Is Cassoulet Time's 'Man' of the year?

With Russia's Vladimir Putin on the cover and the year's roundup of top news photographs inside, I had to smile when I picked up the current issue of TIME magazine and found our own star French dish reaching out from The Global Advisor section. Cassoulet is indeed still in the global consciousness as a journalist from Departures magazine also called this month to ask my opinions about THE best cassoles in the world. Of course, this prompted a last minute drive down the windy road to Cassoulet country as the bidding for the Menu for Hope raffle was drawing to a close and my lovely 20-year old cassole up on the blocks.

So for those keeping track of these things, food trends and such, let it be noted that Camp Cassoulet continues in 2008 and hits the road in early spring toward the West Coast of America and then makes a special all-star French connection in New Orleans before the IACP international conference in Mid April. As IACP's country coordinator for France, I look forward to meeting other international members and sharing one of France's iconic culinary treasures in an informal and fun day at Camp Cassoulet-NOLA. More to come...


And for those wondering just what 2008 offers from my French Kitchen Adventures... stay tuned for a new look, classic recipes and way to own your own authentic cassole from French Kitchen Pantry.

French Full Moon

Winter.Solstice.French.Full.Moon

This darkest night,
too bright with hope,
leads lightly toward
a New Year
of good Food, Friends
& Family.

For 2008,
a Pantry full of New Ideas,
a Book of French Fairy Tales,
and a Welcoming French Kitchen
at the Relais de Camont.

Menu for Hope- winter solstice celebrations!

Winter Solstice Still Life with Clay- 21/12/07

Yesterday I drove to the Lauragais, that wide open valley famous for le bleu de Pastel, Minervois wines, and ...cassoulet, of course. For those not lucky enough to have traveled in this part of Southwest France, let me just warn you of one alarming thing- the wind! And it's not from the beans. Bacon and I could hardly walk the towpath along the Canal du Midi; there was enough choppy wave action on the narrow canal that would have made me seasick. But once inside the kiln warmed atelier I relaxed and remembered why I came.

As a barge captain I would say it was blowing stink. As a driver of a very small and lightweight French car, it was rockin'! But as the courier to fetch a trunk full of heavy hand-thrown cassoles... it was just right! And that is exactly what I did- loaded the 2CV with a couple dozen cassoles of all sizes and headed back to the Agenais with a belly full of beans and warm heart.

Thank you all who bought tickets for this 4th Annual Menu For Hope with the hope to win one of my prized Not Poterie cassoles from the French Kitchen Cooking school. At last glance we were at $82K and counting. there are still a few hours left to buy raffle tickets and Pim's last post offers a few hot tips! Since I decided to buy a few extras cassoles to keep the deux-chevaux on the road, I can now offer the lucky winner a well-used and loved cassole or a brand spanking new one. When the winner is selected, I'll send you a photo and let you choose!

Just to tide you over here, here is a still life of the poterie on a windy but sunny winter solstice day in Southwest France. And the man who made your pot for you...

Jean-Pierre NOT

A BIG MERCI TO ALL!!!