Labor Day Giveaway

Harper Collins was kind enough to send me a copy of Joyce Maynard's Labor Day Given I found the book so enjoyable I want to share the story with 3 lucky readers.

The story is told from the perspective of Henry, an awkward 13 year old who is all too aware of his strange family dynamics. Henry lives with his mother Adele. Adele rarely leaves the house and when she must go grocery shopping she stocks up for a month. Henry's own father dreads the obligatory Friday night visits. Henry has no doubt his father would sooner spend his time with his new wife and family he has created. He resents his step-brother who is capable of making his father proud given he can catch a ball.

Life for Henry means always being chosen last to be on a team, having no friends and just watching television. All of this changes on Labor Day when a stranger walks into the lives of Henry and his mother. In 5 days Henry learns about love, baking pies, trust and jealousy.

Frank approaches Henry at the grocery store and hitches a ride to their home. The truth slowly emerges as Frank's face is plastered across the television as a dangerous fugitive. With Frank in the house, the home comes to life as his mother smiles and Henry learns some valuable life lessons.

For me the sign of a great book, is a feeling of disappointment as you come to realize the end is nearing with each flip of the page. Reader will enjoy the lessons taught by Frank, he offers great advice on baking a pie and the lessons learnt by Henry.

I have 3 copies available for a giveaway: This giveaway is open to the U.S. and Canada only and please no P.O. Boxes. Please leave me your email so I have a way to contact you. Contest ends August 15, 2009

1. For your first mandatory entry leave a memory about Labor Day.

For additional entries:

2. Tell me what your favorite pie is.
3. Tweet about this giveaway and leave the post here.
4. Blog about this giveaway and leave the post here.

Spicy Oven Fried Chicken

Summertime is the perfect time for picnics, enjoying music under the stars, listening to Shakespeare at a park, or enjoying the symphony at the meadows. We are quite fortunate in Southern California as there are many events that we can attend. Many times, we will take a picnic to the beach and just watch the waves. I love dining outdoors with the fresh air.

Years ago, I discovered spicy oven fried chicken. This was in the days when time was not a luxury. I would devour my cooking magazines and tab the pages for recipes to be made. My husband still gets excited when he knows I am making this recipe.

What I love about the recipe is you can enjoy it hot or cold. Oftentimes I will bake it, so it is time to pull it out of the oven just as we are leaving. I line a tupperware with tinfoil, drop in the chicken and wrap it in a tea towel. It is always still hot when I pull it out. You can also enjoy this chicken cold.

It is just the perfect dish to take to a picnic. Do not let the fact that it is spicy scare you, you can control the spice by the amount of hot sauce you add. For us, the more the better.

Spicy Oven Fried Chicken (courtesy Bon Appetite)

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large onion, sliced
12 chicken pieces (breasts, thighs and drumsticks) with skin and bones

1 cup dry unseasoned breadcrumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons butter, melted


PREPARATION

Whisk buttermilk, oil, hot pepper sauce, mustard, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large bowl to blend well. Add onion, then chicken and turn to coat. Cover; chill at least 3 hours or up to 1 day, turning chicken occasionally.

Place racks on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Whisk breadcrumbs, cheese, flour, thyme, paprika, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt in large baking dish to blend. Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Add chicken to breadcrumb mixture and turn to coat completely. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on racks on baking sheets. Let stand 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Drizzle butter over chicken. Bake until crisp, golden and cooked through, about 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Off Season Review

Off Season is my first book by Anne River Siddons that I have read and if this book is any indication of her writing I will be back for more. Some books are meant to be devoured, with a feeling of disappointment as you come closer to the end. This was the case for me. I did not want the book to end.

I received this book courtesy of Hachette Book Publishing. Apparently Siddon's has written over twenty books. Before reading this book I had never heard of her.

Off Season is a great read, with a somewhat terrible ending. I did not want the book to end. I am neared the end I found myself not liking it and becoming confused. I had to go back and re-read pages. I was left so puzzled that I actually googled the ending of the book so that I could understand what happened. Surprisingly there were quite a few discussions about the ending. But you are going to need to read the book to come to your own conclusion on the end. I would not want to ruin it for you, especially since I did not get it.

