“Harder than you know. But it would be worse to see her suffer here. There are too many terrible memories. She needs to make new memories, have fresh, exciting experiences. When I was in Italy at her age, I met my… That’s where I met Matt.”
The mere mention of his name seemed to frost Mike’s edges. “Let’s hope she meets a better guy.”
I nodded, although down deep I didn’t really agree. True, Matt had put me through some pretty bad times, but he was no Tommy Keitel. And he’d really come through for Joy and me in this round.
Still, with Mike’s blue eyes smiling at me now, I knew
I leaned forward then and kissed Mike Quinn. I kissed him sweetly then hotly, leisurely then hungrily. I could see that he needed it—and, frankly, I was getting tired of talking.
We came up for air when my bedside phone rang. And after all that delectable kissing, I had a little trouble finding my voice.
“Hello?” I croaked.
“Clare, something awful has happened…”
“Hold on a second, okay?” I covered the receiver. “It’s Madame,” I whispered to Mike.
He smiled, caressed my hair, pressed his lips to my forehead. Then he lifted his chin toward the hallway. “I’ll come back.”
“No. You don’t have to leave.”
“It’s okay.” Mike winked. “I’ll be right outside when you need me.”
I smiled. That pretty much summed up Mike Quinn for me, all right. I watched him leave, the easy, powerful length of him; then I took a breath and pretended I could actually focus.
“Okay, Madame, tell me,” I said. “What’s the matter?”
“It’s Matteo…” Madame sounded stricken, like someone she loved had just been diagnosed with a terrible disease. “He’s gotten himself into a terrible fix, and he’s going to need our help like never before.”
“Anything, Madame. Tell me what’s wrong?”
“He just left me a message, Clare. He’s getting
“Married! Matt?”
“In a few short months, Matt plans to wed himself to Breanne Summour. But he doesn’t love that woman, Clare. And I won’t let my boy make that kind of mistake with his life.”
“But, Madame…” I closed my eyes, massaged my forehead. “It’s
“Oh, please, Clare! Do you think you’re the only mother who knows how to butt in?”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying Matt may
I closed my eyes.
Madame’s voice went down to a subterranean octave. “Over my dead body,” she vowed.
Recipes&Tips From The Village Blend
A coulis is a thick and evenly textured French sauce made from pureed and strained vegetables or fruits. Coulis can either be sweet or savory, depending on what it is meant to accompany, and it is popular both with classically trained French chefs and practitioners of fusion cuisine.
A vegetable coulis is generally used with meat or vegetable dishes, or as a base for soups or other sauces. Fruit coulis are generally used with desserts, but savory fruit coulis may also be used to accent roast meats. Herb coulis are becoming popular, and mint coulis often accompany roast lamb.
This classic sweet coulis is made with raspberries, but an equal amount of another fruit, such as strawberries or man-goes, can be substituted.
Combine the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer while stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 10 minutes. Strain through a mesh sieve. Add additional sugar or lemon juice, to taste.
In France, raspberry coulis is often served with poached apples, but it may also be served with ice cream or pound cake, artfully drizzled on a plate or pooled next to the food it accompanies. Different types of coulis can appear on one plate, for varying flavors and colors.
Coulis should be kept in the refrigerator and can be frozen for future use. Chefs keep coulis in a squeeze bottle, so that it can be quickly applied when needed.
The classic French chocolate pots de crème are not your typical chocolate pudding. They’re sinfully chocolaty and truly delightful—and they’re relatively easy to make, too. This recipe will yield approximately six 6- ounce servings.
Preheat the oven to 300°.
Put your chopped chocolate (or chocolate pieces) in a metal or glass bowl. Then in a medium saucepan, heat the cream and milk until it’s just about to boil (but not yet boiling). Pour this hot liquid over your chocolate, and let it sit for about a minute until the chocolate is softened. Then stir this mixture until it’s smooth. This will take between 1 and 2 minutes.
In a second bowl whisk the egg yolks together (or use an electric mixer instead for this entire step). Gradually whisk in the sugar until smooth. Whisk in vanilla and salt. Now gradually whisk the chocolate mixture into these egg yolks.
Strain this custard through a fine-meshed sieve. (Tip: pour mixture into a container with a pouring spout.) Divide the mixture among six 7-or 8-ounce custard cups (or even ovenproof or stoneware coffee cups), and place the cups in a 9× 13 baking pan. Fill the pan with boiling water until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the custard cups (or coffee cups). Cover with foil and pierce in several places so that steam can escape.
Bake for about 30–45 minutes in the center of your oven until the tops of the pots de crème look solid, but the custard still jiggles slightly when you shake it. Don’t worry, the custard will firm up as it cools. Note: the deeper your cup, the longer your custard will take to set. If the custard still has a liquid top after 30 minutes, increase oven temperature to 325° and bake another 15 minutes.
Now remove the pots from the oven and the hot pan and let them cool to room temperature before placing them into the fridge. Make sure to
