By Barbara Lavoie

Gourmands everywhere look for-ward to the holiday season withgusto.

For the chef in all of us, the holidayseason offers an opportunity to prepareour favourite traditional Christmas fare.

It can also be a chance to try new andmaybe more challenging recipes thanksto having a few days off work, that is un-less you work for Scrooge.

The Townships offers a wide variety offine foods and beverages, many availabledirectly from the farm or wineries toyour table. There is also a growing abun-

dance of organic foods that are virtuallyin your backyard.

So let none of the glorious foodgroups go unsampled this season!

To serve the purpose of celebratingfood, glorious food, here are a few desti-nations that will get those digestivejuices flowing.

Boutique de l’Abbaye Saint Benoit1 Main Street

Saint-Benoît-du-LacA visit to the Boutique de at Abbaye

Saint Benoit in Saint-Benoît-du-Lac, nearMagog, will not disappoint those wholove fine foods and cheeses, jams and

ciders. The variety of food products found in

the store is outstanding, with many ofthem grown, processed, and packagedon the premises by the monks them-selves.

Even the most discerning palatewould find it difficult not to want tosample the delicacies, and indeed thereare often samples available, laid out bythis small clutch of men who live clois-tered from the world and through pri-vate prayer and song, follow the strictvows of silence, the rule of Saint Bene-dict.

The food emporium also includes awide assortment of gifts, religious arti-cles, multi-media recordings and books.

Founded a century ago by the exiledFontenelle Abbey of St. Wandrille,

France, Abbot Dom Joseph Pothier, litur-gist and scholar, led the group in reviv-ing and reconstituting the Gregorianchants. Monk and modern architect, Fa-ther Paul Bellot, created the beautifulItalianate architecture that housesabout 50 monks in 1939-41.

If you’re lucky, and you find yourselfat the abbey at the right time, you mayhave a chance to hear the monks raisetheir voices in song.

Visitors are welcome from Monday toSaturday, between the hours of 9 and10:45 a.m., and 11:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Theabbey store is closed on Sundays.

For more information, contact theBoutique de l’Abbaye, by telephone at819-843-2861, or visit www.st-benoit-du-lac.com/magasin/magasin.html.

PAGE 12 • HOLIDAY TIME IN THE TOWNSHIPS • BROME COUNT Y NEWS T uesday , December 4, 2012

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Wishing you all Happy Holidays

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Jean-Pierre and Robert DésourdyOwners

A reassuring presence.CowansvilleADMINISTRATION104, rue Buzzell - 450-263-1212

FarnhamCRÉMATORIUM205, rue Principale Est450-293-4474

Ange-Gardien233, rue St-Joseph - 450-293-4474

Cowansville109, rue William - 450-263-1212

Henryville124, rue St-Georges - 450-299-2033

Knowlton318, chemin Knowlton - 450-263-1212

Mansonville4, rue Vale Perkins - 450-292-3204

Sutton31, rue Principale Sud - 450-263-1212

Food, glorious food!Let’s not forget the spirits

Boutique de l’Abbaye Saint Benoit

Domaine Félibre740 Bean Road

StansteadDomaine Félibre is just one of the

many successful vineyards in the Town-ships.

For the last 15 years, it has been in thebusiness of growing, processing and sell-ing exceptional ice ciders, liqueurs andwines.

Three staff and several who work part-time work at the vineyard contributepart of their success to the richness ofthe land and the perfect climate theEastern Townships provides.

Although their boutique is only openfrom Friday to Sunday, during themonths of June to September, their prod-ucts can be found at SAQ outlets in IGAstores and Loblaws throughout theTownships, and for those who might betravelling during the holidays, in Europeand in Japan.

Ice cider, cider fortified with applebrandy and aged in oak for two years,and their red and rosé wines, are a few oftheir products which lend themselvesperfectly to recipes for meats and fordesserts.

From their website, Domaine Félibre

offers the following sure-to-please deca-dent dessert recipe.

Vice Givré Fudge Cake200 g dark chocolate (70%), cut into

small pieces200 g unsalted butter5 medium eggs15 ml cornstarch15 ml all-purpose flour 250 g sugar60 ml Vice Caché cherry

liqueur (product 587311 at the SAQ)24 Morello cherriesOptional - 250 ml chocolate saucePreheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a

double boiler, melt together the butterand chocolate. Mix in sugar. Allow mix-ture to cool before stirring in the eggs,one at a time.

Mix sugar and flour and add to mix-ture.

Bake in oven for 22 minutes. Removefrom pan and let sit before cutting intocubes. Place cherries or other fruit indecorative bowls and top with cake. Driz-zle with cherry liqueur. If desired, topwith Chantilly cream or chocolate sauce.Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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