Two things struck me upon picking out the NYT Dining Section on August 29 (I know – that’s 2 weeks ago but it was kept in my ever-burgeoning pile) and scanning the front page – great eye candy there with Melissa Clarks photo of fig branches avec fruits! Next? Ut-ohhhh, I bet the people on Isle de Re are not happy to see the highlighting of their well-kept secret of this venue……. Quel agacement!!!!
Isle de Re first. I first became familiar with Isle de Re when my son went to visit his friend Valentine for two weeks after high school graduation with his good friend Sydney. (We won’t get into why they get to go and I don’t). I happily? drove the two of them to Newark to fly Business Class to Paris (choke) and off they went for one week in Paris and one week on Isle de Re. Valentine and her family have vacationed here for a long time and Ryan (poor, suffering child that he is) sort of mentioned where they were going for part of the trip.
01/12 Grand Cayman
Well, needless to say, I did a little bit of homework at the time which included stumbling upon a jar of grey sea salt in the gourmet store in Orleans, MA which was well marked – Isle de Re. Hmmmmm. Snapped that up and brought it home as a momento of my non-trip there. To make a long story short, he had a wonderful time on the little known and apparently well – protected refuge for Parisians in the Summer. Living the cafe society lifestyle seemed to agree with him (shocker) and he returned with a love for Paris and the Isle and an experience that his Mother still covets! (His other kismet experience was singing on Father’s Day in St. Peter’s Basilica and the next day in Piazza del Popolo during a high school trip – seriously, how do these kids get so lucky???) So, I for one, was intrigued to see the article by Elaine Sciolino (the NYT Parisian correspondent – sign up for this #1) who rents a house there every August. (Sign up #2) I learned a little about the farming of sea salt, this source being particularly prized, and have added this to my mental notebook of items to do more reseearch on.
All Spring I got these amazing photographs via Facebook from Roseann Tully and her Intermezzo staff as they jaunted around Europe having the most fun – photographing food and venues with wild abandon! (Sign up for this #3) Suffice it to say I was green with envy and solidified, in earnest, my quest to obtain a “job” such as this. The fact that I didn’t grasp onto this passion when I was 20 is one of my substantive regrets of life, yet, having it now is pretty fun – as you have read. I am bound and determined not to be a “mental traveler” as Barroness Blixen so deftly put it to Denys Finch Hatton so long ago, and I vow unto myself to find a way!
To take the cake, I received an email from my cousin and his wife from Portofino today showing their luncheon of fried ravioli,
and asking about a pasta dish which resembled a cross between puff pastry and pasta. Did I know how to make it? No, but I would like to! (Sign up #4)
Well, I have learned not to torture myself with the good fortune and more highly selective implementation capabilities of others – I will be a mental traveler today – but, I must confess that I would love to be sitting in Portofino right now having an aperitif in anticipation of an amazingly romantic and culinarily simple yet perfection (not a typo) dinner! Who cannot want to do this, I ask?
And so, I will continue my quest to document my fantasies, love of baking and cooking, intellectual curiosity concerning all things culinary for today, tomorrow and so on until I step foot on my next Europe-bound plane. Plans continue to be developed for when I visit Ryan next semester. Exestential question: is it always the responsible thing to leave a forwarding address? Ahhhhh, the tugging of heartstrings………….
Have a lovely day Pam and Vince – and thanks for redoubling my determination!
Back to Melissa Clark’s feature on figs. I have written here earlier about my phobia of figs, pretty irrational, considering I have carried it around for decades (the phobia) and the sources thereof. Well, I intend, due to every culinary person I respect’s infatuation with these gems, to give them another chance – to be added into my culinary repertoire.
Note to readers: You have undoubtedly noticed that my Facebook page is becoming more and more inundated with food items – I may split my personal facebook off and create another page tied to this blog.
Can’t leave without saying how happy I am to see Beurre et Sel opened in NYC – I am a huge fan of Dorie Greenspan and cannot wait to visit both venues – the plan for this weekend with Christin! – Florence Fabricant wrote this up in the Dining section of this week’s NYT and it has been a feature on Dorie’s Facebook page for a couple of weeks now. Check this out! Such a great name – I wish I had thought of it!!!!
And, since I am retrieving features from August 29, check out the Star Ledger’s feature on Peaches with Rosemary-mascarpone whipped cream. I will post the recipe in my recipe section.
Enjoy this beautiful day!!!!!!!!