French Mustard Chicken Made and Filmed by Florence Paget reposted by Ruth Paget

My daughter Florence Paget made French Mustard Chicken with Dijon  mustard (poulet à la moutarde) recently.

This French pantry specialty makes a grand lunch approachable for everyone who would like a taste of French culture.

Florence’s TikTok video follows:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTU9BQJuq/

Bon appetit!

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento  War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Oceanside Terrace Meal at the C Restaurant, part of the IHG Hotel Group, on Cannery Row in Monterey, California by Ruth Paget

Oceanside Terrace Meal at the C Restaurant, part of the IHG Hotel Group, on Cannery Row in Monterey, California by Ruth Paget 

My husband Laurent, our daughter Florence Paget, and I went out for a festive fall meal at the C Restaurant on Cannery Row in Monterey, California. 

We sat on the oceanside outdoor terrace where all seats are good ones, if you like a cool ocean breeze. (Heaters are available.) We ate a hearty 4-course meal and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves by the bay. 

Laurent and Florence began their meal with generous bowls of clam chowder. I ordered my favorite deep-fried calamari that was fried with green beans that resembled tempura and flavored with deep-fried orange slices to give this dish a somewhat sweet flavor. I loved the chipotle-aioli garlic mayonnaise that was pungent and spicy at the same time. 

Laurent and Florence ate superlative prawn and Dungeness crab with thick-ribboned pappardelle pasta as their main dish. 

I ordered the white corn ravioli stuffed with homemade ricotta cheese that sat on a bed of sautéed Bloomsdale spinach. The ravioli was topped with sautéed chanterelle mushrooms, heirloom cherry tomatoes, and tarragon-butter. That was delicious. I enjoyed every bite of it. (Laurent also let me try some of the superlative seafood pasta, too.) 

For our third course, we ordered the Farmhouse Cheese Platter that came with: 

-orange mimolette cheese from France

-creamy Brillat Savarin from France 

-Iberico Curado from Spain, which resembles manchego 

-dried fruit chutney – super sweet 

-brown bread crostini baked with dates and chestnuts 

Florence ordered the butter-sautéed brioche with ice cream as dessert to share. That was delicious as well. 

I love living in a region where I can eat meals like this about 30 minutes sway from my home in Salinas, California. 

Thank you Monterey, California for the lovely fall 2026 meal. 

Note:  When Laurent and I lived in Paris, we would go to oceanside restaurants in Deauville and Honfleur to eat.  We would also go Laurent’s paternal grandmother’s house in Sables-d’Olonne on the Atlantic Coast and do the same thing.  (All good memories that involved eating lots of raw oysters with sancerre wine.)

Bon Appetit!

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Coq au Vin Made and Filmed by Florence Paget reposted by Ruth Paget

Coq au Vin Made and Filmed by Florence Paget reposted by Ruth Paget

My daughter Florence Paget made coq au vin, a French chicken stew made with wine, and filmed herself doing it in the following TikTok video:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTUU3FuYS/

Coq au vin is a nice dish that you can cook with drumsticks, thighs, and wings even.  

Bon appetite!

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Post-Labor Day Shopping by Ruth Paget

Once Labor Day is over, take inventory of your bar and restock.

BevMo has locations in Salinas and Carmel ( California) with lots of parking.

I went to Tierra Liquor and Deli today (Labor Day) and saw they have a large selection of red wine for sale too. They are located at the crossroads of Corral de Tierra Road and Highway 69.

Fall is a great season for making Burgundy beef..  (October is called the slaughter month in many cultures for the killing of surplus number of farm animals before winter).  The recipe for Burgundy beef is pretty easy.  I have attached below my daughter Florence Paget’s video of how to make Burgundy beef:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/08/boeuf-bourguignon-video-filmed-by.html?m=1

The beauty of Burgundy beef is that you can make it with stewing beef that is less expensive to buy and still obtain tender beef at the end of cooking.  Our family uses pinot noir wine to make this dish.

There is also a Belgian French dish called carbonnade that is beef braised in dark beer that is often made in fall.  

