My Catering Provence is a one-woman business offering private catered meals delivered to your rental in Provence. Eliane is infinitely inspired by the local produce we have available here as well as the dreamy lifestyle. Each of her meals are different and inspired by seasonal produce. She is based in the Luberon area, but could be available in the Alpilles area.
…Centuri, Corsica: Searching for Langoustine
Foodie Moments in Corsica Series: Sartène
Eating in Sartène, the Heart of Corsica
*Forgive me vegetarians, this one is for the meat lovers- well, the entire island of Corsican, not just Sartène, is for the meat lovers. This is number 2 of a 5 part series about our experience eating in Corsica after a 3.5 week trip in the Autumn of 2017. Yum.
Once you’re familiar with the history of this evocative village, you look around at the buildings composed of large grey blocks of granite and can’t help but wonder about the vendettas and women dressed all in black that occupied these streets for centuries. Despite the austere history and architecture, it was in Sartène that we experienced the most welcoming locals.
…
5 Souvenirs to Bring Home from Alsace
Best Foodie Souvenirs from Alsace
You’re visiting Alsace and your brain is saturated with so many charming scenes that you think you’ve had your fill. You feel the choucroute garnie and specific wine of Alsace can only be consumed in these particular surroundings. You can make choucroute at home if you’re ever craving it. But who wants to?
Forgive me Americans, Australians, or anyone that travels to Alsace by plane outside of the EU. Three of the five things on this list of souvenirs from Alsace to bring home are for consumption. They’re for those chilly February nights when you need a break from boeuf bourguignon, roast beef, carbonara, spicy curry or whatever your go to winter comfort food might entail. You can always live on the wild side and become a raw milk cheese smuggler (the clothes in your suitcase might not be in agreement). I have a friend who does this for friends back in the US and even managed to fit 8 bottles of local wine into their suitcase. At your own risk…
Keep an eye out for these delicious and traditional products from Alsace and think of the people at home, or that night when you need a deep casserole… The old lady next door ate this cheese as if she’s never had any. Our wheel of munster was displayed proudly on her windowsill, where French people keep stinky cheese, for 4 whole days before it was impressively consumed in its entirety!
If you’re curious about beautiful Alsace, see my extensive article on 5 Villages to Visit in Alsace. It doesn’t get much more Christmassy than this. I wish you a delicious holiday!
…
Orange Wine by Domaine Henri Milan in St Remy
Natural Wine Trend
If you’re not currently living in London, New York, Paris or Japan you may not have heard of orange wine, or even biodynamic wine for that matter. We were introduced to it 5 years ago when living in London with the Terroir biodynamic wine bars. Robin is absolutely crazy for this liquid delight. However, it is quite different from wines you may be used to in that there are absolutely no additives and they have been manipulated in no way. Another word for them is raw wine. And that can sometimes describe the taste and experience.
…
A Cheatsheet to Corsican Cuisine
A Brief Summary of Corsican Cuisine
We felt almost obligated to visit this stunning island; it’s the favourite vacation place of people living in Provence. You’ll often notice the stickers still proudly displayed on many cars here from the Marseille-Corsica ferry. We still have ours! We figured that if the people from the already beautiful place that is Provence overwhelmingly choose a specific place to relax- that place has got to be something else. After 3 weeks last autumn of nonstop landscapes combining mountains, turquoise ocean and hearty cuisine, we were not disappointed.
…
Foodie Moments in Corsica Series: Zonza
Zonza
This is the first part of a five-part Eating in Corsica series about specific restaurants and food moments that we experienced on the “île de beauté” as it’s called in France, last autumn. This island is known for its love of meaty deliciousness; therefore, vegetarians, you might want to skip this one.
Straight from the ferry, we drove from Porte Vecchio to Zonza, an hour drive from the coast into the mountainous interior. We asked our Airbnb host where to eat and he mentioned the restaurant right next door to our apartment. This, we later learned, was indeed very good and we were tortured for our 3 day stay with the smells of the meaty stews creeping up the stairway from the downstairs kitchen. However, the experience didn’t compare to the feast we had at A Pignata….
