Category Archives: french food

Tour France: A Culinary Adventure with Charitable Twist

Our love of food and love of helping others finally meet– and you can help!

meal

The culinary adventures our clients experience with Bliss Travels have become our specialty. How many people can say that that they ate the best meal of their lives with a Michelin-starred chef in their jewel-like restaurant?

wendy 004

A Michelin-starred meal in a French bistro. One incredible dish!

Or enjoyed a perfect wine pairing with a custom meal cooked by our private chef in Burgundy or Bordeaux?

BlissTravels-Luxury-Tour-France-ABPhoto-FranceMay2012-4 copy

A private wine tasting on one of our previous trips

Or enjoyed lunch at an off-roads Provencal farm as the sun-dappled trees swayed in the breeze and farm animals meandered by?

A picnic outside in Provence, with fresh cheese from the farm

A picnic outside in Provence, with fresh cheese from the farm

What a privilege, and what a treat! To show our gratitude it seems only fair that we help those who don’t have access to such luxuries. There are too many families in the area who cannot afford their groceries, much less enjoy a culinary adventure of their own –even a local one. In order to help out Bliss Travels sponsors trips to the grocery store for families in need, letting them enjoy a respite from the anxiety of paying for something that should, at least sometimes, be a source of enjoyment. For each vacation purchased, Bliss will donate $150 to a family so that they too can have the luxury of purchasing things on their “wish list”.

For us, food is much more than a necessity and a source of nutrition. Meals are a time to gather and relax, away from the stress of the day. It is a means of enjoying family, friends, and life–and we all deserve those moments.

family meal

There is nothing better than the simple joy of sharing a meal with family and friends.

If you feel inspired by Bliss‘ example, feel free to try the “hands on” approach, help a family on your own, and let us know- we would love to hear about your experience! We’ll also reduce the price of your trip by however much you spend, up to $150.

Bliss Travels loves a good meal, and we know you do, too. Contact us if you want more information and to get involved in our culinary charity. Have ideas on how to expand this? We’d love to hear from you!

We can’t wait to expand this venture and help spread the bliss.

A bientot!

Wendy

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Tour France: Traditional Provencal Foods, The Aioli

Tour France: Traditional Provencal Foods, The Aioli

Tour France: Vacations in Provence and the Mediterranean

One of the best warm weather traditional Provencal dishes is the Aioli. Named after the garlic mayonnaise like sauce used as the centerpiece of the dish (the word Aioli comes from the words for ‘garlic’ and ‘oil’), this is quintessential Provencal fare. It has it’s roots, like many dishes of that region, in Roman times. It has been revered as a symbol of Provencal life for hundreds of years.

 

“Among the peoples living around the Mediterranean coasts, the use of garlic dates back to the very beginning of cooking itself. But as Leon Daudet observed, with the aioli it attained its peak of perfection, ‘the very highest degree of those truly civilized customs and habits that until health with well-being.’ So that we need feel no astonishment at learning that when the poet Mistral founded a Provencal newspaper (this was in 1891), he called it L’Aioli. The sauce had become a symbol. And he wrote of it with justice: ‘It concentrates all the warmth, the strength, the sun-loving gaiety of Provence in its essence, but it also has a particular virtue: it keeps flies away. Those who don’t like it, those whose stomachs rise at the thought of our oil, won’t come buzzing around us wasting our time. There’ll just be the family.’ And elsewhere again: ‘The ailoi goes slightly to the head, impregnates the body with its warmth, and bathes the soul with its enthusiasm…”
—The Hundred Glories of French Cooking, Robert Courtine [Farrar, Strause and Giroux:New York] 1973 (p. 137-140) 
[NOTE: This book offers a recipe for Aioli de Morue. We can scan/send if you like.]

another home made aioli served with tapenade

It’s served every Friday at the local cafe (because the fish monger comes on Fridays, and that’s the day of the Provencal market). It’s served at group meals –those community meals offered at village fetes and fares during the spring and summer months. This dish is a market fresh favorite.

