Chocolate delights

Today I made my annual Christmas visit to our local chocolate factory; it has to be my favorite part of Christmas shopping. Guinguet have been making chocolates since 1950. This visit is very high up on our client’s wish list along with visiting vineyards.

Guinguet specialize in prunes dipped in chocolate, picked and dried from their own nearby orchard, they are simply delicious. It’s really difficult to choose from the huge selection on offer, and to make it more difficult, you can sample as many chocolates as you can eat! After a very enjoyable 20 minutes I left with armfuls of lovely treats all beautifully wrapped. The French really know how to make the customers life easier.

And now for the history bit (could be useful for the pub quiz)!.The ancient Aztec and Maya civilizations were the first to recognize the potency of chocolate and used it to celebrate the harvest of the cacao beans. They brewed it into a hot, spicy drink and believed it gave them wisdom, enlightenment and sexual prowess. Only men in the ruling and religious classes were allowed to drink the chocolate.

Cocoa beans were used as currency by the Mayan and Aztec cultures. Perhaps this is where the saying "Money grows on trees" came from.

In the 16th century, the Spanish crushed the Aztec empire and took home the Aztec methods of extracting undiluted unsweetened liquor from fermented cacao beans. They sweetened the drink with honey and sugar and for years it remained a rich man’s drink. In the 17th century, chocolate became popular across Europe. It was still sold only as a drink and as it attracted high import duties, was enjoyed by the rich. In due course, chocolate drinking houses opened and these became popular meeting places. Around 1700, the English started adding milk, so making the drink less bitter.

A few useful factoids you may not know: -

* For chocolate to be lethal, a person has to consume 22lb of chocolate.

* There are no allergies caused by chocolates.

* Eating a chocolate before a meal will take the appetite away hence, it helps to keep a balance diet.

* Chocolate releases the hormone, serotonin, which makes a person feel relaxed, calm, and happy.

* Unlike the common belief, chocolate is not high in caffeine as ten chocolate bars would equate to only one cup of coffee.

* The reason why chocolate is good for humans is that cacao beans contain theobromine that helps to enlarge blood vessels, which then treats high blood pressure.

* Normally, the shelf life of a bar of chocolate is a year, but it can be put in a freezer to be kept indefinitely.

* Dark chocolate has more antioxidants than green tea, and just as many as blueberries.

* Allowing chocolate to melt in your mouth produces the same or even stronger reactions as passionately kissing.

As if you needed any convincing that a little chocolate is actually good for you!. I hope all you chocolate lovers out there enjoy your share of chocolate treats this Christmas, remember 9 out of 10 people like chocolate, the 10th person always lies!

Winter has finally arrived here at Chateau Perroterie, strong winds and rain, its time for big roaring fires, and hearty salads…….. yes you read right, salad, it’s fast approaching the period of excess, rich foods, and copious amounts of alcohol. So John & I have decided we would move into cruise control and eat large salads till the festival season arrives.

Tonight the salad I created was a bowl of baby gems & Mache leaves, salmon cooked in butter and olive oil, then flaked, sliced cooked new potatoes, slithers of Serrano ham, sliced green olives, julienne carrots, the dressing was a blend of mayonnaise, crème fraiche or natural yoghurt, sugar, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, capers, thinned down with olive oil. I whizzed it all in a blender, but you can use a clean jam jar, taste and add seasonings if necessary. The dressing will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. Serve with crusty bread, and a glass of chilled white Sauvignon blanc, www.domainedelaulan.com . Yes just a simple salad!!!!!!

We were invited to our English neighbour’s vineyard for supper last night. Jacky & Iain Chater started up in business nearly 9 years ago, with no previous experience in the wine business, let alone the cultivation & production of wine. Jacky & Iain come from an IT background and are passionate about French wines. They now produce award winning wines, and recently they received their organic certification. They deliver all over the world and are rapidly becoming a serious “Tour de force”   

Our clients love visiting their vineyard; you are treated to a really interesting tour and of course, some great tastings at the end. View their website -

http://www.domainechater.com/vineyard.htm

Jacky made an amazing mushroom soup, followed by a rich Coq au Vin, a beautiful cheeseboard and finally a sweet mince Filo parcel with a yummy nutty ice cream. Sadly I forgot my camera so no lovely pictures, not that Jacky would’ve let me take any photos anyway!!.

