France’s Secret Coastal Villages

Can you keep a secret?   I have four very special French villages that I would love to share, but have concerns about them remaining off the radar screen.   Three are located right on the sea, with the fourth positioned on a hilltop a few miles inland.  All are dripping with charm, but haven’t yet been spoiled by hoards of tourists.  All of them are unknown to most Americans.

St Jean de Luz:

                          St Jean’ de Luz's scenic harbor protects its fleet of fishing boats

The first hush-hush spot is St Jean (prounounced “john”) de Luz.  Located near the border of Spain and France on the Atlantic sea, St Jean de Luz is a Basque fishing town with both a sizable harbor and an amazing sandy beach.  Streets in the center are all pedestrian-only, making it the perfect venue to leisurely stroll and soak up the pretty town's Basque-influenced architecture.

St Jean de Luz has a significant tie to European history.  King Louis XIV chose St Jean de Luz as the location of his marriage to Maria Theresa of Spain in the 17^th century.  This political marriage was one of the most important as it brought an end to a bitter war.   In the 19^th century, the town became a fashionable playground for high-society.  Today, it’s just a sleepy fishing village.


Collioure:

                      Deserted beaches & a castle on the sea make Collioure a compelling choice

Collioure is the second charmer.  This postcard-perfect village is also situated near the border of France and Spain, but on the Mediterranean Sea.   With a population of only a few thousand residents, Collioure is famous for its anchovies and local wines.   There are also five beaches from which to choose.  By all rights they should be packed, but they amazingly are only filled with French families during July and August. 

The coastal village’s wondrous light and highly photogenic pastel colored homes have also made it a draw for artists over the last few centuries.  Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse were a few of the great painters who were inspired by Collioure’s seaside castle, medieval streets, and its lighthouse-church.


Cassis:

                                                       Night or day, Cassis enchants

The third village, Cassis, is pure magic.  Located <20 miles from Marseille (but a world away) this place is seductive seaside splendor at its best.  It reminds me of a beautiful woman who doesn’t know she is beautiful; Cassis is a stunner that is humble, gentle and gracious.  Like Collioure, it is surrounded by vineyards so visitors are offered a rare chance to experience delightful wines that rarely leave the area.  Similar to St Jean de Luz, Cassis also is an active fishing village but on a much smaller scale.

Cassis is overlooked by the ruins of an alluring centuries-old chateau, but the real beauty is the town’s calanques. The calanques are narrow inlets framed by steep limestone cliffs.  The United Nation’s cultural arm has bestowed upon these calanques their coveted World Heritage Site (UNESCO) award. 

Biot:

                                   Biot oozes authentic charm from a by-gone era

The last of these special French villages is Biot.  Positioned on a hilltop overlooking the French Riviera town of Antibes, Biot is just a few miles inland from the sea.  This tiny medieval village is the real-deal.  While the surrounding hills are replete with expensive villas owned by wealthy foreigners from around the globe, pedestrian-only Biot offers a true slice of authentic Niçoise life that is becoming more and more difficult to find on the tres sophisticated Riviera.  Walk through the simple village and you’ll find clothes-lines filled with laundry strung between buildings.  Cats wander the narrow cobblestone streets and local children play stick ball.  Amidst this all there is French music coming from the centuries old dwellings, as well as delectable scents of Niçoise cooking wafting from kitchens.

Besides authenticity, Biot has an added bonus.  Its artisanal glass blowing factories are worth the journey alone.  While the unique “bubble” glass has become quite pricey, a visit to see how these works of art are created is free.  Another compelling reason to journey to Biot is the Fernand Léger museum located within walking distance of the medieval hilltop village.  Léger, a contemporary of Picasso and Chagall, was a gifted artist and his museum is remarkable.

Remember, mum's the word.  Keep these little gems our secret.

The Best Tapenade

                 The best of many versions I tried in France was one made with both olives & figs

I’ve recently returned from several weeks in Provence with two Wine-Knows’ groups who stayed at the villa where Julia Child wrote her hallmark cookbooks, Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  One of the classical culinary stars of this French region is tapenade.  Tapenade is a finely chopped olive dish that is typically mixed with capers, anchovies, garlic, herbs and olive oil to form a thick paste.  Traditionally spread on a piece of bread, it is used mainly as an appetizer, however, I noticed in the last few years that many restaurants in this area are using it in other courses as well (e.g. chicken stuffed with tapenade, or a vegetarian dish studded with tapenade).

