The Happy Tomato Cafe ~ Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island

The first week of November was very exciting for me. My friend Jane (from Cakebook) came over from England to visit us for 10 days. Our friendship formed 10 years ago over our mutual love of food and we've been great friend ever since. While I haven't seen Jane in 4 years, there is rarely a day that passes that I don't speak to her in some way; e-mail, Facebook - it's amazing how you can keep in touch these days. We had been planning what to do for months and seemed to come up with a Southern food theme. We took a trip up to Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island (close to the northern boarder of Florida's east coast) and had great expectations of a lovely Southern lunch.

Noon rolled around and we were in search of somewhere to eat. While on the way to a place on 3rd Street I wanted to try, our noses were treated to the most heavenly, smokey BBQ smell. It was a good thing the place I wanted to go to was closed for the day, as it gave us no choice but to follow our noses back to the Happy Tomato Cafe...
The cafe itself is in a small wooden building with an outside deck...

... and courtyard seating...

We had a quick look at the menu and got in line as the place was quickly filling up. This place seemed to be very popular with the locals, which is always a good sign.

My Dad and James were with us and there was one item on the menu that caught all of our attention: THE WORKS. The Works is a pulled pork sandwich with pimento cheese! Yes, pimento cheese!!! This isn't the sort of thing I would eat on a daily basis, but it did sound good and we were on vacation after all. It's not everyday I get to have lunch with Jane! We were all very happy with our choice. The Works is served with a side of BBQ sauce (I highly recommend the Mustard based sauce) and dill pickles. Jane ordered a side of coleslaw, which was also very good.

Enjoy a close up glimpse...

The sandwich was so filling there is no way I could have eaten anything else. Sitting outside on a sunny day with great company was the icing on the cake. I can't wait to go back!

The Happy Tomato Courtyard Cafe & BBQ

7 S. 3rd St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

(904) 321-0707

Food Memory: The Church Inn ~ Ludlow, Shropshire, UK

The last time I was in England, I went to Ludlow for the first time. Ludlow is a market town close to the border of Wales. Steeped in history, it has an amazing collection of medieval and Tudor buildings. Also a mecca for "foodies", it boasts the annual Ludlow Marches Festival of Food & Drink in September, this three day affair features the infamous 'Sausage Trail'.

After a morning of sight-seeing, we stopped at the Church Inn for lunch. It is a popular, cozy, traditional pub. When asking about the Pub's history, we were presented with a book that listed most of the Landlords from over the past seven centuries. Throughout the building's history, it also housed a blacksmith, chemist, a barber-surgeon (Sweeney Todd anyone?) amongst other things.
They had a nice selection of ales, but I opted for a nice country cider. I love going to pubs in England and trying ciders that I can't get in the supermarket. James and his father opted for fish and chips, my mother-in-law had a steak baguette, and I went for the infamous pub classic: the Ploughman's Lunch. This isn't something I usually order, but I am so glad I did. Their Ploughman's was the best I've ever seen. It had a generous amount of ham, some salad, bread, pickle, a nice hunk of Cheddar cheese and the star of the day: Shropshire Blue. Having never tried this cheese before, I was in seventh heaven. Shropshire Blue is sort of like a Stilton meets Cheshire Cheese. I love trying new things and this made the choice of pub officially a good one. It was truly a lovely day that I will never forget, and will always have the warm memory of the first time I tried this cheese.

Food Memory: Magnolias ~ Charleston, SC

A couple years ago we were fortunate enough to stumble upon Magnolias restaurant in Charleston, SC. Advertised in many local paper and magazines, we had to have a look at the menu. Billed as "Uptown Down South", we had to try. (Mel27 - this place is totally you! Kate, if you haven't tried yet, you must!)

Most of the restaurants that we ate at in Charleston had their own cookbook, so we asked our server to see theirs. While we were expecting a softback, spiral bound book we were presented with an amazing hardback book, with beautiful photography, signed by Donald Brickman himself! This was a "souvenir" I could not leave without. (Photo of Magnolias Cookbook from Amazon.com)
As we had been eating glutinously for a week and it was our last day in Charleston, I opted for a lighter meal. I had a bowl of their Ham Stew to start with, followed by the Wadmalaw Field Greens with Lemon-Lingonberry Vinaigrette. Both were good. Very good. I'd even goes as far as to say amazing. I can't remember what James had to start with, but for a main he had the Bacon Wrapped Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Tasso Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Collards, and Creamed Corn. If it sounds like a lot of food, it was. And I was even happier at the sight of it that I had only ordered a salad. I'm salivating just thinking of it now. If I were told that I had one day to live, Magnolias is where I'd spend it. Eating my way through the menu. I'd probably goes as far as saying that it is my favorite restaurant in the US. From the food, to the decor, to the wine list, it is truly an elegant experience.