There are many variations, but the mainstays are this:

Aioli sauce (recipes below)

Hard boiled egg

Boiled potato

Haricots verts (the thin French green beans)

Tomato (raw)

and steamed cod.

Then, the other items you might see are:

sea snails

cauliflower

zucchini

artichoke

mussels (along the Mediterranean)

 

Everything is served room temperature (unless you have steamed mussels, which of course, are served warm). The sauce is cold. You dip each item in the sauce to flavor it.

How to make a quick and simple Aioli:

Take mayonnaise (1/2 cup) and mixed with crushed garlic clove (4-6), a squeeze of lemon, a few tablespoons of white wine (you can determine how thick or thin you want the sauce by how much wine you use), sea salt –and optional flavors such as saffron or herbs de Provence.

Mix well, cover tightly and let sit for at least 3-4 hours. Best if left overnight to allow the flavors to meld.

For a traditional Aioli, this is what Escoffier says:

 

[1907]
“Aioli, or Beurre de Provence. Pound 30 g (1 oz) garlic as finely as possible in the mortar, add 1 raw egg yolk and a pinch of salt and gradually mix in 1 1/2 dl (9 fl oz or 1 1/8 U.S. cup) oil allowing it to fall drop by drop to begin with, then faster as a thread as the sauce begins to thicken. The thickening of the sauce takes place by turning the pestle vigorously whilst adding the oil. The consistency of the sauce should be adjusted during its making by adding the juice of 1 lemon and 1;2 tbs cold water little by little. Note: Should the sauce separate it can be reconstituted by working it into 1 egg yolk as for Mayonnaise.”
—Le Guide Cuilinaire, Escoffier, first translation into English by H.L. Cracknell & R.J. Kaufmann, 1907 edition [John Wiley:New York] 1979 (p. 29)

As the spring and summer seasons in Provence swing into action, you can be sure that people will be dining on Aioli, sipping rose, and enjoying the sunshine.  It’s Bliss!

Hope to see you there!

Wendy Jaeger

Owner, Bliss Travels

Tour de France of Wines & Cheese: Virtual Travel with Bliss Travels

French Wine & Cheese Parings on our Tour de France

tour france paris for the holidays

Burgundy, Chateauneuf du Pape, Bordeaux… people “oooh and ahh” over these fabulous wines –forgetting that they are place names –names of villages and towns, not actually names of specific “brands” or even “makers” of wines.

Certainly the places have a terroir that creates a similarity between the wines and the foods. So too, certain grapes (which have different flavors) are grown in certain regions (like pinot noir in Burgundy or Grenache in Chateauneuf du Pape) and that also gives wines from a particular area similar flavor profiles. It’s a good idea to find what grapes you like, first.

The ruins of the Chateau at Chateauneuf du Pape which we visited on our May and October wine/photography trips

The ruins of the Chateau at Chateauneuf du Pape

In some ways saying “I like Chateauneuf  du Pape” is like saying “I like Princeton food” or “I like bread from New York City” –okay….but which food in Princeton? What restaurant? Which bread? They are, within a common American theme, all very different…just like the wines made by different people of the same region or village in France. One exception to this idea is where the place uses only one grape. The best example of this is Burgundy. By using one grape –the wines are much more identifiable by area. A French pinot tastes completely different than an American one.

Then there are cheeses. Also similar to wines in that their place names have almost become their brand names to us. Why do I say that? Well, Camembert is from ….you guessed it! And Roquefort? That’s right. Towns name their prized products (much like people do) after themselves! Now, it might make sense to you why “Champagne” would be so upset that people from other places started calling their sparkling wines by their regions proper name. They thought it was deceptive. Many of us would agree if we were to see a company called, for example, Beverly Hills Real Estate Brokers located in Brooklyn. Same concept.

So, what did we pair at our Tour de France of wine and cheese.

Here’s the list. Below are the tasting notes.

