Karyn Good's Blog, page 37

Some of My Favorite Things

If Oprah can do it so can I! Here are some of my favorite things to give and to receive.

A Christmas Centerpiece!

Like this one from Wascana Flower Shoppe. It’s a great present for the couple on your list who has everything but you still want to show how much you appreciate and care about them. If you’re crafty and creative you can even put one together yourself. Now they’ll have a beautiful arrangement for their table. It also had the added bonus of being disposable. All they have to do is toss it when it’s done!

Kiehl’s Supremely Gentle Eye Makeup Remover 

This is an extravagance at $24 a bottle but I makes my list every year. I love it and I have to thank my sister because it was her gift to me one Christmas. I’ve used it ever since. If you have anyone on your list who wears eye make this is the gift for them. And something they might not buy for themselves because of the price. You don’t need to use a lot to get the job done. It lasts for a decent amount of time, especially if you don’t use eye makeup everyday like me.

A basket of breads from our local bakery, The Orange Boot. Again, has the added bonus of being useful and disposable. And SO yummy and delicious! And, of course, you could make the bread yourself and gift it. If, you know, you have a talent for that kind of thing, which I don’t. These Cranberry Walnut Braids are absolutely the best.

BIC Z4+ Rollerball Pens. You might be a Nerd Girl if you love these pens. These are my favorite pens of all time. Whether it’s writing lists or scenes for a novel, these pens make writing fun. I kid you not. It’s true. And they make a great stocking stuffer!

And of course, books. But I figure that does without saying. We have a traditional in our house of giving everyone pajamas and a book (or magazine) on Christmas Eve night. We started this when our kids were little to help them get to sleep after too much food and treats and to combat the impending excitement of Christmas morning. Picking those books out is still one of my favorite things!

 

Although I did have a request today. From my university aged son. Who said, and I quote, “Mom, all I need is cash for Christmas.”

Easy enough.

What are some of your favorite things to give and receive?

 

 

Tuesday’s Table Welcomes Author Lesley-Anne McLeod

She’s not only a friend and a wonderful writer but a mentor as well. I’m very excited to have Lesley-Anne McLeod here today to give us a peek into a Regency dining room! 

As a writer of historical romance (in my case, Regency romances) I am always learning about my favourite history era, which is that of the Regency period in England from about 1800-1830. For research, I frequently use Google Books to find actual books and magazines from the period. Cookery books are among the most interesting to read, for styles in food and food service have certainly changed in two hundred years.

One book I have particularly enjoyed is The London Art of Cookery by John Farley Formerly Principal Cook at the London Tavern. It was published in 1811.

I found it of particular interest that there is a bill of fare laid out for each month of the year, showing which game, meat, fruit and vegetables are seasonal. Also there is an illustration of each table-top with the dishes marked for a first and a second course and showing the service. Here is the Bill of Fare for October:

Many of the dishes require no explanation: custards, ham, broccoli, turkey and even oysters are not far from our everyday cooking. But some items are unusual to say the least.

Scotch Collops are a cut of veal “the size and thickness of a crown piece”, done up in a mushroom, anchovy and lemon sauce. Beef Olives are rolled rump-steaks cooked with fat bacon and served with a gravy containing port wine, cayenne and ketchup.

Tongue and Udder caused me to shudder; they were parboiled and then roasted with cloves. Almond Soup contained veal and mutton as well as almonds and cream.

What, I wondered, were the Chardoons noted on the top left corner of the second course? Well, I went to the Index of the book and discovered they are the edible ‘flower’ of a large thistle-type plant, prepared as follows:

“Cut them about six inches long, string them, and stew them till tender. Then take them out, flour them, and fry them in butter till they are brown, Serve, with melted butter. Or you may tie them up in bundles, and boil them like asparagus. Put a toast under them, and pour a little melted butter over them.”

