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Baguette aux fruits rouges et jambon de Parme(baguette with red berries and Pama ham)..and a sign for every shop.
It happens to all of us: that day when the house is empty but the people hungry. If you have a baguette at hand(like all French homes do), some kind of fruit, like red berries(which you should have, because they are packed with health benefits!) and some ham somewhere( if you dig deep enough, I'm sure you'll find a substitute!)…well, then you have a meal and a great one at that. Good enough for a snack or a lunch or a brunch or a light dinner.
I am not giving any formal recipe for this baguette aux fruits rouges, it is all up to you own imagination. see the pincée de fleur des sel for some guidelines..
Pincée de fleur de sel:
- Use baguettes and cut in half so you have a solid "base" which helps prevent the bread from going soggy.
- I used a cheese with walnuts as a spread , added the red berries of my choice, drizzled with olive oil maple syrup and a little lemon juice, topped with thin slices of parma ham and grilled quickly in the oven for a minute or two. Serve warm with extra chopped walnuts and maple syrup.
- Serve with a green salad if preferred.
blueberries, black currants, red gooseberreis, raspberries, blackberries
..a sign for every shop..
I am sure you marvel at all the interesting sign shops wherever you go. Well, me too! The most exciting ones to the most boring ones. sometimes a boring one will actually push me to enter, just to have me praise my perception of the shop being as uninteresting as its sign. Or maybe to prove myself wrong and that I might just find some treasure…
Whichever way, a sign outside a shop lures us inside. And yes, there has surely also been the disappointment in a store's interior with a charming sign flirting outside. Still, we enter a store with expectation after looking up and seeing its sign…
Some are brightly colored, tongue in cheek, funny… will they invite you in?
Some are not very indicative of what its store is all about, but that could be good tactics…
Some are regional and they have to really be original to stand out..
Some plays on our desire to remember the past…
Some very elegant …
And those with a personal name has you want to discover more…
then there are those you have no clue what might await inside but you love what the name represents…
And there are those for special customers…
And some are so often hidden in lovely greenery, it comes with the profession…
Proof goes to show…hidden in the foliage…
Sometimes though, high and clearly marked in old script..!
And then there are the handmade ones to suit every occasion…(so by the way, this was mine many years ago with an exhibition in my gallery at home)
Mine again…in the atelier…just to distinguish between the art studio and the "pretty"art exhibition!
Originality abounds!
In the wine area a multitude of signs direct you to the multiple domains and cellars and wine shops. This is the grande grappe de raisin just opposite from where we lived and was always a beacon.
These following ones were all in close proximity when we lived in Montlouis sur Loire.
Cave of course meaning in this case wine cellar….the bunch of grapes is there to make sure you don't arrive with your climbing gear.
An oringal way of luting passers by to a wine cellar and regional products.
With this sign I had a personal affair….right behind it is a parking where I always went through to get into the main road. this sighn always blocked my view to check for oncoming traffic, so I had to get out and move it back as you see it standing now, got back into my car, checked my left and rights and into the traffic I went. Not quietly and patiently, but rather doorslamming and sighing and armslinging and a lot of ZUT, ZUT, ZUT! It happened every day for the whole time we lived there. It is just one of those things. Instead of going over to the cellar and fixing it, I just moved the thing each time with a French attitude. I miss it.
These cute board signs are just simply fun.
"I Invite you in to dine and wine, don't mind my strict appearance!"
At the boucherie in Beaulieu you can even buy salads…
With all these signs, I always sign a salut to you
à bientôt
Tarte rustique aux nectarines(rustic nectarine tart).. et le jardin de "Ronelle"
We have harvested some delicious nectarines from our newly planted nectarine tree. Our first apricots and cherries were stolen by someone..I will have to take stronger measurements against the feathered folk next year…
This rustic tart is prepared in a jiff, bakes 40 minutes, just enough time to get the coffee ready, clean up and call everybody to the table under the old oak tree.
La recette;
Pincée de fleur de sel:
- Use other fruits like apricots, or apples, pears, peaches, plums…
- Use pine nuts or pistachios instead of almonds.
- Be careful not to use too strong a honey like lavender honey which will completely overpower the tart.
- Serve warm with a dollop of créme fraiche, or a dollop of ice cream on hot days.
- When the flesh of the nectarines stick to the seed, place the nectarine on its stem side and cut a cheek on each wide side of the nectarine from top to bottom, close to the seed. Cut each cheek in half to get neat quarters. Cut off the rest of the flesh on each narrow side of the seed which already resembles en quarter.
Yesterday it was time for the new mother hens and their chicks to be upgraded to the chicken coop. When the chicks are born, I always take them and mamans from the chicken coop and keep them aside in a basket with me where I know they are safe and I get to enjoy the chicks more as well. Every moring they are taken outside and the flap lifted and they scurry out, happy to see light(and me, I hope) and every evening they move into their beds themselves, I close the flap and bring them inside. After a three weeks or so, when the chicks are strong enough and they start walking with the rest of the flock, I walk them to the chicken coop late afternoons, have them investigate and integrate en find their spot among the others. This takes a few evenings, because the rankings have now been disturbed in the poulailler and new ones have to be established. Never a dull moment.
..les deux mamans et leurs petits poussins..
..la poulailler "secondaire" ou elles partent en "vacances" (the holiday home where they spend their vacation)…
..le gardien devant la poulailler (guarding the chicken coop)..
In "le jardin de Ronelle" everything is a bit wild in July. The weeds win me over a bit, the lawns need constant mowing and trimming and deadheading drag behind. The chicks appear and begs for attention, the rabbits multiply and eat my salads… the tomatoes are growing like Jack's beanstalk and we can keep up with the abundance of courgettes! Not to forget my constant desire to plant more and change again and again.
..les lapins n'attendent pas une invitation, elles sont trop à l'aise déja(the rabbits don't await an invitation , thye just make themselves at home)..
At times like these, I just sit back and start focusing on the corners and little details that work together to make a garden. Some small corners and moments that give me pleasure. They tell a story in their own way.
..mais mignons quand même (but so cute)…
.Quelques morceaux de porcelaine voisinent un pelargonium odorant dans la mini serre ( old pieces of porcelain next to a scented géranium in a mini greenhouse)..
..les chaises et les lanternes (chairs and lanterns)…
..mon chéri picking some nectarines..
..J'adore mes pelargoniums odorants sur la table ( I love my scented geraniums on our outdorro table)..
Ice cream is a big favorite in our home. Usually I have my one or two scoops in a little bowl and mon chéri takes over the rest of the contaziner. As you see here, Carte d'or being very popular here. Apparently Carte d'Or saw the light in 1978 in France with only 5 flavors and their latest flavors arr absolutely just to die for..I am close to not handing over the container to mon chéri! See Carte d'Or here.
..et surtout la glace!..
..mes agapanthes bleue..
..dipladania blanc et les lavandes à l'arriére plan ( dipladenia agains a backdrop of lavenders)..
..L'heure de siésta!
..un verre de vin, une magazine et la tranquilité (a glass of wine a magazine and calm)..
à la prochaine fois
Rustic apples in puff pastry(bourdelots aux pommes)..and l'hotel de ville.
Autumn is the time of year we eat rustic food. Finish are the dainty salads and light desserts..we now go for rustic, unadorned meals. Apples are in abundance and it will be a shame to allow the time to pass and not use them to their full. I saw these apples in pastry somewhere in a magazine and I only remember they were called by the melodious name of Bourdelots and it looked much prettier than mine. I made them just on feeling, and I can't imagine the magazine version being tastier, because they are so delicious with the puff pastry and brown sugar and apricot jam…and don't they look pretty rustic too..(good excuse, n'est pas)?
..Rustic apples in puff pastry..
La Recette:
- Clean and peel 4 apples, remove the inner core and drizzle with lemon juice.
- Unroll a sheet of puff pastry, cut into quarters. Place 4 quarters on a baking paper on a baking sheet.
- Place an apple on each quarter. Fill the apples with a teaspoon of apricot jam, a knob of butter and sproinkle with brown sugar.
- Wrap the pastry around the apples and brush with beaten egg.
- If you have puff pastry left, cut strips and stick it around the apples from top to bottom.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Reheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
- Remove the apples from the fridge, brush again with beaten egg. Sprinkle again with brown sugar.
- Place on sprigs of rosemary and bake in the hot oven at 200°C for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180°C and bake for another 25 minutes.
- If the apples get too dark on top, cover with brown paper.
- Serve warm, or at room temperature with a big dollop of whooped cream or a scoop of créme fraîche or vanilla ice cream.
Pincée de fleur de sel:
- Bring the dough right up to the edge of the apples which will ensure that the apples are covered more fully with pastry.
- In order for puff pastry to rise high and crispy, the dough must be cold and baked in a hot oven for the first 10- 15 minutes.
- Serve the apples as a side dish with a meat roast, like pork or venison.
- Fill the apples with spices of your choice or with dried fruit like raisins and nuts.
The mairie or hotel de ville is an important part of every city, town and village in France. It can be as tiny as a hamlet, but it will have a mairie and an eglise. The hotel de ville is usually bigger and houses the mairie and houses several administration departments. But they both hop-use the office of the mayor of a town and the administration offices as well as an école of the commune. So it is no strange sight to see kiddies run around at lunchtime in part of the grounds of the mairie.
The mairies of the campagne has nothing to do with the elaborate and grand hotels de ville of the cities, like Paris or Tours, Lyon. Some are so small, you even pass by it without knowing.
..the mairie in Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne..
..with its administration offices around the corner..
..the little hotel de ville in Bétaille, just alongside he main road through the village..
..the very typical stone hotel de ville of Biars-sur-Cere, with its lovely surroundings,dressed each season in different vegetation..
..le mairie of Biars sur Cere.
..the mairie is still wearing its summer ballgown and pretty soon, with Toussaint at 1 November, it will change to Fall Chrysanthemes..
..In Bretenoux, the hotel de ville is obscured by lovely trees..
..and right opposite it, is the traditional memorial of the soldiers who fought in the war..
..the quaint, typically Corrézien mairie of Le Pescher where our eldest got married..
..and next to it, the mémorial of Le Pescher..
..the mairie of Marcillac la Croze is one of those you pass by without knowing..it sits up on a hill, all alone. The day I looked for this mairie I drove up to its pretty eglise, full of history and asked a gentleman who was raking the leaves, where I could find the mairie. We got caught up in a 30 minute conversation. I had to cut the motor of the car after a while, because he just couldn't stop talking..
