Bonjour à tous!
I'm currently in France with my sister, Laura, and other than visiting some friends and the occasional museum and monument, what we've mostly been doing is eating and walking. And a lot of both of those: we've been averaging some 8-10 miles a day, which is a good thing, given all the rich food we've been consuming.
the kitchen of Le Nord, one of Paul Bocuse's brasseries in Lyon
So rather than presenting a recipe today, I'm going to take you on a tour of some of the luscious meals we've experienced so far. (Sorry in advance for making you all drool with envy.)
We actually started our trip with a visit to a dear French friend who lives in Germany right across the Moselle River from Luxembourg. Here's the lunch I ordered at a river-front restaurant:
sausage with mustard-cream sauce and pommes purées (fancy mashed potatoes)
From there we traveled to Paris for six days, and on our first night we went to the Bouillon Chartier just a couple blocks from our Airbnb in the 10th arrondissement. Bouillons are traditional French restaurants dating to the 19th century which historically fed the working class comforting dishes at a low price. The food is classic bistro-type fare, and even today still at a quite good price. (Note that Laura and I generally share everything, so as to get the most tastes possible!)
leeks in vinaigrette, foie gras, and oeufs mayonnaise (eggs with homemade mayo)
One night in Paris, we went to one of my favorite shops, Picard, which sells only frozen food--much of it already prepared and ready to simply heat in the oven or microwave and serve. Here's our haul: goat cheese, honey, and fig pastries as an appetizer; duck confit and puréed potatoes (along with sliced tomatoes and mayo) for the main; and chocolate mousse for dessert. They were all incredibly delicious--better than most restaurants! I SO wish we had Picards in the US!
The day we climbed up to Montmartre to see the magnificent view of Paris as well as the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur, we lunched at a crêperie to try their galettes (savory crêpes from Brittany made with buckwheat flour) as well as a glass of Breton cider:
Of course we had to have a picnic of soft-on-the-inside and crunchy-on-the outside baguette, luscious aged Comté cheese, sweet cherry tomatoes (with mayo, natch), a peach, madeleines for dessert, and wine (a tasty Côtes-du-Rhône). The tablecloth is actually a creation that our mother sewed, which snaps together to form a carrying bag (it's brown on the other side), with a small cutting board as its base. Ingenious.
And we've been enjoying morning coffees (cafés crème) at outdoor cafés, bien sûr!
on the Île Saint-Louis
Next it was off to Lyon, the gastronomical center of the universe, to my mind. The first night there we went to one of the traditional bouchons de Lyon, originally created to feed the silk workers (les canuts) after finishing work for the day. The dishes served today in bouchons stem from the style handed down by Les Mères Lyonnaises, a group of female chefs who opened their own restaurants starting in the mid-18th century, helping build Lyon’s gastronomic reputation. One 19th century chef, Eugénie Brazier, known as La Mère Brazier, was France’s first woman to get three Michelin stars.
salade lyonnaise and (of course!) foie gras
The next night we dined at Le Nord, one of the brasseries started by the celebrated Lyonnais chef, Paul Bocuse. We started with a regional specialty, a "rosette" of sliced local sausage with baguette and the most amazing butter you've ever tasted in your life:
And then for the "plat," or main course, we had steak-frites with a red wine-shallot sauce and a pike quenelle in lobster cream sauce.
Our last day in Lyon, we went to Les Halles, the covered gourmet food market started by Paul Bocuse, and what a sight for our eyes and noses it was! Here's a sampling of the vendors: seafood and charcuterie counters, prepared food (pictured are chicken in morel cream sauce and pan-fried duck breast and a variety of other delicacies), and macarons.
Next we took the train south to Aix-en-Provence, where we had a glorious lunch of marinated, grilled mackerel and a salade niçoise at a restaurant along the famed Cours Mirabeau and its stately plane trees.
During our stay in Aix, we went even farther south for the day, to Marseille, historic home of the thirst-quenching pastis (a licorice-flavored apéritif) and bouillabaisse, a hearty seafood stew made from fish pulled that morning from the Mediterranean Sea.
Are you hungry yet?
Readers: What foods do you look forward to eating when you travel?
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Just Released!
Orchid Isle Mystery #3
Available for purchase here.
"The beauties and customs of Hawai‘i provide a striking backdrop for a murder with an unexpected motive."
Kirkus Reviews
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Out now in paperback!
Orchid Isle Mystery #2
Buy link here.
2026 Lefty and Agatha Award Finalist
for Best Mystery/Contemporary Mystery!
"Immerse yourself in Hawaiian lore and savor the portrayal of the stunning landscapes
while enjoying the entertaining mystery."
Kirkus Reviews
Also available
in paperback!
Orchid Isle Mystery #1
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2025 Lefty Award Finalist
for Best Mystery!
“Karst’s first Orchid Isle novel is part murder mystery, part vividly evocative, colorful sketch of Hawaii and its history, geography, tradition, culture, food, language, and people. Armchair travelers and mystery aficionados alike will find it entertaining.”
Booklist
This first book in my brand-new Orchid Isle mystery series features retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen who, on a trip to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions when a hike to an active lava flow turns deadly.
Praise for MOLTEN DEATH:
“a compelling read that will enlighten, engage, and entertain, leaving readers longing for their next trip to the Orchid Isle.”
--New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay
“a terrific debut to a series that will go on my must read list!”
--USA Today bestselling author Deborah Crombie
2024 Lefty Award Finalist
for Best Humorous Mystery!
This newest Sally Solari mystery
is available for purchase here !
Praise for A SENSE FOR MURDER:
“[Sally is] sassy, irresistible company... Culinary cozy fans will be in heaven.”
--Publishers Weekly
“An enjoyable read for mystery mavens and foodies alike.”
--Kirkus Reviews
Justice is Served: A Tale of Scallops,
the Law, and Cooking for RBG
is the 2024 Silver Medal Winner for both the
IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award
and the IPPY Award!
Buy link here
-Foreword Reviews (starred review)
"[This] book is a romp from cover to cover—and, just like a great meal, left me ready for more."
-Karen Shimizu, executive editor, Food & Wine-
All of the Sally Solari Mysteries (as well as my other books) are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.