The biggest mystery in this Bill of Fare was one of the two central dishes of the second course–Silver Web. I thought it must either be a fish or a sweet and I went to the Index with anticipation. But there was no entry for Silver Web. I went to the Internet and did a search–nothing came up for Silver Web. Feeling frustrated, I recalled a great blog I often read–The Old Foodie http://www.theoldfoodie.com I emailed Janet and asked for her help. She was most generous with her information, and here it is:

“‘Silver Web’ was a spun sugar decoration for sweet dishes and puddings. It was considered very elegant indeed.

There are recipes from the mid-eighteenth century, but here is one from 1846 – the method did not change, and this cookery book is available on Google Books, in case you want to look it up. The Gold Web sounds gorgeous too.

From: The Complete Cook, J.M. Sanderson, 1846

To make a Silver Web.

Boil clarified syrup to the crack, using the same precautions as before observed, giving it a few boils after the acid is added; dip the bottom of the pan in water and let the sugar cool a little; then take the handle of a spoon, or two forks tied together, dip it into the sugar, and form it either on the inside or outside of a mould, with very fine strings, by passing the hand quickly backwards and forwards taking care that it does not fall in drops, which would spoil the appearance of the work. With this may be represented the hair of a helmet, the water of a fountain, &c. Take a fork or an iron skewer, and hold it in your left hand as high as you can dip the spoon in the sugar, and with the right hand throw it over the skewer, when it will hang from it in very fine threads of considerable length.

To make a Gold Web.

Boil syrup to caramel height, colouring it with saffron, and form it as directed for the last. It can be folded up to form bands or rings &c. Fasten it to the other decorations with caramel. If any of the strings or threads of sugar should pass over those parts where they are not required so as to spoil the other decorations in the making of baskets or other ornaments, it may be removed with a hot knife without breaking or injuring the piece.”

The Regency table (of the upper classes) really was a thing of beauty when laid for a dinner party. Here is a recreation by food historian Ivan Day. You can view his work at Historic Food, http://www.historicfood.com/portal.htm

My next book will host a very fine Regency feast–though it might not include Tongue and Udder! My newest release The Regency Storybook contains twelve stories and twelve illustrations by my favourite artist, Shakoriel, but very little mention of food, other than tea and biscuits.

Merry Christmas to you all, and do enjoy your Christmas dining.

Lesley-Anne McLeod

Lesley-Anne McLeod has been writing for thirty years, around motherhood and a ten year career in bookselling. A life-long Anglophile, it seemed natural that she should write Regency romances, those uniquely English historical romances. She takes her inspiration from the work of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. Lesley-Anne has had nine full-length Regency romance ebooks published and numerous short stories and novellas. The Regency Storybook is available in print and you can view it here: http://www.lesleyannemcleod.com/regencystorybook.html

http://www.lesleyannemcleod.com

http://www.lesleyannemcleod.blogspot.ca/

http://lesleyannemcleod.tumblr.com/

https://www.facebook.com/lesleyanne.mcleod

https://twitter.com/lesleyannemc

https://www.uncialpress.com/Lesley-Anne-McLeod/

A Little Wine and Cheese

I love cheesy movies. I don’t need to tell you that wine goes good with cheese. Everyone’s already aware. But if you’re looking for a recommendation try Wonderwall, a lovely Shiraz out of Australia. Delightful. Now, onto the cheese. I could also add an addendum here about falling for Alan Rickman. Because my pick for best cheesiest feel good movie ever is Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. With Kevin Costner. I never got tired of watching it. There’s something about prowess with a bow and arrows that is very appealing.

Maybe I have tree house envy. For an exiled group of outlaws, they built an incredible fortress in Sherwood Forest without access to anything. Like a Home Depot. Or Lowe’s. Or nails. And they way they got the blacksmithy up and going and manufactured all those swords was nothing short of a miracle.

And then there’s my love for Alan Rickman. See how I tied that all in together? And also because Robin Hood is one of my favorite stories. I also loved the recent Russell Crowe version. But that’s another blog post. Which I wrote but can’t find.

Let’s start with the Sheriff of Nottingham, should we?

“That’s it then. Cancel the kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans, no more merciful beheadings, and call off Christmas.”

 

Yep, he’s a badass. In the best, cheesiest way possible.