..Of course I can't leave our own sweet village of Puy d'Arnac behind. Our mairie has recently had a makeover and is now a chic gathering point in the village where the mayor has her offices and I often have to drop in for keys for the garbage points or documents or this or that..
..and right next to the mairie, its école…
..in Vayrac, the hotel de ville is huge with a big spacious place in front of it..
..and to the side, village life continues..
..Altillac has a beautiful building and I pass it almost every day to buy baguette and cheese..The pride of India trees in front complement the building so beautiful in high summer…I always slow down and admire this mairie..
..the mairie of la Chapelle aux Saints, is really out in la campagne and stands all alone among green fields..
This is a prehistoric area, a very important sightseeing site in our area and the mairie forms part of the site..the ecole is at the back of the mairie..
There is still so much to show and so much to be said about the hotel de ville in France and every town's mairie is special.. Once you have found a town's hotel de ville, you have also found its centre ville. I will certainly explore and show more at a later stage. These ones are all in a radius of 20 minutes from home. And like the hotels de villes, there are also the fascinating eglises, which I'll save for another time.
So, with the theme of hotel de ville and French admin , I want to share the Marseillaise, sung by my favorite artist…Edith of course! We celebrated her life in PAris, as she died 50 years ago this October. I just LOVE her..and the song – I sing along with her just as loud as she does! Enjoy!
..à la prochaine fois..
Panfried quince(coings sautés)..et le jardin du Luxembourg.
It is now time for quince, pears, apples..all the lovely fruits of autumn with their heady fragrances when baked or panfried or poached. With added spices or without, they are wonderful as desserts and even better as accompaniment to venison and the heavier winter red meats. Serving it with a duck breast is something I love to do: Sauté the quince in a pan with butter and sugar, remove, add the juices of the panfried duck and reduce with some red wine, serve with the cooked duck slices and the quince on the side and a pain de campagne to sweep up the juices on the plate.. eh oui, we do love that! Doesn't it sound delicious?
La recette:
- Wash 2 large quinces and cut in quarters. Peel(optional) and remove the seeds. Cut each quarter again in half.
- In a large pan, melt a large knob of butter and about 3/4 cup sugar and some lemon juice to taste. Add the quince and pan fry for about 10 minutes or until the quinces are tender and caramelized. Remove the quinces from the pan heat before they fall apart and keep aside.
- Add 1/4-1/2 cup of red wine to the caramelized quince juice and reduce for about 5-10 minutes. Add the quince slices back to the wine sauce and keep warm until needed.
- Serve as accompaniment with venison or duck breast or pan fried foie gras.
Pincée de fleur de sel:
- Use apples or pear instead of quince.
- Add spices like star aniseed, or a cinnamon stick or juniper berries..
- Use honey of your preference instead of sugar.
- These quince can also be baked in the oven at 180 degrees C until the quince are tender.
- Serve as a dessert with a dollop of thick cream or créme fraîche.
- Use the pan fried quince for tarte tatin or use and make a topping for a crumble.
Well, back from Paris; t'was a quick there and back, but that is how I have to do Paris now with all the animals waiting back here at Coin Perdu. Not that I complain because that is exactly the way I like it. Paris is wonderful, but after a week my head hurts. All is well when you don't have parcels and bags and cameras and bottles of water and it isn't raining and you have enough money to be taxied around. But a week of city life is more than enough – enough shoving and pushing on buses and le métro, slipping on wet métro stairs, struggling through narrow métro gateways with parcels and umbrellas, enough garlic odours on the métro from the stranger breathing in your neck and spitting his chatting into his portable above your head.
BUT…thankfully Paris is also filled with stories and a rich history and incredible beauty and there is always a good seat and (albeit expensive) coffee at the next corner. Great lunch meals at bistros, which is cheaper and sometimes better than dinners. Great places(squares) where you can eat your sandwich jambon and read your book(given it doesn't rain). And of course, there is always le jardin du Luxembourg.
..le jardin du Luxembourg with the Eiffel tower in the background..
..Monsieur is out with his little sailboat..
*Did you know…?
total surface of le jardin du Luxembourg: about 23 hectares
- ornamental lakes: 2 800 m²
- lawns: 5 400 m²
- Shrub beds 17 700 m²
- flower beds 6 000 m²
- interior perimeter: 2km
- Trees forming lanes: 2 200
- trees forming shade: 740
- shrubs: 35 000
(source: Sénat.fr)
..the garden is still dressed in summer attire with géraniums in the pots and will soon be replaced by the habitual chrysanthémes..
..le jardin colours later in autumn with the gay Chrysanthémes..(images from November 2009)
..Luxembourg pigeons basking in the November light..
..le palais in November with its security guard an elegant backdrop to they sunny yellow chrysanthémes..
..les chaises ..- I have always been fascinated by the chairs in le jardin and I am keeping my eyes wide open to find some for my own garden..love them, don't you?
..sketchbook exchange: my theme for the sketchbook exchange in 2008 was the chairs of le jardin du Luxembourg..see more here of our exchange Flying pictures
..la buvette des Marinonnettes..
..le Pavillon de la Fontaine..
..Don't forget to look upwards every now and then..
..and for thirst and directions, always some help..
..after a morning spent walking, reading, watching people, watching school kiddies run relay around the fountain, witnessing a great game of tennis, drinking coffee at le Pavillon de la fontaine, doing some tai chi with other Parisiens, I said goodbye to le jardin and left by the gate of Medici..
*Read more about le jardin du Luxembourg: (they can all be translated)
..à la prochaine..
Summer peach soup with red berries..and Provence
In midsummer, when the sun is blazing hot and the cigales are singing away, we don't have much desire for eating, except for indulging in ice cream. A cold simmer peach soup is perfect for those days and brings a bit of welcome change to the ice cream menu.
La recette:
- Bring to the boil 1 liter of water with 1 vanilla pod, 200 g sugar and the rind of 1 lemon. Remove from the heat, add a handful of fresh mint leaves and set aside to cool.
- Peel and cut 6 peaches of your choice into slices.
- Add to the warm syrup and leave to cool down completely before storing in the fridge for about 4 hours to infuse.
- Serve cold in glasses or bowls and add a handful of fresh red berries of your choice to the soup(optional).
- Decorate with fresh mint leaves and serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.
Serves 6 people.
Pincée de fleur de sel:
- I used a mixture of white and yellow peaches.
- Macerate the berries with some sugar before adding to the soup, since they may be too sour for the soup.
- Add the berries on a little kebab/cocktail stick and stick into the soup, to eat separately.
- Leave the berries if so desired.
- Replace the mint with lemon verbena for something different.
- Serve in frozen glasses for an icy effect.
The signature of Provence is its white limestone..in the countryside, the hills, in the built walls, the drywalls, the houses, the pavings , the flowerbeds, the villages… Some of them new and some weathered handsomely by the mistral and rains of centuries.
I love an atmospheric window..
Clearly seen in this image below, is the different types of stone used, maybe at different times by different craftsmen.
Just look at that stone…beautiful non?..
A stone staircase between these beautiful stone walls, going up and up and up…
A flowerbed by a front door, typical in the small villages with no gardens..
Lovely shutters and vigne vierge creeper..
Sedum growing on the rooftiles..totally content in the heat, like me…
Holly hocks…an old world flower and one of my favorites..
Gay colour in an ochre coloured flower container..
Bonnieux is known for its brocantes..
..which overlooks the valley..
A window peeking from above a fig tree..
Lavenders on the windowsill..
A cloche against a perfect Provencal sky…And lastly, a sunset goodbye …
So, with these images it is back to reality here at Coin Perdu, where summer is in full swing..and I don't want it to end!
à la prochaine
Café Douceur in Beaulieu sur Dordogne et sa tarte aux pommes
If ever you are in the area of Beaulieu sur Dordogne, be sure to drop in at Café Douceur for either a coffee or tea accompanied by homemade treats, or for a light lunch.
Si vous vous trouvez dans la région de Beaulieu, ne continuez pas tout droit sur votre chemin sans faire un stop au Café Douceur pour prendre un lunch, un cafe ou un thé avec un goûter fait maison,
You can judge from the photos that it has a warm atmosphere, welcoming and intimate. Everybody feels instantly at home which is no wonder, because Sophie, the owner and the chef of her café has a big heart and wide smile.
Ces photos montrent clairement l'ambiance chaleureuse, intime et conviviale. C'est normal, car Sophie, la petite propriétaire et la cuisiniére, dirige son café avec en grand coeur et un sourire pétillant.
As a young girl, Sophie was enchanted by l'heure du goûter..(late afternoon tea in France). From then on, her dream was a little café where she could bake, serve and sell madeleines, canelés, sablés and other delicacies she grew up with around l'heure du gouter. At the young age of 24 she took the plunge and opened up Café Douceur, not regretting one minute of her decision since.
Depuis son enfance, Sophie a été enchantée par l'heure du gouter. Son rêve était d' avoir son propre petit coin pour partager cette passion. Les madeleines, les sablés, les cannelées..ce sont tous ces gourmandises qu'elle a savourée pendant son enfance et qu'elle fait aujourd'hui elle-même. Dèja il y a quelques années, à 24 ans, elle a décidée de réaliser ce rêve en ouvrant son propre café.
La terrasse has a view on centre ville, where everything happens in Beaulieu and everybody knows everybody.
Sur la terrasse, on peut s'amuser en voyant tout ce que et ceux qui arrivent en centre ville de Beaulieu.
In the image below is how she is frequently seen in la salle ..peeking around the corner from the kitchen to say hi and throw a smile at everybody.
Une image très typique…la chef cuisinière souriante jette un coup d'oeil sur la salle pour dire un petit bonjour à ses clients..
With tables and chairs as well as comfy canapés, wooden games and toys for kids, gentle colours, you are invited to take a seat, linger with a magazine and have a second coffee or tea.
On est invité à s'installer dans la salle pour l'ambiance conviviale. On oublie le temps sur un canapé soit avec un livre, soit on découvre les jouets anciens tout en attendant un deuxième café..ou thé.
.. a little bouquet de fleurs at the lunch table..
The meals coming from the kitchen are homemade by Sophie herself, using seasonal fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables, many coming from her own potager(vegetable garden).
Les plats arrivent de la cuisine faits maison avec des produits saisonnièrs et les herbes fraîche, les légumes et fruits, quand possible, cueillis dans son propre potager.
..crépe complete et salade de jardin..
..Tarte citron au sorbet exotique..
..Tarte pomme..
La pate a brioche:
- Add 117g yeast to 1 glass of warm water. Mix it into 250g flour, a pinch of salt and 2 eggs.
