The Cost of Living Crisis Revisited
I know the situation is very different from the 2008 financial crisis but the effects are very similar. A year ago a cucumber at my local supermarket (Intermarche) was 1€, … Continue reading
A Very Mazamet Summer: Flowers, Food & Wine
And a good time was had by all, I believe. Our first guests of the year have come and gone. My brother and sister-in-law. I realised something fantastic happened to … Continue reading
Happy Holidays!
So here we are and what a year it has been. I don’t even have the energy to comment. Let’s hope 2021 brings some measure of normality back. Christmas Menu … Continue reading
She’s Leaving Me!!!
She’s decided she’s going to live in America. I won’t lie, I’m a little bit shaken. I thought that considering the virus and the turmoil in the world, she’d … Continue reading
Preparing the house for Imaginary Summer Girls
It’s the one time a year when the house gets cleaned from top to bottom, hard to get to cobwebs removed, unused rooms opened; So even though Summer Girls won’t … Continue reading
Life on lock-down, including the Joys of Cook—-ware
The Boulevard de Lattre de Tassigny and Rue de Strasbourg are magnificently quiet. The weather has been lovely this week. Mike took the opportunity to help Rudy with some rehab … Continue reading
Late Summer 2019 at Nº 42
Summer girls have come and gone – and their company was utterly wonderful, as always. This year they brought along with them a pair of glorious Victorian cut crystal claret … Continue reading
Happy Holidays!
As usual, we couldn’t get the dogs all together and still for a Christmas card picture – so this year there are two. The boys were particularly disruptive, which meant … Continue reading
Cooking this season – let’s call it vintage style: Cordon Bleu, Madhur Jaffrey & Edouard de Pomiane
The other day I found a complete set of the 1968 Cordon Bleu home course for sale online, and of course bought it immediately. It was designed by Rosemary Hume … Continue reading
Older Than Springtime
The weather was lovely over the weekend and again today. I’ve taken advantage of that to start pruning the wisteria. Nightmare job. Terribly frightening to be that high up a … Continue reading
Warmth at last
Winter sun! The weather is finally improving. After a reasonably pleasant December, the cold front was not fun. It did get us back into action and the attic of number 42 … Continue reading
Julia Engelmann (Poem) with English Subtitles (and good ham!)
I was going to continue writing about existentialism today- but in an effort not to depress anyone before the Reveillon, I’ll give you something rather beautiful instead. You might already … Continue reading
It’s not cold
14 degrees celsius today. We had a couple of colder and rainy days earlier in the week but the predictions are that this winter in the Tarn will be mild. … Continue reading
The Evil Agendist
You know those Christmas cards they make you buy every year from the people who paint with the paintbrush in their mouth or feet or wherever because they’re missing limbs? … Continue reading
A Saturday in Mid-October
I’m politically exhausted. This weekend I don’t want to hear about Trump, Theresa May, Spain’s lack of government- or François Hollande (France’s version of lack of government.) So let’s talk … Continue reading
The Wonderful World of Meera Sodha
I rarely buy cookbooks anymore. After a certain point it feels like we’ve got every recipe we could ever possibly want… but three weeks ago I was reading about a young … Continue reading
Heat & more heat. Vegetarians look away now.
Today is supposed to be the hottest day yet this summer (in France). Fortunately not here in Mazamet. Albeit 29 isn’t exactly refreshing. Last year the weather was really great … Continue reading
First week of June at no. 42. The garden, the scullery and fish
The lilies are opening! Absolutely stunning. The weather’s been superb and so I’ve spent much time in the garden. Pruning, cleaning, weeding- and digging. And there’s been progress in … Continue reading
Ollie Dabbous at Sotheby’s
From: Anna Pinkney Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2016 6:25 PM Subject: Dabbous Pop-Up Restaurant at Sotheby’s DABBOUS AT SOTHEBY’S A celebration of all things British: In a one-off experience that … Continue reading
The kitchen garden + The Russians are coming!
The baby bok choy has come and been eaten. Excellent, easy crop. It only takes 30 to 45 days from seed to table. They’ve been replaced by a variety of … Continue reading
Slow cooker, anyone?
I finally got one. It should be delivered today. What convinced me was a dish at one of the Christmas parties we went to- and the way the hostess described just … Continue reading
Chinese Ancestor Portraits, Dog Blankets & Tapas
In practical news I’ve had blankets made in the same colours as the sofas in the green salon. As you can see in the pictures, I can just yank them off … Continue reading
Sushi attempt #2 & gardens
Less vegetarian this time around as it included prawns and caviar. I’d never had sushi with proper caviar before, it’s usually red roe, but I was bored so I decided … Continue reading
Sushi: Surprisingly Easy
Made sushi last night successfully for the first time. I thought it was going to be terribly complicated and difficult. It was a bit sticky and a bit messy, but … Continue reading
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