Samantha Verant's Blog, page 6

Photo Contest! Great Prizes! #HowToMakeAFrenchFamily

A few days ago,  I found some very colorful acorns and they inspired a crazy idea! A photo contest! 
The mission, should you choose to accept it:
From now until February 1, 2017, you recreate the cover of my book, How to Make a French Family (pictured below)...with whatever represents a "family" to you. Your photo must have flour and at least one broken egg. The winner will receive a signed copy of the final book, my three favorite cooking tools, plus a few undecided surprises. (One will be awesome!) Three finalists will be chosen by me, Jean-Luc, and #jujubear (the cat). The winner will be chosen by voters via a poll, which will be posted here in mid-February for two weeks, and announced the day the book launches, which, for now, is April 1, 2017.
You have plenty of time to get creative and have some fun. Tag me in photos via Instagram, on Facebook, on Twitter with the hashtag #HowtoMakeaFrenchFamily, or send me an email at slverant(@)gmail(dot)com. 
Note: By submitting, you give me permission to share said photo on social media. Of course, I'll credit you. I need at least 10 entries from different people or this contest will be canceled, the prizes withheld for a tbd virtual launch party on Facebook. No purchase necessary to win. This contest is open worldwide. Feel free to send in as many shots as you like!
Bisous!
Remember, sharing is caring! Feel free to share this post! It's always appreciated. Comments aren't accepted on this site, but welcomed on my Facebook page, where I'm sure to respond.
Here's the book cover...
p.s. Add How to Make a French Family to your Goodreads TBR list by clicking here!

Tortilla Soup w/ Shredded Chicken and Shrimp (plus a vegetarian/Pescetarian option)

This past weekend I was craving tortilla soup– the kind I found in Chicago at Rick Bayless's Topo/Frontera Grill. It was a lick-the-bowl-clean kind of soup. And I missed it like crazy.  After making a roasted chicken and using the "leftovers" to make a homemade stock (recipe included right here), I looked for Bayless's recipe online and I found it. But there was just one little problem: besides the chicken and a few of the spices...I didn't have, nor could I find the ingredients. They don't sell his roasted tomato Frontera salsa here in France. So I did what I always do (now)- I made do with what I had. And, in the end, I made up my own recipe for a lick-the-bowl-clean tortilla soup. (This is a theme in my next memoir, HOW TO MAKE A FRENCH FAMILY, but this recipe is not included in the book.) Anyway, I wanted to share my tortilla soup with you. Hey, it's fall and there is nothing like a good soup to warm us up on those chilly days and nights. For my friends in Oz, this soup is also good in the summer. Ya know– to cool down–they say it's good to raise your body temp.

Serve with a nice Mexican beer, tortilla chips, and a homemade (not store bought!!!) guacamole, mango salsa, or regular salsa.


