Epicure Imports Sale Haul

The Epicure Imports Sale is Foodie heaven.

I spent too much money today,  but got some lovely French butter, cheese, sausage, pate, butter cookies in gorgeous packaging, and some Italian capers, pasta, balsamic vinegar, Cafe St. Eustachio, and lemon-infused olive oil.

Tour de France Cocktails, Corsica and Stage 1

Good morning sports fans! If you're like me, you're watching the Tour de France right now. Later you might need to pair your cycling spectation with some libation. Bicicyling Magazine is your huckleberry, and I love them for it. Check out their roundup of TDF themed cocktails!

http://www.bicycling.com/tour-de-france/tour-features/toast-tour-de-france

Corsica is looks rustic, lush, and hot to me. Very pretty hills. Neat rows of grape vines, too. Looks to be Cav's day, but you never know. Gorgeous shot along the coast. Reminds me a lot of the terrain around Santa Barbara and Ojai. If you want to ride a lovely century or metric century, and you don't mind some climbing, check out the Ojai Century. You'll ride through foothills and avocado and orange groves, and fly along PCH, too! Loads of fun. Southern California is so beautiful, and a great place for road cyclists.

For a Corsican wine, here something that sounds good. This excerpt is from The Examiner:

"The Domaine Maestracci ‘E Prove’ 2010 white is a fresh, acid-driven delight, brimming with limey citrus notes tingling the lips, apple and pear fruits in tangy abundance expanding in the mouth, and a long, leisurely finish that lasts until the next sip begins. This is Vermentinu, the primary white grape of Corsica, known as Vermentino in nearby Italy and Rolle in the south of France. It’s a grape that deserves much more prominence and share of mouth than it gets, and the Maestracci is a perfect example of why it excels in Corsica."

I just read on Miss Elisabeth's blog about how you can get a calzone in Corsica stuffed with a lightly poached egg, mozzarella and prosciutto. They have lots of local cheeses and cured meats, as do all parts of France and Italy. I bet all that would pair quite well with those crisp Corsican white wines. Yummy!

Below is the link where you can read the entire post about that calzone. It will make you want to visit Corsica! Suddenly I do! But why not? After all, my two favorite places in Europe are Italy and France, and Corsica is a blend of both.

http://blog.misselisabeths.com/home/2010/11/8/the-terroir-of-corsica-and-corsican-specialty-foods.html

Happy Tour de France, Everyone!!! I love July!

 

Posted with Blogsy

I've been biking in France without you!

It's terrible, because this April I went to France and rode for a week in the Loire Valley, doing the DiscoverFrance.com Deluxe Loire Valley tour.

And have I told you all anything about it? How could I be so selfish and mean to you, my fabulous Bike_Drink_Eat fans?

Well, please let me make it up to you by sharing some video, and few images.

Biketastic at Azay le Rideau, a Renaissance Chateau

Stoney at Chateau of Langeais

Vegetable Terrine at Domaine de Beauvois - very delicious!

Exterior of Domaine de Beauvois, an old priory made into a hotel

Chateau d'Usse, the inspiration for the story of Sleeping Beauty

Clock Tower at Chinon, an important Joan of Arc historic site

It was amazing. Discover France, by the way, is the official tour company of the Tour de France. It was so beautiful, even with a bit a rainy weather. Mostly we were very lucky and got a few hours of lovely sun today. And the area was in full spring bloom, so green, with herbs and flowers wherever you looked.

I have way more to tell you all about it, so stay tuned!

Enjoy the video, and let me know what you think, ask questions, get involved, people!

Cheers!