Actions speak louder than words they say, and though I would be a complete philistine to so simply brush off the great literature and rallying calls that the men and women of this little planet have produced over history, in some cases it is a great truism. I have known for some time that all is not well on the aforementioned little planet, especially in my minuscule world of food. It is hard to encapsulate the exact causes but I am going to settle with the word “over”. A little word that says it all, we are over fishing and if we don’t stop it is going to be all over (as far as the fishing heritage this generation is in charge of is concerned)

This is of course not a new problem but has, over the past few years, become an increasing concern to the public. This is of course a wonderful thing, fishmongers, retailers and restaurants can lead, but the public must follow, or better still demand... READ MORE »

Food archaeology
carrots

Can I prick your interest with facts regarding the humble carrot? Though it’s roots (I know its a cheap joke) are mainly European and thus less exotic, I think you will find its story no less gripping. The root, sorry. The etymology of the word itself is from the word “horn” due to the shape and unlike a lot of native plants it seems to have kept this regardless of language...  READ MORE »

Il faut cultiver son jardin

I write this as England is paralysed by snow, so any thoughts of getting the garden ready for Spring seem futile but in February you will be setting the foundations for your plants' year ahead. If the weather is promising to be clement start unwrapping anything you may have given a winter coat to. You could use these old overcoats to protect and warm up areas that you plan to plant (recycle)...  READ MORE »

Fish2Fork - Brasserie Blanc

The ubiquitous M.Blanc spreads his mesage about good food through his flagship Oxfordshire restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, his books and now on The Restaurant TV series where aspiring restaurateurs have to meet his exacting standards if they want to be his partner. Although the brasserie chain is on a much smaller scale than Le Manoir the philosophy remains the same. All the fish...  READ MORE »

Ma Belle France
The Loire Valley

I am constantly amazed by the knowledge the British (and French) profess to have about the Loire Valley without actually having visited. If this area is a feast for the eyes, and I make no apology for massacring the analogy, this is a feast that must be devoured not merely stared at from afar. This is the land of light summer wines and the physical proof of the power and folly of royalty (the word folly is quite apt, whereas in England the odd landowner built a small unusual Greek temple here and there; the French went for the jugular with castles that would put Disney’s princesses to shame)
 

Follow the River from Vendôme to La Flèche
With so many other man made distractions in the area, it is easy to forget why they all flocked to this area in the first place. Though this could take up a large part of the day, this little trip is a more sedate meander along the “inférieur” branch of the river. The word “inférieur” has nothing to do with quality, my English does not allow me to find the word, but it has to do with the smaller branch of a river.  Read more »

Orléans
As a Frenchman it is just impossible for me to talk about Orléans without mentioning the Maid. It is possible that this young girl may just be at the root of an entente less than cordial. The fact that this happened nearly 700 years ago and involved the French as much as the English only goes to show that we are capable of holding a grudge for a long time.  Read more »

Chenonceau
I know I talked about the hidden gems of France, and you could not describe Chenonceau in any way as hidden. If the term picture perfect did not exist it would have to be invented to describe my favourite of all the Châteaux of the Loire. Yes it’s one of the most visited places in France, yes its beauty borders on the kitsch and yes you have seen it in photographs. Read more »