Kate Hill

Dear Paula, Having just returned from the States, I opened my mail, found your book to welcome me home. The first time I saw the Cooking of Southwest France it, too, was delivered by mail from a friend in the States- nearly 20 years ago. and just like that first time-- I thumbed through the first pages and fell in love with the opening statements on the Tastes of Southwest France. Your defining those tastes so articulately 20 years ago opened the door to my understanding just what I was learning from my Gascon neighbors. Again I read the words that define this complex cultural cuisine and salute you for helping us savor the ingredients before we try to cook with them. The impact of your work on restaurant trends is evident; I ate prune & armagnac ice cream at a NYC bistro called Prune and had Duck Confit at Bobby Flay's new Bar American this week. Differently than the Mediterranean culture, do you think these trends are in response to the flavors of the ingredients rather than the culinary culture that borne them? How do you place the Southwestern cuisine in perspective? Thank you for that long year of re-visiting this good food!

Pirate, I always describe making a tourte as making many layers-- a crisp bottom shell, simple fillings layered like pages in a book, the finest crust laid on top, an final egg wash... the experience should be as memorable as the 35 year old one you had! Now I am intrigued. thanks.

Late night wandering from Gascony and thought I'd drop in my two centimes worth. Tarte or tourte? My French Kitchen 'godmother', Vetou Pompele, always makes her leek and mushroom tourte in a standard fluted tart pan. She tells me a tourte is savory and has an upper crust. When she makes one for serving between the soup and the next course, that upper crust is very very thin-- she will divide the pastry dough in thirds, using just one third for the top and 2/3 for the bottom. This recipe is the one I wrote in my cookbook 'A Culinary Journey in Gascony". In this little area around Agen, a croustade is usually a flat apple or prune pastry made in a sheet pan served in cafes or village fetes and a tourtiere is a 'pastis', the fragile rosetted armagnac scented pastry. Few people make them at home and a few patisseries specialize in them. they are deservedly dear, often disappointing but when great- every tissue paper thin flake disappears! I can't wait to get the new edition of Paula's book for my kitchen bibliothèque. the old one is dog-earred with years of browsing. Thanks Paula for updating and keeping this bible in print.

I like the honest and gutsy cooking at La Charcuterie, 51, Rue des Arènes - and the Nord Pinus for a drink and peek at Peter Beard's great photos of Africa and Isak Dinesan- a fantasy hotel. Definitely drive to Le Sambuc in Camargue country to eat at La Chassagnette. Jean-Luc Rabanel has beeing making food magic from a small organic garden in this strange landscape. He was a local Garonne Valley boy made good and we miss him. and for a great view of Arles at home on the Rhone, La Peniche across the river... says Capt' Kate

Merci Cherie for the kind words. After lurking for a few weeks from the barge, I decided I needed to introduce myself. And yes, I am still afloat on the Julia Hoyt but keep one slightly muddy foot in the potager here at Camont- my version of surf and turf. If I can offer any more information wyf4lyf, don't hesitate to email me directly. It is great to be in touch with this strong e-community while floating quietly on this watery Gascon backroad.

You might take a look at Shawguides website www.shawguides.com who have a comprehensive list of cooking programs in France (and elsewhere) under cooking schools- avocational. Patricia Wells in Provence, Susan Loomis in Normandy, Kathi Alex in Cote d'Azur are all well-respected professionals. I, too, run a program-- called 'The French Kitchen' in Gascony. What a great way to discover the wonderfully different gastronomic regions of France. Have fun!