The end of September has been unseasonably warm in the southwest of France. What better reason to enjoy an outside table and a glass of rosé ? This particular pour is from AOC Béarn, where the rosé is mostly made from the tannat grape, as are the full bodied reds. Explains the juicy color!
Leave a CommentChez Cabaillou is a restaurant and bar just around the corner from our little house in Orthez, family run since 1935. At lunch, it bustles with locals enjoying their well prepared daily 3-course lunch menu – an crazy bargain at 16 euros. In the evening, the bar becomes a sort of working man’s hangout, where …
Just another Friday night in Orthez Read More »
Leave a CommentThere’s a new fromagerie in Orthez (officially in Argagnon but that is only about 4 minutes from Orthez). This is big news because 1) well things can move pretty slow in Orthez and it is therefore not that often that we arrive to find something totally new and unexpected has opened up and 2) goat …
Les Chèvres de Brassenx Read More »
Leave a Comment
After many hours of travel, finally the arrival in Orthez. For a simple lunch, crevette rose from Saint-Jean-de-Luz and freshly made mayonnaise. Deep sign!
Leave a Comment
It is not that often that one really gets the chance to let what’s fresh in the market determine what’s for lunch. However, a Tuesday market day in Orthez, with no obligations and no plans imposing, offered just such a chance. This Dorade Royale, also known as Atlantic Sea Bream, had the clearest eyes and …
Roasted fish: quick and easy supper Read More »
Leave a Comment
It’s a cliché that chefs find their inspiration in the market. Fortunately, it’s a clichés that also happens to be true, as often as schedules and demands of the kitchen allow (wish it was everyday!). If a kitchen is available, the leisure of travel is the prefect time to indulge. Here is evidence for the …
Sea bass with spring vegetables Read More »
1 Comment
In Orthez, I took this photo of a local snail making his way across a rain-soaked bench. If I was a more industrious sort, I would have captured this specimen, fed him on organic veggies, and kept him in captivity for a week to allow any toxins to flush out of his system, then simmered …
Escargot a little too local Read More »
Leave a Comment
Here is a portrait of a farm raised chicken that I recently roasted for a Sunday dinner while spending time in France. This tasty critter was raised, free range and natural, on a farm just outside of Orthez that also raises ducks, pigeons and guinea hens (well, the pigeons probably have some limits on their …
Sunday dinner in Orthez Read More »
Leave a Comment
When arriving in Orthez, our first stop, even before our house, is always our favorite dairy, Ferme Lait P’tit Béarnais. A couple miles up the road from our house, this family-run organic farm features the output of their small troupe of 20 or so of the local tawny brown Bearnaise cows; raw milk, sometime still …
Petite Dejeuner in the Béarn Read More »
Leave a Comment
