives with Knives. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Cathy on Facebook or subscribe here!

It’s hard to believe that I have been home from my trip for almost a week.  Slowly, very slowly, I’m returning to Pacific Daylight Time and am now sleeping until 4:00 am instead of 1:30.  I expected to go through this adjustment but I think it gets more difficult as I get older.  Several years ago I came home from France three days before my farmers’  market season opened and I was all ready to go on opening day.  It would be a sad story if I had to do that today.  Travel day was a long one with a 9 hour flight to Washington, D.C. from Paris, followed by a 5 hour flight to Portland.  My flight arrived at PDX at 8:30 pm and by the time I got my luggage and drove the hour home from the airport it was 11:00 when I walked through my front door. 

Our Saturday flight out of Charles de Gaulle airport departed at 12:35 pm so we had a car pick us up at the apartment at 9:30 am.  There was very little traffic so the drive took about 40 minutes.  We immediately got in the line to claim our VAT tax refunds (there were at least 500 people in the line, I swear), then we had to get in line to check our bags (that took forever), and then had to go through security (which took longer than forever). The fun started when the security person wanted to see the two copper pans that were so carefully packed in my suitcase and I had to undo everything to get them out for a show and tell. There was no problem with the pans, but when they saw ten little silver desserts forks that I bought in  the flea market in Paris and said I couldn’t take them through security, honest-to-god I almost started to cry.  After a minute or two of intense discussion the security person motioned for me to put the silver back into my suitcase and move on.  Whew! That was way too much drama for my nerves. It never occurred to me that there would be any problem with those little forks.  I’ll pay more attention next time to what I put into my suitcase.  Everything turned out OK and we eventually got through all the lines, but the whole process took forever and we barely made it to the boarding area in time.  When they say to be there an hour before boarding they mean it!  We thought leaving for the airport 3 hours ahead was enough time…guess not!

If you are wondering why I’m telling you a story about my travel adventure and showing you a picture of  pasta salad it is because when I got home almost at midnight, practically starving to death, I found a sweet note from my daughter, Erin, that welcomed me home and told me that there was a bowl of BLT pasta salad waiting for me in the fridge along with guacamole and chips from our favorite Mexican restaurant and a banana and yogurt.  How completely thoughtful was that!!!!!  My body thought it should be 9:00 in the morning instead of midnight and I was ready for something that tasted like home.  That was the best pasta salad ever and I know you will enjoy it as much as I did.  

My daughter, Erin, is a blogger as well and I hope you will stop by to visit her at Making Memories With Your Kids.  She is quite the baker and is so creative with craft and activity ideas for kids.  She has lots of great ideas for parents and grandparents for summer activities for the family. 

This post is linked to FOODIE FRIDAY at Rattlebridge Farm.

You're reading Ranch BLT Pasta Salad and a Travel Story by Cathy, originally found at Wives with Knives. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Cathy on Facebook or subscribe here!

I have just returned home from one of the most wonderful travel experiences I have ever had.  It’s now 2:48 am and I’m suffering from a bad case of jet lag so I think this is a good opportunity to do a little writing about our adventure.  France is nine hours ahead of the Pacific Northwest  and it is lunch time there so it makes perfect sense that, after three weeks of adapting to French time, it will take me a little while to get back into my routine at home…and not want a meal in the middle of the night.  It usually takes me about a week to readjust… a long painful week.  

Viking River Cruises Photograph

My older daughter and I love Paris and have visited numerous times over the past few years and when we planned our 2013 trip we decided to add a river cruise to our itinerary. Neither of us had ever taken a cruise and wanted the experience so we signed up for an 8-day cruise on the Rhône and Saône Rivers. Viking’s “Portraits of Southern France” cruise took us from Avignon, through wine country, to Chalon-sur-Saône.  I have heard of people getting hooked on cruising and I have to admit that I have become one of them.  We are already talking about next time.

Reception Area and Stairway to Upper Cabins and Dining Room

Lounge Area and Dining Room.  Meals were served in both areas.