- Cover an oven pan with baking paper.
- Spread the dough to an equal thickness on the paper. Leave aside in a warm corner to rise for about 30 minutes, while you prepare the apples.
- Peel and core 3 apples, cut into pieces and place into a casserole with some sugar, a few drops lemon juice , a few juniper berries, a pinch of salt. Simmer to reduce to a compote.
- Peel 2 to 3 more apples and slice. Drizzle with lemon juice.
- Spread the compote on the prepared brioche dough and arrange the apples slices on top.
- Top with sprinkled cassonade/vergeoise/brown sugar and dollops of butter.
- Bake for about 30 minutes at 180 degr. C or until the apples are caramelized and the dough is cooked through.
La suggestion du moment changes every day, depending on season and availability of produce. This day had Papillote de saumon aux petits légumes (salmon parcels with vegetables)on the menu.
La suggestion du moment change quotidiennement selon la saison et les produits disponibles. Ce jour là…une papillote de saumon aux petits légumes.
At the counter/bar, is always a lot of laughter and chatter going on..around a cup of coffee of course.
Autour du bar, toujours de la rigolade!
So, next time you are in the vallée de la Dordogne, do make the effort to turn off to Beaulieu sur Dordogne and drop in to meet Sophie and Pascale and Michel and have a seat by the counter with a coffee, or on a couch with a magazine, or enjoy a light lunch at a table.
Alors. La prochaine fois que vous passez par la vallée de la Dordogne, faites demi tour et arretez-vous devant le Café Douceur en centre ville pour fair la connaisance de Sophie, Pascale et Michel. Surtout, n'soyez pas pressés et restez un bon moment sur un canapé tout confortable!
..à bientôt..
Basil stuffed strawberries..and bubbles at la fête de la fraise.
In the spirit of the fraise season and it being the fruit of our region, I trumped up these little strawberry helpings. Very versatile, they can be served as part of a buffet, or an ending to a meal as dessert, or with a cheese platter, or even an apéritif for an al fresco dinner. Won't hurt to try them, non?
Basil stuffed strawberries
- Rinse and dry a handful of large strawberries.
- Cut the stem side off each strawberry to form a lid and keep aside. Cut the tip off to make the strawberry stand up straight.
- Use a small melon scoop and hollow out the inside to form a little cup.
- Cut the remove strawberry flesh into small pieces.
- Add to the chopped strawberry flesh: Some chopped berries of your choice(blueberries, blackberries, mulberries…), a few drops of balsamic vinegar, a few drops of a fruit coulis of your choice, a few shredded fresh basil leaves. Mix together gently and spoon into the empty strawberry cups.
- Sprinkle some chopped pistachio nuts over the tops and replace the strawberry lids.
- Serve individually on a plate or on a large platter for a buffet and accompany with fruit coulis(which you have used in the strawberry cups)
- Decorate with berries and sifted icing sugar, basil leaves..
Pincée de fleur de sel:
- I used blueberries and raspberries with a raspberry coulis.
- If the berries aren't in season yet, combine with another fruit like kiwi, which will also see to a nice filling.
- Remember that the bigger the strawberries, the less flavor and sweetness they have, So choose youraccompanying fruit accordingly.
- Pomegranate can make for a nice crunchy filling.
- For an sweet/salty apéro(amuse bouche), try a filling of quinoa, chopped spring onion and chervil with a drizzling of lemon juice, olive oi, and serve on some salad leaves..mmm, superb! Serve with a cold rosé wine by the barbeque fire..
- Don't serve directly from the fridge..too cold temperatures kill the strawberry taste..in facet, I never serve anything, except ice cream and the likes, directly from the fridge. The fridge kills all flavours.
- Serve as part of a cheese platter..fill with a small cube of feta cheese, a shredding of dill and add a little piment d'espelette jelly(or another piquant jelly) and a drop of olive oil.
- Play around with your own preferences.
This year's fête de la fraise happened in the rain. Although the number of visitors were lower than previous years, there were still many brave ones..like mon chéri and me. The fraises were as usually in abundance, but I missed the taste of sunshine..it is clear that our fruit and vegetables aren't what they usually are. All the rains and grey and rainy days are taking its toll. But nonetheless, going to la fête de la fraise is what we just do and we strolled the streets and nibbled on strawberries all day long.
..a cool fête de la fraise
..This was my attraction all day long..
..Strawberries, smoothies, meringues, crèpes..it was all there..
..just a few names under so many varieties..
..and the traditional giant tarte aux fraises, a combined effort by the patissiers of Beaulieu..
..I was as as fascinated by the bubbles as the kiddies were..
..How I wish we could hang on to that uninhibited spontaneity..
..just like the strawberries, bubbles of all sizes and shapes..
..and this is where the bubbles originated from..a complicated vintage machine..
..As usual, mon chéri had to discuss the engineering principles behind the bubbles with Monsieur bubble machine..
..And..forgive me..more bubbles!..
..such a pity I have no more daughters; musicians and bands galore throughout the day…
..and with this last image I want to say:
"Gros bisous à toutes les mamans et à ceux et celles qui les entourent..
bonne fête des mamans!!"
**Note: the washing day post is postponed to later date due to loss of images(total computer clumsiness on my part!!)..I have to await a sunny day to redo it all…my apologies!
à la prochaine fois,
Un Noël à la campagne 5: Apple turrets with amaretto sauce…and joyeux Noël!
This is the last post of our menu and it is with a touch of sadness that I say goodbye for now… I enjoyed sharing this menu with all of you and I enjoyed all the comments and visits and stories, kindness and care. Thank you!
With this festive dessert I wish you all a very joyeux Noël. May you all be just as festive in spirit!
- Cut 4 apples in 4 slices.
- Melt butter and dip the slices in the melted butter.
- Marinate some dried raisins, nuts and cranberries in amaretto liqueur.
- Rollther apple slices in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon and restack the slices to form a turret of apple with fruit in between the layers.
- Place in an oven proof oven pan, top with a knob of butter and bake for 30 minutes.
- Sauce: Heat 150ml milk and 150 ml cream. Whisk together 3 egg yolks and 40g sugar until light and thick. Add to the warm milk while whisking and continue whisking the mixture until it thickens. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve.
- Add a tsp of amaretto liqueur. Sprinkle with sugar to prevent a skin from forming and leave to cool.
- Serve an apple on a plate, decorate with star anise, cinnamon stick and a spooning of sauce. Sprinkle some gold leaf and serve.
serves 4 people
Joyeux noël…Merry Christmas…Geseënde Kersfees!!!
à bientôt
Red cabbage with plums and beetroot..and Beaujolais wines amidst hues of red.
I initially thought I would post a recipe for "du vin chaud" (mulkled wine), to celebrate the last of my fall colour posts. But then I "fell" upon this recipe..red cabbage..beetroot…apples…pork fillet..and it won me over. So here I give you the voluptuous, dark reds of beetroot and purple cooked cabbage, lazy late-fall plums instead of apples and a juicy, tender pork fillet.
Une pincée de fleur de sel:
- I used late season red plums, but use apples if you prefer.
- Use cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar if you use apples.
- Add a handful of dry Gobi berries.
- Avoid cooking the cabbage to death… remove from the heat when it still has a bite, because it continues cooking, reaching the perfect stage while standing a bit.
- Also good with veal.
- If you are vegetarian, the pork can be replaced by large roasted or stuffed mushrooms, or fish fillets.
- Can also accompany a frittata or boiled eggs.
Recipe adapted from "Filet mignon de porc, chou poêlé; des recettes pour reçevoir; le grand livre Hachette."
Yesterday was Beaujolais Thursday, the day when new Beaujolais and le vin primeur of the season are sold worldwide. It is tradition in our house to have a meal somewhere with a glass of Beaujolais. It is a day I always look forward to and this year was no different. It is also the last post of my autumn color inspiration and I can't think of a better way to end it than to toast the wine reds of nature with a young Beaujolais 2012..
..Tchin tchin..!
And so, with a touch of sadness I say good bye to the splendour of fall. It is time to move on.
à trés bientôt!
Goat's cheese and caramelized apple salad.. and ochre abundance.
Once again, I had to scratch my head to think of a recipe that would accompany the stunning ochre colours of fall. Of course not only in colour, but also in taste, spirit, ambiance..Of course..cheese. I can't believe I haven't shared this simple salad yet. It can be manipulated and changed according to the seasons and is always a winner with its warm toast, cheese and apple and fresh green salad.
- Place the apple rounds and goat's cheese on toasted bread before putting under the grill.
- Take care to slice your apples, bread for toast and cheese more or less the same size.
- Use slices of Camembert instead of goat's cheese.
- Use pears or quince instead of apples.
- Use brown sugar to caramelize the pears or quince instead of honey and serve with a helping of quince jam/jelly.
- Play around and make your own combinations to serve a melted cheese and apple/pear/quince salad.
..stillife nicked by a chicken..
..stillife with Royal Gala apples..
..walnut oil, walnut vinegar, raspberry vinegar, truffle vinegar..
Our fall colors have only now really reached their peak and the ochres are in abundance. I don't have much to say, except that nature is at the moment an explosion of magnificence..
à la prochaine!
Chocolat mendiant tart..and brown to cream inspiration.
I am very rarely inspired by a recipe. It almost never happens happens that I eat something great and I want the recipe. Of course I enjoy it, but my true inspiration to create a recipe comes from "things" of everyday life. At the moment I am inspired by colour. Every day as I watch nature, I witness colours deepen and darken, fade and disappear. I am mesmerized by the dark of wet wood.. the doors, the windows, the wood piles along the country roads ready for winter fires, the deep beiges of dry fields, the soft creams of the sheep grazing the green hills..and then I remember that recipe saw in a magazine, or the one I tasted at a friends home, and I'm inspired to create the same. This time – A chocolate mendiant tart I saw in a magazine at the hairdresser. I can't remember the magazine, or theexact ingredients, except for the addition of the Nutella and the icing sugar roasted nuts. And yes, the chocolate colour perfect to accompany the browns I see around me. And the taste..perfect for the cold rainy days..or any other day!
Une Pincée de fleur de sel:
- I used orangettes(candied orange strips). See crystallized orange strips how to make them. It is worth making them yourself to buying those tasteless ones in the supermarket.
- Other dried fruits I used: Dried figs cut in slices and dried cranberries.
- Nuts I used: Freshly shelled walnuts and pistachios.
- I didn't use a sweet pastry, because the chocolate is sweet enough.
