Bloody Mary !

In my early years of writing, I htought the word ‘stew’ belonged back in the previous century. Anything stewed brought back memories of nana’s grey-hued Irish stew. My mentor, Tui Flower, berated me no end for such a misguided attitude. “It is, girl,” said Tui, “a method of cookery frequently using tougher cuts of meat that welcome being cooked in plenty of flavour-infused liquid”. Yes, I made a note to self!

Now trending... Chia

From 1970s Scarsdale to today's Paleo diet trend, we never top seeking the latest and greatest. What's in now, read on....

Muesli... yum!

Muesli Bars, have gone from being a hero snack for the exhausted fitness guru, to a buy-it-wrapped, lunch box staple for children and an anytime munchy for anybody. In BITE Magazine I review muesli bars, adding my favourite recipe.

Beef Short Ribs in Black Bean and Liquorice Glaze

Oh! such is our food world that the humble, even lowly, beef short rib - once destined for those beneath stairs, to the dog or to the mincer, are now ‘on trend’ and even though the price per kilogram reflects this cut’s new-found stardom, beef short ribs remain good value for money.

Crepe

The concept of eating between meals – at least in my area of France, is pretty much unknown, and indeed rather frowned upon. You eat three meals a day and in between you may, though more likely will not, take a coffee or tea, which will not come accompanied with a muffin, scone or slice of banana bread. Snacks are pretty much non-existent, and eating on the street is considered rude, unless it is …crêpe.

Lamb Pepperonata

While the vernal equinox is almost here, the villagers around me have jumped the gun setting window boxes of bulbs on the uneven stone-trimmed window ledges of their maisons, colouring the drab winter away with narcissus. In summer, these blooms will be replaced with geraniums, the quintessential French rural maison floral garnish.

L’atelier des Saissons

Very little comes between the French and their lunch. In most villages near here, come noon a siren wails, deafening any conversation you’re having and immediately, folk leave their tractors, close up their shops or put down their pens and rush to the café – it’s dejeneur!

Duck

Here in south west France, on the tables of Gascony, le canard reigns supreme. In part that’s due to the French folks love of foie gras, as once the foie is removed, the cook has the whole bird at their disposal. In times past the whole duck was confit - cooked in its own juices before being preserved under a layer of duck fat. Now, most duck confit is prepared from the leg and thigh portion, while the breast has been exalted to steak status, all due to a local chef caught short with no food to serve.

Mussels

Fresh seafood arrives daily at my local supermarket, though come Friday, the quantity and selection is far greater. France holds to the tradition of fish on Fridays, and most cafés’ plat du jour menus and all school lunch menus will feature seafood.

Olives / Aperos

Thinking of French food, of the many ingredients that come to mind, olives are not too far down the list, which is interesting, given that the quantity of olives grown in France does not rate a mention on the International Olive Council’s list of producing countries. Olives are synonymous with Provence and the Mediterranean, but less than 1% of olives grown worldwide come from France.

A Grain of Salt

Salt seasons and preserves our food, but too much will ruin it. In recent years salt has gone from hum-drum finely milled table salt to flakes of finesse, so, what’s the difference?

There are three basic methods of salt production each used from ancient times.

Gone Nuts!

A number of nuts are prized for their flavour as oils, many of which will be stronger if the nuts have been toasted before pressing to obtain the oil.

Expensive nut oils include walnut, hazelnut, almond, and macadamia nut, all of which are usually cold pressed.

Less expensive nut oils such as peanut and coconut oil can be cold pressed or solvent extracted - these may be sub-labelled as refined oils.

Nut oils are more vulnerable to becoming oxidised or “off”, so once opened they should be kept refrigerated. They are also affected by light and heat, so look for nut oils sold in coloured bottles and check the long expiry date as this is a marker of freshness for you.

Due to their cost, use sparingly where flavour matters.