Back to the cookbook: I love to do themed Holiday meals, and have gone "Southern" for Thanksgiving the past two years. This proves to be a popular choice, and the Magnolias cookbook is a savior when it comes to side dishes.Their Creamed Corn and Collard Greens are a must. Both are really easy to make and the results are divine. They are now family favorites, and I've almost perfected them without using the book... almost. Last year they accompanied our Maple Roasted Turkey, Mom's Stuffing, and Potato & Rutabaga Mash.

Lunch at Restaurant Miramar in Marseille (10/09)

The pièce de résistance of our day in Marseille was lunch at the renowned Restaurant Miramar, whom are famous for their most authentic bouillabaisse. Situated overlooking the harbor, it was the ideal place to sit outdoors for lunch while soaking up the atmosphere of Marseille. We were entertained by several street performers, my favorite was very reminiscent of Django Reinhardt. The "main attraction" to le Miramar is most definitely the bouillabaisse which is served in the traditional fashion: fish and shellfish served on a platter with the broth in a separate bowl. This is all served with a rounds of bread spread with rouille (a mayonnaise like sauce with garlic, chili, and saffron). When ordering the bouillabaisse, you are presented with a selection of sea creatures to choose from. This is one occasion that I really wished I could have seafood. The ceremony of having bouillabaisse in the place that is argued to have the most authentic in the world would have been a badge of honor I would have proudly worn. We opted for a few land roaming choices and were treated to this leisurely, very enjoyable meal...

We were first treated to a slice of black truffle on toast. While I've had many things that were "truffle flavored", this was my first experience indulging in an actual, non-dried truffle. It was divine. The first bite was a little strange. It had a musty, pungent flavor, but the more I ate, the more I liked it. The second bite definitely had more of a mushroom/beefy tone. To completely savor the experience, I took little bites to optimize this course.

This was then followed by a small glass of chopped seafood in a soup very similar to gazpacho. I sadly had to pass, but I did enjoy the zucchini/olive bread that was served with it. It was yeast free and had the texture of a "quick bread". It would have also gone nicely with an olive or artichoke spread. Perhaps even a hummus.
We were feeling completely spoilt and relaxed by the time our main course arrived: potato galette - on top of filet de boeuf- on top of polenta with a drizzle of au jus and olive oil.
For dessert I opted for the selection of strawberry treats. There was a strawberry crème brûlée, strawberry milk shake (no ice cream involved, more like whipped strawberry milk), strawberry sorbet with a strawberry wafer (looks a bit like salami now) and in the center a few stewed strawberries, marinated strawberries, and the skewer on top a very interesting, chewy strawberry candy. The presentation was fantastic, and not to be outdone by the other courses, before you are even served your first, the pastry chef comes out with a separate dessert menu to take your order. I was very sad that all of this was coming to an end, and then came our coffee...

Our coffee was served with this delightful platter of sweets. Now this is a place I could get used to!

Le Miramar
12, quai du Port
13002 Marseille
Tél. : 04 91 91 10 40 - 04 91 91 41 09
Fax : 04 91 56 64 31
Email : contact@bouillabaisse.com

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Lunch at L’Aïgo Blanco ~ Forcalquier (10/08)

At the recommendation of my sister-in-law, we drove to Forcalquier in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to have lunch at her favorite restaurant there, L’Aïgo Blanco. Located off a small side street from the Place Saint-Michel, L’Aïgo Blanco was a warm, bistro style restaurant that specializes in Provençale food. I had a look at some of the dishes walking in and decided that one course would definitely be enough. There were several things I could have happily ordered, but my sister-in-law said that their Lavender Honey Duck was very good. They served the duck as an entrée, but as I wasn't feeling up to a full main course with all of the trimmings, so I opted for the Roasted Duck Salad. This was partially down to the fact that the ladies at the table next to us had ordered it and it looked sublime. It also came with baguette with fig compote, need I say more? The duck came served in a crock, covered in sliced potatoes, and then was roasted. It wasn't too much duck, just the right amount. I don't remember the menu saying that it came with jambon de montagne, or if the chef took pity on me for only having one course, but it was a nice and very welcomed addition. The duck was nice, but I wish that it had a little rosemary to balance out the sweetness of the honey. There was so much salad to that I was completely full when I finished that I had to pass on the tempting desserts.Oops, I almost forgot to mention my favorite thing about lunch: upon ordering, our server brought us a bowl of olives that were coated in olive oil and fennel seeds. They were probably my favorite olives of the trip and if I remember to purchase fennel seeds, I would love to make.