Jacques Pepin has a recipe for carbonnade in Food and Wine on the link below:

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/carbonnade-la-flamande-flemish-beef-stew

Another French recipe that features wine as a stewing liquid is coq au vin.  My daughter Florence Paget made coq au vin and filmed herself cooking in the following video:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/09/coq-au-vin-made-and-filmed-by-florence.html?m=1

Clearing out the bottles of summer party wine clears the way for the Beaujolais Nouveau.

Happy Cooking!

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1000+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

-

Ballotin: The French Chocolate Buying and Selling Game created by Ruth Paget

Ballotin: The French Chocolate Buying and Selling Game Created by Ruth Paget 

Game Background: 

I was inspired to create a chocolate knowledge game after visiting the Swiss-German towns of New Glarus and Monroe during my Wisconsin 2026 vacation there. 

The New Glarus Bakery sells homemade Swiss chocolates like truffles (truffes), which the French also make. This New Glarus outing reminded me of chocolate shops I have visited in Belgium and France when I lived in Europe in the 1990s. 

When we lived in Paris, my husband Laurent and I routinely bought 1 kilo boxes of Belgian Leonidas chocolates (ballotins) to give as hostess gifts when we were invited to dinners along with bottles of champagne method Ackerman Crémant de la Loire from the region where Laurent’s maternal grandparents lived. 

I thought then and still do that knowledge of chocolate can improve your lifestyle for buying the best quality chocolate you can afford and provide you with job skills for selling or buying chocolate as corporate gifts. 

I named this chocolate game “ballotin” after the 1 kilo boxes of Leonidas chocolate I used to buy in Paris. 

Ballotin Game Objective: 

Learn vocabulary from the business of chocolate to obtain job skills needed to buy and sell chocolate for corporate gifts and improved quality of life. 

Number of Players: Unlimited. 

This game promotes individual play to learn and then team play to test knowledge. 

Materials Needed: 

-The Great Book of Chocolate, Revised: The Chocolate Lover’s Guide with more than 50 Recipes by David Lebovitz (Available on Amazon Kindle)

-index cards 

-pens 

Method:

-Learn chocolate vocabulary words by topic area using definitions obtained from reading Lebovitz’s book. 

-Quiz yourself on all topic words till you know them before moving on to the next topic area.

-Make one of three easier recipes, I have selected from Lebovitz’s book to get used to working with premium chocolate. 

-Read Lebovitz’s book when you know all the chocolate vocabulary words and enjoy his travel log of Parisian chocolate shops, his account of studying chocolate at Le Nôtre in Paris, and his insider’s view of working for a Belgian chocolate shop during Christmas week. 

The vocabulary words I have selected by topic follow: 

Chocolate Business Vocabulary Words by Topic: 

**What is Chocolate 

-cacao tree and bean description 

-name 11 varieties of cacao beans 

**How Chocolate is Made 

*Harvesting, Fermenting, and Drying Words

-mucilage 

-de-seeding 

-fermenting for chocolate 

-drying for chocolate 

*Roasting and Processing 

-cacao 

-cocoa 

-roasting process for beans 

-winnower 

-nibs 

-hull recycling use 

-cocoa powder 

*Crushing and Conching 

-lecithin 

-liquified chocolate 

-concher 

-cocoa butter 

*Tempering 

 -sugar bloom

-gray streaks

-fat bloom 

**Types of Chocolate 

-semisweet and bitter sweet chocolate 

-milk chocolate 

-gianduja 

-chocolate coating 

-single-origin and cru chocolates 

-white chocolate

-chocolate chips and chunks

-unsweetened chocolate 

-ruby chocolate 

-caramelized white chocolate 

-unsweetened cocoa powder 

-ground chocolate 

**Shopping Terms and Tips

-truffes (truffles) 

-bonbons 

-pralinés 

-feuilletine 

-nougatine 

-rochers 

-ganache 

-ballotin 

-boîte

-chocolat noir 

-chocolat au lait 

-mélange 

Recipes to Try:

-bouchons 

-gâteau au chocolat 

-white chocolate custard 

Happy Gaming the Chocolate World! 