1. Champagne Marie Weiss,  paired with a Brie. (And a Cremant d’Alsace as the bargain substitute for this pairing).

It’s blend of 25% Pinot Noir, 25% Pinot Meunier and 50% Chardonnay from the Montagne de Reims and the Cote des Blancs. About half of the juice comes from 1er Cru and Grand Cru vineyards. The Marie Weiss label is produced by the superb, small Champagne house of Ployez-Jacquemart, near Reims. The nose is of apple, white peach, brioche, and fresh nutmeg. It is full-bodied, crisp and balanced.

(Note: Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved.)

2. Laurent Combier Crozes Hermitage Blanc with Chevre and fig jam. Both from Provence, where figs also grow –this is combination that really enhances the flavors of each. The wine is made up of 80% Marsanne and 20% Roussanne, is aged in temperature controlled stainless steel, and 30% is fermented and aged in new oak.  Aromatic nose combines flowers, dried fruits. Medium body, perfect acidity. Ready to drink right away.

Tour France Provence

Artisan made goat cheeses in Provence

3. David Moret, Bourgogne, 2010 paired with Epoisses. Epoisse, a cow’s milk, bloomy rind cheese from Burgundy, that is washed in a Marc de Bourgogne is a wonderful treat. This was a great chardonnay made in the town of Beaune.

Tour France:: Regions of France: Burgundy

The town of Beaune Burgundy

4. Bourgogne Pinot Noir with a crystalized, well aged Comte. Unless you’ve tasted a real, well aged Comte –you won’t understand the allure of this pairing. We compared this with a California pinot noir to highlight the fruit forward flavor of the California pinots and to explain the common characteristics of the French Burgundy wines.

Tastings of Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines

Tastings of Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines

Burgundy cellar

There is a video linked to this photo so that you can see a wine trip to Burgundy. You can also access the video on the Bliss Travels website.

5. Vacqueyras (Les Amouriers) primarily grenache –with  small percentages of Carignan, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache blanc, Roussanne, Viognier. This was served with a St Marcellin.  The wine was put in a carafe 1h 30m before drinking to allow it to aerate so that the tannins would soften. There was spice and fullness to this wine. This was best liked by the group as a whole.

6. Muscat de Beaume de Venise with Forme d’Ambert  -sweet and strong. A great finish to a meal. A muscat is a fortified sweet wine from a stunning postage stamp sized Provencal village like the one below. It is offered typically as an apero and served with olives or other salty contrast. Serve more chilled than typical whites. Is ready to drink right away.

Tour France luxury vacations in provence

So, other than following the list (mine or anyone else’s) how do you find a way to pair wine and cheese yourself? Well, you’ve probably figured out that cheese that is made from animals who graze on the same land  as the land where the grapes that make your wine have grown, fit the wine very well together. An herbed rack of lamb is lovely with a Rhone wine because the land infuses both with the same subtle flavors and spice.

So, if you’re looking for an “easy fix” find the cheese that is from the same area as the wine. This dish paired beautifully with a Chateauneuf du Pape, La Nerthe (white)….So well, we did it twice!

Tour France Paris French Food

A big thank you to Swati and Vinnay who generously purchased the wine and cheese “tour” to benefit the Pennington School! Thank you for being wonderful hosts and inviting a great group of people!

Any questions? Contact Wendy et a tres bientot a tous!

Tour France: Goat Cheese Salads (Chevre Chaud)

Goat Cheese Salads…

tour france provence goat cheese

From our favorite little cafe in Provence

…remind me of Provence in the spring and summer. So, today, when I went shopping and my favorite butcher Mike, told me his wife loved them, I though that this was a great excuse to start thinking about spring in Provence! This is a  traditional Provencal dish (which can be found all over Paris as well) and is made in many ways. Below are several recipes and our favorite variations of Chevre chaud (literally translated, warm goat cheese). And, of course, photos of some of the ones we enjoyed last season.