La Recette for "Sam's Lick-the-Bowl Clean-Tortilla Soup" Serves Four-SixCook Time- 40 minutes (unless you are making a homemade stock and using it the day of prep...)
Salt3 boneless/skinless chicken breasts1 red pepper, de-seeded and quartered1 yellow pepper, de-seeded and quartered1 green pepper, de-seeded and quartered5 tomatoes, quartered1 large head garlic, divided into cloves Fleur de Sel or Kosher SaltExtra Virgin Olive Oil5 cups chicken stock, homemade preferred*4-5 limes1 (10-14 ounce) can diced tomatoes12-16 pre-cooked, peeled shrimp, tails discardedVegetable oil2 corn or flour tortillas, sliced two inches long, 1/4 inch thick2-3 avocados, diced1/4 cup Italian parsley or cilantro, finely diced, for garnish
Crème fraîche or sour cream (optional), for garnish
Grated cheese, such as Monterey Jack (optional) for garnish
1 red onion, diced (optional) for garnishGreen chili peppers (optional), for garnish
Spices, to tasteCumin (I used a teaspoon)Paprika, about a tablespoonChili Powder, about 1/2 tablespoonSaltPepper
The How To:Pre-heat oven to 400°F. In a medium sized pot, bring lightly salted water to a boil. Drop chicken in to poach. Cook for about 8-10 minutes. Drain. Then, let the chicken cool. Once cool, shred the chicken breasts with your fingers, pulling it apart into little, bite-sized strips. Meanwhile, place the peppers, tomatoes, and garlic on an aluminum lined baking tray. Lightly cover with Fleur de Sel or Kosher salt. Then, drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool. 
In a large pot, heat up your chicken or vegetable stock to a boil. Add in the shredded chicken and the can of diced tomatoes. Set heat to a simmer. By now your roasted vegetables should be cool enough to handle. Chop them up-- remembering to remove (and discarding) the skin off the garlic cloves!!! Finely mince the garlic. Place all of the roasted goodness in the chicken/tomato stock. Now, spice accordingly, tasting as you go– add in the cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper to your tastes. You want a fresh, smokey flavor. Let the ingredients simmer for a 1/2 hour. Add the juice of one lime to the broth. Seven minutes before serving add in the shrimp. 
In a medium sized pot, heat up 1-1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil. Once hot, batch by batch, deep fry your tortilla slices until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set them aside (allowing the oil to drain) on a paper towel. 
To Serve (see photo):Ladle the soup into a bowl. Garnish with 1/2 an avocado (diced), a handful of  deep-fried tortilla strips, the cilantro or parsley, and because I love lime, a wedge of half a lime. Miam-Miam! Serve optional ingredients in small bowls to spice up the soup at whim.

Colours of the world

Spice up your life

Every boy and every girl

Spice up your life

People of the world

Spice up your life

Aah-ah-ah....

La la la la la la la la la

La la la la la la la

La la la la la la la la la

La la la la la la la 

*For the broth- homemade chicken or veggie stock is preferred, but, for you quick on the run people, canned or bouillon cubes will do. We need five cups of stock, people. When I roast a chicken (or buy it from the rotissierie), I throw the bones into a pot and cover them with water. Then, I add 2 carrots, peeled or not peeled (your preference) and sliced; 5 stalks of celery, sliced (leaves included), and one red onion, peeled and quartered. I add spices- a little salt and lots of pepper (about 20 twists). I may add a bit of Chef Paul Prudhomme's seasoning salt. A wedge of ginger? Yes, Marianne. About 2 inches in length, peeled. Crushed garlic? Depends on my mood. And I'm always in the mood for garlic. About two cloves worth, maybe three. If I have lemon grass, I'll add that in too. I simmer the concoction for an hour, then taste. More salt? Maybe? Garlic salt? Maybe. It's up to you. Sometimes I add mushrooms and tomatoes to the stock– or whatever leftover veggies need to be used up. Simmer for two-three hours and then drain the stock into a large bowl using a strainer. Throw away everything (the bones and veggies)- except the stock. Let cool, then skim off the fat, if needed. I divide the stock up into tupperware bowls (4-5 cups each), then freeze to use when I ever I'm craving homemade lick-my-bowl-clean soup.

How to cheat a "homemade" stock. Use bouillon cubes or canned stock, and then add veggies and spices. Simmer for an hour or so. Drain the stock into a large bowl with a strainer. Discard the veggies, keep the stock.
For Vegetarians/Pescetarians:Substitute chicken stock with vegetable stock. Maybe add in some grilled corn (cut to three inches long) and a 1/4 cup of steamed rice per serving (serve the soup over the pre-cooked rice). **Pescetarians- double the shrimp count.
Per my usual methods of madness, comments are closed on the blog. (Once I post, I rarely come back to stock, I mean stalk myself...) BUT I do connect with people on my Facebook page. So, head on over there! Errr... here! And feel free to share this post with your soup loving friends! It's always appreciated! Miam-miam.

