When will we have an edit function? "Provincial," of course, not Provindial.

This may be old news, but, if you really want to get in the mood, Julia's Provence house can be rented on Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/10698076

I think it's a lovely idea to bring Europe to you. Being the supremely lazy person I am, I typically 'bring Europe home' by buying/making drinks that I've first experienced overseas to my own sunny back garden. Aperol spritz, sangria, particular beers, prosecco, wine from particular regions, French rose, retsina, ouzo, Genever gin, blood orange juice, etc. Even though they are all commonly available now in my home town, they never fail to make me feel more cheerful and remember previous holidays.

Having returned from Italy a few weeks ago, I was inspired to try a few Italian recipes. A lovely success was a canneloni dish from a book titled My Umbrian Kitchen. Saute finely chopped or minced chicken with garlic, thick chopped bacon, add white wine and simmer 5 mins. Add some spinach, toasted pinenuts, grated cheese. I used fresh lasagna sheets as my canneloni, and filled with cooled chicken mix. Then a sauce of a tomato base (I used a ready made one, no Nonna would approve of that), added garlic, some more wine, sprinkled with cheese. Bake 30 mins. under foil. Can dry out when baking, so add more wine

It is SO delicious....

Also, our boys much preferred the Italian spaghetti carbonara to the creamy version we get here, so tonight am doing the very simple and delicious garlic, bacon, egg and parmesan carbonara, I add grated zucchini for a bit of veg. and a bit of wine.

I love it!! Thanks so much for the wonderful range of suggestions from books to Julia's airbnb to delicious sounding dishes some I can't even pronounce! I must learn how to make the perfect Schnitzel at some point.

limmy, I'm down to compare coq au vins... making mine on Wednesday night. It'll be my first time too but had it twice before. First time was not so good...bland and soupy at a touristy restaurant across from Place des Vosges. Second at Le Precope, another touristy restaurant I know way to go but much better. However I didn't think it was exceptional. Maybe that's as good as coq au vin gets? Haven't decided whose recipe to use just yet, anyone try Francoise Bernard's?

For dessert I'm set on a strawberry crepe soufflé by Julia Child. I've never made a soufflé before ..so intimidating!! A very sentimental move indeed. MF might just propose with studs this time LOLLLOL

Already a Veuve Clicquot chilling in the fridge...two as a matter of fact. One is orange and the other rose. WeisserTee, will alternate cuisine for sure. I love Asian dishes and want to incorporate more vegetables, lentils and discover new spices, and anything with coconut milk and crab.

Still deciding on an easy starter. Any favorite French songs to match this feast?

Piaf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFtGfyruroU

Slightly off topic... my parents were part of the large scale post world war 2 immigration to Australia, so I grew up in the Australian outback eating red cabbage, dumplings, goulash, salami, pickled herrings, gerkins, rye bread, ...how I envied the 'Aussie' kids their vegemite or jam on white bread sandwiches!!

" anyone try Francoise Bernard's?"
Yes, her books are my Bible and her recipes are excellent and reliable. "Coq au chambertin" from "Mes secrets de Cuisine" (in French). Just remember that a "coq" is not a chicken and that it has to be a little tough to marinate a whole night.

If you ever want to go farther afield try Madhur Jaffrey's book on Indian cooking. We cooked our way thru one and it was delicious.

I also have a cookbook by Joel Robuchon. Bought it to get his receipe for mashed potatoes...but it was so daunting I never tried it. Will just have to try to get back to Paris some day.

Nice, thanks!!

I inherited Francoise Bernard's French Family Cooking cookbook (1985, in English) and have yet to try a recipe so it'll be a first. This coq got me confused at first. So coq in French means rooster, right? Coq = cock = rooster = male chicken = tough old Burgundian bird. I'm using chicken from Whole Foods.

Cheftalk.com Stumbled upon this site and limmy they gave me additional tips on Coq au vin just search same tessietoes name. They're Pros over there!

