KevinS
Senior Insider
At first this was going to be a mid-morning post on Friday. That’s when I started writing it. But then I got a bit drifty and moved on to other things... more than once... Then it was going to be Friday’s post on Saturday... And then it pushed by another day... And then another again ...... It may have been a mélange of days ago, with a full mix of fun and relaxation in between, but Friday is still fresh in my head. So turn the clock in your head back to Friday and read away... and please excuse any mix in tenses which may occur - I do get a bit drifty at times...
I slept in this morning. Last night’s supposed potential for 400 meteors per hour from the Alpha Monocerotids meteor shower was enough to keep me up well past midnight. Those meteors originate near Procyon in Canis Minor, and I had a perfect view of that constellation, the nearby Orion constellation, and the Winter Triangle of Betelgeuse, Sirius, and Procyon. Unfortunately, by the time that the forecast meteor shower was expected to begin, I had an even better view of the clouds blocking that section of the sky. I finally gave up and went to bed at 02:00. It wasn’t a total bust though, I spent some very enjoyable time just sitting, watching the night sky, and listening to the waves. If I smoked, it would have been a perfect time for a Cognac and a Cuban cigar, perhaps a Romeo y Julieta Churchill. The Cuban isn’t going to happen, but I should work on the Cognac... or maybe an Armagnac... or even a Calvados...
The (late) morning brought a windy start to the day. The breeze is noticeably stronger than it has been at any time since Wednesday’s torrential deluge. Looking out at the waves from my usual seat, the water is a lot rougher than it has been. It’s going to be a bit “sportier” for the Cata Cup sailors today.
There’s not a surfer in sight, but I see a single local boat pounding it’s way out of the bay. Other than that one boat, there’s no sign of human activity, even at this mid-morning hour.
A trip across the street to the bakery finds Beignets, bite-sized little morsels that we would call Dunkin Munchkins at home. I bought a selection, and it turned out that the ones with a dusting of Cocoa Powder were filled with a chocolate cream, and the “plain” ones were filled with an apple purée. Yum!
We were able to skip the usual “where do you wanna go for lunch” discussion because Friday is (usually) Moules de Bouchot et Frites Day at Santa Fé.
So what’s special about “Moules de Bouchot et Frites”? Mussels are mussels, and most are farm-raised. There are wonderful mussels raised in New England, where I live, and many more imported from Canada (Prince Edward Island is an area of origin which I often see.). Moules de Bouchot are French mussels, farm-raised in the area around Mont St Michel in Normandy. They’re smaller than I’m used to, and I’m not sure that I’ve seen a shell that is as much as 1.5” long. The mussel inside is maybe an inch long at best. Small, orange, delicate, and delicious. I eat them in what was described to me many years ago as “peasant style” - the still-joined shell of a mussel becomes the tool that I use to extract the meat from the other mussels and pop them in my mouth. The pile of now-empty discard shells grows and grows until it fills a bowl.
And then there are the Frites. French Fried Potatoes. I do not understand why so many of the Frites found on St Barth are a limp, soggy mess. In many places, the frites from McDo (French vernacular for McDonald’s) would be better. And this on a French island. Thankfully, the frites at Santa Fé are of the better variety - thin, just a little bit crispy, and with just the right amount of salt.
But what is lunch without a glass of wine? I’ve been known to say that I pillage wine lists on St Barth, seeking bottles which I’ll never find at home. Those who know me well (and some who don’t) know that I have a special fondness for White Burgundies - Montrachets, Meursaults, just about anything from the Côte de Nuit, the Côté de Beaune, and their friends and neighbors. I’ve also been known to say that I surf both ends of the wine list, and find good wines on both ends. While I still enjoy those nice Burgundies, for a few years now I’ve been drinking more Chablis. Premier Cru and Grand Cru Chablis can be very nice, and are more affordable. While technically a Burgundy, they have similarities to their neighbors in Sancerre. Today, the Chablis is the right wine to enjoy with Moules.
