Life in Labastide

Umbilicus rupestris (navelwort, penny-pies, wall pennywort). A yummy succulent for winter salads

After getting Seamus and Fionn from the mini school bus the other evening we relished the warm winter sun (temps well into the 60s) on a walk with Gloria to the spring for some fresh source water. It was Seamus's idea to stop on the way to pick some fresh nombrils de Venus (which translates beautifully to "Venus bellybuttons") for that night's salad.

Seamus and Fionn pick greens.

Still-life Bounty: someone's gotta paint these

Fionn and Seamus love to gather wild food

Penny-pies (as they are called in English) grow all over our village in late autumn and winter on the walls, stone steps, and along the base of houses (avoid if within reach of dog wee).  They taste like sprouts, great with a garlicky lemon mustard seed dressing.
They also have a medicinal use -- applied topically, their juice is used by locals to banish warts.

Gloria learning young to live off the land

A fresh finish to split pea fritters, red pepper relish and tahini dressing

Stay tuned for more "Life in Labastide" entries... the reasons we love living where we do, and part of what makes La Muse an amazing experience.

The Rise and Fall of French Cuisine?

In a London Review of Books review this book (see left): Au Revoir to All That: The Rise and Fall of French Cuisine by Michael Steinberger supplies us with some interesting quotes:

"The quarter-pounded conquest of France was not the result of some fiendish American plot to subvert French food culture. It was an inside job, and not merely in the sense that the French public was lovin’ it – the architects of McDonald’s strategy in France were French."

And:

"Chefs need prosperous patrons. Notwithstanding their other effects, the Reagan and Thatcher eras made the rich richer and spawned vast new wealth, money that bankrolled gastronomic revolutions in the United States and Britain. The French economy stagnated and French cuisine did likewise."

 And seemingly it was all forecasted by Mr. Paris to the Moon Adam Gopnik:

And so France has a unique power to let Americans down. One of the first and most influential of the disappointed was Adam Gopnik. Writing in the New Yorker in 1997, Gopnik asked whether there was ‘a crisis in French cooking’. The question was rhetorical. ‘The muse of cooking’ had abandoned France and, shockingly, ‘migrated across the ocean to a spot in Berkeley, with occasional trips to New York and, of all places, Great Britain’.

 Don't know if the French would agree with Mr. Steinberger though...

barter gift guide #3: for foodies! (& Moby Dick fans)

We eat well at La Muse. John has a knack for pointing out special foods at the grocery store, and, if you're lucky, Kerry will share with you some of her wild food secrets (wildflower fritters!).

Inspired by our delectable stay here, we've collected a few gift ideas that should delight the food-lovers on your list.

Mark Bittman is the go-to guy around here. At John's urging, and with  How to Cook Everything as our guide, we've learned how to make a pretty delicious (if we do say so ourselves) clafouti. We know a number of people who learned to cook with this book alone, and we can see why; it's straightforward, fun, and chock-full of useful information. Check out David Lebovitz's long favorite cookbooks of 2009 list for other ideas.

Good salt. A nice stash of salt will improve everything from salads to chocolate chip cookies. Around these parts, we use a lot of Fleur De Sel de Carmargue, but there's certainly no shortage of delicious and pretty gourmet salts out there. Pair your pick with some tiny spice cellars (and their adorably wee spoons) and you've got yourself a pretty sweet (salty) gift.  If you like your sweet with your salty in more than just dorky puns, we highly recommend Fran's famous Gray & Smoked Salt Caramels.

For the cook who has everything (and for the gift-giver with a bit more to spend), why not consider a gourmand fragrance?

We adore the rich vanilla whollop of Serge Lutens' Bois de Vanille (notes include: black vanilla absolute, licorice, sandalwood, coconut milk, beeswax, caramelized benzoin, bitter almond, Gaiac wood, tonka bean). Chocolate-lovers may enjoy Aftelier Perfumes' incredible, all-natural Cacao scent, made with jasmine and blood orange. Aftelier also offers essences, oils, and absolutes created specifically for use in the kitchen. Acqua di Biella's Baraja fragrance, along with standard gourmand fare like lemon, lime, cardamon, and nutmeg, includes fabled perfume ingredient ambergris (click the link for rather unappetizing details).

For those on the barter budget, all sorts of swanky perfume samples can be purchased here. Bundle together an ambergris sampler, a pop-up book interpretation of Moby Dick, and an Ahab jersey for the Moby Dick completist on your list.

















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100th Post!

Hooray! This is our 100th post! What better way to celebrate than with tea, biscuits, and some Haribo Schtroumpfs. John just taught us the French for Smurf today, and we've already thought of all sorts of ways to misuse the word (feel free to add your ideas in the comments). Here's to 100 more posts on art, writing, books, food, friendship, France, travel, retreats, wine, nature, and schtroumpfs! Thank you for reading.

    We'll eat 100 gummy schtroumpfys!

The Pitch Doctor's Spicy Basmati Rice

Last night, Peter Rush (The Pitch Doctor) blew our minds with his spicy rice dish. He's graciously agreed to share the recipe here. Take it away, Peter: 

 Spicy Basmati Rice as told by countless generations of Indian chefs to me personally in chat rooms on the internet but finally, finely honed by The Pitch Doctor for your delectation and inner huskards beloved rice-heads and rice-headettes.

1. Ingredients enough for a LaMusein of writers, one hungry American painter or five ordinary souls

With Prodigy playing loud in background, Firestarter set for track one, max it.........

1. 1/2 kilo or 1 lb to the rest of us of the best basmati rice you can get your mitts on, white or brown 
2. A generous pinch or two or three of Panchoori Pann (special spice mix you can get in any good Asian/Indian shop) I get mine from Mattas in Bold Street Liverpool because my mates Daleep and Dipak run it, its cheaper there than anywhere else and it's a mainline Pool vibe but you can get yours online http://www.mattas.co.uk/  
3. Two shallots chopped finely 
4. Nice generous thumbs of skinned ginger chopped finely 
5. Two bulbs garlic salt crushed chopped finely (drop salt onto chopping board, lay bulb on it press down with flat of knife, crush and see the skins just drop off and the oils release) 
6. Organic chicken stock cube or vegetable if a sandal wearer, diluted in cup of boiling water 
7. Good olive oil say two tablespoons but you will decide your own balance here and a knob of Ghee (Indian clarified butter) if you are a buttery slippery type of affair and like some cholesterol which actually  is part of a good balanced diet, gives extra authentic flavour and a slight bulbous shape to stomach and arteries.  
8.  Two teaspoons of Gara Masala. See 2 if you haven't a feckin clue what this great shit is Fistful of finely chopped fresh coriander split into two piles 2/3 to 1/3 

Click read more for the Rules of Cooking or click here to download a PDF of the recipe.