New starts

Chateau Perroterie

John and I have finally had time to focus on our business Blog-spot. We want our Blog to be interesting, helpful, and fun. The Blog will focus on our home/business, what's great about France and especially our area of France. We are both passionate about food, drink, the whole "terroir" thing.

We have just returned from a visit to Carcassonne in the Languedoc region. The beautiful medieval city is of course full of history and a real honey pot  for tourists, this didn't bother us, or the crazy tourist prices! The cuisine is legendary especially the Cassoulet, this is where we took issue. The restaurant menus were unimaginative very similar, expensive, and woefully poor in the taste department.  So marks out of 10 - historical atmosphere 10/10, overpriced gifts 7/10, cuisine 2/10, local wines 8/10, friendliness 6/10 would we recommend a visit, yes but only a 1 night stay.

Carcassonne

On our return to Duras in Lot & Garonne, we were reassured that our region is far more beautiful, friendlier, cheaper, great value cuisine, our Cotes de Duras wines are delicious. So we unashamedly boast that we live in a great part of France, and it is our mission to promote our area's many qualities as honestly as we can, and yes we are biased!

Aux Fontaines

Must tell you about our lovely meal last night. Some clients very kindly took us to a restaurant which John & I have wanted to try out for ages. The Restaurant is called Aux Fontaines & is situated in La Reole.  http://www.restaurant-aux-fontaines.com/plan-restaurant.html It is a beautiful old town house the entire front has been converted into 2 dinning rooms. which takes about 50 covers. I have posted the restaurants link so you can see the whole menu. I had a stunning aubergine caviar which can be a bit boring but the addition of spice & refreshing lime with fresh crab & prawns mixed through, topped with rocket leaves, and there you have a very nice starter. The main was a supreme of Guinea fowl, slightly gamey taste, with braised red cabbage rosti & saute buttered vegetables. The dessert was a chocolate & fig delight, very very rich but at this point your at the point of no return. A very big thank you to Laraine & Robert.

There's something about the weekend, its a time to catch your breath after a busy week, time to chill out. I thought it would be fun to make a few wishes as I slowly woke up on a grey wet morning. 1. A lie in bed with a cup of tea, 2. A lovely cooked breakfast, 3. Sitting by a roaring fire reading a good book, 4. A glass of wine watching a movie. 5. A Chicken & chorizo risotto, followed by a piece of sticky chocolate brownie. Now I can report that all of my wishes were granted, what a great day.

CHICKEN & CHORIZO RISOTTO

Melt 100g butter in a non stick frying pan, add a finely chopped shallot & 1 clove of garlic, sauté till golden, add 150g Arborio risotto rice stir till coated in the butter, let the rice slightly burst (2 mins) to allow the fluids to be absorbed & the starch from the rice is released. Add a good glug of either white wine or in my case some vermouth, wait till its absorbed. Have a pan with 750ml of chicken stock ready, add a ladle of stock to the pan, stir & let it be absorbed before adding the next ladle full, it may not need all the stock or it may need a little extra stock, its always different. Mean while fry 2 chicken breasts cubed, & some sliced chorizo. When the risotto is almost ready add the chicken & chorizo, stir in some chopped parsley. 
Enjoy your weekend make lots of wishes - Angel Blogger

Really busy at the moment getting our property winterized, so a speedy easy supper needed. A quick look in my fridge where I found 2 chicken breasts, some jambon sec,  jar of cranberry sauce, & a piece of blue cheese. Here's what I have done.

