my french kitchen – Page 2

I am preparing a post on Pierrot Gourmand, our very popular and well known “clown” associated with lollipops and ‘bonbons’ here. While I am/was busy writing and making lollipops and driving everywhere to photograph Pierrot and his lollipops all over town, I ran into a book which found it’s way(all on its own, believe me) into my basket(that one that fills up far too quickly in a book store…!). Jardins a vivre, from Art et Décoration. Since my post on “cher Pierrot” is taking quite long, I thought I would share some images of this book and of two others, with you in the meantime. I don’t know if they are available in English, because it is books based on the magazine, Art et Décoration, a French magazine I’ve been buying for more than 16 years, on and off. Apart from my most favorite magazine Campagne Décoration, which was born in 2000 and of which I haven’t missed a single issue since 2001, Art et Décoration is the magazine I’ve been buying the longest, albeit sporadically…browse through it in the store and then decide if it has enough tips to own it. But more about Décoration Campagne later, let’s talk about Art et Décoration for now.

The latest trend for magazines is to capture their articles and particularly the images into hard bound pretty coffee table books. Art et Décoration did exactly that. Very nice books to browse, have on your coffee table or fall asleep with!

So, let’s indulge in some of the magnificent images from the three following books:

1. Jardins à vivre; Karine Villame, Collectif; Massin

..a rustic shower by the pool..

crédits photograpiques: B. Boigontier

…a rustic garden gate…

crédits photographiques: A Réty

..a water feature with an oeil de boeuf..

crédits photographiques: P. Smith

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Recevoir; Art et decoration; Massin

…entertaining in the garden under the “tonnelle”…

Crédites photographiques: B. boigontier.

…open kitchen with a “piano La Cornue“…

Crédits photographiques: B. Boigontier

…entertaining on the terrace…

Crédit photographique: B. Boigontier

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Maisons de famille, Karine Lalbatry; Massin

I love the chapter on the “marquises” over the doors. Just a little protection from the rain without having a whole veranda or entrance.

crédit photographique : O. Hallot

..bathroom with “paniers” for storage…

crédit photographique: C Erwin

..simply decorated bedroom with clean lines…

crédit photographique: P. Binet

…courtyard with old stables turned into bedrooms…

crédit photographique: P. Smith

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I hope you enjoyed this short tour with me.

Other books from Art et décoration:

*Recup & brocante; Karine Villame, Collectif; Massin.

*Maisons de Provence; Art et Decoration; Massin

Until we meet next time with a succette(lollipop) and Pierrot Gourmand!

Ronelle

I make only easy, simple and quick food. I have done the difficult, intricate thing, but now I enjoy doing relaxed cooking. This is another very simple, very versatile recipe, which I’m sure many a home has in its possession. Only the presentation differs from the one occasion to the next and the one family to the next.

Suggestions:

Use any other white fish.
Instead of folding the pastry in rolls, fold them in triangles.
serve as a cold apéritif before dinner with a cold dry white wine.
The same recipe can be used in different ways: as a crumble with a breadcrumb, butter and oats topping and baked in the oven. OR topped with mashed potatoes and baked in the oven, OR with flour and butter and eggs added for some fish cakes…
Can be served small as a starter or larger as a light lunch with a big mixed salad.

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Some Koi images. I’m not truly a fish person, but Koi can fascinate me with their movements, their colors and their behaviour. they really have personalities, which I didn’t believe until I saw it for myself. I have done some paintings and some studies of them, but find it very difficult…it is much easier to capture the personality of a person than a fish!

…Koi…