running with tweezers

Tour de France 2010 - Sisteron

It's been a very long time since I've taken part in a blog event. However, I will whole-heartedly participate in anything that Barbara from Winos and Foodies puts in front of me. She's been one of my longest blog buddies and her struggles with cancer & the inspiring way she puts her battles to good use are something we should all emulate. Her Tour de France blog project - where each stage is represented by a different blogger - was a way for me to learn something new about a cuisine that I adore...and a great excuse to cook dinner for friends.

Chris from Mele Cotte talked about Stage 10 and the section of the Tour before me - her post about Gap & the accompanying duck recipe look fabulous! My region is Sisteron, which is part of Stage 11, which spans 119.3 miles to Bourg Les Valence. Sisteron is known as "The Gate to Provence". With a population of around 8,000 residents, its located 135 km from Marseille and Grenoble & 180 km from Nice. From all accounts, they have around 300 sunny days per year. Who's moving with me?

The cuisine of Sisteron follows much of the same flavor profiles as the other regions of Provence. Sisteron is most well known for their lamb. Lamb stews, garlicky lamb shanks and roasted chops rubbed simply with Herbes de Provence. There are plentiful amounts of wild herbs as well as grains, goat milk and cheeses. Bread rubbed with garlic and tomatoes. For that matter, tomatoes in many forms. Briny olives and capers tempered by mild citrus and starches. 

Our Sisteron meal started with icy cold Rosé and homemade black olive tapenade. I just lightly toasted the bread after I rubbed the slices with garlic cloves. The quick, almost fridge-cleaner recipe I used made plenty & enough to throw into pasta the next day.

Black Olive Tapenade - serves 4 as an appetizer

• 30 pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 1 Tbsp rinsed, drained, and chopped capers
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice and zest of one lemon
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp anchovy paste
• Fresh cracked black pepper

At dinner, the lamb chops were rubbed with a bit of Dijon mustard and Herbes de Provence then roasted in the oven for about 25 minutes at 350. While I don't eat much lamb, this was proclaimed by our guests to be their favorite preparation of lamb they've ever had. The real star of the main course - for which I also made a Tian de Courgettes that was too dense to recommend here - was the Tomatoes Provencal. I used Laurent Tourondel's recipe and they were divine - garlicky, flavorful, herby and a great source of texture on the plate. I'd make this over and over again. 

Tomatoes Provencal - serves 6 as a side dish

• 6 tomatoes, halved lengthwise and cored
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 5 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season tomato halves with salt and pepper, and set them on a baking sheet. Mix together the bread crumbs, parsley, and garlic in a bowl, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover tomatoes with the mixture, and drizzle with oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

My dear friend Helen, who considers Sisteron her backyard in her native France, consulted with me on my menu. When I asked what I should serve to finish the meal, she gave me a wonderful recounting of desserts in Provence: roasted fruit, a little honey, some ice cream or sorbet - maybe a drizzle of port on sliced fruit.

Roasted Apricots with Goat Milk Ice Cream - serves 4

• 4 just-ripe apricots, sliced in half vertically & pitted
• 1 tablespoon fruity extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pint good quality goat's milk vanilla ice cream or your favorite good quality ice cream
• 2 tablespoons best quality local honey
• 1 tsp. dried lavender flowers

- Preheat oven to 325 F. In a shallow roasting pan, place apricots cut sides up and drizzle them all with the olive oil. Roast until just tender - this was about 15 minutes for me. Once the fruit is roasted, set aside to cool slightly while assembling the rest of the dessert. Scoop 2 small scoops of ice cream into serving bowls, Top with roasted fruit, a drizzle of honey & a sprinkle of lavender flowers. Serve immediately.

Thanks again to Barbara for organizing this event and coordinating it so well - it's been so much fun. Keep following the Tour via food bloggers - there are still lots of stages left. Next up, Stage 12: Borg de Peage - Mende, brought to you by Tammi of Tammi Tasting Terroir. 

please blog responsibly

Stepping on my soapbox here on RWT isn't something I often do. I've had my tongue in cheek rants in the past but they've still had a little levity. However, an exchange I had at the recent Taste of The Highlands event planted a seed in my brain that I just haven't been able to ignore. The owner of a fairly well regarded local restaurant approached our group - comprised of mostly non-restaurant review bloggers - and asked who we were. Once it was clear to him that we weren't part of the offending party, he revealed his disdain for the local food bloggers and the impact that their opinions - often based on quick glimpses at one time experiences - have on their business.

At the time, we all sort of gave each other the side-eye and went on about our business. The following week, as I read negative after negative review of Atlanta establishments (both new and longstanding), I have to admit there might be some truth to his argument. These days, the restaurant review bloggers can be considered an expert with no background in the etiquette or ethics of their field. Some folks are blogging irresponsibly. There. I said it.

Don't get me wrong...I'm all about the Internet being an open forum to express ideas and pass along information. I did it myself with this here blog. However, from day one, I've made the conscious choice to post about cooking, life stories, and unique experiences I can share with readers. When products are pitched to me, I immediately pass along the caveat that while I will try most anything a company wants to share with me, I will only present positive reviews and uses for their product on my blog. Why? Because being negative and controversial is too easy. Let's face it - there is a lot of mediocre out there, whether it's a product or restaurant or service. Spicy words and scathing reviews drive a lot more traffic to a blog than the warm-and-fuzzy stuff. It's much tougher to seek out the good stuff (and do real research) and highlight the positive - something bloggers like The Blissful Glutton have grown to do and earned a great deal of credibility & respect in the process.