Ballotin Game Created by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe's Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Roast Chicken with Onions, Shallots, and Garlic made and filmed by Florence Paget reposted by Ruth Paget

Roast Chicken with Onions Made and Filmed by Florence Paget reposted by Ruth Paget

My daughter Florence Paget made roast chicken with onions, shallots, garlic, and chives and filmed and edited the process as well.  

Nice job using butcher’s roasting twine to tie up the legs on the chicken.  .

The TikTok video follows:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTUNNVarM/

It browned beautifully while baking and was very juicy even the white meat.  Florence served scalloped potatoes with the roast chicken.

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Steak au Poivre Filmed and Made by Florence Paget reposted by Ruth Paget

I am happy my daughter Florence Paget knows how to make French steak au poivre.

She filmed herself cooking this dish for the Tik Tok video below:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTURBChnp/

I bought a large bottle of multicolored peppercorns from Amazon for this dish that were reasonably priced.

The wine for the steak was a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Congratulations Florence on the delicious meal, filming yourself doing it, editing the video, and doing the voice over narration.

Bon Appetite!

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Rurope’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games+ 8 Classical Western Civilization Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Paris Bakery Appears to have closed both locations reposted by Ruth Paget

Paris Bakery in Monterey and Seaside, California appears to have closed both its locations after 40 years in busines according to the Facebook post below:.

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1493378676169190&id=ksbw8

If you are thinking of making French baguettes, my daughter Florence Paget has a video of herself making French baguettes at home:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/02/making-traditional-french-baguette.html?m=1

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Swiss - French Recipe Ideas for Personal Chefs by Ruth Paget

Swiss – French Recipe Ideas for Personal Chefs by Ruth Paget 

After visiting the Swiss – German towns of New Glarus and Monroe, Wisconsin during my 2026 summer vacation to the Dairyland State, I wanted to learn more about Swiss food and read The Classic Swiss Family Kitchen Cookbook: 150 Traditional Recipes from Switzerland’s Home Kitchens by Clayton Daniels (Available on Amazon Kindle). 

Daniels features recipes from the 4 official language areas of Switzerland. The official language follow on the list below: 

-German 

-French 

-Italian 

-Romansh 

Romansh is a Romance language from Switzerland’s largest canton (Swiss state) located in the country’s southeastern corn. This canton in named Graubünden. 

The recipes I singled out for discussion here are Swiss – French. I have made similar French recipes at home and/or eaten these dishes in restaurants. 

The following recipes give a flavor of Swiss – French food and are not too difficult to prepare: 

*Geneva Cardoon Soup 

Prickly leaved cardoons are prepared with shallots, potatoes, and cream in this rich starter soup. 

*Vaud Potato – Leek Soup 

This soup makes use of premium ingredients with the addition of cream for another rich starter soup recipe. 

*Vaud Harvest Loaf 

This bread is made with white and whole wheat flour and the addition of chopped walnuts. 

*Wild Mushroom Fondue 

Adding sliced and sautéed wild mushrooms to melted cheese in fondue is a very sophisticated French touch to this delectable meal. 

*Valais Raclette 

This recipe features melted raclette cheese that is spread on boiled potatoes. Sour cornichon pickles are the typical accompaniments to this dish. 

I have seen raclette served in Parisian restaurants where a raclette cheese half was suspended above a flame that made the melted cheese drip onto trays that were delivered to diners to go with their potatoes. (Table top raclette trays and raclette suspenders are sold on Amazon.) 

People who would like to visit Dairyland Switzerland, learn about their ancestors’ cooking, or add to their personal chef portfolio might enjoy the Classic Swiss Family Kitchen Cookbook by Clayton Daniels. 

Bon appétit! 

Note:  The following blog recounts a trip to Basel, Switzerland that my husband Laurent too when we lived in Germany;

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2015/08/basel-switzerland-lunch-spot-above-rhine.html?m=1

Note: The following blog describes our trip to Lake Constance whose shores touch Germany, Switzerland, and Austria:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2013/04/konstanz-germany-alpine-lake-resort-town.html?m=1

Note: The following blog describes a Swiss meal I ate with my daughter Florence Paget at Lugano, a Swiss restaurant in Carmel, California;

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2018/02/sampling-swiss-cuisine-with-juilliard.html?m=1

Note: A suggestion for an easy Family Fondue Night follows:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/01/family-fondue-night-for-sustainable.html?m=1

Note: New Glarus, Wisconsin visit blog:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/08/grilled-swiss-apple-cheese-pesto.html?m=1

Note: Monroe, Wisconsin blog post:

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2026/08/swiss-cheese-swiss-art-values-and-kino.html?m=1

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Gsmes

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Ratatouille Video Filmed by Florence Paget reposted by Ruth Paget

Ratatouille (pronounced rah-tah-two-ee) is a French vegetable stew from southeastern France along the Riviera where Italian influence is strong.