At the end of the cruise we took the train to Paris where we rented an apartment in our favorite neighborhood, rue Cler.  I have posted many photographs of this area and will be sharing more in the next few weeks.  Rue Cler has many good restaurants, patisseries, boulangeries, cheese and wine shops and an outdoor market that are open every day except Mondays. Getting around on the Metro in Paris is fast and easy and we used it to go everywhere.  I wouldn’t even try to guess how many miles we walked in the three weeks of our vacation. My daughter and I were in Paris by ourselves for the first week and then were joined by my son and son-in-law for the remainder of our trip.  It was so much fun showing them the Paris we love.  They were able to enjoy the city after dark and got some fantastic photos of the lighted Eiffel Tower, Champ du Mars, and the city’s beautiful bridges. My one sadness on this trip was that my younger daughter wasn’t able to come with us.  I made all arrangements a year and a half ago when I was still working and not able to travel in the summer.  She is a middle school counselor and the end of the school year is a very busy time for her and she couldn’t get away.  There was just no way. There aren’t words for how much we missed her…BUT I’m now able to travel in the summer and as soon as possible we will plan another trip that she will enjoy…we are thinking Ireland.  I have never been there and know we would love it.

Lots more stories and pictures to come.  I hope you will stay tuned.
Have you taken a river cruise?  Where did you go?  Did you love it?

You're reading Home From France! by Cathy, originally found at Wives with Knives. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Cathy on Facebook or subscribe here!

My bags are packed and I’m ready to board the plane to France.  We have been planning our trip for so long that it is hard to believe departure day is almost here.  We have so many wonderful things planned and I can’t wait to share pictures and stories with you when I return home.  Our apartment in Paris has a kitchen  so we will be able to shop in street markets and  prepare some of our meals with wonderful local ingredients.  I will be posting photographs daily on my Wives with Knives Facebook page,https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wives-with-Knives/109429219100791?fref=ts  so if you would like to follow along on our adventure you can find us there.  In the meantime here are a few of my favorite Spring time recipes.

Nigella’s Eaton Mess

Strawberry Mango Crepes

Rhubarb Pudding Cakes

Rhubarb Almond Tart

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus in Crispy Phyllo

 Croque Madame

Potato, Walla Walla Onion and Gruyere Galette

Cauliflower Salad

Greek Chicken Salad Sandwich on Grilled Pita Bread

I’ll be back Mother’s Day Weekend.  In the meantime…

BON APPETIT!

This post is linked to FOODIE FRIDAY at Rattlebridge Farm

You're reading April in Paris by Cathy, originally found at Wives with Knives. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Cathy on Facebook or subscribe here!

I’ve eaten cinnamon toast since I was a little girl.  My mom probably gave me slices of it when I was still in a high chair.  It never occurred to me that there are numerous ways that bread, butter, cinnamon and sugar can be assembled to produce very different kinds of toast.  They all taste the same…the difference is in their degree of crunchiness and caramelization… completely a matter of personal preference.  I made it for my children when they were growing up the same way my mom made it for my sisters and me. Toast the bread, spread butter on the hot toast and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar…done.  When doing a little research on the subject I learned from Pioneer Woman that this is the wrong way and would result in “the worst cinnamon toast on earth.”  I assumed that this was a bit of hyperbole on her part but it made me laugh anyway and I started thinking about refining my cinnamon toast making skills.

I knew that my friend, Debby, at A FEAST FOR THE EYES, did a wildly popular post on Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon toast.  I tried it and liked it but it was too much work in my opinion.  I tried several other techniques that PW considered to be flops and ended up doing some experimentation on my own until I got it just right.  My friend Monique, at LA TABLE DE NANA, introduced me to a new blogger, Marie, at THE ENGLISH KITCHEN, where I found a recipe that added a whole new element to cinnamon toast…FROSTING!…and now common, ordinary CT tastes more like a cinnamon roll.  Delicious is all I have to say about it!