The novel tells the story of the love between Cam and Lily. As a child Lily spent her summers at her family's cottage in Maine. These summers defined the woman she became. As a reader, I felt that I was summering in Maine, jumping in the lake, riding my bicycle and shivering as the nights cooled off.

The summer Lily turned 11, her parent's friends brought Peaches a recent orphan to spend the summer and recover. Lily was expected to be kind and include Peaches in her activities. Instead she found herself competing with Peaches' beauty and struggling with no longer being the child other children followed. This summer changed Lily's life.

Siddon's has the reader becoming older with Lily as she grows from the tomboy child to a young collegiate and a wife in love with her own family. You want life to work out for Lily-but I just was not crazy how it finished.

Read this yourself and I would be curious to know what you think about the ending.

The Night Gardener Review

George Pelecanos' National Bestseller The Night Gardener is my first book that I have read from this author. Pelecanos is an author, independent-film producer and a writer for The Wire.

The book tells the story about three cops, both good and bad. This novel is not so much about a crime and solving the mystery as it is about the three police officers. Officer Ramone and his partner "Doc" Holiday assisted legendary detective T.C. Cook years ago in the investigation of a series of homicides. They are brought back together by the killing of a teenage juvenile who is a friend of family man Gus Ramone's son.

While this book has received great acclaim, it was not the book for me. I am not sure if this is because I was expecting more of a crime thriller than a story about the officers and their lives. Pelecanos style of writing is gritty and slang. He takes his readers to the streets of Washington D.C. amongst the projects.

The Surf is Up and My Pot is Boiling Over

Surf's Up. Literally in the O.C. There are predictions for huge swells this weekend and if what I saw this morning is any indication this should be a great weekend for surfers. The waves were crashing on the shore with a ferocity that only comes with a southern swell. I love it. The office will be closing early today for a day at the beach.

The waves are not the only body of water that is swelling. My kitchen has taken on a pink hue.

Have you ever wondered why you never see beets on the menus at restaurants. Quite simple because they are so messy. Pickled beets are my favorite, and I love pink, but a pink kitchen.

Beets love splashing about when they are being boiled. They are like dolphins, bobbing in the surf, coming up gracefully before they plunge below the waves. My kitchen takes on the appearance of a kindergarten class when all is done.

They must be on of the more labor intensive vegetable to prepare. After boiling them they need to be peeled. I have never been one to have extra gloves around the kitchen. Once I am done peeling the beets, my hands have the same appearance as the kitchen.

Recently I made a new friend, I'll call him Bob or Float. Floating Bob helps my pot from boiling over. I am not sure what he is made of, but the trick is to put him in the pot before you start boiling your liquid. He is the "my pot will not boil over man".
He is truly a lifesaver. Officially his name is ceramic pot minder and he can be found at Sur La Table for $3.00. Not bad for a man, cheap and he cleans up.

PICKLED BEETS

Take 4 beets and cut off the ends
Boil the beets for about 45 minutes or until knife can cut through easily
Rinse under cool water and once cool, peel off the skin. It will come off easily.

Slice beets and place in glass bowl covered with white vinegar.
Let sit for a few hours before serving.

I'm Late Announcing the Winners for Off Season

Congratulations to Keyomi, Lorf927,Mama, Pam and Alicia. New Update-one of my winners has already won a copy of the book-so the next winner is Lesley

Thank you to everyone who entered.

The Cat in the Hat

Dr. Seuss would be so happy.

Chocolate-Chocolate Coconut Chip Cookies

How many times can you say Chocolate-Chocolate Coconut Chip Cookies in a row?

Yesterday morning I woke up and rode my bike to the beach. I took my backpack along with me so afterwards I could stop off at the market and load up on fruit and vegetables. So where do the cookies come in? Not sure?

I parked my bike at the beach enjoyed a morning walk, stopping to pick up shells. Early mornings are my favorite time to walk at the beach. I love walking on the ocean floor at low tide, when there are not many people around. Now usually a walk like this will have me fantasizing about fruit salad or fresh peaches and yogurt.

