2) Local beer.

3) Local organic meat and vegetables.

4) Pubs. Gastropubs. Independently-owned-pubs-with-local-ales. Pubs with outdoor play areas where you can keep an eye on the kids while you enjoy a warm, flat beer. (Okay, the latter is going to take some getting used to - I might have to stick to cold cider initially.)

5) Great Cheddar and Stilton.

6) The Borough Market (which I have not yet visited, by the way).

7) Cheap beanz.

8) Clotted cream, cottage cheese and cream cheese.

9) The space to grow my own vegetables.

10) Sausages and bacon.

What have I missed? Those of you who love England and its much maligned cuisine: what do you love about eating in England?

Comments (15)

Comments on this Entry:

(MaW on Jul 30, 2008 5:54 AM) Cheese: we have more than just Cheddar and Stilton, amazing though they are. Blue Shropshire may find favour with Stilton fans. Lincolnshire Poacher is rather nice, too. The people who make it have a stall at the East Midlands regional market in Nottingham every month. I'll reinforce the local meat and vegetables. Although the majority of the population eat mediocre produce from the supermarket, if you look around a little you can get some really good stuff. In season, we have some rather nice game, too. The climate is pretty good for a wide variety of vegetables to grow - my Dad's been growing vast quantities of potatoes, leeks, onions, carrots, peas and beetroot for decades and I'm starting to follow in his footsteps. The winter weather is ideal for experimenting with stews and soups. We also have a good climate for growing many vegetables. And of course, fish and chips. Get to know a good fish and chip shop either near you or, better yet, by the coast where the fish can be extra fresh and, hopefully, sustainably caught.

(meg in Paris on Jul 30, 2008 6:04 AM) Ooh, I forgot about fish and chips! Thanks for that - will have to try to find some in Brighton when we visit!

(Frog Queen on Jul 30, 2008 7:17 AM) What about steak and kidney pie (or pudding)? Being in Sussex, you ought to try some of the local white wine...

(jo on Jul 30, 2008 7:18 AM) When we go I adore the wood pigeon, venison, broad beans, Scottish smoked salmon, oatcakes, butties from m&s, elderflower cordial, jersey potatoes, marie rose sauce, the sausages, sticky toffee pudding (when made in house and well), dover sole.

(theCook on Jul 30, 2008 8:02 AM) chowders! seafood chowders served in the pubs when it's rainy outside...

(paul on Jul 30, 2008 8:19 AM) mmmm... clotted cream

(Tellou on Jul 30, 2008 10:24 AM) Ahhh, English food. What I miss the most is a good pint of beer in a pub with pack of salt and vinegar crisps. I miss a good cornish pasty too, and ohh jacket potatoes... and Gosh, I would die for some treacle tart and custard!

(Rick Booth on Jul 30, 2008 4:54 PM) All the things you mentioned. Puddings, with custard. The incredibly cosmopolitan food available in the cities - you get great food from around the world, often at prices that make "european" restaurants look terribly expensive. Black pudding (I like boudin noir too, but this is very different!). Easy availability of good tea, and suitable biscuits. ps: you don't have to drink warm ales, you can still get cold lager with bubbles in!

(Dumdad on Jul 31, 2008 3:44 AM) After reading your post and the comments, all I want to say is: Take me with you please!!!!

(Jessica on Aug 1, 2008 5:05 PM) How funny that I should come across your blog just as you're getting ready to move to my neck of the woods! I live in Brighton, and trust me, there's loads of great food to be had in the south of England. Peas and asparagus, parsnips and aubergines, Jersey Royal potatoes, plump tomatoes, fat mackerel, tender Sussex lamb, lots of local cheeses (though you won't have a problem finding raclette cheese as well), strawberries and cream, apple crumble, and some of the best sparkling wine outside of Champagne. Also: Borough Market is heaven - a very crowded middle-class heaven, but heaven nonetheless. :-)

(Helen on Aug 2, 2008 11:03 AM) The cheese! Also cream teas with scones, clotted cream and jam, steak and kidney pies, the strawberries, the tomatoes, English apples, asparagus, plums, lamb, beef, sausages, all the game. I could go on and on...