L’Aïgo Blanco Restaurant

5, place Vieille - 04300 Forcalquier

Telephone: 04 92 75 27 23

~ * ~ * ~

My hunger had subsided enough by the time we reached Apt, so I stopped back into A Bouchard Pâtisserie for three more Passion Fruit Macarons. They were the tastiest of the ones I tried the night before and I couldn't leave Provence without having more.

Suppose I could have taken them out of the bag before photographing. The oil marks on the paper don't add much to the appeal, but I can assure you that they were heaven!

An Apt Dinner at La Colombe d'Ocre (10/07)

Our local boucher in Roussillon was closed that day, so we set off to Apt where we found a fantastic Boucher - Charcutier - Traiteur: J. C. Malavard. He had an amazing selection of meats (that you could have cut to order) and prepared foods. We chose a heavenly Gratin de Chou-Fleur to go along with our steaks (seasoned with a little herbes de provence). We had some left over ratatouille to finish off and roasted some tomatoes and onions too. As we were nearing the end of our two weeks in France, we were trying to finish off the edibles that we had accumulated while there.

La Charollaise - Apt en Provence
Boucherie ~ Charcuterie ~ Traiteur: Jean-Claude Malavard
8 rue de la Sous Préfecture, 84400 Apt en Provence
Tél. : 04 90 74 14 16

To finish off dinner, I had three beautiful macarons from a place I discovered while in search of beef. We were walking through Apt and it was sort of like I had a honing mechanism: I had this strong urge to look right and there to my surprise was a massive display of macarons in all of the colors in a box of crayons. With approximately 16 flavors to choose from, I walked out with Passion Fruit, Lavender, and Rose. There isn't anything to say other that I was pretty sure that I needed to move to Apt. They also had floral flavored marshmallows, which I regretfully didn't try. Still, I guess it gives me a reason to return.

Alain et Valérie Bouchard Pâtisserie

34, rue des Marchands 84400 Apt en Provence

Tél. : 04 90 04 84 71

Goat Cheese Tart, Carottes Râpées, & Celeri Remoulade (10/06)

We didn't want a huge dinner that night, so before we left for Avignon, stopped at the local boulangerie where I scored myself one of these luscious Goat Cheese Tarts. It was heaven in a pastry crust. The tart consisted of red and yellow tomatoes, fresh basil, and that creamy chunk of my favorite cheese. After seeing it, I nearly didn't make it to Avignon!
To keep it light, we served it with several salads: lettuce, Alison's tomato salad, and two French classics: Carottes Râpées (shredded carrots dressed in a light vinaigrette) and Celeri Remoulade (shredded celery root in a mayonnaise sauce). Now, I adore celeriac and have been to France several times, but this was a first for me. It was one of my favorite foodie discoveries (along with Perrier Menthe and Macarons) and I will definitely be adding it to my staple recipe collection, once I have mastered it. In the upcoming weeks, I'm going to give it my all to see if I can recreate the taste, and once I do - will be sharing it with you.

This was all washed down with a lovely bottle of chilled Pouilly-Fumé. Pouilly Fumé is a fantastic budget friendly alternative to the pricier Sancerre.

Provençal Lunch in Avignon ~ Restaurant le Lutrin (10/06)

We had a lovely lunch in the center of Avignon at the Restaurant le Lutrin, just around the corner from the Palais des Papes. It was a lovely restaurant, part of the Hôtel du Palais des Papes, and had a lovely outside seating area that sheltered you from the sunshine.
The perimeter was surrounded by large planters containing Bay Laurels, Lavender, Thyme, and Rosemary plants.
Surrounding the area was a small market of local artists, which provided a lovely backdrop to our heavenly meal.
This was one of my favorite meals of the trip: it was my ideal Provençal lunch. As it was a warm afternoon and we had been eating non-stop for a week and a half, I was in the mood for something light. My main course did not fail to please...
Roasted Aubergines with a simple Provençal Sauce. The flavors were so fresh and bold. I was in heaven. This was obviously washed down with a nice bottle of Provençal Rosé.

The only thing that could have completed this would have been lavender crème brûlée, and I was in luck: on the desert menu was a trilogy of crème brûlée. The flavors were Lavender, Thyme, and Vervain (Verbena). This is my ideal desert, right down to the fact that I have this thing about the number 3. It was the perfect way to finish the meal, even if the Thyme brûlée was actually Rosemary. Lucky for them, Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs too. Actually, in Provence, you really can't go wrong when it comes to my taste buds.

