Search


- Nov 5
An unexpected delight
"God bless the French lunch hour." Elizabeth David A lucky dip. Elizabeth David's book of essays and writings from here and there, An...
15 views0 comments


- Sep 21
Deconstructing Tomates Provençales
"Why mess with perfection?" Jamie of Jamie and Julia I began with this Baked tomatoes, crumbs and herbs from Nigel Slater in a recent...
8 views0 comments


- Sep 20
Cabbage rolls from long ago
Once upon a time I sat in this very spot and gazed upon the Mostar bridge. Well I am 90% certain it was in this spot - although, when I...
34 views0 comments


- Sep 16
Orzo or rice? with chicken
"an urgent need for dishes that served to soothe rather than excite. " Nigel Slater Nigella gets top billing again - this time with her...
16 views0 comments


- Aug 30
Bitter sweet - chocolate mousse memories
"No matter how many new desserts come along, the classic chocolate mousse is rarely met with anything but delight." Nigel Slater This is...
24 views0 comments


- May 24
Mare nostrum
"When visitors to France and Spain, in particular, drive towards the sea they say that the sensation at a certain point is of opening a...
7 views0 comments


- Apr 29
Carrot soup
"a recipe designed to be as fluid as the weather" Nigel Slater Yesterday I wrote about boredom and looking at the title of this post you...
2 views0 comments


- Jan 10
A summer afternoon with Elizabeth David
"After all, it is summer. You are on holiday. You are in company of your own choosing. The air is clean. You can smell wild fennel...
10 views0 comments


- Dec 27, 2022
Dinner on 9 June 1979
"You are going to love this : I unearthed the menu you served on 9 June 1979" Wendy Wendy is a friend from long ago, and now a faithful...
16 views0 comments


- Nov 9, 2022
One soup or four?
"Our primary purpose in this book is to teach you how to cook, so that you will understand the fundamental techniques and gradually be...
8 views0 comments


- Jul 26, 2022
Scrambled eggs - I think I've been here before
"everybody has his own method, which is invariably the right and proper one." Elizabeth David I feel sure I've done all this before, and...
9 views0 comments


- Jul 25, 2022
Coq au vin - slow food or quick and easy?
"The entire recipe for coq au vin in one popular cookbook, now in its third printing, read: 'Cut up two broilers. Brown them in butter...
7 views0 comments


- May 30, 2022
La daube provençal - so very, very good
"I have executed, with loyal respect, printed formulas for daubes in the interest of analysis and comparison but, left to my own devices...
4 views0 comments


- Apr 13, 2022
Vegetarianism then and now
"Time was when a vegetarian was just that: someone who ate no meat or fish, but only vegetable products. Nowadays there are many shades...
9 views0 comments


- Jan 24, 2022
On magic, perfection, mystery, Elizabeth David and Mère Poulard's omelette
"one of life's simplest, quickest and most pleasant dishes." Delia Smith "Once upon a time" begins Elizabeth David's classic essay An...
19 views0 comments


- Dec 14, 2021
Back - to basics and beginnings
It's been almost a week since I have created a post for this blog. Why? Well all sorts of reasons, most of them being just that I have...
13 views0 comments


- Dec 1, 2021
My pissaladière story
"just add spring sunshine and a glass of wine" Andrew McConnell Tonight my local book group is meeting to choose our books for next year....
9 views0 comments


- Nov 15, 2021
Elizabeth David's Carbonnade Nîmoise
is it 'authentic' or did she make it up? On Saturday we finally ate Carbonnade Nîmoise - a very old favourite recipe of Elizabeth...
5 views0 comments


- Sep 18, 2021
Peppers from Piedmont - or Elizabeth David?
"This recipe is quite simply stunning: hard to imagine how something so easily prepared can taste so good." Delia Smith These are the...
28 views0 comments


- Aug 30, 2021
Mediterranean diet or Mediterranean food?
"The supermarket spaghetti bolognese does not count. The Mediterranean diet has no preservatives. It is freshly picked, plucked and...
8 views0 comments