One of the best aspects of a food. wine and travel blog is the fact that all of the threads are interconnected. Today’s example began with a yearning for Provence.  Last night I was in the wine cellar, browsing the French section. I was pleasantly surprised to find a bottle of 2018 Mas de Bourgonnier, and I brought it up to the kitchen to make it ready for drinking the next day.

All of this was prelude to deciding what to have for lunch today.  The next link in the chain came from examining the refrigerator to see what was available. Happily, I came upon a leftover carrot, spinach, and rice dish with Turkish overtones, and I decided to use that as a basis for lunch.  This approach was further enhanced by the presence of some local green peppers which neighbor brought for us this morning. 

Since Provence is the center of this expedition, I thought it might be appropriate to add chopped anchovies and garlic to the dish.  Therefore, I de-boned and rinsed an Italian anchovy and produced two lovely fillets.  These were chopped fine along with a plump clove of garlic.  After I sautéed the cut up green pepper, I sautéed the anchovy/garlic flavoring, and then added the carrot/spinach/rice dish to the pan over moderate heat.  A couple of deep red Peruvian Piquillo peppers completed the dish, and it was all heated to perfection.  Freshly-grated Ricotta Salata melted into the dish, and it was served with the Mas de Bourgonnier wine, a charming blend of Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and other red grapes.  It was a marvelous lunch, even though I was a long way from Provence.

So the moral of this story is: Start anywhere (food, wine, or travel) and let it take you wherever you want to go. Buon appetito!