‘She died of a fever And no one could save her And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone But her ghost wheels her barrow Through streets broad and narrow Crying cockles and mussels alive, alive o!‘ Lyrics from Molly Malone It can be quite frustrating at times to go to the market and have a specific recipe in mind, but unfortunately the key … Continue reading Cockles and mussels
Do you know the feeling when you eat something so good you can’t wait to have it again? Well that was how I felt yesterday when I made the red cabbage and walnut tart. Let’s face it, cabbage is very wholesome, but it’s the kind of vegetable that you don’t always feel like cooking, but you would like to. Last week-end, I got carried away … Continue reading Red cabbage, onion and walnut tart
‘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
One thing you will always see on our kitchen table are tomatoes . We never run out of them – they are the juiciest of all vegetables, always available, raw or cooked, to be part of the plat du jour. In Provence, tomatoes were called ‘pomme d’amour’ (love apples) because of their aphrodisiac properties. For me, they are the little black dress of the kitchen … Continue reading Tomates farçies ‘à la Provençale’
Last week-end, I was really in the mood for something tasty, juicy, something fun. My son Hudson made a request for ‘Pirate chicken’ (he named this dish because eating chicken with your hands is just like a pirate). This dish is very Caribbean influenced, with coriander, clove, cinnamon, lime, nutmeg and chilli. Drenched in squeezed lime, this is exactly what you need to slip into … Continue reading Pirate chicken
‘A cooked tomato is like a cooked oyster: ruined.’ André Simon, wine writer Today was a perfect summer day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the breeze smelt of rose bouquets. I couldn’t think of a better lunch than having a bowl of chilled gazpacho, the summer soup. I somehow feel like a ‘Bewitched’ character when I prepare this soup – there … Continue reading Gazpacho with garlic cream
Iceland? I can’t think of a better way to describe this exceptional northern country than by introducing you to Haukur Morthens, the Blue Lagoon, the Sagas, folktales, elves, kleinur, kókosbollur, wool sweaters and fiskisúpa (fish soup). As my husband is Icelandic, I have had the chance to add another culture to my life. I am enchanted by Icelandic folklore, which is in many ways the … Continue reading Icelandic fish soup
There must have been something in the Atlantic ocean’s air this morning when I woke up – for all I wanted to do was to get the kids ready and drag everybody to Soulac-sur–mer for the Saturday seafood market. Deep coral colours marked my day and opened my appetite for a crustacean lunch. If a woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets, then mine … Continue reading Aïoli and seafood delight
Picture this – a little girl, straight off the plane from Hong Kong, dragged all the way to Montparnasse so her father can have a couscous royal. Yes, that was my earliest jet-lagged memory of coucous. One of France’s favourite dishes (and my father’s), the ‘couscous’ is certainly worth its fame. Having inherited the sunshine and warmth from North Africa, the couscous was originally a … Continue reading Couscous
Whenever I buy meat, I tend to get highly influenced by Michel’s (my butcher) opinion on what I should cook. I might be eyeing the attractive beef filets, but I can tell that Michel thinks I should be cooking something else by his body language as he positions himself away from my actual choice! Michel appreciates my passion for cooking and wants me to pick … Continue reading Pork filet mignon with apricot and prunes