Hôtel du Palais des Papes ~

Restaurant le Lutrin

3, Place du Palais 84000 AVIGNON

E-mail: contact@hotel-avignon.com
By phone: (+33)490 860 413
By fax: (+33) 490 279 117

Our Market Treasures (10/05)

We ended up back at La Colombe d'Ocre for a nice, relaxing dinner that night were we sampled some of the treasures that we found at the market. We had some lovely jambon de montagne from the local charcuterie in Roussillon. It was total heaven, not too thinly sliced, and divinely smoked. This was joined by some beautifully marinated olives, conrichons (Maille, of course), radishes, and a few other gems that didn't make it into the photo. This was finished by the macarons that were left over from L'Auberge du Pere Bise and the boulangerie in Duingt.

Ah, what bliss!!!

Market Day at Coustellet (10/05)

Sunday was market day in Coustellet, a town not far from Roussillon, so we decided to go and explore. I have to admit we were slightly disappointed when we first got there. Parking was insane - so we expected an amazing market, only to find what looked like a flea market with a few food stalls. Don't get me wrong, a French flea market is a shopping dream come true, but at that point of the trip I was limited in packing space and we wanted produce, cheese, and bread. There was a good olive stand, spice stall, and baker whom was nearly sold out. We decided to split up - so J and I had a good wonder around. My in-laws quickly found us as they had just discovered that the main part of the market was across the street, hidden behind the buildings on the main road. This all made sense: all of those cars, there had to be some place for everyone to go! The market didn't disappoint. By the time we got there some of the vendors were packing up. There were still loads of stands with autumnal produce: root vegetables, pumpkins & gourds, apples, squash, potatoes... you get the idea (sadly, I didn't take any photos). There were also stands with home made jams, honey, local wine producers, and my favorite: the nursery stand. It was really hard for me to walk around knowing that I couldn't buy an olive or fig tree to take home. They were so healthy looking and were really reasonably priced.
It was also hard for me to pass up some more of my favorites: rosemary, lavender, and violas. I was in absolute heaven, and if there is one place on earth that has all of my favorite things: it is truly Provence.
To make matters worse, I spotted this Citroën HY. Now I was in seventh heaven. Ever since I first spotted the Citroën 2CV in "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown"; many, many years ago - I have had a fetish for Citroëns.
It was hard to tear myself away, but lunch was calling. As I walked away with images of owning a vineyard (complete with olive and fig trees, of course, oh... and obviously tons of lavender and rosemary) and driving to the market in my Citroën HY to sell my wine - and probably jams, chutneys, etc... we were off to find somewhere for lunch. The first thing we spotted was this pizza van...
Now if you didn't know (and I didn't), the French LOVE pizza! I have never in my life seen as many pizza establishments as I did in France. Annecy was over run with them. Literally 4 on every corner. Even small villages that we had driven through had several pizza places. Where the UK have fish and chip vans (that you don't actually see all that often, in comparison), France has pizza vans. We even spotted on outside of Roussillon called "Pizza Chris". Bizarre. Anyway, as curious as I was to know what sort of pizza would come out of one of these vans, we had been walking all morning so obviously deserved a sit down meal. And a glass of wine. Obviously. We were in Provence after all! We found a cafe with tables out front, and chose a nice sunny spot for lunch. My first course was a bacon, leek, and goat cheese tart. Wash down with a nicely chilled glass of Provençal rosé.
This was followed by tagliatelle with roasted chicken, tomatoes, and aubergine. Ah, what a way to spend a Sunday.

Dinner at Le Clos de la Glycine, Roussillon (10/04)

We had a very indulgent dinner at Le Clos de la Glycine on our first night in Roussillon. The hotel was around the corner from La Colombe d'Ocre, so driving wasn't an issue. The staff were so welcoming and friendly and the menu was superb. With courses chosen, we sat back to enjoy the view of the illuminated ochres out the panoramic window in the dining room. They had an outside terrace for dining, but it was a little too cold that night, so we stayed indoors.

