Perigord photo show

29/5/2019

Back in the Perigord after a month on the road promoting the latest Bruno, and as is always the case after time away I'm appreciating the pleasures of home with a new eye.

I was sent this link to a slideshow of photos of the region, which will cycle through the entire selection at a leisurely pace.

The photos are not my own; I believe they belong to the site linked.

20 Comments

woodie Ischer

31/5/2019 08:55:08 am

Discovered your books a month ago and now my husband reads your books.
Having grown up in France I can visualize where the character is.
Like bicycling through the small villages once more.

Martin link

2/6/2019 12:08:43 pm

I'm so glad they're bringing you happy memories -- it's a part of the world that really captures the heart.

Gayle Kesinger

3/6/2019 05:17:49 am

When will the Audible version be released? Love this series.

Martin link

3/6/2019 05:23:32 am

I'm not sure where you're based, but the UK version comes out next week:

https://www.audible.co.uk/series?asin=B00KO0ILRA&source_code=M2M14DFT1BkSH082015011R&ds_rl=1235779

Patricia Kennedy link

4/6/2019 11:24:09 am

Just got Body in the Castle Well and can't wait to start reading it!

Laurie Love

14/6/2019 06:22:30 am

You really need to post the recipe for the onion tart that Bruno served in the latest book (Body in the Castle Well). It had me drooling!!!

Martin link

17/6/2019 02:19:38 am

Ask and ye shall receive...

façon Tatin aux onions rouges

4 red onions, peeled and cut in half through their circumference
50g butter
2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons sugar
leaves from 6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g firm chalky (not runny) goats cheese

Pastry (pre-made puff is fine)

Preheat oven to 170C.

Over low heat, melt the butter with the oil in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan that can go in the oven. When the fat sizzles, stir in the sugar and lay the onions cut side down in the hot oil to fit. If there are any gaps between the onions, cut one of the halves into quarters or eighths to fill the gaps. Cover the pan and brown gently for 10-15 minutes. Lift the cover, sprinkle over the vinegar, salt and pepper, and thyme, then re-cover and place the pan in the oven for 45 minutes till the onions have softened. Remove and test onions for softness with the point of a knife.

Raise the heat of the oven to 200C.

If there is any juice in the bottom of the onion pan, place it over a medium flame and reduce the juice until only a little thick syrup remains. Cover with the pastry rolled out 5 cm larger than the circumference of the pan and place it on top of the onions, folding the edge back under itself as you would for a Tarte Tatin and pressing it down lightly. Pierce here and there with a fork so the steam can escape.

Bake on a high shelf until crisp and golden, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 15 minutes then run a knife round the edge of the pan. Place a serving plate over the top of the Tarte and flip it upside down so the tart is turned onion side up onto the plate. Between your fingers, crumble over a goats cheese and serve with a salad of roquette (arugula) dressed with a mustardy vinaigrette.

Sandy Hermanoff link

14/6/2019 06:13:19 pm

Mr. Walker: I have been trying to reach you to tell you that we are a group of Bruno lovers from the Ohio/Michigan. We will be staying at Sarlat-la-Canéda on July 7 - 16 and we would love to meet you. Is it possible for you and your wife to have breakfast, lunch, dinner or brunch at any time during our visit? We have read many of your books and also love to cook and bake. We promise it will be a time of fun and good cheer - it would be an honor to have you and your wife in our company. Is it possible to plan a time? You can reach me at sandyh@hermanoff.net. My phone number is 248.330.7829. We are all hoping you will receive this message. Cheers and best wishes, Sandy :)

Martin link

17/6/2019 02:22:13 am

I shall be in touch with you directly.

Siobhan Dugan

17/6/2019 08:17:23 am

Hi, Mr. Walker,

I'm loving the Bruno books In the last week I've read The Dark Vineyard and Black Diamond, in addition to The Caves of the Perigord. I'm now close to the end of the Crowded Grave, and The Devil's Cave awaits. I know I'm probably the millionth person to tell you this, but here goes: the books area great. I love the pace of life and the mix of characters in the book. I grew up in a small town in upstate New York and the Bruno books ring true to my experience of small-town life. The food isn't as good in Clinton, NY, but no place is perfect.