Sip.
Moule moule moule moule moule moule
Frite frite
Sip
Repeat.
And then there was dessert... Soufflé Corossol
And Rhum Vanille
And finally home for an afternoon nap. Did I mention that I was up late last night?
I slept in this morning. Last night’s supposed potential for 400 meteors per hour from the Alpha Monocerotids meteor shower was enough to keep me up well past midnight. Those meteors originate near Procyon in Canis Minor, and I had a perfect view of that constellation, the nearby Orion constellation, and the Winter Triangle of Betelgeuse, Sirius, and Procyon. Unfortunately, by the time that the forecast meteor shower was expected to begin, I had an even better view of the clouds blocking that section of the sky. I finally gave up and went to bed at 02:00. It wasn’t a total bust though, I spent some very enjoyable time just sitting, watching the night sky, and listening to the waves. If I smoked, it would have been a perfect time for a Cognac and a Cuban cigar, perhaps a Romeo y Julieta Churchill. The Cuban isn’t going to happen, but I should work on the Cognac... or maybe an Armagnac... or even a Calvados...
The (late) morning brought a windy start to the day. The breeze is noticeably stronger than it has been at any time since Wednesday’s torrential deluge. Looking out at the waves from my usual seat, the water is a lot rougher than it has been. It’s going to be a bit “sportier” for the Cata Cup sailors today.
There’s not a surfer in sight, but I see a single local boat pounding it’s way out of the bay. Other than that one boat, there’s no sign of human activity, even at this mid-morning hour.
A trip across the street to the bakery finds Beignets, bite-sized little morsels that we would call Dunkin Munchkins at home. I bought a selection, and it turned out that the ones with a dusting of Cocoa Powder were filled with a chocolate cream, and the “plain” ones were filled with an apple purée. Yum!
We were able to skip the usual “where do you wanna go for lunch” discussion because Friday is (usually) Moules de Bouchot et Frites Day at Santa Fé.
So what’s special about “Moules de Bouchot et Frites”? Mussels are mussels, and most are farm-raised. There are wonderful mussels raised in New England, where I live, and many more imported from Canada (Prince Edward Island is an area of origin which I often see.). Moules de Bouchot are French mussels, farm-raised in the area around Mont St Michel in Normandy. They’re smaller than I’m used to, and I’m not sure that I’ve seen a shell that is as much as 1.5” long. The mussel inside is maybe an inch long at best. Small, orange, delicate, and delicious. I eat them in what was described to me many years ago as “peasant style” - the still-joined shell of a mussel becomes the tool that I use to extract the meat from the other mussels and pop them in my mouth. The pile of now-empty discard shells grows and grows until it fills a bowl.
And then there are the Frites. French Fried Potatoes. I do not understand why so many of the Frites found on St Barth are a limp, soggy mess. In many places, the frites from McDo (French vernacular for McDonald’s) would be better. And this on a French island. Thankfully, the frites at Santa Fé are of the better variety - thin, just a little bit crispy, and with just the right amount of salt.
But what is lunch without a glass of wine? I’ve been known to say that I pillage wine lists on St Barth, seeking bottles which I’ll never find at home. Those who know me well (and some who don’t) know that I have a special fondness for White Burgundies - Montrachets, Meursaults, just about anything from the Côte de Nuit, the Côté de Beaune, and their friends and neighbors. I’ve also been known to say that I surf both ends of the wine list, and find good wines on both ends. While I still enjoy those nice Burgundies, for a few years now I’ve been drinking more Chablis. Premier Cru and Grand Cru Chablis can be very nice, and are more affordable. While technically a Burgundy, they have similarities to their neighbors in Sancerre. Today, the Chablis is the right wine to enjoy with Moules.
Sip.
Moule moule moule moule moule moule
Frite frite
Sip
Repeat.
And then there was dessert... Soufflé Corossol
And Rhum Vanille
And finally home for an afternoon nap. Did I mention that I was up late last night?