A Foodies Guide to Porto
Best Eats in Porto
Rustic Cuisine On a Budget
During my month-long stay in Porto, or anywhere I visit for that matter, I’m always searching for the traditional rustic cuisine of a place. There is so much one can learn from the history of a country when you taste its food.
Porto Eating Experiences
The cuisine of Portugal and Porto, in particular, does take some getting used to. A lot of the food is quite heavy while being simple at the same time. The peculiar arranging of fries in a circle around the plate is a little odd. The enormous stacks of dried whole cod in the supermarkets can be overwhelming. The sausages labeled chorizo have nothing to do with the paprika filled Spanish version. The cheese is often made from the milk of cow, goat, and sheep at the same time. Then there’s alheira, a bready sausage or kind of meat patty made with various meats other than pork; it seems the more types of animals the better. Alheira is the type of rich sausage that finds itself on your burger in a Portuguese restaurant or with fried eggs at a worker’s café. It’s a good thing that Porto is a city with lots of hills, you’ll need to walk off the food! Oh, and then there are those very creamy desserts thick with egg yolks…
…
Finding Spice in Provence
The French are Saucy, but not Spicy
Many expats move to lovely small towns in Provence and after a couple months being spoiled with ratatouille, slow cooked lamb, bouillabaisse and all other French Mediterranean delicacies, they start asking where is all the foreign food? It’s human nature to want more, isn’t it?
So pizza and the odd “nem chinois” available at the larger markets can be the extent of your horizon in some towns. Thankfully, there’s harissa and preserved lemons in many markets at the olive stands to mark the influence of Moroccan cuisine. But that’s about it!
Cook it at Home
Now, I’m not complaining (too much) because my man and I took to cooking curries and all kinds of particularly Asian flavours at home early on. We had, after all, moved to France from England at the time. International cuisine is the staple there! I also subscribe to my favourite food magazine, Delicious, which features recipes from all around the world on a monthly basis. I have to get my hands on those ingredients!
The French aren’t known for their love of spice. I once put too much pepper on a steak and had a Frenchie fanning his mouth as if it was a scotch bonnet! But, we can’t expect these Frenchies to be perfect, can we? They do have, after all, have Larousse Gastronomique.
If you’re living in a small town, your best bet is a large city in Provence. Many rural, even large grocery stores won’t carry such things as fenugreek, tamarind, hot smoked paprika, fennel seeds, Mirin sauce etc. Things are getting better, but I suggest going to Tam-Ky in Marseille. Stock up there to make your palate jump around with delight on that dreary Monday night.
…
The Best Restaurants in Les Alpilles, Provence
How much are you willing to pay for a restaurant meal?
Homemade pea soup. Sometimes the best meals are the most simple. There’s nothing more disappointing than paying good money for a meal you could have produced better yourself. At a top restaurant, I expect to receive a top class meal, with fantastic facilities too. You may also expect the kitchen to use state of the art equipment that is regularly maintained, if not quality hobart replacement parts are sourced to ensure a magnificent meal. /caption]
*Scroll to the end of this article to find my list of the best restaurants in Les Alpilles area.
Michelin Star Restaurants
Are Michelin star restaurants worth it in France where a plat du jour costs 12 euros and is always decent if not delicious? There are many businesses out there that can provide a magnificent service and wonderful food. It can be challenging to find these restaurants though. It is even harder to run these restaurants! Fortunately, using a platform as a service can be very useful for streamlining efficiency and helping business owners manage many tasks that they have to do.
A deconstructed lemon tart at Une Table, Au Sud overlooking the port of Marseille.
As I’ve been creating more and more itineraries for visitors, I have to know about the restaurants around here. What a fantastic excuse to spend money eating out when it isn’t really in my budget…anything for research!
…