Gros bisous from France,
Samxoxo

La la la la la la la la la

La la la la la la la

La la la la la la la la la

La la la la la la la 

(Great. Now that song is stuck in my head. You're welcome? La la la la la. Ooh-la-la).

How to Make a French Family–
 coming at you in April 2017!
Add it to your Goodreads!
p.s. This blog will be going through a transformation. Soon. Cheers. And Bon App!

How to Make a French Family: Cover Reveal

Memoir book two coming at you April 2017!

Hey there-

Long time, no blog- from me that is. Truth be told, I don't consider myself to be a blogger. I like connecting with people! I'm also busy writing and renovating my home and dealing with life! This page will see more action next year. Why? Well, because in my latest memoir I include over 30 family recipes. And I think it's important to show the finished product. Am a I food blogger? No. I'm just a girl who loves to cook at home. And I've been dipped both feet into the fire with French cooking.

Hello, flambé!

Anyway, I'm thrilled to share the cover for How to Make A French Family with you. I hope you love it as much as I do.  Here's the back cover copy...

Say bonjour to a whole new way of life! 

Take one French widower, his two young kids, and drop a former city girl from Chicago into a small town in southwestern France. Shake vigorously...and voilá: a blended Franco-American family whose lives will all drastically change.

Floating on a cloud of newlywed bliss, Samantha couldn’t wait to move to France to begin her life with her new husband, Jean-Luc, and his two kids. But almost from the moment the plane touches down, Samantha realizes that there are a lot of things about her new home—including flea-bitten cats, grumpy teenagers, and language barriers—that she hadn’t counted on.

Struggling to feel at home in her new home and wondering when exactly her French fairy tale is going to start, Samantha starts to wonder if she really has what it takes to make it in la belle France. But when a second chance at love and life is on the line, giving up isn’t an option. How to Make a French Family is the heartwarming, sometimes hilarious story of the culture clashes and faux pas that, in the end, add up to one happy family.

Updates on book giveaways and news will be posted here...and also on my FB page, which I encourage you to follow! Like I said, I love connecting with people and FB makes it easier!


Many bisous,
Samxoxox
p.s. You can How to Make a French Family to your Goodreads TBR list by clicking here!

Seven Letters from Paris is today's kindle daily deal!

Get your copy here! http://amzn.com/B00L5QGB7E
Seven Letters from Paris is today's Kindle Daily Deal (US/Canada/UK, etc.) with a price match at B&N and other fine stores! Grab a copy for $1.99- cheaper than a cup of coffee! You can even gift a copy to a friend! Shares of this post are greatly appreciated! Happy Sunday and gros bisous from Toulouse!

Win Five Books! Let's Celebrate love everyday!

Love is in the air. He's my frog. And I'm his Ms. Piggy.
Don't judge us. It works.
Here I go. It's a good one. Are you ready?

Looking for a taste of Paris amidst these dreary winter days? Look no further than this giveaway, where you can enter for a chance to win 5 books that all contain a taste of Paris!
Learn more about the books: Meet Me in Paris: A Memoir, by Juliette Sobanet What does a romance novelist do when she loses her own happily ever after? Take a lover and travel to Paris, obviously. Or at least this is what Juliette Sobanet did upon making the bold, heart-wrenching decision to divorce the man she had loved since she was a teenager. This is the story of the passionate love affair that ensued during the most devastating year of Sobanet's life and how her star-crossed romance in the City of Light led to her undoing. Meet Me in Paris is a raw, powerful take on divorce and the daring choices that followed such a monumental loss from the pen of a writer who'd always believed in happy endings‚ and who ultimately found the courage to write her own.

Seven Letters from Paris: A Memoir, by Samantha Verant Twenty years, seven letters, and one long-lost love of a lifetime At age 40, Samantha Verant's life is falling apart-she's jobless, in debt, and feeling stuck... until she stumbles upon seven old love letters from Jean-Luc, the sexy Frenchman she'd met in Paris when she was 19. With a quick Google search, she finds him, and both are quick to realize that the passion they felt 20 years prior hasn't faded with time and distance. Samantha knows that jetting off to France to reconnect with a man that she only knew for one sun-drenched, passion-filled day is crazy-but it's the kind of crazy she's been waiting for her whole life.

