When you need a bit of sweetness in life. Cajeta: goat’s milk caramel

What to do when you have too much goat’s milk and you need a little pick me up.  Yes, of course, cajeta!  OK you probably thought,  “make cheese”, and I have been working on that  - with mixed results (I’ll post that a little later) or maybe ‘ how about some delicious yoghurt”….and that is …

Idea evolution and transformation

So, you know when you discount the first idea that pops into your head (either as way too obvious, or way too unrealistic)….and then it keeps stalking you? Yep, that is me right now.  Without replaying the full history of the last year…part of the ‘dream’ in France was to run a cooking school.  For …

The Cuisiniste…

Finally, there is an army of artisans roaming around the house, gîte, land and pool. In the last few days we have had: Maçon – mason/builder doing a magical job creating a window in the gîte this week…and getting rid of the 1970’s textured plaster to expose the beautiful stone walls underneath! Électricien – oh …

Food Magpie and Duck Bones

I am wondering if I should change my blog to Food Magpie in France? Like many other people, I apply my own experience to my cooking...making the most of ingredients where I am,  maybe applying them in a slightly different way…or taking particular techniques and adapting to different ingredients.  For example, cassoulet….I suppose I could …

Budget, breaking bad brain habits and…breathe

The featured image of cheese doesn't really have anything to do with this post- it is just there because I am 'grateful' to live in a country that has an endless supply of delicious cheese. 🙂 OK, two things to start: For reasons I won’t detail because I am trying to be more of a …

Learning a new language…and I think it is Noël time!

And no I am not referring to French but rather ‘build-speak’.  I have a French-English dictionary of building terms, which is very helpful- but it seems more and more when I look up a word I don’t even know the English meaning. So things like “plaque de plâtre ignifugée” (fireproofed plasterboard)  and “pieux battus en …

Green soup, with a variation for creating ‘stinky pee’

So...Katherine did this lovely illustration for asparagus, and while it isn’t in season for all of us around the world right now, it is one of my favourite vegetables (that wasn’t always the case) so any excuse.  This is a recipe for a really simple, tasty, green soup and I provide a variation with asparagus …

A small rant on “wouldn’t everyone like to run away to France”

Without going in to tedious detail that just gets me shouting at inanimate objects….this was a statement made recently to Dom.  I think there are more important things for people to focus on than our decision to move to France and the fact that it doesn’t fit in with a particular picture of ‘responsible life’. …

Hurry up and wait

The title refers to 2 slightly different dilemmas…one –Dom and I trying to break ourselves from our London approach to daily life and two, our impatience to get things sorted and really immerse ourselves in our new life. One could argue they are the same thing. Now, before I go on don’t think I am …

The top five French food things that make me smile right now

Subject to change of course...come back here in truffle season.  So here they are in no particular order. Having dedicated chocolate bar and ‘apéro biscuit’ aisles at the super market. Not just a sweet/candy aisle (that is a separate aisle!) but a whole section that is dedicated to bars of chocolate.  And c’mon, a place …