Despite Pioneer Woman’s comments about toasting the bread first (world’s worst), that is the technique I like the best.  The bread doesn’t get soggy this way. I generously spread butter on the toasted slices,  liberally sprinkle on a mix of cinnamon and sugar, and put the toast under the broiler until it is bubbly and caramelized.  And  then the piéce de résistence, drizzles of powdered sugar icing.   This is my new favorite weekend breakfast  and I have a feeling you will like it too.  Treat yourself and try it.

MY FAVORITE CINNAMON ROLL TOAST
Lightly toast slices of bread…Marie recommend using raisin bread instead of white
Generously spread toasted slices with butter
Top with liberal shakes of cinnamon and sugar
Broil until bubbly and browned
Drizzle with powdered sugar icing

This post is linked to FOODIE FRIDAY at Rattlebridge Farm. 

You're reading Cinnamon Roll Toast by Cathy, originally found at Wives with Knives. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Cathy on Facebook or subscribe here!

 For the most part I am usually happy with new recipes I try, but last week I had one of those streaks when nothing worked.  It was probably something I was doing  and by the fourth flop I decided to turn to one of my favorite cooks, Ina Garten,  whose recipes I can always count on to be excellent.  I’m big on hearty and healthy salads and have had this recipe tagged with a yellow post-it ever since I bought BAREFOOT CONTESSA FOOLPROOF at my local Costco.  I put off trying it because I couldn’t find the kind of tuna Ina uses in her recipe, Italian – packed in oil,  and feared if I used the white albacore water-packed tuna I usually buy I might have another flop on my hands.  The salad would have been good but wouldn’t have anywhere near the flavor that it has with the imported tuna that I was lucky to find at NEW SEASONS MARKET, my favorite store in the entire Portland area.  They are upscale like Whole Foods, but they are LOCAL, and completely cater to the way of life we enjoy here in my city. When I move I hope to have a New Seasons close by because that it where I want to shop in my new life.

 If you haven’t tried couscous before you are in for a treat.  It is a Middle Eastern pasta and Israeli couscous has much larger grains than the regular grocery store varieties and it absorbs all the luscious flavors in the salad.  This is hearty enough to be a satisfying entree for lunch or dinner and is a delicious side dish with roasted and grilled meats.  The flavors are actually better the second day so this is a recipe that can and should, if possible, be made ahead.

 This recipe makes lots and can easily be cut in half.  I made a full recipe but used only one jar of tuna because it is $7.99 for a small jar and I wanted to be sure I liked it.  I loved it and next time will spring for the 2 jars of tuna.  Inexpensive when you consider how delicious it is and how many it will serve. This will be a great pot-luck dish this summer, one that will really wow my family and friends.  I couldn’t find pitted black oil-cured olives so used niscoise olives instead…so good…and added a big handful of chopped parsley along with the basil.  I prefer to serve this salad at room temperature and bring it out of the fridge an hour or two before serving.  The flavors dull a bit when the pasta is cold.

Add dressing to the salad by the tablespoonful.  If I had poured the whole recipe of dressing on the salad it would have been too much for my taste.  You can always add more later if the pasta absorbs it.   The lemony dressing is so good with the tuna.

You're reading Israeli Couscous & Tuna Salad by Cathy, originally found at Wives with Knives. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Cathy on Facebook or subscribe here!

I get very nostalgic when I remember my mom working in her kitchen.  She took so much pride in the beautiful meals she prepared and always spent a lot of time planning menus that would appeal to whomever was coming for dinner.  She loved desserts but didn’t really have what I would call a “sweet tooth”…I inherited that from her…and used to make desserts like this chiffon cake…and angel food cakes too…that were light in texture and not heavy on the sugar.  It’s easy to dress up a slice of chiffon cake with a scoop of whipped cream and a little fresh fruit or a custard sauce and a few chocolate curls for those who like a bit more substance when it comes to dessert.  Chiffon cake was a VERY popular dessert in the 1960′s through the ’80′s but seem to have fallen out of favor in the last few decades.  That’s strange because they are so light and aren’t made with any fats, and I would think that would appeal to today’s health conscious families.  They are easy to make, but just a little fussy when it comes to beating the egg whites and carefully folding them into the egg mixture. Other than that they go together in a snap.

