Pig In Provence pgs. 49 -75

Bonjour Mes Amis!

It seems that reading this book has everyone in a French frame of mind! This is one of the main reasons why I have never understood people who don't enjoy reading. I've been reading this in spurts on my commute to work and I am amazed by how in those short few moments, I am transported to an entirely different place. As I let her descriptions of her past life sink into me, my brain starts remembering my high school French. I am ever more determined to master this language and cannot wait to visit a culture that is so in love with food, as I am.

This is exactly the type of book that I love to read - personal experiences combined with a love of food.

I didn't know what to do with the pig's feet, so I went next door and asked Georgette...."Split each foot in half and poach them, tied up in cloth, for about five hours. Then let them cool, take off the cloth, and put olive oil all over them. Make a mix of bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and herbs and pack this all over the feet. The fry them. Ahhh." She closed her eyes and smacked her lips. pg 55

There's something quite incredible about getting a glimpse into a culture that has literally cultivated their love of food throughout the ages. Whereby strictly out of necessity due to generations of droughts, wars, no refrigeration has made the French renowned for their food. I love the idea of using everything that is available to you. There's a certain reverence given to the whole process of cooking that I greatly admire. I love the idea that because of all the circumstances I listed above, French people of old needed to be inventive on how to make their taste good. I believe this to be true of many old cultures.

I feel many times that we live in such a supermarket culture, where everything comes in sterile little wrapped boxes or containers. I find so many people I know are squeamish about food that does not come in these neatly packed packages. Which is odd to me because just in general, people travel more and are exposed to more things. Or on the other hand, people think that in order for food to be "good" it needs to be served in a fancy place. I've also thought it was important to learn where your food comes from. Perhaps we'd appreciate it more and waste less. It's really incredible how supposedly unsavoury parts of an animal can enhance the flavour of a dish.

Here is one of my favourite parts in this second chapter -

The pasta was followed by platters heavy with braised rabbit, chicken or guinea fowl, all raised in the cages and pens in the open barns below the kitchen. They were seasoned with mushrooms she and Marcel had collected and dried the previous fall, and with wild thyme and rosemary and a little dried orange peel. Sauteed zucchini, stuffed tomatoes and eggplants, and freshly dug potatoes accompanied the meat dish. And always more wine and bread. I usually tried to pass up seconds of the charcuterie and pasta in order to have room for the main dish and the vegetables. A salad made from garden-picked greens or maybe wild dandelions came next, the vinagrette heavy with garlic, and then a platter of cheese. pg 59-60

Yum! I've always felt that the best foods are the simplest ones using fresh, local ingredients. This book makes me want to cook so much more. I had great ambitions of making the dish at the end of this chapter but alas my busy schedule of late has meant that I've been eating anything but home cooked meals. Hence, the picture of dessert instead.

Has anyone tried any of the recipes yet? What are your thoughts and feelings about food? Does this book bring out the eater in you or the cook?