Dukkah is an old Egyptian specialty condiment. It is a loose blend of nuts and spices in a dry, crushed but not to a powdered, form. The name “Dukkah” is derived from the Arabic word “to pound” referring to how all the spices are pounded together to prepare the dish. It is a very personal [...]
Honey from a Weed: fasting and feasting in Tuscany, Catalonia, the Cyclades and Apulia, by Patience Gray has been highly recommended to me from a variety of sources, including Sussan Loomis from On Rue Tatin Cooking School in Normandy and Kate Hill from the Kitchen at Camont Cooking School, down in the south west of [...]
On the recommendation of some recent cooking school clients, we were looking forward to going to this lovely restaurant for dinner. Neville had said it was in the Realis et Châteaux group but did not mention it had a Michelin star. He did say it was just a short walk from the Canal de Bourgogne, [...]
As most of you will know, I am a collector of plates and kitchen equipment! It will therefore come as no surprise that on our recent visit to Lyon,we headed for the famous Les Puces, the very large, famous antique, ‘flea’, market on the outskirts of Lyon, rated as one of the biggest and best [...]
Preserved lemons have an interesting picante, mellowy, sour and yet sweet flavour. For some people, they are an acquired taste. There are a few different methods to preserve lemons. These are two, I use. I have also included the Greek method for you to try as well. See which one you prefer. Preserved Lemons Cut [...]
We arrived back at our winter base, always with sadness to finish the barging. Now it is the packing, cleaning, organising for the winterisation of the barge and our departures. We moored next to a lovely barge, Rysland, and met the delightful English, French, Swiss owner Sophie, who is the Captain and sometimes her own [...]
It is a challenge finding a ‘perfect’ restaurant when you are barging along the canals. For me, this means a charming, pretty restaurant with a pleasant ambience and décor, with good quality, flavoursome, well-presented food, with a focus on the region; a small, quality wine list with a variety of price ranges; if you are [...]
This season of May and August 2016, we started our journey from Auxerre, Burgundy where we intend to be for the next few years. We barged north up the Yonne River and then we turned towards the east, at Migennes, to the Canal de Bourgogne. We travelled along the Canal be Bourgogne for 74 kilometres [...]
Morocco Beyond the Bay continues this year with many happy, adventurous travellers joining our culinary tours arranged by Cooking on the Bay and Edwina Golombek, chef and owner of the House of Fusion in Marrakesh. A small group is about to depart at the end of August to enjoy their exotic adventure. In these culinary [...]
Burgundy is château country and we are fortunate to have two within easy walking distance of our canal. Yesterday, we visited Le Château d’Ancy-le-Franc, in the little village of Ancy-le-Franc is an amazing Renaissance ‘palace’, built by the Italian architect Serlio who was the architect of Francois I. It was built for Count Antione III [...]
