FOOD SURVIVAL KIT in your kitchen for French cooking by nadegecuisine.com

FRIDGE: eggs, butter, cream, chicken breasts, diced bacon, gruyere, camembert, crust and puff pastry, mustard, capers, gherkins, sun dried tomatoes, tapenade, anchovies, pesto, baby barrows, carrots, spinach and leeks

FREEZER: chives, basil, dill, parsley, red berries, hake fillets, salmon, rabbit and prawns

CUPBOARD: cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, tarragon, bay leaves, olive oil and grapeseed oil, apple cider, rice, couscous, pastas, potatoes, onions, shallots, garlic, lemon, peeled tomatoes, chickpeas, goose liver, white beans, dark chocolate, baking powder, yeast, flour, sugar, vanilla powder, coconut milk, bread, red and white wine.

Image credit by elle.fr

french cooking class - 28th September - Cape Town

culinary tour day 7 in Normandy (france) by nadege cuisine from cape town

7th day From le Prieure to la Hague

On Sunday, there is a market that nobody should be missed in Octeville.
It is a big one where we buy jerusalem artichokes, strawberries, rhubarb, baguette and 1   saucisson sec. We go to the rotisseurs alley we get our leg of lamb for dinner with a little pot filled up of meat juice...
Can't wait to have dinner!
Well...until tonight we still have lots to do and eat so it's ok! And, first stop is at Theo Capelle Cidrerie to learn about the process of making cider and calvados and of course, we also enjoy a glass of each!
We have lunch in a creperie which serves crepes with fresh scallops or with some andouille. Just divine!
During the afternoon, we explore one of the most beautiful part of Normandy: la Hague.  It is a picturesque place with dramatic cliffs, coves and small fields surrounded by hedges. Loads of artists are inspired by this region and we'll also be tonight when we'll create our meal: Stuffed squids with bacon and mushrooms, leg of lamb with sweet pommes
de terre nouvelles and rhubarb tart!

By Nadege from nadegecuisine

Image credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

Image credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

Image credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

Image credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

Image credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

culinary tour day 6 in normandy (france) with nadege cuisine (from cape town)

6th day From le Prieure to Montaigu la Brisette

When I grew, every Saturday, we went to Cherbourg for the market and for general shopping. Cherbourg is a small town where we always met with friends or family along 
the way which made the shopping experience even more pleasant.

Let's carry on with tradition! Today, it's Saturday so let's go shopping to Cherbourg! 
There are many interesting shops where you can get kitchen gadget and equipment that you can't find in South Africa (cannele moulds, bain-marie pots...) 
We can even stop to a hat shop for the real French berets! 
After strolling around, we have a traditional tartar steak, a knuckle of pork roasted in beer, 
a norman salad and some tripes a la mode de Caen- in a typical brasserie.

After these few hours in a city, let's go back to nature and the beautiful and peaceful Norman country-side. We go to le Petit Gris des Moulins to see how they breed their snails and have a glass of organic apple juice with a platter of snails!

 We have some time in front of us so we go and admire the view on top of a hill first and then on top of a lighthouse (365 steps to walk up-perfect for digestion!). 
 

We finish the day walking in the countryside around my grand parents farm where I spent all my Sundays as a kid. My mum is busy preparing une blanquette de veau and the teurgoule that she has cooked 3 hours ago finishes cooking on the stove. We soon join my parents to enjoy this delicious meal together with a moque of cider!

by nadege from nadege cuisine

image credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

image credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

culinary tour day 5 in normandy (france) with nadege cuisine from cape town

5th day From le Prieure to Montaigu la Brisette 
Today, we gonna spend the day to fill up our shopping basket!

We start with a dairy shop which makes delicious milk jams with the most interesting flavours such as coconut, chocolate, apple, orange and hard  toffees. Stephanie explains the process of making toffees and then treat us so well with a tasting of all products.

Our lunch is in Bricquebec medieval castle's knights hall with armors waching us!

A  walk is then always welcome after eating scallops, Calvados pork chops, kidneys, cheese platter and white chocolate creme brulee.

In Bricquebec like in most village in Normandy there is at least a culinary place not to be missed: l'epicereie parisienne is 100 years old and contains as much visual treasures than treasures to be eaten such as mature cheeses, fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables.

We also go to la maison du biscuit to get mustards for our rabbit, nice decoration for our chocolate charlotte tonight and jam for tomorrow morning.   

It's beautiful outside and just behind the Prieure there is a field of apple trees: the perfect spot for a bit of cheese, saucisson sec and cider pique nique before our cooking class!!!

 It's 20h30, and its' now time to enjoy what we have cooked for 2h: rabbit with prunes and chocolate charlotte. Miam! Bon appetit!

by nadege from nadege cuisine

images credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

culinary tour in normandy (france) day 4 by nadege cuisine from cape town

07:00- Cocoricoooo!!!...The roaster wakes us up early today as we have to hit the road to visit three beautiful places: la Baleine, Villedieu les Poeles and le Mont St Michel.

La Baleine is a small charming village in the depths of the  countryside...where the church and the chapel arises between trees and fields,  the river stone bridge is just wide enough to fit a tractor and where there is  a tiny shop called 'l'Andouillerie'. The mist is still covering the  peaceful lanscape but the smokey smell of the 'andouilles' tells you that some people are woken for a few hours...

