GAZPACHO To call gazpacho a liquid salad is unkind, but the expression does sum up the appeal of this chilled Spanish soup. Like any salad, prime ingredients – in this case, fresh ripe tomatoes, red bell pepper, and cucumber – show at their best but it takes time to peel, seed, and chop them, an
DROP SCONES One of the first recipes Grandma learned to manage on her own was drop scones, like small American pancakes but with a bite on the tongue. They are best of all served hot from the pan with a knob of butter on top and a drizzle of honey — her mother would trace
SUMMER PUDDING Without her mother, Grandma would never have made this pudding, which depends on really ripe berries and, strangely, dry white bread. The riper the berries – raspberrries, strawberries, blackberries, currants — the better. After searching her mother’s personal cookbook dating from the 1930s, Grandma finally found the recipe and it is a winner.
SAUTEED SCALLOPS WITH SPICES In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Breton port of Nantes was a center of French trade with Asia, and a taste for spices with shellfish still lingers in Brittany. Shrimps Nantaise are also a favorite of Grandma’s, allow about 2 pounds/900 g raw shrimp in the shell and peel them
CHERRY TOMATO SALAD Flavours blend wonderfully well in this simple little salad. Walnut oil adds a touch of luxury but olive oil can be used instead. To make this a more substantial course, add some cold roast chicken. Serves 4-6 as an appetizer 900 g/2 lb cherry tomatoes 60 g/2 oz walnut pieces For the
RICE PUDDING WITH CARAMEL Creamy rice pudding is called terrinée, a Normandy specialty that is baked long and slowly, sometimes overnight, in an earthenware dish so it develops a deep brownish crust. In a recent trend, farmers earn a bit extra by making dishes like this at home for the many visitors who tour the
ZUCCHINI CAVIAR Zucchini caviar is one of the traditional Russian dishes introduced to us by Simon’s wife Katya, along with a delicious soup she makes with dried porcini mushrooms, blini pancakes with jam, and pelmeni dumplings served with thick cream called smetana. This “caviar” is made with coarsely grated shreds of zucchini that are slowly
ROASTED PINEAPPLE SPUTNIK Frédéric’s roasted pineapple extravaganza, speared with vanilla beans so it looks like a sputnik, must be tasted to be believed. Serves 4 A whole medium pineapple 4 or 5 vanilla beans For the syrup: ½ cup/100 g sugar 1 cup/250 ml water 1 lemon, zest and juice 1 orange, juice 1 tablespoon
CHICKEN SATAYS WITH PEANUT SAUCE In south-east Asia, vendors are well aware it’s the sizzle and smell of outdoor snacks like these satays that make them so appealing. They are equally good made with pork fillet. The peanut sauce makes about 1½ cups/375 ml to serve 4-6 people. Serves 4-6 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
GINGER BISCUITS Grandma was raised on these cookies (in England they are called biscuits). In the lean times of World War II they were made at least once a week, perfect for dipping in a mug of milky tea at ‘elevenses’. The dough tastes just as good before cooking, so the recipe was a double