Yesterday the mistral wind graciously decided to retreat and allow me to leave the house in search of company and good food. Although I am not French I have happily, too happily, acquired the taste for a good lunch. One of the best spots for a delicious lunch is the Bistro du Paradou in the if-you-blink-you-will-miss-it tiny village of Paradou on the other side of the Alpilles mountains.
I did mention that it had been cold in Provence, freezing to be more precise and as I drove past the village square in Maussane on my way to the restaurant I saw the literal proof. The fountain and her gurgling swans had turned into ice sculpture… as I saw it…
The restaurant was warm and buzzy and as it was Wednesday, I knew the menu before I arrived… It is always such a comfort when you are cold and hungry to arrive somewhere familiar… The Bistro du Paradou has a weekly menu so you know what will be cooking when…
The waiter greeted us with a wide smile, settled us in and asked if we knew what was on the menu…
‘Cassoulet’, we all piped up, our enthusiasm fuelled by our hunger… I had been mentally working myself up for this feast on the drive over…
‘Yes’, he replied… ‘It’s anti-gel‘!
When the French are cold, they eat heartily… and I loved (so did he) that he described this most serious of culinary fares as ‘anti-freeze’… We laughed and joked that we all needed a large dose ofanti-gel and that it should be served immediately.
Wednesday Menu du Jour at Bistro du Paradou
Salade frisée avec des lardons, oeufs et croutons
Cassoulet du Bistro
Plateau de Fromages
Desserts Maison (that means your choice of citron, apple or pear tart and creme caramel… I went with the citron… So worth it!)
And it worked… totally… I felt de-thawed, re-fuelled and pretty toasty afterwards… I would say it was the perfect cure…xv
images – vicki archer
