Cognac Degustation Visit

A little while ago we went camping for two nights in Cognac, a town where for some time my family had wished to visit.  It was within a reasonable driving distance from home.  The Cognac distillery was the priority and we found one for less than 10e per head.  MARTELL. The first photos are of Vintage bottles then a very neat ledger. One would not wish to blot a copy book with a jot of Cognac!

 I think this model was original size for we looked down upon it!... or maybe half or quarter size!

 After the vintage poster a photo of earlier or later days depending on date of poster!

 Then photos of fascinatingly detailed maquettes: models that my family passed by!

Above: part of the former distillery, now the museum and visitor centre.
Below: visual displays through glass windows.

 

It was an excellent presentation in English of how Cognac is distilled, with a brief History of the Martell Family, but no mention of where the Cognac is distilled today.  There were films and interesting information at the correct level.  To end were tastings. As there were unclaimed glasses of Cognac I enquired about the taste of a Cocktail which was a choice.  Reluctantly, but politely, he poured one! After all of that, I told him I preferred it neat. At home we compared a Cognac with an Armagnac which is what I normally buy for emergency, medicinal usage. Armagnac has a brightness whereas Cognac is mellow! However, one should compare quality with quality! I shall stay with Armagnac! It was all my cousin's fault!

Killer Cat

The lovely Big Feet, now aged at least 13, recently, ostensibly treated for arthritis by the vet, although I suspected a pulled muscle, has shown improved action in the field, so to speak!  I don't know why but she has become more grumpy, more vocal, insisting she goes out or insisting she stays in.  She cries in a way that she didn't in her previous home (not that I was aware of), for food, or to be let out or to be let in!  She likes people. She likes company. She is a talkative cat. She likes affection. She gets affection. We talk to each other.
BUT... RECENTLY...she has returned to her younger youthfulness and become KILLER CAT!
This cat used to be a moler if she could be bothered! She used to trot across a busy road to the pedestrian pavement of the bridge, cross the road again and go to the English Common by the riverside, return the same way with a large, LARGE, rabbit or baby rabbit and proceed to be proud of her display!  Or go in the other direction to a garden to remove moles. The owner was very happy!
RECENTLY, the mouse population outside this house has been decimated by at least one a day. Not shrews, but mice, and I am convinced that at least one was a harvest mouse, so I was upset.
Cats kill and I know that!  BUT THIS CAT IS GAINING WEIGHT!!
I was distraught when I heard what I cheerfully thought were baby birds squabbling in the courtyard but to my dismay it was BIG FEET in Le Grand Salon batting an 'Eurasian Blue-tit' fighting for its life.  Poor wee thing!  Knowing that it had little chance of survival it was taken outside, set on the rockery to draw breath, but to no avail!
I am searching my conscience as to why I am upset when she kills a swallow, or a harvest mouse, or a blue-tit, or bat but am not emotionally straught, yes I mean this word, when it is a shrew... although I have rescued those in my time and been bitten in the process!
Imagine what it would be like if a HUGE GIANT CAME AND ATTACKED US... if a dino-saw-us!
I would faint! I would be DEAD!
 with thanks to Wikipedia photo usage!

An Amble in Richelieu

to reduce the layering of cake carbohydrates!

I just love this and wonder what the shop sold

Who had to hear this?

A grand giant knocker alerted the Doctor for the King. He lived in this house which became a  hotel, however, he couldn't afford to pay the (purchase?) price of 10,000 livres. Building costs were more economical to have no alleyway, therefore no gates into the courtyard. It is the only hotel which never had a grand hallway entrance onto la Grande Rue.

Whereas this one, on the second of the four ways of the crossroads does have the porch onto La Grande Rue as well as different window styles to the side of the house in the street opposite the grand knocker!

 

Different window styles

Part of La Grande Rue with Arched gate entrances for every house. Each was afforded by a person of rank. I believe.

An example of how to reduce window size!

I like the deep mulberry blue and planter on the door!

 

 Above: two interesting gardens down to the 'canal' behind the uninteresting façades below.

Well he would work in wood, wouldn't he?

This lean-to would worry me but it is held-back!

A strange surprise.

