Meeting Alice Waters at Chino Farms, December 2013

Alice Waters has a new book coming out in June 2021, We Are What We Eat: A Slow Food Manifesto, which you can pre-order now at Amazon. This year, her iconic restaurant, Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, California, celebrates its 50th Anniversary. So hard to believe. If you missed the recent New York Times article, Alice Waters Says People Who Call Her Elitist Just Don’t Get It, it is juicy reading.

I am just one person among millions, who have been greatly influenced by Alice Waters in so many ways. She is a national treasure. She is not afraid to speak her mind about eating, food, and food production. She has been honored over and over again, and people from royalty to presidents listen. Alice Waters is a great example, like Lulu Peyraud, of how one person can change the world, with authenticity and passion.

When I speak to groups, and in my writing, her underlying voice is resonating the now familiar philosophy of growing your own food, cooking fresh and simple, eating locally, eating seasonally, celebrating your food with all of your senses, teaching children through gardening, sustainability, supporting artisan farmers, slow food versus fast food, and more.

In 2018, I helped one of my garden clubs bring Alice Waters to San Diego to speak at the beautiful ballroom, Prado at Balboa Park. It was a sold out event. Everyone’s ticket included a beautifully prepared luncheon, a copy of her then latest book, Coming To My Senses, and a meaningful contribution to Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard Project. Besides her ability to speak gracefully to over 300 attendees about food, her philosophy, her long time friendship with Chino Farms, our food culture, and her beloved schoolyard project, she also had time to meet and “thank” the chef who prepared our luncheon, the event committee, and my dear friend and team, who made the beautiful edible centerpieces.

VIP Table at Alice Waters’ February 2018 Event, Prado at Balboa Park

Thank you Alice for your courage, vision, and tenacity! If you have a favorite Alice Waters story or recipe, please share!

More Alice Waters Related Blog Links:

Legend, Lunch, and Lemon Dressing

Alice Waters at Chino Farms

Adieu Lulu

Bon Appétit and Bon Weekend….Bonnie

One of My Favorite Photos With My Mom

This weekend is Mother’s Day, and a chance to celebrate “Mom” in your life, whether in person, via zoom, or in the spiritual sense. This year I am celebrating Mother’s Day with my Mom, and it is such a treat. So I raise a glass and toast to all the Mom’s, and you this weekend!

Here is a suggested Mother’s Day Brunch Menu I put together for you, surely to please all of those gathered for your Mother’s Day Celebration! The strata and crumb cake can be made a day ahead. Shop for your fresh fruit, juices, smoked salmon, cream cheese, balsamic glaze, and asparagus a few days before. Maybe someone in your crowd can run out for bagels Sunday morning, or for ease purchase them the day before.

“Mother’s Day Brunch Menu”

Goat Cheese, Artichoke and Smoked Ham Strata (Bon Appétit 1997)

Bagels and Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese

Grilled or Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Glaze

Fresh Seasonal Fruit Salad, Blood Orange Juice, or Tangerine Juice

Chocolate Banana Crumb Cake (Ina Garten’s cookbook, Make It Ahead 2014)

Champagne, Mimosas, or Sparkling Wine

French Roast Coffee

Mother’s Day Brunch Directions:

1) Put your pre-made strata in oven to bake for about an hour before serving.

2) Unwrap your room temperature cake and slice.

3) Wash, trim, and toss asparagus with a combination of a little extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice to coat. Add a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast at 400 degrees F. for 25 minutes or grill until soft. Drizzle with Balsamic Glaze before serving.

4) Make your fresh fruit salad, or pour glasses of desired juice.

5) Have your coffee ready to go, and champagne or sparkling wine chilled.

Don’t forget to plan ahead for fresh flowers for the table, either from your garden, or your favorite local florist. Take lots of photos, embrace the moment, and the preciousness of this very special occasion.

Make Your Table Special for Mother’s Day

Bon Appétit, Bon Weekend, and Happy Mother’s Day! ….Bonnie

Two of Our Mature Macadamia Trees

After 22 years we have a first, my husband John and I, have mined for macadamia gold on our property. We harvested, hulled, and processed a large amount of macadamia nuts from our own trees. It was no simple task, and the main reason we haven’t wholeheartedly done it with a vengeance before. It is a lot of work!

