Daily grind

As we leave to go to the bakery across the lake the sun has finally begun to break through the fog and the frost to melt. Cosy in our car, seat heaters on (yes you read correctly - seat heaters) the dog and I make our way around and across Lake Burley Griffin. The fog closes in again, the sun disappears and the car beeps at me telling me the temp has dropped to 4 degrees celsius, and continues to drop. As we arrive at Silo Bakery the thermometer is hovering at around 1.5 degrees celsius. No worries of my barking dog disturbing patrons enjoying coffee and cake whilst he is tied up to an outside bench - not a person to be seen. Bread bought, oops, in slipped a large luscious pain au raisin and home again to begin the sewing of some school musical dresses in luminous pink stretch fabric.

Oh, the people you meet and the food that you eat

One of the reasons travelling is fun - the people you meet. 2 fun conversations over a cafe breakfast yesterday. Firstly with 2 Canadian women researching chocolate, secondly with a madly eccentric German woman from Mexico with a very posh private school accent. She was wearing an oversized floppy straw hat and enormous ring. Bumped into her again in the Musee D'Orsay. The day before we chatted with 2 American women travelling to eat, sounds familiar. They caught cabs everywhere, no sore feet for them then.

Musee D'Orsay was great, got caught in a huge down pour after lunch whilst shopping (!) in the posh area - took shelter under the verandah of Chanel. Glad of the respite in the Musee Arts Decoratif, a wing in the Louvre with a fantastic display of furnishing from the mediaeval times to now. Afterwards enjoyed a slow sunny walk towards the hotel via a very large dept store - much more upmarket than any in Australia - lovely things - just looking.

 Out to dinner with Mark in another very nice restaurant - could have been in Sydney. Hobbled back to the hotel in lingering twilight at 10pm. People out on the streets everywhere, in cafes, just walking. Such a lovely atmosphere. Poor feet.

And then a couple of days later thinking about our wonderful meal I wrote to a friend with whom I have shared many a gorgeous restaurant meal in the past........... I want to tell you what we had for dinner two nights ago - you would have just loved it. It was 5 courses chosen by the chef - everyone in the restaurant had the same. We began with a trio of inidvidually plated spring veg - artichoke, asparagus and broad beans to dip in a little sauce flavoured with anchovies. Next was 2 perfectly cooked, room temp chunks, small, of turbot topped with spanner crab and then either jamon or a crisp biscuit of buckwheat bread and accompanied by a delicate jelly of cucumber. The level of quality and flavour continued to rise with the next course of 2 delicate ravioli filled with pigeon and foie gras over which was poured a pigeon broth. A very tasty side dish was given consisting of chopped cherries, apricots and chanterelles. it complemented the ravioli and broth so well. Main course - veal. A small veal steak/chunk cooked sous vide (?) and wrapped in chard and a pan fried veal sweetbread with a beautiful sauce. The flavours were rich, but delicate, the textures so soft, but supple. Moist too. Dessert was 4 little dishes - very delicate and light honey flavoured icecream topped with pitachios, a tiny lemon curd filled cream puff and a little bowl of perfect macerated strawbs. There was another dessert but my mind has blanked as we have had 3 meals of perfect desserts. Tina, this meal was so perfect. It had perfect presentation, perfection in cooking style and so seasonal. It was just lovely and we commented we thought you would love it too, but all I can share of it is with words.

http://www.springparis.fr/p/reservations_09.html

Arrivee - Paris

Two weeks on and here are some of my recollections of a wonderful few days as a flaneur in Paris.........

And zonk - slept another 9 hours straight after walking way too much yesterday afternoon upon arriving in Paris. Long haul flights - 24 hours - definitely not a joy. But so keen to orient myself, so out we head.

Fantastic meal in St Germain area on Tuesday night after we arrive - very seasonal, modern, light and inexpensive - lucky to get in. Breakfast in a lovely cafe next door to well known Poilane yesterday - best croissant had in a long long time. The cafe au lait - enormous. Then I walk and walk and walk. Stick my nose very close to some Cezanne paintings in the Orangerie, enjoy a fantastic lunch in the Marais with Mark - Septime (he has done so well sourcing restaurants) again a break from the traditional heavy bistro meals we experienced two years ago. Literally bump into a Chanel handbag toting Melissa George (The Slap) at the crossing by BHV. Icecream on Isle St Louis - chocolate nougat and carmel with salt - mm. Finally climbing the narrow windy streets to our hotel at 5.30 - aagh blisters. Picnic dinner in the Luxembourg Gardens scrounged from local shops - ooo yum. Sleep. Good? Yep.

http://www.poilane.com/pages/en/company_boutiques.php

PS. Good tip for travelling to Paris and wanting hot gossip on the latest foodie things - go to this website - it has been spot on - http://parisbymouth.com/





Why do I like Canberra in winter?