Between 2 pieces of greaseproof paper place a chicken breast then let all your stress of the day out by hammering the meat (tenderising more chefy term) till its flat & twice its size. Spread a good spoonful of cranberry sauce onto the chicken followed by some crumbled cheese. Gently roll the breast forming a parcel shape, then lay out a couple of stripes of dried ham, place the chicken parcel on the edge & again roll till the breast is encircled in the ham, place in a roasting tin, then drizzle over some olive oil & salt & pepper. Cook in a moderate hot oven 400f, for 20-25 minutes, leaving enough time to have a soak in the bath with a chilled glass of Rose wine. Very satisfying end to a very satisfying day. Hope you too enjoy this sometime.

Love Angel Blogger.

Canasta card night

Well autumn is finally here & Brrh is it cold. With the cold evenings comes the ritual of beautiful log fires & cosy comfort food. Our good friend Jayne has invited us to an evening of cards or Canasta to be precise. I offered to supply supper & I decided it was time to drag out my autumn winter recipe book, this is a version of Delia Smith's Shepherd's Pie, I say version as I have tweaked it over the years.
2 Onions diced
2 Carrots diced
2 little white turnips
chopped fresh thyme & fresh parsley
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 Tsp cinnamon
280ml chicken stock
1Tbsp tomato paste
250g minced beef
250g minced pork
Salt & pepper
2 sliced leeks
Handful grated cheese.
Sauté onions in olive oil (5 mins) add carrots, turnips for a further 5 mins. Remove the vegetables, brown the pork & beef add the veggies, season, add cinnamon & herbs, the flour which will absorb any liquid left in the pan. Add tomato to the stock, add to the pan, bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, cover & cook for 30 minutes or place in a warm oven 300F 1 hour. Mean while boil a pan of potatoes I like half potatoes half celeriac easier to digest. Mash them with lots of butter leave to cool. Heat a medium frying pan with butter add the sliced leeks & cook till golden, set aside. When the meat base is ready spoon into a casserole dish which will take it all, then top with the mash, then layer over the buttery leeks, & finally a scattering of cheese. Place in a moderate oven 350f till cheese is melted & the whole dish is hot through. 

A further variation for vegetarians, omit meats & fry some cubed aubergine add to the other vegetables, you could also add a tin of chopped tomatoes or cooked lentils, substitute the stock for vegetable & follow the recipe as above.

Birthdays are to be celebrated, and yesterday I was lucky enough to be thoroughly spoilt. We stayed at one of my favourite hotels www.chateaudesanse.com near to St Emilion. We know the restaurant manager Jennie who is a sweetheart & really looked after us. We dined in the restaurant I choose the Maigret de Canard (duck breast) which was just to die for, with a lovely ginger & lime sauce, washed down with a local Bordeaux red wine which is exclusive to the hotel purchased from a nearby vineyard Juillac. To follow a chocolate fondant with amaretto ice cream. I am one very happy girl.

On days when I am really busy & time is against me, & I need a quick fix lunch I throw together a Pizza.A quick look in the fridge & I found salami, mozzarella, red pepper, tomatoes, anchovies, & parmesan cheese. A casual assembly of these ingredients on a ready made Pizza base, then place in a  moderate oven about 350 F cook for 20-25 minutes.It was a very yummy combination, the down side was I realized my fridges needed sorting out & 2 hours later 3 sparkling clean fridge freezers.

Its the most beautiful autumn morning the sun is continue to shine here at Chateau Perroterie, it makes me wonder if this Indian summer is ever going to end. Just in case we do have a sudden dip in temperature I am cultivating my delicate herbs, just a touch of ground frost & they are finished. All my herbs are in the ground as they grow so much better & of course I need a huge quantity, if your's are in pots great, just keep a watch & if frost is forecast bring them in doors. All I do is cut the herb to near the ground pull the leaves off if the stems are a bit tough otherwise include them, throw a large bunch into a food processor chop till fine then trickle some olive oil (not the good stuff) until it forms a paste. I line a baking tray with parchment paper & place a heaped teaspoon onto the paper, usually a spoonful is the equivalent of a stock cube measure. Then I pop the tray into the freezer for a few hours. I use Zip bags, label them, then I have a few weeks supple of frozen herbs. The good news is they are as flavoursome as if you had just picked it from the garden. I also did Tarragon, Parsley & Basil. Now my freezer is an exotic space full of tasty seasoning for the winter months. A tip I always add the frozen nugget straight into the pan or casserole no need to defrost because it does that pretty quickly on its own especially when you add it to a hot liquid. A golden rule with adding seasoning's whether they are fresh, frozen or dry, TASTE BEFORE YOU ADD ANY FORM OF FLAVOURING. You can adjust the flavour gradually but if you add too much its very difficult to correct. I hope you enjoy your frozen herbs if you choose to do the above. Love Angel Blogger.