We have five mature macadamia trees, three on our north side, and two on our south side that have survived unknown decades and are still heavily producing. We have been happy to have these wonderful trees flanking our property lines for beauty and privacy, and let the wildlife have the nuts. Please note: macadamia nuts are toxic and poisonous to all breeds of dogs.

Last year I collected nine 5 gallon tubs full of macadamia nuts from the ground, and stored them in my garage to dry. Macadamia nuts are labor intensive to process. There is an outer husk, and an inner shell which is very hard to crack. Hand-cracking them is not an option for the amount we have. Finding a machine online, that works well runs about $1,000.00. Luckily we have friends who have one of these machines, and lent it to us. We wanted to try harvesting our nuts first before investing in a machine, like the Universal Nutcracker. You must wear ear and eye protection, and our masks came in handy for the dust. Not for the faint-hearted, nor glamorous, yet very rewarding.

A Slow Process Towards Gold

Macadamia nuts were run through the machine twice, and sometimes a third time to remove nut meat from the shells. This machine was able to process the nuts well, with some nuts coming out whole or in large pieces. This process took us about six hours, and netted about 20 pounds of gorgeous macadamia gold.

A whole macadamia nut reminds me of a giant white chocolate chip. It is the same shape and it has a tiny point at the top. Nature’s dollop of goodness!

First Time Through the Machine

Second Time Through the Machine

After thoroughly rinsing, sorting for any shells, the macadamia nuts were ready for a light roasting for 30 minutes at 275 degrees F.

Simply Golden After Roasting

I roasted the macadamia nuts in the oven the next day. I cooled them, and vacuum-sealed them in 4 cup bags. Slightly toasting them gives them a nice flavor. Completed bags were put in the freezer until needed, and keep nuts fresh until use because of their high fat content.

Macadamia nuts are high in good fat, monounsaturated fats, a type of fat that may boost heart health by lowering your total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They are also loaded with antioxidants.

I was very encouraged by the process. It takes patience, but very rewarding. I think this is something we will continue to due, and invest in a machine of our own.

Now I am thinking of the all of the recipes using macadamia nuts that I have saved over the years. Macadamia Crusted Halibut, Macadamia Nut Ice Cream, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Macadamia Nut Toffee Tart, Chocolate Macadamia Clusters, and more!

Bon Appétit and Bon Weekend….Bonnie

Young Chartreuse Grapevine Shoots Growing

Every year after pruning our grapevines back in late winter, we patiently wait for budbreak, and for the tiny chartreuse grapevine shoots to begin emerging. There is a bit of anticipation, did the grapevines make it over the winter okay? What will this year bring in terms of weather, vineyard management, and ultimately the grape harvest.

With little winter rains, the vineyard floor is dry. Thank goodness grapevines are drought tolerant with deep roots, once established. Each vine does have drip irrigation, for times throughout the growing season when they might need a little water.

This past April Fool’s Day, April 1, 2021, marked our 15th year since initially planting all our grapevines as the class project with the help of our very enthusiastic classmates in our Mira Costa College, Vineyard Management and Production class. For more related posts on our vineyard.

I say often this, initially the vineyard was a landscape solution to begin with, which has evolved into something so much more! Have you ever had a dream or an idea, with focus, a generous supply of hard work and a dash of persistence, surpassed your wildest dreams.

Tiny Now, Full and Sprawling Later

Bon Appétit and Bon Weekend….Bonnie

My Powder Room, Photo by Shelley Metcalf

I am not sure Frenchness is a word, it was a thought that came to my mind. When I looked it up, it came up as a noun, and means the quality or characteristic of being French, according to Wiktionary. I define Frenchness as ”Joie de Vivre,” a zest for life, an underlying philosophy of quality simplistic everyday living with gratitude and lifestyle rising to elegance. The French are masters at this, and naturally live this philosophy so well, yet everyone can have Frenchness with this philosophy, cultivating their thoughts and lifestyle, where ever they live.

Here I share with you 25 easy ways to create Frenchness in your everyday life.

Beauty

1) Find that perfect lipstick shade that looks great on you, makes you smile, and gives you confidence. Try one a little bolder than what you normally wear. Perhaps a romantic pink or a Chanel red that compliments your skin tone.

“A smile is the best makeup any girl can wear.”

