Cezanne, Pastis – yes, it’s Provence

Just mention the word “Provence” and I can SMELL the lavender and remember the wonderful dinners served up by George Germon and Johanne Killeen of Al Forno (which was next to our restaurant years ago) who have a second home in Provence. 

“It’s the place that dreams and magazine spreads are made of. Where everything is beautiful, and soft, and smells good. Like a movie, only better”, says Tony

Did you know that Provence was actually a very poor place for most of it’s history? That it has a hot dry Mediterranean climate (it’s adjacent to Italy) and was pretty much worthless for large scale agriculture?  Maybe that’s why it’s got that laid back, easy lifestyle. And of course there’s —– THE FOOD.

Back to the episode. For some reason, Tony really wants to stay in this incredible villa during their stay and in return for the digs (and the pool that comes with it) he offers to cook a meal for his local friends. He spends a full week learning about the foods, culture and cooking style before beginning this task.

Tony learns to make an aioli sauce (yum – I LOVE garlic and olive oil). This simple dish, is not quite as simple as Tony thinks, since the woman preparing it, won’t even cook outside, because the wind might affect the dish. Lucky Tony get to have this delicious sauce served over fish and vegetables.