- This dough is enough for 2 tarts. I always make a double quantity so I have a spare pastry ready to roll out in the freezer.
- Consider using this pastry recipe..Omit the cheese, thyme and peppercorns in the recipe. It is much more buttery, delicious of course, but also richer.
- Leave the tart/tartlets to stand for a day to develop flavor.
- It is important to leave the dough to rest. I always leave my dough overnight, it prevents shrinking. This time I was too hurried and in the photo you can see the result..shrinkage!
..an old dilapidated, but charming door contrast beautifully with white stone walls..
..typical Corréze country-with light cream stone houses and dark roofs, dark shutters, rusted barn equipment, nestling in the green hills..
green Corréze hills with brown soil prepared for new fields, dry cornfields of the past season and stark, late autumn trees..
..happy, creamy white sheep roaming the green hills..
..two friends, a familiar Corrézien sight..
..this is a time of year I love to sketch. At the moment, I am truly inspired by the browns and the shapes, especially those of leaves, branches and everything else I find on my walks..
..the stacks of wood ready for the fast approaching winter..
French Pierrot Gourmand bonbons et sucettes(lollipops)
Et voila…M Pierrot Gourmand, as promised!
We love our apéro (apéritif) before dinner. It can be many things and always quick and easy. Only with visitors do I try to do something more "travaillé" more elaborate. But most of the time it will be fresh tomatoes with some mozzarella, or a bowl of home marinated olives, or melted Camembert and baguette slices, or carrot sticks with vinaigrette dip, or brushcetta… These little tomato cocktails are very popular. Fresh from our tomato vines, they are dipped in caramel and in poppy seed and stuck into Pierrot and served with cold Provencal Rosé wine on the patio while Mon Chéri prepares his fire for our dinner… this is of course in summer where one can't be anywhere else but outside!
- Dip the caramelized tips into any finish of your choice: dessicated coconut for a tropical touch; toasted seame seeds, finely chopped basil, or mixed fresh herbs; gremola; chopped dried tomatoes flakes, milled peppercorns, chopped nuts of your choice…
- Don't make the caramel too dark or else it will taste burnt.
- Use wooden lollipop sticks for an authentic feel or use toothpicks and serve on wooden beard.
- Serve with cold white or Rosé wines along with a bowl of torn and seasoned buffalo mozzarella pieces.
The birth of Pierrot Gourmand:
At the end of the XIXth century, the famous actor Debourreau created and played his own pantomime on the melody of "Au clair de la lune". The personage Pierrot inspired Adolphe Willette, an artist to create a poetic Pierrot. He was referred to as "le Pierrot de Montmartre". In 1892 Monsieur Everard of Everard and Herbert industries gave birth to a marquette of Pierrot sitting on the moon, offering bonbons to children. And so Pierrot Gourmand was born.
The first lollipop was invented by Everard in 1924, made of barley sugar, fruit flavors, cola and caramel and shaped in the form of a spear head. The milky caramel was the first flavor on the market. Up until today Pierrot Gourmand lollipops still exist in both the round and original spear head shape. With a production of over 2000 tons of candy per year, the fifties was regarded as the golden years for Pierrot Gourmand. Today it is part of the Agro-industriel-andros group, well known for its Andros jams and juices.
More reading on Pierrot gourmand:
* Adolphe Willett, the Pierrot of Montmartre.
* "Souvenirs d'une p'tite Parisienne".
*« Pierrot Gourmand, un siècle de création sucrée », Cherche Midi Editeur
..à bientôt mes amis!..
Tropical fruit salad… and Hawai'i chronicles 1 – the hula.
When I was in Hawa'i I searched everywhere for a nice tropical dessert with local fruits, but all in vain. Probably because of a lack of fruits in season? Back here at home, I still want a fruit salad, so I made this salad Not completely a tropical one, but with some well known fruits. Next time I'll make a real tropical salad with lesser know fruits and give my verdict.
- Cut some tropical fruits of your choice into brunoise(small cubes). I used mango, papaya, pineapple, kiwi, kumquat, pomegranate, green Granny smith apple.
- Use fruits that are ripe, but still firm, so that you don't end up with a soggy fruit salad…awful!
- Cover the apple with lemon juice to prevent coloring.
- Don't use banana, it is too strong and overpowering for a fruit salad.
- Use a tiny melon ball scoop for the papaya to add some difference in shapes. I also cut the pineapple in little triangles.
- Keep the fruits separate and mix lightly just before serving, OR set in layers in a pretty glass.
- Make a syrup of 4 passion fruit pulp, 1 TSP of sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Let it boil down to a syrupy consistency and pour over the salad just before serving.
- Serve with a small scoop of lemon sorbet. (recipe following in a next issue)
- Decorate with some fresh flowers or a little umbrella for fun, lime strips, or add mint leaves or small basil leaves.
- Serve cold, but NOT so cold that you can't taste the fruit!
Hawai'i is always a good place to unwind, even if you just do nothing, which is exactly what I did this time around. Reading by the pool, watching people(one of my favorite pastimes) while imagining their stories. On one such a day, this lovely Hawaiian woman gave some Hula lessons and of course I don't have the same pretty hips for swaying along, but I could at least capture some nice hips!
The Hula is not just pretty hip swaying, but tells a story. With the hands and arms and face, a tale is mimicked with sensuality and sensitivity. One does get involved and captured and can't help but wish more stories were told this romantic way.
I was too far away to hear this story, but I imagine it could be something like this:
"The goddess Pele, who owns the sea and oceans and the mountains, saw that Hiania who lost a child, was absorbed by sadness. Hiania hid from the world and her tears filled the rivers. Pele cares passionately for her children of the islands and she heaved the winds and stirred the waves with a message to Haina.
"Cry no more", she said.
"Look up to the sun and see your child in the skies. He is smiling upon you and asking you to set free your sadness and prepare your womb to receive the child the winds will bring you."
Hiania looked up and saw the smile of her son. She gave her sadness to the mountain who took it deep into the earth to feed its fire and she was set free to wait with anticipation upon her keiki (little one).
Until next time and with swaying hips(in private!),
Mahalo !
Crêpe à la semoule for Mardi Gras 2012.
Welcome to today, Mardi gras 2012!!
A little Mediterranean flavour to celebrate this feasty day…the last day on which we "fatten up" before we start our 40 day fast up to Pâcques. What else do we eat than crêpes…again?! Only, this time a bit different…made with semolina flour and yeast, it is left for an hour to rise before baking in a pan. The yeast may scare you off, but it is not at all difficult…no kneading involved, and while you wait on the raising of the yeast, you can clean up the kitchen. It is traditionally served with soft butter and warm honey in the Middle East….delicious I tell you!
…served with warm panfried clementines and honey and butter…
…served with soft butter and drizzled with warm honey…
- Add 4 tsp dry yeast to 125 ml lukewarm water. Add 3 TBS flour and leave aside in a warm place for about 15 minutes until the mixture begins to foam.
- Sift 250g flour, 250 fine semolina and a pinch of salt in a bowl and shape a hole in the middle of the flour.
- Beat 2 eggs with 125 ml lukewarm milk and add into the hole made in the flour. Add the foamed yeast mixture and another 350 ml lukewarm water. Work the flour gently from the outside towards the centre, mixing it with the yeast/milk mixture in the middle. Whisk briskly until the mixtrue is smooth with the consistency of thick cream. cover with a kitchen towel and leave in a warm place for and hour unil the mixture becomes foamy and doubles in volume.
- Wipe a pan with a little buttered or oiled paper and heat it up on the stove until hot. Drop a small ladle full of mixture into the center of the pan(about 3 TBSP). Bake until the top is dry and makes small holes/bubbles. don't turn over. Remove from the pan and keep warm on a plate over hot water. Cover with a damp towel.
- Repeat until all the mixture is used up.
- Serve warm on a plate with warmed honey and soft butter OR some clementine slices, slightly caramelized in butter and honey.
- Serve warm.
Makes about 16 crêpes.
- Add a drop of orange flower water to the crêpe mixture OR add it to the clementines.
- Arrange the crêpes after baking each one in overlapping fashion rather that on top of each other.
- Butter the pan between baking if you don't use a non stick pan.
…eggs, semolina, flour, yeast and a scale..
..acacia honey, fresh seasonal clementines and many books..
* Recipe adapted from "crêpe à la semoule" de Le Meilleur du MAroc, by Tess Maloss, Larousse.
I hope you have a festive Mardi Gras and that your fasting from tomorrow on stays motivated and on the right track… ahem ahem…!
à bientôt!
Creamy curd cheese dessert with red berry coulis…and December ambiance 2011
Et voilà! Another year flat on its back and only a few days left for a last effort to check off our 2011 list. And while we do it, we can delight in some December ambiance, eat some dessert and then go for a long walk afterwards to start a new healthy habit. This dessert is extremely easy and quick, loaded with Calcium and can be adapted to your taste and presented in every which way you like it.
Pinch of salt:
- The cream adds some lightness to the heavier curd cheese, also called "faisselle"
- Substitute cream cheese for the curd cheese (fromage blanc.)
- Use a fruit coulis in season…pineapple, melon, peach, apricot…
- Use the berries whole, slightly sautéed in sugar for a warm sauce.
- In summer, add a drop of rose water instead of the violet syrup.
- Taste for sweetness and add more or less sugar.
She wakes up in the darkness of the night. Sitting straight up in her bed, she holds her breath, tilts her head…hears it… and falls back on her pillow. The owls are back. With a smile lingering on her face, she drifts off, snug under the warmth of a heavy down duvet.
Outside in the cold of the night, the fog lies thick in the valley, wrapping all sounds in a silent cloak of mystery. All is quiet. The forest is dark and austere and the large oaks stand solemn and still. Unflinching in their guard. Then the owl calls. An answer breaks the heavy silence with an echo in the valley. A twig snaps in the woods. A deer bellows. Eyes gleam. A snort stifles. Silence. The mist rolls thicker over the hills into the forest, relentless in protecting her womb and the life she hides.
The owl calls. An answer. An echo. Silence.
Desserts and moments from Provence.
I've been back from Provence for some time, but very busy at my gallery(which I'll talk about in a next post).
I've suddenly come down with a terrible gastro and I've been like a limp fish the last two days. but I need to get up an just move a little, so I thought it good to recall some moments from my painting trip.
I can't face food at the moment, but I can show you the lovely desserts we had at Le vieux Four, in Crillon le Brave.
