I've just returned from three days in gastronomic paradise.

Gascony, in the heart of southwestern France, is known for it's fiery Armagnac, it's silky foie gras, the warmth of it's people and it's stunning scenery of rolling hills and fields of sunflowers.







If cooks in the south of France prefer olive oil and in the north of France they favor butter, then duck fat is the star of the kitchen in this region. The people of Gascony slather their bread with duck and goose fat, nibble on delicious, crispy fried duck skin called fritons de canard and eat loads of meat. Mixed with generous amounts of red wine and garlic, the people of this region are said to live the longest of all the French.

Go figure...