One of my favourite cookbooks inspired this meringue roulade with rose cream and raspberries dessert – Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi.

When you think of French desserts, perhaps meringues are usurped by chocolate glazed eclairs, vanilla cream layered mille-feuilles, lemony madeleines and glazed fruit tarts. But, what about lollypop coloured macarons?

Sometimes a sampling of little bites makes for a  more interesting evening than a single main course. The Spanish have this perfected with their culinary tradition of tapas and pintxos. We decided quite a while a go to celebrate the New Year (on Paris time) and to do so by tasting our way around the world, in small bites. This year was no different. The seafood themed plates started with skewered shrimp and ended with Salt and Pepper Calamari.

Gâteau Saint-Honoré is named for the classic French patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs, Saint Honoré. There are many steps to this recipe, but you will be rewarded by the sweet finish.

What could possibly be better than a bite-sized flavour combination of sweet and tart squeezed into the form of tiny lemon meringue tarts? The Provence Gourmet shares his recipe for these little treats. If you are interested in cooking classes and learning some traditional Provencal meals contact Gilles (Provence Gourmet) …