3 Men in a Tub

We just had to have a last get together before we head off on our adventure. There was lots of excited talk and last minute plans. The boys started off in fine form with their insults and jibes. Many hamburgers were eaten. A celebratory bottle of Moet Chandon was shared in honour of our French first leg.

Marcia showed me a photo of the 3 amigos from 1996 and I had to share these smiling faces with you. That was the "then"......... At the bottom of the post is a picture of the "now". Many exciting days ahead.

Tuscany....at last

We have finally booked our Tuscany property. It is above a little town called San Martino in Freddana, about 10 km from Lucca The villa is called Casia Elia and is part of a property that has 4 houses and a "6 hole golf course". The golf course sounds charming. The owner is obviously very proud of it and seems to be introducing golf to Italians. Here is a charming description of golf by the owner:

"The pitch is the name of the club that allows the ball to fly about 100 metres."
"The putt is the club used to make the ball run on the grass towards the hole."

I'm sure Tiger Woods has played at this course.

Ciao!

Murviel les Beziers

We found a beautiful place in the Languedoc called La Maison Rose in Murviel les Beziers. The owner is from New Zealand, and after much back and forth by email and phone calls. It is booked. We are looking forward to staying in this beautiful village. There are butchers, and bakers around the corner, and the courtyard is beautiful.

Paris Accomodations

This is a view from the apartment window.

We booked our Paris accomodations today. It is by the Gare de Nord train station on Blvd de la Chappelle It is a 19th Century four floor walk up, with those tall ceilings and big windows. The kitchen is fantastic. Check it out here

The Planning Begins

All we needed was a dinner, a projector and the internet to start the planning. After about 3 hours, we had fleshed out the trip and decided on a few places to visit.

First Stop - Paris May 2, 2009.

Second Stop - Normandy May 8, 2009

Third Stop - The Languedoc in Southern France May 9, 2009

Fourth Stop - Tuscany May 16, 2009

Next step is to book accomodation

Here is the recipe of what was served on Planning Night.


Chicken Tajine with Potatoes, Olives and Chick Peas
*Moroccan spice is mixture of cinnamon, coriander and cumin.

8 each chicken thighs
1 large onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 lemons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 oz olive oil (2 tbsp)
2 cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup black olives, salt cured (dry) or green olives if desired
1 pinch saffron
2 tsp moroccan spice*
1/2 bunch parsley Italian fresh or Cilantro, chopped
1 can garbanzo beans or chick peas (1 can drained)
1 tsp Thyme Leaves
1 lb potatoes baby

Procedure
1 Marinate the chicken thighs in the fresh lemon juice and garlic for 1 hour. Reserve the marinade when you brown the chicken pieces.
2 In a large casserole dish or dutch oven, brown chicken thighs, skin side down in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Turn over pieces, skin side up and season with salt pepper, and brown for a few more minutes. Remove the chicken thighs onto a plate.
3 Skim off some of the fat from the pan if desired.
4 Saute the onions in the pan .
5 Put the chicken pieces back into the pan and add the chicken stock, reserved marinade, chick peas, baby potatoes, moroccan* spices, salt
6 Cover and cook in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Test a chicken thigh with a knife to make sure it is cooked through to the bone. Check the potatoes to see if they are cooked.
7 Skim off some of the fat again if desired.
8 Add the black olives and parsley at the end of the cooking time.

Servings: 8
Degree of Difficulty: Easy
Oven Temperature: 350°F
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour

Recipe Tips
Serve with Naan bread, pita or other flat bread. The sauce is great for dipping.