…apricot soup…
…French cheesecake with red berry coulis…
…red fruit sorbets…
More photos can be seen here in my gallery, Beauty of la France and Paintings can be found on Africantapestry…posts More paintings from Provence, Paintings from Provence and Two oil paintings and a gouache.
Our home away from home…the lovely home of artist, Julian Merrow Smith from Postcard from Provence.
…the view on Mont Ventoux from my room…
...early mornings in pj's around painting, coffee and croissants…
…my afternoon painting in progress…
…Sarah's early morning oil painting in progress…
…Robyn's watercolor in progress…
…Katherine's pencils…
..a gathering of Provenceaux in Bédoin…
…when the market is quiet…
…Pizza anyone?…
…The closest I got to lavender…
…au revoir et à bientôt!…
Countrybread with panfried strawberries and basil…and apron fun!
Can we ever get enough of strawberries? Of course not! Right off the vine, directly out of the basket, sliced with cream, sorbet, panacotta, tarts, salads…every which way. And as a lunch with fresh country bread, goats cheese and basil? Simply delicious.
- The strawberries can be used fresh instead of sautéed, o cut and marinated in some white balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. Add a bit of olive oil to the marinade and use as a vinaigrette.
- Use some soft cottage cheese instead of the goats cheese with freshly chopped chives and basil the and salt and pepper mixed into the cottage cheese.
- Omit the cheese completely and make a sandwich of fresh strawberries, basil, chopped chives and add a drizzle of maple syrup.
- Another version could be to top the bread with strawberries and lastly add some goats cheese, put under the gril for two to three minutes and add the basil and a drizzle of honey just before serving.
- Use other sliced fruit in season instead of the strawberries.
We stopped our restoration here at Coin Perdu for a day of fun. With aprons. And three delightful, playful models. They chopped and chirped, giggled and grated, peeled and pestered, mocked and mixed, all the while performing with an apron chosen from the heap. So.. can an apron be fun? Judge for yourself…
I grew up seeing my mother in her apron every day. While she was doing her morning's work; the washing, ironing, cleaning, kitchen work, she faithfully wore her apron. And after lunch, it would be removed until dinner time, when preparing dinner and cleaning up would demand an apron again.
Unlike those days, when aprons at home were more of a necessity to protect the small wardrobe of clothes, we have a multitude of aprons today for adding to that special ambiance of an occasion or activity. It partially serves to also show our domain of expertise as well as our our fun loving side. But some habits haven't changes over the years…the butcher still wears his butcher's apron/outfit, the boulanger(baker) is still clearly recognized by his apron, the fishmonger wears his proudly, the blacksmith is never without his leather aprons, the "garcon" serving your "panache" at the bar wears his with French flair… an apron is there for our barbecues and for our kitchens , our gardens, for playgrounds, yes, it is fun equally for men, women and children.
So, do you have a fun loving side…?
Ginger broccoli salad…and edible flowers.
A salad is something that can be eaten at any time…mealtimes or snack times and even those times you feel like eating out of boredom. Go for a salad. It is safe. It is my ultimate favorite dish, summer through winter.
In our home we are always stocked to the brim with ingredients for a salad. Vegetables, greens, leaves, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, cheeses, flowers and herbs, essential oils, but even more so… an interesting vinaigrette and little "addition" to prevent a salad from becoming boring.
This time… a salad with broccoli and preserved ginger, a pungent ginger vinaigrette and a scattering of dried edible flowers for some interest.
- Use a mix of broccoli and cauliflowers florets.
- Use broccolini instead of broccoli.
- Omit the ginger and use a firm fruit in season. Use some juice or pulp of the same fruit in the vinaigrette.
- Try different herbal/flower teas or infusions as a base for a vinaigrette.
- Use fresh flowers instead of dry dried ones.
- Add some fried bacon pieces or thin strips of pancetta for a salty addition.
- Serve the broccoli still warm for a salad with more substance and sprinkle the dried flowers just before serving.
- Marinate the broccoli in the vinaigrette for 15-30 minutes before serving at room temperature.
…and edible flowers:
Nothing can be easier than making your own dried flowers to use in vinaigrette, salads, and sauces and any other food decoration, with only one rule to keep in mind: make sure the flowers are edible! sometimes the leaves can be used, but not the flowers or vice versa. Make sure you're not allergic to some flower or pollen. Don't use flowers from florists which may be sprayed with pesticides. Your own garden or nature is the place to gather your flowers. Whether you're in summer or winter, you can always find some flowers around you to use in your foods and of course, so much the better, because you DO eat seasonal don't you?
We all use herbs in our salads, dried and fresh and they are familiar to us. A few lesser known flowers for a vinaigrette are marigolds, lawn daisies, dandelions, pansies, clover, hibiscus, cornflower, mallow, zinnia, tulips, phlox, day lilies, begonia, gardenia, lilacs, magnolias, fuchsias…
and of course, the well known violets, nasturtiums, borage, lavender, sages, sunflowers,roses, camomile, marguerites, geraniums, honeysuckle, poppies, courgette…
I'm showing a few that I'm drying now which are in season:
I pick my flowers when I dead head them…snip off the drying ones. Pick them during midday, wash them, let dry. I then use a scissors to cut the flowers off right behind the petals, as to keep only the softer tips of the petals. I mostly use only the petals of the flowers to dry, except for the small lawn daisy which looks very cute scattered on a salad or sorbet. To keep its daisy shape, I let them dry face down with a little pressure to keep them open . The harder and tougher stems aren't always enjoyable in a salad or sauce, so make sure all hard stems are removed. Spread the petals on a large tray, covered with a absorbing paper or kitchen towel. Leave in a dark, cool and dry place. The petals dry very quickly and can then be stored separately in small glass containers to use on different occasions and with different dishes. Store in cool dark spot.
…lawn daisy (paquerette)…
When you're not in the mood for drying your own flowers, you can run off to the organic store or any herbalist where you will find interesting tea infusions and herbal infusions which you can buy.
à la prochaine!
Clementine and litchi amuse bouche..and a sous-chef.
Voiçi my very first starter I made in my mother's house as a child. With a few changes here and there, it is better served now as a small amuse bouche before dinner. It is still very light and fresh and I'm still proud of my very first attempt! The little glasses it is served in (in the photos), are the original glasses from my mother that I used about 40 years ago for my starter of clementines and litchis. So, les verrines is not something new…it was already a successful concept 40 years ago!
- Marinate the fruit in the vinaigrette for about an hour, but not longer.
- Use mandarins or orange segments instead of clementines.
- Try serving it as a bigger salad by placing the fruit on a bed of salad greens and add some shredded smoked salmon.
- Can be used as a fruit salad…replace the vinaigrette with a sauce: clementine juice, sugar, a little water, few drops of lemon juice, zest of a clementine…simmer untul reduced to a syrup. Add a few drops of Clementine liqueur just before serving.
- Replace the raspberries with a small scoop of raspberry sorbet.
…and a sous-chef..
To me, December is a month of remembrance, memories, reflections. Many memories surface during this time…some of which are funny, some sad, some without any particular significance and because memories aren't always honest, I remember them all as dear, solely because they have brought me to this point where I am today and who I am today.
Christmas was a time in our house where things happened according to my mother's schedule. She was a formidable woman who had the ability to organize an army into baking cookies. So, under her hand, Decembers were very busy in our house and all the while she hoaxed me into thinking chores were fun! Baking cookies, cleaning the silver, polishing floors, washing curtains, ironing the Christmas tablecloth, decorating the living room, cooking jams, preparing for holidays…these were the things that filled up our month, with my mother holding the reigns firmly in her hands and me a close step beside her.
I was sous-chef from a very young age, whether it was washing the curtains or cooking a meal or baking the cookies. A very important position…the sous-chef! Without me, how could she have hung the wet heavy curtains on the line to catch the sun…without me, how could she have polished the silver in time for Christmas,…without me being in charge of the cookiemaker, we would have no coffee cookies for December? It would be disastrous…scandalous! How would the maizena cookies have jamfilled centres without me? Christmas would be sad and lonely, if I hadn't had the responsibility of lavishing it in swirls of silver and gold streamers and glitter and shining stars!
It is of course one of the big secrets…the complete confidence of a chef in his/her sous-chef! My mom trusted me with many things, so much so that I was allowed the responsibility for the starter at a big dinner. This was my first ever solo contribution to a dinner. She also allowed me the key to her dinnerware cabinet where I could choose something for my starter. Such an important position…the sous-chef!
So here I am presenting my first starter, then as a sous-chef in my mother's kitchen. The only difference is that now I've been promoted to chef. I have my own kitchen. And the starter is now served as an amuse bouche.
..May your December memories be as dear as mine!..
..à la prochaine..
Apple cake..and "le marché des douceurs à Montlouis s/L".
Our youngest daughter loves apple-anything and she started baking this cake when she was only knee high. It is from The Australian woman's weekly home librabry – Cakes and slices. We've changed it only a little . The recipe directs to cut apples in quarters and then cut 3/4 trhough in slices and then press into the dough. It gives a beautiful cake, but makes the slices too big(to include apples in each slice) so we cut the apples in slices and spread them through out the cake, which gives a less attractive cake, BUT much more moist and of course delicious!
PS: forgive the bad photo..I was being pushed on with the photo, because my daughter didn't want the cake cold…and after all, she DID bake the cake..!
- Pears could be used instead of apples.
- Instead of inserting the apples slices all over the top of the cake, the apples can be cut into courters and then sliced only 3/4 way through. Press into the cake at the edges. I gives a prettier cake, but the slices won't be spread through out the cake.
- Gelatin powder can be used…1 tsp.
- Best when served slightly warm with a spoonful of whipped cream on the side…or my ever trusting naughty crème fraîche!
- It can be stored for two to three days.
Last weekend, Montlouis held its yearly, autumn "marché des douceurs. A lot of eating and drinking, socializing and selling marks the day and if one arrives home hungry you have only yourself to blame!
Le week-end dernier etait le marché des douceurs en centre ville de notre petit village si sympa, avec des rencontres de Montlouisiens si sympa. C'est la fête automnale annuelle et on y mange et on y boire. On discute dans les rues, on vends et on achète . Si, après tout ca, on rentre à la maison sans un sourire ou encore affamé… eh bien, c'est pas à cause d'un manque de la nourriture ou un manque de divertissement!
…à la prochaine…
Red berries sorbet and Rue Scellerie in Tours.
In the extreme heat we are experiencing, a sorbet is more refreshing than ice cream… and my favourite…red berries. Combined with some poached summer peaches and a scoop of vanilla/peach ice cream and topped with some chantilly… a peche melba to die for. But for now, only a scoop of sorbet with a min leaf. This is a popular sorbet found at La patisserie de Madame Cheftel in rue Scellerie in Tours. Delicious.
