L’Art de Bien Manger

  • About Mending Things and a Fluffy Cake

    About Mending Things and a Fluffy Cake

    Oh why, don’t you worry, I know how to mend this, says my mother, when my husband’s spear headed elbows have poked yet another hole in his shirt. I’ll mend this, said my grandmother, when one of us had torn a button off our jackets. I think I’ll mend it, I say, when my favourite Read more

  • On Foraged Foods

    On Foraged Foods

    I love to forage for our food. In the garden and the surrounding woods, mushroom hunting, picking wild berries, herbs and flowers. Last year, a couple of months into our moving to the castle, I found the most glorious spot of wild asparagus. I went back several times to get us some fresh one for Read more

  • A Postcard from the Mountains

    A Postcard from the Mountains

    Recently we went to the mountains to Haute Savoie to pick up some heavy old doors to replace the 19th century pine doors in the tower. They are really lovely pine doors yet given this is a very big tower we started looking around for doors that are more in the spirit of fortresses and Read more

  • The Scent of Wild Garlic

    The Scent of Wild Garlic

    A long time ago, during what felt like a huge adventure, living my life in a city. My shoes were always neat and clean and my hair wound into a respectable chignon, no stray strands coming loose. I wore black as if in constant mourning but then it was chic, to wear black (what a Read more

  • An Easterly Cake

    An Easterly Cake

    We have been working hard over the Easter holidays in the upper tower room over what soon will become La Chambre Etoile. If all goes as planned it will be available for booking in late summer. I’m very much looking forward to the decorating bit, for now it was mainly stripping down old paint, restoring Read more

  • The Jarret de Veau, also Foraged Mushrooms

    The Jarret de Veau, also Foraged Mushrooms

    It was a particularly overcast day when I cooked that jarret de veau. A jarret de veau, that’s a veal shank. To cook it right, it takes a lot of time and love and a little finesse. I was inspired by Mimi Thorisson’s recipe for poulet cooked in crème fraîche and garlic galore, as it’s Read more