eG Foodblog: Abra and Chufi in SW France - Tantalizing Tales of Tripe

[hathor]

mmmmm.....may I have some soup please?

Now I have to add oxtail to my shopping list, that recipe sounds excellent, just the sort of thing that rings my bells. (Oh, and I think Swisskaese should be made to share that beef stew with chestnut and pomegranate with us because I KNOW she has a magic bag of spices at her disposal!)

How was that bread? I'm curious because how could they mill it in the morning, and have it your hands by the afternoon? Or are they just using poetic license when they say it was milled in the morning. What's your favorite, go-to bread?

Abra, you had cake for breakfast, what, is the tripe all gone??

[barolo]

Such warmth, beauty and generosity.

Thank you for sharing your days and meals with us.

[snowangel]

During a recent series of cloudy, overcast (and cold!) days, the light playing in the photos has been especially welcome.

Let's get back to the chicken, Abra. Do you find that the chickens in France are smaller than what is typically sold in the US?

What are the food prices like?

[racheld]

Just wanted to add my hearty, heart-felt Heartland Thank You to the long list. It's been a bright, golden time spent with y'all, and it's added quite a lovely OOMPH to the already full, bright-with-tinsel days.

Thank you, all four, for such a welcome and such a display. I just didn't want your earlier-than-ours evening and close to catch me unawares.

Beautiful and precious, all of it.

When the last word and picture fly away from your hands, go put your feet up, share that last slice of cookie-crumb cake, and sip a tiny toast with that famous vin de noix---a fitting, satisfying close to a wonderful party that we were all happy to attend.

Bonne nuit, Goede Nacht and Merci.

Edited December 15, 2007 by racheld (log)

[Swisskaese]

mmmmm.....may I have some soup please?

Now I have to add oxtail to my shopping list, that recipe sounds excellent, just the sort of thing that rings my bells. (Oh, and I think Swisskaese should be made to share that beef stew with chestnut and pomegranate with us because I KNOW she has a magic bag of spices at her disposal!)

How was that bread? I'm curious because how could they mill it in the morning, and have it your hands by the afternoon? Or are they just using poetic license when they say it was milled in the morning.  What's your favorite, go-to bread?

Abra, you had cake for breakfast, what, is the tripe all gone??   

←

I promise I will post photos after the dish is ready under the Supper thread. And, Judith, I still have to write about my visit to Montone on my blog. I am so behind on my Italy report.

The recipe is here:

Lamb Stew with Chestnuts and Pomegranate

The recipe calls for lamb. I am using beef instead and omitting the mint. I am also going to add dried apricots. I will be pulling out my bag of tricks for this recipe.

The vegetables look beautiful. I think it is nice that you can buy from the source. We buy some of our produce directly from the farmers near our town.

Edited December 14, 2007 by Swisskaese (log)

[Abra]

I decided to give Chufi's shutter finger a rest and took my own camera out with us this afternoon. Feeling a bit guilty about having promised you market pictures and failing to deliver, here are some for your delectation.

Oh, you wanted to see real people? These are santons, a Provencal holiday tradition of miniatures, beautifully staged here for your imagination to go a-marketing.

And it also occurred to us that one thing has been very notably absent from this blog and that's chocolate.

Isn't it amazing how little chocolate we've been eating. Here's a bite we'll share with you

And then, on our way home for supper, we saw this sign

With a fill up and a Euro you get a free panettone! And so we did. So now we're home, preparing our last blog supper, which will be simple and homey, but will feature those beautiful cèpes and some even more beautiful pastry. No gas station panettone, I promise. Just give us a couple of hours to thaw out by the fire and get into the kitchen, and we'll be back for a final post.

[markemorse]

The sun is setting at 4:30pm here in Amsterdam these days and it's hard to believe that y'all aren't that far away...thanks to all for the evocative documentation of some laid-back gourmandia...purty stuff.

+++

Edited December 14, 2007 by markemorse (log)

[little ms foodie]

How is Shel handling all the women power that is going on? Or is he just keeping mum as to enjoy everything you are making? You are really bringing back memories of the fun cook togethers on Bainbridge Abra!! I look forward to when you are both back and we can do more!

Edited December 14, 2007 by little ms foodie (log)

[Chufi]

Abra: "This needs more salt!"