 The recipe in my old BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS NEW COOKBOOK (1963 edition) suggests frosting this Burnt Sugar Chiffon Cake with a boiled icing that uses up the leftover burnt sugar syrup.  That just didn’t sound good to me…too sweet…so I decided on a simple powdered sugar glaze instead.  I thought I was so clever and substituted the sugar syrup for the water called for in the glaze recipe and…sadly…it didn’t work.  It never occurred to me that there would be a problem but, in thinking about it later, I realized that the sugar in the syrup was melted and watered down so it would never make a glaze that dried on the cake.  Duh.. It still tasted fine, but didn’t look so great after an hour or so.  These little glitches and solutions are what make baking a challenge and a reward.  I remember a most delicious orange glaze on an orange chiffon cake and will make and post that version soon. 

 There are several basic steps for a perfect chiffon cake.  First, sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.  Make a well in the center and add the oil, egg yolks and vanilla in the order given, and beat till smooth.  Next, beat the egg whites until very stiff and carefully fold…not stir… into the egg mixture.  Pour into an ungreased tube pan that has a removable tube. I was so intent on what I was doing that I forgot to take a picture of the cake batter in the tube pan…sorry…it fills the pan about 2/3 of the way up. When I want egg whites with lots of volume I make sure they are at room temperature and I wash the bowl and beater in hot soapy water to remove any tiny bits of grease that might be on them.  It’s a little step that can make a big difference in the volume of the whites.

Now, here is the fun part.  I can see in my mind’s eye a cake pan inverted on a bottle on my mom’s kitchen counter. She loved chiffon cake and it was a common sight in her kitchen.  When the cake is done immediately turn it upside down and place on a bottle with a long, narrow neck.  Plan ahead…find the right bottle before the cake goes into the oven.  Otherwise you will have one very thin, flat cake to deal with…and you won’t be happy. A wine bottle is an easy answer.  

 This recipe for Burnt Sugar Chiffon Cake is from the 1963 edition of the BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS NEW COOKBOOK.  Chiffon cakes were so popular back then that  a whole section was devoted to them is this enormously popular cookbook.  I received an updated version a few years ago and wasn’t surprised that many of the recipes that were so popular in the 60′s and 70′s had been purged from the book.  Too bad…they were the best ones.

You're reading Burnt Sugar Chiffon Cake by Cathy, originally found at Wives with Knives. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Cathy on Facebook or subscribe here!

This is a very happy blogging day for me here at Wives with Knives because my friend Chris invited me to write a guest post for her blog, The Café Sucré Farine.   If you know Chris and are already familiar with her beautiful blog you know how creative and imaginative she is. Many of her recipes have already become some of my family’s favorites and I am always inspired by her beautiful photography.   If you haven’t met her  I urge you to stop by to say hello. Chris is so welcoming and gracious and I know you will immediately feel right at home.  Chris is very busy these days doing special grandma things for a precious little granddaughter who just joined their family.

Vietnamese Sticky Chicken with Daikon and Carrot Slaw is a family favorite at my house and you will find the recipe at The Café Sucré Farine. It’s a great recipe for casual summer meals and makes the best lettuce wraps. Is there anybody who doesn’t love a good wrap? I always look forward to seeing what’s going on in Chris’s kitchen and I know you will too. Have a great day…I’ll see you over at Chris’s place.

This post is linked to FOODIE FRIDAY at Rattlebridge Farm. 

You're reading Vietnamese Sticky Chicken with Daikon and Carrot Slaw ~ A Guest Post for The Cafe Sucre Farine by Cathy, originally found at Wives with Knives. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Cathy on Facebook or subscribe here!

I posted this recipe for GRATINEED PINEAPPLE on my blog  a year ago and since then it has been pinned on PINTEREST over 100,000 times. That is just AMAZING to me!  I have gotten many emails from pinners who have tried this recipe and some questions about ways to make serving it easier.  The recipe hasn’t changed, just the way the pineapple is prepared and served.  This recipe is so delicious and if you haven’t tried it before I hope you will now when pineapple is so sweet and wonderful. I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes one of your favorite fruit desserts.  If you would like to see the original post you will find it HERE.

