About five years ago, I had some wimmin’s health problems and had to spend time in hospital. As a single parent, I was obliged to find people to look after my daughter at home. One of the things that got us through this difficult period was a book called ‘Chocolate’ by Trish Deseine. The photos were sober, plain, in natural shades of grey, brown, slate, pebble and cream while the recipes were simple, do-able. My daughter, with her babysitters, and myself when I was home, cooked our way through this book; mousses, soufflés in a cup, chocolate fondant cakes. Cooking is a bonding healing activity. It provides a homely anchor during times of stress and anxiety.
Twitter enabled me to ‘meet’ Trish: we became friends, partly because we have much in common; we’ve both lived in France and the fathers of our children are French. We both love and despair of France, its attitude to women. Trish personifies her main ingredient, chocolate, being earthy, addictive, glamorous, humorous, rebellious (in the naughty sense and also concerned about social justice) and flirtatious.
On Saturday we cooked together for The Underground Restaurant. Every course, from cocktail to dessert, would contain chocolate. I’ve always been interested in chocolate as a savoury ingredient (one of the reasons I was willing Thomasina Miers onto victory during her year of Masterchef).
After some telephone conference calls between Paris and London, where I was surrounded by chocolate books, chocolate samples, a feathery pen to take notes and a sparkly notebook, Trish and I came up with this menu:
Kir photos by Paul Winch Furness
Absolutely incredible how you managed to do that. Most would have struggled with soup etc.! You photos, by the way, are fab.
Fantastic, so seductive; I can diet, cut out all kinds of stuff, but chocolate remains a vice I cannot live without. I so want to read your autobiography; I mean, 'This sustained me on the long rowing trips to Island of the Moon and Island of the Sun' – that raised goose bumps!
Gorgeous photos! Really looks like a delicious supper! And South America too eh? Someone should write an autobiography me thinks? Though I suppose your book may tell more…xxx
What an incredible chocolate menu with bejewelled photo's. Well done to all concerned.
Fantastic. Well done you and Trish both. It sounds like something I should have been a and I bet it was a great success.
I know you are a fan of salt, but chocolate salt – what, how, when? We grow purple potatoes so they aren't a problem but I need the salt.
Also congratulations on your book, I bet it's a really interesting read.
If Katherine Hepburn promoted it …it's good enough for me. A wonderful menu. Congratulations.
The creativity that goes into your menus is always amazing and I love the research and historical context you put with it. Inspired by many things in this piece.
Thanks everybody. It was a real honour to work with Trish…
Wow, what a treat! Aside from the chocolatey wonderment, that mushroom toast looks about good enough to die for.
And, as others have said, lovely photo's, too!
Looks like a fantastic chocolate-lover's event, bet you and Trish had a grand time cooking together x