Romesco Sauce

Angel Blogger

In August we were very busy catering for a lovely Dutch Yoga group. I made a refreshing Spanish salad with roasted peppers which I then stuffed. They sat proudly on a mound of lettuce leaves which I decorated with herb croutons, toasted almond. The Romesco sauce was drizzled over the leaves & the peppers had a silky garlic cream sauce, & a shaving of Parmesan cheese to top it all off.

Really yummy if I don't say so myself. It was a balmy evening so they ate on the west facing terrace, watching the sun set, can't ask for more really. I thought I 'd share the Romesco sauce recipe as it is so handy. I use it on vegetarian dishes like the above, but it is equally great on fish pork or chicken. Hope you like it, always good to hear your comments.

Serves 4

Handful of ideally fresh garden tomatoes, I used our cherry toms. Wash them throw them into a roasting tin, add a sliced red onion, garlic clove, small red chilli, good gringing of salt & pepper, glug of olive oil, then into a hot oven for 20 minutes. Let them cool, then simply puree in either a blender or food processor, press through a chinese sieve then freeze or use immediately for the sauce. Whisk in 1-2 tbsp sherry vinegar depending on taste, a couple of Tbsp olive oil, anchovy paste to taste or omit if vegetarian. There you have it really gorgeous tomato sauce perfect for almost any occasion.

Sunday game of Canasta

Angel Blogger reporting.

Today is the start of a big French weekend, the last of the summer holidays. Traditionally its a long weekend visiting friends & family & lots of eating & drinking. The annual summer holidays come to an end next week.

The weather today was supposed to be a very hot 31 c & full sun, however nature decided to change its mind at the last moment. Thunder, rain sticky humid heat but not an outdoor day. Some of my wonderful friends spontaneously arranged a lunch & Canasta, we all as always chipped in. I rummaged in the fridge & made some puff pastry & goat cheese tartlets. We had a fab duck curry with quite a kick to it. Meringues & fresh fruit, & lots of wine which everyone brought along. I sadly did not win at Canasta but thoroughly enjoyed a fun afternoon with good friends.

Goats cheese tartlets.

ready made puff pastry mine was a circle piece, I cut out 12 discs & with an oiled tart tin lined the pastry in place. Prick each pastry case with a fork, then pop into a moderate oven for 10 minutes, remove the tin & then push down the centre to make a hollow, I previously had gently sautéed a red onion after 10 minutes add a sprinkle of brown sugar & a dash of balsamic vinegar, this will caramelize in about 10 minutes, cool. Mash about 60g of goats cheese add a dash of cream & a small beaten egg, this will be mixed till blended. Add a spoon of onions into the tartlets then a spoonful of goat cream, a sprig of thyme on top. Pop into the moderate oven for 7-10 minutes.

Duras night market

Angel Blogger

I love our evening markets in July & August, its a time to meet with friends & enjoy some lovely food & wine. Each town host's their night market & there is lots of competition between between.

We went to Duras with friends, it was a beautiful balmy night. We decided to eat & drink at Molhiere's, a business run by 2 the brothers Blancheton. Patrick is the vine grower & makes some fantastic wines, one of their white wines is the house wine for the famous French restaurant La Gavrouche in London a Michelin star establishment. We happily can buy it for a fraction of the cost.

François the elder brother runs a very classy little shop & bar in Duras, he is the salesman. His wife Yannick is a beautiful cook, & she was cooking outside the shop on her Plancha. amazing giant Gambas cooked in whisky & cream. You may be a little surprised to hear that she used whisky, in fact the French are passionate about their whisky, they have been close amies with Scotland for centuries. There was a great band playing popular French music & people were singing & dancing, the atmosphere was really fun.