We won’t get into Kevin Costner’s sometimes-it’s-there-and-sometimes-it’s-not accent. He’s still adorable as Robin Hood.

I’ve seen knights in armor panic at the first hint of battle. And I’ve seen the lowliest, unarmed squire pull a spear from his own body, to defend a dying horse. Nobility is not a birthright. It’s defined by one’s actions.

I swoon in the face of such clarity of thought. For a member of the aristocracy he’s quite liberal in his thinking. I guess fighting with King Richard all those many years and then escaping as a prisoner of war gives one perspective.

And let’s not forget his I would die for you line. More sighing ensues.

Then there’s Morgan Freeman. Whom I love. Because he’s Morgan Freeman. And he has that excellent voice. He could be reading instructions from a shampoo bottle and I’d still listen.

A wise man once said: “There are no perfect men in the world; only perfect intentions.”

I mean, come on!

Are you with me? Or do you have your own pick for best, cheesiest movie ever?

Tuesday’s Table Welcomes Andrea Downing

Thanks so much for having me here today, Karyn—I love any chance to discuss food.  And of course, any chance to discuss my book!  When I was writing Loveland, I had to create one scene in which Lady Alexandra, my English heroine, was hosting a dinner party.  There she is, out in the middle of the Colorado prairie, with none of the modern conveniences of grocery shopping.  Since I do my own grocery shopping on-line and get it all delivered to my door, it was quite a comparison to think of poor Lady Alex whose only ‘delivery to her door’ was a freshly shot animal on the hoof.  Talk about Fresh Direct….  Alex, however, was better off than most; she had a cook who would have been thrilled at the opportunity to display her culinary skills for the gathered company.  And that cook, most certainly, would have owned a copy of Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, published in 1861.

The book starts by saying it comprises information for “the Mistress, Housekeeper, Cook, Kitchen-Maid, Butler, Footman, Coachman, Valet, Upper and Under House-maids, Lady’s Maid, Maid-of-all-work, Laundry-maid…” Well, you get the picture.  Although very few of us now run the sort of household that this encompasses (certainly coachmen are rather sparse on the ground), when I emigrated to Britain in the early ’70′s Mrs. Beeton’s book was still a standard tome in most households—at least the reprinted recipes were.  It is to Mrs. Beeton that we owe the standard form of recipes with ingredients listed first, before directions.  Mrs. Beeton was also full of good advice, such as the fact that cherry laurel, more commonly known in cookery as bay leaves, when acted upon by water develops prussic acid—more commonly known as a form of cyanide!

Mrs. Beeton’s recipes were, of course, very much geared to the foods commonly available and consumed in the Britain of 1800s.  Grouse, hare, partridge, green geese, leverets, plovers, rabbits, wheatears, snipe, pheasant, capon, larks, teal, widgeon, blackcock (don’t ask), and venison all receive positively lyrical treatment.  Of venison Mrs. Beeton wrote, “Far, far away in ages past, our fathers loved the chase, and what it brought, and it is usually imagined that when Isaac ordered his son Esau to go out with his weapons, his quiver and his bow, and to prepare for him savoury meat, such as he loved, that it was venison he desired.”  I did have Lady Alex and her guests sit down to venison, a meat we still enjoy today, although I doubt she or anyone else ever considered Isaac and Esau in her menu-planning.

Desserts, on the other hand, are more translatable to the modern age.  With Christmas coming I thought back to my early days in Britain and a few of the Christmases spent there.  Christmas Pudding would not go down well with the Americans not raised on it.  Of a somewhat sticky consistency, it is, in any case, mixed months in advance with a great deal of fruit, boiled or steamed on the day, and then set on fire with a good dousing of Brandy.  The well known pudding, Trifle, was another idea but I figured that was far too complicated, if made correctly, with so much else going on.  It necessitates cake fingers, a proper custard often called crème anglaise, candied fruits, and whipped cream.  While in Britain cooks often take shortcuts such as buying pre-baked cake fingers and using custard powder to mix for the sauce, the results are never as tasty as when a proper custard of eggs and cream is made.

So then I remembered Syllabub.

