Have you ever considered buying black truffle plants? Truffle plants could be a fabulous gift. The black truffle, often called “the diamond of the kitchen” grows underground close to a tree’s root system. There are hundreds of truffle varieties. Learn more at Ginger and Nutmeg’s blog post: Provence’s Black Truffle Demystified   …

Contributor blog post by Access Riviera: France is famous for producing some of the best food in the world, whether you prefer the tables of haute cuisine where the top chefs are national celebrities, or the no-nonsense traditional dishes served up in bistros across the country. The cooking is as …

Contributor blog post by David Taylor: The nearby village of Banon is renowned for its appellation controlled goats cheese. We are lucky to know a local award winning producer and can recommend a visit to their small shop on the farm where you can buy the freshest goats cheese at excellent …

By Krista Bender We started this morning at the town open air market which much to my surprise… Consists of the entire village. I was thinking it was just going to be a strip in village center but literally there are stands down every charming stone street. The vendors come …

By David Taylor The 23rd Banon cheese festival took place Sunday, it has been a few years since we have been and it continues to attract huge crowds the the main interest being tasting and eating cheese, lunching, drinking and just a very convivial day out for friends and families …

11-years ago, Lisa and Johann Pepin switched corporate jobs for a rural lifestyle and became expats (Lisa). This Franco-American couple live in Provence at Les Pastras a property that Johann’s grandfather bought in the 1970s. You can read their full story and more details on Les Pastras truffle hunting and …

Chicago might seem like a world away from the pastures of Provence, but Lisa and Johann Pepin tell me that adjusting to life in the south of France was relatively easy. They left corporate jobs (public relations and finance) in Chi-town, as only 30-yearolds can do, with the confidence that …

In both Italy and France the hunt for truffles is aided by dogs and even pigs. Often female pigs are able to smell out the “black gold” without training, where as dogs do require special training. We had the opportunity to visit some truffle experts at Truffe Noire de Haute-Provence who have …

Post previously published on Ginger and Nutmeg: Nutmeg walked every aisle in the grocery store looking for salt – it was not with the spices, but rather in its’ own section near the aged balsamic vinegar. Where is the logic? Treasured since antiquity, salt is used in kitchens around the world, …

What with Chandeleur in France and Pancake Tuesday in the UK, February is a good time to get whipping up some batter for pastries and crepes. But if you prefer to buy something in town, there’s lots of choice. The traditional pets de nonnes – nuns’ farts.