Marjorie Taylor from The Cook’s Atelier has cooked up a delicious storm in the (blog)house kitchen this past month. Today in the kitchen you’ll find her last recipe -a classic apple tart – which completes her autumn menu & her stay here. What a treat it’s been to have Marjorie here this month. I hope you’ve all enjoyed her recipes and incredible photographs. Here for easy reference is her complete autumn menu:

roasted cream of cauliflower soup
rôti de veau
winter market salad
apple tart & pâte sucrée

You can keep in touch with Marjorie by following her blog, and she also has lots of great pics on flickr.  For now though,  please join me in saying a big merci beaucoup to Marjorie for being here. Merci Marjorie! Please come back again, you’re welcome anytime. x

Related Posts :

a new guest cook in the (blog)house...

Marjorie Taylor's apple tart...

Marjorie Taylor's roasted cream of cauliflower...

Marjorie Taylor’s Rôti de veau …

Marjorie Taylor's Winter market salad...

sweet treasures #10: a little plate...

These past couple of months I’ve been in retreat again, while working toward another deadline for the production of the book – this basically means no weekends or nights out but lots of wonderful “nights in”.  So, it’s now become part of the routine that every few days or so french boy finds us a french movie to watch at home.  Since I know lots of you like the same things as me, I thought you’d appreciate knowing my 3 favourites from the collection thus far. They really are ‘sweet treasures’, in every way.  And I won’t tell you what they are about because I didn’t know until I watched them  – instead, just an image from each film. That, plus while writing this post I asked french boy to email me the french names of the movies, and with that he included his very brief description of each in English to jog my memory – they made me laugh, so I’ve included them here for you too. Enjoy…

sweet treasure #7:

Les enfants du marais. (the swamp story)

sweet treasure #8:

Les choristes (the choir story)

sweet treasure #9:

Une hirondelle a fait le printemps (the girl from Paris gone farmer)

xx

PS Michel Serrault & Gérard Jugnot have since become two of my favourite french actors.

Related Posts :

music I am inspired by right now...

sweet treasures #10: a little plate...

fiction: rock music to my ears...

a foodie-inspired countdown

the quintessential amsterdam summer...

sweet treasures # 11: two swan feathers...

Today and for the month of October,  I’m delighted to welcome a very special guest cook to the (blog)house. But before I introduce you, I want to say a big thank you to Yvette for holding up the fort for so long! She was so self-sufficient -  baking up irish tea brack when the mood & weather struck, serving up rhubarb compote, and sharing some Dutch Fare with us all among so many other delicious recipes over the course of the last few months – beside taking full advantage of her enthusiasm to cook for others, I got very used to her company. Alas, we must say au revoir to my dear friend Yvette for now, and let her enjoy the fruits of her labor with her new cookbook, home made.  Merci Yvette,  for being such a generous, wonderful, fun guest. Until next time!

…………………………………………

But with this au revoir comes a warm and heartfelt bonjour! to our new (blog)house kitchen guest.  Would you like to meet her? Not only is this special guest a very talented cook, inspired by markets and small artisan producers, but she also runs cooking classes and market tours, hosts wonderful evenings called “dinner with the cook”, and is committed to living a sustainable life.  When she moved to Burgundy in France, she ditched her car and as she says so eloquently  “took to the proverbial “French bike” adorned with a basket of market produce and flowers as my preferred choice for transportation.”

Please join me in giving a very warm welcome to Marjorie Taylor, the cook herself from one my of favourite places, The Cook’s Atelier…

Marjorie has prepared a fabulous Autumn menu, just for us here in the (blog)house, each accompanied by beautiful photographs she has taken herself. And during the month of October she will be sharing a recipe or two from the menu each week, starting this week with the entrée. There will be 5 recipes altogether. Marjorie notes,

“this menu is the perfect example of an autumn menu for dinner with the cook, or the type of menu that we would prepare for a market tour and cooking class.  Everything is made from scratch and guests enjoy a convivial dinner at a long, zinc topped French farm table.  Dinner with the cook is like a supper club, only guests help prepare the menu for the evening. ”

How utterly marvelous. Thank you dear Marjorie for taking the time to share these amazing recipes with us, and to give us all a delicious taste of what dinner is like chez vous.

Mes amis, I hope Marjorie’s October-long stay in the (blog)house kitchen will inspire you in your own kitchens. Perhaps her stay will also inspire you to enjoy a weekend in burgundy, dining at The Cook’s Atelier table. Perhaps we could go together.

……………………………………………………

Click here to view Marjorie’s first recipe, Roasted Cream of Cauliflower Soup.

All images in this post are by photographer Jen Altman.

Related Posts :

many thanks to the cook's atelier...

Marjorie Taylor's roasted cream of cauliflower...

sweet treasures #10: a little plate...