For some reason, even though it was about 90 degrees I decided I was in the mood for C.C. Chip Cookies. The coconut came in much later. I cannot even believe that I turned on the oven it was so hot. Not only did I make cookies, but I wanted to make sure my kitchen was good and hot and first made a batch of scones. While they were baking I made the cookie batter.

At one point when I was blending the batter, I am not sure what happened but I splattered chocolate batter all over the kitchen. Chocolate batter everywhere.

After putting in the first batch of cookies I thought let's make Monet proud and turn these into haystacks. After all we did just celebrate Bastille Day this week. So out came the coconut flakes. The C.C. Chip Cookies were pretty good on their own. The ones with coconut were exceptional. So much so, I think there is only one left.

P.S. It was so hot yesterday, that my chips were still melting once the cookies had been left to cool.



CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE COCONUT CHIP COOKIES RECIPE

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 3.5 oz bars dark chocolate bars
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coconut flakes (you can make these without the flakes-the photo above shows the cookies with flakes on the upper rack)

Makes about 2 dozen cookies


Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

Melt the 2 bars of chocolate over a double boiler and set aside. Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl and mix with an electric blender until mixture is fluffy. Slowly add the melted chocolate and eggs until blended.

In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Beat for about 15 seconds on low speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the chocolate chips and coconut flakes.

Using a teaspoon drop spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for about 20 minutes for soft chewy cookies.

The Impostor's Daughter Review

Thanks to Ana Balasi at Hachette Book Group I was given a copy of The Impostor's Daughter to review. I must confess I was not quite sure what to make of the book when I first cracked the cover. The book is written in a comic style, with little balloon captions. It has been many years since I have read a comic book.

Surprisingly this style of writing works well for the book. Author, Laurie Sandell, learnt to draw as a child and I believe that all the drawings in the book are hers. Her book is a rather quirky, somewhat bizarre memoir as she introduces us to her father who has caused her much angst and confusion in her life.

Starting off with a cartoon of her answering the phone and getting screamed at by her father, because the caller asked for some unknown person, she simply states that the phone was always for her dad, even if the name of the recipient of the receiver of the call was unknown to her. Sandell quite simply did not know who her father was, as he was the master of deceit and dishonestly.

The book chronicles how his lies and covert behavior led to some strange behavior of her own, including becoming a stripper in Japan. The subject matter of the book is made for adults as there are discussions of sex, prescription drug and excessive alcohol consumption, along with depictions. Not sure that I would be able to draw a caricature of myself naked in bed for the world to see.

This off beat memoir approach will have you laughing, shaking your head and hoping for the best for Sandell. If you would like to win a copy visit my giveaway.

Impostor's Daughter Giveaway

Thank you to Anna Balasi and Hachette Book Group for a review copy of this book and 5 to give away!

Laurie Sandell grew up in awe (and sometimes in terror) of her larger-than-life father, who told jaw-dropping tales of a privileged childhood in Buenos Aires, academic triumphs, heroism during Vietnam, friendships with Kissinger and the Pope. As a young woman, Laurie unconsciously mirrors her dad, trying on several outsized personalities . Later, she lucks into the perfect job–interviewing celebrities for a top women’s magazine. Growing up with her extraordinary father has given Laurie a knack for relating to the stars. But while researching an article on her dad’s life, she makes an astonishing discovery: he’s not the man he says he is–not even close. Now, Laurie begins to puzzle together three decades of lies and the splintered person that resulted from them–herself.

This book is not yet released and is not available in stores until July 29. Author Laurie Sandell is a contributing editor at Glamour, where she writes cover stories, features, and personal essays. She has also written for Esquire, GQ, New York and In Style, among others. In her twenties, she spent four years traveling around the world, having unsavory experiences she later justified as “material.”


To enter to win one of these books:

Number One is the mandatory entry: Please leave your email with all entries. Thank you.

1. Post here with a comment of a favorite food your dad would cook or one that reminds you of your dad. My father was the cook in the house. He loved the holidays, coming up with new stuffings and setting out the lazy susan. He is the one who taught me how to make pancakes.

