2016 - A Gourmet year

Firstly, we're wishing our readers a very Happy New Year. We hope you've enjoyed our Harry Potter themed "Wizarding December" recipes ! 

We'll get back on our usual recipes and scheduling from now on ;-) 

It's the first anniversary of our blog. Exactly 1 year ago, day for day, we posted our very first recipe : the Galette des Rois, which, by the way, is traditionally enjoyed during January, for the Epiphany. So you're right on time to give it a go this year !

To celebrate our very first year of existence, we made a small recap of the top 5 of our most viewed recipes from last year ! We hope it should reflect your five favorite recipes and hopefully inspire you to try some !

Is your favourite not in the list ? Let us know in the comments !

Click on the pictures to access the recipes 

- 5 -

Also called "Pain d'épice", this sweet loaf works with sweet and savory spreads. It's also one of the first recipes we posted on this blog , therefore we're surprised and happy to see it top 5 !

- 4 -

Little sweet shortcrust tartlets, filled with an indulging milk chocolate custard, and topped with fresh raspberries. No wonder why this delicious tea time treat made it to number 4 !

Foie Gras on Pain d'épices toast with Homemade Fig Chutney

Family from France came to visit us recently with hands full of goodies not easily gotten in Ireland !
In the bag, a Bloc de Foie Gras avec morceaux (Block of Foie Gras with pieces of Foie Gras), much easier to transport than raw or fresh Foie Gras.

Traditionally a Christmas and New-Years Eve amuse-bouche, it's usually served on toast and enjoyed with a sweet wine. If you have the occasion this year, here are some tips on how to best enjoy your Foie Gras :

Depending on your taste, it should be served at room temperature or slightly chilled. I would recommend it slightly chilled as it can become a bit too rich at room temperature.

Slices should be about 1 cm thick. If too cold, the foie gras tends to break when cutting it into slices. Use a smooth sharp knife and run it under hot water before slicing.

Foie Gras shouldn't be spread on toast, but just placed on top of it : this is not pâté ! And since it's the centerpiece of your toast, be sure not to overpower it with any other ingredients.

We recommend to enjoy it with a glass of Sauterne, characterized by the balance of sweetness and a zest of acidity, it complements the Foie Gras perfectly. It really depends on your personal taste, but it is generally admitted that it pairs well with a sweet, dry or semi-dry white wine. You should avoid most red wines although it can go well with a sweet Port.

Today, we are serving the Foie Gras with slices of Spiced Bread (see recipe here) and a sweet, fig chutney.

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30 minutes

25 minutes

6 toasts

Pain d’épices - Spiced French loaf with Honey

Today we're doing "Pain d'épices", sometime incorrectly translated as gingerbread, a delicious spiced loaf sweetened with honey. It's a compact bread to slice finely, perfect for breakfast or tea time toast.

Origins of this cake go back as far as Ancient Egypt, where they first made a  type of "honey bread". Europeans brought back the recipe during the Crusades, and it's around the XIV century that some bakers from Reims, had the idea to add a combination of spices to the bread. They created the Corporation of Spice Bread Makers of Reims in 1571, claimed monopoly on the recipe, and were later officially recognized by Henry IV of France in 1596.

Nowadays, the recipe has some variation but we're making the original Reims Pain d'épices, without milk, eggs and butter. If you're living in Ireland, you might need visit a specialized store to get the rye flour (we got it from Holland&Barrett).

To unleash the full potential of this cake, you will need to roll it in cling film and leave to rest for 2 to 3 days (if you can wait that long) for the flavors to spread in the cake, but it may as well be eaten out of the oven ! Also, because of the amount of honey used in this recipe, this cake can be preserved a long time - probably 3-4 weeks - that is, of course, only if you're using real honey.

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15 minutes

60 minutes

10-12 slices