

Sainte Ménéhould
"I only wish I could have cooked it for her, as I know it was one of her favourites. We would have drunk a bottle of old Rhone with it....
Sep 14, 2023
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History in a kind of pancake - or flatbread, maybe even chips
Cecina, Asfrisciolata, Socca, Turta, Turtellassu, Fainá, Torta di ceci, Calentita, Panisse, Panelle, Pizza a caballo ... so many names...
Sep 9, 2023
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Fruit toad in the hole - Clafoutis
"This seemingly simple recipe baffled me for many years, as I endlessly ended up with a leaden duffer of a pud, so much so that I quite...
Sep 2, 2023
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Herbes de Provence
"When tidying up your herbs at the end of the summer, cut lots of each, tie them in bundles, dry in a cool, dry, airy place and turn them...
Aug 26, 2023
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A new word - gastrique
"The best thing about learning how to make a gastrique is that it's extremely easy for the clueless chef to do. It makes a simple dish...
Aug 10, 2023
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French in Fitzroy
"the things Melbourne and France value in dining: character, charm, classics executed well and an atmosphere-charged place to take it all...
Jul 26, 2023
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A dish to make if you have a spare bottle of Crème de Cassis
"A thick rich taste that is felt as much as tasted. Deep jammy currants roll over and coat the tongue in a wave of black currants. Like...
Jul 18, 2023
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A French lunch on Bastille Day
"It is more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use long, difficult words but rather short, easy words like "What about lunch?" A. A....
Jul 15, 2023
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An oldie but a goodie
"There was this woman tossing French omelettes, splashing eggs about the place, brandishing big knives, panting heavily as she careened...
Jul 11, 2023
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Why do Paris when you can do la France profonde?
"To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a...
Jun 28, 2023
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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...
Apr 29, 2023
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Cuisse de canard rôtie aux prunes
"It is rich meltingly tender when young, and fairly cries out to be simmered with wine, herbs and brandy" Robert Carrier This is my...
Apr 21, 2023
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Shreds
"a strip of material, such as paper, cloth, or food, that has been torn, cut, or scraped from something larger." Oxford Languages...
Apr 5, 2023
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Bostock
"quite possibly the best-tasting yet widely unknown breakfast treat you’ll find." Erin Clarke/Well Plated Do you know what a bostock is?...
Mar 19, 2023
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In the middle of France is Berry
"a province unharmed by too many visitors in spite of the reputation of Georges Sand, Alain Fournier and Bourges Cathedral - and of the...
Feb 9, 2023
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Eggs - what's in a name?
"The variations on this simple dish are infinite" Robert Carrier Indeed they are and it is perfectly easy to become completely confused...
Feb 5, 2023
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Brown but so much more
"Colour fades as flavour deepens: a metaphor for much of life I suggest." Nigella Lawson Which is, indeed food for thought. In her book...
Feb 4, 2023
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Mashed potato
"The topic of mashed potato started a heated debate among my colleagues. Half of them insisted it had to be creamy, buttery and have...
Feb 1, 2023
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Robert Carrier, tomatoes and indexes
"Cook dinner with Robert Carrier and you’ll need butter, cream, wine and quite a lot of cognac" Jay Rayner It's guru week - by which I...
Jan 30, 2023
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French/Indian - did it happen?
"even while the European powers ruled, none of them had any effect on the basic diet of the local people. Rice, mainly 'boiled' rice ,...
Jan 26, 2023
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