I sat here watching the snow fall and wondered what I should do for the day! Well apart from the obvious snow sports, of course, in which I no longer participate, I could go shopping! That too is a challenge and actually it only really means food shopping, or at least a trip to the supermarket.

In reality I find French supermarkets a bit depressing. To my mind ( and I admit to being critical here) they tend to be really rather tatty, buildings a bit run down, the larger ones surrounded by low end little shops and very badly laid out , whilst the smaller ones, dispense with the low end shops but nonetheless are not very inspiring.

Here in the mountains our local is a small Carrefour and infact is more or less a one stop shop, insomuch as you can buy your socks and bras, sheets and baby clothes as well as in summer garden furniture and in winter a snow shovel, all of course in a very limited kind of way. Of course wine abounds as does fizzy bottles of drinks and chocolate! Do the French really have an obsession with chocolate? Well it would appear that they do!

Having just scrolled through the OCADO (UK) website, they have +/- 220 variations of breakfast cereals, of which approximately only 20 contain chocolate ( and Quelle Horreur even Weetabix)!

However, I was truly shocked in my little local supermarket at the amount of cereals which contained chocolate, almost the whole shelf in fact !

I have come to the conclusion that ( in my mind at least) the weekly outdoor markets in almost every town compensate for the rather shabby supermarkets and very often the indifference of their staff. Whereas the markets are vibrant with excellent quality and sunny personalities for the most part.

So far this trip we haven’t ventured into our local markets but did drive along to Chamonix where they hold a substantial market every Saturday. But on no account do they let it interfere with Lunch! Lunch is very important , so the market shuts down around midday or by 1 pm at the latest. Nearly all shops shut for lunch, 12-2 or even 12-3 and don’t open on Sundays! So it really is a case of The Early Bird catches the Worm!

Having said that Lunch is important and what I really like, more is a Brunch type, late breakfast or an early lunch is a Croque Monsieur or better still a Croque Madame. The best I have ever had was in fact in Mexico City in a little cafe called Lado. We ate breakfast/ brunch out often on our regular visits to Mexico . LALO was one of the favourites and the other which was good morning noon or night was LARDO, similar name but a very different eatery.

Onto Les Croques, Monsieur/ Madame/ Maman or simply toasted cheese and ham! But a good Croque is so much more than a toasted cheese sandwich. Unfortunately, in many ski resorts and also in many cafes, the art of making such a simple but delicious gourmet delight have disappeared, some buy in ready to throw under the grill whilst others just throw something together and call it a Croque.

There are many many variations including ones with pastrami and chilli jam or a Senorita which comes with manchego cheese, paprika and chorizo salami. But my true favourite is a Croque Madame with the béchamel sauce and a fried egg on top.

For 2 people

• 4 slices of super bread, ( seeded, brioche, challah,sourdough) just don’t use cheap bread.
• 4 slices of good quality ham ( no fat and cut to fit the bread)
• 100 grams grated cheese, preferably Gruyère or Comté cheese ( Failing those use Emmental.
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard.
• 2 eggs (4 if you want 2 pp)
• For the sauce:-
• 300 mls whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 35 grms plain flour
• Pinch of each ground nutmeg, pepper and salt

To make the sauce, ( I always make it in a microwave but this is the conventional method). Melt the butter in a smallish saucepan, add the flour stirring to blend with a wooden spoon, slowly add the milk stirring all the while, the mixture will thicken as it cooks.Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stand to one side.

Set the oven grill on high. Lightly toast the bread. Brush two slices with the mustard, add the ham and then much of the cheese, cover this with a thin layer of the sauce. Top with the remaking bread slices and pour over the sauce and top with the reaming cheese.

Pop under a hot grill and simply fry the eggs whilst the Croque is browning but be careful not to over brown ( ie.burn).

Serve at once, piping hot!

Of course, you can have it without the eggs!

On New Years Day, we decamped to the mountains (again), Himself has new skis and boots, so Needs must! Here we are! I have brought projects with me and am unlikely to complete them whilst here (6 weeks). However as it is very cold in The UK ( golf courses closed) we might as well be here, where Himself doesn’t get Cabin Fever and I am happy to potter.

I always chuckle to myself when grocery shopping here as it really is not consumer oriented. At our local store ( no self service checkout) , just don’t forget to weigh your fruit and vegetables, otherwise you will be forced to go back ( much to the chagrin of those in the queue) or just simply say you no longer need it! Similarly in the discount stores, usually with a Huff and a Puff on top. There again, don’t forget to shake your shopping bag to demonstrate that you haven’t stolen anything. Are the French less trustworthy? I’ve no idea! But it is certainly a different shopping experience.

Himself likes soup for lunch, especially here. I usually raid the freezer to see what must be used up ( frozen lettuce for example, a good base to start with.) Today, in the refrigerator, I found a butternut squash ( I had brought it with me from England), that spoke to me and so I decided to make a soup which had a Mexican flavour. Our eldest daughter lived in Mexico City for 5 years and we sorely miss our visits there. The climate was lovely and the food was wonderful but unfortunately it is a country that has huge crime with the drug cartels. Their youngest was born there and ironically is the only family member who doesn’t speak Spanish ( but he does have a Mexican Passport)!

To make enough soup for 6 ( it freezes well )

• A Butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and chopped into smallish chunks
• 1/4 C olive oil
• 2+ dried Ancho Chillies
• 2 medium onions, peeled and sliced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic peeled
• 2 peppers, any colour
• 300 grms sour cream
• Small can chick peas
• Salt to taste
• 1-2 teaspoons Smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 litres chicken or vegetable stock
• Chopped coriander ( cilantro) to garnish
• I also went off plan a little and added some celery and courgette.