We are looking forward to our biggest day of the year tomorrow, our local wine festival with all the top local wine producers present, a day of wine tasting & sampling lots of our local produce, all under the roof of the ancient medieval Chateau.Watch this space for pictures & news.

Concert at Chateau Perroterie

Angel Blogger here!

Our singing group who were with us this week did a little concert last night for us & some of our friends. They came on a singing holiday to learn more about music & their voice. The week is to help them have more confidence in themselves climaxing in a performance. They really sang their hearts out, some were better than others but they all were so brave to get up & sing to a group of strangers. We wish them a safe journey back to the UK & thank them for bringing music & song to our space here in France.

Restoration of our ancient kitchen

Angel Blogger here.

My husband & I recently finished creating a stone circle for ourselves & for our guests. It was only completed 2 weeks ago & already is a great success with our friends & clients, children are particularly attracted to it. Not content with this achievement, my husband John has just started work on trying to rescue our ancient outdoor kitchen which is perilously getting ready to collapse. Parts of it are 6th century & the oven ceiling is amazing, the idea is to first prop up the old lintels, repairing the crumbling stone work around the lintels with a view of removing the roof & eventually re roofing to protect the inner parts of the building. The end of the kitchen has a small circular space which was a monk's cell, I would love to convert this into a meditation star chamber with a small fire in the centre. One day we hope to have it working as an extension to our kitchen with a pizza oven BBQ & bar for eating & drinking al fresco style. I will keep you posted as to its recovery fingers crossed it will survive. Its also the height of our season & to be starting this type of venture is probably madness, but that's very much our style. Watch this space!

Quiche Lorraine

Hi all Angel Blogger here.

Its been an intensive cooking period for me with lots of courses coming soon. The hardest part for me is getting confirmation of everyone's dietary requirements, not an easy ask, but the last thing I need is someone turning up with a peculiar diet or allergy. Here in France it is very difficult to get vegetarian alternatives, & as for Vegan well that is really tricky. I have slowly developed a great vegetarian collection of recipes tried & tested, even slowly getting my head around gluten free recipes. When I am in full culinary flight I even dream about cooking, in fact a lot of my best ideas come when I am asleep!

Today is a Quiche Lorraine event & is a real French favourite, with my guests. I hope you like this old favourite too.

Serves 6

250g Packet of good quality shortcrust pastry, unroll immediately from the fridge & line a large loose bottom flan tin. Cover with greaseproof paper, I don't bother weighting it down with rice, dried beans etc. Pop into a moderate oven 350, about 20 minutes then remove paper & bake another 5 minutes. Sprinkle 200g grated cheese of choice over the base, then top with 2 sliced tomatoes, a grinding of black pepper, then sprinkle200g of bacon lardons (which you have previously cooked) on top, if vegetarian leave out. whisk 6 eggs in a bowl, then in a jug measure 1/4 litre cream & 1/4 litre milk, add to the eggs, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, pour over the quiche, place back into the oven about 25-30 minutes till set. This quiche freezes well & is great for picnics or serve warm for a quick easy lunch with salad on the side. Bon Appetite!

Pavlova

Friends of ours who live in the grounds of Duras Chateau very kindly hosted a big charity lunch yesterday, my contribution was a raspberry Pavlova. The day raised hundred of Euros & the weather was perfect. There was over 130 guests attending & a fantastic jazz band.

I wanted to share a few tips on how to make the perfect Pavlova. I am lucky enough to have a Aga cooker which makes fabulous meringues, however any oven will do the job almost as well.

Serves 8

I use room temperature eggs separate the whites & save the yolks ( use for lemon curd or creme brulee). Place 6 egg whites into a scrupulously clean bowl ( I use my Kenwood mixer for speed) add 2 Tbsp of caster sugar per egg white, here I used 12 Tbsp. Mix on a medium speed till the whites become stiff meringue & you can turn upside down & it won't move. Spoon onto a baking sheet lined with Parchment paper or a silicon liner shape into a round, hollow the centre a little. Place in your oven on the lowest setting you can, leave for 3 hours till it is completely dry. You can switch the oven off & leave in the oven overnight. When the Pavlova is cool top with double cream & fruit of choice, decorate with mint leaves.