(Dumdad on Aug 4, 2008 1:07 PM) Hi Meg, I've lost all your email address (again). Can you email me as I've got some snaps to forward to you.

(Carolyn T on Aug 9, 2008 11:02 PM) Definitely Devon cream, scones, lamb shepherd's pie, and what about the wonderful Ploughman's Lunch plate. And some good wholemeal bread. Nothing like it. Oh, and Pimm's Cup. I buy it here in the U.S., but it's never as good as there! Looking forward to your new posts!

(Michelle on Aug 27, 2008 5:56 PM) Walkers Crisps!!! Prawn Cocktail Flavor!!!! I was recently in Epcot in Disneyworld and in the England "country" they had Cheese and Onion flavor!! I floated with joy as I crunched their yummy goodness!!

(Sues on Aug 31, 2008 8:51 AM) Ohhh so jealous! Especially for the cheddar and stilton. And bacon. Yummmm.

1) M. Allart's amazing sunflower honey.

2) The Batignolles organic market.

3) 365 cheeses and the wonderful, knowledgeable people who sell them to me.

4) Fellow food bloggers in Paris.

5) Moules frites.

6) Raclette (what will I do with my old battered machine now that I have no access to the right cheese?)

7) Baguettes.

8) Our favourite restaurants.

9) The best fries in Paris. (Note to anyone else who would like to experience them: the Mozart has sadly changed owners this summer and so I cannot guarantee the continued quality of the fries. It's still a great place for an after-work beer, though.)

10) My kitchen. The first new kitchen I've ever cooked in, the first I've ever designed. It had a few problems and I'm sure I could have done better. But it was my first kitchen of my own making and I shall miss it. Especially the six gas rings.

What would you miss most if you had to move to a new country?

Comments (7)

Comments on this Entry:

(paul on Jul 26, 2008 7:57 AM) surely you will be able to get raclette in london. they have it at the cheese shop here in oak park.

(Meg in Paris on Jul 26, 2008 12:43 PM) Paul, thanks for the words of hope - I'll send the Critic out for it when I get a craving next fall. We are actually going to be living in the depths of rural Sussex, though. Great for local cheeses, not so great for imports, I'm guessing!

(Ms Recipe on Jul 26, 2008 9:57 PM) Nice food blog, I have a new food blog, wanna ex links.

(The Critic on Jul 27, 2008 3:34 AM) From a man who thinks French cuisine bland and over-rated, there are still many things I will miss: 1. Putting lashings of gloriously hot mustard on pieces of baguette, while waiting for a brasserie meal. 2. Cheese nan - although Indian food is invariably bland in France (the delicate French palate doesn't do spicy food!), their stuffing of nan bread with a "dairylea" type gooey cheese is simply glorious. 3. Fabulous, yet ridiculously cheap, wine...need I say more. On the other hand, it is very difficult to buy New World wines in France. 4. Bottled water at cheap prices (why does the same water retail many times more expensively in the UK?) 5. Cakes at varies boulangeries. Not only are the cakes on display simply beautiful, they are absolutely delicious.

(Taina on Jul 27, 2008 5:27 PM) Meg, congrats to the Critic on landing an awesome job & sending "smooth move" vibes your way! Looking forward to your take on life across the channel. Top 7 food things I have missed in the year since we left Paris: #7: Speculoos cookies #6: flavorful produce #5: Baguettes "tradi" #4: Laduree's macarons #3: Merguez #2. Ready-to-serve carpaccio from Monoprix and the #1 thing I miss: PICARD!

(Jake on Jul 28, 2008 11:43 AM) 365 cheeses! No wonder my friends have wine AND CHEESE parties.. haha

(David on Jul 29, 2008 9:07 AM) we'll miss you too! xx

The answer is a qualified yes. The cakes came out a little chewier than usual, but definitely tasty and definitely healthier. The only mistake I made, really, was in throwing some dried blueberries in the mix too. They were delicious - don't get me wrong - but not a hit with a suspicious three year old. But at least I now won't be packing blueberries...

*Yes, that's right: I've been left alone with the two monsters to battle the forces of Evil French Bureaucracy and organize a move in less than four weeks' time. Feel free to pity me - or better yet, send gin...

Continued reading No-Fat Banana Blueberry Cupcakes...

