Episode 350 - Walking in Provence

Release Date: May 19, 2020

Download:  Enhanced  | MP3

Running Time:  100 min.

Subscribe:  Enhanced  | MP3 | RSS

 

Fields of lavender coat the hills of southern France with waves of purple blooms each Summer. Nestled between the flowers are rows of golden wheat, lush forests, sunflowers, windmills, and small villages with magnificent old churches.

Equipped with cameras, handheld and aerial, you set off into the countryside to explore and capture the wondrous beauty of rural France. 

Walking in Provence is a card-driven map building game. Over ten turns you will create a mini-map and move your photographers to open meadows hoping to create the right mix of flowers and features for the perfect shot. 

The game is elegant and welcoming; it offers depth and challenge to players new and old. Listen in to discover why we think Walking in Provence is a treasure hidden in a small box.

Complete Show Notes continue after the break.

Walking in Provence       Emperor S4 |  BGG  

Designer: Wei-Min Ling

Publisher: Emperor S4

Artist: Maisherly Chan

2-5 players  20-30 min.   ages 8+   MSRP $18 ($550NT)

Time to teach/learn: 5-8 minutes

The Meal

Since so many of us are remaining sheltered and needing to find ways to plan meals and find fun in life, we offer up the following…

Listed below are some go-to recipes and game suggestions. Each one could be an evening’s entertainment with anyone you happen to be sheltered with!

Download all the recipes and game recommendations here

Meal and Spiel - May 2020 - PDF

Meal 1: Ramen Salad

Provided by: Stephen Conway

Game: Ramen

Ramen Salad Recipe

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

The Dressing

8 tbsp Olive oil

3 tbsp Sugar

3 tbsp Rice Vinegar (unseasoned)

3 tbsp Soy Sauce 

The Salad

1 3 oz. package of Ramen noodles, broken up

½ cup slivered almonds

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 head Romain lettuce (or Spinach)

The Protein

Grilled chicken breasts, cut up into small pieces)  OR Grilled/sautéed Shrimp

How To Prepare

The Dressing:  Whisk 6 tablespoons oil, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl until blended.

The Salad: Heat remaining 2 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Add broken ramen noodles and almonds and sesame seeds to the pan and stir until they are toasted and golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Pour contents of pan into a large salad bowl and allow 10-15 minutes for them to cool down. Rinse and rip up lettuce. Add lettuce to the bowl and then the dressing. Toss salad until coated.  Serve with chicken or shrimp as a light dinner.

Limoncello Recipe

Ingredients

1 750 ml bottle of Vodka (100 proof)

10 large lemons

2 ½ cups sugar

2 ½ cups water

1 airtight glass jar (1 qt)

How To Prepare

Peel the lemons and place the peels in the glass jar. Pour vodka over the peels and seal the jar.

Store the jar in a cool dark place for 1-3 weeks. When ready, prepare a simple syrup with the water and sugar, combining them in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves completely. Cool the syrup completely. Then stir in the vodka, straining out the lemon peels.

Serve ice cold. Sealed properly in the fridge, limocello will keep 2-3 months. Good luck letting it last that long! A perfect after dinner dessert drink.

Meal 2: Sausage & Penne

Game: Downfall of Pompeii

Sausage & Penne Recipe

Ingredients (Serves 4)

3-5 Hot Italian Sausages (removed from their casing)

1 onion

1 red pepper, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

¼ cup dried parsley

package of penne pasta

How to Prepare

Chop up and sauté an onion in a pan over medium heat

Add sausage to the pan and brown it.

Add a can of tomatoes, pepper and parsley.

Let simmer while pasta cooks

Boil a pot of water and add penne. Drain when done.

Pour sausage/sauce mixture over pasta. Enjoy!

Meal 3: Grilled Porterhouse Steak

Provided by: Jeff Heck

Games: Crokinole

Porterhouse Steak Recipe

Ingredients

1 or 2  2 inch thick Porterhouse steaks

Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder

How To Prepare

Start Grill. Coat steaks liberally with spices.  Sear steaks, turning half way through to get crosshatched grill marks. Once seared, place steaks away from direct heat and finish cooking with indirect heat until desired level of doneness is reached. Enjoy!

