Cooksister

Strawberry carpaccio with smoked balsamic reduction and toasted pistachios

Jeanne — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:00:10 +0000

When my brother and I were teenagers, we went through a phase (doesn’t everyone?) of wanting to start a band. I could play the piano; he could play the saxophone (well it was the 1980s – saxophones were de reigeur for all self-respecting bands); we could both write lyrics; and his friend Clinton Smith was willing to [...]

Visiting the Vaucluse – a wine blending workshop at Lavau

Jeanne — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:00:54 +0000

The story so far: After a long drive from London, we had finally arrived in northern Provence, spending our first afternoon exploring the lovely Coustellet farmer’s market. Our next stop was the hilltop village of Menerbes where we enjoyed a truffle-tastic lunch at the Maison de la Truffe et du Vin; followed by a visit to the Ochre Conservatory [...]

Blue Boar Smokehouse & Bar review

Jeanne — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:03:10 +0000

One of the things that puts many English-speakers off learning another language is the annoying habit that our European neighbours have of giving nouns a gender. There seems to be no rhyme or reason why a chair should be feminine and a poem masculine; or indeed why a table should be feminine in French [...]

Saturday Snapshots #247

Jeanne — Sat, 18 May 2013 22:41:36 +0000

Beacon Island Hotel, Plettenberg Bay – South Africa, February 2008 Built in 1972 by visionary hotelier Sol Kerzner, the Beacon Island remains one of South Africa’s most iconic hotels. Perched on a rocky peninsula surrounded by crashing waves between Robberg Beach and Central Beach, it resembles a chunky cruise ship setting sail, and I have [...]

Skrei cod with a miso glaze – and how to buy sustainable cod

Jeanne — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:21:25 +0000

“So you’re a food blogger then? Ok, so what’s your signature dish?” It’s a question I dread, and one that I do not have an answer to. It is part of the (totally erroneous) assumption that food bloggers cook only lark’s tongues lightly sautéed in truffle butter and garnished with pure gold leaf. People read [...]

Saturday Snapshots #246

Jeanne — Sat, 11 May 2013 11:35:26 +0000

Narcissus – May 2013 Saturday Snapshots is a series of non-food photographs published every Saturday on CookSister. Previously featured photographs can be viewed on the Saturday Snapshots archive pages. Many photos featured in Saturday Snapshots are available to buy as high-quality greeting cards or prints in my RedBubble store, or even as high-quality A3-size calendars. If you want a custom calendar with your own selection [...]

Visiting the Vaucluse – a cycle tour of the Terraventoux vineyards

Jeanne — Wed, 08 May 2013 07:00:24 +0000

Saturday Snapshots #245

Jeanne — Sat, 04 May 2013 22:45:19 +0000

Red tulip – May 2013 Saturday Snapshots is a series of non-food photographs published every Saturday on CookSister. Previously featured photographs can be viewed on the Saturday Snapshots archive pages. Many photos featured in Saturday Snapshots are available to buy as high-quality greeting cards or prints in my RedBubble store, or even as high-quality A3-size calendars. If you want a custom calendar with your own [...]

Moti Mahal – matching Indian food and whisky cocktails

Jeanne — Fri, 03 May 2013 22:02:19 +0000

If you live in London, then it’s pretty certain that at some stage you have stumbled out of a pub and down Brick Lane for a late-night curry. Hell – it’s a London rite of passage and practically part of the Britishness test to decide whether you are worthy of citizenship! And on these hazy, [...]

Decadent mint chocolate chip brownie recipe

Jeanne — Wed, 01 May 2013 07:00:33 +0000

“ Smile, and the world smiles with you; cry and you cry alone”, wrote author Stanley Gordon West. I’m not sure I entirely agree with all of this, but it is true that when you smile, it seems to elicit smiles from other people. In fact, smiling is one of those activities that we all [...]