I love France! I’ve loved the French language since the first day we started learning it at school, rising from our seats when our French teacher entered the class room and settling back down on her crisp “asseyez-vous”. Born with a handy ability to mimic accents and blessed with a French teacher who was actually ... Read more »
I adore flat peaches. As I’ve written before, they’re also known as doughnut peaches, saturn peaches and even UFO peaches, because of their flattened disc-like shape. Usually they’re superbly sweet and impossible to eat without dribbling copious sticky juice down chin and arms. In recent years, I’ve found them easier than ever to find; my ... Read more »
Since learning the recipe for super Easy Potato Dauphinoise at a Waitrose cookery school class many years ago, we’ve made these quick and delicious potatoes many, many times. Thinking about possible variations, I started imagining the addition of onions. From onions, it’s not a big leap to caramelised onions… But caramelising onions properly, still they are ... Read more »
From June through to the end of September, a large sleek white structure is sat atop the Royal Festival Hall. Consisting of a spacious dining room, small kitchen and toilet facilities inside and an expansive deck area and walkways outside, this modern installation is The Cube by Electrolux. Six top chefs are taking it in ... Read more »
Our previous visit to Club Gascon was on the special occasion of the restaurant’s 13th birthday. A delicious evening, but not the menu that is usually available. So recently, Pete and I were invited to review the restaurant during a weekday lunch. At lunch you can order from the Dejeuner Club menu (£25 for 3 ... Read more »
Tamasin Day-Lewis’ Chicken Savoyarde recipe appeals to me for more than one reason. Firstly, the initial part of the process is essentially how I already poach a whole chicken, so the recipe lends itself very well to being made with leftovers. (I’m sure it would work with roast chicken leftovers too). Secondly, it features chicken, ... Read more »
I love black cherries and I love stodgy, comforting puddings, so it’s a wonder I’ve not made clafoutis before now! Clafoutis, for those of you who aren’t familiar with it, is a baked French dessert of black cherries in a thick flan-like batter. Originating in the Limousin region of France, clafoutis traditionally contains un-pitted black ... Read more »
Boef Bourgignon aka Boeuf à la Bourguignonne is a classic French dish often thought to originate from the Burgundy region of France, though food historians suggest this is not the case; concluding instead that it was likely created in Paris, and named simply for the use of Burgundy red wine that is a prominent ingredient. ... Read more »
Bravo! Ouais! Le Vacherin Mont d’Or est arrivé! In France, there’s quite a celebration when the season of availability for this fabulous cheese rolls around once again. Officially known in France as Vacherin du Haut-Doubs this soft, unpasteurised cheese with a pale yellow salt-washed rind originated in the Jura mountains that cross France and Switzerland. ... Read more »
Club Gascon is 13 years old! And to celebrate, owner chef Pascal Aussignac decided to hold a special birthday night during which he offered his original 1998 menu at, wait for it, 1998 prices! I was quick to book a table… I haven’t been to any of Aussignac’s restaurants but have tasted his cooking (and ... Read more »
The Place of Onions, in old Lille. After last night’s rainstorm the intense sticky heat has broken and today is cool, breezy, fresh… I love it! A drop of… [more]
We went to Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire at The Void this morning, an amazing VR experience where we got to be Rebel Alliance members going undercover as… [more]