Innholdsfortegnelse for May/June 2021 i My French Country Home

Dear Readers, Summer approaches! It certainly feels like it was a long time coming, and in the May/June 2021 edition of My French Country Home Magazine, we celebrate this special season. Because it’s the time to embrace the outdoors, we visit two incredible gardens — le Jardin de Marie, the staggering creation of a novice gardener in the Berry; and les Jardins du Château d'Ainay-le-Vieil, a masterpiece of sculptural parterre, romantic roses and expansive canals. Both of our interiors features — an amazing renovation in Arjuzanx and a mountain oasis in the heart of the Pyrénées — demonstrate how spaces outdoors can be as beautiful and practical as those indoors. Our “Discovering France” guide lures you to Toulouse, la ville rose (“the pink city”). As always, we suggest the best…

1 • Plat du Jour: French Dinners Made Easy Susan Herrmann Loomis - Countryman Press Award-winning American author Susan Herrmann Loomis encourages you to embrace the pleasures of everyday cooking. Her latest book focuses on classic French recipes that are commonly found on formules du jour (“daily specials”) menus of classic bistros across Paris, where she currently resides. 2 • France: An Illustrated Miscellany | Denis Tillinac - Flammarion Come along for this thrilling journey through the wonderfully rich culture and historical legacy of life in France. Covering everything from landscape and tradition to literature and legends, no stone of the Hexagon is left unturned. You will be enchanted every step of the way. 3 • Essential Questions to Ask When Buying a House in France Mark Sampson - CreateSpace…

Despite the city’s rich history, les Toulousains embody a certain modesty and simplicity with their nonchalance and joie de vivre, serene in the knowledge that tomorrow will be as pleasant as today. In this, they are usually right — life in Toulouse has few faults. The climate is one of the best France has to offer and the surrounding countryside is vast, full of sprawling pastures, winding vineyards and fruitful orchards that transform with each season. Le centre-ville (“city center”) is rife with stately terracotta brick houses. Here and there stand glorious churches and convents, representing a millennia-long history of political and religious power. The palaces and hôtels particuliers sprinkled through the city illustrate its great fortune created during the pastel trade of the Renaissance. The ancient city’s wealth and…

Her restaurant, La Guinguette d'Angèle, is gourmet, gluten-free and has take-out counters in the 1 st and 9 th arrondissements of Paris. Here, Angèle shares six healthy recipes that are packed with both nutrients and flavor. Find out about her recipe books, products and more at www.laguinguettedangele.com Fresh Green Detox Soup SERVES 4-6 Preparation time: 10 mins Cooking time: 30 mins • 1 large onion• 3 celery stalks• 4 cups (1 l) vegetable stock• 1 garlic clove• 10 Brussel sprouts• ½ cauliflower• 2 handfuls spinach leaves• 1 bunch fresh mint• 1 bunch fresh parsley• Juice of 1 lemon• 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil• ⅔ cup (15 cl) coconut milk (optional)• Black sesame seeds, for garnishing• Salt & pepper Cook the onion, celery, garlic, Brussel sprouts and cauliflower in a pot…

Born in 1822, Bonheur was one of the most unconventional yet critically acclaimed and financially successful painters of her time. Admired for her precise and evocative depictions of animals, Bonheur won medal after medal at the Paris Salons as a young woman, earning her the misogynistic but genuinely earnest praise: “She paints like a man.” Bonheur sold her artwork primarily to British and American collectors. Marché aux chevaux de Paris (“The Horse Fair”), a monumental canvas that now hangs in New York City’s Metropolitan Museum, fetched a handsome sum of 40,000 French francs (roughly three times more than what her contemporaries could have usually hoped for). This sum allowed Bonheur to purchase her château in 1859, thus becoming the first woman in France to own property due to the fruits…

* What’s new? CEREAL GUIDE TO PARIS Stylish biannual magazine Cereal has added the City of Light to its list of coveted travel guides, offering a highly curated list of select spots to hit on your next visit. Carefully researched with stunning photography and an illustrated city map, Cereal’s guide also offers a photo essay of the capital, tips from celebrated locals, an ideal itinerary and suggestions for cool things to buy along the way. www.readcereal.com ON THE WILD SIDE This unique new line of wild plant-based organic cosmetics calls upon the ancient and sustainable practice of “wild picking,” or foraging, in the forests of France, as its name suggests. Its products — 100% Made-in-France and all-natural — are vegan formulas made with active ingredients and no synthetic preservatives and…

