Bresse and the Chicken market at Louhans.

Cooking all these chicken dishes and stock as I have been in this  Covid-19 winter 2020, reminded me of some happier times and our visit to Bresse, the home of the famous Bresse chicken, la volaille de Bresse, and the Monday market day in the market town of Louhans in Burgundy. The summer of 2017 [...]

The Bresse Chickens – why they are so special, their story and AOC and AOP

Way back in 1957, Bresse chickens were the first food and the first chickens to be awarded the AOC, Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée and more recently, they received the AOP, Appellation d'Origine Protégée, accreditation. This AOP label is the European Union version of France's AOC, Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée.  It basically means the products with these labels [...]

The tunnel at Pouilly-en-Auxois and the beginning of the Canal de Bourgogne

We are having a sensational trip along this glorious canal. Every-day is blue skies and sunshine and something new to see. For the past two days we climbed a staircase of 36 locks, each about 500m apart so it was busy and tiring getting up and down to do the ropes to secure the barge [...]

By |2020-07-06T17:40:38+10:00July 6th, 2020|Barging on the Betty B, Burgundy, Canal de Bourgogne, Culinary Travel, Culinary writing, France, France - wine, France and cooking, French food, French food, Musings|Comments Off on The tunnel at Pouilly-en-Auxois and the beginning of the Canal de Bourgogne

Pipérade Basquaise

Pipérade from the Basque* country is made with green or red peppers and pimentos, onions, tomatoes and garlic, slowly cooked together, with beaten egg added at the end and slowly stirred through to cook the eggs; it is usually served with slices of the famous and delicious Jambon de Bayonne, which is similar to prosciutto. [...]

Memories of Gascony by Pierre Koffmann

Memories of Gascony is an award-winning cookbook written by three-Michelin starred chef Pierre Koffmann about the provincial cooking of Gascony, in south-west France.  I did read it a couple of years ago, I am really enjoying reading it again and seeing how it fits so well within my Cook Real Food Program cooking classes. I [...]

‘M.F.K. Fisher among the pots and pans: celebrating her kitchens

‘MFK Fisher among the pots and pans: celebrating her kitchens’, by Joan Reardon. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008. As a former librarian and an avid collector of books on foodie people and all things to do with food, cooking, France and travel, I share a favourite book here from time to time. It was [...]

By |2018-12-17T13:19:44+11:00December 17th, 2018|Books, Books and reading, Culinary writing, M.F.K.Fisher, Musings|Comments Off on ‘M.F.K. Fisher among the pots and pans: celebrating her kitchens

‘Honey from a Weed’ by Patience Gray

Honey from a Weed: fasting and feasting in Tuscany, Catalonia, the Cyclades and Apulia, by Patience Gray has been highly recommended to me from a variety of sources, including Sussan Loomis from On Rue Tatin Cooking School in Normandy and Kate Hill from the Kitchen at Camont Cooking School, down in the south west of [...]

By |2018-10-01T15:27:59+10:00October 1st, 2018|Books and reading, Culinary Travel, Culinary writing, Food, Mediterranean, Mediterranean Food, Mediterranean Food, Travel|Comments Off on ‘Honey from a Weed’ by Patience Gray

‘My French life’ in Provence with Karen Stride.

Armchair travel back to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence – the birthplace of Nostradamus! My friend and colleague in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Karen Stride, established her Gourmet Escapades in Saint-Rémy, last year, and is living ‘My French life’ as described by Vicki Archer in her book of that name! January is my reading time and I treasure every moment. [...]

By |2016-12-07T19:32:26+11:00January 12th, 2016|Books and reading, Culinary Travel, France, French food, French wine, Provence, Travel, Uncategorized|Comments Off on ‘My French life’ in Provence with Karen Stride.

Cookbook favourites – please add your own

In my former life, I was a librarian, information manager. I still love books and especially I love my  collection of cookbooks, and books about cookery book writers, anything really to do with food.  I am surrounded by my library of books at home in St Kilda, at On the Ridge, in Kureelpa, Sunshine Coast, [...]

By |2014-01-28T16:55:30+11:00January 28th, 2014|Books and reading|Comments Off on Cookbook favourites – please add your own
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