Waiting for Dinner

 The hounds at Cheverny sit patiently on the steps of their kennel, waiting to be released into the enclosure where their dinner is already laid out. Once the kennelman opens the gate this lot will be off like a shot, and the chicken carcasses and dry food consumed in about 10 seconds flat.

******************************************

A la cuisine hier: Tomato soup, made by roasting tomatoes, peppers, onions and whole garlic bulbs then pureeing and adding stock. Best done in a food mill because otherwise you end up with chewy bits of tomato skin and seeds. A dash of this and that -- balsamic vinegar or hot sauce, for example, can be added.