Greens: laitue (real lettuce in france is referred to as laitue. The closest we have to that in texture is hydroponic bibb lettuce or some varieties of organic baby lettuces). If you are making a salad of the sweet variety below, then you could use baby arugula or maybe other wild greens to add a bitter component to balance the sweet. Otherwise, use the most delicate lettuce available.

Wash and dry greens. Toss in vinaigrette. Add the various components below that you’ve chosen, and enjoy.

Vinaigrette
2-3 parts olive oil (extra virgin)
1 part white wine vinegar
Dijon style mustard to taste (about a teaspoon for every 2/3 cup dressing)

sea salt to taste
optional: finely chopped shallots

 

Tour france Provence Salad

A first course served at a private dinner in our inn

Note: Salads can be made savory or sweet. If you prefer sweet, think of adding fresh figs or cranberry or diced fresh pear — and then maybe toasted walnuts or toasted pecans (with the cranberry or pear). Drizzle with honey. If you prefer savory, you can add tomato, olives, tapenade…

Chèvre: The goat cheese can be served cold, crumbled in the salad or warm on a crouton or wrapped in phyllo dough or breaded in some way.

The “main” ingrediant: Of course the most important thing in a Chevre chaud is the chevre –or the cheese. You can make this salad using a variety of great goat cheeses. Fresh goat cheese, creamy goat cheeses with rinds, and crottins. Just make sure you don’t get a dried goat cheese. It won’t melt properly.

Tour France Provence

artisan goat cheeses made at the farm where they were served. It’s a mountain top picnic

You can use a Crottin de Chavignol for your salad, or any goat cheese with a rind. This is an easy and tasty way to make the dish. As you heat the goat cheese (usually you do this on a crouton), the rind keeps the melted cheese from losing it’s shape. The cheese is then placed on a green salad. Sometime tomatoes are added. sometimes tapenade. And sometimes figs or other fruits are used instead -as a counterpoint to the strong flavor of the cheese.

Crottin de Chavignol

 

Another way to make this salad is to use fresh goat cheese logs. You take a 1/2 to 1 inch slice of the goat cheese, and place on an already toasted crouton. You heat the goat cheese and put on the salad.

Tour France Provence Goat cheese salad

A starter of phyllo wrapped fresh goat cheese

 

Pair these with a Sancerre or a Provencal rose.Market Day Tour France Provence

And enjoy! Bon appetit, to you, and hope to see you a bientot in France this season.

 

 

Tour France: Provence Goat Cheese Tart with Fresh Fruit

Herbed Walnut Tart Crust For Goat Cheese Tarts

Bon appétit

Bon appétit

www.blisstravels.com

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup powdered sugar

¾ cups walnut pieces

½ – ¾ teaspoon coarse sea salt

10 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1-2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 small egg yolks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend the first four ingredients until finely ground, and add herbs. Add the butter until a coarse meal forms. Add yolk, one at a time, until the dough forms moist clumps. Do not over process unless you want a “cookie” like crust (this works if you will be making mini tarts). Form the dough into a ball.—At this point the dough can be wrapped in wax paper and an airtight baggy and frozen for a month.

Roll dough between two pieces of wax paper to a thickness of approximately a ¼ inch. Press dough into a  9-11 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Cover the pan with wax paper and chill in the refrigerator for one or more hours.

Remove wax paper, place crust on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Check crust after 5 minutes and if crust is puffing up, gently press down the bottom and the sides. Return to oven; continue baking until golden (approximately 10-15 minutes); continue to check for puffing. Cool crust.

Fill with:

Fresh goat cheese (no rind) thinned with a bit of olive oil and milk. Spread on tart evenly.

Top with:

Sweet –Summer in Provence: Fresh sliced figs. Then drizzle with honey and with olive oil.

Savory — Summer in Provence: Fresh sliced, ripe, tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt and herbs. (If making a savory tart, cut back sugar in above recipe.)The savory version with tomatoes!

