Tomorrow it is Good Friday, the end of Lent. I am not a religious man and would not normally be volunteering to 'give something up', but this year for the duration of Lent, less the first two days, both Debrah and I have forsaken all carbohydrates and all but the teeniest bit of sugar.
A close friend of ours has extolled this regime for a long time and, to be fair, her healthiness is living proof of it's benefits. We both felt the weight of the winter months upon us, Debrah wanted to try it and I happily agreed to join in on the basis that it is far easier to prepare the same meal for us both than different ones for each.
It wasn't a Lent thing at first, just a "Let's do it for a couple of weeks, shall we?" I could have followed it at home but not when we ate out and I could have paid lip service to it. But I decided to support Debrah with it fully and then she had the idea of following the regime until the end of Lent - a target date for us to focus on.
Were we 100% strict? No. We have had no bread, no potatoes, no pasta, no rice, and no desserts but we have had wine and some vegetables and fruit that naturally contain some carbohydrates and some sugar.
Was it easy? No. I was really hungry most of the first and second week. I had dreams about eating foods I knew I shouldn't be eating. I missed chips with steak and toast in the morning and baguette whenever there was the smallest bit of gravy, salad dressing or meat juices left sitting on the plate.
There have been some funny moments - the look of astonishment on the waiters face when we declined bread in a restaurant - as far as he was concerned we were uncivilised heathens.
There have been many testing times - having to go to the boulangerie to buy croissants and bread for guests breakfasts, toasting bread for guests breakfasts, making chocolate puddings and watching guests eat them at hosted guest dinners, making jam and fruit compote and granola for the breakfast trays, making pommes dauphinoise for guest dinners - I'm sure you get the idea.
The fact is we have had temptation placed in our way every single day since we started this crazy routine. It's one thing to cut something from your diet and remove it from the house as a result. It's quite another to cut something from your diet and be constantly faced with it on a daily basis preparing breakfasts and dinners for clients - even preparing and eating dinners with clients who are eating the very foods you are trying to avoid.
And it has been easier as the weeks have progressed. The massive hunger pangs subsided when we realised we needed to up our protein and fat intake a bit to compensate. The meat, fish and vegetables available here in the Aude make it very easy. The new strawberry season is well and truly upon us and berry fruit is very much allowed. The weather has been warm and sunny and salad inducing.
And so we arrive at Good Friday with mission accomplished. Debrah has lost 3 inches off her waist and is looking sexier than ever and we both feel brighter, better and healthier.
So what next?
There is a temptation to go straight down to Cafe Felix tomorrow lunchtime for a bavette frites followed by chocolate mousse, to buy an extra croissant au buerre when I go to the boulangerie in the morning for the guests breakfast, to eat hot chocolate fondant with the guests at dinner tomorrow evening.
There is equally an enormous desire to continue what we have started, not to ruin all the good work of the past six/seven weeks with a reckless launch back into a carbohydrate dominated world. I quite like being a modern day hunter gatherer.
A toasted hot cross bun with butter - now that's a dilemma!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Getting ready for guests
Here at 42rvh we've had a bit of a break from guests for the past ten days, which was a shame for them because they have missed the best weather of the year so far.
Well that all changes this weekend with the arrival of two couples on Saturday. Thereafter, we have guests every night into the foreseeable future and life is going to get very busy - so I thought I'd better get prepared.
We have always tried to source the best fresh seasonal ingredients and to prepare ourselves, as much as we can, the food that we serve at breakfast and dinner. Over the Winter and into Spring the fruit supply for the breakfast trays becomes a bit predictable; with no fresh soft fruit available we rely on Spanish oranges and locally grown kiwi fruit, apples and pears - all very good but missing the zing of sun ripened sweetness.
That's all about to change. There have been strawberries in the market now for 4 weeks - and what's more they are grown in France or driven up from Spain, not flown in from another continent. For an English boy like me, local strawberries in April is a miracle.
And they are good too. The first market arrivals are clearly forced and probably grown in polytunnels but just to see the injection of bright scarlet onto the predominantly green market stalls is a joy in itself and lifts the spirits in anticipation of treats to come. The variety, whose name I sadly don't know, is big and brash and ideal for making compote or jam. It is swiftly followed by smaller, more delicate varieties bursting with the flavour of Spring, such as the gariguette - a French secret for so long but now sadly escaped from the borders of France to the shelves of supermarkets like Waitrose in the UK.
