June 2015 archive

Feeding Between the Lines, part two

We’re attending a birthday party tonight for our friend who is intolerant of onions, garlic, and the like. As you may know from my original post of this title, our friends have a plethora of allergies, intolerances, and aversions. My philosophy is to make something that the maximum amount of people can eat. So I …

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Copper River Salmon Gemisch

The arrival of Copper River Salmon is one of those big deal events for some in Seattle. The flesh of this salmon is higher in fat than fish from other origins, particularly farm-raised. The fish have to lay on extra fat to survive the long trip to their hatching place to spawn. More fat equals …

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Glutenous Maximus

It’s hard to think of a culture more gluten-centered than the French. Baguettes are a daily tradition, as are pastries, croissants, cakes, biscuits (cookies in the US), and tarts. Then you have flour-thickened sauces such as bêchamel and velouté. So it was a bit of a surprise to find a selection of gluten-free fad diet …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2015/06/11/glutenous-maximus/

Double-Take Time

Sometimes you drive past an establishment and you have to think twice about what they’re selling…

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Quenching One’s Thirst

The weather in Amsterdam and Paris was moderate, with highs in the 60’s. So it was a bit of a shock when the temperature upon our arrival in St. Cirq-Lapopie was 86° (30°C). The climate in southern France, even in the high country, is dictated by the warm Mediterranean rather than the icy Atlantic. We …

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Permanent link to this article: http://ediblethoughts.com/2015/06/05/quenching-ones-thirst/

Moving Around When Moving’s an Issue

France has some policies that are more progressive than the United States, but there is one area that lags far behind–accommodating persons with mobility issues. Elevators in many buildings are non-existent or won’t fit a standard wheelchair. Smaller Métro stations in Paris don’t have elevators or escalators. In most French restaurants, “les toilettes” are down …

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Cornfields in France

Corn is not a major ingredient in French cuisine except in the Basque country. So how come we saw corn fields in the Dordogne Valley? Two words: Foie gras. Corn is a key component of overfeeding ducks and geese to produce the fatty liver that’s such a delicacy in the region. Julian had some duck …

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Pictorial Observations

It’s a good thing we came here during the age of the digital camera. Julian would have gone broke with all the pictures he’s taken on this trip if he still used film. Photoshop has also saved him from over- or underexposed shots. He’ll be spending many hours after we get home tweaking his photos …

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Rest Stops à la Français

Your standard American rest area on an interstate toll road is little more than a bad vending machine. Forty years ago rest areas were run by Howard Johnson in the northeast, Stuckey’s in the south, and other chains elsewhere. If you drive the New Jersey Turnpike these days, you might find a Roy Rogers, Subway, …

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