The savory version with tomatoes!

Savory — Summer in Provence: Fresh sliced, ripe, tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt and herbs. (If making a savory tart, cut back sugar in above recipe.)

Fall/Winter: Roasted pears, quartered and placed circularly on the tart.

Bon appétit

Spring in Provence: Wild strawberries, drizzled with oil. Or cherries (preferably from a tree)!

Our class topped the tart with cherries -not fresh like the ones here, found in June in Provence

Our class topped the tart with cherries -not fresh like the ones here, found in June in Provence

There are many seasonal variations of this great dish… Come up with what’s best for your location. For us, it’s summer figs in Provence!

Tour France Lavender

Tour France: 5 Tips for Holiday Wine & Cheeses Combos

5 Special French Wine & Cheese Pairings for the Holidays

There are so many great French cheeses, and so many great French wines. It’s almost too much to contemplate. However, we decided to profile the ones you are less likely to know about, and which, not coincidentally, go best with our favorite wines –those wines being Burgundy whites and reds, Provencal roses, Chateauneuf du Pape reds (and whites), and Champagne….(The pairings also have a seasonal element to them. The first and second pairing are ones we prefer over the holidays, while the 3rd  is a fall favorite. The fourth reminds us of Provence in the spring and summer. And the 5th is a fall and winter treat to have anywhere!)

1. Chaource: Chaource is a creamy cow’s milk cheese with a bloomy rind that is made in both Champagne and Burgundy. This cheese has been made since the 14th century. When ripe it gets extra creamy and almost liquid. It’s a great cheese for those who like creamy cow’s milk cheeses and want something with a rich, balanced flavor. Pair it with Champagne –which is a wonderful combination –the creamy rich cheese and the sparkling wine. Or pair it with a Chablis. The ideal way to have this cheese is after a wonderful roasted Turbot with beurre blanc. Drink with Champagne –preferably in Champagne or Paris , in nice chilly weather over the holidays!

2. Comte: Comte is a pressed cooked cow’s milk cheese. The young ones are fruity with a softer, pliant texture. The older ones are crystalized and have a stronger more sharp flavor. And if you find one that has been properly aged, it’s an unbelievably delicious cheese. The flavor of a great Comte is quite complex and hits you in different places on your palate. We have been lucky enough to find a cheese monger in Paris, who, over the holidays, carries a 48 month old “holiday” Comte that is truly remarkable with a full and deep complex flavor and crystallization that adds crunch and interest. It’s a remarkable find. This wine goes well with either a very light red (Beaujolais) or a very rich white (a full, rich, oak, Burgundy) in my opinion.

3. Epoisses: Is a stinky (really) raw cow’s milk cheese that has been washed while aging in a Marc de Bourgogne (a form of brandy from Burgundy). It is amazing. Because it is a raw milk cheese, you can only buy it in the US if aged more than 60 days. Thus, the best Epoisses is still found in Burgundy. Many people will tell you to pair this cheese with a red wine, since it is strong. However, I think the best pairing for this cheese is a white Burgundy. A full, round, buttery one. Try a Meursault Les Charmes, 1ere cru.  Or for more minerality, a Puligny Montrachet. And, do try it in France if you can! Every time we go to Burgundy, I make sure to have this cheese with a wine that fits this profile. We are never disappointed by this combination.

4. Banon: This is our absolute favorite Provencal cheese! It is primarily made of  goat’s milk which is washed in a marc (from Provence) and then wrapped in Chestnut leaves that are tied with raffia. Legend has it that it has been made since the first century A.D. This goes nicely with the scenery in Provence, which is also that old! When it is younger it has a creamy, slightly crumbly texture and a mild flavor. As it ages, it becomes creamier and runny. Both versions are delicious. This cheese pairs nicely (bien sur) with a Provencal rose. Also, though a crisp, slightly sweet white works. This cheese is best served with fruit before dessert, but is also good on a green salad as a starter or light lunch. We have a special cheesemonger we go to in one of the area markets who sells Banon “bien fait” (well aged and runny) and “moins fait” (creamy and younger) –at an astoundingly reasonable price. People line up 10-20 deep at the market just for her cheeses. They are Bliss!