Comments (2)

Comments on this Entry:

(Sorina on Jul 15, 2008 1:46 PM) Beautiful photos! I really like your site.

(Health Guru on Jul 21, 2008 2:18 PM) Can't help but notice your love of spicy foods (and abundant collection of hot pepper sauce that everyone has a bit of)! I ran across some interesting information about spicy foods and staying healthy! Pretty cool information that I thought I would help share :) Cheers, and all the best Sorina. -HG

[Little Brother at 12 months, the first time I let him play with the remains of his dinner on his own.]

When my first son started solid foods, I dreamt of creating the perfect food lover. He was going to eat a variety of foods, all organic, nothing processed. I was going to prove that it was ALL about raising, nothing to do with those pesky hard-wired genes. But as we all know, the road to a very hot place is paved with good intentions. And sometimes I feel like I have arrived in Hell, because despite my good intentions I have a fairly picky 3 year old. He likes: apples, carrots, cucumber, hot dogs, chicken (sometimes), pasta, bread, cereal (not the sugary kind), watermelon, ham, eggs, peas, pizza, peanut butter crackers. Which may sound like a lot, but really it's not when you consider the millions of other exciting foods out there. I should also point out that he likes these things more or less unsullied by any spices or exotic cooking methods. Steamed or boiled carrots only, not raw ones. Pasta with butter and cheese only. Plain bread or if it's toasted it has butter and cinnamon sugar. Where did I go wrong?

Well, the more I consider my boys and watch them grow, the more I have to admit that a lot of who they are is just there, from birth. My eldest loved cars and balls from the moment he could clutch them in his tiny baby hands. His brother? Not so you would notice. The youngest likes music, and even at eight months would start swaying and clapping when he heard a jingle on the TV that he liked. Unlike his older brother (who just bangs away), when given access to the piano, little brother carefully plays with individual notes.

So perhaps my first son was destined to be a picky eater. Then again, I think I made some classic first time parent mistakes when I started him on solid food. I worried far too much about whether he would have an allergic reaction, whether the food was organic, whether he would choke to death on a tiny piece of unprocessed food. The baby books and Internet told me that adding salt and butter to his food was a grave sin and I believed them. They told me that I should never give him more than one new ingredient at a time and I believed that too. As a result, I couldn't follow the common sense advice of my mother to just purée a bit of our own dinners for him: when was the last time you cooked using no salt, no butter or fat and no more than one spice? So now he likes plain food.

His brother, on the other hand, is an omnivore. He's an eating machine and I have yet to find a food he doesn't like. In the last five months, he has eaten curried rice, Hungarian goulash, fish and chips, English breakfast sausages, pork and lemon meatballs, Cranberry and Quinoa Salad with Coriander and Chili Dusted Chicken, roast potatoes with roasted chicken meat, and a load of other adult dishes. In addition, I have been so much more relaxed about the baby food I create just for him, using salt, pepper, butter, olive oil, mint, basil, paprika and even garlic to make them more tasty and interesting. I don't know if it's due to this early training, but he tends to eat very little of a dish if it's missing one of these elements. So I thought I would put together a list of some of the baby food combinations I have made for him recently. There aren't actually 101 of them, but still there are quite a few. And some of them have led to interesting dinners for the rest of the family when I tasted his and decided it was good. (For example, the zucchini, mint and yogurt combination, which makes a lovely cold soup!)

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a dietician, just an opinionated mother. Do discuss with your doctor what your baby can eat before you blindly trust my example. Some children are more likely to have allergies and I would hate to be the cause of a trip to the emergency room.

Continued reading 101 Interesting Baby Food Recipes...

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(Liz Oostendorp on Aug 30, 2008 3:56 PM) Fifty years ago when my oldest child was introduced to vegetables, I was in a panic. He didn't like any of the things that Gerber packaged for me. Besides, he was unable to burp, so I had a colicy youngun to deal with. I went to my elderly pediatrician with fear that I was starving him. Dr. Barber looked at me in disgust and asked: Have YOU tasted and of those foods? I admitted that I had not and he said to go home and taste them and then season them with a smidgeon of butter and a few grains of salt. His reaction was that they tasted terrible because they had no interesting flavors and it was my job to make them palatable. That boy ate everything. If we took him out with us, he would always order the barbequed ribs or a yummy steak - never a hot dog or hamburger on his plate! Of course it was hard to explain to him why he couldn't have the lobster or crab when our budget was low, but getting him to eat was never a problem. My oldest daughter married a native American whose tribe was allowed to take one whale a few years ago. When she asked an elder what it would taste like, he told her he thought it tasted a lot like seal. Her kids eat everything, too. I'm not sure whether Dr. Barber did us a favor or not!

