Herb and Mustard Crumbed Pork

After the cold snap before Christmas we now have above average temperatures in January and the snow seems but a distant memory. Paris saw the worst snow for 20 years. I was happy to watch it from the window of my 15th floor apartment. Friends came for dinner that very same night and one of them had walked from work (no bus) for one hour just to get here. She arrived with frozen feet (no snow boots) but my NZ possum and merino socks saved the day (thanks Mum).
After the long celebrations over Christmas and New Year it's time to fill our stomachs with something hot and light(er). We ate this last week and it filled all the right criteria for a mid-week January dinner.  

Making a come-back with Chocolate Pistachio Fudge

I know, I can hear you muttering from here, 'Where has she been?'  It's been a while and of course I have some very good and valuable excuses. (I've had a long time to think of some!)

We live a life of adventure. Since my last post we have moved apartments which seemed to consume every spare moment of September and October. First the packing, then the unpacking. We moved into an apartment double the size so we spent many hours choosing and buying furniture to fill it up with. And if that wasn't enough we had severe problems with our internet connection and rather unsympathetic customer service that didn't help. 

I'm tempted to say 'That's France for you' but I'm not going to. 

Tarte aux Mirabelles

I was pleasantly surprised (but I shouldn't have been) to see Mirabelles, small delicious golden stone fruit, in all the shops on our return to Paris after our holiday.  The season started while we were in Italy so I missed seeing their debut.  I remember from last year how they come into the markets and fruit shops near the end of summer/the beginning of the school year and when friends came to visit they were armed with bags of mirabelles as gifts. The season is short - mid August until mid September so you really have to make the most of it. Last year I made Mirabelle and Ginger jam. It was delicious on brioche for breakfast. 

This year I'm making tartes.

Holiday food on a plastic table

We've been away on holiday hence the long gap between posts. We had a great time with family and exploring some of the beautiful countryside in this amazing country. We headed into the Alps and spent a week hiking and soaking in the calm and quiet of the mountains. It actually wasn't too silent as the cows and goats still wear bells around their necks and you can hear them from miles away. 
We enjoyed some delicious food - holidays for us tend to revolve around the meal table. For our week in the Alps it was a plastic picnic table under the tree. Think of this recipe as a cross between a meat loaf (for the Anglophones) and a country terrine (for the Europeans). Packed full of flavour, it travels well, can be eaten hot or cold, main course with a salad and potatoes or as an apéro with cornichons (gerkins). 

Lemon, Basil and Parma Ham Risotto

This is a delicious recipe that takes hardly no time at all. I'm sure pure foodies will dispute my cooking method for risotto but when a busy working girl needs to eat, fold the washing, read her emails and save the world after work something has to give. 
This fabulous way of cooking risotto is so simple and gives great results I'm sure you'll be convinced of changing. Or if making risotto has always scared you, I'm now giving you the keys to success!
Simple ingredients, simple method, simply successful.

You say tomatoe, I say tomato...tart

It's been awhile I know. I'd like to tell you that it was because I was so busy cooking but alas no. It's more like work, the thing I do to help pay for the food we eat, that has kept me out of the kitchen.  
It's time to redress the balance!
Just look at this gorgeous red tomato tart, would you? 

Doesn't it make you want to eat one right now, or maybe tomorrow for dinner? It won't take you long and there are some lovely tomatoes in the markets (in the northern hemisphere) at the moment. 
This will be a regular on our summer menu this year. You can taste the sunshine in the tomatoes.
I adapted the recipe from Joanne Harris, the talented writer who wrote Chocolate, The Lollipop Shoes and Blackberry Wine to name just a few. She also co-wrote several cookbooks which give a delightful insight into French cuisine.
Sorry to disappoint some of you but I really did buy ready-rolled pastry for this one.  Feel free to make your own at home but I was too busy to make my own...honest!

Une Tarte de Salade - in aid of A21

What a great night we had with the first of the Atelier de Cuisine A21 for May. 8 gorgeous people turned up for a night filled with fun and laughter and a lot of good food.

Of course.

Enjoy the photos - we hope you can join us at the next one - and the recipe, courtesy of Jon the chef, for the Tarte de Salade that is out-of-this-world good. 

The girls enjoying their hard work - Chocolate textured layered Cake

Hard at work concentrating on sauté-ing the garlic and onion

'Look what I can do!'