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Behind the pie
Keen eater of honest food. Love my life in Dubai but happiest in hiking boots & green hills. Wine nerd. Writer. Blogger. Dreamer. Read moreLooking for something?
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- A dessert from Brittany – how to make Far Breton
- Favourite comfort food when nothing else will do? Some surprising answers revealed
- A life dedicated to cheese. How to make organic Reblochon the hard way.
- Honey, mustard prawns and spiced rice with loumi (dried limes)
- Parsley, mustard and preserved lemon roast chicken
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Happy December. I can really start thinking about Christmas now and rolling up my sleeves for all the edible traditions. The Christmas pudding, cake and mincemeat are already tucked away to mellow in their various boozy elements (the scent of brandy mmmm). I do love Christmas cooking but there is a lot of work involved. . . . {gifted} @jonesuae sent me pre-cooked Christmas dinner for 8-10 people to try. We sat out in the garden with very good friends; candles burning, a breeze rustling the palm leaves, red wine flowing. . . The quality of the ingredients was excellent - highlights were the potatoes roasted in duck fat, the deliciously sharp homemade cranberry sauce, the thick gravy (would have liked a bit more) and the golden turkey itself. I surprised myself by thinking how relaxed Christmas Day would be if all I had to do was a little reheating. A friend at the table, also well into the festive food prep, confessed to having his head turned by this low effort option. . . . I made custard to go with the apple crumble tart (swipe for pic) and everyone was more than happy. . . . Genuinely impressed by this (or I wouldn’t recommend it). You order online or in their branches and I think they have an offer on if you’re quick which includes one of their cheeseboards. . . Like me, do you love all the Christmas cooking or do you prefer someone else to take care of it (while you sip a glass of bubbly)? . . . . . #foodandflatlay #showmeyourfood #shareyourtable #foodstories #dubaifoodies #authenticfood #dubaieats #onmyplate #ourfoodstories #firstweeat #gatherandfeast #asimplechristmas #amerrywinterwelcome #notallbahhumbug #mycommontable #foodstylingclub #myopenkitchen #tablesituation #foodfluffer #saveurmag #kinfolktable #lr_taste #thesupperclubmag #greatbritishfood #rusticgamestrong #christmasturkeyWhat defines home? And if your home was threatened what would you do? . Soldier Huang Yung-Fu fled from his home of Hong Kong to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil war. Like many of the 2 million immigrants, he was given housing by the government. When his village became a target for developers and people started to leave, he refused to go. He started to paint. He painted a bird, he painted a flower, he painted animals. His canvas was the walls of the village. . . . Local students campaigned to save his home from demolition and now over 1 million people visit the Rainbow Village every year. It’s an Instagram magnet. . . . Born in 1924, Huang Yong-Fu is now known as the Rainbow Grandpa and still lives on site, often taking his paintbrush out very early in the morning to maintain his artwork. . . I’m usually drawn to more muted tones but being surrounded by the brilliance of his imagination and palette was a joyful experience. Sunglasses de rigueur! I went in search of a blue wall which is my favourite colour. . . Thanks to @voyageurchic for being a patient hand model. {Invite} And to the Taiwan Tourist Board for hosting the trip. . . . . . #colourinmysquare #shallowdepthoffield #lensball #handsinframe #handinframe #timefortaiwan #heartofasia #discover_taiwan #discovertaiwan #discovertaipei #iseetaiwan #rainbowvillage #taiwantravel #asecondofwhimsey #travelfolk #folktravel #wondermore #athomeintheworld #alwaysgo #lifeunscripted #peoplecreatives #thisismyadventure #thediscoverer #quietchaotics #recklessimage #pathportPerched on a rickety chair at a Formica table, lit by the glow from neon signs, then the dumplings arrive. {invite} On one plate they’re round, white, neat like tied up Christmas puddings. On the other they’re wavy, corrugated and saucy. I grasp one with my chopsticks and bring it precariously to my mouth. Do I bite into it and risk losing the prize of savoury filling to my plate? Or do I pop it in whole, hand in front of mouth, and bite down to release the peppery contents? I glance at Eddie, our guide. Of course he chooses the latter so I dig in and am rewarded by a thin, smooth wrapper with the mellow, savoury, sweet, saltiness