Plunged right back into family activities this week — my son and daughter-in-law have been in town this week with their Four and One, and although they didn’t stay with us, we’ve been caught up with visiting and baby-sitting and watching five of our six Grands play together (and missing the one we had to leave behind on that other continent across the sea. . . ). Social Media has fallen by the wayside (and that’s probably not a bad thing occasionally, right?) although I’ve posted a bit on Instagram (I hope you got to see my little ducklings video — Oh, cuteness!). . . .
But I thought I would take a few minutes just to let you know I’m still here — and a small part of me is still There — in Bordeaux, eating delicious and indulgent lunches ordered from those wonderfully characteristic ardoises (chalkboards on which the day’s offerings are handwritten).
The photo at the top is the ardoise from a restaurant we never did manage to try, although I snapped a picture of the menu. . . maybe next trip.
The ardoise below, though, and the two photos above and below it, are taken from Chez Boulan, a delightful casual bistro in the Notre Dame/Chartrons quartier of Bordeaux. A lively vibe with warm, professional service (we were recognized by our second visit and greeted as if we were regular and valued clients — such a treat!) — and healthy, delicious interpretations of French/Basque food with a focus on seafood.
Added Transcription/Translation of the Menu on the Ardoise above, which I photographed from my seat at an obviously awkward angle. . . .
This was the Formule du Midi, the Lunchtime Menu
The entrée: Ajo blanco (almond soup), Sebaste Frit (a wonderfully crisp-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside fish croquette) & Citron confit (preserved lemon
Plat (main): Two choices — Ceviche de daurade d’Arcachon (Ceviche of local sea bream)– sadly, I can’t make out much of this from this photo, but I can read that there’s Aji Amarillo (yellow chili pepper) and sweet potato and red peppers . . . (This is the dish with the house-made “cracker” triangles above the arugula.
My choice — the Brochette de loup de mer, grillé (grilled sea-bass brochettes), falafel, légumes de saison confits à l’huile d’olives (seasonal vegetables in olive oil), crème de sésame (sesame-flavoured cream or crème fraîche if I remember correctly — so good!)
Dessert: Clafoutis aux cerises, Sorbet fraises — Cherry clafoutis with strawberry sorbet — which I’d foolishly agreed to share. . .
If we’d discovered this sooner, we’d have eaten here once or twice weekly our entire seven weeks. As it is, we were there three times in our last two weeks. They have a ceviche dish every day that’s notable for being served with interesting vegetables prepared healthily and alongside grains such as black quinoa.
I’m hoping to share a bit more about what we ate during our time in Bordeaux, because overall, I guess we did something right — I came home a tiny bit lighter than when we left. . . probably thanks as much to logging so many daily steps. . . .
But that encouraging news from the scales I stepped on last week (after two months of not weighing myself) isn’t enough.
I need to make some changes toward lowering cholesterol levels. I’m not sure I’m ready to give up meat and dairy completely, but I’m working towards even more vegetable and/or fish-based meals. For now, lunch has comprised some version of the Whitewater Cooks Glory Bowl recipe most days this week, and it doesn’t feel like any kind of deprivation. Links inthis post (scroll down to Number 2 if you’re interested). So far, I used wheat berries as the grain for a few days, then quinoa — I make up a batch of each ingredient sufficient to last a few days, and I keep them in the fridge to mix and match as suits — for this plate, I also added leftover cauliflower and beet greens from dinner earlier in the week. And I toasted walnut crumbs to sprinkle over along with a few dried cranberries.
Hope you didn’t find this post too haphazard — I will admit I’m finding it tough to blog recently, but I’m reciting a mantra a friend used to say, repeating the advice of her counsellor: “Just show up.” Of course, that counsellor didn’t quite have the charisma of that little fish, Dory, whose words of wisdom offered a “stickier” image: “Just Keep Swimming.”
So let’s keep swimming, right into the weekend. Pater and I will be heading over to a family barbecue soon, a big finale to a week of having three of our four little families in the same city at once. Can’t promise healthy eating will be a priority this evening 😉 What will you be up to? Whatever it might be, I wish you a Happy Weekend, and if that’s not likely, I hope you find the strength to keep swimming.
xo,
f
Your fortunate to be in Vancouver, the eating adjustment would not be as steep as it is for us when we return home. We have a week of a complaining about expensive wine, cheese that is much too costly, and no daily baguette. We then get over ourselves and settle in.;-)
Ali
Do like to hear about food adventures and see menus.So agree that little cafes offer lots of character, often the best food and to be on smiling familiarity with the staff is a good feeling, too.
