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The best marmalade recipe from Mamé Clairette

Those who love marmalade consider it the queen of jams, thanks to its delicate balance of sweet and bitter…
Galettes de Roi
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Galette des rois:
who is the king in Nice?

In France, seasonal indulgences continue with the galette des rois, the epiphany cake that dominates pastry shop displays all month long even though it's traditionally associated with January 6th, the Epiphany.
Cartems Mexican Moles
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Vancouver: Artisan donuts

After centuries of making fun of our cuisine, the French have suddenly embraced all things Anglo with a passion. In Paris it seems that everywhere you turn someone is dressing up hot dogs or piling gourmet ingredients onto burgers.

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Lemon soufflé cake

It will be two more months before I can bite into a juicy French gariguette or ciflorette berry that signals the real beginning of red fruit season. In the meantime, thankfully, there is citrus fruit: vivid lemons, the last of the local clementines, bergamot, bitter oranges for marmalade, and - just occasionally - the deeper orangey-yellow Meyer lemon.

Yoghurt Cake
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Uplifting yoghurt cake with bergamot and pear

I am aware that I have neglected this blog for a long time, and without making any reckless promises I would like to remedy that this year. I am going to start with a baby step: a short post about a simple cake that may change your life. 

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Making yogurt at home

If I had to compile a list of things I might potentially need for the house, "another kitchen appliance" would definitely not be on it.

Mirabelles
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Time for mirabelles

Mirabelles, like their cousin the quetsch (known as damson in English), are a specialty of the Alsace-Lorraine region. It's thought that René of Anjou discovered them during the Crusades of the 15th century…
Les Cevennes
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Les Cévennes

Staying in a chambre d'hôtes with breakfast and dinner included would be a new way for us to spend a summer holiday, but the more I thought about it the more I liked the idea of leaving the cooking to someone else - especially when that someone seemed to love food as much as I do.

Chocolate mousse with fleur de sel
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Chocolate mousse with fleur de sel

A recipe for chocolate mousse with fleur de sel in an old issue of Régal magazine reminded me of the remarkable way that salt can accentuate the character of good chocolate. It also made me wonder why it had been so long since I last made chocolate mousse.

Strawberry cake
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A strawberry and cream birthday cake

Never answer the phone when you're cooking. This rule can save a lot of heartache, such as the sight of Sam's comically deflated birthday cake a few minutes after I pulled it out of the oven.