Syllabub originated in Tudor times, an era when the word ‘cholesterol’ was completely unknown! The alternative spelling of ‘sillabub’ may indicate a relation to the French town of Sille where champagne is made.  I had often heard that Syllabub was, indeed, made with champagne but have never found a recipe to include this.  Mrs. Beeton uses white wine or a combination of sherry and brandy.  I’m not sure that the actual alcohol one chooses is of importance as long as it is relatively sweet, and preferably fortified.  My own choice is for Madeira.  One thing, however, is consistent:  Syllabub, which was originally served in champagne glasses, is still generally served in a glass dish.  Enjoy!

SYLLABUB

1pint heavy cream

¼ pint Madeira

1 good tsp. cinnamon or nutmeg, or to taste

Juice & grated peel of 1 lemon and 1 orange

3 oz. superfine sugar

Lightly whip the cream.  Add remaining ingredients as you continue whipping until cream stands in peaks.  Fill glasses, perhaps decorating with an extra grating of lemon and orange peel or a berry or glacé cherry to make it festive. Chill.  Makes approx. 6-8 servings depending on size of your glass.

My thanks to my sister-in-law, Robin Wachtel, for the loan of her very elegant table and dishes to display my Syllabub. Photograph of Annabelle Wachtel taken by Catherine Megret Wachtel, with thanks.

If you’d like to know a bit more about Loveland, here’s the blurb.  For now, thanks once again for having me, Karyn.

When Lady Alexandra Calthorpe returns to the Loveland, Colorado, ranch owned by her father, the Duke, she has little idea of how the experience will alter her future. Headstrong and willful, Alex tries to overcome a disastrous marriage in England and be free of the strictures of Victorian society –and become independent of men. That is, until Jesse Makepeace saunters back into her life…

Hot-tempered and hot-blooded cowpuncher Jesse Makepeace can’t seem to accept that the child he once knew is now the ravishing yet determined woman before him. Fighting rustlers proves a whole lot easier than fighting Alex when he’s got to keep more than his temper under control.

Arguments abound as Alex pursues her career as an artist and Jesse faces the prejudice of the English social order. The question is, will Loveland live up to its name?

My web site is http://andreadowning.com  and the buy links are  http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=991
AND
http://www.amazon.com/Loveland-ebook/dp/B008VEXSB0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1353706099&sr=8-3&keywords=Loveland–
AND
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/loveland-andrea-downing/1112486451?ean=2940014874021

Winter Wonderland Scavenger Hunt

Starting today, December 1st, and ending on January 15th, Night Owl Reviews is hosting The Winter Wonderland Scavenger Hunt!

 There are 15 great prize packages. 

The Winter Wonderland Scavenger Hunt

Check it out!

End of November Update

One day until the end of November and it’s snowing. Again. NaNoWriMo is over. Mustaches and beards disappear. Hopefully. And all is well with the world. Except here comes Christmas. I used to be an uber organized person. Now, I’m not. I don’t know what happened. I have no excuse. The good news is I remember most things.

November did see me taking part in a writing challenge, just not the official NaNoWriMo. At this point slinging out 50,000 words that require major rewriting at the end of it doesn’t work for me. I tried it once. I ‘won’. I ditched 95% of those words but have kept the same characters and the same town. That’s it. I’m much happier with the story this time around. My goal for November was 500 words a day. It was an informal challenge supported by my writing group. We weighed in everyday on our private Facebook page and inspired each other. I didn’t keep super strict track but I’m pretty sure it’s all evened out and I’m on pace to slightly exceed that goal.

Obsession (Kate and Seth’s story) is currently sitting at 30,745 words. 13,693 of those words written prior to November. Here’s a sneak peak at the first paragraph.

Kate Logan figured hiking the long road back to self-respect sucked at the best of times. These weren’t the best of times. The splintered wood of her boutique’s back door jamb was rough and sharp under her fingers. With her bank account sitting at next to zero, repairing the break-in damage was an expense she couldn’t afford. She had insurance, but collecting took time.

I’m also working on a manuscript called Off The Grid. Today I signed up to pitch it to  Harlequin’s Dana Hamilton on January 4th as part of their Speed Dating with Editorial Assistant Dana Hamilton opportunity. We’ll see what happens.