5. Roquefort: Is a sheep’s milk cheese aged in caves with a strong flavor profile. It can be paired with a variety of wines. I like it with a Chateauneuf du Pape or other Rhone red. The full bodied reds compliment and stand up to the cheese. Of course, you can also have this with a port or other slightly sweet drink at the finish of a meal. Think about Roquefort served with roasted pears or figs –or even a fig confit — slightly sweet fruit breads or oat crackers and port. Yum.  Wonderful varieties of Roquefort can be found in the U.S. Pair it as we did below, with a Chateauneuf du Pape, Beaurenard 2007! Wow.

A post Thanksgiving gift of Chateauneuf du Pape and cheese reminded us of this past October in Provence! What a treat.

Have a Blissful Holiday Season!

A Bientot,

Wendy

Tour France: Food & Wine Vacations are Bliss!

Some places are extraordinary. Some meals are as well. It’s that magical combination of place, ambiance, warm welcome, specialty cuisine and company that makes these places pure Bliss! 

Of course, getting there is also half the fun. 

The wines were all Chateauneuf du Pape. Chateau La Nerthe 2009 white and red. The white was among the best I’ve every had.

An amuse bouche of eggs. The eggs in Provence are different (yes, even if you eat free range, farm eggs in the US. They are not the same.)

A lasagne of vegetables topped with girolles mushrooms was as tasty as it was healthy and beautiful.

An absolutely marvelous variation on the theme of Bouillabaisse. Truly memorable. A saffron fish broth held the freshest poached fish –not overly cooked–and still succulent and tender — with a saffron aioli and a tapenade crouton. This dish was a trip highlight and one we will make at home –that’s a promise. When the recipe is worked out Bliss Travels will share it.
Scallops in a lemongrass and leek broth…another “keeper”.

The requisite chocolate, salted caramel with dark chocolate and hazelnut was as good as it looked, but the real surprise was the Grand Marnier poached pear with orange and a four grain tulle. A truly superlative example of what fresh fruit can become in the hands of a master chef!

Experience Bliss with us. Contact us when you are ready to have this sort of vacation.

France Culinary Travel: Provence’s Lavender Fields and Luminous Meals

France Culinary Travel: Provence’s Lavender Fields and Luminous Meals

Touring the markets, restaurants, and vineyards of France’s sunny southeast

I found this great and informative piece by Julie Mautner and had to share it with you. If you are thinking of travel to Provence, then you should read this. Plus, for fun, we added our own photos –just to give it a little “zing”. A bientot, from Bliss Travels

By Julie Mautner

The people of Provence see themselves as uniquely blessed: by their brilliant sunlight and Mediterranean climate; by the beauty of their landscape, captured on the canvases of Cézanne and Van Gogh. And most of all, by the flavor and freshness of their sun-drenched cuisine.

The Provençals are crazy about food. They’re serious gardeners and knowledgeable and passionate eaters. It’s the rare Provençal that doesn’t have grapevines on the terrace, an olive tree in the garden, or a chicken in the yard. Foraging, whether for wild mushrooms, fresh herbs, or truffles, is a cherished pastime. The France we see in movies — where huge families gather at long garden tables for copious meals — is visible daily all over Provence. If you’re invited to Sunday lunch here, you can kiss your afternoon good-bye.

The Place

Asking someone to geographically define Provence is like asking for a recipe for “real” bouillabaisse: Everyone’s got an opinion. It has six distinct departments: the Bouches-du-Rhône, the Vaucluse, the Var, the Alpes de Haute-Provence, the Hautes-Alpes, and the Alpes-Maritimes. Within each department are specific regions: The Vaucluse has the Luberon, for instance.

