Tag Archives: food

Dali Dreaming

Where did the last 21 days go? I am sitting in my darling apartment in the South of France and as I edit photos, I have just realised that it has been 3 weeks since I took these pictures in the Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain.

The center atrium (more shots in an upcoming article) has the type of feature that reveals the wildly humorous streak which infused Salvadore Dali’s work. A gigantic sculpture of a goddess figure is riding atop a vintage black Cadillac beneath a stunning eye to the sky opening. It is actually breathtaking because it knocks your visual senses off-kilter.

A massive statue of a goddess rides atop the roof of a vintage black Cadillac at the Dali Museum in Figueres, Spain.

An oculus or eye to the sky hovers above the atrium sculpture garden in Salvadore Dali’s museum in Figueres, Spain.

We’re already thinking of our next trip to Spain — but for now, here was how we spent an hour before we went to see the Dali works of art.

Mark pouring a glass of wine at lunch in Figueres, Spain.

Make sure to come back for more interior and exterior views of the Dali Museum in the coming days.

Barcelona Nights Out: Photo of the Day – Shoppers and Diners

In contrast to our own home town here in the South of France which practically rolls up the sidewalks on weeknights, you certainly can’t say that about a weeknight in Barcelona!

The photo below was taken on the very busy Passeig de Gracia at night. Note the happy women taking a break on the bench surrounded by all of their shopping bags as other people continue to stream by.

Two unidentified women rest on a bench as people walk by at night on the busy shopping district in Passeig de Gracia in Barcelona, Spain.

Strolling, laughing, running into friends, people are definitely out an about and not racing to get home and sit behind closed doors.

Happy Barcelona, Spain citizens out and about on a week night on Passeig de Gracia

And in this photo, people are just beginning to think about going out to dinner and filling up the tables at the very early hour of 8:30 PM.

Diners begin to slowly fill the tables of a sidewalk cafe in Barcelona, Spain.

We found an upscale ‘toy store’ for grownups called Vincon that carried everything from fabbo art and office supplies to a stunning array of kitchen goods. I had what we called (in Deb and Mark verbal shorthand) ‘a tile store moment’ when there was actually so much in that store that I didn’t know where to look first! I managed to get some shots that weren’t filled with people (and trust me, that was quite difficult), but the store was absolutely packed. At the front entry there were a row of waiting room style chairs for the people who were sitting and patiently waiting for someone else to finish shopping so they could go home.

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Barcelona is an amazingly vibrant city and I can’t wait to go back!

A Night In Nantes

A night in Nantes was part of our three day drive through France, but since it was simply a stopover and there was no time for exploration, we mainly saw the inside of our apartment hotel and the restaurant where we ate a rather bland but far-too-salty faux-Italian dinner.

Italian dining 'experience' in Nantes, France

But what WAS a humorous side note was the discovery of a popular Thursday night hang-out in the “Atlantis” area of Nantes — a huge restaurant and bar complex complete with a nightclub area, a large pool hall, and a massive bowling alley — all under one massive roof! And I have just realised that I will need to add search-engine ‘tags’ to this story that cover music, entertainment, food and drink, humour, and sports. Cool!

Moody blue cocktail bar in Nantes, France

Cocktail hour in Nantes, France with Salsa classes in the background

Pool tables at the Bowl Center in Nantes, France

We’ve lived and worked in various parts of France, mainly Normandy, for 9 months out of our 16 months on the road. Traditional cafes and bistros have been a familiar part of each segment of the four places we have lived in Normandy. But frankly, this glossy and contemporary style of venue was a side of French social life that we had never seen. The crowds inside the bars, restaurants, and the bowling alley itself were a range of ages from twenties through fifties and it was a relaxed and happy bunch.

Bowling in Nantes, France

Bodega Bar inside the Bowling Center at Nantes, France

Mark told me to “look to the right” as we strode up the polished concrete ramp to the slightly elevated 2nd level and we saw a clump of people following along with a dance instructor. Dance classes, too? I thought it was some kind of country line dancing, but it soon became apparent from the swishing of the hips that we were watching something with a distinctly South American feel. We had arrived on Salsa Night!

Small poster for free salsa classes on Thursday nights in Nantes, France

I asked Mark to go back out to the car and get one of the cameras and while he was gone, a handsome 50-ish Frenchman came up and asked me if I would like to dance. Let’s be honest, I’m improving a bit every week, but my fractured French is still rather pathetic. However, I managed to reply, “Non, merci. Mon mari est avec l’automobile et il retournez dans cinq minutes!” (No thank you. My husband is out at the car and he’ll be back in five minutes.) And then I stood there feeling quite flustered because it had been awhile since someone tried to pick me up! He smiled broadly when he heard my accent, nodded sweetly, and said goodbye. Whew!

Just thought you’d like a wee glimpse into a bit of suburban French night life. And up next? On to the Atlantic seaside!

Seriously? They Would Consider This Food in France?

We are currently living in the land of Fabulous French Food and loving every minute of it. The sheer amount of choice in the grocery, the cheese shop, the butcher, the baker, and the greengrocer infuses you with a sense of well being.

