Pistachio, Apricot and Cardamom Kugelhopf
I’m hoping to start a new Christmas Day tradition with this year’s kugelhopf. A kugelhopf is a yeasted cake or a rich bread, whichever way you’d like to see it, that adorns pastry shop windows all over Alsace. It’s a traditional French Christmas bread, with a disputed history, made in earthen moulds. If you don’t have […]
Kouign Amann
Kouign Amann is a rich, buttery viennoiserie made with an unthinkable amount of butter and a generous sprinkling of sugar for a little sweetness and caramelisation. It’s crisp, flaky and caramelised on the outside and soft and cakey inside. One bite and you’ll know what I mean. I’ve learnt two ways of making kouign amann. One, […]
Rye Sourdough
I made the most terrific rye sourdough I’ve made ever since I began making my own bread. Arjun and I made our first starter in Paris last year to be able to recreate the fantastic breads we’d become so used from the many boulangeries near where we lived. I’ve been feeding it since and even […]
Brioche Parisienne
I’ve been fascinated by brioche even before I really knew what it was. I think it was the unusual shape of a brioche à tête that charmed me at first. It wasn’t until I moved to France more than 2 years ago that I got a taste of the real brioche Parisienne. My first brioche was from […]
I Made Croissants! (and other breads)
I’m spoiled for good things in Paris with boulangeries on either side of my building, but a train ride across the Channel changes things quite drastically. Battling Paris withdrawals I’ve been investing most of my free time in recreating the goût of boulangeries, and while I think I’m almost there with my breads, my first […]
Zucchini and Thyme Pizza
One of my favourite things to eat is a simple zucchini pizza with a sprinkling of thyme, doused in really good olive oil. Add a few slivers of marinated artichokes, and that’s even better. I’d invariably buy pizza at La Renella that would have these two ingredients as toppings in abundant quantities. Back home, I […]
Kouign Amann
Last week, I was at Paris des Chefs – an event that had the best chefs and designers collaborate on creating food together. Watching them at work was awe inspiring. I was particularly influenced by Alain Passard’s approach to food and his irreproachable knife skills. My favourite workshops were, of course, those that required oodles […]