… ring in the new. No, I don’t mean Trump. Just finished a total revision of Bethesdabasics, renamed … well read the cover photo! Available as a pdf any minute.

Sorry I’ve been so quiet. For us holidays are time of reflection and Grand Plans as well as a bit (lot) of excess. As you get older plans become less grand because you’d better cram it in while the going’s good. So just when I decide I should concentrate on writing, rather than baking and […]

Yes, yesterday was our 40th anniversary of living together. We’re doing all right …

Only a couple of days left so have a late postcard: Trois boules is usually vanille, chocolat, pistache but these are olives grecques

Not just bread. We do some fierce cooking in Arcachon. Today was the annual Sole Meuniere  bash. Instant serving no pics I’m afraid but it was seriously good. Few days back Sue did a perfect Sea Bass on the grill. My seafood paella also cooked on the barbie was pretty exceptional. But the next day, […]

Sue’s photo of us yesterday morning on the Plage de Pilat underneath Le Grand Dune de Pilat.

Dedicated to afficianados like Adam Newey and Jay Butters. Looks innocuous, don’t it: But Look at the state of her: This is what it did to me, Dear Reader: And only 5.5%vol …

More Lapsed Catholic than Kosher. But genuine raisin challah with the full complement of eggs, olive oil and honey, T65 & T110 flours. Makes for a pretty neat breakfast: Not one crumb for the  the sparrows  …  

Saturday night: anglers on the jettee fishing, people watching the anglers fishing and us watching the people watching the anglers from the safety of the belvedere at the end of the terrace. All is calm and languid. The sea is slopping around in an orderly and atmospheric fashion. Fortunately, down the road at Biganos, M. […]

There’s an olive stall on the market. Not cheap – but then neither am I – and it does the most wicked Greek cured olives: The other half of the dough got knotted: