Diary entries of a Francophile
More markets, wine, and pain d’épices
In my previous post, I mentioned sharing some diary entries I stumbled upon from a visit to France in 2011 and 2012. Below is the third entry. The previous one is here. Each entry will end with one or two recipes written back then. Some have appeared in my books. The recipes will be exclusively available to paid subscribers.
Bonne lecture!
Unfortunately, there was no time to write yesterday as it was a lazy morning. I usually hop out of bed earlier than everyone else so I can write and enjoy a quiet cup of tea, but yesterday I chose to read in bed instead. Actually, I’ve been doing just that most days. In fact, today I finished Serge Gainsbourg’s biography, which I found very interesting—yet also quite sad.
But let me tell you about Wednesday. The plan was to visit the market in Autun. It’s amazing how little it has changed since we were last there a few summers ago. Even the same woman from whom I bought ras-el-hanout and tarragon is still there, selling lavender and dried fruits swarming with wasps! Oh, and the lady with those delicious goat cheeses…
I think Autun is probably my favorite market—mainly because it’s not too big, has great products, and is nicely spread out so you don’t have to shuffle along at the pace of the crowd.
Autun is an attractive city with Gallo-Roman origins. Landmarks that attest to this are the Roman Amphitheatre (built by Emperor Augustus and known to have been the largest in the Roman world) and the two ancient gateways, the Porte d'Arroux and the Porte St-André, dating back to the 1st and 4th century respectively. At the market, held around the mairie, I filled my basket with bags of ripe nectarines, apricots, grapes, tomates coeur de boeuf, fresh spices, and hearty slices of jambon persillé (parsleyed ham, a regional specialty).
After the market, we walked through the city. I picked up some crème de cassis and a bottle of rosé liqueur. Autun is such a quaint little place—I really like it. We had lunch at brasserie, Le Commerce. I started with a cocotte of snails in a garlicky cream sauce. They were so good! The sauce was thick and velvety. I mopped it up with thick chunks of bread. For my main course, I chose one of my favorites, the blanquette de veau. Dessert: crème brûlée
After lunch, we drove through Nuits-Saint-Georges—the place where I lost my (fine) wine virginity and bought my first bottle of very expensive wine some years ago. It was here, in the heart of Burgudny, that I developed a true appreciation for wine. One afternoon, while touring through the region’s Route des Grands Crus, we decided to stop at a little wine shop. Before entering the shop, I had no idea what terroir meant and cared little about pairing wine with food. I was a wine novice who only sipped white wine occasionally, and if it was sweet, all the better. Little did I know how much one delectably memorable wine tasting experience would change my life.
I still remember sampling a range of wines, and with each one, I was given an explanation about its origins, vintage, and the best foods to pair it with. A whole new world opened up for me from that moment on.
On Thursday morning, we visited the local market in Buxy, as planned.
A very small and cozy market where I bought pain d’épices from the same vendor as in February, and some strawberries from a gentleman with kind eyes. We had coffee at the usual bar, along with pain au chocolat from the bakery, and discussed our plans for the day.
I mentioned Cluny might be worth a visit after reading about it in the local paper, so off we went. Hans warned it might be touristy—and it was.
Cluny turned out to be one of those places that grows on you the longer you linger. At first glance, yes—it was quite touristy, especially near the abbey, with groups trailing behind guides holding up umbrellas. But once we wandered off the main route, the charm of the town began to unfold. We followed narrow cobbled streets lined with honey-colored stone houses, each with shutters in various states of charming disrepair. The abbey itself, though largely in ruins, had a quiet grandeur. It's hard to grasp how immense it once was—apparently the largest church in Christendom before St. Peter’s in Rome. I stood there for a momemt, trying to imagine the monks gliding silently through those vast halls.
Afterward, we found a little café on a quiet square where the owner greeted us with a cheerful bonjour and served us chilled rosé and a goat cheese tart that might have been the best thing I ate all week. Hans admitted Cluny had won him over. On the drive back, the hills rolled by in that peaceful, golden-hour way that makes you feel like you’re in a painting. A very good detour, all in all.
Thankfully, we still had room for dinner that evening after all that walking and the light salad. We visited Bar Bacchus, as planned. What a great time we had—just the three of us in that cozy, dimly lit bar, drinking local wine and enjoying a delicious steak! And once again, îles flottantes for dessert. They were just as good as last year. Hans went for the moelleux au chocolat again—something I absolutely must try to recreate at home.
Today is Friday, our last day in this Burgundian paradise. In a way, I feel a little sad—but on the other hand, I trust that if all continues to go well, we’ll be back here again in late winter. Of course, I’m also looking forward to next week in… Duras!
Today’s Recipe: Pain d’épices with candied orange
Whenever I am in the small town of Buxy in France’s Côte Chalonnaise, you will likely find me at the tiny market held in the centre ville held on Thursday mornings. Though there aren’t many stalls, everything on offer is absolutely delicious. In the winter, they sometimes sell fresh choucroute garnie. And what a tempting aroma it spreads through the air!
I especially look forward to stopping by the stand selling honey and French gingerbread, or pain d’épices. The dense, fragrant loaves come in different flavors such as blueberry or chocolate chip. But I prefer mine with a touch of candied orange and a good pat of butter. This is my recipe for a delicately spiced pain d’épices. Eat it for breakfast with a bowl of black coffee or as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea.
Note: You can substitute the candied orange for diced dried apricots or leave the fruit out. Though the gingerbread is traditionally made with rye flour, I have used spelt as I find it produces a lighter crumb.