Some 16 years ago, my mother drove me to the airport to catch a one-way flight to Munich. "So...how long do you think you'll stay?" she asked cautiously. I hadn't really considered the question. I was young and confident and excited about joining my then-boyfriend in a new country. More than a year, but less than five, I guessed. Well I was wrong by a bit. Paris was always the ultimate destination and we moved there a year later. I've been here 15 years. Over the years, I've acquired a lot of furniture and books, a cat, a husband and two children. This is my home. The city sometimes drives me speechless with fury and frustration, but it's my home. I love it like you love the sibling who drives you up the wall. And now I am having to face the fact that where our family is will always be my home. Have children, will travel.

England, here we come.

Comments (9)

Comments on this Entry:

(Ceri on Jun 25, 2008 8:45 PM) Congratulations on the new job. Good luck with the move.

(Muriel on Jun 26, 2008 3:25 AM) I really understand how you feel,me it would break my heart to have to go back to France cos I've been here in England nearly ten years and this is home now...

(gs on Jun 26, 2008 8:07 AM) Our warmest wishes and thoughts are with you... ...during this period of utter chaos! :) Good luck!

(David on Jun 27, 2008 6:11 AM) Meg! So sad you're leaving. And I'll come visit you in London, where you'll have Neal's Yard cheese & Borough market. And we can touch all the produce we want, and drink decent coffee. Cheers mate!! xox

(Meg in Paris on Jun 27, 2008 7:31 AM) David, I hope we can meet up before I go - I'd hate to have to take that jar of spicy pickled onions with me! (Yes, that IS a bribe...) ;)

(LadySkyeFyre on Jun 28, 2008 2:14 PM) Best of luck in your move. Uprooting a family is tough, but where you are going will certainly be exciting. Bon Soir.

(Big Brother on Jun 30, 2008 6:19 PM) Well, I agree it is sad that you're leaving Paris... although I like England, all of my visits to see you in Paris have been special. I don't envy your tasks at all. Ebay is your friend! No more honey from M. Allart! I'm going to have to be my own beekeeper, I guess. I understand that you're looking to settle on the southern coast, near Brighton (so goes the family gossip) - that's an area rich in folk traditions. Rottingdean is the home of the Copper Family, and I think that there are a couple of worthwhile festivals to attend. Just don't jump into buying a house on credit- the UK market is in worse shape than the U.S., if that is possible. Big Brother in the wilds of Oregon

(Dr. Biggles on Jul 1, 2008 12:23 PM) Holee Crap! That's huge, really huge. Packing up and leaving, wow. Rock on with your bad self and see you when you get to the other side. xo, Biggles

(Taina on Jul 18, 2008 8:22 PM) Meg, Congrats to the Critic for landing an awesome job! And what a cutie Son #2 is! You must be in the middle of moving hell right now...sending you calming vibes. Good luck with everything. Looking forward to reading about life across the channel.

I was tempted to just toss them, but actually although they were disappointing on their own they weren't spoiled. Just disappointingly soft and sweet. And so I had one of those timely good ideas: I had promised to bake something for the snack table at a local Bring and Buy sale and these would turn chocolate cupcakes into something special. I was right: on their own, the cherries were a bit bland and too soft. Cooked in dark chocolate, they gave a wonderful sweet pocket of fruit in each bite. When topped with a cream cheese frosting, the combination was perfect - a little dark chocolate, a little sharp cheese and a sweet soft cherry flavor. I am really glad I had a place to get rid of the cupcakes or I am sure I would have eaten them all with the Critic's help. (Big brother found the flavours a little too grown up - or maybe he didn't like the texture of the cooked cherries?)

Continued reading When Life Gives You Over-ripe Cherries......