Timely, this post, as I read it on the way back from seeing the play (adapted from the book) of the food author and chef, Nigel Slater's life. An absolutely delightful play, fab music and a portrayal of the links to emotion and memory that food can provoke.
Recreating some of the dishes most enjoyed in France-and Italy-will help keep the travel memories fresh in your mind….and palates.
Saw the duck video on Instagram and thought of the children's book Make Way for Ducklings. Wonder if your grandchildren know that one? Such a sweet sight, seeing your grand son and daughter following along with the ducks.
A.in London
We've been eating salads until we're green in the face this week. Ha. Stu has been thinning the lettuce patch in our garden, and the beet patch, and the kale. So we've had a salad with mixed baby greens fresh from the backyard for supper pretty much every day. With a dressing of cranberry pear balsamic vinegar and blood orange olive oil. I am kind of obsessed with flavoured olive oil. And the various combinations suggested by my new "friend" at The Unrefined Olive in the Glebe area of Ottawa. Stu might be king in our kitchen but I am queen of the dressings and marinades.
P.S. Loved that little duck video. The tentativeness of the kids, so gentle. Lovely. xo
Lovely post Frances, not haphazard at all. I suspect your loyal readers are happy with whatever you post and perhaps you’ve set your expectations a teeny bit too high. I personally am happy for any crumbs you throw here, walnut or plain bread both gratefully accepted. So interesting that you found French restaurants that are embracing lighter, more plant based eating. I wasn’t expecting that but it’s been decades since I visited France. And your lunches at home look healthy and achievable, thanks for sharing. It’s more soup than salad weather here but “warm” salads are welcome and I have a slight poke bowl addiction that’s carried over from our summer – I’m lucky that there are a couple of excellent places close by where I can source them.
I love to think of you and P eating out in France, the sheer pleasure of it.
As one does at the French dinner table, my husband and I had a big discussion/argument last night over French food (literally and figuratively). He is adamantly anti-vegetarian; he wants to eat red meat and lots of it (duck and rabbit count, chicken and pork do not) and suspects that the growing popularity of vegetarianism is going to somehow limit his access to excess. I pointed out that a famous local chef told me that the local specialty, cassoulet, originally was 99% beans, and the meat (which was whatever they got their hands on, probably not the best pieces) was mostly for flavor. He didn't deny that but says he doesn't want to live like they did after the war. In fact, his mother, who as a teen fled the Nazis to hide in a remote valley of the Ardèche, divided foods into what was "good" (rich, fatty) and what was "bad" (anything that she remembered eating during the war).
Anyway, the argument was also about market menus. There are some restaurants that offer a fixed-price menu but you don't know when you reserve what you will eat, and the menu has only one choice. We recently went to one of the most expensive restaurants in town that has a fixed-price lunch for €50. It was all seafood. My husband was aghast. He will eat seafood, but expects to have a steak after. We went to another fixed-menu fixed-price restaurant for dinner, and, thinking he would game the system, announced to the restaurant (which offered to accommodate allergies, dietetary restrictions, vegetarians, etc. if told in advance) that he didn't eat seafood. He was served the same grain-and-vegetable starter as our vegetarian kid, whereas the rest of our party had an amazing scallop starter….followed by prime rib. He loves scallops and hates grains ("chicken feed"). Too bad for him! But we discussed market menus and different tastes.
BTW, I don't know whether they do this in Canada, but in France all kids in lower grades have an ardoise at school. Mostly they are whiteboards these days, the size of a sheet of paper, for practicing writing and math without using a ton of paper. Just like in Little House on the Prairie.
The french dishes look amazing!!!! Would love it if you could tell us more…
We are eating oodles of salads…the local produce is at its peak, also enjoying the fresh halibut and not too much red meat. I think we will try to minimize our portions as we try to eat cleaner.
All good goals and better for the planet.
Do I detect a certain note of strain in your post? Settling back in after succh a long absence is quite a challenge, don't rush yourself! And there is no reason to worry about what your readers might expect from you. Whatever you write will trigger a discussion or an enriching exchange of experiences.
As soon as my son left after a week's holiday with me, I went straight back to meatless food. I must confess, however, that I find it very hard to cut down on dairy products – I just love cheese and yoghurt. As for salad and other greens, I am in the middle of building a raised vegetable bed in the lakeside garden in the hopes that in the future we may get at our salad before the slugs do.
Please let us know what those dishes are; they look delicious. Brenda
Ali: That's probably true, although I hadn't thought it that way — we have so many options here in Vanc'r, especially right in our neighbourhood, that we're happy to get re-acquainted with. I do miss my Saturday/Sunday morning oysters-and-wine, though! Does that woman still make and sell those fabulous potstickers at the Ganges market on Saturday? Those long line-ups were worth it!
