Gourmandistan

Amis and apple clafoutis

October 10, 2010 by Steve

Apples are one of Gourmandistan’s favorite fruits, especially now that, through vigorous research in several countries, we’ve honed in on a few favorites. We’re big fans of crisp, tart apples (although Steve, in a pinch, will eat just about any apple). In France, we prefer thick-skinned Boskoop or Canada varieties. In the U.S., we love GoldRush, developed at Indiana’s Purdue University and grown in large quantities at nearby Huber’s Orchard. Steve will happily gnaw his way through several a day, […]

Categories: Apples, Cooking, Food, France, Fruit Desserts, Recipes, Vegetarian

Of rice and nems

September 26, 2010 by Steve

Many people have expressed astonishment that, even in France, we often enjoy Asian meals. “But you’re in France!,” people exclaim. “Shouldn’t you be enjoying French food?” We have two somewhat inter-related answers. First, even for Gourmandistanis, there can be such a thing as too much foie gras. Second, in many ways, Asian food in France is still very, very French. France was a colonial power in much of Southeast Asia for much of the 19th and 20th centuries, until leaving […]

Categories: Appetizers, Food, France, Restaurants, Vietnam

France, Southern style

September 8, 2010 by Michelle

We invited our British neighbors-for-the-week over for drinks and hors d’oeuvres this evening, a reciprocation for their including us in poolside drinks on Monday. Initially, we planned on an assortment of sausages, cheeses and perhaps a tapenade to accompany bottles of local wines. Then Michelle had a moment of genius. Instead of serving French food to British people vacationing in France, why not instead serve them Southeast U.S. classics made with Southwest French ingredients? Thus were born two marvelous appetizers: […]

Categories: Appetizers, Cheese, Cooking, Duck, Food, France, Recipes

Strawberries in September

September 7, 2010 by Michelle

As Gourmandistan has for the moment relocated to Gascony, we’ve been exploring the markets of our temporary territory, discovering once again the delights offered by French farmers. Some of the nicer things we’ve enjoyed have been fresh strawberries. In America, our usual home, we would shun strawberries at this time of year, since they would most likely be chemical-laden imports with gargantuan carbon footprints. But in Europe, things are different. Everbearing strawberries have been cultivated for centuries here—pumping out sweet, […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, France, Fruit Desserts, Strawberries, Vegetarian

Why, Ms. Cochin — without your feathers, you’re beautiful!

August 31, 2010 by Steve

Monday’s trip to and from Lancaster was much more pleasant than the last one. Reasons included a daylight drive, a sedan instead of a truck, a working radio, and a noticeable lack of squawking, feathers or fecal smells. After a sunny drive through central Kentucky, Steve indulged in a brief walk on Centre College’s campus (anyone know what happened to the little marker that was supposedly positioned at Kentucky’s geographic center?), then drove a few minutes further to pick up […]

Categories: Chicken keeping, Food

Good night, ladies.

August 29, 2010 by Michelle

Dawn on Saturday found Steve rattling by his alma mater with a truckload of sleepy, mildly-protesting chickens, on his way to Marksbury Farm Market’s new Garrard County processing facility. As we neared Gourmandistan’s temporary relocation to Gascony, it was deemed time to retire the flock. We (OK, Steve) had winnowed a few from the flock earlier this year—but after dealing with four in one day, Steve decided he was no match for nineteen. Michelle was drowsily dragged from her bed […]

Categories: Chicken keeping, Food

24-hour breakfast people

August 27, 2010 by Steve

One of the nice things about having chickens in the backyard is that we rarely run out of eggs—which means we’re always ready for breakfast. (We’ll have fewer eggs than usual this Winter, but that’s best told in another post.) “Breakfast” isn’t necessarily a morning thing in Gourmandistan. Since we try to have Steve’s home-cured bacon around along with fresh eggs, breakfast can be the perfect answer to “What’s for dinner?,” especially if we’ve been too busy/frazzled to plan ahead. […]

Categories: Chicken keeping, Cooking, Eggs, Food, Recipes, Vegetarian

What a way to watermelon

August 15, 2010 by Steve

Both our farm shares have provided watermelons in the past few weeks, which hasn’t stopped Steve from buying them at our local markets. According to many farmers we’ve talked to, the staggering summer heat has affected many crops—but the melons seem to take the weather well. Noting Michelle’s apprehension at our growing mound of melons, Steve offered to make her some agua fresca. We first encountered this delicious drink years ago at the Mayan Gypsy, a marvelous restaurant featuring Bruce […]

Categories: Beverages, Cooking, Food, Melon, Vegetarian

Remembrance of eggplants past

August 9, 2010 by Steve

Gourmandistan likes oral histories, like those generated by the WPA Writers’ Project (something we wish was still around—are you listening, government recovery people?). We think it’s lovely when individuals get a chance to share their ideas of the times they lived through. (Steve, especially, looks forward to lecturing people about life in Middle American Suburbia, if he can only get them to stop watching “Leave it to Beaver,” “My Three Sons” and just about any other show on TV Land.) […]

Categories: Cooking, Eggplant, Family, Food, Italy, Recipes, Vegetarian

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