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(Robert on May 26, 2008 6:09 PM) Those cupcakes look perfect. I love the combination of chocolate and cherries, and that cream cheese is literally the icing on the (cup)cake.

(Julian on May 28, 2008 12:27 PM) We had a very disappointing season with our cherries as I wrote on my blog: http://wwwtheothersideofparis.blogspot.com/

(Jason on May 29, 2008 10:27 AM) I bought some cherries last night that were highly disappointing. I guess they just needed chocolate! I just planted some herbs on my terrace, and used starter plants. It is a small box, so I picked up the little starters. I also found cat nip, so everyone has something to look forward to. It may be cheating, but I will have basil, rose marry and mint to clip for July 4th.

(Roger on Jun 13, 2008 8:10 AM) We did something similar with rasberries. It's on our blog: Cooking With Roger

(Deborah Dowd on Jun 18, 2008 10:06 PM) Thanks so much- I face the same dilemma andnow you have given me a way to use up my too-soft-but-still-good cherries!

(Health Guru on Jul 23, 2008 1:05 PM) Looking great! Not much better than dark chocolate and sweet cherries!! Some general tips that can help you stay healthy would make this even better! For example; use margarine instead of butter, egg whites instead of the whole egg, and use whole wheat flour! Thanks for another great post, all the best H.G.

While you're there, check out the rest of the talks at TED. It's a remarkable conference that brings together some of the most dynamic minds around in all fields.

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(Kelli on May 22, 2008 11:39 AM) Ha! My boyfriend has that t-shirt (well, the bomb, not beef, version), and people all over NYC stare at his chest whenever he wears it. It really throws them for a loop. =) More importantly, 'How to Cook Everything Vegetarian' is one of my very favorite cookbooks EVER. I thought I hated Bittman until I read it!

(Barrett on May 22, 2008 4:23 PM) Kelli, Bittman's Best Recipes Book left me completely cold. I didn't agree with a lot of his recipes - especially when they were being presented as the "best" versions. But the Vegetarian How to Cook Everything and to some extent, the non-vegetarian one changed my mind about him. He's not the final word on food, (Harold McGee is still that), but he's someone whose opinion I now respect.

(gino on May 23, 2008 12:15 PM) This guy Bittman is a Moron...may be a great chef, but a moron as to the real earth.

A few years ago, I wrote about my philosophy regarding baby food. It's interesting to me now to reflect on how my attitude has changed with the arrival of a second son. These days I concentrate more on keeping food local than I do on finding organic. I no longer have the leisure to make it to the organic market every week or to seek out the nearest health food store which is half an hour away. But I can and do monitor where the apples at the supermarket come from and whether vegetables are in season. Because Little brother started eating solid food at the end of the summer instead of the beginning, I tend to use potatoes instead of rice cereal to thicken his food. He mostly eats vegetables, as only apples and bananas are consistently available through the winter months so this works fine.

And the biggest change is that I'm less worried about butter and salt and more intent on keeping my baby interested in food with flavor. I try to follow my mother's advice more often these days, which has always been "do not make special food for the baby; just purée what everyone else is having for dinner". I don't know if this will make for a less picky three year old second son - though I hope it will - but it certainly makes my life easier. Not long ago, I realized I had fallen into the trap of essentially making three meals every evening: for the baby, Big Brother and the parents. This was a situation that could not and should not continue. So now I tend to look for recipes that will please the three year old and his father. Now that Little Brother is one, there is little he can't eat and so it is also puréed for him. And Mom gets to relax in the evening instead of rushing around steaming vegetables, cooking pasta and then starting all over again for herself and the Critic.

When I saw this recipe in the Sunday Observer online, I (correctly) suspected I had found a winner. Three year olds don't like chewing tough meat. Neither does the Critic. Nor can the baby. So meatballs are a great option. And then - whoa, anchovies and lemon! Both the Critic and I are much more salt fiends than sweet lovers and I'm afraid our sons have inherited our preferences. So there was never any question about a few anchovies in the mix being a problem. Big brother loved it, the Critic loved it, Little brother liked the meat (but not so much the rice) and I loved being able to cook one tasty, reasonably healthy and very flavorful dinner for the family. Thank you, Nigel Slater.

Continued reading Nigel Slater's Pork and Lemon Meatballs...

