The Famous Four Meme

I was delighted recently to discover excellent food blog, The Tracing Paper. Within this pleasingly laid-out blog, Nick reports on the origins of our food with a strong focus on seasonal produce. A great resource for any interested foodie. He also has a great directory of UK-based food blogs.

Anyway, I was surprised on firing up the laptop yesterday to discover that Nick had tagged me for a blog meme called 'the famous four'. I've not done one of these before, but have enjoyed reading fellow bloggers responses, so thought I would give it a go. Like Nick, I'm sticking broadly with the foodie theme. If you are not interested, I apologise. Check back soon for last night's delicious fish cakes and a rather good summer berry clafoutis!

4 Jobs I've Had

1. Tour guide for Champagne Mercier in Epernay - a great place to live and work for four months, though it passed in something of a bubbly blur!

2. Waitress in 'Tiffins of Cowes'. The only place to by your sandwiches if you are going sailing from Cowes. They will even heat-seal them to stop the water getting in!

3. Translator/bibliography compiler for a writer.

4. Organiser and host of wine tastings and wine-related events (currently).


4 Places I've Lived

1. Cowes, Isle of Wight. Best restaurant by a mile is Café Mozart. Best/only deli is Prime Foods (where I also worked, slicing cheese, one Christmas!).

2. Edinburgh. Valvona and Crolla. Need I say more? (Other than this simply IS the most amazing city in the world. I defy any city to even come close!).

3. Paris. I lived on the corner of the wonderful rue Cler, a really wonderful Parisian street market that pulses with life and delights the senses with a glorious array of produce.

4. Battersea, London. My current abode.


4 Places I've Holidayed

1. Alsace


A gastronomic paradise for food and wine lovers which is thoroughly beautiful. I've been twice and shall certainly go again! Read more about some of the food and wine I enjoyed on my recent trip here and also here.

2. Abersoch, North Wales. All childhood summers were spent in this seaside village on the Llyn Peninsula. It will always hold great, magical memories for me.

3. Tresco, Scilly Isles. A great new discovery. A natural paradise reached by helicopter from Penzance. Another good foodie destination too - lots of deliciously fresh fish. Eat at the Island Hotel for an upmarket dinner with a great view, or try the one and only pub, The New Inn which serves excellent, informal fare. The fish and chips is to die for.

4. New Zealand. Another natural paradise - so varied in terms of landscape. Wonderful meat.

4 Favourite Foods

This is an impossible question for a food blogger, no? I'll give it a go...

1. Really good lemon curd.

2. Well-made fish pie with a side order of peas.

3. Game - hard to narrow it down. I love all game whether feathered or four-legged.

4. Fondant au chocolat.

4 Places I'd Rather Be

1. Abersoch, North Wales, with my extended family. I join them tomorrow.

2. Trailing down the Northcote Road, shopping for food and flowers, basket in hand.

3. Kinloch Lodge, Isle of Skye. Claire MacDonald's highland home. A wonderful hotel and cookery school with superb breakfasts (and dinners) in beautiful surroundings.

4. Burgh Island.

4 Bloggers to Tag

1. Wendy at A Wee Bit of Cooking.

2. Lynn at Lynn's Cooking Blog

3. Patricia at Technicolour Kitchen

4. Margaret at Kitchen Delights