Chufi: "Uhm... it tastes okay to me! "

Abra: "This picture needs straightening!"

Chufi: "Uhm, I like my crooked angles..."

Chufi: "Ugh, you're really eating tripe & pigs feet for breakfast?

Abra: "Yeah, maybe I was Chinese in another life. I like gelatinous!"

Chufi: "So you're plating this dinner, again? Could we serve it family style?

Abra: "I always plate everything, so, uhm, no!"

Abra: "Wasn't this fridge full of yoghurt, only 2 days ago?"

Chufi: "I guess. I told you I like yoghurt!"

Well... we do agree on one thing. Recycling is very important.

We had dinner, too.

The eternal soup was reincarnated yet again witn a garnish of fried garlic, walnuts, chestnuts and parsley. The cèpes Abra got this morning were rehydrated and incorporated into an omelet, together with some ham, garlic and parsley.

We're just about ready for dessert:

One more thing we agree on:

Goodbye, Au Revoir, Tot Ziens!

It's been a blast, thank you all for joining us!

[johnnyd]

Thank you very much for a most remarkable blog! I'm sure I speak for many here in saying how much we enjoy your posts - to read them as a team added to the fun.

Cheers!

[ludja]

Merci, thank you and Dank je wel!

edited to add: The soup garnish of fried garlic, walnuts, chestnuts and parsley sounds fabulous; I'll definately be trying that. And all the photos are fabulous!

Edited December 14, 2007 by ludja (log)

[Pierogi]

*THE* most vicarious fun I've ever had in my life ! Thank you both (actually all 3) so very much for the week. It was absolutely spectacular.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year and good eating to all of you and yours !

Thank you again. *SMOOOCH*

[Marneuse]

Great blog, ladies! Thanks for the time you've "worked" during vacation. I have so enjoyed reading and looking. The colors are just better in France, aren't they?

Also, I'm going to complain to my wine store this week about the door to door champagne delivery that somehow I've been missing out on.

Marsha

[Marigene]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the most amazing week! I am wondering if there will ever be anything close to topping this blog......

[SuzySushi]

It may be cold in Provence, but the warmth of your cooking adventure and new friendship shines through! What a wonderful week, even if lived vicariously!

[mizducky]

Goodbye, Au Revoir, Tot Ziens!

It's been a blast, thank you all for joining us!

←

Aw! Goodbye and thanks to all three of you (including Beppo the feline gourmet) for a most delightful blog!

(making note to self to cook something with pig's feet real soon now)

Edited December 15, 2007 by mizducky (log)

[Peter the eater]

That was a special treat - thank you wizard, yoda and superman/batman!

[prasantrin]

Short but oh so sweet! What a wonderful holiday treat for us all! I know I really appreciate that you (A, B, and C!) sacrificed some of your quality time together to share it with all of us!

And that final pic--what a great way to end! Beppo looks so content and loved--may we all be so lucky!

[SeaGal]

Thanks to you both--it was a fun ride with some gorgeous pictures and entertaining prose. Bye, Bye cute little Beppo!

[C. sapidus]

Lovely, joyous foodblog, very nicely done, and over far too quickly. Also lovely to see some of the old-timers (in internet terms, anyway ) come out of the woodwork. Great job!

[GourmetLight$]

Loved it!!!!!!! Thanks, ladies.

[Cadbury]

Simply delightful, especially the last picture of Beppo sharing the

[Abra]

Thank you all for being with us this week, and for all the nice compliments. It's been really special for us to have this time together, and it just wouldn't have been the same without all of you. And please, keep visiting with me on French Letters, where I do my level best to make everyone feel at home in France.

[BryanZ]

That was the sweetness.

[Chufi]

Thank you, all, for your kind words. And thank you Lucy for coming over and bringing me lovely foodie presents that I'm dying to try out at home, Beppo for the cat-love, and ofcourse Abra and her husband who have been such wonderful and generous hosts to me.

I've learned a lot this week and it has been an inspiration in many ways. A challenge to speak and write nothing but English for a whole week (with the occasional French Merci and Au Revoir), an adventure to be in the kitchen with 2 wonderful cooks. Talking about food with someone who loves it and understands the way I do, has been a treat.

See you all around!