As with all new arrivals to the market, the first supplies are few and expensive - the price will drop and the supply become more plentiful as the weeks go by - and the taste will get better too because the first arrivals are not quite ripe or have been forced in the rush to get them to market to make a profit. The secret is to wait - but how painful is the wait and how long does one wait before you give in and buy?
I use the big early strawberries for making jam and compote and my cut-off point is €4 for 2kg. They start at €7.50 but today in the market they had dropped to the price I'd been waiting for - and just in time for the new guests.
Have you ever topped and hulled 2kg of strawberries? It's a lot of strawberries, very time consuming, very repetitive and makes your back ache a lot. I put half in a pan with the juice of two lemons and a quantity of sugar that made Debrah cry and the other half in a pan with the juice of one lemon and a tiny bit of sugar, which made Debrah a lot happier. The first pan was bubbled and boiled and became strawberry jam and the second was cooked for no more than ten minutes, until the sugar had dissolved and became strawberry compote. Four jars of jam, three jars of compote, ready for the breakfast trays.
More will be made as the season progresses using all the many and varied varieties of strawberry that will come and go throughout the next six months - each with their own subtle flavour characteristics.
I also noticed that our stock of granola was down to the last jar too, so whilst I was in the mood decided to make a new supply of that as well. It's a recipe from a Nigella Lawson cookbook so as far as I am concerned it can't be faulted - but it can be varied to your own taste with more nuts or less fruit or vice versa - it works though*.
Larder stocks replenished, I'm ready to face the new season and guests can look forward to freshly made breakfast goodies and then there will be cherries and then melons and then apricots and then peaches and then figs and .....
* Feast by Nigella Lawson p199
Well that all changes this weekend with the arrival of two couples on Saturday. Thereafter, we have guests every night into the foreseeable future and life is going to get very busy - so I thought I'd better get prepared.
We have always tried to source the best fresh seasonal ingredients and to prepare ourselves, as much as we can, the food that we serve at breakfast and dinner. Over the Winter and into Spring the fruit supply for the breakfast trays becomes a bit predictable; with no fresh soft fruit available we rely on Spanish oranges and locally grown kiwi fruit, apples and pears - all very good but missing the zing of sun ripened sweetness.
That's all about to change. There have been strawberries in the market now for 4 weeks - and what's more they are grown in France or driven up from Spain, not flown in from another continent. For an English boy like me, local strawberries in April is a miracle.
And they are good too. The first market arrivals are clearly forced and probably grown in polytunnels but just to see the injection of bright scarlet onto the predominantly green market stalls is a joy in itself and lifts the spirits in anticipation of treats to come. The variety, whose name I sadly don't know, is big and brash and ideal for making compote or jam. It is swiftly followed by smaller, more delicate varieties bursting with the flavour of Spring, such as the gariguette - a French secret for so long but now sadly escaped from the borders of France to the shelves of supermarkets like Waitrose in the UK.
As with all new arrivals to the market, the first supplies are few and expensive - the price will drop and the supply become more plentiful as the weeks go by - and the taste will get better too because the first arrivals are not quite ripe or have been forced in the rush to get them to market to make a profit. The secret is to wait - but how painful is the wait and how long does one wait before you give in and buy?
I use the big early strawberries for making jam and compote and my cut-off point is €4 for 2kg. They start at €7.50 but today in the market they had dropped to the price I'd been waiting for - and just in time for the new guests.
Have you ever topped and hulled 2kg of strawberries? It's a lot of strawberries, very time consuming, very repetitive and makes your back ache a lot. I put half in a pan with the juice of two lemons and a quantity of sugar that made Debrah cry and the other half in a pan with the juice of one lemon and a tiny bit of sugar, which made Debrah a lot happier. The first pan was bubbled and boiled and became strawberry jam and the second was cooked for no more than ten minutes, until the sugar had dissolved and became strawberry compote. Four jars of jam, three jars of compote, ready for the breakfast trays.
More will be made as the season progresses using all the many and varied varieties of strawberry that will come and go throughout the next six months - each with their own subtle flavour characteristics.
I also noticed that our stock of granola was down to the last jar too, so whilst I was in the mood decided to make a new supply of that as well. It's a recipe from a Nigella Lawson cookbook so as far as I am concerned it can't be faulted - but it can be varied to your own taste with more nuts or less fruit or vice versa - it works though*.
