My dear readers,

We did not forget you!  All these months in France we had a great time, though it was very different from our trip across North America. We took time to enjoy the company of old friends from Chef Patrick’s childhood - quality moments full of laughter, good food, wine and cheese – lots and lots of different cheeses.

Chef Patrick stopped cooking for a short time and traded his white coat for a tee shirt while he painted and wallpapered the condo.  Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. 

After that, Chef Patrick was happy to get back to doing what he does best.  Our friends waited patiently and were not disappointed with his mouth-watering choucroute.  The word.  “choucroute” means sauerkraut in French.  It is also the name of a dish from the Alsace region in northeast France on the border of Germany. This recipe consists of slow-cooked pork meats and sausages with boiled potatoes and sauerkraut, onions, juniper berries – so good you can’t stop eating – or drinking - either beer or Gewürztraminer (white Alsatian wine).

Thanks to the generosity of some very dear friends, we had the chance to visit an area of southern France called Camargue.  The region is known for its wild horses and bulls, as well as flamingoes.  Though now only semi-wild, the white horses are still magnificent to see.  It is said that the American cowboy is a descendant of the Camargue bull guardians. The most exciting time to see and photograph the flamingoes is shortly before sunset when they’re in flight before settling down for the night.

The area is swampy with an almost constant wind that can get pretty strong at times.  During mosquito season, however, it is very welcome. We stayed at la Grande Motte on the Mediterranean sea, a 1960’s town of all white modern buildings. Some nearby towns such as Aigues Mortes are charming and well worth visiting.  We ate a local dish of “taureau” (bull) that was cooked in a stew of tomatoes and spices served over rice.  It was very tasty.

And now we are back on the road with force!!!!!!

We are starting out from Kingston, Canada where our RV has been waiting for us. This year the plan is to cook our way to Vermont, New Hampshire, the coast of Maine, then  New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, along the St Lawrence river in Quebec, the interior of Ontario and ending up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

We hope you will enjoy our adventure and cooking !!!!