Cake Demolition

Nine cakes fed thirteen mouths and look how much they left...but it was all shared as we took
a slice of each cake home
or a slice of those we hadn't tasted
or a slice of those that we liked the most!
The wonderful thing about the idea of a CCC for me is that I can be creative and bake a cake,  share culinary success or disaster with appreciative foodies, have a laugh as well as be sensible, see new places, listen to conversation or join in, relax, and find something to learn. It sharpens my mind and allows me to get socially presentably dressed for the occasion and be in good expat sociable company.  It's a cake party! This last venue was a long drive with 100 miles recorded on the car odometer but I am not complaining.  Look at the results of CCC eating!  Thank you to everyone for the pleasure and the difference such an occasion makes to living in France... when a special 'English tea shop' style of eating is necessary for homely creature comforts!

Yumminess in Heaven - not for a waspy waistline

More yummy cakes... some bakers claimed that their cakes were 'catastrophes' and some were second attempts but they all looked magnificent full of Autumn mellow fruitfulness and and all tasted pretty moreish to me.  As there were nine cakes, it was a feat to eat, but I tackled it in three sessions, helped along with rosé wine and Earl Grey tea. Extremely civilised!

Gorgeous Caramel with Quetsches, blackberries and other fruits had an amazing contrast of textures, beautifully presented.

Cider cake with sultanas inside and apples on top was like a steamed sponge sultana pudding needing English custard! Brilliant as I'd never had this sort of cake before!

This one had a layer of cherries sticking to the base... deeeelissshous!

Full of fruits from hedgerows and garden....gluten free and healthy!

This was yummy too... although someone joked in a complimentary way about the foam mousse, I love its voluptuousness.

Oranges heightened the taste of this textured Grasmere ginger cake!

Almonds, lemon and elderflower with a lemony cheesey drizzle. Heaven!

Gosh... a sugar fruit fest!!!!!!! Black, red and mellowlelloyello!

Chocolate, Apple and Vanilla Cake

“Yummy Chocolate, Apple and Vanilla Cake”
for Teddy Bears Picnic Cake
for the Cardinal
at the Clandestine Cake Club

This recipe has been created from inspiration in my favourite cake cookery books and from recipes on the internet.  The quantity of ingredients and actual ingredients are not quite the same as any of the recipes that I studied ... I like to tweak culinary ideas! 

Cream together 225g butter and 225g light brown sugar until creamy. Then beat in 4 eggs previously whisked separately. Add and fold in 200 or 225g sieved plain flour with a large teaspoonful of sieved baking powder or bicarbonate of soda, with 50g unsweetened cocoa powder plus vanilla powder or essence according to taste.  Add 100g small pieces of dark black chocolate. I used POULAIN Noir Extra. Add one and half or two dessert apples, which have been cored, peeled and cut into small pieces. Fold in and beat to a firm batter consistency. You may need to add a little milk. Pour into two Victoria sandwich tins oiled and coated with a layer of flour. Bake in a medium to hot oven for 20 minutes but check and take longer at a cooler temperature if necessary. My oven temperatures are not indicative of others! When cool sandwich together with chocolate butter icing.

The theme of the event was: Picnic Cakes... so the fun parent-teacher part of my past thought that A Picnic Cake has to be for teddies!  So.. what kind of cake shall I make? A brown as the earth cake. A green as the grass cake without colourants! Rummaging in my cake decoration collection there is a green ribbon with clover, and look, here are the teddies - mummy, daddy, older teddy with his dog and younger teddy with his book.  A French fêve from an Epiphany cake models Pain du Miel (honeycake) and three bees amongst the daisies with a couple of fir trees in te background could tell the story! The idea of a tartan ribbon blanket disintegrated, so French squared paper and a red felt pen created the perfect picnic rug... but as it was sticking to the squidgey sponge I found the correct size of laminated card... perfect as the models stood or sat in place. They behaved impeccably whilst Great Granpa Bear removed himself from the piano to oversee the event and to present two chocolate liqueurs to 'a happy couple' who will be wed in two weeks time!

 And it wasn't all eaten!!!

I'm wondering...

whether to find a copy of Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan in French.  I tried to read a French version of an Agatha Christie a few years ago but it was too hard!  Inspired, when opening my friend's Orange Penguin collection where there were some French titles...this was on my 'to read' bucket list! I enjoyed the book immensely... an easy read of artful teenager's interference with adults which causes tragedy and heartbreak!