The streets of Avignon are dead on this wintry night with the exception of a few Chinese tourists. How did they get here? Where is everyone else? We arrive late at Christian Etienne, but when we open the door, we are greeted with all the human warmth and sunshiny southern French accents were had been…
Tag: sweetness
Sqala: the ultimate Moroccan breakfast
I asked the waiter to explain what some of the choices were. A lot of the words and names of dishes were things I had never heard of. I was trying to make sense of it all… “Or you can have the breakfast assortment.” My eyes widened as he told me all the things that…
Psychedelic risotto @ Castel de Tres Girard
It was what we call bonus sunshine. Sun when everyone said it would rain. The kind of day where you feel strange putting on a big coat. But after an hour’s tasting in a cool cellar, you’re really glad you kept the extra lining in your coat. It’s actually a tough season for tasting in…
Sqala: mise en bouche
The Kemia Mauresque, were actually a selection of cooked vegetables that the waiter told us were Moroccan salads. All served cold. Artichoke (farthest away) with tomato was delicately spicy. Tender artichokes. Seemed generally typical of Mediterranean cuisine, something the southern Italians might do. The sautéed spinach with candied lemon (2nd farthest away) was much…
Al Mounia
We were impressed when we discovered that the taxi driver knew where Al Mounia was. Not only because most of the other petit taxis seemed not to know where even the biggest monuments of the city were. But because we thought, “this must really be Moroccan cuisine!” The comments in the guide book describing the…
Mosconi-a ray of Italian sunshine in the Grund of Luxembourg
The Grund has something of a Latin feel to it. The Latin quarter of Luxembourg. Winding little streets-if only a few of them. Small houses. People walking around. Somewhat of a night life. And a true taste of Italy…. Da Mosconi is not just any Italian restaurant. It is a vibrating expression of the place…
Jerusalem artichoke, foie gras and truffle
Jerusalem artichoke (topinambour in French)-this is a root vegetable that the French elders detest because that and potatoes is what they ate during the war, and nothing else. Some great French chefs are bringing this veggie back into vogue. It is a great trampoline for both foie gras and truffles. A nearly perfect mixture. There…
Truffles with sea urchins… an unusual start
The Duc flips out over sea urchins (Oursins, in French). I quite like them too. This time of year, we have them on Sundays as a special treat. We especially like the ones that come from Iceland, as they are usually the most complex. But we never know which provenance the fishmonger will have. There…
Le Chamarré de Montmartre: magic from the islands
I happened to be tasting through the wines of Thierry Despres, of Grande Maison in Monbazillac. Whose wines can rival the most expensive and notorious sauternes at a fraction of the price. I know. I’ve done blind tastings before and Grande Maison was the ringer. The spiciness of his wines actually went quite well…
Saltpepperlime 