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Comments on this Entry:

(Matt on Jun 15, 2008 2:08 PM) Just wanted to say that I made the other Nigel Slater meatballs (the lamb mince and beetroot) and found they were very good. Will have to make these now however!

(Fay Robinson on Jun 20, 2008 1:40 PM) Don't now if this is the Nigel Slater that I met in LUPERON???? is it??? Your camera work was the best. Still have the photos. I remember Morse and our conversation. Love this recipe even if you are not the Nigel I think lol !!!

(Rick on Jul 15, 2008 6:33 PM) One upside of London, then: minced pork is readily available in supermarkets! Not in itself a reason for moving, but some consolation :).

(Gerry on Jul 24, 2008 11:25 AM) Lemon meatballs - absolutely delightful!

Too Many Chefs is proud to announce the arrival of a new mini-critic: Barrett's beloved Redhead gave birth on the 16th of May 2008 to a gorgeous little girl. Welcome Eleanor Elizabeth Buss and congratulations to your happy parents!

Good husband that he is, Barrett's first action once the excitement was over was to run out and buy the Redhead a big sushi dinner to go. Both mother and daughter are feeding well and very happy.

(Note on the photo: I pulled it off a site with free baby wallpaper; my apologies to Anne Geddes if it is infringing on her copyright in any way...)

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(Wine Blog on May 20, 2008 6:06 AM) BUmp.. Congrats!

However, as I was on my own with the two boys and under a deadline, I really needed to find the ingredients for a tasty lunch in my kitchen. I knew I had a couple of chicken breasts and a bit of cucumber for the fresh elements. I started searching through the cabinets for the rest of the ingredients. A big box of red quinoa jumped out at me: I'd been meaning to experiment with it for some time but the Critic is no fan of nubbly food. That set me on a kind of a New World strain and so I pulled out the plump sweetened dried cranberries I picked up at Target on our recent trip to the US. As luck would have it, I had a couple of bunches of young shallot shoots in the back of the vegetable bin, which would also liven the mixture a bit. Cumin was my first choice for a spice, but I love it so much lately that I'm frequently out. Coriander was my second choice and it worked so well that I'm glad I had no cumin in the spice drawer.

The resulting salad was delightful: full of flavors that zing and interesting textures. It is the perfect picnic food in that it's relatively quick and easy to prepare and best served either slightly cooled or at room temperature. I loved it so much that I made it again three days later when we were invited to visit friends in the country for lunch in their garden. And even the Critic liked it. I'll be making it again. I'd like to say that I'll be using it as a template for other interesting ventures, but I'd be lying. It really was quite perfect just the way it came out the first (and second) time(s).

Continued reading Cranberry and Quinoa Salad with Coriander and Chili Dusted Chicken...

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(haya on May 19, 2008 9:39 PM) sounds yummy! how much is 175g of quinoa? i am still without a scale. also, for the yogurt...what size is the container? i look forward to making this. i'm still new to quinoa so i'm excited when i find good recipes.

(Meg in Paris on May 20, 2008 6:52 AM) It was about a cup of quinoa. Hope you enjoy it!

Old fictitious was not captain of a mighty flotilla. He did have a string of ships, but all of them were dinghy size. It was rare that more than one of these boats would actually make it anywhere useful, and somehow that boat was always the one with the Captain in it. Well, one of Captain Fictitious McFall's ports of call was an island off the coast of Thailand, and the dish that came from his travels there is this tropical oatmeal.

Now, it might seem strange to combine oats and tropical flavors, but - well, there is no but. It is strange, but it's also quite delicious. I've uncovered this mix of traditional oats and typical Thai flavors like coconut, mango, lime, and a bit of brown sugar from a stash of papers in Fictitious's sea chest.

Whether you believe in Captain Fictitious McFall or not, you'll believe in this sweet and tasty tropical oatmeal.

Continued reading Tropical Oatmeal...

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(Meg in Paris on May 5, 2008 6:29 AM) Okay, I'm going to charitable and put this one down to pregnancy cravings... ; ) Seriously, I am intrigued by this one!

(barrett on May 5, 2008 8:51 AM) It's a surprise and a half - really, really tasty if a bit sweeter than what I want for breakfast usually. We had it Sunday and it was a very nice way to get going.

