Christmas Our Way

Here in Brenham around the Holidays after decorating the shop, making sure all our customers things get shipped,

opening our doors back up after closing if someone needs something, working 4 weeks straight, wrapping everyone elses gifts, and listening to 30 days of xmas music, we need a little Frenchness.....Especially since in the middle of it all I took a spill on a wet slate floor andmy head had a nasty meeting with the corner of a slate step, so after a trip to the ER, a few stitches, a mild concussion, and now sporting a colossal shiner all week( which no amount of concealer could cover up) we decided to treat ourselves to some real French Bistro food....

Image by talented Rodney Smith, all the rest from Google.

Because we have a shop,
We don't buy gifts for each other but rather decide if we want a cookbook or something, a coffee grinder and order it sent because we can't get away....... So instead of getting gifts under the tree our treat is an assortment of fabulously cooked French dishes we cook ourselves starting on xmas eve and through xmas day. We plan a menu and try to include special things....

At the same time we bring out the series starring John Thaw and Lindsay Duncan called A Year in Provence....Made from the book by Peter Mayle. We call it our "Year In Provence Marathon", 6 Hours of mind clearing Frenchness that is hysterically funny, endearing, gastronomically intriguing, and will tug at your heart.


Peter starts making the Lemon tart we will have for dessert and put in the fridge to chill. This year our little Meyer Lemon tree gave us a xmas present and we're using those.



A nice little Lobster salad will hold us while we make the French...

Onion Tart, carmelized onions....Yum.
This one will have Proscuitto and walnuts.

While cooking we reward ourselves with a little caviar

with the accoutrements and champagne.
I have to take it easy on the champagne because of the bump on my head so I will be sneaking extra bites of Robes Caviar.(HehHeh I have to have some fun too!)

Another appetizer a fresh foie gras over mescalun with figs or fig preserves in a balsamic viniagrette.....We like over toasted raisin bread.

Main Course? Magret or duck breast with a red wine reduction and fresh blanched vegetables.

Then of course the lemon tart.

Wishing all our blog friends a great Christmas and Happiest of New Years.

Thank you for enhancing our lives it has been amazing. And Thanks for supporting our little shop that does big things..... We promise to always do our best to bring a smile to yor face when you walk in our door, and will continue to search out the latest and greatest for you, our friends and customers.

Joyeux Noel, Maryanne & Robes