 |
| The corner of Guillaume's workshop |
Guillaume is
the quintessential Frenchman. Charming with a commitment to la bonne vie and a quick sense of
humour. He is well versed in many
and varied topics and quite handsome.
Guillaume is
also a stonemason par excellence: an
old school artisan with skills that are sadly disappearing in France. His work
can be found in all manner of ancient buildings across the country, including a
few famous cathedrals and chateaux ……….and now in My French Folly.
An invitation to
his meticulously restored maison revealed
an enormous hand-built wood-fired oven in the kitchen, a productive orchard and
potager and a decent sized cellar systematically
packed to the ceiling with wonderful French wines, (all reds) according to
their origin.
The subterranean cellar air was noticeably crisp and held a faint aroma of ripened fruits. Standing in the centre of this vast cave was a refectory table on which sat enormous, old glass and earthenware bottles of home made brandy and jars of preserved Tuber uncinatums – truffles………. the size of tennis balls!
The subterranean cellar air was noticeably crisp and held a faint aroma of ripened fruits. Standing in the centre of this vast cave was a refectory table on which sat enormous, old glass and earthenware bottles of home made brandy and jars of preserved Tuber uncinatums – truffles………. the size of tennis balls!
Conversation
quickly turned to cooking and truffle hunting.
 |
| Courtesy of wikipedia.org. |
Yes Guillaume
truffle hunts in the surrounding forests. No, he doesn’t forage with others, nor does
he use a truffle pig or hound. And no, the truffles aren’t always located in
the same area. The obvious question had to be asked, “How do you find them?’
 |
| Courtesy of wikipedia.org. |
His eyes
glinted as he gently tapped his nose and replied “mon nez”! A joke?
Apparently not, according to his wife. Guillaume is so attuned to le terroir that he has no need for aids
to root out his prized culinary gems.……..l'art
de vivre à la français.