VF: Dans l'extrême chaleur qu'on subi maintenant en France, il n'y a pas mieux qu'un sorbet…fait maison en plus. Un sorbet aux fruits rouges. Pour un dessert somptueux, on fait des pêches pochées, ajoute une glace vanille ou même de la pêche, une boule de sorbet et on sert avec un nuage de chantilly. Et voilà, un délicieux pêche melba! Mais pour l'instant, restons à une boule de sorbet aux fruits rouges, décorée avec un feuille de la menthe. Délicieux!
Recipe from Ice cream and iced desserts(Le grand livre des glaces) – Joanna Farrow & Sara Lewis.
- Use other fruit…strawberries, peaches(remove skin), apricots(remove skin)…winter fruits like pear(peeled) combined with a little white sauterne wine. (Don't add too much alcohol or else your sorbet won't freeze.)
- Add some peaches to the red berries for a more intense flavor.
- Add some finely chopped mint leaves for a fresh flavor.
- Stirring the sorbet every now and then when making it by hand, helps break up the ice crystals to give a smoother, creamier sorbet.
- during the warm summer days, keep the ice cream maker out of heat or warm air when making the sorbet, it will help your ice cream/sorbet reaching the iced staged quicker.
Rue Scellerie is one of my favorite streets in Tours. It walks up to the cathedral where I always make a stop and it passes by my favourite patisserie de Madame Cheftel. It has antique stores, book stores, our Grand Theatre, exclusive boutiques, a toy shop with GORGEOUS toys – a far cry from toys are us! Of course a chocolaterie, one or two salons de thé, an art galery, a park with a fountain and it ends at the cathedral.
VF: Rue Scellerie est une de mes préférées a Tours. Je prends si fréquemment la route, fais un arrêt à la pâtisserie de la charmante Madame Cheftel pour un thé et un petit gâteau et continue ma vadrouille, passe les boutiques exclusives, un mignon magasin de jeux d'enfants, un chocolaterie, une galerie des arts, prend une repose auprès de la fontaine dans le parc, et finis à la Cathédrale de Tours.
…our Grand Theatre, dates from about 1794, was destroyed by a fire in 1883. Everything was burnt down to the ground except for four walls. In 1889 the doors were opened again, just to be closed by the world war I in 1914 and then again for world war II and reopened again in 1939, after the war(le grand Theatre d,epoque de 1700, ferme pour les deux guerres du monde et réouvert dans 1939)...
…a street filled with old book stores(pleine de librairies)…
…and antique stores… and brocantes(antiquités et brocantes)…
…and a scary old lady in her VERY old ancienne book store, not taking nonsense from anyone and I always first peep through the window to see if she is out, before I enter(une vieille dame d'une nature un peu effrayante dans une librairie ancienne, et avant d'entrer dans sa librairie, je jète un œil pour vérifier qu'elle n'est pas présente!))…
…a little store with an adorable proprietesse who has lovely old curtains made from old fabric and who doesn't want to sell her bicycle(un magasin avec des rideaux faits de vieille tissu et un vélo pas à vendre, dommage)…
…shops with old medals and coins for the men and old jewellery for the ladies(des magasin au goût des homme et ceux-là avec des bijoux pour plaire aux femmes.…
…tea and cake at Madame Cheftel's Patisserie – having her shop for already 29 years and always greeting one with her chic short hair, wearing her black apron, her wide smile and a little joke at the ready…how can we not stop by and indulge in her delicacies(un goûter chez Madame Cheftel qui a son pâtisserie déjà 29 ans et elle est toujours charmante, chaleureuse, souriante avec un air chic aux cheveux courtes et elle court partout en tablier noir, folle d'énergie) …
…which already wink at you in her window display(les gourmandises nous séduisent en vitrine)…
…and then off to browse again the every-4th- sunday-brocante in rue scellerie; small and intimate, but with an interesting find every time among all the(et voilà la brocante de chaque quatrième Dimanche, très agréeable malgré le petit nombre des exposants) …
…stuff – displayed on the ground, or sometimes not so stable tops(on fouille par terre, sur les tables bancale)…
…but always inviting one to lean in for that closer peak(on regarde de prés) …
…or to simply just walk and say hi to the brocanteurs, who endure bitter cold, hoping optimistically they will make a sale(on discute avec les brocanteurs, qui endurent parfois des températures sévères avec l'optimisme d'en faire au moins une vente ou deux) …
Bon weekend et à la prochaine!
Cucumber and kiwi tartine and sprouting some seeds.
Sprouting seeds is so easy. Healthy. Available to everybody. If you have a kitchen, you can have some sprouted seeds. Wonderful to use in salads and on sandwiches and it can serve as edible decoration on summer soups.
VF: Les graines germinées sont très faciles à faire. Tout le monde peut y arriver. Si on a une cuisine, si petite soit- elle, on peut toujours trouver un coin pour un germoir. C'est sain, délicieux en salade ainsi que sur une tartine et même comme une décoration comestible sur une soupe froide.
- Shave your cucumber in thin strips with a potato peeler.
- Use also other vegetables, like carrot strips, courgette strips or fennel and combine with thin apple slices or pear slices.
- When using pear or apple, consider using a soft blue cheese.
- Use a real country style bread, with a hard crust and soft interior, giving you that nutty taste. Please don't eat those "plastic bread loaves" which just have no taste or flavor or texture!
- Use some nuts and accompanying oil to finish off your sandwich.
- the vegetables can first be made into a little salad, sprinkled lightly with your favorite vinaigrette and spooned on to some sliced country bread.
- Serve with an ice cold dry rosé wine.
…moutarde blanche et roquette(white mustard seeds and rocket)…
Tips for sprouting seeds:
- Rinse the seeds/grains under cold water and leave to stand for an hour or three, depending on the size and type of seeds.
- Rinse again and spread in a sprouter or in a glass jar, covered with muslin.
- Rinse the seeds/grains twice a day and even more on hot days.
- Leave in a dark corner, or in direct light if you want your seeds to turn green. Seeds left in the dark will be crunchier than those exposed to light.
- Use a special sprouter for seeds/grains which has a gel when it gets wet…mustard seeds, rocket, lambs lettuce…
- Spread your grains which form a gel onto some wet cottonwool if you don't have a special sprouter.
- It takes from about 3 days to 10 days to have grains ready for your use.
- When the grains are ready, remove them from the tray, dry on a piece of toweling and store in the fridge.
- My favorites – trefle rouge, radis noir, cressonnette, oignon, chou rouge, moutarde, broccoli, adzuki
- Some sites to read for sprouting your own grains: Natur santé, Handy pantry sprouting, Primal seeds.
…the containers also vary from affordable to glamorous and expensive. But even plain can fruit bottles turned on their side will do the trick…fill them with about 2 TBSP of seeds, rinse, cover with muslin and turn onto its side...
…tréfle rouge..
…some are just plain difficult and I don't even bother with them any more…like beetroot seeds. I've tried every which way, but can only succeed in sprouting 5 seeds out of a whole handful…and I DO have a pretty green finger…!
…some seeds sprout faster than others. Transfer those quick sprouting one to a container in the fridge and start fresh with new seeds. That way there will always be a variety of seeds for your salads in the fridge…
..une boîte a graines pour donner l'inspiration..
Amusez vous bien avec votre germoir, quelques graines, un peu d'inspiration et beaucoup d'enthousiasme!
…à la prochaine…


text:
Body Problems of Hyundai Elantra
Hyundai Elantra owners have reported 31 problems associated with body (under the structure category).
#1 - Body problem of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra
The VIN of this Elantra is 5NPDH4AE6D_. Crash was involved with this problem. On 8/11/13 the 2013 Hyundai Elantra that was purchased 6/3/13 at the fred beans dealership in doyelstown, PA. Unintentionally accelerated and crashed into a concrete wall in the parking lot at king of prussia mall in king of prussia PA. The car was turning into a parking space and when the gas petal was applied the car accelerated full speed into the wall. This is the second time this has happen to a car that was only 9 weeks old. It had happened in our driveway 4 weeks prior to the collision on 8/11/13, but the car was brought under control and we assumed it was just not being familiar with a new car. The car was immediately towed to the dealership's body shop for inspection and a claim was opened with Hyundai customer assurance. The car was inspected by an independent inspector several weeks later and after 6 week we have received a letter stating that there was no failure on the manufacturers part and there was nothing they could do. I have requested testing results and documentation from Hyundai and I was told it was classified, so I asked for a list of tests performed and it cannot be given to us. We have received several letter from Hyundai, none of which had a persons last name or any name at all. I have had the car's bodywork repaired and have tried to trade the car into the dealership for another new car but the dealership will require another substantial down payment which makes this option unfeasible. The dealership has not had any correspondence with the manufacturer and has requested I formally ask for some monetary relief towards the new car replacement. I have made several requests and have gotten a final "no" decision from Hyundai. The car has and still sits at the dealership and I will not allow my daughter to drive an unsafe an undocumented car. Please let me know how to proceed. It was Sunday, Aug. 11, 2013 when this body issue occurred.
See all problems of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra.
#2 - Body problem of the 2010 Hyundai Elantra
The vehicle identification number (VIN) of this Hyundai Elantra is KMHDU4AD2A_. Tl - the vehicle involved is a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that while exiting the vehicle, she sustained lacerations to the fingers from the driver's side door handle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 75,000. Kmj. This body problem happened on 10/01/13.
See all problems of the 2010 Hyundai Elantra.
#3 - Body problem of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra
The car is a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. There was crash involved with this Hyundai Elantra. The vehicle identification number (VIN) is 5NPDH4AE9D_. I rear ended a car and nearly totaled my car. For some odd reason the airbag never deployed during the time of impact. The failure date was 09/13/13.
#4 - Body problem of the 2001 Hyundai Elantra
The car is a 2001 Hyundai Elantra. Crash happened when the problem occurred. The vehicle's vehicle identification number (VIN) was KMHDN45D21_. I was making a u turn when I heard a loud noise, I was unable to control my car seem to be drifting to one side until I hit a curb. . . When I got out of the car to see what happen I notice that my wheel was turned inwards and the control arm was broken and the axle had popped out. . . No one was injured however my daughter was shaking up about what happen. . . I took several pictures of the wheel and rusty part. . It amazed me how metal could rust that bad and break in half. . . I thank god I was not on the highway when this happen no telling what could have happen. . . I called Hyundai dealership to explain what happen also to find out if there was a recall on that part and was told there was no recall on 2001 Hyundai Elantra. . . This issue happened on Thu., Sep. 5, 2013.
