JOËL DURAND SENDS US CHOCOLATES

Posted on January 29, 2012December 30, 2015 by Susan Manfull

Second of a two-part article.These chocolates are so delicious that most people say, 'They are to die for.' I would say, 'They are to live for.' Hope for a good long life, so you can try every one. --My mother, 80-somethingC'est arrivé. The chocolates arrived just in time for my mother's birthday. They were carefully packed with the knowledge that they would be traveling far from Saint-Remy-de-Provence and they arrived in perfect condition.Regular readers of The Modern Trobadors may r...

MY FAVORITE CHOCOLATIER IN PROVENCE

Posted on January 22, 2012December 28, 2015 by Susan Manfull

First of two-part articleL'Alphabet des Saveurs chocolates Photo: 1j2MSome of the best chocolates in the world hail from France. In Paris, I think of La Maison de Chocolat, JP Hévin, La Durée, Michel Chaudun. But it is to Provence that I would head for my favorite: the best chocolate in the region is made by Joël Durand in the small village of Saint-Remy-de-Provence.We visited this alluring chocolate shop this past August. The number of times we have been drawn to Monsieur Durand's chocola...

LONGING FOR BLACK TRUFFLES, CONSOLED BY FRAGRANT MEMORIES AND PATRICIA WELLS’ “SIMPLY TRUFFLES”

Posted on January 15, 2012January 3, 2016 by Susan Manfull

Today is the third Sunday in January, otherwise known as “The Mass for the Truffles” in Richerenches: the annual blessing, auction, and feast of the black truffle. We’ve been there, huddled among the masses in the tiny church to witness baskets of black diamonds offered up to be blessed, walked with the parade of people to the Hôtel de Ville where our successful bids put several truffles in our pockets, and relished in the glory of a lavish meal devoted to the beloved Tuber melanosporum. I wish...

ADAM GOPNIK IS RIGHT: THE TABLE COMES FIRST

Posted on January 1, 2012December 31, 2015 by Susan Manfull

As I write this week’s post, 2011 is about to roll into 2012 and I am reflecting on all the wonderful times I have had around the table this year and in years past. Adam Gopnik’s book does this to you. I highly recommend “The Table Comes First: Family, France, and the Meaning of Food.” I might add that I “listened” to much of the book, which I particularly enjoyed because Mr. Gopnik narrates the audio book himself. Until you can get your hands on the book, I leave you with some of my favorit...

MAYOR BLAISE DIAGNE WANTS LOURMARIN TO BE AN “OPEN VILLAGE” THAT “WELCOMES ALL”…. We think he’s been successful!

Posted on October 30, 2011July 6, 2017 by Susan Manfull

Sometimes I wonder what draws people to Lourmarin. I have visited many villages now, some completely devoid of appeal—even in Provence, such villages do exist—and others with loads of appeal—things tourist books like to mention such as breathtaking views, perfectly manicured window boxes, picturesque squares, streets lined with high-end boutiques, a river running through the center of town, or a perched locale—but, when I return to Lourmarin, a humble village whose charm does not gush out all ov...

JACQUELINE BRICARD WELCOMES NAÏF ARTISTS TO LOURMARIN

Posted on October 16, 2011December 29, 2015 by Susan Manfull

Naïf art is that which takes inspiration from the soul. The artists who produce this style of work are generally self-taught or at least not academically trained. Their work is therefore free from any prescribed convention. Their work is usually characterized by very bright and bold colors, distortions in perspective and size, and a seemingly childlike or simplistic style (although a closer examination reveals that the work is neither although it certainly appeals to the child in each of us!). ...

MONTE DOLACK: RETRACING FAMOUS ARTISTS’ FOOTSTEPS IN PROVENCE

Posted on January 16, 2011November 24, 2015 by Susan Manfull

If world-famous artists like Paul Cezanne and Vincent Van Gogh fell in love with Provence, Montana wildlife painter Monte Dolack says it's got something to do with the luminous landscape and the culture he too found so captivating during recent trips there. “There's a sense of wildness, but almost no natural forest. It's shaped because of people planting things, so it has a different look that's kind of intriguing,” said Dolack (who has stayed twice in our rental apartment in Lourmarin). “The...

OUR BRIEF FORAY INTO THE WORLD OF TRUFFLE HUNTING

Posted on November 29, 2010February 17, 2016 by Susan Manfull

This week’s posting is written conjunction with David Scott Allen, Editor of Cocoa & Lavender, who is posting a two-part series on truffles entitled, “Life in Black and White.” This past Wednesday (11/24/10), he discussed black truffles and featured his wonderful recipe for Fettuccine with Truffle Butter. Next Wednesday (12/1/10), he will focus on white truffles with an accompanying recipe. Towny and I have had the pleasure of enjoying many meals with David and Mark—I assure you that you w...

ALBERT CAMUS– A LOURMARIN ICON OF STILL-EMERGING IDENTITIES

Posted on October 24, 2010December 28, 2015 by Susan Manfull

One of Lourmarin's most celebrated residents was French writer-philosopher Albert Camus. But 50 years after his tragic death in a car crash at only 46, questions linger about his still-emerging multiple identities as doomed Resistance hero, compulsive womanizer and consumptive Algiers slum boy turned advocate for the underdog. Born in French Algeria in 1913, Camus first came to Lourmarin in the wake of his philosophy mentor Jean Grenier, a writer who had taught Camus in Algeria and whose ties...

HERBES DE PROVENCE REVEALED

Posted on September 27, 2010December 30, 2015 by Susan Manfull

“What are Herbes de Provence?” I was asked. Lori, who has had the unenviable task of cleaning chez Manfull for nearly twenty years, raised the bag of herbs to her nose again, waved it back and forth, and inhaled deeply. The small bag of fragrant herbs that we had just purchased a few days earlier from the Lourmarin market reminded Lori that she really wanted to know which herbs defined herbes de Provence. She also wondered why she had never heard of them until we gave her a similar bag about te...