2. For a second chance to win, please post this contest to your blog and post a link to it for me to see.

3. For a third chance to win post this contest on twitter or to your blog with a comment back here to the link.


Contest will run through August 3 . The winners are chosen by using random.com. I will post the 5 winners here as well as email you for your mailing information. The books will come from the publisher. Please US and Canada entries only and no
P. O. Boxes.

Let the Blogging World Come Together

First off, let me say a very special thank you to Sheila at Journey through Books who nominated me for the Humane Award. This is my first Blog Award, and it feels rather nice.

The Humane Award is in order to honor certain bloggers that I feel are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn’t for them, my site would just be an ordinary book review blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendships through the blog world.”

I have made some great friends through the blogging world. It is great to know there are other people out there who enjoy cooking and reading and traveling as much as I do. I enjoy learning about their lives and what excites them.

So to my blogging friends, who deserve the award:

1. Lisa at Anali's First Amendment

2. Anna at Diary of an Eccentric

3. Michelle at Bleeding Espresso

4. Heather at GirliChef

5. Vanessa at Pen, Paper and Cake

6. Sophie at Sophies Food Files

7. Jennifer at Savor the Thyme

8. Vera at Luxury Reading

9. Ari at Baking and Books

10. Stephanie at The Happy Sorceress

Head over to their blogs with a cup of tea and see for yourself.

Happy Birthday to Me.

This is yesterday's birthday and the sunset I was able to enjoy. My husband made a picnic and we went to the beach. This is my favorite way of spending my birthday. We had a delicious dinner followed by chocolate blackout cake.



The day started off with him getting me some croissants from the bakery. Champagne's Bakery has some of the best croissants in town. I was able to enjoy them with the strawberry rhubarb jam I had made last month.



The celebrations started over the weekend, in Solano Beach. I was able to spend an enjoyable weekend, laying at the beach and reading.





It was the perfect day.

Congratulations to the Winners of I Loved I Lost I Made Spaghetti

Congrats to the winners of the book I Loved, I Lost I Made Spaghetti.

They are : Glenn, Lisanne, herblady, Christine and nfmgirl.

Thank you everyone for entering.

I will be posting another giveaway in a few days.

Escargot and La Petite Chat

July 14th, BASTILLE DAY, Viva La France. Today is a great day to celebrate everything French.

In honor of Bastille Day, I made a French supper, with foie gras from the Perigord region, a fresh baguette, escargot, duck and a fruit salad.

I should have known I was in trouble from the moment I opened the can of escargot. Meow, Meow.




Little kitty was trying to get into the garbage to lick the can I imagine. He loves playing with bags, and this was a paper bag with handles, so a brief moment I let it go. Bonjour mon petite chat. I did not know you liked escargot.

Meow, Meow, Oui Maman.

Oh look mama is busy mincing the garlic, I know I am not allowed on the counter. Let me jump in the sink where the escargot are sitting after being rinsed.

"Naughty kitty, get down"

Meow, Meow, who me? Look at my face, I am an angel.

Viva, la France. Even my beautiful cat wanted to celebrate in this great nation's culinary feast.

Bella Tuscany: The Winner of Frommer's 500 Places for Food and Wine Lovers

Congratulations to Heather, aka Girilchef who would like to go to Tuscany and enjoy their food. I am sure we all would. She is the lucky winner of Frommer's 500 Places for Food and Winer Lovers.

Congratulations to the Winners of The Night Gardener

Congratulations to the winners of The Night Gardener:

They are : 1. Cindi
2. Ladytink_534
3. Renee
4. Cheryl
5. Sprite

I have emailed all of you -so please send me your addresses ASAP.

Giveaway for Off Season

Acclaimed novelist Anne Rivers Siddons' new novel is a stunning tale of love and loss.

For as long as she can remember, they were Cam and Lilly--happily married, totally in love with each other, parents of a beautiful family, and partners in life. Then, after decades of marriage, it ended as every great love story does...in loss. After Cam's death, Lilly takes a lone road trip to her and Cam's favorite spot on the remote coast of Maine, the place where they fell in love over and over again, where their ghosts still dance. There, she looks hard to her past--to a first love that ended in tragedy; to falling in love with Cam; to a marriage filled with exuberance, sheer life, and safety - to try to figure out her future.