Villedieu les Poeles is a village that you'll remember because it's very pretty and it's the French capital of copper! Saying that, it's compulsory to visit the Atelier du Cuivre when you come here as it's the main copper pots and pans supplier of the French chefs.

Le Mont St Michel, the Occident marvel...In prehistoric times the bay was land. As sea levels rose and with erosion, several blocks of granite emerged in the bay and gave birth to le Mont St Michel. We visit this monument and enjoy the 'show' given by the famous restaurant la mere Poulard while they are making their thick omelette. And we are lucky enough to watch a few vintage cars on a rallye and take this opportunity to make nice pictures!

Now, it's time to go back home for our cooking class...Tonight we gonna enjoy our homemade country style terrine, Normand tripes and an apple tart with a trou normand, of course!

by nadege from nadege cuisine 

images credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

images credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

images credit by nadege cuisine and design by frenshionista

culinary tour in normandy (France) day3 with nadege cuisine from cape town

Culinary tour in Normandy...


3nd day From le Prieure to le Val-de-Saire


Action in the kitchen! This morning we prepare our breakfast together...fresh madeleines with caramelised apples, apple compote, French yoghurt and of course a bowl of black coffee- the traditional way to start the day in France!
09h00, perfect time to go to the market! The earlier the better to get the best ingredients. At lunch time, all the good quality food will be gone. In our shopping basket, we have saucisson sec with porcinis, fresh tomatoes 'coeur de boeuf', a bunch of radishes, spring potatoes (so sweet and tasty!), but the artichokes will come from our garden! We complete our shopping basket with a stop at the bakery, at the supermarket and at a well-known pork butchery for the boudin blanc and boudin noir (black pudding). And now we have everything for tonight cooking class and dinner!
Smelling, touching and seeing all these beautiful ingredients have given us appetite for our lunch!
After lunch, it is time to stretch our legs in the country side, breathing the freshness of the green fields, listening to the ducks and cows telling us how happy they are over here (!) and discovering different villages...with no tourist around! This is Normandy luxury!
St Vaast-la-Hougue and Barfleur are the main ports in Le Val-de-Saire. They supply lots of restaurants along the coast, with fresh fish, seafood and sea spiders like these ones! We add fresh big squids to our shopping basket...
At the end of the afternoon, back to le Prieure! To make some flambee on the pan and in the fireplace!!!
We prepare the boudins, a chicken liver terrine for the next days and my dad opens one of his yummy marinated makerels can served with pommes frites. And to help the digestion and finish our day with a big smile, we raise our glass to the forehead, the nose, the chin..et glou, et glou, et glou...This is the trou normand!


by nadege cuisine

images credits by nadege cuisine

culinary tour in france with nadege cuisine from cpt - day 3

Fresh madeleines with caramelised apples with apple compote for breakfast, 1 cooking class to prepare the country style terrine to be eaten in 2 days, shopping at St Pierre Eglise market, visit of the Val de Saire... 


images credits by nadege cuisine

Culinary tour in Normandy (France) with Nadège Cuisine from Cape Town

By Nadege...

Day 2 - This day includes the visit of cheese factory, a lunch at 1* Michelin restaurant, a beautiful walk, a french cooking class and onion soup and cheese platters for dinner...

From Le Prieure to Barneville Carteret

After a yummy breakfast with croissants, raisin buns (pains aux raisins in French!), baguette and homemade jams, we are packed with energy, good mood AND excitement for our day ahead! 
First stop is at a cheesery to understand why Camembert cheese comes from Normandy and why it is so good! This visit made us hungry and ready for our super lunch at La Marine, 1 star Michelin restaurant, in Barneville-Carteret.
After lunch, we walked on the 'customs path', along the coast, to smell iodine and feed our souls with beautiful landscapes made of dramatic cliffs and long beaches...
We finish the day with a French cooking class...soupe a l'oignon and cheese platter for our dinner! Honey and caramelised apples madeleines, and spiced apple compote for our breakfast the next day...Bon appetit!

Nadege cuisine - www.nadegecuisine.com

Images credits by Nadege Cuisine

Images Credits by nadege cuisine

Culinary tour in Normandy (France) with Nadège Cuisine from Cape Town

By Nadege...

1st day From Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to Le Prieure in Normandy

Monday 21 of May 2012, 09:00 Paris Charles de Gaulle:
Org, Karen, Corlene and Rudolph (from South Africa) are going to arrive any minute... After many mails to organize their culinary tour with us in Normandy, at last, we meet each others in Paris. My dad is also here as the official driver of the tour during the week!

The first day is relaxed and organized based on the time of arrival. We have 4 hours drive ahead of us before we arrive at le Prieure which means stop opportunities for lunch and to visit beautiful villages.

After lunch, we walked to a fish market with so many different seafood: crabs, lobsters, whelks, scampis, oysters, pink prans, grey prawns...Easy to imagine how content we will be tonight at dinner!
We also stopped at a patisserie to choose our evening dessert and buy some 'praline a tartiner' to accompany our crunchy baguette on the next morning...Next week, I will send DAY 2 photos for your virtual culinary tour in Normandy...!

Nadege Lepoittevin Dassé - www.nadegecuisine.com

Images Credits by Nadege Cuisine