nosh

It's always hard leaving France. Being based in Lyon had its downside - as we'd anticipated. Long drives to visit friends or to ski. But the upside was it confirmed that it was a city we could envisage ourselves living in, some indeterminate time in the future.

We have dreams of running an artists' retreat somewhere in France and Lyon would be ideal. Allowing ourselves to imagine how this might work, we discussed the advantages of being based in a beautiful city where residents would go for walks after their day's writing or painting. And we'd organise trips into the stunning countryside around Grenoble and drives in the gentle undulating countryside around Lyon, which we got to know a little. And I imagined an old building on the banks of the Saône, and the fantasies just continued. It's so easy to get carried away. But I refrain from lapsing into clichéd sayings about it being good to have dreams ...





















To keep our 'Frenchness' alive, we ate at the local French restaurant last night. L'escargot bleu has great reviews but I kept my expectations low as so often I am disappointed in restaurant food: fatty meat, too small portions etc. Last night was different. Between us we consumed: starters of Jerusalem artichoke soup and tartiflette ( a yummy mix of cheese, bacon and potatoes); braised lamb shank and roast pork; chocolate tart and pear tart. And a bottle of red wine. And all the waiters and waitresses spoke French to each other though they were less forthcoming when I attempted to communicate with them in their native tongue. Maybe I sounded pretentious.




Yesterday afternoon I spent time translating a recipe French friends had cooked for us over Christmas: Timbales de poireaux crémeux en crumble de noix, which is a leek and blue cheese saucy mix topped with ground up crackers and walnuts. It was delicious -we'd been skiing and were ravenous and I could have eaten a bucketful of it. Instead I had to confine myself to two helpings (neither as big as I'd have liked) and ask, please, please, can I have the recipe. PLEASE.

For this evening's dinner I have made lentil soup and cottage pie. I know, I know, far too exotic for a snowy Sunday night, but someone has to make an effort. Tomorrow or Tuesday, I will purchase roquefort cheese and walnuts and have a stab at the Timbales.

Culinarily yours

Jane