Confessions of a Paris Party Girl, by Vicki Lesage When newly-single party girl Vicki moved to Paris, she was hoping to indulge in wine, stuff her face with croissants, and fall in love. It proved to be much more difficile than she'd imagined. In this laugh-out-loud memoir, this cheeky storyteller recounts the highs and lows of her life in the City of Light. Sassy and shamefully honest, Vicki makes you feel as if you're right there in Paris stumbling along the cobblestones with her. Will she find love? Will she learn to consume reasonable amounts of alcohol? Will the French administration ever cut her a break?

Paris, Rue des Martyrs, by Adria J. Cimino Some encounters make a difference... Four strangers in Paris. Each one is on a quest: to uncover a family secret, to grasp a new chance at love, to repair mistakes of the past. Four stories entwine, four quests become one, as their paths cross amid the beauty, squalor, animation and desolation of a street in Paris, the rue des Martyrs. Rafael's search for his birth mother leads him to love and grim family secrets. Cecile's view of herself as an unsatisfied housewife is radically changed by the promise of a passionate liaison. Andre, an aging actor, troubled by the arrival of the son he abandoned years ago, must make a choice, to either lose his son forever or put aside pride and seek redemption. Mira travels to Paris to begin a new life and forget about love... or so she intends. Four strangers, four stories, one riveting novel.

The Paris Effect, by K. S. R. Burns Nothing is what it seems in this highly praised debut novel about a food-obsessed young woman who sneaks away to Paris without telling anyone. Not even her husband. Once there she’s robbed, stalked, arrested, kidnapped (almost) and–worse–finds that her numerous issues have come right along with her. Grab a croissant and settle in for a decidedly non-touristy trip to the City of Light. P.S. This novel makes for great book club discussions. A sequel is in the works. Be sure to enter the giveaway soon... it ends 2/24! And don't forget to share with your friends: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Valentine's Day

Celebrate love every day. Dare to follow your heart - to live and to love big.

xox
Samantha

Ho-ho-ho! And Happy Holidays!

Southwestern France is in the Christmas spirit. The little drummer girls...
Juggling Elves...
Gâteau à la broche...
handmade with 'la pâte' from crêpes. As the batter is poured in front of a fire, the cake is formed on a rod.I hope that this holiday season is wonderful for all of you – filled with peace, love, family and friends, and great food! Even though this year has had a few downs (it's called life), it's been amazing, thanks to all of the above. I'm especially thankful for all the new friends I've connected with from all over the world, thanks to a little book called Seven Letters from Paris. Hey, if I hadn't 'put myself out there', I wouldn't have met so many wonderful people! I'm thankful for all your notes, book reviews, emails, and letters. Very thankful! With that said, I'll be raising my glass high and toasting all of you on New Year's Eve!
Although I really don't consider myself a blogger, I'm going to try posting at least once a month in the new year, mostly recipes and areas to explore in the south of France. 
As for family life, we're all doing great! Elvire is coming home in two days from the University of Montreal and we'll be spending Christmas with Jean-Luc's family. I'm really excited! We miss her. Currently, Max and Jean-Luc are boxing in the back yard (for fun), working out and preparing their bodies for the big feast. On Christmas Eve, Jean-Luc will be making one of his signature dishes: flambeed lobster in cognac, served with rice. I'll post la recette next month– it's excellent any time of the year. We're spending New Year's Eve with friends and I'm looking forward to celebrating with them. Because there is a lot to be happy for!!!
Love, Life, Happiness! And Never Giving Up on Dreams...
Never let reality get in the way of your dreams...
It's a Provençal tradition to plant lentils or grains of wheat on December 4th, symbolizing the Feast of Saint Barbe and a prosperous harvest for the following year. If the sprouts grow tall and green by December 25th, it means the following year will be great. Well, my sprouts are looking good. Which brings me to a little news...

