

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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...
Dec 27, 2022


Not much to say about asparagus soup
"It sort of goes against the grain to turn the most beautiful of vegetables into a soup." Simon Hopkinson My next first recipe has been...
Dec 18, 2022


Little vinegar - vinaigrette
“it seems to me that a salad and its dressing are things we should take more or less for granted at a meal, like bread and salt; and not...
Dec 1, 2022


Baked apples - so many ways
"All millionaires love a baked apple" Ronald Firbank This all started with a purchase of a big bag of i'Mperfect apples from Coles by...
Nov 26, 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...
Nov 9, 2022


Brioche à l'ancienne
"An idea is like a chocolate brioche. You have to let it cool to see if it is really good" I take my inspiration from anywhere I can get...
Sep 6, 2022