The perfect summer starter

Today we were once again entertaining clients over lunch. A lovely Irish couple who have booked a Yoga week next June.

They had travelled from Near Biarritz so were really hungry. We had aperitifs & nibbles to start as is the French custom. Then a beautifully refreshing starter a Watermelon & crab tian. Followed by pan fried fillets of red mullet sitting on a bed of sautéed leeks, onions & fennel. Followed by Eton mess. Today I am sharing the recipe for the starter we enjoyed.

You ideally need a cook's ring, pack in thinly sliced watermelon 2 layers, then in a bowl mix 2 prepared crabs white & brown, you can substitute fresh for faux crab if you like. Mix in a little mayonnaise enough to bind the crab, add curry paste to taste, a dash of lemon juice. Pack the crab on top of the watermelon. Place in the fridge for a few hours ideal for dinner party all the work is done in advance. When you are ready press down gently & slip the ring off, decorate with cucumber & a prawn. I make some coriander oil & add to some mayonnaise & a pinch of cayenne pepper this wants to be a decorative drizzle on the plate, yummy. I know you will love this dish, all comments really welcome. Love Angel Blogger. Serves 4.

Fetes Des Madeleine

My local town Duras is a really pretty little Medieval town. Every year at his time we celebrate a 3 day festival with night markets selling lovely local delicacies, there is lots of singing & dancing, of course the mandatory fireworks, its an excuse for the locals to have fun & let their hair down, it also commemorates the feast of Mary Magdalene on 22nd July. Mary Magdalene is a very important person in France, probably more so than any other country in the world. Poor old Mary has had a lot of bad press from the Catholic church in the past, she was portrayed as a prostitute, but this has subsequently been clarified & her importance is being rewritten. There are all kinds of legends & stories which have come to light in recent years, it has been suggested she may have been the wife of Jesus & that she fled to France with their children after the crucifixion. Thanks to the very popular Dan Brown novels, he inferred that she is buried under the Pyramid in the Louvre Museum. They also say that there are more statues of Mary Magdalene in France than Mother Mary. This area of France is alive with stories of her & The Knights Templar, hidden buried treasures, magical meridian Ley lines (energy lines in the earth) which connect important buildings & churches all over France, with secret esoteric messages waiting to be deciphered.

As this is a very busy time work wise for me I don't usually have the time to join in the festivities, but this morning I slipped down for breakfast with friends, something I love to do every Monday which is our weekly market. This morning it was particularly busy despite the gloomy weather. Our local boulangerie had a special table set up outside, with lots of yummy pastries & breads all available to taste free of charge. I just love the friendliness & the innocence which is still very alive here in my part of France. They certainly know how to enjoy themselves. Love to you all Angel Blogger.

Garlic prawn starter

We are still in holiday mode here in sunny France. Yesterday was the famous Bastille Day & is celebrated all over France ending with spectacular firework displays. We went to Duras last night, it was the summer evening market with lots of food stalls & long communal tables where you eat & drink with friends & holiday makers.

Today we were lunching at our neighbours Chris & Natalie's & some family friends. Chris made a delicious garlic prawn starter. He heats some olive oil, garlic, a shallot, little chilli, heat through add prawns Coriander & a squeeze of lemon. Decorate a plate with pretty salad leaves, spoon the prawns onto the lettuce & pour over the pan juices, eat straight away. Angel Blogger x

Chicken pesto pasta

We have had a group of 20 young people staying here at Chateau Perroterie this week. They left earlier today relaxed happy after a fun stay.

Its always a busy day when we have people leaving. So I like to cook something simple & quick for supper. Tonight I tried an experiment & we really liked the end result. Please let me know what you think!

