We are slowly settling into our new surroundings and liking it so far. Most of our belongings are still on a container ship somewhere out there making its slow way to this part of the world. So while I wait to be reunited with my kitchenware, I have begun stacking up on ingredients to help with home cooked meals.
The last month or so has brought about many changes. It seems that we’ll now be living and working in the sunny state of California! As we settle into our new lives here, memories of our good times in Ireland and France pop up once in a while.
These financiers for instance were made when we were still in France. Given the hectic days of packing, unpacking and packing again including a short trip to Dublin to sort out our papers, I never got around to putting this recipe up here. And now as I write about it, it brings back sweet memories of the lovely French countryside. I can’t wait to go back there already!
The best memories are made almost always by accident – stumbling upon a quiet beach while on holiday, running into interesting people who have intriguing stories to share and finding surprisingly delicious food in places where you go in with no expectations. That last one has happened to us many a time. One such instance was when we were out in Dublin on a Saturday, found ourselves starving and decided to try out a rather nondescript restaurant called ‘Penang’ located on central O’Connell Street. It was the name and the menu that attracted us. While the interiors won’t blow you away and it is definitely not the place you’d go to for a romantic dinner, the food is simple yet scrumptious and good value for money.
The first time I ever made a tarte tatin was during my one-month cooking course in Dublin. We made it from scratch including the pastry. Flipping the tart out of the pan onto a plate was quite an anxious moment. I remember we did it in turns with everybody standing around the person whose turn it was, cheering them on. We were a small close-knit group of just 7 people so it wasn’t nerve-wracking to have people around you while you were hoping that it didn’t turn out into a major fiasco.
It was simply the best tarte tatin we’d ever tasted – flaky pastry topped with sweet golden caramelised apples, simply heaven! Although I’ve made an upside down cake a couple of times since then, I’ve never tried my hand at a tarte tatin since that very first attempt.
Yep, you read that right. It is indeed a cake that has blue cheese in it and it is not a savoury one either. I came across this recipe in a book I bought recently on Auvergne cuisine. It is a small book full of recipes for dishes you’ll find in any local eatery here. Having lived here for a decent amount of time over the last year, we’re both totally in love with this region of France. As we keep reading more about its history and explore more of the local cuisine, it only keeps getting interesting.