My daughter Florence Paget cooked the ratatouille and filmed herself doing it using a stationery tripod with a camera.  I did a video of her serving it up at the end that Florence edited in at the end of the main video.

The video of Florence Paget making ratatouille from TikTok follows:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTDgKNn2f/

Ratatouille makes great use of vegetables from the farmers’ market.

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Gamed

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Wine, Trademarks, & Marketing article in UChicago News reposted by Ruth Paget

The following article in UChicago News on wine, trademarking wine, and wine marketing might be of interest to wine growers in Monterey and San Luis Obispo Counties:

https://news.uchicago.edu/story/distinctive-brand-names-pay-wine-producers-study-finds?utm_medium=08.18email&utm_source=UChicagoNews

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Boeuf Bourguignon Video filmed by Florence Paget reposted by Ruth Paget

My daughter Florence Paget filmed herself making Boeuf Bourguignon using Pinot noir wine from Monterey County. 

I think she is using a ring camera to do the filming and dad’s cognac. The video came out well, because you can follow by steps how to make this classic French dish.

The link to the TikTok video follows:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTDR9b2bW

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Homemade Brioche Making Video by Florence Paget reposted by Ruth Paget

My daughter Florence Paget filmed a TikTok video of herself making French brioche by hand. 

A link to the TikTok video follows:

https://www.tiktok.com/@cooking.with.flo5/video/7670343945745992991?_r=1&_t=ZP-98cJM85CLFv

Have fun baking!

Reposted by Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 Kindle books

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1900+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist

-developer of 9 music theory games

Luxury Branding Ideas from Champagne Taittinger by Ruth Paget

Luxury Branding Ideas from Champagne Taittinger by Ruth Paget 

In the book Champagne Taittinger by Claude Taittinger (159 pages), Taittinger shares some of the luxury branding strategies that the historical champagne house has developed to capitalize on their already famous site. 

Some of these branding strategies include: 

-serving state dinners to Queen Elizabeth II and French president Jacques Chirac 

-commemorating château meals for statesmen and visiting businessmen alike with formal printed menus

-renting the headquarters château out for weddings

-hosting harvest dinner “cochelet” overseas to expand export markets 

-researching the family tree and publishing it in the book. 

The family’s roots extend back to the 16th century in Austria where their name was Tetinger. The family moved to Lorraine, which became French along with the family name when Lorraine became part of France. 

-promotes the creation of designer decorated bottles by artists 

-sponsors a culinary prize with winners noted in the book

-the book itself is a promotional item

-(Not in the book, but our family plays trivia games where all answers are Taittinger and the prize is a sip of champagne.) 

It is interesting to note that Champagne Taittinger has successfully used culture to distinguish itself from the many other champagne houses in the Champagne region, including hold family baptisms at the Rheims Cathedral.

This slim volume Champagne by Taittinger by Claude Taittinger records the inventive ways the champagne house has used French culture to market an outstanding product in a region of outstanding products. 

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-family genealogist - whose work includes mother lines research editing 250 of my grandmother Pennington’s recipes and writing Monterey County Cookbook about my Monterey Peninsula California kitchen

-developer of 9 music theory games

The Strategic Importance of France's Canals by Ruth Paget

The Strategic Importance of France’s Canals by Ruth Paget

I was looking through a French canal boat tour guide from2002 for the Loire Nivernais (Nevers Region) and began researching how the major canals of France connect the country to its surrounding oceans.

These canals are famous with sightseers today and still retain commercial and defensive significance. 

For instance, the Canal de Bourgogne and the Canal de Briaire connect the Seine River and the Rhône River basins via the Saône River creating a continuous North-South waterway across France that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the English Channel. 

