Holiday Greetings from France

I was lucky to spend Christmas week in France this year, and got to sample some of the holiday foods associated with the season in that country, that I'd never had before...

The bûche de noel, a staple item in window displays all over the city, all decorated differently and in different flavors.

Pretty holiday cakes, also with decorations on top

It wasn't just sweets that were on display - many stores were selling prepared foods, including stuffed lobsters, foie gras, and escargots...

And nothing says "Merry Christmas" like a dessicated pig leg

In the Marais, Jewish bakeries had goodies on display as well

Not special for Hanukkah, I'm guessing, but I did lust after those donuts

I've been curious about marrons glacés for a long time, and got to try one from Fauchon. This one was "nature" i.e., not flavored with anything - and it was cultivated in France (yes, I got to choose the "terroir" of this candied chestnut)

It was kind of tasty on its own, but, having purchased two, I ate the second one with some thick yogurt, and enjoyed its nutty sweetness more that way.

Urban Gardening

Urban gardening is a trend that I hope continues in 2010. Places like Austin's Sustainable Food Center are doing good work teaching kids and families how to garden, and yards are being transformed into little plots for growing veggies, like this one near where I live.

It's a bit of a tangle, but definitely a better use for the space than the overgrown bamboo (hiding trash) that was there before

When seeds can sprout in the least likely of places (like the hood of my trunk) it makes gardening in small urban plots seem that much more realistic...

Happy holidays, and look for pictures from France in early January!

The Perfect Hostess - Part 2

As promised, here are the results of the baked egg in tomato recipe from The Perfect Hostess.


The recipe is a bit vague, as older recipes can often be: scoop out the innards of a tomato, crack an egg into it, cover with breadcrumbs and bake at 350 until the white is firm. Cross-referencing with a recipe from the JOY I decided to forego the breadcrumbs and instead topped the egg with a little butter, salt and pepper.


Thirty minutes later, I pulled the dish out of my toaster oven and enjoyed it with buttered, toasted English muffins. Unfortunately the pictures are not very appetizing - you'd probably have to bake 50 of these to get a pretty one. But they are tasty.