Slice 2 chicken breasts into thin slithers, sprinkle over salt & pepper. I have a vegetable cutter which makes pasta, I made courgette pasta from 1 large courgette. Heat some olive oil into a frying pan & sauté the chicken pieces sprinkle over 2 chopped garlic & mix in. Meanwhile cook some Tagliatelle pasta (I freeze pasta slightly under cooked & simply pop it into the boiling water, when it returns to the boil switch off) drain reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta stock. Mix the courgette into the pasta stir in the pasta water. In a small saucepan spoon 4 tsps of pesto sauce warm through then add 1 large tbsp creme fraiche stirring till it is a smooth sauce. Season the pastas, add 1/2 the pesto sauce serve in a bowl place the chicken on top & drizzle over the rest of the sauce, scatter some basil leaves over eh Viola!

Serves 2

Courgette garlic brie soup

I love this soup recipe & as my friend Natalie was coming for lunch today this is what I decided to make to kick off the meal.

Cut up a large onion 4 cloves of garlic, in a large pan warm some olive oil, add the onion & garlic gently sauté for a few minutes till golden. Add 4-5 large courgettes sliced a glass of white wine cook for 5 minutes add a litre of vegetable stock salt & pepper, bring gently to the boil reduce & simmer for 30 minutes. Blend the soup & allow to cool unless you want to eat it straight away.

At this stage allowing the soup to rest for a few hours or overnight will only improve the flavour, you can freeze the soup at this stage.

Reheat the soup slowly, crumble in 150g of Brie or any other soft or blue cheese. When the cheese has melted into the soup add a generous splash of cream. Serve & scatter on croutons.

Serves a generous 4

Enjoy love Angel Blogger x

Summer starter

Gosh can't believe it has been a week since my last Blog, its been a very busy exciting time. Now its time to take a breathe & relax for a few days.

Last night we did a 21st Birthday dinner party for 20. It was a beautiful evening & we set the table outside on the terrace. The sunset was just amazing & the dinner went really well.

The starter was a beautiful smoked salmon remoulade, filled with goats cheese & cream cheese. A very pretty dish & with a little preparation it can be done the day before. On the night it is a very simple case of setting on the plate quickly, perfect for a dinner party.

Lay a double layer of cling film on worktop. Lay 4 slices of smoked salmon overlapping. In a bowl mix 75g goat's cheese & 50g cream cheese, I use Boursin with garlic & herbs. chop a Tbsp of gherkins & 1 Tsp capers, add to the creamed cheese. spread along the centre of the salmon. Take edge of cling film & carefully roll up the salmon & then twist ends to tighten the whole roll. Put into the fridge for 24 hours. I like to use an oblong plate decorate the edges with scattered rocket leaves, cut the salmon roll into either 9 large or 12 smaller slices, the cling film will easily come off. Place 3 on each place in centre of the plate, I like to drizzle a nutty lemon vinaigrette around or you can add thin slices of strawberries. Crack some black pepper over serve immediately.

Lots of love Angel Blogger

Angel Blogger here - I hope everyone is nicely gearing up for the weekend, Friday has a special energy no matter where you are in the world. My son Gareth & 9 friends arrived late last night, they are currently sunbathing around the pool deciding what to have for lunch, no decisions made so another cold beer seems to be the answer. My neighbour has an organic goat farm & makes the most amazing cheese. She has just arrived with a small selection of what she produces. Now we have some crusty bread, ripe tomatoes & fresh goats cheeses, that's lunch sorted. Enjoy the weekend.

Filo & feta tart

Angel Blogger here.

I made one of my favourite lunchtime dishes today. I find that Filo pastry is much easier to digest & not as heavy as shortcrust pastry. My clients love it, we have a corporate group this week from Danone, Evian & Badoit. They have travelled from all over the world to be here & I am so glad that they have found our little heaven on earth. So if you fancy a little heavenly tart try this one out.