See all problems of the 2001 Hyundai Elantra.
#5 - Body problem of the 2002 Hyundai Elantra
The car involved was a 2002 Hyundai Elantra. While driving down a highway the hood simply popped open coming back smashing the windshield. This problem occurred on Wednesday, Jul. 31, 2013.
See all problems of the 2002 Hyundai Elantra.
#6 - Body problem of the 2010 Hyundai Elantra
The vehicle identification number (VIN) is KMHDU4AD3A_. The reporting person's vehicle is a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. The contact stated that the trunk popped open suddenly and independently. The failure recurred over fifteen times. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer several times and each time the dealer stated that they could not determine a problem with the latch. In addition, the contact stated that the battery failed twice. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 119 and the current mileage was 13,500. It was 01/13/2011 when this body issue happened.
#7 - Body problem of the 2010 Hyundai Elantra
The car involved is a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. Vehicle identification number (VIN): MHHDU46D99_. Rear passenger side door cannot be opened from the outside or inside when exterior temperatures soar. A door component seems to swell. This body issue occurred 06/23/2010.
#8 - Body problem of the 2002 Hyundai Elantra
Hyundai Elantra 2002 lower under carriage corrosion. Plus excessive body corrosion similar to Toyota pickups. This body problem happened on Monday, April 1, 2013.
#9 - Body problem of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra
The vehicle involved was a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. The 2013 huyndai Elantra was parked in a driveway and turned off, and an electric fire started in it. It burned completely up. This body problem happened on Saturday, February 23, 2013.
#10 - Body problem of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra
The vehicle involved is a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. Driving along at 40mph there was a loud explosion. The panoramic sunroof exploded. Stress crack along its entire perimeter, shattering glass, and creating a convex crack in the middle of the glass. This is the static-non-movable part of the sunroof and was closed at the time. Glass fragments entered interior of vehicle. I have brought this to the attention of local dealership and Hyundai consumer affairs. I have also noted there is a recall with same issue of the Hyundai veloster and others have the same experience with the Elantra as documented on your website. This has been documented when both vehicles described have been moving or parked. Obviously the glass is of fault or there is a flaw in the design putting the glass under stress. I do not feel safe driving the vehicle and expect Hyundai to offer an engineered solution as I am of the same discipline. I have photographs documenting the incident. Dealership is prepared to replace glass. However, I worry of future incidents that could create an accident resulting in a vehicle crash or personal injury from flying glass. This problem occurred on Saturday, February 23, 2013.
#11 - Body problem of the 2007 Hyundai Elantra
The car involved is a 2007 Hyundai Elantra. The VIN of the problem Elantra is KMHDU46D47_. The rear suspension cross member rotted where the control arm attaches to it and broke free. The control arm then fell down and the entire rear tire and suspension was dragged underneath the rear end of the car. The metal that the control arm attaches to is very thin and the only thing under the car that is not undercoated is that suspension cross member. If this part broke free at 55mph I may not have survived the crash. It broke free as I turned into my driveway, more than likely from the twist of the turn. It was 02/01/2013 when this body issue happened.
See all problems of the 2007 Hyundai Elantra.
#12 - Body problem of the 2011 Hyundai Elantra
The car was a 2011 Hyundai Elantra. The VIN of the problem Elantra is KMHDH4AE8B_. Since I purchased the car in 2011 I have had issues with mice getting into the cabin of the vehicle in spite of always closing all windows and doors. I have also heard of a coworker's family member who had the same car and the same problem. Additionally there was a similar complaint filed recently with NHTSA (odi id number : 10477843). At every service stop, I would ask if there was any technical service bulletins sent by Hyundai for the issue. On wed, 10/17 when I got into my car to go to work, there was a mouse on the dashboard inches away from me. I told the dealership this was unacceptable and that I wanted an appointment to have them locate the place where the mice are getting in. I was amazed when they showed me a large opening in the metal firewall for the cabin air filter right next to a large gap in the cowl meant to cover it. That design allows a rodent, like a mouse, uninhibited access to the vehicle cabin without any need to damage or chew the cowl to get in. I supplied foil tape and aluminum screening to correct the flaw, but I had to pay a significant amount for the labor to do so. I filed a dispute with Hyundai USA and it was declined, meaning they thought it was my responsibility to correct their design oversight. If I did not see the mouse until after I was on the road, the consequences could have been much worse. This issue happened on Wed., Oct. 17, 2012.
See all problems of the 2011 Hyundai Elantra.
#13 - Body problem of the 2013 Hyundai Elantra
The VIN of this vehicle was 5NPDH4AE8D_. I purchased a 2013 Hyundai Elantra on June 18, 2012 from dick hannah Volkswagen Hyundai of portland, oregon. Within a few weeks, I began hearing a noise coming from the trunk area. I made an appointment with the dealership to have it looked at on August 24, 2012. Initially, I was told that they tried to use epoxy to fix the noise and I would have to wait 36 hours (over the weekend) to let it dry. On Monday, the sound was still there and they ran further tests. I was then informed on Wednesday that the car had been transferred to the collision center in vancouver for further inspection. On Thursday, I was informed that the vehicle would need to have a part re-welded. I really was not told exactly what was being welded at that point, but that it would not be ready until the next week (following the labor day weekend). Finally, on Tuesday I was able to talk to the service manager, tom gilstrap and was informed that they had contacted Hyundai to see if others had encountered the same noise. A Hyundai engineer had to come out and help diagnose the problem. They verified the noise was coming from the right rear shock tower. They removed the reinforcement cap and shock tower and found two spots missed by factory welder, which did not properly adhere the strut tower to the car body and signs of rubbing making the noise. They were able to clean up the area and re-weld the piece together. They reinstalled the right rear shock tower and reinforcement cap to factory specifications. I am told that Hyundai now has a file on my car. The car was returned to me on Thursday, September 6, 2012. A full two weeks after I brought it in for the noise. This is clearly a huge safety defect and others should be aware of it. This body issue occurred Friday, August 24, 2012.
#14 - Body problem of the 2007 Hyundai Elantra
The vehicle involved was a 2007 Hyundai Elantra. At my 30,000 mile maintenance work ($600. +), I was called back to shop to show me "very dangerous" corrosion around rear axle/frame parts. I bought this car new from same dealer and was sold a $800. Warranty rust-proofing application. It was clear that where no coating was applied, rust was there and I was told it would be risky driving the car. The low millage and no history of the car being driven in salt water conditions, I was amazed at its condition. (I grew-up in the north rust-belt) I retired close to the south ocean area but never had a car with such advanced rust. (several cars) the dealer refused to honor the warranty and Hyundai's warranty does not cover it. I think poor quality of metal was used in the manufacturing of this vehicle. It's obvious the dealer is also at fault and refuses to honor his warranty. I guess that is a legal problem that I'm stuck with. The possible safety problem comes under your concern for sub-standard manufacturing. It was Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2011 when this body issue happened.
#15 - Body problem of the 2012 Hyundai Elantra
Consumer has a 2012 Hyundai Elantra. While driving approximately 5 mph, the hood flew open inadvertently. The failure recurred when the contact was driving at highway speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technicians advised the contact that the hood was misaligned. The hood was aligned but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not further repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 300. This issue happened on Friday, December 9, 2011.
See all problems of the 2012 Hyundai Elantra.
#16 - Body problem of the 2007 Hyundai Elantra
The car is a 2007 Hyundai Elantra. The vehicle identification number (VIN) of the car was KMHDU46D07_. Yet another door handle has fallen off my 2007 hyundia Elantra! this is #4. This vehicle is only 4 yrs old, and yet 4 of the door handles have broken off. The prior complaints I have filed have been 10400898 and 10280729. I am really disgusted with how Hyundai is treating this. Hyundai tells me that it happened because of the cold. 2 of the door handles fell off in winter months of December and February. 2 fell off in the summer months of July and August. When I mentioned this, they backtracked and blamed me for ripping them off. . . I am a 150 lb, 47 yr old woman. I do exercise, but I am not a gorilla! I've never had any other vehicle loose a single door handle, let alone 4 of them! I am upset that I am blamed instead of them looking and researching the problem! I am not a certified Hyundai technician, but I can see that each and every one of them have broken in the exact same spot on the plastic! it has a little pin it rides on and the plastic breaks right there each and every time. I've seen it. The Hyundai technician should have been able to see it also. But they claim it is not a part or vehicle problem. Hyundai claims that I have been tearing the handles off in some way! if that is true, I sure wish I knew how I was doing it so I could quit wrecking my car! it is out of warranty, so they don't care nor are they interested in making sure it doesn't happen to me (or anyone else!) again. Too bad, we aren't required to do anything now, so go away is the response they gave me when I sent them a letter. . . Do not purchase a Hyundai!. This body problem happened on November 11, 2011.
#17 - Body problem of the 2010 Hyundai Elantra
The car involved is a 2010 Hyundai Elantra. Am the owner of a 2010 Elantra which was purchased new in the spring and have experienced my trunk open suddenly many times over the past 10 months - either while driving and/or in the garage. Once where it was parked for 4 days and resulted in the battery discharging fully because the trunk light was left on. The dealer claims that I must somehow be pressing the fob button to open the trunk, which has never been the case. The actual fob button requires a lot of pressure to open the trunk. This body issue occurred Friday, Apr. 30, 2010.
#18 - Body problem of the 2007 Hyundai Elantra
The VIN of the car is KMHDU46D07_. Two door handles have broken on my 2007 Hyundai Elantra. Both of them were on the passenger side of the vehicle. They both broke at the same place, a plastic part inside the small piece that the handle fits into. (this small piece stays on the car while the door handle lifts up. ) the back door broke off in July, while the front door handle broke this weekend, in August. I am concerned that the driver's door handle will be next!. The failure date was Sat., Jul. 18, 2009.
#19 - Body problem of the 2007 Hyundai Elantra
Vehicle identification number (VIN): KMHDU46D07_. I own a 2007 Hyundai Elantra. I have had 3 door handles break on this vehicle. The first two were on the passenger side and broke off in the summer 2 yrs ago, within a month of each other. They were covered by warranty and repaired after a small fight with the dealership. The last one broke in February of this year. The vehicle has been garaged every night, no matter the weather. I've never had more than one door handle break on all the cars I've ever owned; and that car only had one handle break! Hyundai says they won't fix the latest broken one, since I am out of warranty. I know the door handles have all broken in exactly the same place each time. The part of the handle that holds the handle onto the car is made of plastic, and the inside of that part breaks at exactly the same place. As this part is required to keep the handle on the vehicle, I believe it should be made of material that can handle some wear and tear. I think this plastic is just unable to withstand normal daily usage! I posted the first two breakages earlier, so that is on here some place. I'm hoping to see Hyundai back up their products, but I don't think they will. Someone needs to look into this and see if I'm the only one-as they claim-or if this part is indeed unable to perform correctly-as I believe is true!. The failure date was 02/27/11.
