I am a bit obsessed with meringues and have yet to successfully make them. When we came across this bakery window back in Annecy I can’t believe we didn’t rush in a buy a couple of the fluffy confections. But alas we didn’t and then when we tried to backtrack in the little maze of a village we couldn’t find the store…..

I had never seen meringues in colors/flavors like this! A whole new meaning to neapolitan!

I can think of three of them right off the top of my head! As seen in a store window in the very posh shopping area of Paradaplatz. I forgot to notice the price but I’m guessing not cheap! Maybe the Swiss version of the Gomez Addams would snap this up – I mean, wouldn’t Morticia look especially appropriate sitting in this!?! Coincidentally, check out this article in the NYT about the Addams Family coming to broadway. Can you say Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth?

After all, what a perfect Christmas gift this would make for Morticia! All tied up with a big red, I mean black bow……….

Wow, Christmas is over and we just returned from visiting John and Vinnie in Asheville, North Carolina.
But before I post any of those pics I want to finish my adventures in Switzerland ( I have to force myself to cut it short in order to move on!). And although Switzerland did not get the winter storm that say the East Coast did, we still enjoyed some chilly weather and accompanying landscapes!

Above I am waiting for a bus with Marc and Martin on the way to the Peugeot Bar for dinner in Zurich.

Near Bussigny, a tiny tiny village near Lausanne where Marc’s mother lives.

We drove through the wintery true countryside on our way to Montreaux.

Is there such a thing as a new farmhouse? No! Well, not in this neck of the woods anyhow. Plenty of old ones, each full of charm and worthy (in my opinion) of a photography. And as you can see, the snow is already turning to rain.

It was beautiful to see the clouds hovering so low in the hills.

No ice yet, but this lake certainly looks chilly.

Les Alps! That is what Switzerland is all about, after all!
And I have to confess, I am not missing the warm weather in Los Angeles one single bit!

Cupcakes the way we like ‘em – beautiful and cream filled too! Yumm-o-rama! Available at Heirloom Cafe in South Pasadena (or get your pastry bag out and get creative!)

This place has lots of other great stuff too, baked and otherwise – we are there almost every Saturday!

Somewhat half jokingly I told Marc that I would only agree to his jam packed Swiss itinerary if we could at least do one thing out of the box. One thing neither one of us had done before.

A day trip to France! That was my suggestion knowing that when we visited his mother in the French part of Switzerland we would be very close to the French border. I asked friend Helene if she could suggest any place to go and she suggested Annecy. I think Helene knows my taste….If it has canals it’s gotta be good….!

We got off to a late start, it was raining and a little freeway confusion got us off on country roads maybe sooner than we should have but it was absolutely beautiful. In fact, why didn’t I take more farmhouse pictures??? Well, plenty to take pictures of here that’s for sure!

We finally found the heart of the village and it was picture perfect.

Annecy Chic: I saw this couple walking around the village, like something out of a magazine. They will most likely never know they are part of an American blog! ( I love her coat and her boots!)

We spent a large portion of the day wondering around the village looking at the beautiful old architecture.

Lake Annecy is the 2nd largest lake in France next to the lac du Bourget. It was serene and peaceful on this December day I can only imagine it during the summertime. What a view!

Walking through the park felt like Autumn as the grass was scattered with a shower of golden leaves. Hard to believe it had snowed the day before!

Of course a carousel, what could be more magical! And I just read that on October 16th, 2009, the International Olympic Committee has listed Annecy as one of the three Applicant Cities for 2018 Winter Olympic Games, with Munich, in Germany, and Pyeongchang, in South Korea. If chosen, Annecy will be the fourth french city to host the Winter Olympic Games, after Chamonix, Grenoble and Albertville. Albertville? Sounds somehow out of place don’t you think?

Time to head back. Tonight is dinner with Marianne in her little village of Bussigny. A bientot!

Around the holidays my good friend Elizabeth Hansen and I like to make soup. This all started when I discovered and made the most amazing soup ever – Roasted Yellow Pepper from The New Basics Cookbook back in the late 90′s. Yes, that is how long this has been going on!

Every year I try and find a new and amazing soup that will make Elizabeth as happy as the Roasted Pepper. Last year it was a Chestnut with Bourbon Cream. Good but not great. This year comes close. A recipe for Celery Bisque from Gourmet Magazine that I’d had for years and finally made. And, I love it so much I’ve already made it about 4 times!

So I carted the soup over to her house where we were joined by our other delicious friend Annabella and Elizabeth’s beautiful and super cozy cool daughter Gracen. I had also tucked into my bag some fennel biscuits and pinenut rosemary cookies and Annabella brought a bowl of mixed olives and a bottle of red. Elizabeth grabbed a roasted chicken and threw some pecans, cranberries and roquefort into a salad and voila! The girls were at it again!

By the way, these are the things that girlfriends need to do! This defines COZY! And it didn’t hurt that in the background was Elizabeth’s Christmas tree all shimmering in silver and crystal and even a fire in the hearth! (this girl knows how to do it!).

Time to put shopping aside and have a little fun. Here’s a few things I recommend all you ladies out there not just think about doing, but do for the holiday season!

1.Soup get together. Wine get together. Cookie get together. It doesn’t matter, just get together! And make it easy, no stress and fun.

2. Ice skating. Is there a rink in your city or town? Kids or not, you’ve probably forgotten how totally fun this is!

3. Go to a Tea Room! A bunch of us girls just did this last weekend and what a treat! You know how cute tea rooms already are but when decorated for Christmas it’s just ridiculous! Tea, little sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, I just don’t see how it can get any cozier! (unless you’re exchanging wonderful little presents too!)

4. Lunch at some place special. Whether it’s your favorite trattoria that reminds you of Florence or a quaint little French Cafe in the neighborhood. Lunch with a girlfriend is always good, especially around the holidays.

5. The movies! For example I can’t wait to see the new Rob Marshall movie “Nine” starring the bevy of beauties: Penolope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Marion Cotillard, Judi Dench, Fergie and Sophia Loren. Can’t forget Daniel Day Lewis. What a great holiday movie!

To start you out on the right track, here the recipe from Bon Appetit November 2004 for Celery Bisque:
And just one more side note, I found that this soup doesn’t need the creme fraiche or cayenne and I have at times used just plain croutons. Either way, it is always delicious!

The morning after the fondue party for 18 we were picked up at 8:30am by Marc’s sister Corinne for a 2 hour drive to the village of Thun where his sister Mirjam, her husband Urs and their 3 children live. Mirjam has graciously offered to prepare lunch for the 10 of us. Her dining room looked so elegant and on each plate a Grittibaenz – a sweet bread shaped in the form of a man that she and the kids had all made.

Family portrait: Mirjam’s husband Urs is down on the lawn taking the photo

How would you like to see these mountains when you looked out your window?

The elegant table. Mirjam made an incredible roast beef, mashed potatoes and vegetables, salad and really yummy wine. Yes, we definitely went for a walk afterwards! And check out desert below…

Marc’s niece and newphews: Alec, Till and Irina.

Princess Irina starts to nibble her Grittibaenz….

Grandmother Marian gets a chuckle!

The cake!

Corinne reads a story to the kids

Irina and Till’s homemade lanterns guide us to the car on a very dark and wintery night as now get set to drive about an hour to Marian’s village of Bussigny in the French part.