High Season

Latest post on the diary blog.
The season is now in full flow here in Beziers, fetes galore, music festivals and the annual Feria still to come in a few weeks. The beaches are full, the sun is shining (okay today is a mere cloudly and a few droplets of rain but the garden welcomes it). We are full for Feria week but can recommend other places if you still wish to come to the festival.

Despite this, Beziers is not crowded. There is still room to walk around, tables available at cafes and bars and its lovely to just sit and take in the atomosphere at your own pace rather than a bustling crowdy city. With flights opening up from Beziers to Norway, Sweden and Germany, Maison De L'Orb has felt quite "continental" in the last few weeks and we have made some good friends.

In the kitchen this week, I have been doing my usual entertaining but also trying something new with a receipe found in my old french cookery book so apologies for none copyright etc. This is my take on french doughnut toast which is ideal for breakfast with a mug of hot chocolate or late at night as a go to bed treat. Either way, by itself this is sublime succour. You can, if you like, turn this into a dinner party doughnut-allusive dessert by whizzing up 150g hulled strawberries, 4 tablespoons icing sugar and a spritz of lemon juice in the blender, to make a sauce to pour.

•2 eggs
•4 teaspoons vanilla extract
•60ml full-fat milk
•4 slices from a small white loaf or 2 slices from a large white loaf, each large slice cut in half
•25g butter, plus a drop of flavourless oil for frying
•50g caster sugar

Method
Serves: 2

1.Beat the eggs with the milk and vanilla in a wide, shallow bowl.
2.Soak the bread halves in the eggy mixture for 5 minutes a side.
3.Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan, and fry the egg-soaked bread until golden and scorched in parts on both sides.
4.Put the sugar on a plate and then dip the cooked bread in it until coated like a sugared doughnut.

Enjoy
xx