(Niall Harbison on May 14, 2008 8:59 AM) Hi There I just stumbled upon your blog and think it is an excellent read for foodies and especially like the photos and design of the blog.I started off as a blogger myself and realise the importance of a good clean design like you have here. I have now bookmarked it for myself to read and have added you to our new list of "all the food blogs in the world" on www.ifoods.tv which we have been compiling for the last month! Hopefully it will send you some traffic in the long run. Looking forward to reading your thoughts on food so keep up the good work and talk soon. Cheers

(Daniella on May 29, 2008 1:46 PM) This looks/sounds delicious. My favorite recipes are the shortest ones and this one doesn't look too daunting. Thanks for sharing.

Since Little Brother arrived, I have had less time for the organic market than when his brother was on baby food. With two munchkins in the house, I do my shopping when I can fit it in the schedule of daily life, and that is rarely on a Saturday morning for some reason. Perhaps it's that the Critic is working again and so our weekend time is more precious. Whatever the reason, last Saturday was the first time in a few months that I had been to the market. I met up with a new friend and enjoyed thoroughly introducing her to my favorite stalls: the woman selling organic vegetables from a farm out near Disney in Marne-la-Vallée, the man who sold me the 4.2 kg duck and the chipper cheese fellows who make their own goat's and ewe's cheeses. At the latter stall, I noticed a little plastic container of wet crumbly cheese labelled "La Brousse". It looked a lot like cottage cheese and I have yet to find a satisfactory cottage cheese in France, so I bought a container and took it home.

For your information, la brousse is not cottage cheese. It's a provençal cheese and actually seems much closer to ricotta in taste, texture and uses. I'll have to stick with the mediocre imported cottage cheese that can sometimes be found at my local supermarket. But I still had a full tub (minus one taste) of provençal cheese. And so I decided to treat it like ricotta and stuff it into some nice fresh ravioli. It was time to introduce Big Brother to the fun of making pasta.

Continued reading Raviolis à la brousse et aux épinards...

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(anne on Apr 26, 2008 1:29 PM) Miam miam!!

(Jj on Apr 29, 2008 1:13 PM) This sounds great!

Many years ago, in our careless child-free days, the Critic and I played a lot of snooker. We even belonged to Paris' only snooker league and this necessitated getting up at what then seemed an ungodly hour on Sunday mornings. (Now, of course, 8 a.m. is considered a pretty good lie-in...how times have changed!) And being young(er) and child-free, we had usually indulged in an alcoholic session the evening before. So once a month would find us at nine a.m. scoffing bitter black coffee and croissants with a slightly jaundiced eye. And by noon we would be ready for something more substantial. There is something about a hangover that begs processed, salty, hot food. And this is how I became intimately acquainted with a phenomenon known as the Super Hot Dog (pronounced Soup-air Ott Dogg). You can find them across France in cheap cafés. It's the one dish that is served at any time of the day and mostly to students and manual workers. Although it would pain most tourists to eat something so "American", it is genuinely a part of the French food landscape. And I became totally addicted. Your basic saucisse frites (sausage and fries) is just that: a plate with a couple of hot dogs, some fries and a basket of bread on the side. But a super hot dog is encased in a crisp baguette, slathered with mustard so hot it makes your eyes water, topped with grated gruyère cheese and placed beneath a grill until the cheese is melted and crispy in places, the hot dog warmed through. It's greasy and salty and crunchy, the perfect fast food.

And then, one day, they were gone.

I'm not saying we quit playing snooker because café at the snooker club stopped serving them. The smoke was getting to us too, in those pre-smoke-free-Paris days. But really, once the Super Hot Dogs were off the menu, my motivation sadly faltered. And then we had children and our lives became full in new ways. I sometimes miss the snooker. But I no longer miss the Super Hot Dogs. Because I now have a boy who likes hot dogs for lunch. And armed with a baguette and a bit of cheese, I can make my own Super Hot Dog. I can even improve it (a little).

Continued reading Le Super Hot Dog...

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Comments on this Entry:

(Robin on Apr 10, 2008 12:16 AM) Wild garlic is known as "Ail des Bois" in French.

