

The first 46 pages before ...
"The introduction is the first and best chance to win the attention of people who otherwise would not care." Martin Lloyd-Jones Inspired...
Jun 7, 2024


A sort of French heritage
"What had stuck was the taste for a kind of food quite ideally unlike anything I had known before. Ever since, I have been trying to...
May 19, 2024


First recipe impact - is it why we buy?
"without naming names, I find that many miss out on the opportunity to sell the casual reader by making your first recipe absolutely...
May 7, 2024


Zabaglione, Sabayon, Delia ...
"a fragile whip of cream contained in a little glass, concealing within its innocent white froth a powerful alcoholic punch." Elizabeth...
Apr 19, 2024


The laughing cow has the last laugh
"The peeling of a Dairylea triangle and its taste transport me back to my childhood à la recherche du triangle perdu." Simon Majumdar...
Mar 25, 2024


Crudités extremes
"the main object of an hors-d'œuvre is to provide something beautifully fresh-looking which will at the same time arouse your appetite...
Mar 20, 2024


Quenelles - a forgotten delicacy
"a delicate triumph of French cooking" Jamie Tracey/The Anti-Chef Last week, as I may have mentioned, we dined at Paris Go in Carlton,...
Feb 24, 2024


Living in a tourist town
"culture feeding tourism feeding culture." Ros Atkins/The Guardian Before I embark on this post just a note to say that there is a...
Feb 23, 2024


Almost 50 years post Cuisine Minceur
"This was far and away the most influential cookery book of the latter half of the last century. It affected almost everything we eat...
Feb 17, 2024


Iles flottantes
“a French take on what the English would describe as ‘a nursery pudding’”. We’re reared on suet dumplings and steaming semolina, while...
Feb 5, 2024


Cuisine heureuse - two men and a first recipe
"Books are so much more than simply a collection of words. They are glimpses into an epoch and the author's soul." François de...
Jan 29, 2024


Overripe brie
"Let your eyes and nose be your guide. A pleasant aroma reveals hints of moist earth, fresh mushrooms and raw milk, which can be...
Jan 25, 2024


An American in Paris - David Lebovitz
"You can read about a French liqueur, or a cheese like Comté or Brie, but until you go to where it’s made, you can’t truly understand...
Jan 14, 2024


Christmas is ... cherries
"Oddly enough in a world where seasons of fruit and vegetables have broken down completely, where many are available much of the time,...
Dec 19, 2023


Not a cassoulet - leftovers 3
"The cassoulet is a dish which may be infinitely varied so long as it is not made into a mockery with a sausage or two heated up with...
Nov 1, 2023


Solving the leftover problem - 1
"The main flavouring ingredients should be well spiced and piquant; they can vary according to the taste and skill of the cook." Jane...
Oct 29, 2023


A ball of string
I took the above photograph back in April. This week I decided to change the 'wallpaper' on my computer desktop which I do every few...
Oct 19, 2023


Normandy apples and cream
"The best thing I know between France and England is the sea." Douglas William Jerrold Last week was a guru week and it was Jane...
Oct 16, 2023


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...
Sep 21, 2023


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...
Sep 16, 2023