#20 - Body problem of the 2003 Hyundai Elantra
The car involved is a 2003 Hyundai Elantra. While driving from 45 mph or greater with a cross wind across the car (left to right) the car will howl or whistle. The sound is so loud that it drowns out the radio and the road noise. Opening the window seems to stop the sound but you can't drive for 8 hours with the windows down in the rain or heat. I have tried the dealers suggestion of using tape on the vents to quiet the noise but to no solution. This body problem happened on Dec. 1, 2002.
See all problems of the 2003 Hyundai Elantra.
#21 - Body problem of the 2003 Hyundai Elantra
The car is a 2003 Hyundai Elantra. When traveling on highway at speeds of 65 mph or greater there is a very loud humming type noise at the corners of the windshield. I noticed it is greatly enhanced when there is a strong headwind. This issue happened on Tue., Apr. 1, 2003.
#22 - Body problem of the 2003 Hyundai Elantra
The vehicle having this issue was a 2003 Hyundai Elantra. Recently I had taken an interstate trip. There is a loud noise coming from somewhere at the front of the vehicle at higher speeds of 60-75 mph, which sounds like this noise is in the wheels? the front grill? happens on both front sides of the vehicle. It was Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2003 when this body issue occurred.
#23 - Body problem of the 2003 Hyundai Elantra
The vehicle was a 2003 Hyundai Elantra. Clear coat on trunk and hood cracking. This body problem happened on Monday, Dec. 15, 2003.
#24 - Body problem of the 2003 Hyundai Elantra
The car involved is a 2003 Hyundai Elantra. The car continues to make whistling sound when travel at sppeds in excess of 50 mph. The noise is distracting. It was Jun. 1, 2005 when this body issue happened.
#25 - Body problem of the 2002 Hyundai Elantra
The vehicle was a 2002 Hyundai Elantra. From day of purchase, I noticed a vibration in the steering, starting about 42 mph. Took the vehicle to dealer, who rotated and balanced tires. Vibration then started about 50 mph, back to the dealer rotated and balanced tires again along with alignment. Vibration about 58 mph back to dealer again, rotation, forced balancing, rotor turned down, still had vibration. Filed under lemon law, final attempt by service department involved hma regional chief mechanic trouble shooter. He claimed they loosened motor mounts and let engine center itself, changed tires, balanced and aligned again. After a week I picked up car which he said was fine. Vibration still noticeable. Gave up on hma and drove car about 20,000 more miles till vibration got so bad I had to go to a brake shop because it was almost impossible to stop. They changed pads, adjusted brakes and rebuilt right front caliper. No more vibration. Hyundai won't pay for the repair, so following thru with lemon law and hoping to get out of this death trap. Air bag light comes on some days, and stays on all day, some days it's not on. Do the air bags work. Also having problems with paint finish, door seals and seat belt retractors. Real piece of junk and I would never recommend this car to any one. Also had to have brake dust removed from rear brakes at about 7000 miles and the dealer charged me 60. 00$ excessive dust accumulation is a design defect and at the least should have been covered by Hyundai. Abl. Pco. This body issue occurred May. 12, 2002.
#26 - Body problem of the 2002 Hyundai Elantra
The vehicle involved was a 2002 Hyundai Elantra. Several weeks ago, I filed a complaint on this site 10049365. I have seen no responses of any type. Now to take that complaint a step further. Many of the problems that I have encountered with this Hyundai death trap,and the unwillingness of hma to look into the problems ,or the dealers to rectify the problems is well documented on this web site. As I mentioned in my previous complaint, I went through the lemon law process in my state. They require arbitration with the bbb autoline. The arbitration was a joke and the hma representative accused my wife of driving the vehicle as a commercial vehicle and put all of the car woes on her. She drives the car for work, mostly highway. Also, the arbitrator accused us of having a tow hitch on the car, which is legal, but not recommended. Well, we have no trailer or hitch. The bbb autoline is rigged against the consumer and they should not associated with any state or federal laws whatsoever. Hyundais of this model are certain death traps and I feel that the federal government should order hma to repair everyone of them now. The consumer is stuck between a global conglomerate and local dealers who will not repair these vehicles. This issue happened on Mar. 1, 2002.
#27 - Body problem of the 2002 Hyundai Elantra
The car is a 2002 Hyundai Elantra. 10/2008, I was driving down a steep hill and began to downshift, while braking. My car jerked and skidded at the bottom. I was able to get it to the side of the road. A flatbed towed it and determined that the front drivers side wheel/tie rod had broken. The mechanic noted some corrosion, but repaired what needed to be done. March 2009, I had new front tires placed and balanced. Shortly afterwards, I got a flat tire, had the spare put on and brought it back for replacement. The front end seemed out of alignment, so it was brought back to the mechanic for realignment. It was then they saw that the entire subframe was corroded and "dangerous" to drive. The front arms were bent and subsequently collapsed. The repairs at this time would exceed the value of the car and I am reduced to "junking" my 7 year old vehicle. It was October 20, 2008 when this body issue occurred.
#28 - Body problem of the 2001 Hyundai Elantra
The vehicle having this issue was a 2001 Hyundai Elantra. VIN of the vehicle was KMHDN45D21_. Air bag light on instrument panel is illuminated. Dealership examined vehicle for this problem, and determined an unknown fluid from cup holder caused an electrical short in an unknown component for air bag system. Please provide any additional information / documentation. Abl. Pco. This body problem happened on Sat., Dec. 1, 2001.
#29 - Body problem of the 2001 Hyundai Elantra
The vehicle having this issue was a 2001 Hyundai Elantra. The vehicle experienced a paint defect. Mr scc.
#30 - Body problem of the 2000 Hyundai Elantra
The car involved was a 2000 Hyundai Elantra. Bodyguard corrosion protection device was installed by cutter of maui at time of purchase. Hyndai examined the car and said that the bodyguard device had caused the fire. Cutter maintained that it didn't cause the fire, but a few weeks after the fire, I received a letter from cutter indicating that engine compartment fires had occurred on vehicles having the bodyguard device installed and that they would install a fuse to prevent the fires. When buyeri returned to cutter with the letter, they tried to take it back from buyer, claiming that bodyguard did not cause the fire. Buyer. This body problem happened on Mar. 28, 2001.
See all problems of the 2000 Hyundai Elantra.
#31 - Body problem of the 1997 Hyundai Elantra
The car involved is a 1997 Hyundai Elantra. The vehicle's vehicle identification number (VIN) was KMHJF34M4V_. Water leaking from right side glove box to the floor. Saw water on the inside of the hood and around hood. If I go to the car wash, it leaks.
See all problems of the 1997 Hyundai Elantra.
Other Structure related problems of Hyundai Elantra:
|Problem Category
|Number of Problems
|Body problems
|Frame And Members problems
|Door problems
|Structure problems
|Trunk Lid problems
|Underbody Shield problems
|Frame Rust problems
|Bumper problems
|Door Hinge problems
|Roof And Pillar problems
|Paint problems

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Firefighters in Stowe say the wildfire
on Mount Mansfield is now out.
A campfire got out of control due to
wind gusts Monday morning and the fire burned overnight into Tuesday. More than
2 acres have burned. The remote location meant that for several hours Monday,
crews had to backpack water to the site. Tuesday, fire crews began pumping
water from a beaver pond, and off and on showers also helped. Fourteen fire
departments and 100 firefighters worked to put the fire out.
Related Story:
Crews fight fire on Mt. Mansfield
PO Box 4508
Burlington, VT 05406-4508
Primary Phone: 802-652-6300
Primary email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Saturday, September 24, 2011
DeBoer sees positives in Devils' preseason loss to Rangers
The Devils came out on the losing end in tonight's preseason rematch with the Rangers, losing 4-3 at Prudential Center, but head coach Pete DeBoer thought his team played better tonight than in Wednesday's 2-1 overtime win over the Blueshirts.
"They had some of their big guns in the lineup tonight," DeBoer said. "When I look at the game in the entirety, I thought we probably played a better game tonight than the game we won in Albany. I didn't like our first period tonight, but I thought the second and the third we played how I envision us playing, which is a lot of energy and speed and dictating the game more than standing and watching like we did in the first."
There were a few things for DeBoer to like tonight, specifically about young players such as rookie center Adam Henrique, who scored the team's first goal, and rookie defenseman Adam Larsson, who had two power-play assists and played a game-high 24:51, despite not playing on the PK. (He was minus-2, though.)
Here's the topics DeBoer discussed postgame:
On Adam Henrique: "I thought he was good. A great goal, the first one and he showed a real burst late in the third to almost win the game. He has the ability to do those things. With all young guys, the road to a roster spot here is still long with a lot of games left, but he made a good impression tonight."
On Larsson staying calm after first Ranger goal went in off his skate: "It didn't seem to rattle him. He's pretty calm and poised and I think that's one of his special qualities. Something like that happens with a young defenseman and you never know how they're going to react, but again I thought he good some really good things tonight, especially on the power play."
On Larsson's pass-work with Kovalchuk: "I think his poise and his ability to control the play and find the Kovy with that pass is something that they were missing here last year. I know Lou (Lamoriello) worked awful hard this summer personnel-wise trying to get some options in order to fill that role and the kid has come in and really done a great job there."
On whether there was a significant difference in Petr Sykora at right wing tonight after playing center previously in camp: "I don't know about a significant difference. It's tough to keep the pace he was going at the first couple of games. He's a good player. I thought he made a great play on the 5-on-3 there. Without him we probably don't score that 5-on-3 goal. You can just tell he's a veteran and comfortable in those situations."
On Sykora playing with youngsters Mattias Tedenby and Henrique: "He keeps going. You get used to judging him on getting a goal or two every game, which obviously isn't realistic. But I thought he played well."
On Bryce Salvador playing his first game in a nearly a year: "I actually just told him I thought he played real well. I was really impressed with him the way he came back, the way he threw his body around. He was playing physical, which is his game, and didn't have any inhibitions about doing that. That's what you want to see."