As I mentioned in a previous article, “Lovely Lengthy Lunchtime In Lisle-Sur-Tarne” — the concept of slowly and lovingly digesting each bite of food seems to be ingrained in the French soul. The government offices and many businesses close for a few hours each day so that a proper lunch can be enjoyed. Even the tradesmen here take a 1-1/2 to 2 hour break for lunch. People everywhere love to linger over their plat du jour at mid-day. So how in the world does that mesh with eating food from a dispenser that arrives in 3 minutes?

Pizza from a hole-in-the-wall dispenser in Villedieu-les-Poeles, France

We had gone into Villedieu-les-Poules for the afternoon and we were walking back toward the car when we spotted the oddity above. A hole-in-the-wall pizza dispenser??? In France???

At least that’s the closest to anything like fast food that I have seen since we last visited England. May I just say, “Mon Dieu!” Followed quickly by, “Tres YUCK!”

Petite Post About Pretty Presentation

I only asked for a hamburger — a cheeseburger to be more specific. But then Mark swished me out of the kitchen and told me not to peek as I walked by about 15 minutes later.

The man loves to cook and thank heavens for that since I’m a bit ‘over it’ most of the time. And he really prides himself on presentation — making the food look as good as it tastes. And yes, it was SO yummy!

Gourmet Cheeseburger, Salad, and Chutney

What you are looking at is a rather deluxe cheeseburger with caramelized onion, spices, an egg, and small pieces of cheese inside the meat mixture and it was lovingly placed atop a potato birds nest — grated potato cooked quite crisply.

Alongside you see a tomato and cucumber salad and a dollop of the chutney that we made a few weeks ago.

Gourmet Cheeseburger, Salad, and Chutney

May I just add that it was completely mouth watering gourmet concoction. Yes, I am a very lucky woman!

Last Minute Christmas Groceries in France

Having recovered our equilibrium after the fire two days ago, we ventured out today to do some last minute grocery shopping in St. Lo. As we approached the InterMarche, I told Mark that the parking lot was completely full. But we managed to get a spot quite quickly and in we went.

Busy shoppers at supermarket two days before Christmas in St. Lo, Normandy, France

Last minute gift shopping two days before Christmas in St. Lo, Normandy, France

The large store was bustling with purposeful activity as people purchased last minute gifts and groceries. But everyone lined up cheerfully and there was no sense of anxiety or aggravation as everyone waited politely to be served in turn. The wine aisles, meat and seafood counters, and the cheese counters were the busiest areas followed closely behind by the fresh fruit and vegetables. Quietly and competently, the French staff waited on customers, filled orders, found specific gift items, and checked out the purchases.

Last minute food shopping 2 days before Christmas in St. Lo, Normandy, France

As we left the store and drove away into the icy-cold rain and darkness, we both remarked about how calm everyone had been inside the store. It was a marked and charming contrast to the frenzied atmosphere we had felt in Great Britain, Australia, and the USA when we both dreaded it if we ever had to do any last minute shopping. We used to cringe about the fact that people routinely shopped during the week before any holiday as if they were stocking up for an invasion and the stores might never be open again. It was simply mad!

Here’s hoping that all of my readers have a happy and healthy holiday season. Blessings to all of you!

Cheerful Chutney in Normandy, France

Several of you have written and asked for the recipe for the apple chutney after seeing the photos of the organic apples yesterday and watching the video that I took of Mark operating the mechanical apple peeler.

Organic apples in Normandy, France

Book of Preserves from the Women's Institute in the UK

I got this recipe from The Book of Preserves by the Women’s Institute in the UK.

Recipe for apple chutney

I won’t exaggerate, but it takes a lot of apples, raisins and/or dates, and chopped onions along with a hefty amount of spices to make a mere 3-4 fat jam sized jars of the finished product. So if you have plenty of large pans or kettles for simmering, you could double or triple the recipe and make a lot more of this in one go. As it was, we only had two large pans to work with. So we were doing one large pan of apple compote (simply chopped apples, no sugar, no spices, simmered for 4 hours until it looks like applesauce and is all natural!) and one pan of chutney.

This recipe produces 2 500 ml (18 fluid ounce) jars of chutney and it goes really well with cheese and meat and sandwiches. We ate some the other night with a chicken quiche. Yum!

Here’s the recipe.

APPLE CHUTNEY
250 g (9 oz) onions, chopped
1 kg (2 lb & 4 oz) cooking apples, cored and chopped
125 g (4-1/2 oz) sultanas, raisins, or chopped dates
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon mixed spice
1 tablespoon salt
350 g (12 oz) granulated sugar
700 ml (1-1/4 pints) malt vinegar

1. Put all ingredients into a large pan. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring often, until the sugar has completely dissolved.

2. Simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring from time to time to stop the chutney sticking to the pan.

3. After the shortest cooking time, start checking if the chutney is ready by dragging a channel through the mixture with a wooden spoon so that the bottom of the pan is visible. If the channel immediately fills with liquid, the chutney is not ready. Cook for a further 15 minutes and then check again. The chutney is ready when the channel does not fill and the mixture is very thick.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand briefly. Carefully pour the chutney into hot sterilised jars and seal. Allow the chutney to cool completely before labelling and storing in a cool, dark cupboard. Store for at least 2 months before eating.

Enjoy!!!

A Wanderful Life

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