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Ramblings of a retiree in France
Category: Food and Wine
One from the Vaults: There’s no such thing as too much
I’m heading back to 2012 and a post I wrote about the looming cocoa crisis which fortunately came to nothing. But in the interests of all things chocolate, I thought it was worth a revisit. I hate to be the bearer of bad news so… Continue Reading “One from the Vaults: There’s no such thing as too much”
Chocolate from Piedmont: Part I
This week I’m spending a few days with my beloved in Piedmont. I first visited the area in 2014 with the Giro d’Italia but it took until last year for my beloved to discover the Piedmont countryside with the cycle club. Consequently, he’s been… Continue Reading “Chocolate from Piedmont: Part I”
The Musette: Basque Cheesecake
Hailing from the north of Spain, Basque cheesecake is the perfectly imperfect dessert with a tell-tale burnt exterior. Credited to chef Santiago Rivera, his creamy creation made its début in 1990 in his San Sebastián La Viña restaurant.There’s a pillowy centre hiding underneath a scorched… Continue Reading “The Musette: Basque Cheesecake”
The Musette: Basque Food
As I’m celebrating all things Basque for the following week or so in honour of next week’s cycle race, I’m going to be talking about its food rather than giving you a recipe today. Basque food is one of the most iconic regional cuisines… Continue Reading “The Musette: Basque Food”
The Musette: Almond cake with ganache
More than anything else, simple cakes are what I’m reaching for most days. Tall layer cakes, intricate designs or highly technical bakes really don’t float my boat, or my beloved’s. All we really need is a comforting, unassuming cake that still delivers on flavour and makes the perfect accompaniment to… Continue Reading “The Musette: Almond cake with ganache”
The Musette: Mixed vegetable curry
A simple, but a very delicious dish that I conjured up from products and vegetables in my fridge, freezer and cupboard. This is the type of thing I’ll do on a fairly regular basis and serve it either as is or with plain brown… Continue Reading “The Musette: Mixed vegetable curry”
The Musette: Pissaladière
Pissaladière is a traditional Niçois recipe composed of a thick pizza dough topped with caramelised onions and anchovies (optional). It’s as much anchored in the heritage of the cuisine of Nice as salade niçoise, fougasse, socca, daube or ratatouille. Pissaladière’s origins lie in Genoa’s 15th… Continue Reading “The Musette: Pissaladière”
Wines of Bellet, Nice
I’ve previously written about our visits to various vineyards, particularly in the neighbouring Var, but have failed to mention our local vineyards in Bellet. Bellet is a small appellation for red, white and rosé wines from the hills around Nice. Despite Provence’s penchant for… Continue Reading “Wines of Bellet, Nice”
The Musette: Socca
Socca is a traditional Niçois dish and, as with many traditional dishes, there are a dozen different ways you can make it. You’ll most often find socca cooked street-side on fiery grills, where the resulting flatbread is coarsely chopped and served in a cone with a… Continue Reading “The Musette: Socca”
The Musette: Pain Perdu
French toast, known as French pain perdu in France, is one of the easiest (and cheapest) dessert dishes to make. And yet, it’s utterly scrumptious! Legend has is that it was 15th century French King Henry V who made it popular though its origins… Continue Reading “The Musette: Pain Perdu”
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