This is where our favourite wine comes from: Mas du Soleilla.

Mas du Soleilla is a 24 hectare estate situated to the east of Narbonne in the small wine producing region of La Clape. Quality conscious viticulture on the part of the owners, close proximity to the Mediterranean sea and high altitude each contribute to produce low-yield, high-quality grapes from twenty year-old vines. Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre and Syrah are the principle varieties grown, although Bourboulenc and Rousanne are also cultivated for white wines. These grapes ripen slowly on gravel and limestone soils before hand-picking.

The key to Mas du Soleilla is where it's located. In close proximity to the Mediterranean, the 19 hectare estate benefits from a combination of 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, and steady, strong winds. The sunshine ripens the Syrah and Grenache to perfection, but the wind keeps things cool, providing for fine acid balance.

We could not say which is our favourite wine from Mas du Soleilla, we love them all: "Les Bartelles" and "Les Chailles" are maybe our favourite but only because the "Terre du vent" and the "Reserve" are way more expensive.

By the way they have a lovely B&B.

Now that it's getting cold outside it's time to reintroduce tea time. So the 3 brown and over ripe bananas on the balcony came in handy and were a good excuse to try a dangerously good looking new recipe from Giorgio Locatelli:
Chocolate and Banana Beignets

I prepared them some days ago and had them ready for frying in the freezer (and there is still some left for next weekend ) I just had to take them out, fry' m and roll in sugar.

They taste really banana and inside there's melted dark chocolate - a combination made in heaven!

On of my favourite spice mixtures is the Moroccan chermula "sauce". It's the perfect spice to accompany a tajine. You can buy it ready made in good food stores but it's easily made at home.

2 garlic gloves
Salt
1/2 tsp sweet paprika powder
a bunch of fresh cilantro
1/2 bunch fresh Italian Parsley
1/2 ground cumin
1/4 ground fresh black pepper
juice of one lemon
1 tsp vinegar
1 tbl oil

Mix the salt, garlic and paprika in a blender or mortar to a paste. Add the rest of the spices and herbs and mix together. Ad the lemon, oil and vinegar and mix till you have a smooth paste.
Slowly heat the mixture over medium heat to bring the the flavours together, but don't let it cook.

Let the the chermula cold down before you use it.

Buy the way, carrots are very nice with chermula.

Fish tajine with lemon, fiq, tomato, potatoes and chermula.

If you are willing to pay a lot of money you can get really fantastic kitchen knifes. I was not so far. Maybe because I don't have good cutting skills yet, and I sort of think this would be the premise to spend all that money on a knife.
Luckily I got this beautiful knife last christmas as a present. It is hand made by Francis Schön in Switzerland.

His knifes are not only beautiful they lie very good in the hand and of course they are sharp as hell.
All i need now is the cutting skill. But at least I got something to practice with.

A lot of different  california roll, sashimi, seared sashimi, nigiri and tamago.

dinner today -我が家の夜ご飯-

takikomi gohan (cooked with rice, vegetables, chicken and dashi ),
dashimaki tamago (japanese omlet with cooked radish and carrot) and
sauted zucchini with soya, butter and dried bonito.

served with miso soup or clear japanese soup (osumashi).

 chawan mushi -茶碗蒸し-

mix egg and dashi well and steam.
with maschroom and shrimp Ankake sauce. (thickened with powdered kuzu)
make cold body warm.

I tried to make fresh pasta last week. We live next to a pasta manufacturer where I can buy fresh pasta dough ready to fill.
I tried a filling of pumpkin, chestnut and oregano. Served only with butter, parmesan and black pepper. It turned out quite nice. Next time a will ad some cilli to the filling to make it a bit spicier and I'll make a bit more and put them in the freezer.