Larder stocks replenished, I'm ready to face the new season and guests can look forward to freshly made breakfast goodies and then there will be cherries and then melons and then apricots and then peaches and then figs and .....
* Feast by Nigella Lawson p199
Friday, April 8, 2011
Instant Summer
Just a couple of weeks ago I was waxing on about the arrival of Spring - the almond blossom was in full bloom and the Aude valley was slowly awakening with the first leaves on the trees, the first meadow flowers and the sap rising in the vines.
The last two days the temperature has soared to over 30 degrees in the sun and there hasn't been a cloud in the sky since last Monday - full on Summer has arrived with a bang a good two months earlier than expected. It's such a contrast to last year when the cold dragged on and on and we had snow in early May - the weather has gone completely bonkers! My wardrobe is still full of jumpers and jeans when what I need is shorts and t-shirts!
The temperature may be Summer but the countryside is still very much Spring. The cherry blossom has replaced the almond, the vines have their first growth, the poppies and irises are highlighting the roadsides in lipstick red* and purple, the new grass and new leaves on the trees could not be a more vibrant green if they tried and the birds are twitterpated (ahhh, Bambi)
It is very definitely perfect weather for cruising around the countryside with the roof down on the Audi, which is what we were doing today. There was no particular purpose to the drive and it ended up being a bit rambling as a result, taking in the Alaric mountains, the Corbières and the banks of the Etang de Bages where gawky flamingoes waded in flat calm water and a shimmering heat haze in the late afternoon.
In the midst of all that, like true francophiles, we stopped for lunch, at Auberge Côté Jardin in Conilhac Corbières. "Why haven't you brought me here before?", said Debrah as we walked into the tastefully cool terrace restaurant.
Conilhac Corbières is what I would call a main road village - it sits on the Carcassonne to Narbonne route nationale and suffers from the trucks that plague all such villages, whether in France or the UK.
From the front, on the main road, Coté Jardin doesn't look at all special, but don't be put off by that. Drive into the car park and walk into the terrace garden and you are a world away from the busy main road even though there is just a building between the two - traffic noise is replaced by bird song.
For a midweek lunch we opted for their two course formule at €20 - more than the average formule but this is much better than the average restaurant and worth every centime. The food was beautifully presented and delicious although our insistence on no bread or potatoes amongst the vegetables was met with slight incredulity and confusion. The carte was temptingly impressive and the wine list was excellently full of brilliant locally produced wine.
Our bill, with a half bottle of white, a bottle of fizzy water and two coffees came to €63. I thought that was excellent value.
Auberge Côté Jardin, 11200 Conilhac Corbières 04.68.27.08.19
* pantone 1795 according to Debrah - the design guru
The last two days the temperature has soared to over 30 degrees in the sun and there hasn't been a cloud in the sky since last Monday - full on Summer has arrived with a bang a good two months earlier than expected. It's such a contrast to last year when the cold dragged on and on and we had snow in early May - the weather has gone completely bonkers! My wardrobe is still full of jumpers and jeans when what I need is shorts and t-shirts!
The temperature may be Summer but the countryside is still very much Spring. The cherry blossom has replaced the almond, the vines have their first growth, the poppies and irises are highlighting the roadsides in lipstick red* and purple, the new grass and new leaves on the trees could not be a more vibrant green if they tried and the birds are twitterpated (ahhh, Bambi)
It is very definitely perfect weather for cruising around the countryside with the roof down on the Audi, which is what we were doing today. There was no particular purpose to the drive and it ended up being a bit rambling as a result, taking in the Alaric mountains, the Corbières and the banks of the Etang de Bages where gawky flamingoes waded in flat calm water and a shimmering heat haze in the late afternoon.
In the midst of all that, like true francophiles, we stopped for lunch, at Auberge Côté Jardin in Conilhac Corbières. "Why haven't you brought me here before?", said Debrah as we walked into the tastefully cool terrace restaurant.
Conilhac Corbières is what I would call a main road village - it sits on the Carcassonne to Narbonne route nationale and suffers from the trucks that plague all such villages, whether in France or the UK.
From the front, on the main road, Coté Jardin doesn't look at all special, but don't be put off by that. Drive into the car park and walk into the terrace garden and you are a world away from the busy main road even though there is just a building between the two - traffic noise is replaced by bird song.
