I’ll never forget the meal I ate the first time we visited Marseille way back in 2008. We were novice travellers at the time, and spent most days delighted and intimidated by the food choices on offer. We’d wander around French towns and villages, trying to decide what and where to eat. Some days we […]
Mastering Classics
18 posts
Duck. In my mind it’s so French. You’ll see it on menus all over France. And it’s the ideal ingredient to cook with when you want to Frenchify your day. But, here’s the thing about duck. It’s not the easiest poultry to work with. It has a reputation for being both a touch fancy and […]
I can’t tell you how much I love discovering new sources of French inspiration. A little while back, I came across a lovely blog – {French} Countryside Companion. The creator, Shannon, and her family share their time between the United States and – you guessed it – the French countryside. Shannon strikes me as an […]
It’s funny sometimes how travel forces you to try new things. Whether you want to, or not. In our case, a Sunday trip on tourist railway through the Ardèche region of France to the village of Saint-Agrève, introduced us to the French classic dish, Lamb and Beans. The particular railway we were riding on conveniently […]
Well, it’s been a long time since I pulled together a ‘French Classics’ post.To tell you the truth, I often find them a bit difficult to position – especially the food related ones. You see, it all has to do the with opposing seasons. Often times, the French recipes that might work well in the […]
Although I couldn’t tell you exactly who it was, I remember someone telling me once that macarons – those gorgeous jewel-like French sweet treats – were just a passing fad. That was about 10 years ago now. At this point in time I’m prepared to make a call and say that whoever they were, they […]
I’ve never written about this before but I am a big, big fan of goal setting. While I don’t go as far as reading my goals every day, I do write them down. And I am very happy to talk about my goals with the special people in my life. I remember very clearly the […]
Scott is a real fan of street food. No matter where in the world we visit, trying the local street food is high on his list of things to do. I, on the other hand, can take it or leave it. Most of the time I leave it, preferring to eat my food from a […]
Baby pink blossom, with an Eiffel Tower backdrop. Parisian café terraces bathed in ever brightening sunlight. Yes, the photos that have been popping up in my Instagram feed lately have been sending a clear message. Spring is on the way – at least in Paris. And while the ever appropriate Parisians won’t be looking to […]
While they don’t quite evoke deep memories for me like they did for Marcel Proust, one of my all time favourite French sweet treats is the madeleine. Madeleines are not nearly as fancy or elaborate as some other French cakes, pastries and petits fours but they are just perfect served with a cup of tea […]
One of the first meals we hunt down when we arrive in Paris is Duck Confit with Sarladaise Potatoes. Our favourite version of this classic dish is served at Le Bistrot du 7ème, a lovely restaurant not too far from the Tour Eiffel. We first visited this restaurant on the recommendation of our Hotel’s concierge and […]
Although it seems almost too obvious, one of my very favourite soups is the classic French onion soup. Rich and full of flavour, it’s best when topped with croutons made from toasted baguette, which are dripping with melted cheese. But while French onion soup is fabulous, it can be a bit of a bother to […]
I’m not much of sweet tooth – I actually prefer cheese over dessert. But the desserts I do like, I really like, if you know what I mean. One of the desserts that I always struggle to say ‘no’ to is Moelleux au Chocolat. Sometimes called Chocolat Fondant, this rich, oozing, chocolate concoction is a […]
Don’t you love how French women – and men for that matter – just know how to wear scarves? Now, for a long time I really believed that you had to be French if you wanted to wear a scarf well. This was mainly due to the fact that no matter which beautiful scarf I […]
Potatoes feature heavily on French menus. And they can be prepared in so many tasty ways. Dauphinoise. Paris mash. Duchess potatoes. (And I’ve not even mentioned French fries). But one of the true classics is also a cinch to prepare – Boulangère Potatoes. All classics have back stories. And if you look into the legend […]
The weather turned decidedly cold in Melbourne today. And when the weather turns cold, I immediately want to cook that French classic – cassoulet. Cassoulet – a hearty mix of meat and beans – originated in the south-west of France, and is particularly associated with the towns of Carcassonne and Castelnaudary. We first discovered the […]
As a rule, I like to enjoy my champagne without embellishment. It has a very refined taste, and I consider champagne to be perfectly drinkable on its own. As a result, I’m generally not a fan of the well known champagne cocktails – a Bellini has never cut it for me, and I’d never consider […]
I must admit that I’ve never been great at applying my own makeup. Don’t ask me to try a ‘smoky eye’ or a ‘cat eye’ – neither ends up looking right. And I find the French woman’s ‘no makeup look’ just plain hard. But the one thing I can do is a perfect red lip. […]