Et voila, we are nearly there, Christmas is right in front of us and before we know it we will be sitting around the table enjoying a roast. But what roast I hear you ask?

“In the current climate of global environmental issues, Scottish meat production is amongst the most environmentally friendly and sustainable in the world. Scotland’s landscape and climate are unique! Much of Scotland’s farmland is unploughable and unsuitable for crops, but ideal to grow grass and our climate means we are rarely short of water. That grass – which we can’t eat - is converted by Scotland’s cattle and sheep into some of the tastiest, nutrient rich beef, milk and lamb in the world.” Andrew Duff of Macduff Beef

As mentioned by Betty above, the Christmas menu will be up online as soon as possible, I have decided to go for a great selection of poultry including Bresse turkeys and chickens, poule noir du Mans as well as a good numbers of Linda’s chickens. There will also be some Armagnac-smoked salmon, some foie gras, and of course, a dark chocolate log. More news soon.

This week I am cooking a cassoulet. Yes, I know I might upset a few chefs or those who pretend they “know it all” with the way I make it. For me, cassoulet is one of those dishes that you can tweak a little bit, using any meat that will work well with each other if cooked properly. On this occasion, I am using organic veal belly, Hebridean mutton and pork neck fillet. I’m also going to make Toulouse sausages. This will all be cooked with organic cannellini beans from Italy.

“Fred has been a wonderful and loyal customer of ours, and of our veal which is of course organic and pasture-for-life; but it is unusual for beef farms like Peelham to produce it.” by Denise Walton, Peelham Farm

I just had breakfast. I finished last night’s dinner with bread and butter and a cup of tea. You won’t believe it (but the ones that know me will) I scoffed a whole choux-farci from last week’s take-away menu. God it was tasty. I might have another one tonight.

“I always learn something in a food chat with Fred. Who knew that in France eating young male turkey is a norm? We rear about 200 turkeys for Christmas and for the last few years he’s taken a few young male turkeys from us.” by Sascha Grierson

A year ago this weekend we welcomed Albert Roux to l’escargot bleu along with some famous names from the hospitality sector. I cannot tell you how stressful this was, and it took a few sleepless nights for me to come up with a menu that would not only please, but be realistic to produce. I ended up cooking a very simple menu and it all went very well - the man was smiling and was extremely thankful!

“Thirty years ago we started keeping chickens for the simple reason that we wanted good-quality healthy food to feed our growing family. Over the years this grew into the small business it is now. Our chickens are reared with lots of space to roam and scratch. We feed a ration which contains no antibiotics or additives, specially mixed to promote slow growth, relying on good husbandry to keep the birds healthy and growing well.”

I had a long chat with one of our young chefs last week - the kind of chat that comes up often. “Passion” he said. He mentioned passion a few times in our chat. I’ve heard that word so many times in the past - from chefs both young and old. “Do you know what passion means?” I asked. “Do you know what passion can do to a human being?”. It can destroy relationships, ruin your common sense, and make you lose sleep! I’m old enough to know what the word passion really means, and lucky me, I must have accumulated a fair bit of it to still be here today. The rewards are immense and intense. Not many people understand the feeling of satisfaction you get when your job is not only well done, but appreciated by others. The sensation of overcoming a complicated situation, flying over the obstacles, is one that no words can describe.