Book News:
My editor at Sourcebooks bought the rights to my next memoir. It's called HOW TO MAKE A FRENCH FAMILY, which, I can assure you, isn't as easy as how to make boeuf bourguignon or JL's flambeed lobster. Anyway, we're looking at an April 2017 publication date and I'm really excited! Hold on to your raspberry-red berets!

Plus, dun-da-da-da, a SUPER-FAB studio has optioned the the film rights to Seven Letters from Paris! More details to come as I'm able to share them. And, oh boy, I'd love to share the them. But, for now, patience is a virtue. And I've got to make dinner...


Again, HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all of you! Let's celebrate (virtually) together. 
Until next year! 
Gross bisous,
Samantha
xox

Per my usual methods of madness, comments are closed on the blog. Please head on over to my Facebook Page to connect with me and others!

Wednesday is all Write (But I'm taking a break...)

Chilling like a cucumber with my cat on the couch...
This summer is finally winding down. And it's been busy. It's amazing I've found time to write, let alone blog! The season started off with a trip to Colera, Spain for a little scuba diving with Jean-Luc's club.
Diving in Colera, Spain. I'm now certified with a PE-40, which allows me to dive
40 meters (around 120 feet) with a monitor).
Our friendly Catalan dive masters.Then, Jean-Luc and I went to Paris for a quick weekend. I'd love to say that it was a romantic getaway, but we were painting an apartment. On the plus side, we did make time for some fun.
Perhaps we retraced the steps we first took together in 1989.
Perhaps we recreated a new memory...
A few blinks later, it was off to Rome, where we rented a car to get to my sister's gorgeous wedding in Ravello, Italy.
Seesters... The lovely bride and her groom.
The Best Man and Best Friend. On the way back to Rome, we toured the incredible Pompeii.
Pompeii.And spent two nights in Roma before returning to Toulouse.
The Spanish Steps in Roma.
Elvire turned 18 this year and she asked us (politely) if she could have a party. One caveat: she didn't want us there. So I found a beautiful, reasonably priced gîte in the Gers– about an hour and a half away from our house. La Dame de Courties, beautiful bed and breakfast in the Gers.We visited an Armagnac distillery, a beautiful abbey, and the town of Condom. Yes, condom.
Armagnac.In July, we spent ten days in La Ciotat – Jean-Luc's home town, staying at his sister's house.
The husband's hometown of La Ciotat.We dove into the waters off the beautiful island of l'ile Verte... L'ile Verte– a natural island off the coast of La Ciotat.And took a day trip to Rousillon, stopping to have lunch with author Elizabeth Bard and her family. Rousillon– in the Luberon, known for its ochre trails.On the way back to Toulouse, we took a different route home, thoroughly enjoying the Camargue region of France, where pink flamingos and wild horses roam...which I'll be sure to photograph on our next visit. St. Maries de la Mer- in the Camargue

Aigue Mortes, a lovely village in the Carmague.
Music, love, and laughter.
I cooked a lot this summer, hosting more than a few dinner parties for our families and friends.
My new plates were put to good use! (I found them at Carrefour Market- a set of 18, three different sizes, for 15 euro!)
Homemade Vichyssoise.
And gumbo – with fresh okra found at the Asian market!
A feast.
And, thanks to my neighbor, we've been eating lots of fresh figs!
Elvire left for university in Montreal a few weeks ago. Prior to that, we were getting her ready to leave the nest, me sobbing more than a few times. The house is strangely quiet without her. Yes. I miss her already.  
sob.
With all that said, we have one last adventure ahead of us, where we'll be diving again in Spain with JL's club, and then summer officially comes to a close. 
I've been plugging away on memoir book two (60k written/25k to go)...and I'm taking a blog break until it's finished. BUT I will be active on my Facebook page, so please head over there! 
Per my usual methods of madness, comments are closed on the blog.
xox
Bisous from Toulouse,Samantha

Seven Letters from Paris is today's #Kindle Daily Deal! Grab a copy for $1.99!

