January 11, Lounging by the pool with a cocktail? Swimming in a perfect sea, on champagne sand? The spectacular view at the top of a canyon, or the rush of adrenalin as you ski down snow-capped peaks?
But you know what all of those pleasures have in common? Not for want of inspiration. Gorgeous dishes bounced out of my memory in quick succession. Probably the most compelling was this one:. Aged 22 I travelled on a shoestring to Australia, via Hong Kong. Whilst staying on Kowloon, we wanted to visit the New Territories, and boarded a bus to Lau Fau Shan, a then tiny village built on a beach of oyster shells. There were 4 hours until the bus came backβ¦.
They refused to have their pictures taken, and we felt guilty for intruding as tourists on this very simple way of life. We began to grow hungry, and wondered how on earth we were going to fill the time. Then the weirdest thing happened. Out of the vast expanse of dust appeared a large, shiny, black Mercedes Benz. It turned a corner and disappeared down a dirt track. Then came another one, and another. We followed them.
My holiday food highlights are numerous β freshly-made Gazpacho in a Catalan vineyard , a crisp Sauvignon Blanc to wash down slivers of tuna on the terraces of the Napa Valley, and rich, earthy game dishes in the Kruger National Park. For that, I had to go with my French connections:. I remember the sun beating down on bright, white yachts in the harbour, the medium-cooked steak and green beans in garlic that my children both request whenever in a French restaurant, and the dew on our carafe of house white.
We took our first ski trip as a family this year, and I wanted the children to sample some of the gorgeous flavours of Savoie food. When I think French skiing, I want cheese. But we had shellfish for starters, so I can justify filling up my family with cheese once in a while. Wherever we go in France, my daughter begs me for these bite-sized bits of heaven. Little nuggets of almond-filled meringue, sandwiched together with jams and creams, caramels or ganaches.
