This, That, and The Other Thing

Food and travel writer Ann Vanderhoof and her husband Steve left their upscale life behind to sail from their home in Canada to the Caribbean. Her husband was a seasoned sailor but to Ann, who didn’t even like sailing until into her 40s, this was a scary yet exciting undertaking for her. This book, referred to as Under the Tuscan Sun meets the wide open seas doesn’t begin to cover it. For two years they sailed from island to island discovering local culture, battling the elements, cooking the native foods, and collecting recipes. Living on a boat creates it s own problems, and she writes in detail about each one.  It is a fascinating experience for the reader who gets caught up in every exciting and life-threatening moment. Curious about the title?  All is explained in the first chapter.

And one other thing — the recipes using local foods, herbs and spices sound delicious. It may be difficult to find some of the ingredients.  the author does give some hints about  ingredient substitutions and cookling methods.  At least we don’t have to use a tiny 2-burner stove top. I pepared Pasta from Mr. Butter’s Garden – a simple recipe but quite tasty.

Before attending the always astounding Pageant of the Masters, I dined with friends and family at the Driftwood Kitchen in Laguna Beach. It occupies the space formerly known as The Beach House. The renovation presented a much more open and bright atmosphere with a very inviting vibe. Of course it was busy but the server was attentive, and I was surprised by the quality of the food. Everything was really quite good – fresh ingredients and beautifully plated.  My fish special was a perfectly-grilled cod served on a bed of arugula with crisp white and green asparagus with the yummiest béchamel sauce.

Dessert was a delightful topper to the meal – a raspberry coconut macaroon on a bed of raspberry coulis accompanied by an elegant sorbet.

The one thing that set this experience apart was the view. It was early evening, the sky and the water both a brilliant blue. We would have been fine with OK food just to see that view. So it was a win-win all the way around. The Deck upstairs is mainly bar food, but you go there for a glass of wine and THE VIEW!

“The Little Paris Bookshop”

Written by Nina George, this is a quirky tale of a Paris bookshop owner who calls himself a literary apothecary. His floating bookstore is located on a barge on the Seine. He has been pining for a lost love but has not yet opened her farewell letter. It has been over 20 years when he finally reads it. Thus begins his journey, and what an adventure it is.

This book is filled with interesting characters and beautiful places. There is something here for any reader who loves history, enjoys travel, who is a Francophile, or just enjoys an entertaining story.

That is all I am going to say because I don’t want to accidentally give you any spoilers. The Little Paris Bookshop was on the bestseller list in the US for many months and then a bestseller in paperback. It was also a bestseller in Germany for a year, and a best seller in Italy and Poland. It is now officially on my “favorites” list.

The other thing — something that made this book unique for me was my discovery of the existence of a little town in Southeastern France that is known as the “town of books”. Cuisery, population 1500, has so little about it on the internet.  That is probably why it is such a well-kept secret. It sounds like a magical place and if any of you out there reading this blog post know about this town, please contact me. If you have actually been there, even better. I would love to hear about your experience.

The indoor food court concept is not a new one in Orange County. There is the Anaheim Packing House, the OC Mart Mix and now Union Market in Tustin at The District. I enjoy going to The District. I find it relaxing, and the conversation groupings set randomly throughout the center offer a pleasant interlude to sit and enjoy a coffee or a soft drink or just to sit.

Union Market has an interesting variety of food options that sets it apart from the usual. Sandra (my lovely foodie friend) and I chose Kettlebar for our lunch. It was located right inside the front entrance, but the “Southern seafood” caught our attention. The server was very attentive without being annoying and knew every detail of the menu. As I  am traveling to New Orleans in August, the p’boys brought back memories. Sandra had the soft shelled crab and I opted for the oyster. They were delicious. The batter was light and crispy and not a bit greasy. On a soft bun with pickles, tomato, lemon vinigrette and honey remoulade was a perfect blend of flavors.

The other thing  is the unusual round metal pot-like objects set up along the bar. They are individual steamers used to prepare the 14 bowls on the menu from the chicken and sausage to the etouffee.. This is their special preparation technique to create authentic Cajun and creole dishes. We will definitely be back.

We parked on the street but valet parking is available. We entered the restaurant under a lush green archway into a lovely garden with marble top tables and linen napkins. It was like being welcomed into someone’s home. The inside dining room had a nice cabin feel and well as another larger patio beyond. This provided a lovely tranquil ambiance among the high rises of Sunset Boulevard.

The food was good too. The Dungeness crab pasta was delicious, listed on the menu as spaghetti rustica, green onion, tomato, lemon, chili pangrattato. This was a fancy way of saying that these ingredients work very well together and bring out the sweetness of the crab. The local halibut served with roasted summer squash, thyme, caper, tomato, sorrel sauce ravigote as well as the burrata salad and the blistered summer corn were all quite tasty.

The one low note was the harissa-roasted broccoli. It was seasoned well but the leaves were slightly burnt making the stems inedible. The overall dining experience was enjoyable. I ordered an aperol spritzer and it was very refreshing, bringing back memories of my last trip to Italy.

The other thing  that I need to mention is that this lush, lovely garden patio is dog friendly. I found a place to enjoy a nice dinner in a lovely setting that welcomed my dog.