VAN GOGH'S TABLE AT THE AUBERGE RAVOUX

VAN GOGH'S TABLE AT THE AUBERGE RAVOUX *****, available here on Amazon.

My friend, Jain @ Once in a Blue Moon is one of the most creative, talented, generous, and energetic individuals I've ever encountered. Not only is she the creator of "Food with Style", but she has now launched "Food for Thought", a venue for food inspired book reviews.

Styled after Van Gogh's Red Cabbages and Onions, Paris, 1887

Ask me to name a favorite book, movie, artist, or even a color, and I simply can't single any out. I grew up in a small town environment. Daydreaming was my escape to other places I longed to be, and I can easily get lost in the pages of a book or the canvas of a painting or the beauty of a garden.

Styled after Van Gogh's Bowl with Potatoes, Arles, 1888

I do know that the first art book I ever owned was one of Vincent Van Gogh's work. It was a large book full of color plates of his life's work. Sadly that book disappeared along the way through various moves in my single days, but distinct images of Van Gogh's work remain vivid in my mind.

Styled after Van Gogh's A Plate of Lemons and a Carafe, Paris, 1887

Several years ago I traveled with friends on a day excursion from Paris out to the quaint village of Auvers-sur-Oise. Our intent was to lunch at the now famous Auberge Ravoux, but to our disappointment it was not open on the day of our visit. We stood outside peering in through the lace curtains that hang in the windows. Now classified as a national monument, the auberge is much as it was when Van Gogh lived the last days of his life there in a small attic room, Room #5. Auvers-sur-Oise is where Van Gogh painted more than 70 master pieces in those last days. One can walk in his footsteps and view the landscapes that he saw and painted.

A Letter from artist, Jennifer Bell, 2000

We ventured to Auvers-sur-Oise on the recommendation of our friend and artist, Jennifer Bell. She had spent a month traveling through France. Her letter about her experience in Auvers -sur-Oise and dinner at the Auberge Ravoux is above. Click on the image to enlarge the print to read Jennifer's impression of this quaint village north of Paris.

The Maitre'd at the Auberge Ravoux, Jennifer Bell, 2000

Jennifer now resides in Italy with her Italian husband and a young son. The image above is of an oil on canvas that Jennifer painted from impressions of her sojourn in Auvers-sur-Oise. She says, "The Maitre'd at Auberge Ravoux was inspired by a man living today, and I imagine he is not much different than someone working in a Parisian cafe one hundred years ago." To view Jennifer's current work and learn more about this talented and fascinating young artist, visit http://www.galleryshoalcreek.com/

VAN GOGH'S TABLE AT THE AUBERGE RAVOUX

by Alexandra Leaf and Fred Leeman

VAN GOGH'S TABLE is a skillfully written combination art history book and cookbook. Part I, Leeman's series of essays, A Private Life in Public Places, takes us into Van Gogh's world and his tormented life. Part Two contains recipes of the Auberge Ravoux in Auvers-sur-Oise documented by culinary historian Alexandra Leaf. An authority on 19th century French cuisine, she not only shares some of the recipes of the Auberge Ravoux but also gives us a look into the history of this authentic French inn.

Lamb Ravoux Style with Sautéed Potatoes

Having left his family home at the age of eleven, Van Gogh lived the life of a wanderer. Leeman, former curator of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, writes, "For an Artist who has neither family nor a home he can call his own, the café or auberge is where he sleeps, takes his meals, drinks, dreams, and drinks again. It is where he meets friends, artists like himself, and engages in discussions on art and life. It is a public place that assumes the face of privacy." (p. 33, VAN GOGH'S TABLE AT THE AUBERGE RAVOUX) Leeman takes the reader along to various places Van Gogh lived and painted. Still lifes of food, scenes within the cafés or through their windows, and portraits of the ordinary people who were a part of Van Gogh's life are the focus.

For those of us who love food, Part II is all about the Auberge Ravoux and recipes from Van Gogh's last home. According to Adeline Ravoux, the inn keeper's daughter, meals at the auberge were simple, "meat, vegetables, salad, dessert." With so many recipes from which to choose, it was not difficult to make food connections with this book.

It's been raining here all day. So Lamb Ravoux Style with Sautéed Potatoes seemed like a perfect choice. Lamb with a vegetable mixture of carrots, onions, and mushrooms cooks in a rich broth of lamb stock and dry white wine.

The sautéed potatoes are pan fired and then finished off in a hot oven. A beautiful golden brown, they are both salty and crunchy, and add the perfect side to this stew.

Add a nice red wine, a loaf of crusty bread, and dinner is served!

Bon Appétit!

My compliments to the chef!

Should you have any technical questions on this dish, you may address your questions to my husband, the resident chef here at HFTS.

To view a list of more "edible" book reviews and to learn how to add your own, visit Jain @ Food for Thought or Once in a Blue Moon.

Pancakes at the Counter

Pancakes at the counter for breakfast today!

I'm linking this post to Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday and Michael @ Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday.

Many mornings we simply have oatmeal with fresh berries, or during the hot summer months, it is cold cereal with fresh berries. But sometimes we just feel like hot pancakes with maple syrup. The petite counter space between the kitchen and the morning room includes two counter stools and provides a perfect informal dining spot for two.

An Italian planter with pink cyclamen adds a bright backdrop to separate the space from the farm sink in the kitchen.

Fruit inspired textiles from the south of France lend a touch of Country French.