Line a flan tin with greaseproof paper then take a sheet of filo pastry brush with olive oil & cayenne powder, repeat with another 3 sheets placing on a different angle. Then in a large bowl crack 4/5 eggs depends how big the tin is! whisk add a block of feta cheese crumbled, a handful of grated cheddar or any hard cheese, a handful of cooked frozen spinach (defrosted) a dollop of creme fraiche, a small handful of pine nuts or sunflower seed. salt & pepper, finally a glug of olive oil. Go back to the pastry & smear over some pesto pour over the egg mix - gentle roll over the overlapping edges of filo to make a pretty edge. Place in a very hot oven 220 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce to 175 degrees for about 20 minutes. the tart should looked firm & cooked. Rest for a few minutes before serving. Tastes great cold too.

Angel Blogger here!

Been another really busy day, but as promised I am Blogging a recipe I prepared today. I made a Onion & Garlic Soup this is everyone's favourite Amuse bouche which we serve at the start of dinner. Its incredibly tasty for such a simple recipe & it has very few ingredients.

Serves 20 as a demi coffee cup portion:

75g butter

2 large onion sliced

5 (yes 5) garlic finely chopped

1 Litre stock Vegetable or Chicken

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Grating of nutmeg

2 Tbsp sherry

Melt butter in a medium saucepan, add onions & garlic, sauté till golden but not brown. Then add all the other ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce & simmer for 15 minutes. Cool & liquidise. Then either freeze (improves flavour) or pop in the fridge till ready. Reheat add a dash of cream if you wish. Serve in Amuse Bouche tureens or small coffee cups, add a crouton - use teaspoons to eat. This recipe of course can be doubled or trebled to make a proper soup bowl portion. I really recommend this soup. Bon appetite!

Angel Blogger here.

Very busy couple of days. My sister in law & her partner left on Wednesday & its been a mad scramble to get everything in place for our Corporate retreat. Danone & Evian are coming to brainstorm, they are travelling from all over the world, this is quite a feather in our cap & really looking forward to the challenge. I hope to have the time to show you some of the yummy dishes we are serving during their stay. No time to cook today my lovely hubby made a lovely Cheddar & tomato sandwich on wholemeal. I was so hungry I ate it before I thought to take a photo! Sorry!

Tomorrow I promise to have a lovely picture & a recipe. Sweet dreams to all my FB friends.

Yesterday we had an amazing day with some members of our family.

We started with a trip to Duras for Cafe cremes & pastries in Regine's. Then a wander through the market tasting lovely cheeses & sauccisons.

Then we drove to Chateau de Sanse for a beautiful 3 course lunch, regardez the pictures! A leisurely 3 hour lunch, love the civilised way the French take an age to eat their food.

So what to do after a lovely lunch. Ah some shopping, groans from the men but we women won. Off to St Emilion a beautiful medieval town, they say its the most famous wine region in the world. So a bit of wine tasting with our friend Benoit, he has this private wine tasting room & because we have known him for 5 years he always spoils us with his kindness & generosity.

My sister in law & I bought some beautiful jewellery ( Girls this really was a great day). After a steep walk to the top of the Town, then of course its all downhill. At the bottom is the lovely restaurant The Medieval, we had chilled beers in the late afternoon sunshine.

Then home to open a Double Magnum bottle of red wine on the front terrace watching the sunset. Just a great day, good food, good wine, good company, what else could we wish for?

Roast pepper salad

Enjoying a great weekend with some family from the UK. We have really enjoyed a chilax Sunday lots of catch up chatter, lovely nibbles, icy beers, buffet style dinner which we are slowly wadding our way through. The popular dish tonight is definitely my Italian grandmother's roast pepper dish. The flavours are so much more intense in summer when the peppers have been kissed by the sun. This dish ideally needs to be prepared in the morning & left to marinate for 5 - 6 hours. You need lots of lovely crusty bread to soak up the amazing juices. Enjoy.

Serves 6

4 medium peppers red & green, cut in half length wise, remove seeds. Place on a roasting tray sprinkle over some olive oil. Roast in a very hot oven for about 30 minutes till blistered & charred. Take out immediately & place in a big bowl & cling film immediately. After 20 minutes peel off the skin, cut in long slithers Add 2 chopped garlic cloves, salt pepper & olive oil. cover & chill till your ready. Love Angel Blogger x