All that's missing to enhance my enjoyment of the books is a glass of liqueur de noix to sip while reading. I live in Washington, DC, if you know of any walnuts trees in the area that are looking for someone to harvest the nuts ...

All the best,

Siobhan Dugan

rita lanceley

19/6/2019 10:47:08 am

Oh no! Was it a spoiler alert in your latest novel? Is Florence to be the chosen one? ( it was mention of the bunk beds and Kathleen's wrinkles which got me). If I'm wrong , good, and continue the intrigue for more novels, please.

Diane Chamberlain

19/6/2019 11:47:43 am

Yes! Bruno is definitely starting to feel twinges of attraction, slight jealousies. But how will he rid himself of his need for Pamela and Isabel?

Laurie Love

19/6/2019 01:03:27 pm

For what it's worth..... I'm team Florence!

Martin link

22/6/2019 06:36:47 am

Now that would be telling!

Laurie Love

22/6/2019 07:44:55 am

Thank you for the recipe!!

Geoff Whitehead

8/7/2019 01:59:10 pm

I read my first Bruno book, a few years back, with a feeling of coming home. Just two weeks before we had been sitting in the place you call Fouquet's watching police car unload its passengers into the mairie. We love le Bugue. We were staying in a gite in Tremolat, just around the corner from le Vieux Logis.
Last year we stayed in St Cyprien and found a fabulous place (I can't remember the name) about a mile out on the Sarlat road, serving a really imaginative regional menu. e.g. a starter of foie gras with onion marmalade and - wait for it - a scoop of date ice cream. One taste and I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
One last thing - when are you going to publish a Bruno cookbook?
Regards,
Geoff W

Martin link

13/7/2019 09:59:54 am

Isn't it a wonderful part of the world? Tremolat is a particularly glorious village.

We do have a Bruno cookbook, but it's only available in German, I'm afraid -- the English language publication is a long-running saga...

Kerstin Gorges

11/7/2019 05:38:01 am

Dear Mr. Walker, my husband and I met you last May on the occasion of your "Menu surprise" reading tour in Switzerland (Affoltern am Albis). Do you remember? We were thrilled to finally meet you in person, especially since your "Bruno" is responsible for the fact that we bought a house in Limeuil two years ago. And since "Bruno" is unfortunately only a fiction, we now put a tight rein on you as Bruno's intellectual father ... No, just a joke....We have not regretted buying this house for a second and spend as much time as possible in beautiful Périgord. And we are really pleased that your new novel is set in Limeuil! Therefore we would be very happy if we could meet you there one day. Perhaps for an aperitif in our house in August?
Best regards
Kerstin

Gerard Haase-Dubosc

22/7/2019 11:41:57 am

Mon cher Monsieur Walker
I just read your latest book, The Body in the Castle Well. Quite liked it. I venture to say you spent a bit more time and care on this one that the last one. Want to add that I was born in France but have spent most of my life in U.S. I was lucky enough to visit the original Lascaux cave in the '50's. My wife and I were in France recently visiting family (in Alsace, Provins, Burgundy, and Avignon). We have promised ourselves a trip to the Dordogne-- an area my mother loved-- the next time we travel to France. Would love to meet you!

Tatjana Bross

19/8/2019 12:31:19 am

Dear Mr. Walker, since I read the first Bruno novel, I wished to spend a summer holiday in lovely Périgord. This year it was time. My husband and I spent ten days in Tamniès. We explored some of your listed castles, caves and villages with our pedelecs. Commarque and Abri Pataud I loved the best. After the bike rides I relaxed while reading "Menu surprise". Maybe you could add cycling on your list of activies. I guess there are many Bruno fans who would like to cycle on the tracks of Bruno. We booked our trip at bike-france, they have sent us the GPS tracks and it was easy to find and not exhausting. In Le Bugue, we bought wine at the Julien de Savignac cellar, foie gras and Tomme d'Audrix at the market. We would have liked to have a coffee at Cauet, but unfortunately the café is closed. Are new owern's croissants as good at they were at Cauet?
All the best
Tatjana

Perigord photo show

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