It is a journey begun with tender memories and culminating in a revelation that will make Lilly re-evaluate everything she thought was true about her husband and her marriage.

Read an excerpt here.

Hachette has been kind enough to allow me to giveaway 5 copies of this book to my readers. Given that the book is coming directly from the publisher the giveaway is open only to U.S. and Canada entries. Contest ends July 22, 2009.

For your first mandatory entry. tell me what your comfort food is. Make sure to leave me your email so I may contact you.

For extra entries:
2. Post a link to the giveaway on your blog and post it here with the link.
3. Become a follower and leave a comment here (or "remind" me you are already a follower so I know you want to be included in this giveaway.
4. Tweet about Off Season, giveaway.

Apricot and Fig Salad

Fresh figs may be my favorite summertime fruit. For me they conjure up memories of summers at my grandmother's along the Mediterranean. Farmers would come through the streets, their carts drawn by donkeys shouting out their produce. There were always mounds of fresh figs on the cart. The farmers would have an old scale and weigh out the figs.

For maybe fifty cents I would buy a bag of plump ripe figs. Oftentimes the bag would be empty long before I stepped back into my grandmother's house.

To this day, I still think of my grandmother when I eat figs. A few summers ago, my husband and I spent some time in Positano, along the Amalfi Coast. One night we were out for dinner in a family run restaurant. During the evening the grandfather, came through the restaurant, carrying a pail of fresh figs. My eyes were upon them. Not missing anything with their guests, the grandmother must have seen me eyeing them, as she came over to our table with a bowl of figs for me.



APRICOT & FIG SALAD

5 ripe apricots halved and pitted
5 fresh figs sliced in half
handful of arugula
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

Saute apricots until soft, remove from pan and place in bowl for at least 24 hours. This will bring out their juice.
The following day and the champagne vinegar to the apricot mixture. Add the figs and arugula and serve.

Winners of Obama's Blackberry

Congratulations to the winners of Obama's Blackberry-the winners are Mary D. Elsie, Renee, Christine and twister-snowboarder.

I have emailed all of you-please send me your addresses within 3 days so I may send the information to the publisher. If I do not hear back within 3 days I will pick another win.

Thank you everyone who entered. I will have a new giveaway later this week.

Book Giveaway for Frommer's 500 Places for Food and Wine Lovers

Frommer’s has just come out with an exciting travel book; 500 Places for Food and Wine Lovers. Let me warn you, do not read this book on an empty stomach, you will be salivating the entire time. How many of you research what days are market day in Paris, where the best ice-cream is, or where you can find the perfect cheese?

While I am often-times a little wary of travel guides offering up the best place to eat, I have gone on an epicurean vacation before, seeking out chocolate boutiques and gourmet pastry shops with fluffy delights.

Open air markets are a delightful way to discover a new country. In Vietnam I watched the fishermen bring in the catch of the day to the waterside market. I have watched the milk sellers in India, dip their fingers into the jugs of milk to show prospective buyers how creamy their milk is. I was enthralled by the spice markets of Morocco.




Whenever I return from a foreign country, I am always declaring some sort of food item, whether it be chocolate, spices or a new vinegar.

If tasting new food is your idea of a great vacation, I highly recommend this new travel book. Their suggestions on where to eat, cover every type of eatery from fine cuisine to neighborhood restaurants. The chapters are divided into categories going to the source, food vacations, eating on the road in America, meals to remember, vintage journeys, good spirits, buzzed on caffeine and of course every fine meal ends with Just Dessert. Whether you like to stay or home or discover the world you will find plenty of places listed. The book even lists food fairs and festivals around the world.



I have always found Frommer guides user friendly and this one is no exception with as it includes contact and website information for each location selected, plus details on accommodations and services to help you with planning your trip.
Just reading the book will make you feel like you are on vacation. If you have a vacation planned this summer, I hope you discover a new place to eat. Should you yet have a vacation planned I hope this gives you a little food fantasy and vacation from your home.

To celebrate summer, Frommer's has been kind enough to give me one copy of 500 Places for Food and Wine Lovers. Contest ends July 14th, Why it's Bastille Day and I love the food in France.

