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Tuesday 3 April 2012

My Little Frenchy Kitchen

Entranced by another episode of ‘The Little Paris Kitchen’ featuring Rachel Khoo last night I thought I’d show off my French styled kitchen and the various objects I have collected over the years to feed my love of all things French. Alas, I live in rural Nottinghamshire not Paris but one can dream.





I had a bit of a tidy before I took the pictures and the interior isn’t as charmingly chaotic as Rachel Khoo’s tiny Parisian kitchen but it suits me. I sometimes listen to French radio stations (online) as I cook as a bit of fun background noise. My language skills aren’t enough to understand half of what is being said but I like the French sounds and get some of it. And when I’ve had a few glasses of Merlot I feel that I could walk out of the door and be in Paris itself.






Not that I’m obsessed or owt but, over the years, I have also built up a collection of modern French music on CDs and a movable feast of French language DVDs most of which seem to feature the lovely Audrey Tautou. Odd that. And then there’s a collection of books for Francophiles covering every aspect of French life and a big pile of France magazines and more cookery books about French Cooking. Oooh la la!


I was going to list them for you but got inspired to create an Eiffel Tower out of some of them instead. More fun.


I think I’m going to have severe withdrawal symptoms when Rachel Khoo’s six part programme is finished. I do hope that a video is produced. Last night’s programme interested me as a butcher because she went to the largest wholesale food market in Rungis, south of Paris and wowed the butchers (all but one) with her version of Steak Tartare. I also loved the cheeses at the award winning cheese shop and what she did with the goat’s cheese.



Tonight I am cooking a lemon and thyme chicken with some simple roasted vegetables. At the time of writing this it is still in the oven and smells great.



11 comments:

Peter said...

Hi Phil

I've not posted for a while but have kept up with your blog. Interesting and amusing as normal.

Thanks.

Peter

Jean said...

Another post and I haven't finished reading the last one yet !!

I agree the Paris Kitchen series is fantastic, inspirational, adorable, heartwarming, cheesey and fabulicious. We have recorded it onto DVD so we can watch all of it back to back when we need a fix of something that cheers us up, sad people that we are. We have nearly worn out our Allo Allo DVD's.

I love the part where she drops the nutmeg into the bowl - I can't imagine Gary Rhodes or Mr F... Ramsay letting you see stuff like that. (Although I think Delia might.) So refreshing.

Your kitchen looks bijoux and super. A great environment in which to create lovely food. And all that French stuff is parfait.

Janette Jones said...

Ooh la la!

Unknown said...

Did you know that Ruddington in an olde English word for Paris?

No, I didn't think so!

Still you have a lovely collection of Frenchy things. And Audrey is too too, too.

Hoping for an invite sometime to taste these meals you cook

Karenjane said...

We both love watching Racehl Khoo, & Steve is hoping I will be making many of her delicious recipes. I have to buy the book first - meant to get it from town last week but I forgot.
Your kitchen looks lovely, I presume you were on tall steps when you took the photo? I thought of doing a similar one to show you our small kitchen, but The Boss has forbidden me to climb a step ladder unless someone is holding it carefully - I am rather accident prone. I love all your trays etc, it does create a very French feel.

Phil Lowe said...

Cheers Peter. I do my best. Hope that you are well buddy.

Phil Lowe said...

I know, quick off the mark me and when inspiration strikes I've go to act on it. I too have recorded the first three onto dvd but can only play them on my laptop (which is fine). I've changed the template on this today because for some reason when I went to add something to my blog it shifted all the side bar to the bottom of my blog (?). Thanks for nice remarks about my kitchen. It's the place I love to be.

Phil Lowe said...

Indeed oooh la la!

Phil Lowe said...

Really? Well blow me en bas! Thanks for the comliment and you never know when an invite might wing it's way to you. :0)

Phil Lowe said...

Hi Karen and Steve. Apparently the book is half price at some stores right now. It is a lovely book and worth buying for the recipes alone.

Thanbks for the compliment on the kitchen. I was actually balanced on the third step of my stairway. The highest I can get to get most of the kitchen in the picture. The trays were mostly gifts from people with great taste.

Karenjane said...

We got the book yesterday in Tesco....Steve looked through it all when we got home (he's never done this before, not even with a Nigella book). And now I have a list of things he is hoping I will make. The first thing being what is, I think, a variation of coddled eggs, but with fromage frais added. What Steve actually said was.'can you please make me those yummy looking eggs things cooked in teacups?'. So we will be having that tomorrow I think.
I still may try a stepladder to take a kitchen photo - I need to get on onw to clean away some cobwebs!