Islands in the sky, food & travel

Shadow dancing plane trees in Sanary Dessert after a barbecue at friends' in Aix (i.e. impromptu banquet) Have you ever had the experience of revisiting places you knew years ago and have the past wash over you like a wave? Small and big memories come flooding in (ok, I’ll stop with the imagery) and you can’t quite seize the present because the past is gushing in so powerfully?  I had that experience recently on a trip to the south of France. I had first discovered the region as a student on my summer abroad, and then years later researched the area in order to create art tours and fell in love with the quaint villages, hilltop towns, centuries old Roman settlements, and colorful seaside port towns. But one thing is certain, the sun has its particular role in near everything from the heightened flavor of fruits and vegetables, to the outdoor living, to the play of light on architecture, water, and nature all around, inspiring, of course, artists. Oddly enough, who would h...

(La version française suit) Hello everyone, how are things in your part of the world?  If it's as hot as here in France this summer, then it's the perfect time for no bake desserts like this one I experimented with this week.  There was a teeny weeny itsy bit of a mishap, but all is good, because it's the same taste after all.  Because I'm SO patient and didn't wait a few hours to add second layer, and it turned into a Dalmatian cake instead of the intended 2-layer chocolate mousse cake.  But today's mishaps are tomorrow's new recipes 😏 Ingredients : About 10-12 ladyfingers depending on the size of  your pan, I used a 10-inch (26 cm) non-stick spring form round pan.You can also use no gluten ladyfingers or spongecake. For dark chocolate layer : 50 g butter 200 g unsweetened dark chocolate (du chocolat patissier) 120 g mascarpone 100 g sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 egg whites, whipped to soft peaks (2 blanc d'oeufs) For the white chocolate layer :   4 she...

Hello everyone ! Since it’s summer and no baking is possible for ordinary humans (unless you can take the heat, and won’t stay outta the kitchen), here’s a quick dessert my whole family asks for all year long. It’s the basic tiramisu recipe, this time changed with berries for a refreshing summer treat. (I can’t believe I say things like that).  When it’s lemon harvest time I make a lemon curd and almond one, and once in a while I also give in and make the ol’ classic coffee and chocolate kind. Come back around Xmas for that recipe. If 2020 is still here.  She's joking! Here’s the recipe : 250 g Mascarpone, room temperature  50 g powdered sugar 2 eggs separated 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon rum or cherry vodka or Grand Marnier (optional) 1 box or 200 g biscuits cuillères (or giant ladyfingers) 2-3 cups fresh or frozen berry mixture (strawberries, cherries, blackberries, raspberries, currants, etc.) For the cream, separate eggs and whip up eggs whites until stiff.  Wit...