— Marilyn Monroe

2) A signature scent lends itself to an air of mystery. Try a French perfume for fun, if you don’t wear one now. I tend to wear French floral scents, but the classic muskish Chanel No. 5 is still one of the most popular perfumes ever created.

3) Explore some of the great French beauty skin care products, such as Caudalíe for their serum, and La Roche-Posay for their Face 50 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid (available at CVS). Read up on French beauty secrets, one of them being Ageless Beauty the French Way.

“ A Girl Should Be Two Things: Classy and Fabulous.” —Coco Chanel Paris Ritz

Style

4) Finish your outfit ensemble to complete your look. Use a scarf, broach, or that certain purse that ties it all together. Cloche hats are always flattering, especially for a special event. For gents wear a fedora or béret, and a scarf.

5) Buy a French striped sailor top with a bateau neck. Great with jeans, white pants, and ballerina flats.

6) Always have a “little black dress” handy in your closet.

7) Be a pearl person. Pearls never go out of style.

8) Flea Market vintage costume jewelry pieces are always fun to hunt for when you travel, and become special unique accessories with a story.

French Press Waiting for Some French Roast

Food & Drink

9) Drink rich, dark French Roast coffee from a vintage “café au lait bowl” or French porcelain mug, made in a French press each morning.

10) Seek out and frequent your favorite local bakery for buttery croissants, crusty country bread, and fresh crusty baguettes. To name a few I like, Wayfarer Bread in La Jolla, Prager Brothers in Carlsbad and Encinitas, and Isabelle Briens French Pastry Cafe in Encinitas.

11) Drink fabulous champagne, and don’t save it for special celebrations and occasions. Chateau Sonoma is now offering Chateau Sonoma Champagne Club. Check it out!

“Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!”

— Dom Pérignon (at the moment he discovered champagne)

12) Indulge in the Apéro hour, a little something to drink, a little something to snack on. Typically, nuts, olives, and savory crackers. A time in the day to relax with friends and loved ones, awaken your appetite and a prelude to dinner.

13) Use real French dijon mustard such as Maille or Edmond Fallon.

14) Substitute crème fraîche for sour cream. Crème fraîche is thicker, richer and less tangy than sour cream. It won’t curdle if you boil it, so it is great to use in soups and sauces.

15) In your recipe arsenal, keep your “tried and true” favorite Gougères, Roast Chicken, Steak au Poivre, Tart, and Vinaigrette recipes. Cook’s Atelier Gougère Recipe

The Cook’s Atelier, Kendall Smith Franchini, Serving Gougères

16) Cook with a few select copper pots. If you like them, expand your selection.

17) Use French sea salt or what is called fleur de sel in your cooking. It is a natural, pure salt, with no additives that is hand-harvested from the surface of the sea. Try Le Paludier Guérande Fleur de Sel from Brittany or Le Saunier de Camargue from Provence.

Cooking With Copper Pots is a Beautiful Thing

18) Grow ‘Provence’ Lavender, the best culinary lavender because of its low camphor level, with a nice floral scent and gentle lavender flavor. Keep “Provence Lavender Sugar” in your pantry to use in your baked goods. Simply add 1 Tablespoon dried culinary lavender buds, finely ground in a spice grinder, to 2 cups sugar. Transfer to a jar and cover tightly. Allow at least 3 days time before using.

Ready to Dry ‘Provence’ Lavender

19) Similar to finishing your ensemble to complete your look, use garnish to finish and complete your food dish for visual appearance and culinary appeal. If it looks great, it is going to taste great. Be imaginative, choose garnishes like lemon zest, toasted nuts, cracked pepper, spices, and edible flowers.

20) Choose quality over quantity, especially when it comes to really good dark chocolate and cheese. A fabulous cheese selection at Fromagerie by Franck is offered at the Saturday Little Italy and Vista Farmers Markets, and Sunday Rancho Santa Fe Farmers Market. Think Black Truffle Gouda, Comté, and authentic Camembert from Normandy.

Fabulous Fromagerie by Franck, at Sunday Rancho Santa Fe Farmers Market

“How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?”

— Charles de Gaulle

Mood

21) Spritz lavender linen water on your clean pillow cases, roll up them up and rest them before ironing. Store and fold bedding with dried lavender sachets, either hand made or purchased. Your bedding will be left with a faint fragrance of lavender, and ideal for promoting a relaxing night of sleep. Look for relaxing pillow mist at L’Occitane or sometimes it can be found at HomeGoods.