Why do I like Canberra in winter? This morning very damp heavy fog - the night had been cold - minus three degrees actually. The air still, sharp. The plan for a coffee and croissant at morning tea perhaps scuppered?

I head out anyway, across the lake, as still as can be with lovely wintery reflections. By the time I arrive at Silo Bakery in Kingston the fog was naught but a distant smudge on the horizon and the sun in full blaze. The car thermometer says the outside temperature is on the up hovering at around 6 degrees - positively balmy. Once inside the bakery I succumb to a buttery, crumbly croissant and milky coffee. Outside on the bench under the leafless tree I enjoy the planned indulgent snack contemplating the upcoming week of such snack under leafy trees in Paris. The cheeky young inky black magpie hops up and nicks all the crumbs I have brushed from my coat.

Later in the day after my morning sojourn I head out up the street with the dog. I plan a walk up to the nearby Pinnacle lookout which has stunning views west across to the Brindabellas. The sky is an endless clear blue, there is finally some warmth in the sun, the air remains dead still. We march up the hill only to find the signs also adorning the nearby Mt Painter perimeter adorning the fences surrounding this bush reserve forbidding entry over the next 3 weeks whilst the annual kangaroo cull is underway. Disappointed we march along the fence line a little way and then head back into the suburb of Weetangera to finish our walk.

Why do I like Canberra in winter? A gloomy morning can open up to the most stunningly beautiful blue day, with just enough hint of warmth minus sharp winds to allow me to be outside. I can walk the streets of Canberra to enjoy a perfect croissant and fantastic coffee. I can do this wearing a stylish outfit of boots and smart orange satin lined vintage coat and groovy new sunglasses which will carry me over to a bush walk within 5 minutes of my house. A bush walk with some of the most stunning outlooks imaginable.

Perfect.

Continuing chaos

Our poor kitchen, lucky it is so big. On and on went the cooking through the weekend. Delicious smells and tastes to be had. Saturday morning after returning from the farmers' markets with laden baskets and bags I whipped up some carrot and ginger muffins for friends with a new baby. Too much butter in the recipe, should have trusted my judgement and used half the amount. The orange and mint brioche loaf, of which I made four on Friday, was scrummy had with some homemade apricot and fig jams. The jams have been a real hit so far this winter. Making them in small batches to create a wide selection was a good idea I think. I will certainly continue on with those as soon as the first strawberries of spring re-appear. The cumquat, orange and cardamon marmalade I made last week was worth the 3 day long process.

Sunday morning was weisswurst sausages with a sticky poached egg atop a homemade baguette with freshly pressed juice and coffee - oh so nice. Then I decided we need more bread so got another batch on to prove whilst cleaning the kitchen. Tag team kitchen then began for the day as my husband got on with the multi staged coq au vin from an Anne Willan recipe. Late in the afternoon after all the bread was done and the coq au vin just about complete I began to poach some mandarins in honey, mandarin skin and cardamon syrup. These were to be served with homemade mascarpone mixed with the syrup and some icing sugar. Desert a la Matthew Evans - thankyou.

Finally to eat before my husband dashed out the door to an emergency briefing call at work. Coq au vin served on creamy mashed potato - nearly perfect, but certainly absolutely delicious. Poached mandarins, so simple and delightfully light and flavoursome after the robust chicken. Sigh - to bed.

Cooking chaos

After an exchange with a friend on facebook yesterday I find the recipe she referred to in my Belinda Jeffery baking cook book we both have - Blackbottomed Cupcakes.  After a morning at oil painting class I returned home to a late lunch and a 2 hour multi-tasked cooking session - what a whirlwind. Got my lovely haricot bean soup flavoured with onion stuck with cloves, carrots, garlic and a chunk of smokey bacon on to cook, Moira's slow cooked tomato ragu on and then I began those blackbottomed cakes. Mercy me - there I was reading away thinking great no eggs, no butter so, low fat - uh oh - had to rush out to buy the 250g cream cheese and dark chocolate to make the cheesecake top! Finally I got cumquats on to soak ready to make a few jars of marmalade tomorrow.

The soup is now ready to blend, the bacon removed, chopped and fried, later added as a garnish. The blended soup is passed through a sieve creating a silken texture mixed with some cream. A garlicky parsely butter adds a great kick swirled through the re-heated soup just before serving along with a generous sprinkle of the fried bacon crumbs. Lovely.

Looking forward to those cupcakes for dessert.

Wildlife!

Kangaroo on our street corner at 7am looking slightly puzzled as to whether to take the left turn and bound up the hill or continue straight ahead!