Dickie's Diner, Vertou - an authentic interior with great food!

We visited Dickie's Diner in Vertou on Saturday Night...a little of the beaten track in the middle of a large Industrial Estate in Vertou, but a real 'oasis in the desert' - the atmosphere hits you when you walk in, cool, American music playing on great Wurlizter jukebox, authentic, original memorabilia everywhere to be seen. Dickie (if that's his name?) is a collector, he was telling us that he hads over 70 jukeboxes and over 1000 items of American memorabilia.

The atmosphere and the interior is very authentic, the food was also very good, the service was American style - very attentive and friendly - we couldn't fault it - but beware - they serve American-sized portions, we were totally blown-out and couldn't eat much the next day!

A great find...will definitely go back...give it a try, you won't be disappointed!

The Black or White Café - an institution in Nantes already!

Great food, great coffees, great great women, Brenda and Kimberley, and great, great prices...but most of all...a little bit of "home" GET DOWN THERE!

KN Reading Group Takes Off Over a Curry!

Hi, what a lovely evening we had discussing books and dead cats....amongst other things...;) over a delicious curry this week.
here's the books we chose for the year and the first few dates.

If you weren't able to attend or if you'd like to join the KN Reading Group, don't worry you can still come along to the next group meeting (venue to be discovered again my Joanne) or you can just read the books and tell us what you think, via the web-site or email.

Here goes:

The Battle for Room Service by Mark Lawson 9 November

The Secret Scripture by Sebastien Barry 7 December

Like the Flowing River by Paul Coelho 11 January

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown 8 February

1000 Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini 8 March

See you on the 9th November, get ordering those books!

Best wishes Sue

This pic is magic

Walking in la Butte St Anne, Nantes, the other day I came across this very modern hairdressers ;) with a projecting sign to match!

French beauty secrets

Find out how those Parisiens look SO GOOD!

Foire aux vins....did you get a bargain?

It’s France’s annual foire aux vins (wine fair), the late summer-early autumn event when the nation’s supermarkets offer heavy discounts on wine, sending consumers on “a shopping spree…through crates of Bordeaux and Bourgognes in search of the best vintage at a good price,” says the article in Agence France-Presse.

It is, simply, “time to stock up,” even — or especially — in bad economic times. Sales from the foire aux vins amount to an astounding “25 percent of the total annual turnover for wines in big supermarkets.” It’s not only a great deal for wine consumers, but also for producers, providing them with “a major boost at a time when they are struggling with falling demand.”

Voila.

Eaux-de-vie ever wondered how to make it?

Ever wondered about the history of eaux-de-vie and how to make it...I was having a chat over lunch with colleagues at work the other day, and one was getting read, along with the others in his village to make the eaux-de-vie in a collective.
Apparently, it is illegal to make it (as it's alcohol!) unless you are an ancester of a family member (always passed down through the paternal ancestry, Father to son) who still have the right to make it.

Apparently 100 kilo's of fruit are used in this collective to make around 20 bottles of eaux-de-vie. I was interested to find out more about this ancient drink...so here's some more info.

It's easy to understand why eaux-de-vie translates to "waters of life." It's equally easy to understand why eaux-de-vie are considered some of the world's most elegant drinks.

The eaux-de-vie we know today were first created by the medieval monks who transformed wild fruits into pure, fresh, fruit-flavored brandies. Today, this legacy continues in France, Switzerland and Germany, and more recently, on America's West Coast.

All fine eaux-de-vie begin with the choicest fruit, hand-picked at the moment of ripeness. The fruits are mashed and fermented and then distilled twice in traditional copper pot stills that render a clear, intense spirit. After distillation, the new eaux-de-vie rest a few months to become mellower, smoother and rounder, while developing a complex, many-faceted character. It takes about 20 pounds of fruit to make one bottle of eau-de-vie.

The fruits used today are much the same varieties used by the medieval monks. Among the most popular are framboise (raspberry), mirabelle (yellow plum), prunelle (blackthorn or sloe plum) and poire Williams (Bartlett pear). The most fascinating is the poire Williams eau-de-vie known as poire prisonniere. Unlike other eaux-de-vie (including the regular bottling of poire Williams) in which the essence of the fruit is captured, poire prisonniere captures the fruit itself. How? Early in the growing season, when the pears are just forming on the trees, glass bottles are tied over some of the most promising buds. The pear grows inside the bottle, and when it is ripe, it is cut from the tree-still in the bottle. Both bottle and pear are washed and pear brandy is added. The whole pear is in the bottle you buy, its beauty and flavor completely intact.

There's also a museum dedicated to the eaux de vie
http://www.musee-eaux-de-vie.com/

Laurence, a place for all organic vegetarian good lovers...

I've heard a lot about this restaurant, so I thought I would share it with you...
Here's the link to find out more...