Been back from France for over two weeks, but I sometimes feel I am still there.

Eat, drink wine and sleep. That was my first week, and it was like a dream.

My mother made "Poule au Pot" (Hen in a Pot) for our first lunch, and this French staple set the tone for the rest of the trip. It was Henry the IV, the first Protestant King of France in the 16th century, who declared that every French citizen should be able to eat this meal once a week under his reign. I'll tell you the secret to making this dish a winner on a future KWMR show.

My favorite part of France is the Farmer's Market, which becomes a regular social gathering of like minded souls who love what they do, that is offering only the freshest and best food.

I may have landed a job to cater the wedding of one of my mother's favorite providers to vegetables!

A highlight of the trip was when Peter's brother and his family arrived. My mother and Barbara -- a classical pianist married to Ron -- ended up jamming together on an electric keyboard after some great French wine (and maybe even a little of American whiskey!)

Other highlights included the fresh seasonsal choucroute (sauerkraut), the Trout, Mussels and Pork.

Since my return, I've been working for clients in SeaDrift, San Francisco, Novato and elsewhere. I'm particularly looking forward to helping Mark Pasternak out at his fundraiser at Devil's Gulch Ranch on November 8th, and hope to soon have some special announcements regarding my return to the line-up at the Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre and a new private chef service at the Dache in Inverness.

In the mean time, here are some recipes that were also published in the October 9th issue of the West Marin Citizen:

A couple recipes for this Fall. The colour of the season is orange, so here you go:

Salmon Salad for 4 persons

In a flat dish mix together

-4 o.z Ahi tuna, sliced and diced

-8 oz. of smoked salmon, diced

- add the juices of 3l imes

-half of a mango diced

--2 small diced shallots

- pepper to taste

-#12 sprigs of chive, minced

Add the mango, shallots,chives half an hour before serving

Serve on a bed of organic greens or seasonal watercress

Truly Fresh and delicious!!!

Butternut/Carrot Soup for 4 to 6 persons

-1 small butternut squash peeled and diced

-1 yellow onion peeled and diced

-1 tbs. of butter or canola oil

-#4 large carrots

-#1 russet potatoes

- salt and pepper to taste, splash of cream

-#2 tbs of fresh shredded ginger

In a medium soup pot melt the butter and add the diced onion, sauté until transparent, then add the carrots and the diced butternut, with the diced potatoes. Add water  to cover the vegetables.

Salt and pepper to taste. Cook on medium high for 2 minutes. Place in a blender and mix until smooth with the cream (if desired). Serve in soup bowls. Mix the ginger with the apple sauce and place a dollop on the top of the soup.

Please serve with crusty sweet baguette and gouda cheese!

Enjoy...

Remember, I am available for holiday parties. I am also looking to relocate, so let me know if you know of place in Marin County that has the kind of kitchen a French person needs -- and let's share a holiday meal as we slip into the end of a strange and difficult year. May good food help you through these strange and scary times.

Merci!