And this morning I was busy jotting down an idea for the first scene of the third book in a trilogy that doesn’t have a book one or two. Just plenty of ideas about three adopted brothers and three women who understand about sacrifice.

On December 5th I’m giving a reading along with Mary Balogh and Annette Bower called Some Enchanted Evening…A Romance Reading.

If you happen to be in the Regina area, join us at New Dance Horizons at 7:00 pm!

Starting December 1st I’m offering a Goodreads Giveaway for two copies of my romantic suspense, Backlash. It’s open until the 15th of January.

 

Tuesday’s Table Welcomes Author Jana Richards

I am so excited to be hosted Jana Richards today. Not only is she an incredibly talented storyteller but she’s a friend. She’s here to share her latest release, Home Fires, and talk about her love of baking.

Easy as Pie

I’ve always liked to bake. I remember as a teenager learning to make chocolate chiffon cake. It was the size and shape of an angel food cake, and had a light, airy texture that melted in the mouth and left a nice chocolate buzz. Brownies were also a favorite of mine to bake. I guess I had a thing for chocolate. Still do.

These days I don’t bake much, due to a busy schedule and a concern for my expanding waistline. But one thing I still love to make is pie, especially for guests. Pie crust can be a tricky thing to master, and  honestly, my crusts don’t always turn out as flakey as I would like. The perfect pie crust requires exact balance. Adding a little too much or too little of any of the ingredients can result in frustration and sometimes disaster. At least it does for me.

So when I was looking for a challenging dish for my heroine to master in my novel “Welcome to Paradise”, I had her learn to make pies. Bridget is a talented chef who calls herself the “Queen of the Cocktail Party” because of her expertise with appetizers, but she has little experience with pie. The people of her small North Dakota hometown rally around to teach her. It takes a village not only to raise a child, but also to teach Bridget to bake!

Here’s the recipe for pie crust I taught to Bridget:

Fruit Pie Pastry

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 cup shortening (removed from fridge about an hour before using)

8 tbsp. ice water (approximately)

2 tbsp. milk

Place oven rack on lowest level and preheat oven to 450 F. Sift flour, then measure into a bowl that will accommodate it but isn’t too big. Add salt. Add shortening to flour and use a knife to cut into dice-sized pieces. Then using a wide-bladed pastry blender, quickly combine shortening and flour until fully integrated and there’s no loose flour in bowl.

Add ice water one tablespoon at a time in different parts of the bowl. Use a table fork to quickly stir mixture. If it doesn’t start to form a ball, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water and continue stirring vigorously.

When dough starts to come together in a ball, remove it from the bowl, shape it into a more uniform ball and cut in half. Generously flour a plastic pastry sheet or large wax paper. Place one of the dough halves in the centre and flatten slightly with your hand. Place a large piece of waxed paper on top and use a rolling pin on top of the waxed paper to work dough into a large, fairly thin circle that is large enough to cover the pie plate.

Remove waxed paper and gently fold circle of dough in half. Gently place it over the pie plate, unfold it and use your fingers to work it down to the bottom, against the sides and over the rim.

Repeat process with second ball of dough. Put prepared filling into pie crust. Moisten your fingers and dampen the edges of the bottom crust. Then put the folded upper crust over the filling and press the edges of the upper and lower crust together to form a seal.

Use a sharp knife to trim pastry along outside edge of pie plate, then use your fingers to crimp the edge to make a nice finish. Baste top crust, but not the crimped edge, with milk, then use a sharp knife to cut a pattern of vents in the top crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake pie on lowest rack of preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes at 450 F and then reduce temperature to 350 F for 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool somewhat before serving.

And here’s one of my favorite pie fillings. I got this recipe from my mom, and since we grow rhubarb in the garden, it’s one I make often.

Rhubarb Pie Filling

2 ½ cups rhubarb

1 cup raisins (optional)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup sweet heavy cream or whipping cream

1 egg

Combine all ingredients and pour into pie crust. Makes one pie.