Marjorie Taylor’s Rôti de veau …

Monsieur Vossot’s filet de canard

Spring Menu + Styling Tips

The world of zines is quite new to me. Sure, I’d heard the term floating around the blogosphere but I never really began grasping the concept until I read about the MCA zine fair via Ebony and Lee Tran Lam, two über creative Sydney-siders (although Ebony has just moved to Tokyo, I can’t wait for her Tokyo blog posts!) who never fail to produce beautiful zines. A few months ago, Lee Tran asked if I would mind contributing to her latest zine and the other day, I received her zine masterpiece. It happened to be a lovely sunny day so I made myself a cup of tea and took her zine out on the front deck of the boat, quietly reading each page…

I’m hear to tell you it is an absolute treat – a piece of art in itself. There are fabulous intimate interviews from French folk and French enthusiasts interspersed by Lee Tran’s personal French experiences as well as clever quotes & beautiful images, illustrations and sticky notes. The amount of work that Lee Tran has put in to producing these handmade zines is evident with each turn of each page. So absorbed I was by the details and conversations that by the time I got to my interview I had completely forgotten about my contribution. What an honour it feels to be a part of it…

Lee Tran sold out of her zines at the recent MCA zine fair but has been busy making another batch for those interested so I highly recommend you get your hands on a copy now before she sells out again. They are only AUS$10 each with shipping (so probably about AUS$15 in total to ship overseas) and you can buy them directly from Lee Tran by emailing her here.

Thank you Lee Tran for thinking of me for this special issue, I’m absolutely wrapped to be featured and I wish you all the best with your upcoming creative endeavours. Also, I can’t wait for our next breakfast date!

Related Posts :

sydney breakfast: baffi & mo...

sydney boutique love: newspaper taxi

Amsterdam: Made by Hand in Vogue Living...

thank you: home beautiful...

thank you: town & country...

a pretty place to take rest...

So where were we, oh yes, in the val d’amour, nestled up against the jura mountains in the east of France. It’s a beautiful area, no doubt. And on the last morning there I managed to sneak out of the house alone in the early-ish hours and take a walk through the fields and along  la loue. I imagined French Boy as a boy (even though I call him French Boy he is now, I assure you, a man), running through the fields and throwing pebbles into the bubbling river. Oh to be a child growing up in this magical place! No wonder he is always smiling from the inside out, the nature of this land must dwell deep.

Walking through nature seems like such a gift. It is forever changing, forever evolving – to be a part of it in each precise moment feels sacred and inspiring. I crave it daily and when I do get the chance to be part of it wholly I am quiet. Just listening, just being, and soaking it all in. On this particular morning walking by la loue, the sun was shining bright and even though the air was crisp the sun warmed my face quickly. I could see glimpses of the river through the shoreline trees and I could hear it loud and clear but I couldn’t quite see any way of getting down to it’s pebbly shore.

Until finally I saw a gap in the rocky hill and a slightly precarious but not too difficult makeshift pathway. With lenses and camera hanging lose around my neck I didn’t even hesitate. Down I went, making my way to the clearing and sat myself on the pebbles, the water lapping only centimeters away from me. Bliss.

I sat there for as long as I could, which was only about 10 minutes unfortunately, but oh, those 10 minutes were so lovely. I lay in the sun, feeling the river breeze on my skin and the cold hard pebbles underneath my body. The water was absolutely beautiful. I dipped my hands in and brushed some of the icy water against my eyelids and cheeks. I wanted to stay down there all day.

But it was time to go. So I packed up my gear, said à bientot mon amie! and went on my way. While I was walking past the farms I saw a few friendly characters  that I just had to photograph…

This guy on the left stood like that the whole time I went by him, and only moved his head so that his eyes were always in line with mine. His pose was so funny I couldn’t help but giggle…

Beautiful. After a few deep breaths I felt a little more replenished and ready to get back to our life in Amsterdam. It was a long drive home (about 10 hours) but with my traveling companion by my side, it was alot of fun. Au revoir jura, see you again sometime…

Location: Jura, France

On the menu: crêpe with reblochon, sauteed potatoes, and salad served with Brittany cider in bowls. Followed by a sweet crêpe with chocolate spread. Miam.

xx

Related Posts :

2. the scenery & food: quiet moments...

i've been struck.

a meal of memories...

Christmas mini trips: final destination

Spain. The Pyrenees - part three

Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness: the...

On our way to the Val D’Amour we spent a night in Reims – a beautiful French city in the Champagne region. Yes, champagne.  Oh what a treat it was to enjoy a glass of the bubbly stuff right at the source! I had fantasies of finding a little bed and breakfast in one of the wineries and learning more about the making of etc, but alas we didn’t arrive in the region until after 9pm and had to leave by midday the next day to be able to get to our destination on time.

I did however have just enough time to enjoy a delicious glass of Mailly. The next morning, French Boy and I wandered about the town, I knowing little about where I was or what I was seeing,  and he knowing quite alot. I always feel really lucky to be wandering around this fabulous country with him, he is not only like a private tour guide but he has personal memories to add to each story.

After we indulged in a breakfast of pain au chocolat, croissants, baguette with homemade jam, fresh juice and coffee (me, tea of course), we wandered toward the cathedral, having spotted the towers ahead, pointed straight to the sky. And although I am not religious – despite the fact that my last name in Dutch actually means “by the church” (so ironic!) – I do enjoy history and art, and this particular church is an incredible structure housing both amazing art and fascinating history. From the outside it reminded me of the Notre Dame in Paris. And in the inside at first well, it just reminded me of a church. But as I wandered further through the huge arched nave, and looked and listened, I realised how significant this particular place has been in the course of French history.

