Yesterday, we came home from running errands about 6pm. Since Dominique and Christophe are here visiting, Pierre decided he wanted to make brioche for Saturday morning breakfast. It always amazes me when he whips up something that complicated with such ease. He was inspired by a recipe he had seen in Chef Roland Messnier's cookbook. We had met Chef Messnier when he was the pastry chef at the White House in September 2000. (See Chocolate Diaries entry for November 28, 2000) This morning, the brioche dough was ready to bake. It smells so good, I don't know if we will be able to resist eating some before tomorrow's breakfast!

We woke to a bright blue sky today, with a strong wind. It is Pierre's birthday, so Dominique and I are taking him to Uzés for lunch, then we will go to visit a B&B there as a prospective place for people to stay while on one of their tours. Dominique and Christophe are working very hard on their tour business, and it is fun and exciting to watch them. You can check it out at www.atasteoffrancetours.com.

The sky looks so clear and the sun is shining so brightly that you can imagine that it is a warm outside, but don't be fooled! The wind they call the Mistral is blowing hard and it is glacial. This afternoon I took Truffles for a walk. Both of us hunkered down against the wind. Fortunately, I bought a down coat from Land's End before leaving and a good friend gave me some earmuffs that are wonderfully warm. Add to the ensemble a huge woolen scarf, gloves and fuzzy-lined Merrills and you have what looks like a pile of clothing walking down the road with a little black dog leading the way.

Tonight for Pierre's birthday dinner, Dominique and I are making shrimp and grits. We have been able to find raw shrimp finally. They're frozen, but taste pretty good, as they have the shells and heads on. I brought the grits from Tallahassee and will bring more when we visit in April. Shrimp and grits goes great with a 2007 Saint Joseph L'Amarybelle by Yves Cuilleron! Life is good.