With practice, Bridget eventually learns to master the pie crust, and eventually learns that baking, and love, is as easy as pie.

Do you bake pie? Do you have a favorite kind of pie?

Thanks, Jana. Home Fires is a delightful read and I highly recommend it!

Anne Wakefield travels halfway around the world for love. But when she arrives in Canada from England at the end of World War Two, she discovers the handsome Canadian pilot she’d fallen in love with has married someone else. Heartbroken, she prepares to return to London, though she has nothing left there to return to. Her former fiancé’s mother makes a suggestion: marriage to her other son.

Badly wounded and scarred during the war, Erik Gustafson thinks he’s a poor substitute for his brother. Although he loves Anne almost from the first time he sees her, he cannot believe she would ever be able to love him as he is – especially as he might be after another operation on his bad leg.  Anne sees the beauty of his heart. The cold prairie winter may test her courage, but can she prove to Erik that her love for him is real?

Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length paranormal suspense and romantic comedy.  She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side.  She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.

When not writing up a storm, working at her day job as an Office Administrator, or dealing with ever present mountains of laundry, Jana can be found on the local golf course pursuing her newest hobby.

Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren, and a highly spoiled Pug/Terrier cross named Lou. You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.net

Follow the Links:

Website:  http://www.janarichards.net

To read an excerpt from Home Fires:  http://www.janarichards.net/ExcerptreviewsHomeFires.html

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor

Buy Link for Home Fires:   http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_145&products_id=4902

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards

Blog:  http://janarichards.blogspot.com

Kitchen Renovations are Complete!

We took the plunge and renovated our kitchen this summer. Our old kitchen was dated, having been around since the ’70′s, and not very user friendly. So, we fixed it. Having never undertaken a major renovation before (it turned into more of a whole main floor update), I learned a few things.

Renovations are not fun while you’re living through them, but when you see everything come together the memory of months of disorder magically disappear and you start to wonder what the rest of the house would look like with a little TLC.

I have been a stay-at-home Mom for nineteen years. I spend large parts of my day in the house. It’s very weird to have people who don’t live here coming and going. And what do you do when they’re coming and going all day every day? When you can’t do the things you normally do every day? Like write, or cook or generally putz around? You thank your lucky stars these renovations happened during the summer months. Much easier to be outside somewhere. Any place other than your house. Which is under seige.

We were right to hire a contractor to manage the project. I’m the kind of person who is happy when people like me. This way it wasn’t my job to harass the tradespeople. It was someone else’s. We just stayed out of their way. Someone else was tasked with dealing with the problems. It’s the only way to go.

If you are thinking about getting rid of the dated dirty popcorn stipple on your ceiling? Do it. Even though that was the part of the process that caused the most disruption and proved costly it was so worth it. Do it. You will love the results. I promise.

Before

During

After

We love it and that makes the whole experience worth it. It’s open and airy and light. The window coverings are ordered and next we’ll need to start thinking about more artwork for the walls. Then sometime down the road we’ll have to tackle the second floor…

Love renovations? Hate ‘em? Have some on the go?

Sultry Suspense Showcase

I’m guest blogging about why I love romantic suspense at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews! There’s a chance to win a copy of Backlash.

“Everyone Deserves a Guilty Pleasure. Reviews by every day women, for every day women.”

Tuesday’s Table Welcomes Author Vonnie Davis

Thank you so much for visiting today, Vonnie! What a wonderful glimpse of Paris you’ve given us. 

Karyn, thanks for hosting me today. I’ve been looking forward to our visit, so I could talk about food found in my favorite city. I often say that Paris is a feast for the senses. The beauty of the architecture, the smell of freshly baked breads, the hiss of espresso machines and popping of champagne corks, and the rich taste of French food. They do have a love affair with butter…and wine…and cheeses.

One of our favorite markets is along rue Moufftard on the Left Bank. Vendors set up their tables, artfully displaying their fresh fares early in the morning. By two o’clock in the afternoon, they are gone and the street is swept clean. French women with a net bag or a canvas shopping bag make their rounds. With small kitchens and refrigerators that often fit under the counters, storage room is next to nil.