22) Add essential Lavender Oil to your bubble bath. I pick up essential Lavender Oil at the markets in France. You can find lavender products online and at two local lavender farms, Purple Rain Lavender Farm in Fallbrook, California, and Keys Creek Lavender Farm in Valley Center, California.

23) Create a French library with cookbooks, décor style, lifestyle, novels, and travel. Subscribe to My French Country Home bimonthly magazine and/or MFCH quarterly gift box. Authentic France delivered to your home in the form of a beautiful magazine, or carefully curated French gifts for you and your home.

My French Country Home magazine

24) Program your music to French stations, for example on Pandora, with French Cooking Music Radio, Carla Bruni Radio, The French Cafe Radio, Maurice Chevalier Radio, Pink Martini Radio, Edith Piaf Radio, News in Slow French Podcast, etc.

25) Explore MHZ channel on Apple TV that features many subtitled French films and mini-series, as well as other European media.

This is a short list. I could recommend many, many more. Try adding some Frenchness into your daily life and enjoy Joie de Vivre!

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend….Bonnie

More Related Links From My Blog:

The Cook’s Atelier

Paris, Provence, Patricia Wells

Plat du Jour by Susan Herrmann Loomis

Lavender Love

Follow the French

Toute de Sweet

February 2021, Winter White Garden, Leucojum Blooming, Looking West

I am not a Landscape Designer, but I have had success in creating garden rooms from my vision. These garden rooms take time, and thought, and hard work. Don’t forget patience. In the end, however, the garden room I create usually evolves into something much better than my original inspiration and the original vision I had in my head, and I am overjoyed. I thought you might be interested in how I do it.

This is somewhat similar to what I wrote and mused about in January 2021. Dream big. Create a vision. Make your intention, own it. Release it to the universe to manifest it. Detach yourself from the outcome. If everything is aligned, your outcome is delivered to you, incredibly better, and so much more than you could have ever imagined.

May 2019, Spring Time White Garden, Roses and Alstroemeria Blooming, Looking West

1) Have a garden location or garden room area where you want to create a special spot. It might be a blank canvas, or it might be an existing garden that needs refreshing or revising.

2) Find inspiration in garden magazines, tours, books, and even word of mouth. Save these inspirations in a file. I found the inspiration for my white garden, two photos above, in a Garden Design May/June 2010 magazine article featuring a Charleston, South Carolina garden. I have not been to Charleston yet, but hope to get there one day. This particular photo really caught the vision and idea of what I wanted to do. It was a small garden, close to the house, appeared enclosed or walled, was European influenced, used topiaries, appeared to be half garden/half patio, was elegant, and visually beautiful.

Inspiration Photo from Garden Design Magazine May/ June 2010, of Charleston, S.C. Garden

3) Be aware that your piece of inspiration will most likely not be carbon copy of what you want, but it will have the bones in it, of what drew you to it. It will be much more than you ever imagined.

4) Put in your structural boundaries, or build your perimeter. First, we built a new fence near our property line, where none had existed. I planted a podicarpus privacy hedge on the north, and a privet hedge on the south close to our home. Our existing garden shed was the south boundary, and the back of my garage, the east boundary.

5) Create more garden details. Instead of brick, I used a stone pea gravel to create a large square which would anchor half of the garden. The other half of the garden, I created a square boxwood parterre with a bay laurel topiary tree, and iceberg roses, and connected them with mulched walking paths.

6) Add your adornments. Collect these over time. I had an existing vintage “garden baby” fountain, which found a home, front and center in the pea gravel square. It is also a cooling water feature in this little garden, and a great spot to watch little birds relaxing and bathing. Later I acquired two faux pillars, light as a feather, but very real in appearance. Next came more vintage pots, in white, and so white was the theme for the garden.

7) Assemble your plant materials, plan for different plants to bloom each season. Plan your plant palette. I planted several white iceberg roses, some bush, some topiary. Alstroemeria “Casablanca’ are tall, have movement, and anchor each pillar. Leucojum, perennial bulbs planted in the old garden, return each year unscathed through the pea gravel announcing spring is around the corner.

8) Let your garden design itself. Over time, I find the garden starts to take over, and create its own design. Picture an abandoned house or church, where the landscape slowly creeps in, and starts to reclaim the structure, and design itself. My privet hedge created a natural archway with a side limb reaching out to the pillar. Creeping fig, which was so hard to start in the beginning, now has almost totally covered each pillar.

