the secrets of pistoulet

the novel bakers present; a week of enchanted fables of food, magic and love by jana koplen~

good things do indeed come in small packages, this adorable series of book will enchant you with its whimsy and seduce you with its culinary magic...

in southwestern france, located between the fields of echoes

and the hills of forgotten dreams, you will find pistoulet...

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weary guests come to transform their very souls with the magical potions loving served just for them. the proprietor, a mysterious man that travels the world far and wide, sends a letter to take the utmost care of his dear friend in need of restoration. ahh, and lucky for us she is fond of cooking...

hidden from most everything, pistoulet in an unknown paradise with magical powers. all who come leave with their hearts and minds transformed. the trees are greener, the flowers more abundant and vines heaviest with the largest grapes imaginable. there is a happiness there to feed your spirit~

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the caretakers, they have special powers, they know exactly which guest is in need of what, there was the quiet man that needed a nudge...

or the exhausted new mother that needed not only spirit, but strength...

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whatever may be depleting your soul, this wee little book can restore you. tell me, is there a person that does not wish to cook up some passion?

go to the market and find a farmer with a twinkle in his eye

buy a large quantity of big ripe tomatoes

put them in a huge red pot of boiling water until their skins split

saute two aromatic cloves of garlic in farm fresh butter of the sweetest variety

turn the heat low, put on your favorite romantic opera, and let simmer until soft

lace with cream and kisses, but be careful to whom you serve this ...

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come to pistoulet and learn to sew your very own seeds of happiness~

locate a large field of sunflowers in full bloom ***

walk to the middle and turn 360 degrees to radiate in the magnificence of the sunflowers

return to the same field at the end of the season when the flowers have turned

remove the seed heads and leave out to dry in an airy place. when bone dry, roast the seeds in a hot oven until golden, toss with olive oil and serve

caution, be prepared for a delightful feeling~

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*** some photos borrowed from google, BUT i do live in area rich with sunflowers, i just couldn't locate my old blooming pics... sadly, they used to grow them just a mile from me in the olden days, but now its all grapes. and now for a little california agriculture lesson~

"California — specifically the Sacramento Valley — produces roughly 95% of the hybrid seed planted each year by U.S. sunflower growers. And, an even larger volume of California-grown seed is destined for sunflower producers in Europe and Asia. In acreage terms, its the number-one seed crop in the state". The crop is organized in long rows - three skinny strips of male plants separating every six lines of larger, female flowers.

that concludes my state sponsored sunflower update ;-)

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this adorable book is the first in the trilogy, come visit on wednesday as the novel bakers prepare to sweep you off to the villa del luna on the coast of italy~

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home is where the boat is

once upon a plate

rattlebridge farm