Along with outside vendors, there are little shops barely larger than one’s bedroom here in the States. When you enter these butcher shops, bakeries, cheese stores, florists, wine shops and seafood stores, you are greeted with a lyrical, “Bonjour, Monsieurs, Madames.”

For a great bowl of French Onion Soup, or oignon soupe, we often go to Café Séverin on Boulevard Saint Michel. The restaurant is across the street from Place Saint Michel with a large statue and fountain, a meeting place for Sorbonne students. We often sit there for hours, writing and watching passersby.

 

Unlike in America, where you are expected to move on once you eat, in Paris the price of a cup of coffee entitles you to a seat for as long as you want it. Tipping is different there, too. If the bill says the tip is included, then nothing more is left on the table. In fact, the French look down on Americans for over-tipping and consider it bourgeois, or a middle class person trying to make an impression.

Since onion soup is our favorite, I’m sharing my recipe with you today:

 

SOUPE À L’OIGNON.

The onions for this soup need a long, slow cooking in butter and oil, then a long, slow simmering in stock for them to develop the deep, rich flavor.

 

1 ½ pounds or about 5 cups of thinly sliced yellow onions.

3 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. cooking oil (I use virgin olive oil)

Cook the onions slowly in the butter and oil in a heavy-bottomed, 4-quart covered saucepan for 15 minutes, using low heat. Uncover, raise heat to moderate/medium and stir in a teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of sugar, which helps the onions to brown. Cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions have turned a deep, golden brown.

Sprinkle in 3 Tablespoons of flour and stir for 3 minutes. Turn off heat.

2 quarts boiling brown stock, canned beef bouillon, or 1 quart water and 1 quart of beef stock.

½ cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of parsley

 Blend the boiling liquid into the pan of browned onions. Add the wine, and season to taste. Simmer partially covered for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside uncovered until ready to serve. Then reheat to simmer.

3 Tbsp. cognac (optional, I’ve found)

Rounds of hard-toasted French bread

2 Cups grated Swiss cheese

 Just before serving, stir in the cognac. Pour into soup cups over the rounds of toasted bread. Top each bowl/soup cups with grated cheese and place under broiler for a minute or two until cheese is brown in spots. Serve right away.

I often bake a roast the day before to get some of the broth. I also save a few slices of roast beef and cut it into tiny pieces while onions are cooking. I add the beef after adding the broth to produce a heartier soup.

I’d like to share some information about my recently released romantic suspense set in Paris. Writing it was fun since it gave me a chance to visit so many of our haunts while visiting there. Here’s the back cover blurb:

Gwen,

You won’t believe this email. I’m sitting in a French safe house, eating caviar and drinking champagne with a handsome government agent, Niko Reynard. He’s wearing nothing but silk pajama bottoms and mega doses of sex appeal. I’m in big trouble, little sister. He’s kissed me several times and given me a foot massage that nearly caused spontaneous combustion. I’m feeling strangely virginal compared to the sexual prowess this thirty-year-old man exudes.

When I came to Paris for a bit of adventure, I never imagined I’d foil a bombing attempt, karate-kick two men, and run from terrorists while wearing a new pair of stilettos. I’ve met a German musician, a gay poet from Australia, and the most delightful older French woman.

Don’t worry. I’m safe–the jury’s still out on yummy Niko, though. The more champagne I drink, the less reserved I feel. What an unforgettable fortieth birthday!

Alyson

View the Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/MonaTrailer

BUY LINKS:

THE WILD ROSE PRESS (digital) — http://bit.ly/MonaLisaDigital

THE WILD ROSE PRESS (paperback) — http://bit.ly/MonaLisasRoom

AMAZON (paperback) — http://amzn.to/QQZGyD

AMAZON (eBook) — http://bit.ly/MonaLisasRoomeBook

FIND ME ONLINE AT http://www.vonniedavis.com

 I, too, have a love affair with butter, wine and cheese. But I’ll happily settle for Niko and reading Mona Lisa’s Room. And I’ll remember to take my time as well as sip, and savor as I do!