Underhill I loved the movie and will eventually loop and make something from my Mastering book, my only other French book not counting Ina's. We're hardcore loyal fans nothing will ever change that, Ina!!!

Gwendolynn, chicken/paneer Mahkni is my go-to Indian dish and is already on the list to make Thanks everyone!

https://smile.amazon.com/Farmette-Co...imen+mcdonnell

How about English breakfast - ingredients are available most places although I may have to send you some Bury Blackpuddings.

Actually Spanish paella is fun to make and not as difficult to as people make out - its mostly thrown together at different stages. The key is decent Spanish paella rice, smoked paprika and other quality ingredients. A tip I learnt was not to fry the rice in the olive oil first but to add it after the stock has been added.

Food! My favorite subject! Even more so when it's related to countries and cultures I would have to write a long blogging post about it, but in the mean time, here is my short thought.

France: duck confit (you can do it at home), foie gras (don't do it at home!), baguette bread (crunchy yum yum), and their myriad of pastry together with their fancy names: mille-feuilles, croissants (the joy of morning breakfasts), Kouign-amann, crème brûlée, baba au rhum, crêpes of thousand tastes, tarte Tatin,...

Italy: tiramisu (yes, pick me up! ), panna cotta, cannolo (must try!), the cliché that's called "spaghetti, pizza" but it's only good when cooked inside Italy, sight.

Spain: paella (the best version is the one you make at home, with Spanish saffron - don't cheat with curcumin or anything cheaper!), any kind of tapas (bring it on!), Jambon Pata Negra Bellota (the top of ham delice, but don't forget the Bellota part, otherwise it'll be just another fine jambon).

Japan: I won't mention the too familiar sushi or miso soup, but how about tonkatsu (pork cutlet, in Japan it actually tastes/looks better than it sounds), spicy curry (weeh Japanese sure have a way to cook curry, tempura (which children would say No to that!), sakura-mochi as it represents the most elegant spirit of Japan spring.

Vietnam: nem (fried imperial roll, the real Vietnamese version, not the Chinese version please), phở bún miến (million different kinds of noodle soups), bánh xèo (the sizzling crêpe, different from the French crêpe though the latter is sizzling too, phew).

"but it's only good when cooked inside Italy, sigh"

my quick typing, my bad. I'm hungry!

FuryFluffy, great list I'm officially hungry!

The Bury Blackpuddings is pork blood? Any other type of BBs without the blood component or is that kind of the main thing? Had pork blood sausage before not knowing and it wasn't bad. But the blood part!

So I made the Coq au vin on Wednesday night. Actually I made the sauce on Tuesday night to marinate overnight when I really should've marinated the sauce on Monday night because the leftovers on Thursday night were a lot better than Wednesday night's dinner. Served rice and garlic mashed potatoes (Ina Garten's recipe) but everyone had the mashed potatoes.

Skipped the chicken livers required by her recipe and added tiny flour/butter balls to thicken instead and came out delicious. The souffle had seen better days but still very edible especially when guests are half gone drunk blunted by dessert. Voila we were like France here 7 hour dinner folks. We had sophisticated French beats to start but the music got thuggish as the night went on.

The guests brought 2 baguettes, brie & gruyere, fig jam and each couple brought 2 wine bottles each (6 total) and we opened the Veuve orange as soon as everyone arrive, saved the rose. A little secret I recently just learned how to open a champagne bottle the smooth way (MF and I have been practicing in private the past 2 months) but I let that baby pop!! MF being the consummate bartender made sure everyone was happy even some Macallan 18 on the roof.

Thank you UBER for saving everyone from DUIs. The guests want to come back for Spanish night but my family will be in town for that feast. Paella is next! Any suggestions on a pan to use? Any advice for me? What's a good cocktail ...sangria? Hmm what would go? Would love to hear more about your food favorites.

Some la la la reading below and loove the Farmette book
http://www.wsj.com/articles/french-c...een-1470245581