Thursday, 16 February 2023
It’s truffle season in Provence
A winter visit to Provence would be incomplete without a visit to the little town of Aups situated at the foothills of the Alps and just south of the Verdon national Park and the second largest gorge in the world after the Grand Canyan!





Aups has the third largest black truffle market in France every Thursday morning so we set off early yesterday and what a wonderful day we had!
The truffle market takes place in the central market area and four stall holders were exhibiting their wares. One stall was selling truffles from Catalonia Spain but we wanted the best which are sourced in Aups itself. We soon found our man!
Unfortunately the price of truffles goes up each year and global warming has meant it is getting harder and more difficult to farm these black diamonds. A visit to the truffle museum in Aups is a must to learn about the history of this unique product and the science behind the industry.
We left with our little cache of diamonds safely stashed away in our car and €400 poorer!
Our dog Scoobeaudoo was also very interested with the overpowering aroma of truffles in the car as we all headed up higher into the mountains and the forests of Provence.
Sunday, 12 February 2023
Sea Urchin Festival at Carry-le-Rouet
Today we joined hundreds of people who headed to the little port of Carry-le-Rouet to enjoy « Les Oursinades » Festival of the sea urchins! The weather was warm and sunny and just right to enjoys a glass of wine and a few of those tasty orange gonads!! The urchins are served cut in half and either spoon out the soft roe or spread on to a nice buttery slice of quality bread. The urchins are only sold two months per year (January and February) for conservation reasons, and can be added to a pasta sauce as a gastronomic delight.






Thanks to Karine & Christophe for their assistance in the compilation of this article.
Thanks to Karine & Christophe for their assistance in the compilation of this article.
Saturday, 28 January 2023
Tapas in Torremolinos
Our tapas tour continues in Andalusia and today we had the great fortune to meet friends who know a very special restaurant. It is called La viña de Ale Vinoteca in Torremolinos:



Pimientos, jamón, Patatas fritas y Huevos

Buen vino de Rioja





¡¡Los aprobadores de tapas!!
Ensalada de Bacón y Pollo (bacón, pollo, queso cabra, tomate, pipas, manzana, vinagreta de miel y mostaza).
Ensalada Burrata (Tomate y Pesto)
Pimientos, jamón, Patatas fritas y Huevos
Buen vino de Rioja
Solomillo de Cerdo con Huevos de Codorniz
2 x Croquetas Caseras de Jamón de Bellota
2 x Croquetas Caseras de Espinacas y Piñones
Pimientos del Piquillo rellerios de queso brie con
jamón ibérico a la salsa del chef
Brownie con chocolate y vanilla helado.
¡¡Los aprobadores de tapas!!
Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Tapas in Marbella
It’s snowing in Kerrouet at present:

The wonderful thing about tapas is that you can order as little or as much as you wish and it’s so relaxed. We were not disappointed! Here are a selection of dishes we enjoyed:

Deep fried octopus

Prawns in chili and garlic sauce

Anchovies

Ronda sausages

Spanish cheeses with quince, walnuts and raisins.


Catalan cream cake (bread pudding)

Cheesecake

Sherry


Brandy


so it’s so nice that we find ourselves in the sunny Costa Del Sol! Last night we visited a taverna in Marbella famous for its wines and tapas.
The wonderful thing about tapas is that you can order as little or as much as you wish and it’s so relaxed. We were not disappointed! Here are a selection of dishes we enjoyed:
Pan fried artichokes with Serrano ham
Deep fried octopus
Prawns in chili and garlic sauce
Anchovies
Ronda sausages
Spanish cheeses with quince, walnuts and raisins.
Serrano ham
Catalan cream cake (bread pudding)
Cheesecake
Sherry
Brandy
Brandy
Monday, 12 December 2022
Créme Fraiche Potatoes
serves 6
Ingredients
250ml creme fraiche
2 eggs
salt and pepper
clove of garlic
half kilo of finely grated potatoes
6 foil cups
Method
Butter the foil cups well using with butter. Mix the creme fraiche, garlic and eggs together. Season with salt & pepper using more salt than normal. Bake for 30 minutes at 220 degrees.
Sunday, 27 November 2022
Carpaccio of Scallops with a Japanese twist
Ingredients
4-6 medium sized clean fresh raw scallops per person
pickled sushi ginger
Sashimi soy sauce
Fresh lime juice
Fresh Chives
Rose pepper
Salt and pepper
Method
Slice the scallops into 4-5 millimetres / 0,2 inches
On four plates, cover the plates with the pickled sushi ginger, and then sprinkle a little of the Sashimi soy sauce but not too much as it is very strong and will overpower the scallops.
Sprinkle some chopped fresh chives, rose pepper and a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Finally squeeze some fresh lime juice on top and serve.
Serve with a dry white wine.
Wednesday, 23 November 2022
Peruvian Potato Cake
Occasionally one comes across a dish from another country which causes a sensation. This is one of such dishes! It was introduced to me by Martha - a cook at the Peruvian Embassy in London.
It took a lot of persuasion to get the recipe off her but I can recommend this dish as a starter for a large group of hungry guests. It is delicious.
Ingredients
For the potato cake:
1 kg of potatoes peeled and mashed.
4 tbsp olive oil
I garlic crushed
Salt & pepper to taste
4 eggs hard boiled
Sprig of parsley
Red pepper finely chopped
Tuna Filling
300g good quality canned tuna
3 tbsp fresh mayonnaise
4 tbsp lime juice
One small red onion finely diced
Dash chili pepper
Half red pepper finely chopped
Avocado Filling
2 avocados peeled and mashed
3 tbsp of fresh mayonnaise
4 tbsp lime juice
Dash chili pepper
Salt & pepper to taste
Method
This is a potato cake constructed in layers in a cake tin. So use a good sized tin and line with cling film.
Make the mashed potato and let it cool.
Strain the tuna and break it up with a fork. Add the finely cut red onion, red pepper, lime juice and mayonnaise. Mix well adding a little chili pepper as desired. Set aside. Keep cool.
Mash up the avocados. Add the lime juice and mix in the mayonnaise and season as desired. A little chili pepper as desired. Set aside Keep cool.
To assemble your layered cake, start by adding some mashed
potato to the bottom of the lined cake tin. Then a layer of tuna. Then another layer of potato. Then a layer of avocado. Then a layer of potato. Continue adding alternatively until you reach the top of the cake with a layer of potato. Quarter the hard boiled eggs and decorate the top adding the remaining red pepper and some parsley as in the photograph. Cover with cling film and place in the refrigerator for at least three hours before serving.
Keep cool to the point of serving. To serve, carefully remove all the cling film, place the cake on a serving dish, cut into individual portions and serve.
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