1st Advent.......

 http://wine.about.com/od/holidayswithwine/r/MulledWines.htm

Saturday is our 'get ready for Christmas day' since tradition has it that the 1st Sunday of Advent (this year 1st December) requires the putting up of decorations and the like!

We will have 'mulled wine' - stollen - chocolate and vanilla flavoured sponge rolls - chocolate bits and bobs - and other things, Christmas music - and plug in the tree lights - look for the ones that don't work - get upset.....everything normal!

We may even have to go to the supermarkets which only open on the 4 Sundays of Advent and the Sundays in the Tourist seasons, otherwise Sundays - no go, mostly.

Papa Noel at Vauvert....!

After all................It's too early to ask me to start working.....but somewhere to park my sledge would be quite agreeable!

Santa Parking Only (Photo credits: www.myparkingsign.com)

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Musique pour Noel....

What.....you followed my menu plans, but forgot the music.....? Well - I can maybe help you out - go here- make your choice, put your pc onto 'fullscreen' - full volume- and click.....off you go! Thank u - You Tube.....!
 https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=christmas+songs+playlist&sm=1

Rabbit and wine......Lapin au Vin Rouge (simple)

  There is no great difficulty with this dish unless the fact that rabbits can be interpreted as 'domestic pets'....another problem is who wins the fight for the delicious morsels - the liver and the kidneys, which should go in the last 15-20 minutes only!
Another problem is that the flesh is delicate, all of it, and doesn't like to be overcooked. I recommend cooking either in a  deepish cocotte, in the oven, or in a casserole on a low heat on the top of the stove. Preparation is the same......Chopped onions, crushed garlic, 1 rabbit (pieces or whole) marinated in red wine/sugar/herbs de Provence, 2 sugar cubes or 2 small spoons of sugar (to counter effect the vinegary of the wine), and a fagot of herbs overnight   Personally I always put fresh carrots in as well (everybody knows - rabbits love carrots!)
If wished, a cube of chicken stock, some olive oil, salt and pepper......
Method: Heat the oil (don't burn it!) slide in the onions/garlic and brown them slowly. Put the rabbit in and turn it to seal/brown on all sides. Crush the stock cube into the mixture, the sugar as well, and add the fagot and marinade together with some water, don't salt and pepper yet - wait till the end. This should not takelonger than 45 to 60 minutes in a middle oven heat or the same on top stove middle heat (covered).
Test the meat with a fork, and when tender, but slightly resistant to the fork, take the meat out and reduce the sauce, if necessary. At this moment you can add mushrooms or other vegetables, and even mustard goes very well! When reduced to your taste, slide the rabbit back in and finish off, putting the liver and kidneys in, for about 10 minutes. Depending on what you have put in, you can dress it with fresh (or dried) Parsley - Triangular fried croutons (nice and crispy) - take the fagot of herbs out, and.....off you go 'A table'
Bonne Appétit!

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When in France........

 In France, eating out is an integral part of a holiday maker's life, so it's best to know a few rules and phrses.
This link is very good and gives you many tips:     http://french.about.com/od/vocabulary/a/restaurant.htm (it also gives you the main phrases in French and English that a waiter may ask or you may wish to ask the waiter...maybe printing this out and taking it with you may help!
It all starts of outside the place, looking at the menus and understanding them! Surely it isn't easy, without being in the trade yourelf, to understand ALL the dishes on offer, but certain things should be understood, like whether animals are allowed in, smoking is now allowed nowhere (not even on the enclosed terraces), whether reservations are required.....that 'TVA' is the equivalent of the tax 'VAT'.....that 'TTC' means 'Taxes,tous compris' (taxes - all in prices including service charges) Sevice Charges or tips are old fashioned nowadays, so unless you are particularly pleased or it is marked on the bill, you don't need to leave anything. This is another link telling the main points http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/04/tipping-in-fran-1/ Of course it's all up to you!
In what I call 'La France Profonde' (deepest France) the rules are different. Normally tips are smaller, if at all, and the waiters may feel it to be an insult,so really just a small amount! 

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pencils sharpened......

