New Food?

Well, it was new to me! And I've reached the age where I don't expect any food surprises!



When we went out to lunch last week to Cafe de laPaix we were sure that it would be good and when Ludovic said that the boeuf bourguignon was excellent I didn't doubt him. We've had it before...who hasn't? ...but I know that beef, however good, can often be - well- stringy however long and carefully it's cooked. In fact it depends on starting with the right ingredients.

OK. I knew it would be tasty but I was prepared for it possibly to be stringy. How wrong I was!! It was quite superb. So much so that I *had* to ask what cut of beef he'd used. It had that same gelatinousness and melt-in-the-mouth-ness of good shin. But more so. And even shin can sometimes be on the stringy side.

I didn't expect it to be a cut of beef that I'd never seen in a butcher's shop nor to have never seen a recipe using it in any of my many cookery books (you'll know I've got a lot when I say cookery was my hobby before knitting!). So what was it??

Cheek. Beef cheek.

It doesn't sound great in English but "joue de boeuf" sounds much better. And I was very pleased to find the local butcher sells it - not even to order. He says he always has it. But it wasn't on the counter, I had to ask for it. Michael is always happy to shop for meat.



So that was our supper last night and it was just as tender as Ludovic's , tasty and most definitely not stringy and I shall be searching for it at my local home butcher. So fingers crossed because that is the meat for beef casserole and stews for me!


I've found that I can get it easily at home.

And look what a lovely homecoming we had!



And I'm really busy test-knitting Hazel's rectangular version of her gorgeous Estonian Lace Christening Shawl.