Tapenade is everywhere in Provence.  There are even dish towels and placemats with Tapenade recipes printed on them.  There are vendors at every Provencal outdoor market hawking free samples of the delectable treat.  I tasted tapenade in every flavor of the rainbow:  artichoke, sun-dried tomato, eggplant, and even hummus tapenade.  In every foodie shop I visited there were many different types available for purchase.  Some used the pungent local Niçoise olives, others used a mixture of black olives.  Some preparations featured only green olives, yet there were others that used a mixture of both black and green olives.

While I especially loved the artichoke and sun-dried versions, the one that really stood out for me was made with figs.  I simply couldn’t stop eating it.   I have tweaked several recipes and come up with my own fig masterpiece.  Do note that my recipe does not include anchovies.  While I love them, I felt they simply overwhelmed this version---regardless of how few I put in.   (BTW:  there is a traditional tapenade recipe featured in Julia Child’s cookbook but I much prefer the fig one as the figs add another level of complexity).

June's Fig & Olive Tapenade

• 1/3 cup dried figs (cut in small pieces)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 C mixture of both green and black olives, pitted
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1/2 tablespoon capers (rinsed to get rid of brine, then drained & squeezed dry)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (plus more for garnishing)
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Baguette (sliced)
• Goat cheese (at room temperature)

Cook the figs with water on low-medium heat in a covered sauce pan for 20-30 minutes until they are soft.  Save the juice for thinning the tapenade

Put the drained figs, olives, lemon juice, mustard, garlic capers and thyme into a food processor.  Pulse several time to mix ingredients well and pulverize.  With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil a half of teaspoon at a time to incorporate it into the paste.    Finally, thin the paste to the desired consistency with the left over fig water.  Taste for salt and adjust if necessary.

Serve over toasted baguette slices (brushed with olive oil prior to toasting), with goat cheese on the bottom, then topped with tapenade and fresh thyme.

Bon appetit!

  

Hidden Gems of the Riviera

                                                 Valbonne's backstreets are out of a movie-set

Tomorrow I begin two weeks at the villa in which Julia Child wrote her hallmark cookbooks.  The Riviera offers some sleek and sexy towns to visit such as Mougins, St Paul de Vence and Antibes.  While I enjoy them all, I am also fond of the towns away from the crowds where a more authentic Provence exists.

Valbonne is one of my top choices.  Although the town gets its fair share of tourists on Friday when its 17^th century arcaded central square hosts one of the best outdoor markets on the Mediterranean, the remainder of the week it’s relatively quiet.  The entire ancient town is pedestrian-only-cobblestone-streets.  One minute off the main square is like being on a movie set.

The center square of Valbonne is magic

The town of Valbonne has a rich history.  Evidence exists that Neolithic man was here in the Iron Age.  But, it was the Romans in the 3^rd century A.D. who put Valbonne on the map when they build an aqueduct from the town’s river to their nearby strategic port in Antibes.   Today, Valbonne has a thriving economy due to its proximity to the French equivalent of Silicon Valley, only minutes by car----but a world away from Valbonne.

Tourrettes sur Loup requires a trip on a windy road but the journey is well worth it

Tourrettes sur Loup is really off the radar for American tourists.  Located about five miles from popular St Paul de Vence, this hill-top charmer gives the visitor a real idea of what living in a genuine Riviera village is like.  Similar Valbonne, its interior is closed to cars which promotes the feeling of stepping back in time even further.

                                     Tourrettes is a dreamy quiet get-away on the crowded Riviera

The village of Tourrettes sur Loup, with approximately 3,000 residents, is considerably smaller than Valbonne.   It’s filled with Romanesque and medieval buildings.  The Riviera is known for growing flowers for the perfume industry and Tourrettes is the center for violets.  In the town you’ll find violets in everything from violet ice cream at the outdoor cafes, to violet soap and cologne in the stores.

