I may not have posted many recipes in the last week, but
there’s actually a very good reason that doesn’t just revolve around exam
revision! On Friday 20th of April, I took my Dad to Oxford
Playhouse for “An evening with Raymond Blanc.” Raymond Blanc is by far my Dad’s favourite chef, and he has
visited Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons a few time now, most recently for his and my Mum’s 25th
Wedding anniversary. The idea was that Raymond would talk for 45 mins and then
there would be 30mins or so of a question and answer session. On the way there
Dad was getting together all the questions he wanted to ask.
When we arrived and Raymond came on stage it soon became
clear we might not stick to “schedule”. Raymond is a natural born story teller
and as he told us the story of how he got to where he is today we were all sat
in awe. I still can’t believe that he is completely self-taught! He
says his passion for food came from his mother’s kitchen, and I am beginning to
wonder whether she should have had a Michelin star under her belt if she taught
him a lot of what he knows! Now, I won’t rehash the stories he told of his life to date
but there are a few points I want to focus on, which have partly contributed to
my lack of posts.
One issue he discussed with a lot of passion was
seasonality. This has been something I have been thinking about for a long
time. I am yet to find a good reliable farmers market near where I live, so
often find myself picking up the same old vegetables on the supermarket shelf,
without considering where they’ve been grown and whether they are in season.
Having said this there are a few things I avoid like strawberries. So many
people complain about how much strawberries cost in winter, when it is a fact
that when they are season in the summer and there is a glut, the laws of supply
and demand will bring down their price! Buy seasonal, buy cheap!
