

The continental breakfast
"Nothing illustrates the British disdain for Europe like the concept of Continental Breakfast." The History Woman's Blog Inspiration for...
May 24, 2022


Terrine de campagne
"Remember that it will taste better the next day" Jane Grigson A busy week is looming so it's possible there will not be many posts this...
Feb 14, 2022


Crème fraïche
"For me, crème fraïche is the number one top of the pops cook's ingredient in the cream family." Delia Smith The first time I...
Feb 3, 2022


I do like to be beside the seaside
Such is my lack of inspiration at the moment I am today combining two of my writer's block stimuli - a moment in time and a lucky dip. I...
Jan 30, 2022


Crème brulée - it's really English
"For some reason, a bowl of custard isn't seen as an appropriate dessert for a grown adult – but scorch the top and give it a French name...
Dec 27, 2021


Quickies - just a few
I don't have much time today so here are some quickies. Lychee granita - this is a photograph of a Donna Hay recipe for Lychee and...
Dec 2, 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....
Dec 1, 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...
Nov 15, 2021


Sauce soubise
"I think of soubise as the cashmere jumper of sauces. Nothing can compete with its soft, cosseting qualities." Nigel Slater Maybe I...
Oct 28, 2021


Flamiche - a first recipe
"my favourite savoury tart" Gabriel Gaté It could be mine too if I think about it. And I don't make it often enough - probably because...
Oct 15, 2021


Worrying about aioli
"Casting salt and a squeeze of lemon juice aside, the recipe only has three ingredients: get one of them wrong and the whole thing loses...
Oct 3, 2021


Duck confit - easy but expensive
"there are few things I have ever eaten that more effectively illustrate the point of the whole damn business that is home cooking." ...
Aug 24, 2021


Poires Belle Hélène and other chocolate and pear partnerships
"Pears go well with chocolate, they dance together on the taste buds like Fred and Ginger" Larder Love We have reverted to the Zoom...
Jul 19, 2021


Bastille day - salade de tomatoes
"Vive la France" Today is Bastille Day. A massive day of patriotic celebration in France. Which is interesting really because in spite...
Jul 14, 2021


Pithiviers - a first recipe
"The top is rounded and higher than the edges, and slashed, typically in a starburst pattern. It is meant to look like the sun." Dana's...
Jul 11, 2021


A recipe - cultural appropriation?
This is a Tarte Tatin - they are truly everywhere it seems to me. But of course it is also very definitely not a Tarte Tatin - that...
Jul 10, 2021


Upside down is in
"When you flip anything, you really ... you just have to have the courage of your convictions." Julia Child This all started a couple of...
May 31, 2021


The power of photographs
Can you judge a book by its cover? When my gourmet friend came to dinner the other day, she, yet again, gave me a gift of a cookbook -...
May 26, 2021


On fish stews - a lucky dip
"The line dividing a soup from a stew is often infirm." Richard Olney This particular lucky dip has been sitting next door to me on my...
Apr 7, 2021


Basically French
There are two inspirations for today's blog - a first recipe and this photograph. The photograph comes from my daily art desk calendar. ...
Mar 31, 2021