                           Life in Biot is a world away from the glitz and glamour of the Riviera

Last but not least is Biot, a tiny village nestled in the hills above Antibes. Like the other two towns, Biot does not allow cars.  The village is surrounded by ancient walls with only a few thousand residents, however, the hills circling the town are filled with villas that triple or quadruple its population. 

           

Biot's bubble glass is difficult to resist 

        

There are many reasons to visit Biot, one of which its famous bubble glass.  Although quite pricey, these stunning works-of-art can dramatically transform a dining table from ho-hum to magnificent.

                                  One of the entrances into hilltop Biot

Another reason to visit charming Biot is the authenticity of the village.  Wander the alley-like backstreets of the medieval center and you’ll find laundry hanging on clothes lines.   You’ll also find local children playing, hear French music coming from centuries old dwellings, and smell delectable scents of Niçoise cooking rafting from kitchens.

                                  Arcades offers real-deal regional cooking 

Biot has a handful of shops and a small center square ringed with outdoor restaurants.  The best place to eat, on the other hand, is a few blocks off the main square at Les Arcades.  Julia Child loved this place in the 1960’s when she lived nearby.  It is still owned by the same family and the owner (now in her 80’s) remembers the “tall American.”  Both groups on the Julia Child week will dine here to pay homage to the connection between Julia and this family.

If you find yourself on the Riviera, don't miss these special towns where you can still find authenticity.

Seductive Cassis-by-the-Sea

I’m on my way to Cassis and I have mixed emotions of letting this cat out of the bag for fear that the charming Mediterranean fishing village will change.  At the moment, Cassis is not known by most Americans.  Instead, it is frequented by Parisians escaping for a tres romantic weekend, or with families making an exodus from the interior of France to indulge in the many charms of this coastal hideaway.

                               One block from the harbor are scenic deserted backstreets

Cassis is sensational in that it’s one the few seaside gems left that feels authentic.  St. Tropez is about 50 miles away, but it might as well be 5,000 miles as the two have nothing in common except for the Mediterranean.  (Marseille is just 10 miles from Cassis, however, it is definitely is on another planet.)  Cassis feels like real people actually live and work there.  Cassis feels tres French…restaurants actually serve French food rather than sushi or tapas. 

                                 My friend Jill assembles ingredients to make ratatouille 

While the town does have tourists, its weekly market is mainly filled with French mom’s pushing strollers and grandmothers carrying classical French wicker baskets full of local produce.  Most visitors remain down by the harbor, or out on boat excursions.  Cassis, in spite of its popularity, manages to feel like a genuine French experience.

                               The nearby calanques are mother nature at her best

One of the most compelling things about this tony little seaside town is its abundance of natural beauty.   Cassis’ calanques are jaw-dropping beautiful.  These narrow inlets from the Mediterranean have dramatic steep-walled limestone cliffs.  You cannot drive to the calanques, and they are only able to be accessed by boat or by hiking.

                             Cap Canaille looms 1,200 feet above the town & its vineyards

Cassis, however, has even more eye-candy for the visitor.  There’s the commanding Cap Canaille, France’s highest sea-cliff.  This imposing headland can be viewed from every part of Cassis. 

                                   The 13th century chateau is now a bed & breakfast

There’s also the centuries old castle overlooking the city.  At night it’s floodlit and the entire village becomes front row seating for a spectacular stage. To complete the perfect package of glorious scenery, Cassis’ charming harbor is surrounded by brightly-colored buildings.  It feels like something out of a movie set. 

                  The village is famous for its Rosé  wine, although red & white are also produced

But, wait!  There’s more.  Cassis has its own wine appellation and the vineyards are just outside the village.  Production is very small so these wines rarely leave France.  My fave red producer is Fontecreuse, however, for rosé or white I lean toward Clos Magdeleine.   (BTW...Cassis liquor is not from Cassis but from Burgundy).

In my opinion, the very best way to experience Cassis is to rent an apartment for the week….the one I rented had a drop-dead gorgeous view of the harbor, the castle and Cap Canaille.   There are outdoor markets on Thursday and Saturday mornings, the perfect place to pick up dinner ingredients.  The other spot you shouldn’t miss for food is Le Caille d’Or, a wonderful deli with roasted chickens and delectable salads.

