FOOD FIND: La Cure Gourmande

Having spent the past weekend at Disneyland Paris, I was as you can imagine, as excited as little child in a sweet shop. A sweet shop covered in sugar with lashings of golden syrup, treacle no doubt.

I wasn't however, as excited to be faced with the prospect of eating nothing but American food for the next few days. Don't get me wrong I love a good burger and fries, who doesn't, and if you say you don't, well then you're kidding yourselves. The thought of a weekend of burgers however did not fill me with such joy.

So my weekend drew to a close and myself my partner and his younger sister all packed our cases and headed back to Paris Orly Airport. It's an undeniable fact that airports are nothing but droll and mundane. I'd thought the same thought when landing at Orly only four days earlier. Oh how I was wrong, so wrong in fact when I discovered what can only be described as the best French sweet shop I have ever laid eyes / tantalised my tummy / stepped in (delete as which you feel most appropriate)

La Cure Gourmande is my latest recommendation for anyone making a trip to France in the coming weeks, or in fact near future. The sweets and pastries in this shop were something to behold. No euros would ever have been enough to settle my appetite but I settled on a delicious selection of Nougat.

Are you a Nougaaart or Nugget fan?

The individually wrapped squares of Nougat set me back 14 Euros. OK so I hasten to add this was a little extravagant of me but try as I might I simply couldn't resist. Apologies for the terrible quality of photograph of the box, which was, empty by itself exquisite. Unfortunately the photo doesn't portray the true beauty of the in season winter flavour, pistachio, citrus, rose and fig flavour squares, as it was taken in haste on my IPhone whilst settling down with a cup of tea to scoff a few squares with a cuppa but I'm sure you get the picture. I also happened to succumb to the delights of on the till purchases, and picked up a beautifully packaged cone of chocolate olives for my father as a tasty Christmas treat for 8 Euros.

If you haven't yet looked at the LCG website I urge you to, from one fellow foodie to the next, to give it a quick click now. Better still, in France? VISIT! You will not be disappointed

MADE IT: Jamie Oliver's Crunchy Salad - Jamie Does...

There is something about Jamie Oliver's cooking which makes me physically want to devour every cookbook before I've even attempted cooking anything from them. The food is simple, it's modern and is achievable! Hoorah a realistic cooking companion!

I was very lucky to celebrate mine and my boyfriend's anniversary this month, and being the fabulous individual he is, he treated me to Jamie's new release 'Jamie Does..' and believe you me this book DOES NOT (pun...yet again I am sorry) disappoint!

This new release from everyone's favourite Essex boy, sees Jamie journey around some of Europe's favourite destinations, stopping off to create some culinary delights on the way. For a flover, (food lover, new lingo, get in the know ;o) this book pretty much delivers on every level.

You've got the variation of the more adventurous recipes such as Confit Duck or Beetroot Gravadlax (drool) to the more easy simple snacks of topped bruschettas to speedy salads like this little number I tried out, Jamie's Simple Crunchy Salad!

 Jamie's salad came up trumps and was probably one of the easiest and quickest tasty salads that I've done for some time. Ok, so my fridge was pretty bare to say the least when I assembled this salad, but that's the beauty of Jamie's cooking; it's so easy even a cooking novice could create some of these dishes, and like me adapt to what you want in them. Definite winner!

WATCH IT: Julie and Julia

When it comes to cooking sometimes a tv programme just doesn't cut the mustard (sorry, pun intended!) I've been a Nora Ephron addict for years, and Julie and Julia is no exception. Based on two true stories this film is centred around two women and their two loves of all things food.

Centred on Julie Powell, a woman disgruntled with her day to day depressing job whose brainchild (sorry again, intended pun) is to create a blog, recording her plight cooking all 524 recipes from renowned chef Julia Child's cookbook in a single year.

Everything about this film is joyous. Whether you are watching Julia Child and her husband Paul eat their way around France or Julie Powell struggling with the Lobster Thermidor you can't help but fall in love with their stories and their united passion for cooking.

The story follows two stories, flicking from Julia's muched loved days in Paris, learnt cooking and creating her cookbooks, and Julie's desperation to find a purpose in life and her career, by doing the only thing she knows best, to cook.  It's hard not find a soft foodie spot in your heart for the characters portrayed by Amy Adams and the irrepressible Meryl Streep, who as Child is nothing but faultless. You'll find yourself in utter buttery coated food heaven with this ones my friends!

The best part of this update? I picked up a copy of the DVD with Julia Child cookbook for the bargainous price of £7 in Tesco. A steal. Not only do I own a heartwarming story that tantalises my tastebuds and makes me, let's face it, downright ravenous, I now am the proud owner of 30 of Julia's best recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. (available in full hardback version, see right) Hoorah! Now I get my chance to perfect the art of Boeuf Bourguignon et La Tarte des Demoiselles Tatin. Bliss!

If you're like me and you love your grub and nothing more than a film with a happy ending then this will be right up your cooking street. If you want to find out more about the film then check out the trailer below. Guaranteed winner!!