Pineapple is at its peak right now and my supermarket has huge displays at very reasonable prices.  I bought 2 medium sized pineapples and cut them both in half lengthwise with one half larger than the other so it would hold lots of fruit.  Imagine a crunchy macadamia nut, gingersnap and coconut crust over bubbly sweet pineapple sweetened with condensed milk and rum.  My kitchen smelled like a tropical paradise as the pineapples baked in the oven and the juices were oozing through the fruit and caramelizing the nutty topping.  If you like pineapple I can almost guarantee you will LOVE this preparation.   It is delicious either hot or cold. I prefer it bubbly hot and try to time it so it is ready to come out of the oven when I want to serve it.

Begin by cutting the pineapples in half lengthwise (one side larger than the other). Cut out the core in a V shape with a sharp, small knife.  This makes it easier to cut out the rest of the fruit.  Don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect.  The pineapple and topping will cover everything up. Peel the smaller half of the pineapple and cut all the fruit into about 1-inch cubes.  Two pineapples should provide enough fruit to generously fill the 2 halves.  I bought a third one but didn’t need it.   

Pour half of the condensed milk and rum mixture over the fruit.  Generously top with the nut, coconut and cookie crumbs. Use plenty because that is the part everybody will go for when it is crispy and gooey.  Pour the remaining milk over the crumbs. Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes.  Watch very carefully after about 12 minutes and loosely cover with foil if the topping is browned enough.  You should be able to see and hear the pineapple juices bubbling.

The recipe makes one pineapple.  If you want to prepare one or two additional, double the amount of topping.   If I need more than that I use a casserole dish and layer the fruit, condensed milk and topping  the same way.

This post in linked to FOODIE FRIDAY  at Rattlebridge Farm

You're reading Gratineed Pineapple ~ revisited by Cathy, originally found at Wives with Knives. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Cathy on Facebook or subscribe here!

 Spring may have arrived but nobody told Old Man Winter about it, at least not where I live.  I had to scrape ice off my windshield yesterday morning and, judging from the time the furnace clicked on this morning, it’s cold out there again.  At least we don’t have several feet of snow like some  areas of the country.  Despite the blooming daffodils and birds chirping in the leafless trees, it’s still soup weather around here. 

 Easter is early this year and although our local  produce isn’t ready yet I found very nice spring vegetables in Whole Foods, and I couldn’t resist  adding asparagus, leeks, peas and spinach to my shopping cart.  If I am still making soup at least I can make a lighter version with the vegetables we wait for this time of year. I associate fresh peas and asparagus with Easter dinner because they were my mother’s favorites and were always on the dinner table for one of our favorite holidays. This soup recipe is from a past issue of Bon Appetit, is very light, and is full of the wonderful fresh flavors of Spring.  

 I have included ingredients for home made meatballs in the recipe (they are delicious), but I took a shortcut this time and made my meatballs with Aidell’s Chicken Apple sausage. I removed the casings, formed the chicken into small meat balls and sauteed them in olive oil. The apple flavor adds a nice, delicate sweetness to the soup.  Before I made the soup I simmered the chicken stock with the lower halves of asparagus spears I didn’t use in the soup, spinach stems, extra parsley, chives, and 2 cloves of garlic for about 30 minutes. I strained it, seasoned it with salt and pepper and added it to the pot with the sauteed leeks.  

With a little prep work this recipe goes together in minutes.  Ingredients are added in the order of their needed cooking time and the whole process can be done in 15 minutes.  Don’t restrict yourself to these vegetables.  Experiment with what you find at your farmers’ market.  The clear broth in this soup would show off the beautiful colors of rainbow chard or carrots and I know fennel would be delicious and so fragrant.  I think I would like some basil and a hint of fresh mint as well.  

You're reading Minestrone Soup with Spring Vegetables and Chicken Meatballs by Cathy, originally found at Wives with Knives. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Cathy on Facebook or subscribe here!