My Herbes de Provence Experience: Part 1

There have been too many occasions lately when I have asked, "What is the delicious ingredient in this dish that gives it that certain je ne sais quoi?" And more often than not, the answer is the delicate blend of herbs called, "Herbes de Provence." An easy to assemble, varying by opinion and personal preference, blend of basil, thyme or savory (or both, if you like), fennel and lavender. But I took the easy way out, I bought a pre-made blend of "Herbes de Provence" at my local grocery store. It wasn't cheap, but less expensive than if I had bought each of these ingredients separately.

Now, what to do with this blend of delicious herbs? I scoured the Internet for recipes and found that you can use this blend in practically any dish. Potatoes are a great canvas for Herbes de Provence, as are chicken and lamb. But as a diligent Vintage Foodie, I turned to the cookbook that has become my cooking bible of sorts, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child.

I haven't always been a fan of Julia, not for any reason other than I thought her recipes would be too daunting, full of ingredients I couldn't find, or, if I could find them, I wouldn't be able to afford them. No, I've always been more of your typical working woman cook - quick, inexpensive meals with big flavor. That's all I needed. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong on all accounts about Mrs. Child. Cooking alongside Julia Child in my kitchen showed me what it is like to create something in the kitchen...I mean really create something.

From the first recipe I attempted from her book, Supremes de Volaille aux Champignons, I found satisfaction in: the little bit of extra thought that went into preparing the ingredients, tasting as I went, serving and dining. Now don't get me wrong, I still enjoy a quick meal, but when you want to experience a new ingredient to its fullest potential, the place to turn isn't the Internet, with its celebrity chefs and their overstated, and sometimes, understated creations. No, it's best to turn to the vintage, Master Chef herself, Julia Child.

So, on this week's menu I'm going to attempt my version of Mrs. Child's, Poulet Saute aux Herbes de Provence, which calls for 2.5 - 3 pounds of cut-up frying chicken. In this case, I only have boneless skinless chicken breasts on hand, so they will be my substitute, otherwise, I'll stay true to the recipe and report back later this week. In the meantime, if you'd like to experience Julia Child's, Poulet Saute aux Herbes de Provence yourself, you can find the recipe on page 257 of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, or you can click here.

A Vague Definition of Vintage

Most of us think of vintage as things that happened in the 20th Century. In my case, when I think vintage, I think of the 1920's and 1940's respectively. But, since the word "vintage" can mean a different things to each of us and a few different things by definition alone, I wanted to take a moment to share with you an awesome find that is definitely vintage by definition, yet a couple of hundred years prior to most of our vintage fantasies, in limited supply and worth the shipping cost.

With origins dating back to the 1700's, Art in the Age's, "Root" takes us back to the 80 proof version of what we now call "Root Beer." I'll save retelling the details here and let you take a look at their site.

But I have to say, 1/4 cup pour of Root from the old-time medicine bottle, mixed with a bottle of cream soda will quickly, and deliciously, take you where you want to go.

Enjoy!

http://www.artintheage.com/spirits-aita/

The Freebie List

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting two ladies in the bar area of a rather upscale restaurant. Both from different walks of life, yet each of us had so much in common that our combined conversation could've gone on for hours.

We talked about which wines were the best and the best for you, which, according to one of the ladies' oncologist, is Zinfandel. Which led me to recommend my favorite winery in Sonoma, ImageryWinery.com. Which then led to us talking about the places I've eaten and written about, like The Napa Valley Wine Train. Which, of course, led to more talk about food and recipes, which then led to us talking about ThePamperedParamour.com.

But as the glasses of red wine we each had lined up on the bar before us began to lower our inhibitions, while cleansing our body of those toxic oxidants, we began chatting about life, love and relationships. All the while, my humble husband sat at the end of the bar quietly drinking his beer, watching the sports highlights.

The conversation was pretty standard until it drifted to Hollywood and our "To Do" and "Not To Do" lists of Hollywood hotties. (See what wine can do?) And this is the part where I digress...

My best friend has told me time and time again that my "freebie" list...the people that I could have casual sex with, if the opportunity presented itself, even though I'm married...is rather fickle, as celebrities tend to fall off and on with no real rhyme or reason.

Who is on my list, you ask? Well, a girl has her secrets, but for the fun of it, here are a few celebs, in no particular order that were once, or still are, on my list: The guy who played Clay, in the movie, "The Losers," Bradley Cooper (of course), Jude Law (mostly because I really like his jaw line), Val Kilmer (as Doc Holiday)...and I could go on and on.

So, all of this got my wine soaked wheels turning and now I'm curious about other people's freebie lists...girls and guys alike. So, if you'd like to play along, please feel free to share here, or on our Facebook page, who's on your Freebie List.

And remember, it's not cheating if it's a once in a lifetime chance and you get you significant other an autograph.