For a midweek lunch we opted for their two course formule at €20 - more than the average formule but this is much better than the average restaurant and worth every centime. The food was beautifully presented and delicious although our insistence on no bread or potatoes amongst the vegetables was met with slight incredulity and confusion. The carte was temptingly impressive and the wine list was excellently full of brilliant locally produced wine.
Our bill, with a half bottle of white, a bottle of fizzy water and two coffees came to €63. I thought that was excellent value.
Auberge Côté Jardin, 11200 Conilhac Corbières 04.68.27.08.19
* pantone 1795 according to Debrah - the design guru
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Spa and Bar
We are always on the lookout for anything new in Carcassonne that we think may be of interest to our guests - new places to eat, new places to drink, new places to visit.
Yesterday afternoon, our 'research' (I'd like to call it work but it was all pleasure) took us to a newly opened spa facility and me to a wine bar and wine tasting room that I have been trying to visit for a while.
The spa is located at the Hotel du Chateau, a smart small hotel just a stones throw from the entrance to the Cité. We were invited to view and experience the facilities. Debrah enjoyed an hour long hot oil massage and I tried out the steam room and the plunge pool complete with various water jets/jacuzzi.
Actually, Debrah usually hates a massage and had to be virtually dragged to the spa but was totally bowled over by the experience - so that has to be a good recommendation. The decor is tastefully subdued and relaxing, the mood is tranquil and calming and the scale totally intimate. There are just three treatment rooms and a couple can book the entire space for themselves, making it a very personal time.
We will definitely be recommending the spa to our own guests and I'm sure we will be visiting ourselves from time to time.
Whilst Debrah was dropping off to sleep under the expert hands of the masseuse I dropped into Le Comptoir des Vins et Terroirs, a wine bar, wine tasting room and wine shop located in the Cité. It was late afternoon and there was no-one in the place except Benoit, the owner, which was perfect.
I told him what I do and he told me what he does, the wine he champions, the tastings, the food and we generally worked out how we might be able to help each other out. He appears to be the only person/place in Carcassonne providing wine tastings of wines of the local region, which is astonishing really.
There are so many visitors and so much scope to sell the region's wine but there are so many vested interests in different micro wine regions (Cabardes, Malepere, Limoux, Minervois, Corbieres, etc etc) that the bigger picture is maybe lost amongst the local in-fighting. It's an outsiders point of view but sometimes it takes that to see the reality of what's happening.
Anyway, for once I went into a wine bar and didn't drink any wine - remarkable - so my full review of the Comptoir will have to wait until another day.
Yesterday afternoon, our 'research' (I'd like to call it work but it was all pleasure) took us to a newly opened spa facility and me to a wine bar and wine tasting room that I have been trying to visit for a while.
The spa is located at the Hotel du Chateau, a smart small hotel just a stones throw from the entrance to the Cité. We were invited to view and experience the facilities. Debrah enjoyed an hour long hot oil massage and I tried out the steam room and the plunge pool complete with various water jets/jacuzzi.
Actually, Debrah usually hates a massage and had to be virtually dragged to the spa but was totally bowled over by the experience - so that has to be a good recommendation. The decor is tastefully subdued and relaxing, the mood is tranquil and calming and the scale totally intimate. There are just three treatment rooms and a couple can book the entire space for themselves, making it a very personal time.
We will definitely be recommending the spa to our own guests and I'm sure we will be visiting ourselves from time to time.
Whilst Debrah was dropping off to sleep under the expert hands of the masseuse I dropped into Le Comptoir des Vins et Terroirs, a wine bar, wine tasting room and wine shop located in the Cité. It was late afternoon and there was no-one in the place except Benoit, the owner, which was perfect.
I told him what I do and he told me what he does, the wine he champions, the tastings, the food and we generally worked out how we might be able to help each other out. He appears to be the only person/place in Carcassonne providing wine tastings of wines of the local region, which is astonishing really.
There are so many visitors and so much scope to sell the region's wine but there are so many vested interests in different micro wine regions (Cabardes, Malepere, Limoux, Minervois, Corbieres, etc etc) that the bigger picture is maybe lost amongst the local in-fighting. It's an outsiders point of view but sometimes it takes that to see the reality of what's happening.
Anyway, for once I went into a wine bar and didn't drink any wine - remarkable - so my full review of the Comptoir will have to wait until another day.
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