Category Archives: artichokes

Rugged Ratatouille……

Posted on March 15, 2017 by

This old man’s fancy is turning to Spring and dreaming of Summer when we’ll be cooking on wood fires and quaffing rosé in the long warm barbecue scented evenings… …..my course with Olia is slowly but surely filling up….https://www.biginfrance.com/roger-olia

Posted in 2017, artichokes, Cookery Writers, Cooking, Digital photography, Film, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, French countryside, lamb chops, Meat, Olia Hercules, Photographic Prints, Photography, photography course, Photography holiday, pizza oven, tomatoes, Vegetables | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

on a wing and a préau….

Posted on April 8, 2016 by

The longing, in this month of April, for the warmth of summer is with me for an unseemly proportion of my waking and dreaming moments. A longing that has me limping along these final few furlongs of heavy going before winter, … Continue reading →

Posted in 2016, artichokes, Bay leaves, Cookery Writers, Cooking, Coriander, Cuisine bourgeoise, Digital photography, Dreams, Drinks, Elizabeth David, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, Olive oil, Photographic Prints, Photography, Recipes, summer, Thyme, Uncategorized, Weather, wine, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

getting into Camus..

Posted on July 22, 2015 by

I have no compunction in firmly closing a book and returning it to the shelf if I am not enjoying it or, indeed, if I simply do not like it. On one such occasion, when I was very much younger, finding … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, arichoke heart salad, artichokes, Bistro, Bouchon, Cookery Writers, Cooking, Cuisine bourgeoise, Digital photography, Elizabeth David, Foie Gras, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, Humour, Memory, Olive oil, Photography, Recipes, Uncategorized, Vegetables, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 40 Comments

Pam Dora’s box….

Posted on June 17, 2015 by

It occurs to me that the globe artichoke and Facebook have much in common. Neither is blessed with good looks and both have uncertain reputations. For the uninitiated, trying either of them for the first time is akin to opening Pam … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, artichokes, Cooking, Digital photography, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Not dropping my knickers whilst shopping….

Posted on February 22, 2015 by

I like to feel that I eat seasonally  but, to be honest, I’m not sure what that means. My knowledge of the arrival and departure dates of fruits and vegetables is, at best, rudimentary and at worst, notional which failing I blame … Continue reading →

Posted in 2015, Art photography, artichokes, Cookery Writers, Cooking, Cuisine bourgeoise, Digital photography, Elizabeth David, Excellence, Foie Gras, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, Good luck, Humour, Luck, Memory, Olive oil, Photographic Prints, Photography, photography course, sea salt, Shopping, Uncategorized, Vegetables, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 49 Comments

Of armpits and artichokes…

Posted on March 7, 2014 by

Yesterday began in a most unusual way.  I function, during my morning bathroom ritual,  on “auto pilot”.  An order of events has insinuated itself, over the passing years, which means that once ablutions have commenced I’m not particularly conscious of that which … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014, artichokes, Artichokes Poivrade, Basil, Cooking, Digital photography, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, Herbs and Spices, Humour, Olive oil, Parmesan, Photography, photography course, Recipes, Thyme, tomatoes, Uncategorized, Vegetables, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 49 Comments

The frog and the photographer…

Posted on March 4, 2014 by

Notwithstanding the promise of a magical transformation into handsome prince, I can understand why princesses were hesitant to do tongues with a frog. I feel the same, yet over the last few days I’ve been emotionally involved with one of … Continue reading →

Posted in 2014, artichokes, Cooking, Digital photography, Emotion, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, Humour, Photography, photography course, Still life, Uncategorized, Vegetables, Wine, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 63 Comments

The Colour Violette…

Posted on July 1, 2013 by

On the way to La Rochelle there is an Oasis, set in a shady clearing by the roadside, that is only open for the summer months. L’Oasis is a shack, the open side of which is filled with trays overflowing … Continue reading →

Posted in 2013, anchovies, apricots, Art photography, artichokes, aubergine, Cooking, Digital photography, Emotion, Excellence, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, France, French countryside, pasta, peaches, Photography, photography course, Photography holiday, Shopping, spaghetti olio aglio, summer, Vegetables, Vendee, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 41 Comments

There is something very tempting about them…..

Posted on April 28, 2012 by

Let us consider the artichoke. There is something very tempting about them which conflicts with the something about them that is very annoying. They have such a decorative value that eating them is akin to pulling the petals off a … Continue reading →

Posted in artichokes, Cooking, Digital photography, Fish, food, Food and Photography, Food photographer, Jerusalem artichoke, Markets, Mediterranean food, Photography, photography course, Photography holiday, Scorzonera, seafood, Still life | 37 Comments

The absurdity of loving the artichoke

Posted on September 11, 2011 by

The Camus de Bretagne is thought by many to be as unapproachable as the eponymous author, Albert Camus, whose books, as an intense young art student hungry for “culture”, I devoured as greedily as I now devour the artichokes that … Continue reading →

Posted in artichokes, Chestnuts, Cooking, Digital photography, food, Food and Photography, France, oysters, Photography, photography course, Photography holiday, sea urchins, Writing | 14 Comments