Throughout May and June, roses are the stars of the garden. While they can be enjoyed outside, they make great cut flowers, too. A bouquet of roses is all about welcoming summer. To make this bouquet it is best to use tall roses with multiple flowers on each stem. Blooms • White and mauve delphiniums• 6 varieties of roses, five stems of each.• 10 scabiosa• 10 branches of purple clematis• 15 sprigs of white spirea• 5 tall star lilies Choose a container that is wide enough to hold this number of flowers, and tall enough to give an overall visual balance. You can insert some chicken wire into the vase to help position the stems. “Throughout May and June, roses are the stars of the garden.” Step 1 Put in…

PRINT Delivered to your door, enjoy the magic of French living in a beautiful collector’s-quality magazine. US$59.99 for one year (6 issues)*  US$12.99 for one issue* Yearly print subscribers get FREE access to the digital version of the magazine. DIGITAL Enjoy the same beautiful My French Country Home features, photography and delicious recipes - wherever you are. Ideal for commuting or holidays, read the latest issue of MFCH on your smartphone and escape to France with the click of a button. Yearly digital (and print) subscribers get issues conveniently stored within the Bookshelf, accessible from your My French Country Home account. US$35.99 for one year (6 issues) US$6.99 for one issue Enjoy easy reading with adaptable viewing modes, interactive live links for online shopping and a personal library of back…

Jamini 10 rue du Château d'Eau, 75010 www.jaminidesign.com I’ve loved watching Usha Bora grow her business and reach more and more women with Jamini, her French-Indian homewares and textile brand. All of her cushions, throws, quilts, table runners and leisurewear are made by artisans in her native Assam in Northeastern India or the nearby states of Manipur, West Bengal and Odisha. It’s pure elegance. Mokonuts 5 rue Saint-Bernard, 75011 www.mokonuts.com This café-bakery was conceived by Moko Hirayama (Japanese) and Omar Koreitem (French-Lebanese). Dishes change daily, but you’ll be certain to come across labneh and za’atar served with homemade pita (a must!) and a variety of Moko’s outstanding cookies. Combat 63 rue de Belleville, 75019 Margot Lecarpentier went from the world of music to the dynamic craft cocktail industry, carving out…

When Claire and her husband Pierre began house hunting, they were originally looking for a small country house, potentially with enough space for an atelier. Château de Beauvoir is anything but. With acres of land and an enviable view, the sprawling château lay abandoned for 40 years, originally built in stages between the 13 th and 18 th centuries. Medieval through and through, it had a dungeon, only one cold water tap and no heating. While this would have scared most people off, Claire and Pierre took on the project with relish. They moved in straight away, combatting their first winter with roaring fires in order to survive the sub-zero temperatures. Not the time to falter or doubt, they progressed pragmatically, tackling jobs by order of urgency and doing most…

Yveline and her grand-daughter, Agathe, were both born on New Year’s Eve, 52 years apart. Agathe can still remember the smell of Yveline’s perfume and her tales of magical creatures whose role was to protect the beauty in everything. When Agathe would ask her grand-mother about an object, a piece of furniture or a painting, Yveline would reply: “Do you like it? Then you don't need to ask yourself any other questions.” She was teaching Agathe how to truly see and choose treasures with her heart. The day her grandmother asked her, “My adored… Will you continue all this when I am gone?” Agathe nodded instinctively. Yveline Antiques is a 60-year-long story of family and business, starting with Yveline and now with Agathe. When she was passed the reins after…

It was back in 1987 that Marie, a Paris-based film editor, found her dream country home in this farmhouse, located a few miles from Sancerre. With only a few bare trees filling the surrounding land, Marie decided to put her creativity to good use and build a garden. “It is a return to nature, a place of relaxation and even spirituality. For me, working the ground is one of the most sacred things you can do.” Approaching the project with scholarly aptitude, Marie spent her free time attending horticulture lectures at the Société Nationale d'Horticulture de France, the Jardin du Luxembourg and the École du Breuil, a horticulture school in Paris. Bursting with green-fingered knowledge, she jumped in and quickly reaped the benefits. “Gardening brings so much positive energy, passion,…

*Business Woman You took the reins of Poilâne at age 18, following the tragic death of your parents. How did you find the energy and courage to begin this weighty task, especially from your dorm room at Harvard? When my parents died, it was obvious to me that I would take over the family business. I always knew I would work at the bakery, but I certainly didn’t think so soon. I held onto a sense of purpose, and the project (now projects) gave me the strength to take the lead at Poilâne. What are your earliest memories of the boulangerie? I remember walking the line in front of the store with a basket full of our sablé biscuits. These pure butter short-bread cookies are called Punitions® (“punishments”) — the…

