This summer, we had several friends staying at Château Cordeillan-Bages , a beautiful ‘relais-château‘ located in the heart of Médoc. They loved every moment of their stay, but most importantly, they adored the hotel’s restaurant, headed by chef Jean-Luc Rocha. When I told them that I had the chance to meet him and cook by his side, they couldn’t wait to see the recipes and … Continue reading Cooking with Jean-Luc Rocha
It was so enjoyable having our friends stay over recently – they had previously spent a holiday in Brittany visiting relatives and brought us a bag of local treats – a delightful Kouign Aman (traditional butter and sugar cake), galettes, pancakes and the most amazing salted butter caramel spread ever! In Brittany, every Bretons and Bretonnes believe that life cannot exist without butter. We ate … Continue reading Old-fashioned chocolate mousse with salted butter caramel chunks
Making trifles is like writing poetry. You can adapt to any season, add any ingredients you like and play around with different textures. It’s such a creative dessert, so scrumptuous and beautiful to look at, and most of all, so delicious. When I lived in London as a student, I loved all the cult classics, like scotch eggs, pork pies, Eton mess and berry trifles. … Continue reading Summer trifle
‘Merveilles‘ means wonders in French, and it’s just the kind of sweet pastry that brings me straight back to my childhood. When I was on holiday in the South of France, I remember buying ‘merveilles’ with my own pocket money at the market – the woman selling them was called Bernadette, she was a farmer’s wife, straight out of a baroque painting with her old-fashioned … Continue reading Merveilles
The roses in our garden have been the main attraction these days. They are so beautiful and smell like heaven – we have many different types with inviting names like Pierre de Ronsart, magical moment, Sombreuil and Félicité. In Rome a wild rose would be placed on the door of a room where secret matters were discussed. The phrase ‘sub rosa’, means to keep a … Continue reading Marie-Antoinette’s secrets
This morning, I was in the mood for something different, so I made coconut tapioca pudding. In Asia, tapioca is used in many deserts and snacks. In Hong-Kong, I would often go with my mother and friends to a little ‘sweet café’ (typical desert-only restaurant) and have a Chinese deserts, like a mango or melon tapioca pudding. It’s usually served warm, but cold is delicious … Continue reading Coconut tapioca pudding
I love to make this desert for my friends when they come and visit. It’s so pretty, extremely delicious and very impressive! I had it for the first time at St John Bread and Wine (94-96 Commercial Street London, E1 6LZ), an English bistrot style eatery in London with amazing food. I can still remember the first bite, and couldn’t wait to have one again. … Continue reading Eton Mess
