Don’t you love turning the corner on a tried-and-true path only to lock eyes on something refreshingly new and unexpected. Happened to me last week as I zigzagged through town and came upon the bright and cheery shopfront window of Royaume Melazic (the Kingdom of Melazic).
The diversity of foreign foodstuffs on Swiss and local French supermarket shelves has dramatically increased over the past few decades as has the number of independent suppliers offering high-quality ethnic ingredients from faraway sources. So an expat desperate for a fix of home needn’t go far to satisfy cravings for a favorite edible or to find the necessary ingredients to whip up a beloved dish in their own kitchens.
Although the days are growing shorter and the heat of summer has been replaced with chilly mornings and evenings, there’s much to be grateful for with the coming of autumn. Not least of which is the abundance of seasonal fruit and vegetables on our grocery store shelves. Or better yet, waiting to be picked by hand at farms throughout the Geneva-area and Vaud countryside. All summer long I’ve cycled past expansive fields of ripening apples, rose hips, sunflowers, wheat, and pears. Last week, as I headed towards the Bois de Marcagnou just off the Route de Sauerney above Versoix (heading towards the Jura mountain range) a sign caught my eye that made me stop and take note. There was not a moment to spare as doubtless the apples had been flying off the branches since early September — it was time that I added apple picking to my “been there, done that” checklist. And I knew I’d have a willing partner in my husband, who has often spoken happily of the weeks he spent as a young teenager helping out Swiss farmers with their …
Of life’s simple pleasures, surely a beautifully made cappuccino ranks high on the list. But it’s surprising how many coffee shops get it all wrong: bitter coffee, lifeless froth, no heart put either into or onto the precious brew. So I was completely won over after trying a cappuccino at the boréal espresso lab (that’s a coffee bar to you and me) in the plaza facing Gare Cornavin in Geneva. In fact, I was heading over to a nearby Starbucks outlet when I thought, try something new. I haven’t looked back. Update: Discover boréal’s new coffee bar and outdoor terrace at the newly refurbished Chantepoulet Square near Cornavin Station. Boréal shares the space with Elsalad, which offers tasty salads and wraps. The bar is open from Spring to Autumn in good weather. And in the Eaux-Vives 2000 shopping mall a comfy new Boréal coffee shop opened in October 2015. Turns out that boréal has been putting smiles on coffee lovers’ faces ever since its first outlet, an airy brick-walled space with an outdoor sidewalk terrace at the back, opened …
A few years ago I subscribed to delicious. magazine as a birthday gift for my husband, who loves to cook (and is very good at it, too). It’s turned out to be one of our best and reasonably priced “investments”. We always find at least two or three recipes that we have to try out within days of the new issue arriving in our mailbox. One vegetarian recipe from the January issue that I enjoy making is tomato and bean soup with harissa and honey. I usually have most of the ingredients here at home in my pantry (a converted nuclear bomb shelter. You didn’t know that about Switzerland did you? That for decades newly built houses needed to include a bomb shelter in their basements…perfect for storing tinned goods, wine, and often fresh foods (other than in summertime)). The harissa paste gives the soup a good little kick. It’s filling but not too heavy so it’s ideal for winter but also autumn and spring as well when you don’t need the added bulk of cream or a grain, …
When in 2011 Guillaume and Elodie Bichet opened their eponymously named Confiserie-Pâtisserie in an enticing shop near the medieval stone fountain on Coppet’s charming Grand-Rue in Canton Vaud, clearly fine-food lovers were in for something special. In a region blessed with an abundance of gourmet chocolate shops and bakeries, it was evident from first sight and first bite that the Confiserie’s exquisite variety of chocolates and bonbons, mouthwatering macarons, temptingly beautiful pastry confections, and selection of homemade breads and croissant, together with warm and courteous service, spoke of one thing: quality of the highest order. A delicate and contemporary approach From my own personal experience, I can vouch for the delicious fresh fruit and lemon tarts that I served at my birthday party this year; for the fig-and-nut bread and wholewheat croissant that my better half and I enjoy for Sunday brunch; for the fruity macarons that won warm approval as a thank-you gift for a friend; for the indulgent dark-chocolate truffle pastry “Mme de Stael” (named for the 18th-century owner of the nearby Château de Coppet) that I occasionally indulge in …
This wonderfully tasty and quick-to-make meal is a great fall-back recipe for yourself, family or friends that is sure to please everyone who tucks into it. Based on a recipe by Australian restaurateur Bill Granger from the March 2012 issue of UK Delicious Magazine, it has been adapted by mio marito to suit his flamboyent taste buds and to take advantage of the wonderful herbs that fluorished in our garden despite the admittedly lightweight winter we had this year. The original recipe calls for a whole chicken to be cut up into eight pieces, but my resident masterchef de-bones the bird, adds far more herbs and spices as well as mushrooms and slivers of sun-dried tomatoes. An alternative to de-boning and entire chicken is to use 1kg of a cut called Supreme de Poulet (chicken breast and shoulder) that you might have to pre-order at the counter if you don’t find it already pre-packaged. Be sure to keep the skin on the pieces as this adds flavor to the dish. We’ve also taken to replacing chicken with pintade (guinea fowl), …