Bon voyage!

Charming Hills Towns of the Riviera

                                   Minutes away from the Riviera's beaches...but another world

I've just arrived on the French Riviera.  Many people think beaches or film festival when they think of this area.  While I love the beach and the glitz and glam of Cannes or Cap d’Antibes, I actually prefer the hill-top villages a few miles inland from the Mediterranean.  Many of these perched villages are filled with day-trippers from Nice, but I especially love them in the evenings when these stone hamlets revert back to the locals.   Children play in the park, beret-touting men gather to play petanque (bocci ball), and cafes are filled with French drinking pastis.  Below are my three favorite villages.

Mougins

Fashionable Mougins is so picture-perfect that it feels like a movie-set.  It’s no wonder that Catherine Deneuve, Yves St Laurent, and Christian Dior have chosen to live here, as have Winston Churchill and Pablo Picasso.  With perfectly-coiffed backstreets, this tony hilltop town exudes a refined air of elegance and sophistication.  Only 15 minutes from Cannes, Mougins feels a world away.   

                                            Mougins' charms are irresistible

No cars are allowed in the old village, requiring visitors to park in lots around the outskirts.   Although the immediate area surrounding the ancient village has grown dramatically in the last 40 years (drop-dead gorgeous villas appear in every nook and cranny), the actual hilltop town remains untouched from centuries past.  

Wandering the cobblestoned streets you’ll find several art galleries, along with high-end boutiques and antique stores.  The center of the town has a pretty center square ringed by numerous restaurants and outdoor cafes catering to those with a big wad of Euros in their designer wallets.  But, the entire package is one of a quiet refinement that is friendly to visitors.

Biot

                              The feel of Biot is a local's village ...devoid of the Riviera's bling

Also an ancient hillside village, Biot is the antithesis of Mougins.  Biot’s main street offers resident services such as a city hall, post office, bank, teensy supermarche, and a boulangerie.  There are a few tourists shops sprinkled in between, some featuring the city’s famous glass and others offering the usual Provencal goodies made from the area’s brightly colored fabrics.   

Like Mougins, no cars are generally allowed in Biots narrow cobblestoned streets.  A walk through its backstreets is like a step back in time.  Whereas impeccable Mougins’ buildings are perfectly coiffed, Biot offers a slice of reality....a few stray cats, old olive oil tins that have been turned into make-shift geranium planters, and clotheslines strung between buildings filled with laundry.  It feels like an authentic village.  

                                        Biot glass is available in every shade of the rainbow 

An added bonus for Biot is its artisinal glass blowing factories where visitors can watch artisans making the city's famous bubble glass.  Although there is a Michelin star restaurant in Biot, my favorite is Les Arcades.  This small hotel-restaurant offers a rare slice of life from the old Provence.  The family that owns Les Arcades has been renting rooms and feeding diners for over a century.  As it was also one of Julia Child's favorite places, I am bringing both of the Julia cooking groups here for dinner.

St Paul de Vence

                         Art galleries throughout the village feature paintings such as this 

The stunning pedestrian-only village of St Paul de Vence has it all: one of the Riviera's top modern art museums, chic boutiques, pretty squares filled with fountains and stone bougainvillea-dripping buildings, plus a plethora of gorgeous restaurants with attractive outdoor dining.  It has that je ne sais quoi that defies description. 

One of the oldest medieval villages on the Riviera, St Paul has only 3,500 lucky residents (like most of the Riviera hilltop towns, however, the majority of the population lives outside of the old town in swanky villas).  This is an art lover’s paradise.   There’s an endless array of galleries filled with eye-popping paintings of the beautiful town, and the Maeght Museum along with Chagall’s nearby masterpiece wow even the most discerning art lover. 

Foodies will appreciate an assortment of shops filled with everything from hand-dipped chocolates to high-end olive oils from the region.  One of my faves is La Petite Vigne which offers a killer selection of the best of Provence's culinary specialties.  The shop also has a 50-shades-of-pink selection of Rosés.