Before Photo, Looking East, Circa 2001

Immediately above is the only photo I have of the garden somewhat early on, and I think it is around 2001. It is not even what the garden looked like when we first moved in. The camelia bush was existing, but there was no lawn, only weeds. The big change came in 2010, when we completed our home remodel, and this space became a small but inviting area for an intimate garden.

After Photo, Looking East, February 2021

Immediately above, is how my white garden looks today. Happy and healthy, and looking forward to spring!

Leucojum Blooming

Click on Spring Blooming Gravetye Giant for my past post on the perennial bulb beauty. Please share where you get your garden inspirations and/or how you have created your favorite garden. Do tell!

Bon Weekend….Bonnie

Say Love With This Centerpiece

Usually around Valentine’s Day we see long-stemmed roses for celebration, but this simple centerpiece is just as striking and dramatic. I used an ivory rose, but with your own tablescaping you can make this centerpiece with any color of your choice—a soft lavender, perhaps a dusty pink, or the classic red rose.

Don’t forget to save out a rose for your loved ones to wear in a shirt pocket, lapel, or secured behind an ear.

Simple To Put Together

How To Assemble: Find fresh roses the color of your choice. Remove the outside petals of your roses. Have your waterproof vessel shape and choice on hand. Be sure to protect your buffet or table adequately from moisture. I confess I did this arrangement years ago, before it became clear not to use toxic floral foam. Instead of floral foam, great alternatives are molded chicken wire to your vessel shape, lattice style floral tape across your desired vessel, or even using a floral frog (vintage or new) secured on the bottom of your vessel with waterproof floral frog clay. All of these supplies generally can be found at craft stores, floral supply stores, or online. Cut your roses short on an angle to the desired height. Fill in foliage laterally from the garden with perhaps, juniper, boxwood, or rosemary clippings. Keep filling in foliage until you are satisfied. In time, your roses will open up further, meeting each other.

Add in the Foliage Until Little of Your Vessel Shows

I have more great Valentine’s Day tablescaping tips for you with these two short fantastic Instagram videos. Both of these videos remind you not to forget the candles, the music, chocolate, champagne and have fun!

Sarah Anderson, Founder of Chateau Sonoma, a fantastic Frenchie shop now located on the Sonoma Plaza in Sonoma. www.chateausonoma.com. Where in the world did Sarah find her champagne glasses.

Robyns_French Nest, Robyn Huff out of Florida, www.robynsfrenchnest.com, you will love her French passion for vintage. Robyn created her tablescape for about $10.00, some petite DIY, and a few vintage things she had. Amazing!

Valentine’s Day has been on my mind all month! Remember February is Love! It is just one of these years when you want to hold your loved ones close and embrace the love, and present moment that surrounds you. I will be making my Dark Chocolate Terrine with Orange Sauce.

Wishing you a Bon Weekend, and a very memorable Valentine’s Day filled with love……Blessings, Bonnie

Red Ranunculus

February is the month of love, and let this love carry you throughout this year. Surround yourself with those you love, and what you love. Even if you can’t see loved ones in person, you can still reach out to them. Friends and family will feel the love from your heart. Simple gestures go a long way, whether it is beautiful flowers, something chocolate, a sweet note, a sincere compliment, love quotes, a little humor, or even a kiss! Love makes the world go round.

Mom’s Brownies

This is one of my Mom’s recipes that I love, and have made for years. This recipe creates a soft, chewy, rich brownie which disappears fast! It calls for a scant 1/2 cup of sifted flour. Be sure and use quality bittersweet chocolate and vanilla extract. Be careful not to overbake the brownies. Thanks Mom!

Brownie Ingredients:

1/2 cup sifted all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat you oven at 325 F. degrees. Grease an 8” x 8” x 2” pan. Sift flour with baking powder and salt in a small bowl. With an electric mixer beat butter with sugar until very light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time until very light. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla at low speed, blend in flour mixture, just until combined. Turn into pan, spread evenly. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely. Frost brownies.

Frosting Ingredients:

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate melted

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon softened butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend together. Can add a dash of cream to make frosting smoother.

The Little Lion Cafe, Ocean Beach

Champagne, or maybe cappuccino?