of minced pork. A source of deep joy. . . Dumplings were milestones on my tour of Taiwan. Fluffy ones, some filled with savoury liquor, some crinkled and slippery. We visited @dintaifungtw - which was founded in Taiwanbut most were eaten at little local restaurants or on the street. . . Xiao chi, or small eats, are found everywhere especially at the night markets and street corners. The throng around them is constant. The Taiwanese love to snack. . . Dumplings are a national Taiwanese dish now, but have evolved with influences from immigrants (from China) and occupiers (50 years of the Japanese). There are many different types and names but thankfully a lot of menus have pictures. . . . Shuijiao (Water Dumplings) are cooked in boiling water like ravioli. Zhengjiao are steamed in bamboo containers, Jienjiao, which resemble Japanese Gyoza in appearance, are fried. Xiao long bao, made famous by Din Tai Fung, contain a steaming spoonful of broth around the meaty stuffing; there is an art to eating them. . . This scratches the surface of Taiwanese dumpling knowledge (swipe to see more). I can’t wait to go back to finish my education 😉🥟 started by Taiwan Tourist Board. . . . . . #TimeForTaiwan #HeartOfAsia #discover_taiwan #discovertaiwan #iseetaiwan #taiwanfood #taiwanesefood #culinarytravel #culinaryexperience #worldcuisine #foodtours #foodtourism #foodtraveller #travelandfood #travelfoodie #travelforfood #travelfood #traveleats #foodculture #dumplings #dumplingsfordaysWhat defines your perfect day?Arriving in the dark and pulling on a warm fleece because of the cold mountain air. Putting on the fire in my room and crawling under two duvets. Then the surprise when dawn light wakes me and opening up the curtains to this view.... and a cup of tea of course 😊 . . . A beautiful day in Alishan scenic area, Taiwan, walking through mountain trails, oolong tea tasting with a couple who grow it (and meeting their three lovely daughters and dog) and then screeching to a halt on the winding road to enjoy a breathtaking sunset. Happy seems an insufficient description but it will have to do. . . . Swipe for sunset pic. I’ve never seen one like it. . . Thanks for all your direct messages about my stories. They’re in highlights if you want to catch up. Huge gratitude to the Taiwan Tourism Board for letting me dip a toe into the many things to experience in Taiwan. It’s the best kept travel secret. . . . . . #timefortaiwan #heartofasia #discover_taiwan #discovertaiwan #discovertaipei #iseetaiwan #taiwanfood #taiwanesefood #taipeifood #adoremycupoftea #gowildlyandslow #quietinthewild #lovelycornersofhotel #myhappyviews #momentsofmine #travelfolk #quiettraveller #quietinthewild #folktravel #simplepleasure #sundayvibes #asecondofwhimsey #lifeslittlestories #thehonestlens #cupsinframes #iphoneWe did have a more traditional style brunch of pork bun, pickles and a soy sauce egg in @saltpeanuts.cafe But we also dug into one of their famous cinnamon buns doused in caramel, while sitting in the quiet shady courtyard at the back of their building built in the late 1800s. . . {invite} On our first day in Taiwan, It took me and @voyageurchic almost two hours to explore Dihua street in Taipei’s Dadaocheng district. The food market is fascinating, and you breathe in the aroma of the spice stalls, Chinese medicine shops and incense from the temple. The architecture is an intriguing mix of baroque, Japanese style and red brick. . . Everything is clean, the people are friendly and we strolled along the cobbles avoiding the whizzing scooters. Cool little eating stops like this cafe and @thepeacockbistro branch off the oldest street in Taipei. I’m not sure what I thought Taiwan would be like but can already recommend a visit. Swipe to see more. . . Really looking forward to the next week. Keep up with my discoveries on my Taiwan story highlight. . . . I’m a guest of the Taiwan Tourist Board. Honest opinions only. . . . . . #TimeForTaiwan #HeartOfAsia #discover_taiwan #discovertaiwan #discovertaipei #iseetaiwan #taiwanfood #taiwanesefood #taipeifood #adoremycupofcoffee #culinarytravel #culinaryexperience #worldcuisine #foodtours #foodtourism #foodtraveller #travelandfood #travelfoodie #travelforfood #travelfood #traveleats #foodcultureSorry to mention the ‘C word’ in November. But mince pies were already in UK supermarkets when I was there in September. It’s a retail bonanza that seems completely out of kilter with the state of the world and the planet. How many decorations and presents will be discarded and put into landfill? How much food waste? . Does commercialised Christmas sum up everything that’s wrong with how we live right now? Or