Dinner with Friends

Francoise entry

My friend Francoise lives in an old stone house in a small French village, with her husband, two children, and a cat. Francoise has a studio where she teaches pottery and sculpting.

We arrived on a rainy day, the grey sky was not inviting to interior photos though I took a few nevertheless.

 

Lace curtain

 

An antique piece of lace hangs in one of the pane glass window on her back door. Sweet. Inviting. Delightful. Charming like Francoise.

Unassuming creative touches.

 

 

Open fire kitchen

 

Francoise's large kitchen, like most older French village homes, is where everyone gathers. The open fireplace is stacked with wood, a zinc bucket ready to carry coals or water, a blue baby chair adds color. Francoise's pottery sits on the mantle: Nudes in the winter who do not feel cold.

 

 

Farm table and stone wall

 

 

A massive armorie holds the kitchenware: Linens, dishes, pots, pans, glasses, confiture…

The kitchen walls are exposed stone, the ceiling is over fifteen feet high, tiled floors, with a large wooden farm table in the center.

Cozy. Rustic femininity. Memory filled home.

 

 

Kitchen soup

Francoise and Sergio prepared pumpkin soup, sauteed scallops mixed in a green salad, a potato and onion frittata with homemade mayonnaise, a fruit salad and a cheese platter that made every mouse in the world die of jealousy.

 

Francoise's home

 

Loving family. Good friends. Good food. Happy home.

What more could anyone want?

 

 

Kouign amann

 

 

Before dinner Francoise and I walked to the local village bakery and found what we had been looking for….. Kouign amann.

The day was complete.

Butter, butter, butter, sugary, chewy, carmelized sticky happiness.

 



Comments

20 responses to “Dinner with Friends”

  1. Francoise had a beautiful family and home, and a man who cooks, could she ask for anything more? That Kouign amann will be floating in my dreams tonight!

  2. Rustic femininity. I love that! I will remember that. Lace and stone and wood. How well they work together, as does, it seems, your friendship.

  3. A husband that cooks! Heaven even without the pastry and cakes 😉

  4. While the food sounds wonderful, it’s the fellowship with friends sharing the feast that makes for a beautiful memory. Sounds like the evening was a glowing event on a gray winter evening.

  5. Beautiful post and photos, Corey, despite the gray skies. Francoise and her family have a beautiful home. Like Penny, I love the term rustic femininity. I must say that I miss when your photos would enlarge when I clicked on them. You always capture so many beautiful details! Any chance you may go back to the larger size some day? Enjoy your visit… Donna

  6. What you describe, there is nothing like it.
    You’ve made me so hungry when you described your dinner….yum.
    We had the same evening, minus the French flare of course, with our friends last night. Getting together, sharing stories, sharing food, playing games, laughing so hard your sides hurt. Wonderful memories to keep forever.

  7. What a feast and beautiful home. And finally the mystery amann makes an appearance, worth the wait!

  8. Dinner (except for scallops, not on my vegetarian menu) sounds delish! Corey, would you please provide more elucidating photos of the Kouign amann? Have you (or anyone you know) ever made it from scratch? If so, it would make for an interesting blog topic — or three 🙂

  9. It sounds like the perfect day. I loved seeing the pictures of Francoise’s home and the menu and Kouign amann very special!

  10. annette richmond

    It looks and sounds like something out of a wonderful movie. What a beautiful relaxing place. And the food sounded just delicious. You are so lucky to have such a good friend.

  11. The perfect day, the perfect place, the perfect companions. So glad you got your “amens” finally!
    Do you know how long I’ve wanted an ancient stone house? Make it in a little French village and add in two big black dogs and I’d be in Heaven.

  12. I wonder if anyone in the U.S. produces Kouign amann commercially. I’d walk a mile, if it were so.

  13. wonderful and magical! I love the dark interior shots myself. Looking forward to seeing more of your blog 🙂

  14. Kouign amann appears to look like a thick kind of Palimer. Made with puff pastry, sugar and Cinnamon. Palimer are flat, sticky, sugary and wonderful dipped in coffee.

  15. Brenda L from TN

    What a lovely kitchen!! It all looks so warm and inviting.
    I was glad to finally see what a Kouign Amann looks like. It DOES look yummy and worth the hunt.

  16. What a delightful meal in such a cozy home, and good company too – can anyone hope for more??

  17. I had a girlfriend dinner this past Saturday night with 12 of my favorite women. And I made Kouign Amann! It was de-licious. Wow. It certainly didn’t look as pretty as the one in your picture but no one cared!

  18. Having dinner with friends can allow us to have a long, healthy talk with them especially if they’re gone for quite sometime. This is a good chance also to patch things up. One event, I hosted the dinner at home. I cooked and right after we have a long bonding at the garden. Thanks a lot for the share. I really appreciate it.

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