A in London: Oh, I do miss that about London — fabulous access to so much live theatre. That play sounds a real treat! I'll have to check if the Grandkids know that book — I certainly read it to their parents. So charming.
Sue: I'm envying your fresh greens (and your skilled veggie gardener!) and your access to The Glebe which was one of my favourite spots to visit in Ottawa . . . and I love the sound of those dressings. Mmmmm. . . You'll be camping by the time I write this, I expect — no fancy dressings there, I'm guessing 😉
Marie: Yes, there is a change happening in France that's putting more plant-based meals on restaurant tables, although often still too "well"cooked and over-sauced for my palate. When we find ones that have more veg than meat/starch, I'm always happy, especially if there's innovative preparation that lets flavour, texture, and colour shine. . . . We even noticed several Poke places, although we didn't bother trying them — we're very fortunate to have some excellent ones near us at home and didn't want to set up a comparison 😉
Lisa: We eat out much more there than at home, of course, and it's a lovely, indulgent way to ease into conversations together. Sheer pleasure indeed.
Thanks for reminding me to cook some quinoa. I do love it with Veggies. No I couldn't become a vegetarian but I could eat more vefggies. I just discovered that roasting veggies in our convection oven is heaven. Leaves the vegetables with a slightly charred flavor and edges. I do drizzle a bit of olive oil and Koshe salt on top. Makes it heavenly. In fact i can't sop eating them. Don't know if that helps my weight. Too many of anything I guess is bad. Love the photos and loved the duckies.
Taste of France: So much about your comment made me chuckle — and there's so much of your husband's attitude that I recognize in mine. I think mine has been influenced, though, by our kids and their partners, all of whom still include meat in their diets (one only very sparingly, very occasionally) but all of whom skew more to plant-based meals. And I've always tried to have at least three meatless dinners a week, from the earliest days of our marriage (Frances Moore Lappé's Diet for a Small Planet was a big influence) — not as hard for me to adjust to, coming from a huge family where meat was at a premium, than for him whose parents prided themselves on being able to have meat at every meal (something they didn't grow up with in the Depression).
And your story about your husband "gaming" himself right into a vegetarian grain-based meal — hahaha 😉
Nope, no ardoises in the classroom here, the more likely "tablet" being computerized. . . .
Hostess: Peak produce indeed. And halibut is my favourite — and was my dad's too.
Eleonore: There was some strain, yes! But I think I'm easing in gradually — the problems was wanting to be back doing "all the things"!
Takes a while to get the balls back in the air. I love the idea of your veggie garden at the lake, even if you're sharing it unintentionally.
Yummy!
Grandchildren and ducks are adorable
Still swimming…
xo
Dottoressa
Sandra: Quinoa is great for protein as well — nice if you can find the black which has a slightly different texture and taste — and sharpens the visual effect — I often cook up more than required and then use the excess mixed into a salad the next day. I love roasted vegetables but haven't tried using the convection element of the oven for that (In fact, if I'm honest, I haven't read the manual enough to use the convection effectively at all, not in three years, shame on me!)
Brenda: I added my transcription and translation of the menu, so you can imagine enjoying those dishes. Mmmmm! 😉
Dottoressa: The mound of cream served with those "loup de mer" (sea bass) brochettes made me think, at the time, of that fabulous meal in Fotić — the grilled sea bass with the black quinoa and the lemon cream, your Friday favourite, right?
Thank you for adding in the translated descriptions. They sound absolutely delicious. Brenda
I have to admit that quinoa defeats me – I end up with a gloopy, gluey slop, no matter how carefully I follow the instructions!
Sharing your lowering the cholesterol pain. My level isn't high enough for medication, just a change in what was already a pretty healthy diet. I've now cut out butter completely (dislike vegetable spreads, so I just do without), cheese except for when in France ;), and stumped for what else to cut out since I don't eat biscuits (cookies), very very seldom do I eat red meat, deep fried food, or cakes and I never eat ready meals. The proof will be in September's blood test.
Bordeaux is certainly espousing bowls of veg all over the place. Did you ever eat at Contrast Brunch? It always has long queues, but very Scottishly we decided that we could spread our own avocado on toast or put a few raw ingredients into a bowl ourselves. In fact I think the whole putting separate ingredients in a bowl thing may pass me by – there is a baseline Scottish attitude which kicks in of 'I'm not paying for that'. But perhaps i'm missing out?