Seared duck breast is quick and easy to cook. The meat is seared on high-temperature for about 5 minutes a side, then allowed to rest. However, the trick with duck is to create just the right sauce – fruity, savoury, wine or port. The inspiration for this recipe comes from Christmas flavours (citrus and pomegranate) and colours, and I served it for good friends during the holidays.

Mary Kay Seales calls the U.S. Pacific Northwest home. During much of the year, she works as both a freelance copywriter and as a writing professor, for international students, at the University of Washington, in Seattle. However, she has also lived and worked in a long list of diverse destinations …

In our house, this dessert is named after our friend Luisa and inspired by Louisa’s Cake from Castellina in Chianti. The tangy combination of lemon zest and fresh ricotta are a terrific balance with sweet apple and raspberry jam. Take a look at the original post “Heard it From a …

With Chandeleur in France and Pancake Tuesday in the UK, February is a good time to whip up batter for pastries and crepes. But if you prefer to buy something in town, there are many choices. The traditional pets de nonnes – nuns’ farts  – are in the artisanal boulangeries in town – just under …

Combining Passions into Work Born in Provence, Sophie Bergeron is bilingual (English and French) and fully conversant in the realm of local wines. Her technical studies at Université de Vin in Suze la Rousse and the WSET certification transitioned into work at several Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards, including Domaine de la Janasse. In 2016, …

Secluded in a 20-acre aromatic park of olive and cypress trees, lavender, rosemary, and thyme is a hidden little retreat called les Bories, which is located on a quiet road across from Gordes. Les Bories is a five-star luxury hotel with a beautiful spa that offers extensive treatments. So in …

It would be difficult to call Emily Durand an expat at this stage. After living in the South of France for more than two decades, Emily is wholly immersed in the region with her family. Once the kids reached school age, she decided it was her time to launch a …

Aromas are a funny thing. Almost like those dreams you are sure you will remember in the morning and then don’t, a scent can transport you to another place and time. In his blog post, “Recipes and Remembrance” David talks about a restaurant — Le Bec-Fin — that was once …

As I mentioned in my earlier post this week: I remember the first time I sipped a Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, a vin doux naturel (VDN, naturally sweet wine) from France’s Southern Rhône Valley. It was with Patrick Soard and his daughter Justine, of Domaine de Fenouillet, on their property – neighbours with …

Arts de la Table, Bastide We are blessed here in Provence to have the best ingredients when it comes to producing scents (and eating!). Grasse is the perfume capital of the world; not surprising considering the endless fields of lavender, roses, fruit blossom and wild scented herbs that create the …