These 100% cotton placemats with matching napkins are typical of the textiles available in France. I found these at a small shop in Nice for a very reasonable amount.

Our everyday pottery is Petite Fleur by Sigma. It is made in Italy and hand painted.

The mix of French Provencal textiles with the simple decor of the hand painted Italian pottery compliment each other.

These yellow pockets are actually hot pads. The fact that the fabric mixes polka dots, stripes, and checks caught my attention immediately, but my first thought was . . . "Wouldn't these be perfect repurposed as little pockets to hold flatware at a table setting?"

What do you think?

It's a mix of Italian and French, though both with a country feel, and a blue and yellow color palette is always cheerful for breakfast.

We like warm maple syrup with our pancakes, . . .

and this spicy variety is a special treat.

A couple of sausage patties are the perfect side dish. Have to have a little protein to start the day!

Yum! Pancakes are a nice treat once in a while!

If you want a quick, easy, fail proof recipe for pancakes, here it is. I've made these since my single days of sharing an apartment with roommates. Thanks, Margo!

Thanks for joining me today. Don't forget to head back to Susan's @ Between Naps on the Porch for a list of others sharing a table for Tablescape Thursday, and on Friday, Michael @ Designs by Gollum will have delicious recipes to share.

Silver and Blue - The Perfect Pair

In my mind silver and blue make a perfect pair, so I'm pairing today's post for both Silver Sunday with Gypsy Fish Journal and Blue Monday with Smiling Sally.

I was thrilled last week when I discovered Gypsy Fish Journal. Beginning last Sunday Beth began hosting Silver Sunday. I arrived too late to participate last Sunday, but wanted to join in the fun for Silver Sunday #2. For those who haven't yet visited Gypsy Fish, you are in for a treat. First she shared a "sweet silver succulent garden", and this week she has silver treasures from her grandmother.

The piece of silver I'm sharing today isn't but a decade old, and it certainly isn't fine silver. But it is a sweet remembrance of a milestone holiday. Remember New Year's 2000? It was the beginning of a new millennium, and the world was filled with excitement. (and worry about the Y2K bug)

This was a gift from my husband for our New Year's 2000 celebration. It is a silver champagne bottle engraved with MILLENNIUM 2000. It was marketed by Twos Company and was made in India. It's not a high quality silverplate so some of the silver has begun to wear a bit. It was just meant to be a souvenir of this historical year.

You can see in the photo above that it screws apart so that one can place a bottle of bubbly within. Then one has a "silver champagne bottle" perfect to bring in a new millennium. I figure that someday it will be a collector's item. Not to mention the fact that I think it was a very thoughtful gift from my husband!

The petite arrangement of blue hydrangeas and orange tulips was a party favor. I've never been to a baby shower before where I went home with a party favor. Have you? The hostesses had lined the centers of the three long dining tables with alternating arrangements: some of blue hydrangeas with orange tulips, some of orange roses, and some of blue hydrangeas with orange kalanchoes. Then at the party's end, they sent everyone home with one arrangement. Don't you think that's the sweetest idea for party flowers?

I came home with one of the tulips and blue hydrangeas. I adore the blue polka dots on the brown ribbon. Have you guessed what the color pallet is for the nursery? Yes, the mother-to-be has used aqua with brown and a touch of vintage cowboy fabrics.

In addition to visiting all the silver spotlighted on Silver Sunday and all the blue on Blue Monday, I recommend a visit to a post I read last week: L' Heure Bleue @ Poppedijne

Thanks for joining me today. I do hope you'll leave a comment to let me know you stopped by to visit.

Lina's Coco Couture

Want to know what's in this pretty pink box?

It's this incredible life size stiletto made of imported Belgium chocolate and filled with the most delicious gourmet chocolates handcrafted by Lina of Lina's Coco Couture.

Lina is a registered architect in the state of Texas and a partner in the firm Studio H+L. She started her business as a chocolatier after studying at the French Pastry School in Chicago in 2005. Her architectural design skills have easily transfered to creating her contemporary chocolates which are filled with a variety of interesting ingredients from spicy mango with basil to a blend of blue cheese and dark chocolate. Lina recently sampled her chocolate confections at Gallery Shoal Creek.

Here is Lina with one of her custom chocolate necklaces.

Lina has a line of custom creations from shoes to necklaces, to boxes. Each edible and filled with her individual bonbons.

This is one of her small stilettos which is solid chocolate.

In addition to the custom pieces, Lina's Coco Couture offers individual 2 piece to 12 piece boxes filled with your choice of bonbons.

If you click on the above photo it will enlarge so you can read what varieties are in this box of 12.

Look at this! Lucky me found one of Lina's Coco Couture's pink boxes sitting in my desk chair on Christmas morning. That Santa Claus is a special guy!

Want to see what came in my pink box?

It was a beautiful chocolate box with this snowflake medallion and . . .

filled with four special bonbons inside. The blue is coffee amertto, the red is raspberry framboise, the leaf is candied orange and almond grand marnier, and the yellow is spicy mango with basil.

Lina's Coco Couture is a unique spot for fine chocolates. Be sure to visit her site here. You just might find the perfect gift for your Valentine!

Thanks for joining me today for Pink Saturday hosted by our ever faithful Beverly @ How Sweet the Sound where you will find a list of others participating in today's Pink Saturday. One such site will be Mary @ Across the Pond. Click here to see her post from last week spotlighting delightful pinks found in NYC. You won't be disappointed. But before you head off, I'd be ever so grateful if you left me a comment today.