Reims, Dijon and A Box of Foodie Penpals Goodies

Phew - it has been a busy few weeks! My  fiancé and I got the legal bits of our marriage out of the way last week in preparation for the main event next weekend in La Manga Club, Spain. The small ceremony in Blackpool Registry Office was followed by a lovely few days in the Lake District.

Currently I am in a 4x4 packed to the tip top of its roof box leaving Dijon on day 2 of a 3-day journey down to Murcia, on the south-east coast of Spain. I say 3-day, but the journey usually takes only 2 days. This time, however, Mum and Dad have surprised me and Dave with a few unexpected stops along the way. Yesterday, our journey ended far earlier than expected in Reims (pronounced (ish) Rance) and a tour and tasting at the fantastic Mumms champagne cellars.

Today, our detour took us to Dijon, where my parents had arranged for a mustard-making class which included a mustard tasting with charcuterie, terroir, cheese, bread and, interestingly, gingerbread.

The mustard we made is not the kind we are used to, being much more bitter. We used a pestle and mortar to grind our mustard seeds, but the technique used to remove the bitterness (soaking for 24 hours in water and wine) would have made this impossible.

Happily, my mustard was not the only mustard on offer at the tasting at La Cuisine de Madeleine. There were a vast array, ranging from the traditional Dijon to hazelnut and vanilla mustard.

I learned that the original Dijon mustard did not use vinegar but instead used a green grape juice traditional to the area called verjus, made from grapes unsuitable for wine-making. This gives the traditional mustard from the area a less acidic taste and allows the mustard flavour to come through.

After WWII, Paris decided to capitalise on the popularity of the Dijon mustard by usurping its name. A court case followed that did a disservice to mustard lovers around the world. The Dijon aspect of the mustard was determined to be a recipe, not a geographical locator and (here is where the disservice is done) this recipe was broadly mustard seeds (from anywhere), salt and, not just verjus, but potentially wine, vinegar, or lemon juice.

We've now left Dijon and are on our way to Clermont-Ferrand. And, with everyone else but the driver asleep, this gives me the perfect opportunity to update you all on my travels and gush about the wonderful foodie penpals parcel I received from the lovely Elyse (http://www.sweetelyseblog.com).

Having rushed around in a mad panic, frantically trying to get everything ready for Blackpool and the Lakes, and facing 2 days of mad panic frantically getting everything ready for Spain, it really was fantastic to be greeted home by a package overflowing with goodies.

As you can see, my pack included popcorn, miso soup, olives, posh rice pudding, a bulgar wheat snack pot and a maple syrup recipe book!

Of course, I had to leave almost all of it behind to try upon my return in a fortnight, but I have taken the popcorn with me as a suitable pre-wedding travel snack. Hopefully, its claims of skinnyness will counteract the vast quantities of cheese, meat, bread and wine I have been consuming through France and undoubtedly will through Spain. I have literally no will-power when it comes to tasty food!

I would also like to say a special thank you to Elyse's little boy who insisted I must have something sweet, even if I am a savoury person. This meant the inclusion of a mixed bag of sweets, snack bars and drinks that Dave has his eye on!

I am very pleased with my package and I hope Julie is with the one I sent to her. While not as jam-packed as the one I received, I sent a few quality items, including an exceptional chorizo for which I also provided a recipe and some other serving suggestions.

With all the excitement of the wedding, I am abstaining from Foodie Penpals next month, but aim to bring back a whole bunch of tasty goodies for my penpal in October!