The locals would refer to me as la courageuse (“the courageous one”) and give me a daily bonjour or bon courage! (“good luck!”) as they watched me trudge from my rental apartment to my new house each day, covered in all manner of paint and dirt. However, I was welcomed with open arms into the quaint little French town in the Tarn-et-Garonne department of Occitanie. About an hour from Toulouse, Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val is a medieval cité (“town”) that boasts the oldest town hall in France. Surrounded by cliffs, the Aveyron River and the Grésigne forest, it is idyllically nestled in nature. I love that my kids can walk, ride bikes, swim in the river and go kayaking or fishing with friends, only minutes from our front door. The town’s real draw…

From afar, Ainay-le-Vieil is a striking sight. Prominent during the Hundred Years’ War between France and England, the château’s structure remains an intimidating circle of ramparts and towers. Step inside, and a softer, more sophisticated aesthetic is revealed. Decorative wall carvings, rounded tiled roofing and Gothic spires show that it was designed as a place of both protection and elegant living. The château lost its military importance when the war came to an end, and in 1467, Ainay-le-Vieil came into its next age under the ownership of Charles de Bigny, who transformed it into a pre-Renaissance gem. Today, Ainay is in the care of Marie-Sol de La Tour d'Auvergne, a member of the third generation Bigny family. Her parents were the first to open the property to the public, and…

*Handbag “Crocodile, python or ruched… these textures make a statement” “Architectural shapes, contemporary colors and delicate details” Photographed at the Hotel Maison Albar at Le Pont-Neuf.…

After spending many years in fast-paced Parisian haute couture ateliers, Prune Révoil and her husband, William, swapped the capital’s hustle and bustle for a tiny village in the Alpilles region of Provence. For the last six years, they have lovingly restored an 18 th-century bastide (“country house”), transforming the majestic ruin into a home and gîte (“guest house”) using eco-friendly materials and ancient processes. The couple works from home — Prune in her atelier and William on their 25 acres of land, where he makes olive oil and honey. Born in Toulouse, Prune spent her childhood in a vast, crumbling château that her parents renovated over many years. Her mother always had her hands busy embroidering, weaving tapestries and making curtains, lampshades and frames. Prune recalls a happy, artistic childhood…

In his youth, Jean-Erick inherited an abandoned property on the shores of a man-made lake. Located in the region of New Aquitaine in a department known as Les Landes ("The Lands"), Arjuzanx sits nestled at the gates of the Gascogne Regional Natural Park, France’s largest forest. A testament to the diverse history in these parts, a Roman-style church was built between the 12 th and 13 th centuries. Soon afterward, the region was ruled over by the English King — and subsequent Duke of Aquitaine — Edward III, who was so enamored with the local culture and customs that he authored a book on the subject. In more modern times, the town became known for its open-cut coal mine, which was abandoned and left to fill with water in the…

Earl Grey Madeleines MAKES 24 Preparation time: 1 hr Baking time: 10 mins Madeleine Cakes • 2 tea bags (2 tsp [4 g]) finely ground Earl Grey tea• 14 tbsp (1½ sticks + 2 tbsp [200 g]) unsalted butter, cubed• 3 large eggs, at room temperature• ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar• ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk• 1½ cups (200 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting• 1½ tsp (7 g) baking powder• Soft unsalted butter, for the tin• Pinch of salt Earl Grey Milk Chocolate Ganache • ⅓ cup (80 ml) heavy cream• 1 tea bag (1 tsp [2 g]) Earl Grey tea• 4 oz (115 g) milk chocolate, chopped Make the Madeleine Cakes Cut open the tea bags and pour the tea leaves into a small to…

Besides being decorative, they supply fertilizer for lawns, feast on undesirable bugs, provide compost for vegetable patches and reduce waste by polishing off scraps of household food. All in all, poules ("chickens") are a great companion for any gardener. Coming Home To Roost Chickens are not fussy, but they do require a few essentials to feed, live and lay happily. Building your own coop isn’t as difficult as it’s cracked up to be, providing you are handy with a few basic tools. When it comes to size, you can never go too big. Chickens love their space, and if you provide a rooster for your hens, then the feathered family can grow fast! For the enclosure, you should allow at least 10 square feet per chicken. Whether you choose a…