(The Canal de Bourgogne also connects to the Yonne River, a tributary of the Seine River at Migennes, which leads to the Saône River at Saint-Jean-de-Cosne and eventually the Rhône River.) 

The Canal de Briaire and the Canal de Loing (built in 1604) connect the Loire River to the Saône River at Saint-Mammès. Once you are on the Saône River, it is easy to navigate to the Rhône River and then go north to the English Channel or south to the Mediterranean Sea. 

In the southwest, the Garonne River flows by Bordeaux and Toulouse. At Toulouse, boats can take the Canal du Midi, also called the Canal de Deux Mers, which ends at the Etang de Thau, a saltwater lagoon next to the Mediterranean port city of Sète. 

The Canal du Midi links the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea without having to go around Spain. (You can also use canals to follow the Garonne River to the Rhône River.) 

Finally, there is 600 miles of networked canals in Brittany in northwest France that link Brittany to the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel. 

These French canals can move produce, wine, and other merchandise throughout France to keep even small village markets like the two I went to with my mother-in-law in St.-Etienne-de-Montluc outside Nantes and Montlouis-sur-Loire outside Tours well-stocked in all seasons. For this reason alone, the canals of France greatly contribute to the comfortable lifestyle of France. 

For tourists, there is the thrill of going through locks and learning about all the little towns along the way. 

Happy vacation planning! 

Note: Chicago could offer canal cruises as well. The Chicago River flows by canal to the Des Plaines River, which flows into the Illinois River and eventually the Mississippi River by Peoria, Illinois.

By Ruth Paget

-author Eating Soup with Chopsticks, Marrying France, and Europe’s Lessons written during overseas duty in Germany + 5 other books 

-developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games + 8 Classical Western Civilization War Games

-developer of food and beverage knowledge games

-creator of online exhibits about San Miguel Arcangel Mission, French baguette making, and the Carmel Valley History Center

-creator of French travel and culture games

-writer of 1800+ Central Coast California lifestyle blogs

-developer of 9 music theory games

Costco’s Quiche Lorraine is a Deep-Dish Quiche! By Ruth Paget

I made Costco’s Quiche Lorraine for lunch today and really liked it -

The quiche was about 3 inches thick and almost reminded me of deep-dish pizza.

There was enough quiche for 8 portions.  Leftovers went into Pyrex containers to be eaten for lunch tomorrow.

Some of my favorite ingredients are in quiche - eggs, cheese, cream, and savory ham.  

We drank a De Tierra Coco red wine from Salinas’s local winery tucked away in Corral de Tierra made famous by John Steinbeck’s novel The Pastures of Heaven.  

If you like quiche, Costco’s deli quiche is a pretty good deal especially on busy event weekends.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Steak Tourism at Pub's (Growers' Pub) in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Steak Tourism at Pub’s (Growers’ Pub) in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

I try to make every steak meal at Pub’s (Growers’ Pub) in Salinas, California a surf and turf meal when I do what I consider “steak tourism” in a region with 40 pioneering ranch families, whose brands are emblazoned on two walls of the back dining room. 

For starters, I ordered Monterey Bay Fried Calamari that have a delicate flour and corn meal crust. I love dunking these warm morsels in chipotle cream cocktail dipping sauce. This part of my surf and turf meal at Pub’s brings back many happy memories to me of my honeymoon in Barcelona, Spain, using up the last few days of a Eurail Pass vacation of Italy, Spain, and France. 

I prefer seafood to steak, but when I eat steak I like to go to Pub’s for delicious meat at varying sizes and price levels so my husband Laurent can eat items like rack of lamb while I can happily eat the flat iron steak meal. 

The Angus steaks at Pub’s seem to come from two local sources in Monterey County – Corral de Tierra off Highway 68 just outside Salinas and Parkfield located off Highway 101 inland from San Miguel Arcangel. (Parkfield is famous for its spa with horseback riding and café.) 

I like my steak medium rare, which was perfectly cooked with sea salt added as the only needed extra flavoring. For the potato option in this meal, I ordered scalloped potatoes made with delicious aged cheddar cheese. (Scalloped potatoes are a favorite hot dish in Wisconsin where I lived for several years and took family vacations as a child.) 

