The galette des Rois is a patisserie that is traditionally eaten in France to celebrate the Epiphany, which according to the Christian Bible falls 12 days after Christmas, when the Three Wise Men (or Kings, rois = kings) visited the infant Jesus and when St. John the Baptist christened him. Ingredients for the frangipane (almond filling): 100 grams of powdered almonds 100 grams of fine brown sugar 100 grams of unsalted butter 2 eggs 2 tablespoons glass of white or dark rum (from Martinique if you can) 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract 2 puff pastries (shop bought or homemade) For the finishing: 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons of water 3 tablespoons…
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2015’s New Year Eve
That’s it. 2015 is now in the past. I made sure that I was going to be embracing 2016 in style, but without breaking my bank account, so I went through my wardrobe the day before New Year’s Eve and created this outfit with clothes that I already had. When you keep your clothes well stored and in good order, it is easy to make them look new by restyling them, mixing and matching them with clothes and accessories that you love. First of all, I chose to wear a colourful bodycon dress which I only wore on two previous occasions, for two weddings actually… I had forgotten about the dress, which has…
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Banana Fritters (Beignets á la Banane)
Every time I prepare these banana fritters (beignets á la banane) they get devoured in an instant as they melt on the tongue. Easy to make, yummy to eat, go down well. The ingredients that you will need to create this simple, yet very delicious recipe are: 3 ripe bananas, mashed, 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of water, Vanilla extract, 1 pinch of nutmeg, 1 pinch of cinnamon, Zest of 1 lime, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/2 lime, juiced For the deep-frying: Vegetable oil Mix all the above ingredients (apart from the baking soda, lime juice and lime zest), until you obtain a smooth cream-like paste. If the batter is too thick, add a bit of water. If…
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A Book and a Cup of Tea
My perfect trio when it’s cold outside: a book, a cup of green tea and a hot-water bottle. I love reading and have a particular interest in books about Black history or novels set in in the past and present French Caribbean, my parents’ home. When I was 14, my father bought my first book, written by a novelist from Martinique, Joseph Zobel. It was ‘La Rue Cases Nègres’, a real revelation that made me want to know more about my ancestors’ history, my parents’ homeland, my roots, my Martinique. Below is a non-exhaustive list of books with story lines set in the French Caribbean that I truly enjoyed and suggest you to discover/re-discover. La Rue Cases Nègres, Moi Tituba,…
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A Pampering Day at Whittlebury Hall
On 21st December I was officially off work for the Christmas holiday season, and my break started with a bang when I finally went to Whittlebury Hall for a Spa day… on my own!! Last Christmas, so nearly a year ago, one of my daughters gave me a spa day gift voucher. As she rightly said, I deserved a bit of pampering. Having some ME time has become a must in my life in order to be physically and mentally fit. There was a time when I found it egotistical to look after myself and to do things just for me, but since my health had been put under a lot of strains that year, I no longer feel bad about taking time…