Posted in asparagus, batter, British, crepes, dessert, easy, egg, England, Europe, flour, French, Garlic, juice, lemon, milk, mushrooms, orange juice, pancakes, salmon, sauce, tarragon, tomato, tradition on Feb 9th, 2008
In the British calendar the final Tuesday before Lent is known as “Shrove Tuesday”, though it’s more often referred to as “pancake day” in modern times. The derivation of the word “shrove” is unclear but it is thought to be derived from “shriving” or asking forgiveness for sins, a typical Christian activity on this day. [...]
Read Full Post »
Posted in ban, cafe, culture, drink, Europe, Food Commentary, France, French, French-ness, healthy, news, restaurant, safety, smoking, tourism, tradition, travel on Feb 6th, 2008
You may have heard that France, like much of the rest of western Europe and the United States, has recently banned indoor smoking in public places – restaurants and the like. Clearly, for the bon sante of the French this is a good thing, but for us, the occasional tourists, seeking the most exquisite and [...]
Read Full Post »
Posted in baking, chestnuts, Christmas, cognac, cream, custard, dessert, easy, French, holiday, nuts, pastry, pie, Recipe, Recipes, sugar, vanilla on Jan 15th, 2008
During the cook-a-thon that was the weekend before Christmas, in which my wife and I got our first real glimpse of just how hard professional chefs have to work, I turned out something of a rarity for me, and thus far, unique to this blog – a dessert. Touring the food blogosphere (hmm, starting to [...]
Read Full Post »
Posted in bread, British, butter, culture, England, Food Commentary, France, French, restaurant, tradition on Dec 19th, 2007
According to an exceedingly poorly written article on MSN UK today, the UK’s favorite food (as voted by 50,000 members of the public) is, guess what? No, not bangers, not mash, not fish, chips, or mushy peas. Neither is it roast beef or Yorkshire pudding, spotted dick or trifle, nor is it, to my great [...]
Read Full Post »
Posted in asparagus, cheap meal, easy, egg, fish, French, healthy, Olive Oil, quick meal, Recipe, Recipes, salad, Tuna on Sep 13th, 2007
If you’re like me, you love to eat… and drink… and eat and drink. This is what the weekends are for! We often are more gluttonous on a Friday and Saturday night that by Sunday we’re rubbing our bloated bellies with the Sunday blues and the need to detox. Many Monday dinners are “light” (well, [...]
Read Full Post »
Posted in French, kidneys, mushroom, offal, Recipe, Recipes, tradition, travel, unhealthy, veal, wine on Aug 27th, 2007
…Don’t be put off by their rather acrid smell and make either of two delicious dishes! When we first encountered veal kidneys we were enjoying the beginning of what was to be one of the greatest meals either of us had ever eaten. It was a six-course marathon, running the gamut from tiny, delicately-prepared pots [...]
Read Full Post »