Category Archives: 2017

neither having nor eating one’s cake…..

The depths of my childhood deprivation have only recently become apparent. Unlike the majority of happy baby boomer children who enjoyed Pineapple Upside Down (PUD…perfect acronym) Cake at the end of every joyous Sunday lunch of their idyllic childhoods I … Continue reading

Posted in 2017, Baking, cake, Childhood memories, Cooking, creme fraiche, desserts, Digital photography, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, Humour, Photography, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, Recipes, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

une belle horizontale….

Of the phrases that exemplify the quality of French as a diplomatic language few can compare with “belle horizontale” as a well turned euphemism for an “expensive tart” and there is no doubt that the eponymous Tarte au Citron Cartet, … Continue reading

Posted in 2014, 2017, Baking, Cooking, creme fraiche, desserts, Digital photography, Eggs, France, Humour, Lemon tart, lemons, Paris, Patricia Wells, Photography, photography course, Recipes, tart, tarte au citron cartet, tarte au citron cartet, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

concerning the three great lies…..

  In concert with the thrust of this piece it would be fair to say that the “three great lies” are a moveable feast. I have always considered that “there’s a cheque in the post” to be immutable, the first … Continue reading

Posted in 2017, Chili sin Carne, Cooking, Digital photography, food, Food photographer, France, Olive oil, Photography, Recipes, Vegetables, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

brown sugar, how come you taste so good….*

 A pudding as addictive as this is not for the abstemious nor for those who would eschew excesses of sugar and fat. This is phat….hot and tempting, dripping with butter and soft brown sugar, born out of a lasciviously lazy … Continue reading

Posted in 2017, Baking, Cooking, Cuisine bourgeoise, desserts, Digital photography, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, Fruit, Pear Tatin, Pears, Photography, pizza oven, Recipes, tarte tatin, tarte tatin, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

another bloody pudding….

  Zombie families roam the streets of social media whilst the TV screens in our homes are awash with life size images of intestines being drawn from the bowels of a recusant Catholic*and to follow there is always the not … Continue reading

Posted in 2017, baking, Baking, Bistro, Cooking, Cream, creme fraiche, Cuisine bourgeoise, desserts, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, Fruit, Photography, photography course, tart, tarte tatin, tarte tatin, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

a good collective noun

  The south facing kitchen is illuminated by rays of bright, low autumn sun which are in part diffused by the rideaux on  the window whilst the open door creates a geometric gash of gold on the tiled floor. There … Continue reading

Posted in 2017, Childhood, Digital photography, Fish, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, Olive oil, Photography, sardines, tomatoes, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

grape shot….

My mind was elsewhere as the sharp knife in my hands surgically removed the seeds from a large bunch of  putative “seedless” grapes. I was reflecting on whether Beulah’s response to her mistress Mae West’s request for a peeled grape … Continue reading

Posted in 2017, baking, Childhood memories, Cooking, Cuisine bourgeoise, desserts, Digital photography, Eggs, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, Fruit, Good luck, grapes, Humour, Lait Cru, Luck, Milk, Photography, tart, tarte aux raisins, tarte aux raisins, UHT, Uncategorized, Writing, yolks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

darkly sweetly madly…..

” …we’re in the soup” ” in a bit of a stew” “there are too many cooks” “the salt has lost its savour” “it only takes one rotten apple” “our goose is well and truly cooked”. Being that the cooking … Continue reading

Posted in 2017, baking, Cookery Writers, Cream, desserts, Digital photography, Humour, Nigel Slater, Photography, photography course, Plum and raspberry lattice pie, Plums, raspberries, Recipes, tart, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

et dieu crea la reine claude…

As I ate my five hundredth greengage of the day I began to ponder on aw and awe and concluded  how awful, meaningless and fucking annoying is the current use of awesome as a superlative particularly if Oh My God … Continue reading

Posted in 2017, Autumn, Baking, Cooking, creme fraiche, Excellence, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, Fruit, Garden, greengages, Humour, Photography, photography course, Religion, tart, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

juggling on radio…..

A blindfolded man is given a glass of dark beer to taste. He tastes the beer, licks his lips and nods in approval at which point the blindfold is removed causing the subject of the tasting to smile and say … Continue reading

Posted in 2017, aubergine, aubergine, Cheese, Cookery Writers, Cooking, Cream, Cuisine bourgeoise, Digital photography, Eggs, Excellence, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, goat cheese, Mediterranean food, Photography, Photography holiday, Rachel Roddy, Recipes, Richard Olney, Ricotta, ricotta gratin, tomato, tomatoes, Uncategorized, Vegetables, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments