April 2025 Gazette
A quieter month, that marked the shift from winter to spring!
Hello, friends, and welcome back to my monthly gazette - the third for 2025! Still sticking to my word despite balancing between recipe testing, blogging, my career and family life. But here we are, and here we go!
Thursday, March 6th
March began wonderfully, as you’ve probably heard me discuss several times already. Marc and I had the pleasure of taking a bit of time off work and travelling to Lisbon, Portugal, for about a week. I’ve shared many photos, anecdotes and even a “guide” to the city that you can find >here<.
We truly enjoyed our time there, and have often found ourselves saying “let’s go back tomorrow”, half-jokingly. Even though the weather wasn’t perfect, we were still very fortunate with decent temperatures and much less tourism than in the summer months. If there’s one thing I can suggest based off our experience and the opinions of some locals – try to avoid summer if possible, or at least be prepared for a very crowded city.
To get to Lisbon, Marc and I dropped our dog Sophie off at my parents, and took our car to the city of Nantes, where the “local” International airport is found. About a 1h45min drive from Lorient, no tolls, we arrived and parked in the pre-paid “park and fly” lot, which cost us about $50 (45€). Memories of park and fly in Toronto, where the cost was significantly higher. Nantes Atlantique airport is a medium sized airport, maybe even smallish by big city standards, but we can typically find a flight to any European city from here, and even a decent number of international ones as well.
Monday, March 10th
This week Marc was anxious to visit our local butcher (one of his favorite things to do) to request a few specialty cuts. He had been really craving oxtails as well as pig skin, to replicate his nonna’s famous “pasta e fagioli con le cotiche”. It’s basically your typical Italian bean and pasta soup with cubes of pigskin throughout for added goodness. Or so Marc says…. This soup is not my cup of tea, but he swears it’s part of what keeps him looking so young, on account of all the collagen.
Marc is always extra happy when he asks for pigskin at the butcher because they cut it fresh for him on request, and rarely charge him anything for it since it isn’t often used here. The oxtails also cost significantly less here than they did in Canada. Anything to keep him smiling.
Monday, March 17th
We also heard back from the government on Marc’s “carte de Séjour” renewal, and all seems to have gone well, aside from a few small issues that were on the government’s end. He was granted his récépissé, which is a paper format extension of a few extra months, until his actual resident card gets produced, which typically takes anywhere from 2-3 months. Yes, months. French bureaucracy!
This aside, Marc has now started the process of gathering all his documents (again), and requested another language test - as his prior one is no longer valid after June - to apply for French citizenship. As he once again meets all the requirements as a spouse of a Frenchwoman (me), 3+ years in France and 4+ years married, he can begin the lengthy process of becoming a true Frenchman!
Monday, March 24th
We had the chance to go out for dinner with my aunt (my dad’s sister) and my cousin Marine, who recently moved back closer to Brittany. She and her husband left Paris after a solid decade, craving a slower, more grounded life—one with a backyard for their two boys and their newly adopted puppy. Owning a house, let alone a backyard, in Paris is a luxury few can afford.
I remember Marine telling me how brutal the COVID lockdowns were for them—two adults working from home, two restless kids (then 4 and 7), all squeezed into a 50m² apartment with no outdoor space. It was exhausting. Like so many Parisian families, they finally took the leap last year: quit their jobs, moved to a smaller city, and started fresh.
A year in, they’re loving their new life in Nantes. They’ve settled in well, and best of all, we get to see each other more often now!
Saturday, March 29th
This month, market stalls have been bustling as always, with the addition of spring veggies such as pink radishes, the first artichokes, spring leeks and of course root veggies (carrots, parsnips and celeriac). My soups are starting to taste a bit livelier for dinner now, which is in part due to the sun being out until well after 8pm as well. Few things put a smile on my face like sunshine in the evening, don’t you agree?
Sunday, March 30th
The weekend ended on a delicious note, as we celebrated the birthdays of both my parents – and mine! – at one of our favorite restaurants in Lorient, Karantez. If you are ever visiting Lorient, add it to your list! The quality to price is outstanding. You’d think you’re at a Michelin star restaurant. In fact, I legitimately have no idea how they don’t have one. We’ve been lucky enough to eat at star rated restaurants and Karantez is as good or better than many of them!
As it was lunch, we settled on the 3 course prix-fixe menu, wine, and of course, the complimentary breads, butters and amuses-bouches.
I sincerely hope you enjoyed your March as much as I did, and look forward to sharing what will be a fun-filled (and very unique) April for me. Take care and eat well!
In case you missed it…
Here are the 4 recipes I shared in February on the blog and here on Substack.
Chuck S.’s comment on Poulet Au Vinaigre
“We made the poulet au vinaigre tonight and it was delicious. Again the pictures and instructions made it an easy win. The chicken was moist, the veggies were sweet and tangy and the skin crispy and delicious. Paired well with a nice grenache….cheers!”
What to cook in April ?
And if you’re interested in adding some French flair to your Easter this year, you can read my Traditional French Easter Menu article here, with some recipe inspirations and cultural insights on how we celebrate Easter in France.
Links & things I’m liking
Substack recommendation: One of my favorite food writers Julius Roberts just started his Substack called “The Farm Diaires” (I love his recipe videos on Instagram!). Much like in his wonderful cookbook The Farm Table, he will share here his life on a farm on the Dorset coast in England, and some rustic, humble and seasonal recipes. A must to add to your list!
Podcast recommendation: Women Who Travel Podcast: Moving to Paris for a Life in Food.
Video Recipe recommendation: Tess Makes Coq au Vin for the First Time | It’s Fine | Food52
Spring Reads recommendation: I just finished Le Roman de Marceau Miller, quite a good thriller! If you can read in French, I highly recommend it. Otherwise, I am looking forward to starting A Waiter in Paris.
Cookbook recommendation: Gabriel Kreuther: The Spirit of Alsace, a Cookbook
Bookmark this: Just yesterday (March 31), the Michelin Guide unveiled its latest list of Michelin-starred restaurants in France for the year. Here’s the full list, organized by region.
Do you have a recipe for the Radish Leaf Soup??
It's the small, very significant things that make my son happy! Lol
Glad you both had another beautiful trip.. thanks for sharing... to many more!