For the mandatory entry, tell me where you would go on a food or wine vacation. Do not forget to leave me a way to contact you. This entry is only open to U.S. addresses.

For extra entries

2. Post a link to the giveaway on your blog and post it here with the link.
3. Become a follower and leave a comment here (or "remind" me you are already a follower so I know you want to be included in this giveaway.
4. Tweet about 500 Places for Food and Wine Lovers, giveaway.

Discovering Food in Our Northern Neighbor's Capital

Hello, I am Esme, from Chocolate & Croissants. This week Lisa honored my by asking if I would write a guest post over at Anali’s First Amendment. Lisa and I met through the blogging world, we both love Nutella, adore Obama, passed the bar and enjoy food. These are some of the best ingredients for a friendship.

Happy Birthday Canada! Canadians are waking up today to celebrations of Canada’s 142nd Birthday. To get you in the mood I have a Canadian trivia quiz for you.
1. What is the capital
2. Who is the current Prime Minister of Canada?
3. How many official languages does Canada have?

Visiting Ottawa last week I was truly amazed by all the selection of ethnic food. Located in Ontario, Ottawa is separated from Quebec by the Ottawa River. The city’s choice of food reflect’s both the country’s history and the wave of migration to the nation. In grade school we were told that Canada was a melting pot of nations and this statement rings true in the capital’s offering of cuisine.



The Byward Market
is a great place to stop for lunch if you enjoy open air markets. Designed by Colonel By in 1826 it is one of Canada’s oldest public markets. When the good Colonel designed the streets for the market, he had two streets be extra wide so they could serve as a public market and gathering place.




The market is open all year round with farmers selling their goods. Sidewalks are lined with shops and stalls. While fruit and vegetables are big sellers in the summer, in the winter time, this is the perfect place to pick up maple syrup and wreathes and bows for your home. Inside the market are take-out stands selling Indian, Greek, French and traditional Canadian food.













For those that have a green thumb there are plenty of fresh herbs and beautiful flowers for sale. You can by freshly cut flowers or beds for your garden.




One of my favorite shops is The House of Cheese with it’s collection of imported and domestic cheese, pate and a decent selection of imported chocolate. Here the staff introduced me to Sauvigne, a creamy Quebecquois cheese. Give me a baguette, a glass of wine and a good book and I am quite content.




Another great shop is La Bottega, www.labottega.ca an Italian deli and market. The shop offers a wonderful selection of spices, coffee, dry and fresh pasta, chocolate, vinegars, oils, a fresh olive bar, cheeses and packaged deserts. At lunchtime, you can have a sandwich made for only $4.95.


Of course no trip to Ottawa would be complete without sampling a beavertail.





If you are feeling tired, hitch a ride from one of the rickshaw drivers. College students earn summer wages, by given tourists rides.














We discovered a Thai restaurant that introduced to young fresh coconuts stuffed with a delicious chicken and shrimp curry.




Ottawa’s own Chinatown is home to a good sampling of pho, dumpling, Korean bar-b que and sushi restaurants. After dinner you can wander over to one of the coffee and tea shops for bubble tea.

Every city has a Little Italy and Ottawa is no exception. Corso Italia as the main street is known hosts an Italian week, Ferrari festival, cyling criterium and grape harvest. This is the place to come if you want some Italian pastries.

If you are in the mood for something more exotic, the city has a wide selection of middle eastern restaurants serving gyros, kebabs and a traditional pizza that is a thin pita crust baked in a brick oven with toppings. La Brioche in the Glebe. The Glebe is home to a middle Eastern bakery selling baklava and other dessert.

Should you be in the mood for traditional French pastries or fresh bread, then let me suggest that you return to the market and visit Moulin de Provence, the little bakery Obama made famous. The desserts are so delectable that Obama returned home with a few goodies for the children.

















Outside of France this is one of the few places I have found ready made vol a vent (French for windblown) shells. Vol a vent is a filo dough cup traditionally filled with a mushroom mixture.


To all the migrants that have brought their wonderful recipes and foods to Canada, Happy Canada Day!