Provence is in full glory in summer, of course, when it seems that all of France (and Europe) descends. Spring and fall are perfect for leisurely food-fueled touring, particularly during the vendange (grape harvest), which starts in early September. Winters are mild, but many places close between November and March. Yet, no matter when you come, you’ll find the Provençals are virtuosos in the fine art of food.

The Ingredients

In Provence the idea of terroir — roughly translated as “a sense of place” — is a foregone conclusion. The closer to home something comes from, the better it is. And knowing who raised your lamb or pressed your olives makes it better still. Homemade olive oil, wine, and confiture are cherished holiday gifts.

Provençal meals are planned around the changing seasons. The arrival of the first spring asparagus results in a burst of celebratory cooking. A Provençal would no sooner bake a peach tart in winter than he would grab a Napa Valley Chardonnay from the supermarket shelves. Just about anywhere you go, you can experience food and wine at its source. Bakers will invite you back to see crusty country breads being pulled from the oven; chefs will gesture you into the kitchen to sniff a dirt-caked truffle. Food festivals abound, celebrating all the important products of the region, including melons, truffles, lemons, garlic, lavender, and wines of every type. At village fund-raisers, local favorites such as bouillabaisse, paella, daube (beef stew), and aïoli are dished out in vast quantities, along with plastic cups of local vin du table.

Julie Mautner is a freelance food and travel writer based in St.-Rémy de Provence, France. 

France Food Tour: This Summer’s Dining Experiences in Paris, Provence & Med

France Food Tour: This Summer’s Dining Experiences in Paris, Provence & Med   This summer provided for some interesting gourmet discoveries and some wonderful repeat experiences. Below are some of the highlights of our fine dining and country fare.  Everything from Michelin stars to picnics on the grass to lunch overlooking the Mediterranean.   First: Dining in Paris….Reach for the stars! Foie Gras with cherries and chutney. Clams…with a parmesan foam. OMG.Tomatoes with almonds over a base of mackerel seviche –before the chilled almond soup was poured on top! Pigeon with a rhubarb fruit puree…  From Paris to Provence and the Mediterranean. Fish and the freshest produce dominated those wonderful menus…

Fresh Trout pulled from the local stream and cooked at out local auberge.

Aioli –a favorite dish…cod, carrot, haricots verts, cauliflower, tomato, zucchini –and in this case, a special touch of mussels!Rouget. Another great Mediterranean specialty –seen mostly in the South of France. In this case, filets served with a variation on ratatouille.Last, but not least –fresh wood grilled sardines served with olive oil to drizzle over them, a wedge of lemon and a fresh green salad.What more could you want? Oh, that’s right….Picnics of all sorts…From the rustic but gourmet…To the impromptu apres Marche picnic on the castle grounds…To the custom dining based upon local produce… It’s absolute BLISS. Contact us now if you’d like to experience Bliss

Tour France: Gourmet Travel & Provence Picnics

Tour France: Gourmet Travel and Provencal Picnics

Warning: Drooling likely. Have snack handy.

Anyone who’s going to France is aware of the reputation France has for outstanding cuisine. The produce, the cheeses, breads, desserts, even meats are world renown. One of the single best ways to experience what France (and more specifically) Provence has to offer is to make and/or join in for a real picnic. Here are some photos of our absolute favorite picnic lunches. Some are self made. Some are offered by tiny out of the way auberges, and some are custom from our chefs. Try not to drool on your screen as you scroll through these mouthwatering treats.

Roast pork (from the farm) with rosemary potatoes, and house made goat’s cheeses

Wines, proscuitto, peppers, zucchini all made up the meal as we sat at this gorgeous mountain top locale.
Prepping for our own picnics in a local kitchen

If you’d like to experience one –or more– of these culinary fantasies, contact us now. We have ONE room left on our October Fall Foliage trip to Provence (and Chateauneuf du Pape) and we are booking rooms for next May in Provence!

Contact us now. Wendy@blisstravels.com