The joys of easy entertaining:

Simple food
Great flavours
Easy laughter
And not too many dishes

Doesn’t that sound perfect?
If you want to enjoy your guests and not waste a whole day cooking, keep reading.

(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
French Food, French Recipes, Lamb roast, Provencal Food, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Nutmeg is uncertain if sculptors Ursula Hanes and Donni Buffalo Dog were visionary or slightly crazy when they purchased a five-acre property on the outskirts of the hamlet of Aureille, in Provence, the year was 1993. Their interest was not in the house. It was the 600 square-meter mothballed chicken and rabbit coop that had grabbed their attention.

(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Artist Retreat in Provence, Ateliers Fourwinds, Aureille, Provence Travel, Sculpture Studios in Provence

A visit to Provence can be a sensory overload:
Purple-blue lavender rows combing the landscape
Market stalls brimming with wild mushrooms in a palette of earthy browns
Pincushions of creamy goat cheese
Butcher shop chickens roasted on portable spits on Sunday mornings
Rosé chilling tableside

What should I take home from Provence?
Nutmeg often gets asked this question by friends who are visiting Provence, these are five gifts that she would suggest, each one uniquely representative of the region.
(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
fleur de sel, Food, herbes de provence, Lavender, Markets, Olives, Provence, savon de Marseille, Travel Tips

All I want for Christmas is a photo workshop in Provence.
If that is number ONE on your Christmas list this year, then Nutmeg would like to help you out.
Andrew Squires is a professional photographer based in the village of Ansouis, in Provence. He runs photo workshops for both groups and individuals; photography on-location, with social breaks, fun festivals and time to explore Provence behind your camera (any type will do).
Colour, gesture, all help tell the story.
(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Andrew Squires, France, Photo Workshops, Photography, Provence

Does the thought of Christmas baking put you squarely in one of these categories?

You start collecting holiday recipes in June, and dream of red and green sprinkles in July.
You would rather clean out your basement than attend a Christmas bake exchange.
You have a local “go-to” bakery for their qualified help.

(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Christmas baking ideas, Easy baking recipes, Easy Cookie Recipes, Recipes for Shortbread, Recipes with Hazelnuts

The sun was baking the rolling hills, and the annual harvest of ruby-purple grapes was underway – Indian summer days were still gracing Provence. Visions of glasses of chilled rosé danced in her head…
What was Nutmeg thinking?

(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
City Highlights Jogging Tour, Dublin Tours, Irish Travel, Sight Jogging Dublin, Touring Ireland

It was a lazy afternoon in Provence, under a scalding sun, seated on a suspended terrace in the village of Ansouis. As she sat drinking in the pastoral vineyard views, Nutmeg understood why this might be Andrew Squires’ favourite French expression.
Ça depend … it depends.
Andrew was born in the United Kingdom. His artistic leanings emerged early on as he experimented with both drawing and painting. He discovered photography as an artistic medium, and a magnetic force pulled him to Arles for les Rencontres d’Arles an annual photography festival that was founded in 1970.
What does forgiveness mean to you?
He has lived in Provence permanently for a couple decades, and he considers it home. He took a few minutes over lunch, and a pitcher of local rosé to tell Nutmeg a little more about his passion for the region and photography.
Enjoy his photos as you read this blog post.
(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Andrew Squires Photography, Photography Classes in Provence, Provence Travel, Travel in France

Barely 9:30am 15 glasses sampled and suddenly flaky, cheese pastries looked quite appealing. Blood-red stains were visible in every direction and the lighting under the curved ceiling was at best dim. Ginger and Nutmeg were at the Cuverie des Hospices de Beaune, the wine cellars, for the first degustation of the weekend, with 44 wines available for tasting from the 2012 harvest.

(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Beaune, Beaune Wine Auction, French Wines, Travel in France, Vente de Vins

Ginger and Nutmeg are children born in the early 1960’s, sheltered from the difficulties of the two World Wars; they did not recognize the name Jean Moulin, when they arrived in France.
Sure, their school history classes covered the wars in some detail. They have grandparents and parents who were certainly impacted by the hardships of those dark, uncertain days. On Nutmeg’s paternal side, the whole family was uprooted, and they relocated to a foreign land. The scarcity of food and other products from that time has instilled a steady habit of reuse, recycle and do not waste.

(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Jean Moulin, Provence Travel, Travel in France

The Gallo-Romans should be thanked for introducing grapevines to Burgundy, now part of France. Religious orders of monks dedicated years of effort to clear heavily forested land and rid rocky soil of stones. A reputation of fine wine production was established by the 14C and continues…

(more…)

Recipes & Travel:
Beaune Wine Auction, Burgundy Wines, European Travel Tips, French Food, Travel Entertainment, Travel in France, Vente des Vins