Here’s a little love for the little parcels that make us happy. Ravioli are like the Sound of Music’s brown paper packages all tied up with string – some of our favourite things. And if you like my little food…
Salad With Warm Bacon Dressing and Nuts
Crispy fresh greens really don’t need much. But if you want a little depth of flavour boost, try this salad with warm bacon dressing and nuts. The warm dressing also slightly wilts the greens, which makes for interesting texture. The…
Thai Green Curry
I began this website to collect together all my favourite recipes for my daughter, even if those recipes aren’t mine! RecipeTin Eats has the best recipe I’ve found for making Thai green curry, using a quality store-bought curry paste. An…
Master of the House – A Poem
Victor Hugo’s “Les Misérables” was published in 1862. The Siege of Paris occurred from 1870 – 1871. This painting is dated 1875. Les Misérables the musical premiered in 1980 in Paris. I had a little fun trying put them all…
Watermelon 1597 – A Poem
The original phrases in the poem here date back to 1597 and John Gerard’s The Herball or, Generall historie of plantes. The Herball was revised in a later publication of 1633 which is my main source document. You can see…
In Service to Chocolate – A Poem
French King Louis Philippe I (1773–1850) commissioned this ornate service for his Queen Marie-Amélie (1782–1866). It was manufactured in 1836, six years after the Second French (July) Revolution (when Charles X was ousted, and Louis Philippe was proclaimed king). And…
Sweetmeats – A Poem
In earlier centuries, “sweetmeats” was a broad term encompassing a variety of sweets including cakes, puddings, candied fruit and seeds, and preserves. Samuel Pepys, in his 17th century diary, spent a nice amount of time visiting people and eating their…
Self-Taught Artist – A Poem
For women, professional art school was out of the reach until relatively recently. Painting and drawing, however, were considered basic accomplishments for the well-bred Victorian lady. If you had the money you took lessons or engaged a teacher. For a…
Cézanne’s Model – A Poem
My inspiration for this poem came from The Met description of Dish of Apples. The Met pointed out that the napkin in this painting is shaped like Mont Sante-Victorie near Aix-en-Provence in southern France. Cézanne’s father had a house in…
Blackberries – A Poem
The internet is divided on the name of the painter here. The National Gallery of Art and Christie’s call him “Carducius”, but he is referred to as “Cadurcis” here, and by the Illinois Historical Art Project. Wikipedia uses both, as…
Homestead by the Sea – A Poem
Jean-Charles Cazin (1841-1901) was a major figure in French landscape painting. I was drawn to Homestead by the Sea not just because of the peachy, dreamy atmosphere, but because it was like a story – a glimpse into this other…
Easy Baguettes
Life changer. That’s what this recipe is. And this is from someone who’d never made bread before and thought it too difficult. Mr Baguette’s 5-minute baguette was recommended to me over on Bluesky as being one of the easiest bread-making…
