Provence from Fayence: Provence Guide

Twinkle twinkle

Check out this multi-lingual recording of Twinkle Twinkle. Nothing whatsover to do with Provence, but definitely French content.

Pirelli Calendar 2006

I came across the 2006 Pirelli calendar in a news release and I was thrilled to see that it was all shot in Antibes in Provence. The calendar features Kate Moss, Jennifer Lopez and others lazing around on the French Riviera.

Says the press release: "The extraordinary settings offered by Cap d'Antibes and the French Riviera are extremely elegant. The sea, the cliffs plunging into the water, luxurious yachts and fabulous villas with sumptuous gardens are the backdrops for this edition. Water is a dominant element that accentuates the shine of the skin and creates extraordinary light effects on wet bodies, which makes the photos particularly sensuous and enticing. Strong, sexy black and white amplifies and completes the effects of the sea."

The photographs are, as ever, stunning.

French and obsolete

As an obsolete skill, I am French. I did one of those personality quiz things and here is the analysis.

"In the nineteenth century, it was the international language of diplomacy. It is a 'beautiful' language, meaning that it is really just a low-fidelity copy of Latin.

You know the importance of communicating 'diplomatically', which for you means both being polite and friendly when necessary and using sophisticated, vicious sarcasm when appropriate.  Your life is guided by either existentialism or nihilism, depending on the weather.  You have a certain appreciation for the finer things in life, which is a diplomatic way of saying that you are a disgusting hedonist.  Your problem is that French has been obsolete for a long time."

Naurally, it's all nonsense - my feelings are never determined by the weather. The quiz What obsolete skill are you? was brought to my attention by Fraise, who is obsolete and French as well.

Baguette recipe

My post regarding a novel baguette recipe has landed me in a lot trouble. Budding baguette bakers around the globe want the real thing - not how to cut a baguette up for 5 and dip in olive oil. Most folk can figure that out for themselves. It was a joke, I admit, & I, too, was taken in the first time I saw it (you can look in Wikipedia for the original).

To compensate, I am providing a link to the best baguette recipe I've found to date - from 911 Chef! Personally, I'd buy them wrapped in a sheet of baker that barely covers their midriffs.

Provence Turkey

I was attracted by this Thanksgiving-oriented recipe from Pennsylvania for turkey by the amazing use of one half cup of herbes de provence. I will try it with chicken for fun.

Carol Drinkwater Olive Farmer?

I see that Carol Drinkwater - erstwhile Mrs. Herriott and now recognised writer - has been upgraded to "Olive Farmer and Actress" by the Telegraph. Says Ms. Drinkwater: "We have almost 300 olive trees now on 10 acres and so we tend to invite friends down in the winter, the olive harvesting period, to enjoy time with us and pick olives. I love the importance the French place on the quality of life. Living on an olive farm is a joy. It puts me in touch with the earth, the seasons and cycles of time."

I must start working on my own 300 in Mons, which, following years of neglect, have grown way to big.

Ratatouille kosher recipe?

Josie found Provence kosher-safe provided you don't err too far from the beaten trail. "They say you can’t go wrong in France when it comes to food if you keep kosher. For those travelers who aren’t strictly observant, but who avoid overt treif, you can go way wrong..."

Josie supplies what I can assume is a kosher recipe for ratatouile, which reads in a quaint, mid-west american style.