25 November 2013

"big Chickens like Peacocks with Feathers as a kind of Wool...."


...is how the turkey was described by early Spanish conquistadores who brought it to France from the New World in the 16th C.  Turkey quickly became a favorite in the courts... and it was first served during a meal in France for the wedding feast of King Charles IX in 1570, and the first turkey served at a Christmas dinner in France was at the table of the sovereign Holy Roman Emperor Charles VII. Wouldn't you loved to have been a fly on the walls at those meals?

Now as we begin Thanksgiving week here in America, much thought is given to The Meal of the Year...our Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. Many are already madly preparing for the feast, and have been for the last week or so.






If you are not lucky enough to have four culinary geniuses descending upon you for Thanksgiving, having also offered to do the entire meal for us (yes!! it's true!! Lisa, Steven, Dani and Andre are ALL cooking for our crowd...heavenly!) you might want to run (don't walk, RUN!) over to this wonderful site (Saveur) I just found and play the slots with your Thanksgiving menu! Look, I got the Lobster Macaroni and Cheese on my first spin!!

click over to Saveur for great menus; 
almost as much fun as Pinterest for whiling the time away!


And if you are just a little hungry, feast your eyes on this close up of the Lobster Macaroni and Cheese side dish... I would probably say the heck with the turkey, THIS would be my main dish! Recipe below! It would certainly do for sometime over the long Thanksgiving weekend.. let me know what time I should be there!




Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

INGREDIENTS
Kosher salt, to taste 
12 oz. hollow pasta, preferably elbow macaroni
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup flour
4 cups milk
11 oz. grated fontina (about 4 cups)
8 oz. mascarpone (about 1 cup)
3 tbsp. lobster or fish broth
3 tbsp. brandy or cognac
1 tsp. Tabasco
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 oz. cooked lobster meat, cut into 1" chunks
⅓ cup minced chives
2 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
2 oz. grated sharp aged white cheddar (about 1 cup)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°. Bring a 4-qt. saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked halfway through, about 3 minutes. Drain pasta, transfer to a bowl, and set aside. 

2. Melt butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk and cook, continuing to whisk often, until sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in 2 cups fontina, along with the mascarpone, broth, brandy, Tabasco, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Add reserved pasta to cheese sauce. Stir in half each of the lobster, chives, and scallions. 

3. Transfer mixture to a 9" x 13" baking dish and sprinkle with remaining fontina and the cheddar. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with remaining lobster, scallions, and chives.


HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL
WHEREVER YOU MAY BE!!




***

The Chic Provence Design Tour is selling quickly! 
I can't wait for YOU to come with us and
share this amazing place! This is the perfect
Christmas gift so begin hinting now, cherie!






see details and what happy guests have to say:
download registration forms here 




questions? 
skype me: kitgolson
call or text me:  650-302-6883






18 November 2013

{ Sunday Drive }

We love to get in the car and just wander. Sunday we thought we were headed for Sonoma, to see the vineyards in harvest time, have lunch and of course visit all the antiques markets... but halfway over the Golden Gate Bridge, we decided to head to West Marin, away from the crowds, to Nicasio and to Pt. Reyes National Seashore. Great call! Chris took all these amazing photos and I'd love to share them with you!

How was your Sunday drive?

Old St. Mary's Church in Nicasio, CA

Tomales Bay looking south

abandoned old boat on Tomales Bay

a Tule elk saunters across the sunny but dried meadow,
oblivious to us a few hundred feet away

Nicky was fascinated by the huge creatures with
branches on their heads... where are the squirrels??

looking down on Drake's Beach, southward

no doggies allowed so I had to carry Nicky around!



all photos by my husband Chris Golson



***

The Chic Provence Design Tour is selling quickly! 
I can't wait for YOU to come with us and
share this amazing place!






see details and what happy guests have to say:
download registration forms here 





We quickly sold last year so let me know right away 
if you you would like me to hold a space for you!



questions? 
skype me: kitgolson
call or text me:  650-302-6883



















16 November 2013

Of Course it is Autumn in California...

Can't you see the leaves in the swimming pool? The blooms on the cactus? How happily the bougainvillea clambers and flowers? How the "shrubs-whose-name-I-always-forget" takes on its wintry red top leaves?

The morning shadows are long and low across the lawn. The oranges on the trees begin to change from green to brilliant orange. The palm trees grow their golden fruit.

Fallen leaves blanket the sidewalks and all the houses in the neighborhood take on the cozy, welcoming look of mugs of hot chocolate and warm UGGS boots by the fire. Well, sort of. If you squint you can imagine a little frost appearing on the lawns...

We love walking through the neighborhood in the morning and this is what we saw today!


a neighbor's palm grows those golden date-like things


...while oak leaves inundate our swimming pool...


...Tom's cactus actually blooms (yes that is a flower!)..


..and the brilliant Harvard botanist's yard has a cactus blooming long,
hanging red blossoms just inside the courtyard...


...Tom will have to remind me the name of his gorgeous ruby-red shrubs... they are green
most of the year except fall....

...his bougainvillea is thriving up the wall....

...and more of those ruby shrubs look gorgeous in front of the white 1906 house...

...and their orange tree looks quite healthy... notice how they 
planted it just a bit too far back from the sidewalk 
so that you can't accidentally pick one as you pass by? :)


the botanist's blue climbers are vigorous at this time of year....

and the lariope grows huge as November marches on...


...shadows are very very long across the lawn for 8:30 am....


such an adorable bungalow, grey, white and lots of green...


the curving pathway leads past the hydrangea gone autumnal...

and there are the pumpkins and autumn wreath to greet visitors...

while Thelma's house is one of my favorite of all bungalows....here looking all falling leaves...



another we call the Frank Lloyd Wright house... with it's autumn garden and that porch!


...while the mission house looks kind of disheveled with leaves and rubber plants gone wild..

...the little Japanese maple is dwarfed by our neighborhood white oaks....


and the ginger is blooming at the "Tommy Bahama" house!



Hope you enjoyed your walk around our neighborhood this gorgeous fall day!



***

The Chic Provence Design Tour is selling quickly! 
I can't wait for YOU to come with us and
share this amazing place!






see details and what happy guests have to say:
download registration forms here 





We quickly sold last year so let me know right away 
if you you would like me to hold a space for you!



questions? 
skype me: kitgolson
call or text me:  650-302-6883








12 November 2013

Gorgeous Paintings: Provence


Sometimes all you need is a quick look at a stunningly beautiful late 19th C. French Impressionist painting to make the sun come out and shadows dapple through the branches while the warm breezes caress your cheek. Escape the escalating wintry days. 

This is exactly the feeling I get when I look at some of my favorite Provençal paintings and artists. How many of these do you know, and how do you like your Impressionists?

artist Vincent Van Gogh of white roses in a vase

artist Vincent Van Gogh, of the olive trees in St. Remy

artist Cezanne of les Alpilles
artist Matisse of a still life with gorgeous fabric and fruit



***


You will see some of these artists' works on the Chic Provence Design Tour... come join us!






see details and what happy guests have to say:
download registration forms here 





We quickly sold last year so let me know right away 
if you you would like me to hold a space for you!



questions? 
skype me: kitgolson
call or text me:  650-302-6883








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