Meal 4: Francie's Fast & Tasty Fried Rice

Provided by: Francie Broadie

Game: Mah Jongg

Francie’s Fast & Tasty Fried Rice Recipe

Ingredients

4 cups cold cooked rice

1 cup cooked protein (ham, Canadian bacon, leftover pork, chicken, shrimp…)

1 cup cooked veggies or shredded raw veggies

2 eggs

2 -4 T oil

2 T soy sauce

1/2 t sugar

1/2 t salt

1/2 t toasted sesame oil

 1 t mirin (Chinese rice wine)  Sherry is a good substitute

1 clove of garlic minced

1/2 t chili garlic paste

1-2 scallions chopped

Toasted sesame seeds

Note:    This is more of a method than a recipe.  If you don’t have an ingredient, swap it for something else.  The mirin is totally optional.  And I almost never use scallions, but other people like them and they were in the original recipe.  Feel free to play with amounts.  I never measure my rice, just use what is leftover in the fridge.   If you have more rice, use another egg and double the sauce.   This is a super flexible recipe.  

How to Prepare

  1.  In a small bowl crack the eggs and add a dash of soy sauce, and a few drops of toasted sesame oil.   Beat the eggs and set aside.
  2. In another small bowl mix the soy sauce, sugar, salt, mirin, sesame oil, and chili garlic paste.  Give it a stir and set aside.  
  3. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.   Add about 2-T oil and swirl it around.   Add the garlic and scallions.  Stir briefly and then add rice.  If it looks like you need more oil, add a bit more.    Break up the rice, give it a stir to redistribute the garlic and scallions, then allow to sit for a bit to get a little crispy on the bottom.    Stir again and crisp up a little more rice.  
  4. Toss in the meat and veggies to reheat.  If you are using raw shredded veggies, add them before the meat.    I like shredded carrots and zucchini.  
  5. Add the sauce stirring until the rice has an even color to it.   
  6. Create a well in the center of the rice.  Add a touch more oil if necessary.  Pour in the beaten egg, allow to set up a bit, then start stirring the egg into the rice.    Give it a big stir once eggs are mostly cooked.  The residual heat will finish cooking the eggs.  
  7. Top with toasted sesame seeds and enjoy.  

Meal 5: Coconut Chocolate Macaroons

Provided by: Francie Broadie

Games: Coconuts

Coconut Chocolate Macaroon Recipe

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar 

2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

2 large egg whites

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

How To Prepare

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, coconut, egg whites, vanilla, and salt. Using your hands, mix well, completely combining ingredients.

Dampen hands with cold water. Use 1 1/2 tablespoons to form mounds; place on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart.

Bake until golden brown, 16 to 17 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool on a wire rack. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Recipe from marthastewart.com

Meal 6: White Bean Bruschetta

Provided by: Francie Broadie

Game: Azul: Summer Pavilion

White Bean Bruschetta Recipe

Ingredients

1 can cooked canellini beans (drained and rinsed.)

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

2 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves  shredded

1 garlic clove finely chopped

Crusty bread

How To Prepare

Mix everything but the bread in a small bowl. Mash lightly with a fork.  Add a pinch of kosher salt and a couple grinds of black pepper and allow to sit for 20 minutes.

Cut the bread into slices  sprinkle with a bit of olive oil and toast up in the oven.   Remove from oven when golden brown.  Add a spoonful of the beans on the top of each toast.   

Serves 2-4 as an appetizer or 2 for lunch

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Music credits include:

Tour de France  by Kraftwerk  |  the song

Lavender Cowboy  by Bob Skyles & His Skyrockets  |  the song

Hungry Man   by Louis Jordan  |  the song

Deep Purple  by Buddy Morrow & The Night Train Orchestra  |  the song

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