The Betty B Barge Burgundian Coq au Vin

In France, on our Betty B barge, I frequently cooked a simple coq au vin as it was easy to manage in my small barge galley kitchen, the ingredients readily available and it can be made ahead the day before and reheated.  I always tried to cook it in one pot! In France they have [...]

By |2020-10-12T14:13:51+11:00September 1st, 2020|Barging on the Betty B, Chicken, Chicken, Cook Real Food, Cook Real Food, Coq au Vin, Coq au Vin, French food, French food, Healthy Family Meals, Recipes, Waste recycling, Winter braises|Comments Off on The Betty B Barge Burgundian Coq au Vin

Poulet Vallée d’Auge – chicken braised with onions, leeks, apples, mushrooms, crème fraiche and calvados

This is a classic, regional, warming, hearty braise originating in Normandy, France, the region famous for its dairy produce, the creams, butters and cheeses, such as Camembert, and apples and Calvados. Chicken and apple is a delicious, yet uncommon match. The chicken is braised with the onions, leeks and mushrooms, the apples give a light [...]

By |2020-09-01T13:44:24+10:00August 30th, 2020|Apples, Braising, Chicken, Cook Real Food, Cook Real Food, Food, French Cooking Classes, French food, French Regional Cooking, Healthy Family Meals, Low Carb, Normandy, Normandy, Recipes|Comments Off on Poulet Vallée d’Auge – chicken braised with onions, leeks, apples, mushrooms, crème fraiche and calvados

Coq au Vin

This is a flavoursome classic Burgundian dish, with red wine playing a major role in the flavour, along with lardons, button mushrooms and tiny onions. The flavour of this dish, like many others, improves when the dish is refrigerated and served the next day. It is traditionally cooked on the stove-top, however, you can also [...]

The tunnel at Pouilly-en-Auxois and the beginning of the Canal de Bourgogne

We are having a sensational trip along this glorious canal. Every-day is blue skies and sunshine and something new to see. For the past two days we climbed a staircase of 36 locks, each about 500m apart so it was busy and tiring getting up and down to do the ropes to secure the barge [...]

By |2020-07-06T17:40:38+10:00July 6th, 2020|Barging on the Betty B, Burgundy, Canal de Bourgogne, Culinary Travel, Culinary writing, France, France - wine, France and cooking, French food, French food, Musings|Comments Off on The tunnel at Pouilly-en-Auxois and the beginning of the Canal de Bourgogne

Ratatouille à la Provençal

This vegetable dish combines the colours and the ingredients of Southern France. The word Ratatouille, meaning tossed or tumbled together, has gone into the French language to mean to get oneself into a mess. Quelle ratatouille...what a mess! Serves 4 Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 small eggplant, [...]

Pipérade Basquaise

Pipérade from the Basque* country is made with green or red peppers and pimentos, onions, tomatoes and garlic, slowly cooked together, with beaten egg added at the end and slowly stirred through to cook the eggs; it is usually served with slices of the famous and delicious Jambon de Bayonne, which is similar to prosciutto. [...]

Duck liver pâté

Duck livers are available from your poultry shop or supermarket; I buy mine from my nearby supplier, Luv-a-Duck; they come fresh in large 2kg bags, so I freeze them in small packages of 200 - 300g pouches. You can substitute chicken livers for the duck, if you wish.  Interestingly, the chicken livers have a darker [...]

 Tapénade – Olive paste with garlic, anchovies and capers

Tapénade is a rich olive paste with a full-flavoured taste that comes with the addition of garlic, anchovies and capers.  Originally tapénade was made with a mortar and pestle; you may choose to hand chop the ingredients, if you like a coarse texture, or alternatively use a food processor or kitchen whiz wand.  You may [...]

By |2020-04-28T14:27:04+10:00April 28th, 2020|Condiments, Condiments, Cook Real Food, Cook Real Food, Cooking classes, Food, French food, Healthy Family Meals, Low Carb, Mediterranean Food, Olive tapenade, Olive tapenade, Olive tapenade, Olive tapenade, Olive tapenade, Olives, Provence, Recipes|Comments Off on  Tapénade – Olive paste with garlic, anchovies and capers

Memories of Gascony by Pierre Koffmann

Memories of Gascony is an award-winning cookbook written by three-Michelin starred chef Pierre Koffmann about the provincial cooking of Gascony, in south-west France.  I did read it a couple of years ago, I am really enjoying reading it again and seeing how it fits so well within my Cook Real Food Program cooking classes. I [...]

Pain d’épices – French honey spiced bread

Makes 2 loaves There are many versions of this recipe. Anne Willan, of La Varenne Cooking School in Burgundy, included her pain d’épices in a couple of her many books on French Cuisine, ‘The country cooking of France’ and ‘Real Food’.  Recently, in St Jean de Losne, Burgundy, our host cooked her grandmother’s pain d’épices for [...]

By |2018-12-03T11:34:11+11:00December 3rd, 2018|Breads, Cakes, Cooking classes, Food, Food - spices, French Cooking Classes, French food, French food, French Odyssey cooking class, loaves, Recipes, slices|Comments Off on Pain d’épices – French honey spiced bread
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