The Emperor's Baguette

Yes, I am fully aware of the innuendo implicit in la baguette de l'Empereur (The Emperor's Wand *nudge**nudge**wink**wink*) But that is genuinely the name of the bread I bought today.

I assumed that the woman in the bakery this evening was just correcting a mistake in the name of the bread I wanted (a common occurence, given the variation in some types of French bread is very slight, occasionally only discernible to the baker themselves, seems to me) when I tried to order a baguette à la tradition this evening.

"No,no, Madame, this is the Emperor's baguette," she says, somewhat dramatically.

"Ah, I'm sorry." It looks like a baguette à la tradition to me. "I'll take it anyway."

She duly wraps it in a special blue Emperor's Baguette bag - at which point I notice the corresponding sash the poor woman is having to wear. I pay whatever extortionate price a baguette à la tradition with extra fancy naming commands (€1.20, if you're really interested) and take my freshly baked, warm baguette and wait for my change.

She produces, declaiming dramatically into the cupboard under the counter, a spoon. Apparently, if one is to eat the Emperor's Baguette, one must have jam. And if one is having jam, one must have a jam spoon. Et voilà. I am now the proud owner of a jam spoon. And an Emperor's Baguette to have with dinner. (Chorizo, white bean and tomato stew, in case you're interested. I knew you would be.)

Pictures, just because it entertains me greatly, and this is my blog:

L'amour est dans le pre

Those of you who read my Nice blog may remember my enthusiasm (roundly mocked by pretty much everyone) for L'Amour est dans le pre - a programme about the meeting of minds (or not) between farmers who frankly lack any sort of social skills and the somewhat similarly insane city dwellers who apparently like the idea of going out with them.

Tonight is the first episode of, I think, a new series! It is either that, or a "What are they doing now" special - either is good.

Those of you in France should watch M6 in about 40 minutes. The rest of you will have to live without that pleasure, though I may decide to write more about it once it's over. And, of course, if it's a series, I shall happily keep you updated as True Wuv progresses in rural France.

(The other highlight of my TV week is the recent discovery that TF1 shows House in English. They sound wrong in French - though not as wrong as the French Simpsons, which is truly a crime against humanity.)

If I have timed things right, my dinner should be ready soon - I am having leek, carrot and sweet potato soup with freshly baked baguette. I am starving. (I know you all wanted to know that.)

ETA: It's a new series! Sweet! (Also, dinner was good.)

Recipe: Chicken in a mushroom and creme fraiche sauce with rice

I cooked a proper dinner tonight - for the first time in ages. I think it turned out all right, so I shall write the recipe down so I remember it for next time! You lucky, lucky people can share in my new-found domesticity - next time, I might even take photos!

(Properly domestic and talented people are not allowed to laugh at me. It's my blog and I said so.)

Chicken in a mushroom and crème fraiche sauce with rice
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic (I like garlic)
a small tube of crème fraiche
120g of rice

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Sprinkle salt, pepper, oregano and thyme on one side of the chicken breasts, then add that side face down in the hot pan. Add salt etc to the other side and turn after five minutes. Turn the heat down to a medium heat and forget about it for the next ten minutes. (I have an electric stove, so it takes a while for the pan to actually start cooling down - leave to cook for a couple of minutes before turning the heat down if you use gas.)

2. After ten minutes, turn the chicken breasts again. Leave for another ten minutes.

3. While you're waiting, put a couple of litres of salted water on to boil, for the rice.

4. Chop the onion and add to a third pan with a generous splash of olive oil. (I didn't say this was light on the washing up. It's part of why it feels like grown up cooking, so hush with your complaints.) Cook on a medium heat for a couple of minutes, while you chop the garlic. Add the garlic and turn the heat down to low. (Again, I use an electric stove - adjust as necessary if you're using gas.) Chop the mushrooms thinly, but don't add to the pan yet.

5. When the water is boiling for the rice, add the rice and cook according to its instructions. (Mine took 12 minutes. If yours takes longer, you might want to do this stage before the onion...)

6. If things work out well - luckily, they did tonight - 5 or 6 minutes before the rice is ready, the chicken-breast-ten-minutes should be over. Turn the chicken breasts a last time.

7. Add the mushrooms to the pan with the onions and garlic in and stir occasionally.

8. One minutes before the rice is ready, add the crème fraiche to the pan with the mushrooms/onions/garlic and stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

9. Drain the rice and put on plates. Put the chicken breasts on plates. When the crème fraiche has warmed through and become runny, spoon over the rice and chicken. Serve immediately.

(I meant to add green beans to the boiling rice a couple of mins before it was ready, but this proved too many things to keep track of and I forgot. I'd recommend it, though, if you're more organised than I am!)