(Nate on May 7, 2008 11:56 AM) Anything like this reminds me of a local tavern's "Mad Dog". Foot-long hot dog, stuffed with cheese, wrapped with bacon and DEEP-FRIED. Wonderful.

(JR on May 27, 2008 12:47 PM) I just returned from a trip to Paris and will go on record as saying these are great! I did not find any that had mustard or anything else on them. They were just the dogs, the baguette and the gruyère cheese. I am now trying to find out what type of sausage that is used over there. It is not the same at all.

(Meg in Paris on May 28, 2008 7:07 AM) JR, I think the difference is that in the US hot dogs are usually made from beef, not pork. Here, they are usually labelled "100% pur porc". I have to say, I'm now used to the French ones and both I (and my son) were severely disappointed by the American ones we had on our last trip to Chicago!

Tonight, as I was making it, I was more thoughtful than usual. Last night a friend of mine called to say that her cousin, one of my oldest friends in Paris, had died unexpectedly. I haven't seen Charles in almost a year. The last time I spoke with him he was on the point of returning to California for a few months to help his sister find a nursing home for their father and help with the move. I have asked mutual friends a few times in the last year if they had any news, but no one did and so I assumed he was still with his family back in California. I was wrong; he was back in Paris and I could have seen him. But now it is too late. And so I was thinking of Charles, and the many meals I have made for him. Back when I was dating his best friend, I had to keep track of his many food allergies and balance them with the best friend's food aversions. Later, he was a regular guest at Easter or Thanksgiving, always showing up with a bag of potato chips as a contribution - a bit like a college student, for all that he was four or five years older than me. Another food memory came to mind - being invited to dinner by Charles' cousin Eileen, whose speciality was a kind of pasta with cheese and nutmeg sauce. So I added some nutmeg to the dish. And when it was done and ready to eat, I thought of another of my oldest friends in Paris, Claire. Claire and Charles and I went on a memorable trip to Oktoberfest some ten years ago and at the end of it I think we were close to strangling Charles. He had many wonderful qualities (for example, he would never drink wine when he went out with us because he knew that our friend Ken would throw the keys at him at some point in the evening and declare "YOU are driving us home") but they didn't come out that weekend in Munich. But we were friends many years ago, even if life had pulled us in different directions of late. So I opened a bottle of Gewurztraminer while I thought of Claire, who spent a year studying in Alsace and sometimes would buy us a nice bottle of sweet wine when we were feeling flush.

All day long, I have been feeling a bit emotional, a bit more inclined to cuddle with my boys as I remember this friend who died alone in a flat in Paris. I guess it's not surprising that making dinner brought back more memories - there isn't much in this world that is more emotionally charged for me than making food. It reminded me that I should call Claire tomorrow and ask how she is. I sent a message to my friend Martin in London. My friend Tom, who shared this simple spaghetti and garlic dish with me more times than I care to remember when we were at university surely deserves a call.

Continued reading On mortality and nutmeg and Gewurztraminer...

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(Elsa on Apr 5, 2008 3:01 PM) For all the talk about "comfort food," I think we often forget how truly comforting a well-remembered dish can be. Sometimes noodles are almost as good as a hug. Take care, Meg.

Although I sent the children away with a box of decorated eggs each, I still had nearly 20 hard boiled eggs in my refrigerator when the day was done. The Critic doesn't like hard boiled eggs. The baby can't have them. And I'm pretty sure the toddler is going to turn up his nose at them too, though I'm going to try to convince him how good they are. It's a good thing I like egg salad.

Continued reading Easter Egg Salad...

Comments (2)

Comments on this Entry:

(Meg's MOM on Mar 25, 2008 8:33 PM) Last Wednesday's Trib had an article from their Food editor on how he loves Egg Salad Sandwiches. Now you know why I took a hard boiled egg to work every day for 3 weeks! MOM

(Robert on Mar 27, 2008 6:05 AM) I'm doing the same thing at my house to use up all the eggs we dyed for the holiday. There's one downside to using Easter Eggs for egg salad and devlied eggs, though: where there are cracks in the shell a little of the dye sometimes leaks through and tinges the egg white. So, I've got some dangerous-looking flourescent green and pink spots in my egg salad. I know there's nothing wrong with the eggs, but I won't be offering any to guests--which just leaves more for me!