Some exciting news

Magrets & Mushrooms, the sequel to Goose Fat & Garlic by Jeanne Strang, is published today by ckbk, the cookbook app.

The newly published sequel draws on the wealth of additional research that Jeanne carried out while living in France with her husband in the years following the publication of Goose Fat & Garlic. Strang digs deep into the region’s food traditions, while also capturing the evolution of food and cooking in the area to incorporate influences and ingredients from further afield. The 138 vibrant new recipes include several for the plump duck breasts (magrets) of the title and showcase traditional dishes which make the most of the produce of local orchards, farmyards, and fishing villages. But this is more than just a recipe book. Woven through with Jeanne Strang’s warm anecdotes and witty observations, Magrets & Mushrooms is a window into the culinary soul of South-West France, capturing the central role of food in a traditional way of life that is fast disappearing.
For further information, see the feature article on ckbk

Magrets & Mushrooms is simultaneously published as an eBook (£7.99), paperback (£11.99), and hardback (£14.99) and is available via Amazon, and is also included in ckbk Premium Membership. The digital editions include my photographs from this blog (I have cooked some 40 recipes thus far), and more will be added as I work my way through the book. So, I had better get cooking!

Some news

I have some sad news – Jeanne Strang, the author of Goose Fat & Garlic, and the inspiration for this blog, died peacefully at her home in the Aveyron on the 25th August. The last time I saw Jeanne was in May when we joined friends to celebrate her 94th birthday in style – at a nearby duck farm / restaurant. I have loved meeting Jeanne and Paul Strang through my cooking project, sharing some memorable meals together, and being inspired by their passion and knowledge of the food and wine of South-West France. Goose Fat & Garlic, first published in 1991, is based on some 200 recipes collected since the 1960s. The fourth edition, published in 2013, includes 20 more. And now, a further volume, Magrets & Mushrooms, is being edited for publication on the ckbk website. This new book will demonstrate how food evolves, bringing in new ingredients, while still drawing on the traditions of the region. From now on, I will be cooking some of these recipes, so that my pictures on my instagram can be linked to them once the new book is released. I am looking forward to this new direction, with fond memories of Jeanne.

Happy New Year 2023!

I started my project to cook all the recipes in Goose Fat & Garlic four years ago, and have just written my 200th post and cooked my 199th recipe! I still have a few more recipes to try but I have decided to revisit some of my favourite ones too. A sort of Best of Goose Fat & Garlic. I plan to choose recipes that worked particularly well first time around and that use interesting seasonal ingredients. I will do some research on them and hope to add more details and perhaps even tweaks / alternatives. So, I am excited to be starting a new year, not with a new recipe, but with a change of tack.

Goose Fat & Garlic has recently been launched on ckbk.com, a digital subscription service for cooks (you can explore the site and access three recipes for free each month). You can see the book here. The original recipes were published without pictures but, on the ckbk platform, they have been linked to my pictures on instagram. I was honoured to be asked to write a feature about the book which is, as you will know if you follow this blog, my number one cookery book!

The first day

I have set myself the challenge of cooking all the recipes from Goose Fat & Garlic in one year. This wonderful book by Jeanne Strang covers the cuisine of South-West France, an area which I have been visiting for some 25 years, and which I love. I am hoping to improve my cookery skills, learn more about the traditions of the region, and eat some great food along the way. Why not follow me?