For the love of cooking

I spoiled myself with 'The Complete Robuchon'. See www.joel-robuchon.com for details of the man and his mastery.

Have cookbook, need dinner party.

Paris window boxes

Paris drinks party

Our own little drinks party in our room at Hotel D'Orsay in Paris, on our first night there recently.

A Bordeaux blend from the shop around the corner, aubergine dip and fish frikkadels from La Grande Epicirie on Rue du Bac.

Amsterdam Fruit Stall

Paris window display

Paris must be the best city in which to buy beautiful baby clothes. I had reason to shop around recently when looking for a gift for our god child.

This window display in a store selling baby clothes on Boulevard St. Germain brought me to a standstill. It was so pretty.

Honeymoon in Amsterdam

I'm blogging again! The curse has been broken.

Arno and I recently spent some of our belated honeymoon in Amsterdam. Quite unexpectedly I didn't resonate with the city at all for the first two days, despite having been there before but gradually it found itself back into my heart.. just.

On our anniversary we treated ourselves to a posh lunch at De Kas Restaurant in the city nursery. We overcame much tram calamity to get there; can't people just help you if they see you don't have any idea what you're doing?

We started the lunch with a glass of Moët & Chandon each. It was a celebration after all. The restaurant prides itself upon the fact that it grows all its own fruit and vegetables right there in the greenhouse.

I didn't take pictures of the food, except for the dessert. The meal started with freshly baked bread and herb oil with balsamic vinegar. Lovely and greedily eaten to soak up the Moët and to fight the wintery feeling brought about by the rain.

We followed this with cold red cabbage soup, tomatoe and vegetable pastry squares, and celery hearts with radiccio and walnuts in a creamy dressing. Main course was crispy mackerel, mashed potatoes, red peppers and tomatoes. Lovely.

I couldn't forego dessert and ordered the dessert of the day for us to share (or to assuage my guilt)- hot cherries covered in chocolate and vanilla ice-cream with vanilla seeds.

At De Kas they cook what is ready to be picked in their greenhouse on the day and whatever the markets deliver for the day.

The pictures show a lovely fig tree inside the restaurant hanging heavily with fruit.

Despite the lovely lunch described here, we have made a pact that future wedding anniversaries will always be celebrated on local soil.