This summer when we were in Provence visiting family and pre-planning for our group tour, I noticed a developing trend for appetizers. The traditional black olive tapenade is of course always present. However, there is a movement to use alternative ingredients to create hummus-like dips, I call these spreads ades. …

Goat Cheese and Olives The Provencal diet is a Mediterranean one that relies heavily on local produce, seafood, cheese, olives and olive oil. In Provence, locals eat “de saison” focusing on what is in season and fresh at the market. A visitor to the area should certainly try some- if …

This panna cotta recipe is made with local saffron, light and refreshing the perfect dessert to enjoy at the end of any meal. Panna cotta (cooked cream) is a dessert with Italian origins.

Marseille has been working hard to get itself on the tourist ‘must-see’ list and the Tourist Office now offers many organised visits to different parts of this vibrant city. Apart from the obvious sites, visitors can opt for food-tasting tours, street art walks, lunch on a cruise ship, or behind …

I recently threw a birthday luncheon for my good friend, Claire, and served Pink Elephant Martini Cocktails as the welcome drink! This was a huge success. Claire loves the color pink and is very elegant.

For new arrivals in town, what is nicer than a one-hour trip from Marseille’s Vieux Port to admire the key sites and hear about their history? This is the offer from Localanque with Story Boat. I have this information from ‘Pass My Provence,’ who offer 2-for-1 to cardholders: one person …

In Portugal, the culinary rumour is that there are 365 (or more) ways to cook salt-cod (bacalhau) – one for every day of the year. Cod is called morue in French. It is quite common to find this fish on menus, and it is often the “centre” of attention in the traditional Provencal aioli (recipe here). Gilles recipe for brandade a purée of salt cod, olive oil and other ingredients is below.

It is a funny thing when you start to think about how recipes change and evolve. My grandmother almost never followed a recipe, yet her Christmas cake never failed her…mine is a different story. Kuchen is the German word for cake, and this recipe for Sunken Pear Cake is David’s slight …

Deciding to make dinner for a large group takes courage. Deciding to create a menu based around a tradition Provencal fish soup, and making the whole thing from scratch is just a little bit crazy, but the results are delicious. Chefs in France take their trade seriously, so it is not surprising that a Marseille -based group decided that this iconic dish required some specific ingredients and serving methodology, hence the Bouillabaisse Charter. A real Marseille bouillabaisse

There are a few steps to make French-style chocolate macarons with chocolate ganache filling, but it is a fun hands-on recipe and one that your family (and guests) will thank you for making the effort.