Would you like to know what it sounds like inside? I recorded a little soundscape for you, click the play button below to be transported inside as we gaze at the photos I took while wandering through the aisles…

This is where I stood for the longest while, looking up at those gigantic windows and watching the light flood through. Of all the stained glass windows in the cathedral, these ones made me stop in my tracks. They were so uniquely different to all the others, so modern and creative. French Boy noticed my reaction and lent in to whisper two words to me:  “Marc Chagall”. Oh I thought, no wonder I adore them, what a masterpiece.

I hope you enjoyed my quietish tour through the cathedral. Although this particular post really had nothing to do with the scenery or food of France.

xx

PS Funnily enough there  just happened to be a Canadian village set up in the Reims city square that weekend. How bizarre it was to be eating croissants in this very French town and seeing Canadian flags attached to little wooden huts selling maple syrup, cranberries, beer, salmon, soaps and wool sweaters. It was like being in Montreal, but then absolutely nothing like it. Nice touch to our weekend though!

Related Posts :

joyce in paris: part one...

2. the scenery & food: quiet moments...

name that stroll...

1. the scenery & food: traveling through...

amsterdam: restaurant de kas, c'est...

a paris weekend: part deux...

Despite what these images may suggest, it was actually an extraordinarily busy and rather stressful weekend, with not much time to relax. But I was determined to walk the land, a treat I always always do, no matter where I am in the world – its my way of connecting with the earth, a very necessary thing for me to do as often as I possibly can. So off I went, alone, into the surroundings with my camera. It was a short wander, but a beautiful one. I sat on the grass between two fields, the sky was growing grey with storm clouds, and I listened. and watched. and quietened my mind…

I came across all sorts of  lovely creatures, all were as curious about me as I was about them. And then there were the apple trees. Oh the apple trees! Chock full of delicious fruit. We were given a lovely pot of homemade apple compote that French Boy will no doubt open with pure delight this weekend.

Location:  Val D’Amour

In our basket: apple compote, homemade jam, baguettes, camembert, comté, morbier, concoillote, Mont d’Or

To drink: cremant, vin blanc et vin rouge tous du jura

Have a fabulous weekend mes chers amis. Thank you for all your comments and emails this week. I’ll be back next week with some more from our weekend in the Jura, including a late night stroll through an old old town, and a surprise soundscape (have you missed them? I have).

Right now we have some delicious cremant chilling in the fridge. I am about to make a roast pumpkin, carrot and garlic rissotto, with a little green salad to end. And then I’m thinking about a plum cobbler. And a long sleep in tomorrow before I get back to work in the afternoon.

xx

Related Posts :

a paris weekend: dernier jour...

some interior inspiration...

it's time...

inspiration: clare goddard...

boarding pass, please...

Aurélie Mathigot's home in Paris: Marie...

…is always a delight, even from the passenger seat of a rental car. I am continually mesmerised by what I see, touch, taste and feel. My senses are alight, my heart full and happy.

By the time we arrived to our destination on Saturday night, it was evening, the forest was dark and quiet, the village streets were sleeping…

Location… val d’amour

Highlights on the evening menu…

l’heure de l’apéro… champagne, gougères au fromage…
entrée… arbois blanc – cuvée béthanie,fish terrine, vegetable terrine…
dessert…champagne, choux à la crême patissière…

The … mean there was plenty, plenty, plenty in between, but these dishes were my favourite this particular night.  I drank and ate alot that evening, and woke up the next day feeling wonderful, not a hang over in sight. Oh the French, aren’t they wonderful lovers of all the good things in life…

Related Posts :

3. the scenery & food: pretty colours...

delicious.

I spent the weekend traveling through...

4. the (final) scenery & food: taking...

news in the (blog)house

amsterdam: happy one-year anniversary

…France. I ate alot.  I’m not sure what to tell you about first – the scenery, or the food…both?

Related Posts :

1. the scenery & food: traveling through...

3. the scenery & food: pretty colours...

4. the (final) scenery & food: taking...

2. the scenery & food: quiet moments...

a paris weekend: jour 3...

the flea markets of france ...

…the perfect way to start a monday morning, non? The jams were made from the fruits of French Boy’s childhood garden – cerises, abricots, and griottes. His mother made them and brought them with her on her recent visit.

This morning, while French Boy and I spooned mouthfuls onto our toast, he told me stories about his childhood garden, with trees full of cherries, plums, figs and apples. I would scarcely believe him if I hadn’t already seen the garden many times with my own eyes. It is magical to me, a world so different to my own. Like a secret garden.

I wonder if I might make a garden like this of my own one day. I dream of it often.

Related Posts :

a paris weekend: dernier jour...

author: kate morton...

The most beautiful way to start a day...

inspiration overload: alys fowler from...

on my bedside table: penguin popular...

my kitchen garden...