french

French Feast

Creme caramel

The latest installment of the FFOF (Flickr Fuck off Feast) was held on Sunday. A FFOF is basically a meal where we decide on a theme, and everyone brings a couple of dishes relating to that theme. The concept started with Tim and a group of his friends, and he spread it to us. We’ve had several FFOFs now – Indian, Japanese, Spanish, Moroccan, and now the latest – French.

Alastair and I played the gracious, but rather non-French, hosts.

As always, there was a ton of food!

For dessert, Tim’s creme caramel seen above.

Caramel

We spent a lot of time trying to get the toffee out of the bottom of the creme caramel moulds until someone (coughmecough) was smart enough to use the microwave.

Berry and cheese

Pete’s berry covered brie.

French Onion Soup

Rhys made french onion soup. Mhmm good.

Potato and beans

And now a trio – Dany’s potatoes (I know there’s a fancy name but it escapes me right now!), Kath’s green bean and goat cheese salad, and Dany’s onion tart.

Cheese

Dany’s pate and CHEESE.

Fried cheese

Jaye’s fried cheese with cranberry jam. Mhmmm deep fried goodness.

There was more food than this – Jodes’ blue cheese and asparagus triangles, Jaye’s lentils, and Kath’s fauxscargo. Plus the two dishes I did – croissants and braised baby octopus. Posts about those to come!

The Brasserie by Philippe Mouchel (closed)

Terrine

The other Saturday, Alastair and I went on a lunch “date” to the Brasserie by Philippe Mouchel (Riverside at Crown).
When we arrived at 12.30, there were only two other tables and we were seated between them at a table by the window. Not a bad seat, but we could easily overhear the other conversations and it felt as if the tables were quite close together.

Al was in a minimal eating mood (whereas I’m always in a big eating mood!) so only I ordered an entrée. I tossed up between the Country style corn-fed chicken liver terrine, with onion jam and toasted sourdough , versus the Snails Provençale tomato fondue, garlic and parsley butter, & puff pastry before deciding on the terrine, as Al didn’t seem keen to share the snails with me.
(more…)