A great summer beach/plane read, my memoir, Seven Letters from Paris, is today's Kindle Daily Deal! Plus, B&N has matched the cheaper than a chocolate bar/latte price of $1.99 for all you Nook Readers! Grab a copy today!
Amazon US: http://tinyurl.com/7letterskindle
Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/7lettersUK
Amazon Canada: http://tinyurl.com/7lettersCA
B&N: http://tinyurl.com/7lettersBandN
Please, please, please share this post with your friends on Twitter and Facebook (the buttons are below). It's more than greatly appreciated. Seriously. It's hard out here for a (book) pimp – the reason I'm wearing practical shoes today.
xoxSamantha
Per my usual methods of madness, comments are closed on the blog.
But head on over to my Facebook page, where you can connect with me (and others) and where comments are responded to and highly appreciated.
Bisous!

Wednesday Wanderings: Sunflowers to the left of me, Grape Vines to the Right...

Sunflowers and wine vines- I'm stuck in the middle of my happy place in the Gers.
Last Friday, Jean-Luc and I spent the night in the Gers Region of France...seeing that we were ushered out of the house by now eighteen-year-old Elvire, who recently celebrated her birthday AND passed her BAC (the French version of the SATs). This fall, Elvire will be attending university in Canada. (What are we going to do? Wasn't she just twelve yesterday? Who is going to steal my shoes? How do I say goodbye?) Alas, Elvire, now of legal age, wanted to have a party sans les parental units and we trust her. I found a reasonably priced chambre d'hôte near Condom. (Yes, Condom). We set out the house rules and then went on our merry way, crossing our fingers behind our backs. (Will the house still be standing when we return? Will it be a pigpen? What if...)
En route: after winding down the country roads, our first stop was the beautiful Abbaye de Flaran,
a former monastery and now an art gallery.



An interesting (and amusing) animal art exhibit in the old church.
It was interdit (forbidden) to take photos of the upstairs, where the exhibition featured
some extraordinary pieces from some very well-known names:
Dali, Renoir, Monet, to name a few.
From the Abbaye, we went to the village of Condom. The guys on the left?
Those are the musketeers! We wanted to tour an Armagnac distillery, but, unfortunately, they'd closed.
So we wandered the village.
Finally, we made it our chambre d'hôte – La Dame Courties in St. Puy.  Priced right at 86 euro/night including breakfast,
our stay was made even more perfect by the welcoming warmth of the owner.

Plus, she told us about a local Armagnac distillery that was still open! We put our bags in our gorgeous room...





With mon Jean-Luc, we made our way to MONLUC, makers of wine and Armagnac.
After a tour of the cave...
We were treated to a tasting – the wines, champagnes, and Armagnacs of MONLUC.
Our night was capped off at a lovely restaurant – Chez Vous – in
the small village of St. Puy. I had risotto with scallops.
Jean-Luc had a regional specialty – pan seared Foie Gras.
Our wine? We ordered the local selection – a Monluc rosé.

The night was wonderful! Lovely! Beautiful! Romantic!
Unfortunately, we had to leave at 7:30 am, right after a quick breakfast, to get back to Toulouse for an early appointment at the bank with Elvire. And, thankfully, the house was in one piece upon our return and clean (too clean?) with no signs of a party, save for the bags in the garbage can.

If you haven't explored the area yet, I hope that, one day in the future, 
you're able to discover the beauty of the Gers.

xoxSamantha
Per my usual methods of madness, comments are closed on the blog.
But head on over to my Facebook page, where you can connect with me (and others) and where comments are responded to and highly appreciated.
Bisous!