is the excitement around it a symbol of the good things that remain? . While trying to ignore the hype, I still like the ritual of Christmas. The cosiness (even though I live in the desert!) St Nicholas day on 6th December and Christmas Eve have their own traditions - my Dad was Polish. Bringing family and friends together means the most to me. The table abundant with everyone’s favourites, even if it’s frozen peas or tomato ketchup with their roast potatoes. . A slow build up in the kitchen, spending time over things that I wouldn’t normally cook is what makes it special. Taking care so they taste as good as I can make them for the people I love. . What are your feelings about Christmas (and Christmas cooking?) Have your attitudes changed (several people I know are going away to escape it this year). . (And if you want a recipe for homemade candied peel, and how to make a delicious Christmas cake by steeping your dried fruit in bourbon, whisky or brandy now, links are in my bio.) . . . . . #morningstories #simpleandbeyond #foodandflatlay #firstweeat #authenticfood #greatbritishfood #gatherandfeast #mycommontable #onmytabletoday #showmeyourfood #shareyourtable #infoodwetrust #eatseasonal #bbcgoodfood #foodstories #onmyplate #eattheseasons #ourfoodstories #fellowmag #teaandseasons #adoremycupoftea #regionalfood #actforfood #foodwaste #futureoffood #stopfoodwaste #christmascake #dubaifoodies #dubaieats #foodandtravelbloggerHowever Michelin starred your taste, when you’re feeling distinctly under the weather what food do you crave? For me it’s toast spread with butter and Marmite (swipe left), which is a taste of my childhood. It seems I’m not alone and when I asked this question to a group of my favourite people online, their choices were distinctly down-to-earth. . . Hop over to my blog to discover @thecutlerychroncicles @dianahenryfood @me_and_orla @foodtoglow @fryingpantours @weekendcandy and @foodiva revealed. You might be surprised. . . And I’d love to know what you turn to when you stumble into the kitchen looking for something to comfort you, preferably to take back to bed on a tray. To use a phrase, what do you eat when you feel a bit meh? 😉 . . Big thanks to all the above. Really very thrilled to include your candid replies . . PS Cup of tea and maybe a biscuit nonnegotiable ☕️ #adoremycupofteaBeing at the top of a mountain, looking out at spectacular views while eating cheese might be my idea of heaven. Would I like to work every hour from dawn until dusk, hard physical labour in all winds and weathers for little reward? Probably not. But who defines what a reward is? For Mathilde and Fabrice of Ferme de Pézières it’s working closely with nature, living the life of days gone by, being satisfied with what they have and utter dedication to making the best organic Reblochon possible. . . {invite} Visiting them in August to meet their cows and slip inside the cheese room for a couple of hours taught me a lot about cheesemaking but also how obsessed the French are with fromage. . . There’s more (a lot more!) on my latest blog post. If you read it I’d love to know what you think. Would you ever contemplate this way of life? And what’s your favourite French cheese? . . Thanks to @saycheese.me for hosting me on an exploration of cheese in the Haute-Savoie. See the French 🧀 highlight in my stories for a few more snippets. And swipe to see whether I enjoyed it 😉. . . . . . @reblochondesavoieaop #saycheeseme #cheesesofeurope #cheesesofeuropearabiaSo much delicious food is brown. The best homemade cake, fresh bread, baked potatoes in their skins crackled from the oven, steaming hot chocolate, truffles rooted from the ground, tea and biscuits.... . . But it can be hard to make brown food look good in pictures. So for the @eatcaptureshare brown challenge with @thelittleplantation I used blue in the props and the background. It’s complementary to the brown tones and means you don’t have to go wild with irrelevant garnishes (my bugbear). I find this works well, especially as I like brown food so much 😉 . . This could be my favourite brown food of all.... Marmite. Glossy in its dumpy, round jar, scraped delicately onto hot toast where the butter has just started to melt. . . I’ll confess that I set this shot up and took it quickly. When I’m taking food pics at home I want as little food waste as possible. I made this for my lunch and I was hungry, that’s why I didn’t hang around! . . So Marmite lover or hater? And if you take pictures of food have you got any other tips for tackling brown things or food waste? Let me know. . . . #cblbackdropsPast posts
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