We are always on a mission to find a good restaurant and it’s not always easy, even in France. Sometimes the food is good but the service is lacking; on other occasions the décor and ambiance may not be right and then there’s always the crucial factor of value for money. There’s an awful lot of things to take into consideration when evaluating a restaurant. Today, I think we came as near as we ever have to finding a place that ticked all the boxes and delivered a perfect experience. We chose to visit Le Roc du Boeuf (www.lerocduboeuf.com) in... Continue reading

It was our 10th Wedding Anniversary last week and I was given the choice of where to eat to celebrate. It had to be London because that's a special place for us and I chose The Gay Hussar in Soho www.gayhussar.co.uk It's where we went when we got engaged and the type of cuisine holds very special memories for me - takes me back to my roots! The food reminds me so much of my late mother's cooking - she was German, from Southern Germany, the Black Forest, and her cooking was heavily influenced by Hungarian, as well as French... Continue reading

Today I have eaten, probably, the best restaurant meal in France I’ve ever had. Being Francophiles we’ve spent a fair bit of time in France and sampled plenty of restaurants – some good, many mediocre and, dare I say it, some uninspiring and ordinary. I'm not happy to write bad reviews - I think that these can often be unreasonably damaging to a restaurants reputation but am more than happy to report on good places. How refreshing then to find the Hostellerie St Jacques, in St Saud, not far from our home in the Limousin. http://st.jacques.pagesperso-orange.fr/ We met up with... Continue reading

Beetroot risotto and goat’s cheese This combines subtle earthiness with an almost fluorescent colour. The contrast of the beetroot, cheese and chives is particularly exciting. Serves 4 as a generous starter or as a light lunch (serves 2 for supper) 1 litre vegetable stock 250g raw beetroot, peeled and grated 2 tbsp olive oil ½ medium onion, finely chopped ½ stick of celery, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 175g risotto rice 100ml dry white wine Salt and freshly ground pepper 125g mild, soft, rindless goat’s cheese 25g butter A few chopped chives Put the stock and beetroot in... Continue reading

This recipe is not as unsociable as it sounds! In fact it’s one of the best chicken dishes I’ve ever had. The garlic cooks to a soft sweet stickiness which makes a delicious sauce. Very simple to make. There are many variations of this recipe on line but here’s mine: Slow Cooked Chicken with 40 cloves of Garlic Serves 6 1 large chicken (the best you can afford), kept whole or jointed 40 cloves of garlic (that’s about 3-4 bulbs), peeled half a lemon, cut in two two sprigs rosemary few sprigs thyme 2 bay leaves 100ml white wine 50ml... Continue reading

That’s what my daughter has just called me! Why? Because I have been raving on about his latest TV programme & Book (Cook Like Heston), I have cooked his ‘Triple Cooked Chips’ AND just ordered a Pressure Cooker on Amazon! Well he does say they make the best stock and soup. The chips were a faff to make but tasted gloriously light and crispy with soft centres. I would not rush to make them again unless I really wanted to impress someone but they were a very nice treat. Here they are……. I did have a pressure cooker when I... Continue reading

The occasion was my youngest daughter's 22nd birthday, the venue...The Curlew Restaurant at Bodiam. I've eaten there before and it's impressive. Michelin Starred - impressive and well deserved. What's also remarkable is the amazing customer service. I don't just mean the waitresses (who are very good!) or the Restaurant Manager (charming!) but it's the interaction I've had with the owner, Mark. After my last visit I was so impressed by the main course that I'd had - the infamous 'Chop & Chips' (Jacobs Ladder cut of beef - short ribs) and would love to have known how to cook this... Continue reading