Where do I begin It all started with an email from Rica Allannic, my editor. I received it on an otherwise unremarkable Tuesday afternoon in early February. It was short and to the point. Would I be up for a quick trip to New York city, to go over my manuscript and do some publicity for my upcoming book – before my bump got to … Continue reading Last week in America
A taxi driver in London once gave me a first class lecture on the meaning and origins of the idiom to be “at sixes and sevens”. I don’t know how it came up, I remember he had an awful lot to say about everything and before I knew it he had given me the whole story of the disputing trade companies that were bickering over … Continue reading Sixes & Sevens
Cooking is my passion. This summer, I’ve been cooking more than ever before in my life. Not only am I preparing meals for my big family (all 9 of us), but I have also been cooking recipes for my upcoming cookbook. I am very excited to finally announce that my book will be published by Clarkson Potter in New York, the publishers of some of … Continue reading Plenty of mussels
It’s that golden time of the year again when I can finally make one of my favourite delicacies, acacia flower fritters. The English name is locust flowers, we call it fleurs d’acacia (Robinia Pseudoacaci). Real acacias are bright yellow (from the Mimosoideae family), quite different to what we call acacias here. The fragrant blossoms are only available a few weeks during this season, so it’s … Continue reading Acacia Flower Fritters
The sails go round with a heavy swing As the wild wind plays on the hill; And the corn is crushed, and the flour is ground Right merrily at the mill. March 30th, Birthday Book for Children , Kate Greenaway I couldn’t resist sharing this extract from Kate Greenaway’s ‘Birthday book for children’. It’s impossible not to flick through the wonderfully illustrated pages filled with … Continue reading Eggs, Beans & my Birthday
My heart fills with joy when I see March appear in my precious diary. This month marks the arrival of spring in Médoc, with pretty flowers blossoming on trees everywhere. If I had to match a painting to this month, it would be Gustav Klimt’s ‘Mäda Primavesi‘. The girl, the dress, the flowers – that’s March for me. When I lived in Paris, I would go … Continue reading Canelés de Bordeaux
One would think that after all these recent festivities, I’d had my dose of chocolate. But no. I wanted more. My friend Sheyenne gave me a recipe during the Christmas holidays for passion fruit chocolate truffles. Just the name is inviting enough. When I saw all the passion fruits at the market, I knew I had the perfect recipe up my sleeve. I love the … Continue reading Passion fruit chocolate truffles
Some of my most delicious childhood food memories are linked with Shanghai. Growing up in Hong Kong, my family had a lot of Shanghainese friends with whom we would often feast on amazing meals from their region. I have such a soft spot for Shanghainese style cuisine. The food is all about slow cooking, seasonal and fresh ingredients braised in rice wine, vinegar, soy sauces … Continue reading Hong shao pork, fava bean fritters & tea eggs
Blanquette de veau (veal stew) is what I call the mother of all French dishes. It’s the ultimate French home cooked meal, so traditional, bourgeois yet simple. Ever so often, when I go to the butcher, I have a natural inclination to say, ‘Michel, prepare me some veal for a little blanquette de veau please’. I like to have the necessary ingredients available at all … Continue reading Blanquette de veau
What to cook for homesick French friends? Well, les grands classiques, bien sûr! My friends Jean-Pierre and Alexia came over for a visit last week-end. They left Paris three long years ago and came back to France for a little holiday. They absolutely love their new life, but had turned into homesick Parisians, or, should I say homesick for good old French food. Nothing can … Continue reading Dinner for friends
