The beginning of next week, March 20th, marks the twelfth celebration of International Macaron Day, which started in Paris in 2005 as a way of raising money for charities. The idea came from French baker Pierre Hermé, who started the tradition by offering a macaron to customers visiting his shops in return for a financial donation. …
Category: Food and drink
6 crêperies you must go to in London
Shrove Tuesday may have been and gone, but did we ever really need a reason to justify eating a stack of pancakes (or crêpes) fresh out of the frying pan? Obviously, there is only one answer to this: non. And if you thought that you had to cough up for a Eurostar ticket to find…
4 simple and super-tasty recipes (also suitable for vegans) that you’ll love this Pancake Day!
France may have just celebrated Pancake Day on February 2nd, but for everyone else, Shrove Tuesday is just around the corner. Yep, it’s almost time to refresh your pancake-flipping skills and start thinking about your favourite fillings before February 28th comes around… along with Lent, and the official end to joy and chocolate consumption for…
How to make the perfect French hot chocolate!
How do you like your hot chocolate? Silky and rich? Bittersweet? Or maybe with a touch of chilli (or even a cheeky bit of Bailey’s)? I recently visited Paris (which you can read more about here), and made it my mission to try as much hot chocolate as I could (more details here!!) Several tastings…
6 French bakeries you need to visit in London!
For a country that has more bakeries than anywhere else in the world (32,000 at the last count), France can definitely hold its own on the pastry front. From golden croissants and feather-light brioche to fruit tarts covered with plump berries and slices of Opéra cake finished with a glossy chocolate glaze, there’s a heck…
What to eat when you’re in Paris
After spending my gap year and year abroad in France, which you can read about here, I’ve tried to go back to France as often as possible. Sadly, it hasn’t been as often as I’d have liked, so when I went to Paris for a few days last week, I was determined to make the…
Hot chocolate in Paris that you must try!
Follow my blog with Bloglovin Paris is already well-known for its museums, bakeries and (of course) the Eiffel Tower, but how about for its hot chocolate? Here are four places that you must visit in Paris just to sample their incredible hot chocolate: Angelina A Paris institution, with a hot chocolate recipe so in-demand that they’ve…
Christmas presents for Francophiles
As the calendar edges ever closer to Christmas, have you experienced any of the following: 1. hope that the NHS will soon add mince pies and Christmas pudding to its ‘five a day’ list 2. eternal respect for anyone who knows how to cook the perfect turkey/sprouts/bread sauce 3. queasiness at the thought of starting…
Where to find Britain’s best macarons (Scotland)
It’s been barely two days since Britain voted for Brexit, but it’s left us with what feels like a week’s worth of news to face up to. David Cameron has stood down as Prime Minister, Jeremy Corbyn is dealing with resignations from Labour Shadow Cabinet ministers (nine have left so far today) and Scotland’s Nicola Sturgeon…
A Table: WA Café review
I was in London this week to visit my cousin, and she mentioned that it would be worth going along to the WA Café in Ealing. As the café has a lot of Japanese influences, you’re probably wondering what it’s doing on a blog about France. Well … as it turns out, it sells pastries,…
A Table: L’Artisan restaurant review
Fresh from reviewing the Pâtisserie Deux Amis in London last week, I visited L’Artisan, a French restaurant in Cheltenham, yesterday evening. You can read my review of the Pâtisserie Deux Amis here if you so desire… 🙂 Last night, the fantastic meal that we had at L’Artisan just goes to show that you don’t even have to travel…
En Vacances: Île de Ré (France)
During my gap year in France, which I write about here, I visited the Île de Ré for a cycling holiday at the start of summer 2011 with my host family. We drove from Les Herbiers, a small town in northwest France, to the coastal town of La Rochelle, and then crossed the bridge connecting…
French Affliction 