Heat the oven to 220 , put the squash on a baking tray and roast, this gives the soup a better flavour but can be omitted.

Soak the Ancho peppers in boiling water and when soft, cut off the tops ( discard) and remove the seeds.

Sauté the vegetables in the olive oil, add the Ancho chillies and the butternut squash when cooked, along with the stock, paprika and the chick peas.

When everything is cooked and soft, blend, either in a blender/ food processor or a hand blender until smooth. Add the sour cream. Taste add salt if needed and then the sour cream.

Serve with a garnish of chopped coriander.

Ancho Chilles are one of the most popular chiles in Mexican cuisine. Fresh they are Poblano but dried become Ancho.They are mild in heat but have a deep fruit and chocolate flavour. Very versatile, easy to use and can be found whole or flaked or powdered. Ancho chillies have a heat on the Scoville scale of 1,000 to 2,000 whereas Bell peppers are 0-100, and Habanero chillies come in at plus 10,000!

Of course there are many ways to use Squash and pumpkins and another way is a simple curry.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cardamom pods
• 2white onions finely chopped
• 3 crushed cloves garlic
• An inch of fresh ginger grated
• 2tsp of each, ground coriander, ground cumin, mild chilli powder ( ancho is good), and 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 500 grms squash or pumpkin cut into chunks
• Small can of chick peas
• 150 mls full fat yoghurt
• 500 mls vegetable stock
• Chopped coriander to garnish
• Cooked basmati rice to serve.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the cardamom pods, then add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes, but don’t let burn.

Add the garlic, ginger and the spices, cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the tomato paste, stir well to mix and then add the squash/pumpkin, stir in and then add the stock. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and add the chicken peas. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until the squash/pumpkin is soft, remove from heat, taste adjust seasoning ( maybe some salt). Stir in the yoghurt!

Serve with rice and the chopped coriander.

No! I have not emigrated , nor slipped on the ice but I did get stuck in traffic ( though living in London that is always a possibility)! Actually I telephoned himself the other week simply to say “ I’m stuck in traffic! Where he asked, around the corner was the reply. Our wonderful Mayor had approved road works on three of my surrounding roads, not just any roads but Seriously Main roads, which meant that All of the buses and everything else was diverted! Of course it could have been done between Christmas and New Year, but maybe that was just too obvious!

Moving swiftly on, I read a comment in The Times the other day that amused me greatly. It said ( many thanks Anne Treneman)

My children, who are now adults, do not shock easily except when it comes to the fraught area of food storage. They consult the packaging on all refrigerated items as though God himself had decreed that the cottage cheese went bad two days ago ( perfectly fine, in my opinion). I do not believe in Sell-by dates, which are wildly risk adverse.

Our lodger ( middle child who came for a couple of weeks and stayed for 3 months) declared she would not and could not eat the eggs which I was about to use! ( I solved the issue by blotting out any dates on future products)! Common sense must apply especially given the fact that the UK throws away mountains of food. I blame the Nanny state, it gives Use By dates, or Best Before dates, even things that NEVER go off have dates! which for many today MEANS throw it Away ! What happened to the Sniff test!?

• Over ⅓ of all food produced globally goes to waste.
• The UK throws away around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste in a single year – even though 8.4 million people in the UK are in food poverty.
• Billions of pounds are wasted each year when food is disposed of unnecessarily.

This Christmas was nothing to do with me. We were invited to spend it out of London at our sons, along with daughter in law and our three youngest grandchildren who are still in Awe of Santa! Such a lovely period of their lives.

However, the other half of the family along with the 3 eldest grandchildren came for lunch and Pantomine before the Big Day.

I decided to cook Salmon Kouilibiac (Coulibiac), basically Salmon en Croute, slightly upmarket than that but it is salmon in pastry.It was once the dinner of the Tsars when it was called Kulebyaka, before the French took charged and renamed it! But today, simply calling it Salmon Wellington works as well !

It is very simple to make especially if using shop bought puff pastry or Phyllo pastry which I love to use. It can be made as individual portions or as a side of salmon.

• Side of salmon ( skin removed, ask the fishmonger to do it)
• Packet of prewashed spinach
• 6 hard boiled eggs chopped
• 2 cups of precooked rice ( optional)
• 2 cups of precooked chopped mushrooms ( optional)
• 2cups cooked beetroot chopped ( optional)
• 2 packets of puff pastry or phyllo pastry ( if using phyllo about 4 Oz of butter is also needed)
• Créme fraiche
• Fresh dill fronds
• Salt/pepper/dijon mustard
• Beaten egg to glaze

This can be prepared ahead of time but otherwise:-

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Trim the sides off the salmon, ( keep/freeze for future use)

Season one side with the mustard, salt and pepper.

Cook the spinach, it can be cooked in the bag in a microwave on high for only 3 minutes. Drain and squeeze out much of the moisture.

Roll out the puff pastry ( see below for phyllo), place onto a greased baking tray and then lay the salmon on top, layer on top of this, whatever you are using, but I used spinach and chopped egg. Fold over the pastry as in a parcel, wetting the lower part with some water before pressing down the tops side ( sealed). You can decorate the top of the parcel with pastry leaves or simple cross cuts. Either refrigerate until ready to use or just simply bake in the preheated oven for about 30 mins.

Chop the dill fronds and mix with the créme fraiche to serve on the side. This all goes well with some small new potatoes and maybe salad.

If using the phyllo pastry, you will need about 6/8 sheets, which have been layered with butter, proceed as above finishing with a coating of butter. This parcel can be embellished with some scrunched up phyllo pastry, sat on top of the melted butter, with some more butter drizzled over the top.