This steak meal came with a green leaf salad as an appetizer, which I ate with the house-made Thousand Island dressing. The buttered and seasonal vegetables with the steak – steamed broccoli, zucchini, and carrots – were excellent as you would expect from a growers’ pub. 

We brought our own bottle of wine to dinner (purchased at COSTCO) and the reasonable corkage fee of $20 for our Château Carbonnieux Bordeaux. 

This winery was established in the 13th century and has changed hands between a local Benedictine Monastery and bourgeois families of Bordeaux since that time. The Perrin family currently owns it and has instituted sustainable wine making practices, which you can read about on their website.

Château Carbonnieux is also the proud owner of a pecan tree planted by Thomas Jefferson on a 1786 visit to the Châteaux. 

This Bordeaux wine comes from the Graves sub-region of Bordeaux and lies along the Garonne River that flows into the Gironde Estuary that opens out into the Atlantic Ocean. 

I felt like I was drinking history in a glass as I sipped this wine with my steak meal. 

Other diners who want to combine an excellent wine with their steak tourism meal at Pub’s can check out the following stores in town in case you want to bring a wine bottle to go with dinner: 

-COSTCO 

-Star Market 

-BevMo 

For relaxed and delicious steak tourism in Salinas (California), Pub’s (Growers’ Pub) should be a destination on your visit to Salinas and Monterey County. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Suite Francaise - WW II In Small Town France Novel recommended by Ruth Paget

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky recounts the daily terror of living in small town France when Adolf Hitler was expanding his control of Europe.

The book costs $8.99 on Kindle today.

https://www.amazon.com/Suite-Francaise-Irene-Nemirovsky-ebook/dp/B000GCFCO6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=RG6MC590741H&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.PFYK36KhfbqPDOTIQsS0e85OKMPJk67Vc0lmtm28E4daNHxnozI6E4DNnfxJU206dM-_9ipWcu0WX0fZhz1Ehe9tiBlBhElhGNwelkSWwyVEqpzII4Gjv3i0eQNzYL8AuxK3kC5nANyTjDjwuIJHLQLYZ9dAcTsL1xLZVb43mu6jtxEjmq_jwecCVnul90kobFJuHregoEbRGDAlQNi_uA.KiYtq9WFZAlsm6JF0qH7sLFuFyefuBIT13-MR-OtHis&dib_tag=se&keywords=suite+francaise+book&qid=1775833229&sprefix=suite+francaise%2Caps%2C242&sr=8-1

Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Birdsong - Love During Wartime in France book - great read by Ruth Paget

A great love story read about love during wartime in World War I France is Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks.  

It is $4.99 on Kindle today.. 

Details about the book and purchasing information follow:

https://www.amazon.com/Birdsong-Novel-Love-Vintage-International-ebook/dp/B007M29RJ4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=2PYPBL6FFXNCF&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.50dd9rHp3PInhCg2TpM8CQiOH3GB62x4fPfG9hoeLSKBU6VnRvb1o3EZRifEZYrOPqhhQb5axJZpElpZyq9BGtc3VkjQApdO1SUp6XERoO-FNBDaLcwQkpGDXYyP3Qm0xOCml17SMSDrD_XJRbMyKynlDcCqlO7lBI1EXxtuCiHnvUNmNipjvbDERBdHt-TsVeark-AjItKOglWM5v5iCw.mzqKYkdnjevlD_cT1KjBdEKruLslTLbJnbefqmN17TE&dib_tag=se&keywords=sebastian+faulks&qid=1775832224&s=digital-text&sprefix=sebastian%2Cdigital-text%2C256&sr=1-1

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

UChicago Press - Creativity in.Chaos Books reposted by Ruth Paget

University of Chicago Press books about creativity in times of chaos and turmoil look interesting.

Francophiles might be especially interested in the notebooks of Albert Camus, winner of the 1967 Nobel Prize in Literature.  The notebooks have been translated into English.

Details on books and purchasing flow:

https://mail.google.com/mail/mu/mp/465/#cv/priority/%5Esmartlabel_promo/19d44887b6b026ba

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games