New starts

Chateau Perroterie

John and I have finally had time to focus on our business Blog-spot. We want our Blog to be interesting, helpful, and fun. The Blog will focus on our home/business, what's great about France and especially our area of France. We are both passionate about food, drink, the whole "terroir" thing.

We have just returned from a visit to Carcassonne in the Languedoc region. The beautiful medieval city is of course full of history and a real honey pot  for tourists, this didn't bother us, or the crazy tourist prices! The cuisine is legendary especially the Cassoulet, this is where we took issue. The restaurant menus were unimaginative very similar, expensive, and woefully poor in the taste department.  So marks out of 10 - historical atmosphere 10/10, overpriced gifts 7/10, cuisine 2/10, local wines 8/10, friendliness 6/10 would we recommend a visit, yes but only a 1 night stay.

Carcassonne

On our return to Duras in Lot & Garonne, we were reassured that our region is far more beautiful, friendlier, cheaper, great value cuisine, our Cotes de Duras wines are delicious. So we unashamedly boast that we live in a great part of France, and it is our mission to promote our area's many qualities as honestly as we can, and yes we are biased!

Aux Fontaines

Must tell you about our lovely meal last night. Some clients very kindly took us to a restaurant which John & I have wanted to try out for ages. The Restaurant is called Aux Fontaines & is situated in La Reole.  http://www.restaurant-aux-fontaines.com/plan-restaurant.html It is a beautiful old town house the entire front has been converted into 2 dinning rooms. which takes about 50 covers. I have posted the restaurants link so you can see the whole menu. I had a stunning aubergine caviar which can be a bit boring but the addition of spice & refreshing lime with fresh crab & prawns mixed through, topped with rocket leaves, and there you have a very nice starter. The main was a supreme of Guinea fowl, slightly gamey taste, with braised red cabbage rosti & saute buttered vegetables. The dessert was a chocolate & fig delight, very very rich but at this point your at the point of no return. A very big thank you to Laraine & Robert.

There's something about the weekend, its a time to catch your breath after a busy week, time to chill out. I thought it would be fun to make a few wishes as I slowly woke up on a grey wet morning. 1. A lie in bed with a cup of tea, 2. A lovely cooked breakfast, 3. Sitting by a roaring fire reading a good book, 4. A glass of wine watching a movie. 5. A Chicken & chorizo risotto, followed by a piece of sticky chocolate brownie. Now I can report that all of my wishes were granted, what a great day.

CHICKEN & CHORIZO RISOTTO

Melt 100g butter in a non stick frying pan, add a finely chopped shallot & 1 clove of garlic, sauté till golden, add 150g Arborio risotto rice stir till coated in the butter, let the rice slightly burst (2 mins) to allow the fluids to be absorbed & the starch from the rice is released. Add a good glug of either white wine or in my case some vermouth, wait till its absorbed. Have a pan with 750ml of chicken stock ready, add a ladle of stock to the pan, stir & let it be absorbed before adding the next ladle full, it may not need all the stock or it may need a little extra stock, its always different. Mean while fry 2 chicken breasts cubed, & some sliced chorizo. When the risotto is almost ready add the chicken & chorizo, stir in some chopped parsley. 
Enjoy your weekend make lots of wishes - Angel Blogger

Really busy at the moment getting our property winterized, so a speedy easy supper needed. A quick look in my fridge where I found 2 chicken breasts, some jambon sec,  jar of cranberry sauce, & a piece of blue cheese. Here's what I have done.

Between 2 pieces of greaseproof paper place a chicken breast then let all your stress of the day out by hammering the meat (tenderising more chefy term) till its flat & twice its size. Spread a good spoonful of cranberry sauce onto the chicken followed by some crumbled cheese. Gently roll the breast forming a parcel shape, then lay out a couple of stripes of dried ham, place the chicken parcel on the edge & again roll till the breast is encircled in the ham, place in a roasting tin, then drizzle over some olive oil & salt & pepper. Cook in a moderate hot oven 400f, for 20-25 minutes, leaving enough time to have a soak in the bath with a chilled glass of Rose wine. Very satisfying end to a very satisfying day. Hope you too enjoy this sometime.

Love Angel Blogger.

Canasta card night

Well autumn is finally here & Brrh is it cold. With the cold evenings comes the ritual of beautiful log fires & cosy comfort food. Our good friend Jayne has invited us to an evening of cards or Canasta to be precise. I offered to supply supper & I decided it was time to drag out my autumn winter recipe book, this is a version of Delia Smith's Shepherd's Pie, I say version as I have tweaked it over the years.
2 Onions diced
2 Carrots diced
2 little white turnips
chopped fresh thyme & fresh parsley
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 Tsp cinnamon
280ml chicken stock
1Tbsp tomato paste
250g minced beef
250g minced pork
Salt & pepper
2 sliced leeks
Handful grated cheese.
Sauté onions in olive oil (5 mins) add carrots, turnips for a further 5 mins. Remove the vegetables, brown the pork & beef add the veggies, season, add cinnamon & herbs, the flour which will absorb any liquid left in the pan. Add tomato to the stock, add to the pan, bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, cover & cook for 30 minutes or place in a warm oven 300F 1 hour. Mean while boil a pan of potatoes I like half potatoes half celeriac easier to digest. Mash them with lots of butter leave to cool. Heat a medium frying pan with butter add the sliced leeks & cook till golden, set aside. When the meat base is ready spoon into a casserole dish which will take it all, then top with the mash, then layer over the buttery leeks, & finally a scattering of cheese. Place in a moderate oven 350f till cheese is melted & the whole dish is hot through. 

A further variation for vegetarians, omit meats & fry some cubed aubergine add to the other vegetables, you could also add a tin of chopped tomatoes or cooked lentils, substitute the stock for vegetable & follow the recipe as above.

Birthdays are to be celebrated, and yesterday I was lucky enough to be thoroughly spoilt. We stayed at one of my favourite hotels www.chateaudesanse.com near to St Emilion. We know the restaurant manager Jennie who is a sweetheart & really looked after us. We dined in the restaurant I choose the Maigret de Canard (duck breast) which was just to die for, with a lovely ginger & lime sauce, washed down with a local Bordeaux red wine which is exclusive to the hotel purchased from a nearby vineyard Juillac. To follow a chocolate fondant with amaretto ice cream. I am one very happy girl.

On days when I am really busy & time is against me, & I need a quick fix lunch I throw together a Pizza.A quick look in the fridge & I found salami, mozzarella, red pepper, tomatoes, anchovies, & parmesan cheese. A casual assembly of these ingredients on a ready made Pizza base, then place in a  moderate oven about 350 F cook for 20-25 minutes.It was a very yummy combination, the down side was I realized my fridges needed sorting out & 2 hours later 3 sparkling clean fridge freezers.