Just to get the pencils sharpened to go to work, try this little article.....the heavier stuff comes later!
it just so happens that today, 20 Nov 2013, the City of Hull was elected UK City of culture, and my 'studies' gave the result that, in fact, there existed (and partly the reason for the existence of 'Hull' ) an Abbey of monks, French ones, called 'Meaux'.....
.'Meaux is nowadays mainly known for Brie de Meaux (a variety of Brie cheese) and the local variety of mustard. Following the official administrative French AOC there are two designations of Brie de Meaux: Brie de Meaux fermier ("farm Brie de Meaux", made out of the milk from the cows of a single unique producer) and Brie de Meaux laitier (laitier, that is from the French lait, "milk", which designates here an agreement, a mixture of the milk of different producers). The Moutarde de Meaux ("Meaux Mustard") recipe is since the 18th century a label commercially owned by the Pommery company and is nowadays derived not only in its traditional well known form but also in a variety of new different ingredient combinations: Honey Mustard, Green Pepper Mustard,Moutarde Royale (that latter including Cognac in its composition) etc.'

It is indeed a delicious thing, and will be on MY Christmas cheeseboard.....!

Brie de Meaux cheese (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Which reminds me.....I must hurry away to finish the article with cheeses, 'Poire Belle Hélène', and Café.......coming up. 

Red specials....!

...where do you think this is? No - it's not there, it's in RUSSIA and it's not -20C nor is there vodka to be seen everywhere. This link gives a bit about Russian specialities, after all they have to eat as well:  http://www.tristarmedia.com/bestofrussia/food.html and this link goes to images of the very famous, popular foods from the same country!   https://www.google.fr/search?q=russia's+famous+food&sa=X&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ei=_KGLUvO_IoST0QXgroHACw&ved=0CGEQsAQ&biw=1092&bih=520
I recall some years ago having contact to a member of a French family who worked in Russia and used to bring many things back with him.... don't know how often I've eaten these specialities, with enormous pleasure...
Blinis, Goulash, Schlaschliks, Stroganof,Veal Orloff and thousands more.....
Here's an invitation.....go fishing on the mighty Volga....a video to watch
http://www.euronews.com/2013/05/13/astrakhan-fishing-on-the-volga/
Have fun.......

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MY Christmas........(1+2)

This year, I've decided to use some of my interest from the savings books on having 'MY Christmas'
Caviar - huitres... porc glacé... fromages....poire 'Belle Hélène' - Wonder if I'll get there....?
Caviar.......By far the most expensive and difficult to find on my list! It is coming in at 250euros/kilo ( I only need around 30grammes for 2 people) but good.....around 40euros ($50)....
Le "Béluga" C'est le plus gros des esturgeons, qui produit les plus gros œufs et c'est le caviar noir le plus cher qui développe des arômes très subtils.
Just don't drop the tin....... Actually the fish it comes from, the 'Sturgeon' is very tasty as well 

 (this one still has the caviar (eggs) inside it) and is available occasionally, but I require something else....local OYSTERS....
Expensive elsewhere, here in my area, they are bred and sold quite cheaply (around $20 for 5kilo boxes) and are exceptionally fresh! Just getting them open is a problem, and don't forget to throw the '1st water' away, it weakens the taste.
......
http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/809162/how-to-eat-oysters

Now....let the work commence.....Pork filet or pork leg cooked and glazed.....
... or even better, if you can get it, then this......  http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/slow-roasted-glazed-pork-shoulder - if you need a smaller cut, then use 'filet mignon of pork' instead of shoulder or leg...! http://mycarolinakitchen.blogspot.fr/2010/06/grilled-pork-tenderloin-with.html
Vegetables are not really necessary, since crispy French bread does the job, but if you need it, then I would suggest 'carrots Vichy' done simply in water, butter, sugar, stock and reduced until it sizzles (in French 'chantes')
So....this is the first part, and I'm full...second part coming later, still with none of this.....

Christmas pudding decorated with skimmia rather than holly. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
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Part Two........
After a longer break, we get to the inevitable (at least in France) Cheeseboard.....here you have a link to the literally hundreds of ideas.....https://www.google.fr/search?q=french+cheese+board&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=CIKMUvrFOYy00wXfu4HYBQ&ved=0CCwQsAQ&biw=1092&bih=520 - personally I'll just keep it to half a dozen, 2 soft creamy, 2 semi hard, 1 'blue' and 1 surprise....plus anything my friends from Upper Savoy bring with them, as usual!

Dessert....? Poire Belle Hélène........ 

 This is the one.....I usually serve it with vanilla ice cream or pear sorbet, pear (from a tin, they are just as good as poached fresh ones, for this dish), HOT chocolate sauce (dark or light) and whipped cream, light and airy....! Roughly like this..   ......well - 

we managed it.....now all that's left is  and a good one, please...!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=S9JLbxgMyhg

christmas tree (Photo credit: fsse8info)