Cassis

    View of Cassis's harbor from my apartment

Many folks know Cassis…the black currant liqueur that is used to make a Kir (or a Kir Royale when made with sparkling wine).  A few may even know the tony village on the French Riviera by the name of Cassis.   Those worldly gourmands who know both the drink and the seaside town often think that the liqueur is so named because it comes from the village of Cassis.  Wrong.

Crème de Cassis is actually made in Burgundy, 300 miles north.  As of 2015, this black-colored liqueur is protected by France’s geographical laws.  Cassis is now officially referred to as Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne (Burgundy).  The new designation guarantees the Burgundian origin of the fruit, as well as the minimum quantity of berries that is required.   Like France’s other food and wine laws, it guarantees the authenticity of what’s in the bottle so that the consumer knows that the product is not a knock-off from another part of France, or Europe, or for that matter, China.

Now, back to the village of Cassis where I arrived today.  If you’re looking for a heavenly spot to recover from jet lag, look no further.  But, Cassis beckons for many reasons.  Cassis is not on the radar screen for most Americans.  Reason one.   Next, Marseille’s airport is only 30 miles away making it an easy-to-get-to first stop.  Reason two.  Another attractive feature is that Cassis is small and quaint….without the crowds and noisy discos of St Tropez or Cannes.  Reason three.  But one of the most compelling motives to visit, is for its breathtaking beauty. A big reason four.

                                          The calanques can be reached by foot or boat.

Cassis is drop-dead gorgeous.  A large part of its magnificence is due to the “calanques.”  It is thought that the calanques were formed by ancient streams that dried up a millennium or two ago. Today, the remnants are narrow, fjord-like inlets carved into steep white limestone cliffs, France’s highest sea cliffs.  While there are many organized boat tours to view these calanques, I prefer to go by foot for several reasons.  Most importantly, boats are not allowed to enter the calanques so boat visitors can only appreciate them from afar.   While walking to the farthest calanque requires a good hour from the village (and some parts of the trail are a little difficult), one can opt for a 20 minute walk from Cassis to the first calanque.  As there are spectacular panoramas around every bend, walkers to any of the calanques should allow extra time to take photos and soak up the splendor.

Tonight I’m celebrating my week’s stay in this sweet fishing village by ordering a Kir Royale----Cassis in Cassis!

Sante.

Bouillabaisse

                                               An array of fish & seafood are used

      

I’m heading in a few days to a fishing village located on the Mediterranean in France, and I'm already already dreaming of Bouillabaisse.  This classical French fish stew is synonymous with dining on the French Riviera.  There’s hardly a restaurant on the water in Marseille or St Tropez that doesn’t offer this complex dish.  Those who don’t have it are typically simple eating places that can’t afford the costly seafood, fish and saffron---not to mention the long, slow cooking process to make the Mediterranean’s most flavor-filled fish dish.

Many think that Bouillabaisse originated in Marseille but research shows otherwise.  This quintessential French fish chowder actually has its roots in the Greek civilization.  It was Greeks living on the western coast of Turkey who founded Marseille in 600 BC.  These ancient Greek sailors brought with them a recipe for a fish soup that is similar to France’s Bouillabaisse.

The fish stew of the original Greek settlers became very popular in the early days of Marseille.  As Marseille was growing into a powerful port city, the fishing industry became its biggest economy.  The fish that the fishermen couldn’t sell was brought home for wives to add to the family’s fish soup.  Most of the fish that didn’t sell were those with bones so Bouillabaisse morphed into a rich stew because of the flavors added by these bones, fish heads, and other unsightly fish parts that could not be sold.

                                                                                              

Another change in the dish occurred when the tomato was brought back from the Americas in the 16^th century.  They were soon added to the broth for flavor, color and acidity.  In the 19^th century Marseille had become very prosperous.  Bouillabaisse, once a poor fisherman’s dish, was reinvented with the addition of pricey saffron, and began appearing in upscale restaurants.    

I will be preparing Julia Child's version soon at a “Week in Provence with Julia Child.” To get in the mood I'm watching Julia's French Chef TV show:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuiTwik0vvU 

Bon Appetit!