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The Food Wonders Of A French Wedding

23/10/2012

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Last Saturday, I went to my cousin's wedding in France. I flew there especially for the occasion. The ceremony took place in the city centre of Nantes (a big city located at the start of the Loire river in the West of France). Then, we all drove to the beautiful Chateau de la Pigossière outside the city.
I have been to a few weddings in France before but I would never have imagined what was awaiting us in terms of food.
Usually, upon arrival, guests are welcomed with champagne and small canapés.
Here, the display of food was absolutely incredible, a dream come true for a food lover! I was even too busy eating to take any photos at all!
It all started when I was catching up with members of my family. We were sipping our champagne and eating small canapés that were carried around. Then, my younger brother arrived running, out of breath with his arms waving all over the place:"Guys, guys, you won't believe it!! There is an actual cheese fondue over there in the corner and I don't think people have noticed it yet!".
The cheese fondue was indeed incredible. And I could have put my head in it, it was so big (not that I would ever put my head in food!). A man was slicing a huge smoked ham to have with it, there were big chunks of country bread to dip in the cheese, and lots of charcuterie to accompany.
You would think that would be a lot already with the canapés right?! But this is not over...
We also realised that beside the table where the drinks were served, waiters were serving little white china dishes filled with delicious mini scallops (noix de pétoncle) cooked with vegetables in a wonderful creamy sauce.
And then, we turned around and spotted the huge seafood display. A barrel filled with freshly shucked oysters, langoustines (Dublin Bay prawns or scampi), bigorneaux (winkles) and so on.
I moved a bit to go and say hello to a relative I had not seen in years, and bam! There, on my right, a chef (wearing the biggest chef's hat I have ever seen) grilling meat pieces on a hot plate.
And as the time was passing, more new canapés appeared. Two of those you could chose from appealled to me a lot: a beautiful crumbed prawn sitting on top of a verrine (little glass) that was filled with a creamy fennel soup; and a crispy thin crust filled with creamy boudin noir (black pudding) and cooked apple.
At this stage, I knew I had to stop eating because we were obviously invited to the dinner that would take place sooner rather than later (it was an evening wedding). That self-control was really hard on me.


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Blackberry clafoutis with hazelnut sugar

14/10/2012

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Click HERE for recipe
Blackberry Clafoutis with Hazelnut Sugar Recipe
Autumn is here now! Trees are taking beautiful yellow, golden, orange and red colours. Leaves are falling and it is an everyday pleasure to hear them crackle under my shoes when I take a walk. I really love this season.
When I was younger, on a autumnal Sunday, my mother would take my younger brother and I for a walk to the nearest park. She would take a small wicker basket with her and then, we automatically knew we were going to pick wild blackberries. At the time, the town where I am from in France was not as big as it today. You would walk ten minutes and be in the 'country'. We would come back home really proud of our treasure, our hands purple with the juice of blackberries (and sometimes our mouths as we could not resist eating them on the way). My mother used to make delicious jams with them, so nice on crusty bread and butter for breakfast!
(Now, the town has become quite big and lots of houses were built all around it and sadly, the many bushes of blackberries do not exist anymore.)


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Irish coffee tiramisù

8/10/2012

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Irish Coffee Tiramisù Recipe
Yes, you read that well! Irish and Italian together in a dessert! And let me tell you that it works beautifully. I am probably not the first person to have tried it but for me, it is a big culinary step to mix two cuisines as I would usually stick to one or the other. And on top of that, I have a history with two of the main ingredients.
Despite having moved in Ireland eight years ago (and a little detour via Australia for three years), I had never been a fan of whiskey until recently. I learned how to appreciate its flavour by learning how it was made and what was going into its fabrication*. Maybe that watching Don Draper making an Old Fashioned in 'Mad Men' influenced me a bit, and maybe trying a New Fashioned at The Beehive in Boston helped it even more.


My relationship with coffee is however quite different. I actually do not drink coffee. What? A French person who does not drink coffee!! Yes, it exists and I am not the one rare example, I have met others who do not either (maybe we should create some kind of exclusive club...). I have tried and tried again to drink it because I love its perfume but it does not suit my stomach. My last attempt was five years ago. I was traveling in Morocco and during a trip in the Atlas mountains, I decided to get a small glass of coffee as the sun was setting and the temperature was getting lower (and looking at other people sipping it made me crave it). Well, let me tell you that the drive back to Marrakesh via all the bends in the mountains was less than enjoyable. The only thing that works for me so far is coffee flavoured products.
That is why in the following recipe I am using coffee biscuits rather than freshly brewed coffee. It is quite delicious all the same. And I have an Irishman at home who gave me the thumbs up after eating this dessert so I guess it is a good sign.

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    Hello! I’m Yolene, a French blogger based in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
    Welcome to my blog Crème de Citron. This is where I share lifestyle, travel and food stories.

    Copyright © Yolene Dabreteau, unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved.
    Content and images cannot be used without my permission.



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