Ooh La Loire : MONKVALLEY: Memories and thoughts about food and a life lived in the Loire Valley, France

SPICY PICKLED EGGS

By Sheila Wilton
February 22, 2026
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If you’re a fan of pickling, you’ll love this spicy pickled egg recipe made with chilies, spices,cider vinegar and garlic. They’re super addictive, quick and easy to make. INGREDIENTS 10–12 … Continue Reading →

WELSH RAREBIT

By Sheila Wilton
February 7, 2026
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Welsh rarebit is a pub classic. Good cheese, beer, mustard and Worcestershire sauce combined and spread on toast make for a perfect hearty lunch or a rich starter. INGREDIENTS Serves … Continue Reading →

GYOZA DUMPLINGS WITH A COCONUT CURRY SAUCE

By Sheila Wilton
February 7, 2026
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This one pan dumpling dish, baked atop saucy coconut milk with curry and Bok choy, takes just a few minutes to put together, and bakes in less than a half … Continue Reading →

SIZZLING SOY-GINGER GROUND BEEF with CARAMELIZED CABBAGE

By Sheila Wilton
January 27, 2026
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This Sizzling Soy-Ginger Ground Beef with Caramelized Cabbage is a bold, comforting bowl that brings together simple ingredients and big flavours. What makes this recipe shine is the way … Continue Reading →

ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE

By Sheila Wilton
January 15, 2026
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Claudia Roden’s orange and almond cake Often imitated but never bettered, this deceptively simple flourless cake gets its unique moist texture from boiled citrus and ground nuts. INGREDIENTS Serves 12 … Continue Reading →

TOAD IN THE HOLE by MARY BERRY

By Sheila Wilton
January 12, 2026
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This easy toad in the hole from Mary Berry is a classic winter’s dinner. Delicious sausages with a crisp and fluffy Yorkshire pudding batter it’s sure to be a hit … Continue Reading →

BEEF CHEEK DAUBE à LA PROVRNçAL

By Sheila Wilton
January 5, 2026
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There are dishes that transcend time without ever losing their modernity. Beef cheek is one of them. Long relegated to humbler tables, it has now become a symbol of bistro … Continue Reading →

TOAD IN THE HOLE, WITH APPLES, AND PRUNES.

By Sheila Wilton
December 20, 2025
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This is perfect for those chilly Autumn evenings. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s recipe of toad in the hole is so different. He adds onions, apples, and prunes, and makes for a delicious … Continue Reading →

we RECOMMEND

DOMAINE DE SAINT-MAUR Ideally located in Anjou, the Domaine Saint-Maur is located on the hills that dominate the left bank of the Loire, the Thoureil, Maine and Loire. The vineyards of Saint Maur became the property of the CHOUTEAU family in 1962. Winegrowers and winemakers for several generations, we bring our passion and our know-how to the breeding of our vines. The main grape varieties that make up the 36 ha predominantly clay-limestone are theCabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon-Chenin, Sauvignon Blanc and Grolleau .

Manoir de Jouralem Manoir de Jouralem is a new stylish boutique bed and breakfast & Gite in The Loire Valley, France. Opened in July 2018, Mel & Hywel are English speaking owners living the good life with their young family and Tilly the wonder-dog. There are 8 hectares of grounds to explore, including the new natural swimming pool, walks through the woods, passing the flower garden, orchard and picnic area. They look forward to welcoming you for a well deserved stay, whether you are wine and food enthusiasts, keen cyclists, chateaux visitors or just need a good cosy rest.

Domaine Leduc Frouin Nathalie and Antoine LEDUC now run the family estate founded in 1873. Before them, four generations of winegrowers - parents, uncle, grandparents - built and developed the Seigneurie vineyard. Combining tradition and modernity , they do everything they can to offer you typical Anjou wines, subtle and surprising. Passionate, they work rigorously on their vineyard of around thirty hectares located in Martigné-Briand, in the heart of Haut-Layon. The diversity of their terroirs - falun, schist, clay - allows them to produce plot-by-plot vinifications that reveal the character of the Seigneurie wines each year.