We were promptly treated to a plate of salmon sandwiches, chilled tomato and basil soup, and a lovely dish of spicy olives. This was followed by an onion stuffed with mushrooms. I had never thought of stuffing an onion before, so really enjoyed this unusual dish. After the first bite I felt an idiot for not thinking of it before. The flavor of the mushrooms cooked in wine with rosemary complimented the mellow taste of the roasted onion so well that I was almost sad when I had finished. That was until I saw the next course:
My next course was a lovely medium-cooked pork with a mushroom, rosemary, wine reduction. This came served with Braised Endive Gratin. The Endive Gratin was also a first for me, and left my head swelling with ideas on new ways I'd like to try cooking vegetables.
Then the ending: dessert. This was not a disappointment. I had a poached pair, some chocolaty/melting ice cream thing pictured on the left hand side and in the middle: my favored MACARON!!! It was a lovely chocolate macaron with a heavenly deep, dark chocolate ganache in the center. If I could have a plate of those now, I could never want for anything else...

Le Clos de la Glycine

Place de la poste – 84220

Roussillon - France

Tél. +33 (0) 4 90 05 60 13 / Fax 04 90 05 75 80

E-Mail: mailto:le.clos.de.la.glycine@wanadoo.fr

Our Last Day in Annecy (10/03)

Our last full day together in Annecy was spent with an indulgent lunch celebrating J and his sister's birthdays. We had a fantastic meal at Brasserie Saint Maurice. My first course was one of the most amazing, indulgent dishes of my life...
Yes, it is just carpaccio of beef (or boeuf) but it was the best I've ever had. The beef was so tender and the taste was amazing. In addition to the salad and Parmesan, it was drizzled in a beautiful olive oil, sprinkled with course sea salt, and chives. The flavors were all so distinct and pure - and went so perfectly together. If I had to come up with my final menu, this would absolutely be the starting point!

Afterwards we had a walk around Annecy to settle out stomachs (and to somewhat sober up).

If you order flowers in Annecy from FTD.com - this is where they just might come from...

If you are in Annecy and looking for something for a very pampered pooch, Au Chien Elegant is the place for you! They had designer everything for the most discerning pup.

We then went for a walk in the park where we experienced two seasons in under five minutes. Let's start with Autumn: the leaves are just starting to change color.

Next enters Winter: the mountain tops were starting to get their first dusting of snow...

Brasserie Saint Maurice

7, Rue Collège Chapuisien

74000 Annecy, France
+33 4 50 51 24 49‎

What to Eat After Walking Through Alpine Pastures (10/01)

After a long, high altitude walk through Alpine Pastures (in which I've spared you from the photos), we were ravenous! It was my turn to make dinner that night, so I went for an easy classic: steak, sauteed mushrooms, and salad.
The steak was cooked à point, and served with Sauce béarnaise, from a jar I'm afraid, and not made by my own fair hand. Though making it from scratch is yet another thing I'd like to attempt in the upcoming year. I've never made béarnaise sauce before, and am somewhat terrified of ending up with scrambled eggs.

The steak was followed by a cheese course. We had some lovely cheeses: (clockwise from the top) Comté, Bleu des Causses, Reblochon, and Epoisses.

We finished with a box of Bonne Maman Lemon Tartlets, which were surprisingly good. They were nice and tart - not too sweet.

Stomach full, legs tired, I was ready for bed. Another good day in France...

Lunch at Châlet Rosiers (10-01)

My sister-in-law joined us on Wednesday morning. We popped into Doussard to the Shopi and une boulangerie to pick up some essentials, then went back to Châlet Rosiers for lunch.
As figs were in the height of season, my sister-in-law taught me how to choose the perfect fig: they should be soft (like a peach), but not too mushy.

We also had some ham that my mother-in-law cooked and some French salami.

My sister-in-law made her speciality: tomatoes with a sprinkling of sea salt, chopped garlic and a drizzle of salad dressing.

I was tasked with making the salad dressing for the two weeks, which was a big honor as my father-in-law is the master and had originally taught me how to make it years ago. Following the ratio of three parts olive oil to one part vinegar, I add a sprinkle of sea salt and sugar, one tbsp of Dijon mustard. This particular time I also added one clove of chopped garlic and a couple pinches of herbes de Provence.

This was also the first time I had tried a fresh fig, so I'm glad she was an expert at selecting them. She also showed me how to prepare and eat them. I was a little apprehensive of eating the skins, but they are very soft, not unlike peach skin. Not a huge fan of the Newton, I was pleasantly surprised by the taste. The taste was similar to a peach mixes with strawberries.

It was a very simple lunch, easy to prepare, but J and I agree that it was easily one of the most memorable meals of our trip. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, we were sitting outside on the balcony and it was so nice to catch up with my sister-in-law. We don't get to see her nearly as often as we like, so we always enjoy each minute we get to spend with her.