The bloggers aren't the only ones to blame here. The excitement by companies and the faces of their PR machines caused them to jump on the food blog bandwagon as a way to get free publicity and peddle their wares. They've often not quantified who is qualified to speak on the topic of their business, their restaurant's style of cooking or the service they provide. Now, the pendulum has swung in favor of the bloggers and the weight they carry, much to the dismay of those representing a business who gets a review based on an off-night or a bad batch.We need to get to a point where those pushing restaurants and products really target those who best fit the image and market their trying to reach.

All I'm saying here, folks, is think before you type. I know this is demodé but cliches are around for a reason - there might be something to be said for not saying anything if you don't have something nice to say. Silence or lack of information about something often speaks volumes. At the very least, don't let your judgment be swayed by Google Analytics or the lure of free swag. Please continue to go out, stimulate the economy, and let people know how you feel about it...but do so in a way that is educated and well thought out. Visit a place more than once. Give things a second taste. Walk a busy service in their shoes. You'll be rewarded by a better blog, more credibility and the respect of the entire community.

The Food Bloggers Bake Sale!

I must keep this short and, well, sweet. I am in the midst of one of my proudest moments as a food blogger. I was asked by Gaby from What's Gaby Cooking to be the Georgia coordinator for the first Food Bloggers Bake Sale. It's happening in states across the country on Saturday, April 17th. Food bloggers from all over are banding together on the same day to raise money and awareness for Share Our Strength, one of the nation's leading hunger relief charities.

It's been a busy few weeks getting the bloggers, bakers and volunteers together...but it's been well worth it. The response from our community here in Atlanta has been overwhelming. I've been so moved by everyone's willingness to help out. I'll have a full report on tomorrow's sale after it happens. For now, here are the important details. Come join us, meet some local bloggers, and help us raise funds for a great cause! If you can't be there in body, you can help out in spirit - make a tax-deductible donation on our team page!

Where: Cabbagetown Market - 198 Carroll Street in the heart of the Cabbagetown District of Atlanta

When: Saturday, April 17th from 9 am - 1 pm

How: Find on-street parking near the market or park right around the corner at Agave, located at 242 Boulevard SE in Atlanta

Why: We're raising money for Share our Strength. All those who buy items at the bake sale will be given a coupon for $10 a future meal at Agave! Bloggers from Atlanta - as well as several local pastry shops & restaurants - are donating baked goods & sweets!

A Toast...to BlogHerFood'09

I often talk about the fact that I have no idea where to begin when I sit down to write my posts. I'm sure some of you that read this blog think that can't be true. Well...I tend to use my blog as the place where I open it up and talk to it like I would to anyone else. Most of the time, I sit down and thoughts rush through my brian. So much to say. This post is no different. So...let me dish about the weekend I just had.

HOLY CRAP I HAD THE MOST AMAZING WEEKEND IN SAN FRANCISCO WITH THE COOLEST FOOD BLOGGERS ON EARTH!@*#^@&. One of them, Anita from Dessert First, is in the photo!

Was that not descriptive enough? How about this:

I had the amazing privilege of spending 3 days with some of the most incredible people on earth. After having this blog for several years now, the world of food blogging and the community of people that take part in it gets smaller and smaller, despite its growing numbers. Twitter and Facebook have helped us all connect in a real time way that depending on emailing or commenting on each others blogs wouldn't let us do before. I landed in San Francisco (after the biggest CF of a flight out there) waiting to meet people I've known for years and have gotten to know better even beyond their blog posts. I compared it to a reunion for people who went to an on-line university.

What I found there was more than I can ever tell you, my dear readers. I found camaraderie, support, laughs, love, mutual interests and appreciation, respect, an understanding of the challenges of putting your life out there every day (or less, in my case...I'm gonna try and remedy that!). The people I met that brought me to tears with joy as I thought about them when writing this are too many to name. Let me assure you that all of you I met this weekend have affected my life in a way I can never repay you for. BlogHerFood'09 was, for me, more about the people behind the blogs, the food and the stories.

I came back with a heightened respect for this place...this blog. As Elise from Simply Recipes said, we're building something that's going to last a lot longer than we are. I feel a kinship with the real message and heart of blogging - doing it for the love of doing it and not for what it's going to score you in free stuff. I'm doing this for the love of food, the love of connecting with people and the love of telling a story. In the words of David Leibovitz, this is my "happy place" once again. So to all of you - Jen, Helen, Caitlin, Broderick, Todd and Diane, Jessica,  Kalyn, Sam's voice, Lara Ferroni, Matt, Jaden, Hardy (just to name a few - there are so many more)...thank you, thank you, thank you. As I said when I got on the plane to come back to Atlanta, you all have changed me - for the better. 

If you'd like to see some select shots of my experience at BlogHer Food '09, please visit my Flickr set. 

A few of the first recaps of the event are here and they look as incredible as the time we had:

• All of the seminars from BlogHerFood'09 were live blogged. You can see them here at BlogHer's site.
• A recap over at The Mushroom Channel
• Ree, who is the stunning and incredibly talented woman behind The Pioneer Woman blogs and Tasty Kitchen, posted a really wonderful entry about BlogHer.
• Jen - who is seriously the bee's knees - rounded up her weekend in a spectacular post on Use Real Butter
• Jaden gave us a killer party (along with Ree and Elise), some killer swag and the ability to cheer the release of her cookbook on.
• Lara, whose seminar with Matt was the highlight of the agenda at BlogHer, has posted all of the info from her session on the blog Still Life With.