Cocoa and Lavender reached a milestone 10th birthday in February – 10 years and over 500 recipes published. At the beginning, I had no idea what to write. I had never taken a food photo, not even surreptitiously in a restaurant. I didn’t have a clue about how blogs work. …

There is something je ne sais quoi about a classic French Apple Tart, actually that is not true. I know exactly what it is about this French dessert that is so attractive. The fruit is always perfectly cut, and artfully arranged. However, the key to a French fruit tart, in my view, is the effect of the glaze – the dessert sparkles.

My inspiration for Spiced Duck Breasts was a recipe in Food & Wine. The dish is an international fusion where a Mexican spice blend meets a French-style magret de canard. The blackberry-balsamic reduction adds a touch of sweetness offsetting the spice. The result was delicious despite not quite following my …

Spicy Spring Menu This Provencal spring menu showcases the spices and recipes from the trade route. Pepper and curry flavours from India, Spain’s iconic paella, and aromas from North Africa and the Middle East. Enjoy! Provence and the Spice Route Food encodes social, political, and economic history, often in fascinating …

Sometimes life is just too complicated, too busy and too connected. Those are the moments when you crave comfort food, family-style dining and meals with friends. This roast chicken is cooked with saffron, rosemary and lemon. I served it with roasted potatoes and peas for a simple Sunday dinner. And …

Sometimes, you have to wonder why great chefs don’t cut corners. I suppose that is why I am a cook and not a chef; occasionally, it just makes sense to skip a step for the same taste result. The recipe for this Fig and Buttermilk Custard Tart is a great …

The inspiration for this pork tenderloin recipe comes from a few 1950s classics which included Waldorf Salad, Green Bean Casserole, and Pigs in Blankets. The ingredients for the original version of Pigs in Blankets included hot dogs and puff pastry. So, I like to think of Pork Tenderloin en Croûte …

Focaccia is Italian or more precisely comes from Geona. The Ligurians consume this thin bread (approximately 2cm thick) all day from coffee time to the apéro hour. Provencal fougasse is slightly different. The Provencal version often includes savoury additions like black olives,

Traditional Provencal cuisine used hyper-local ingredients, picked from the potager (kitchen garden), foraged in the hills, and hunted nearby. In a region where dairy and beef were only available for the wealthy, ingredients such as coconut milk, curry and lime definitely were not part of any cook’s pantry. Today, Provencal …

To bringing a course for the meal that related to our interpretation of the song. My contribution was this delicious Lemon-Frosted Pistachio Cake, a recipe by food writer, author and chef Nigel Slater.