Food update

• A couple of Fridays ago, we visited the Chästeilet; an annual festival where the farmers go into the mountains and divide up the year's cheese output, according to how much milk their cows produced. I bought a Kilo of some very nice Alpkaese, and is de rigeur on such occasions, I drank some beer and ate a sausage, as well as some raclette.

• I discovered quinces at our local market, which as all good food luddites know may be made into a paste (called membrilla, and oft served with cheese). I have made some of said paste, and very good it is too (quite easy to make, to boot). It goes quite well with my Alpkaese, but would go better with some Manchego.

• Passing through Paris on the way back from my England trip, I stopped off at one of Les Halle's crazier food equipment stores to get a Le Creuset Doufeu, which is just like a normal Le Creuset casserole, but you can put ice in the top and it starts self-basting. Made a great roast chicken/risotto thing in it, and also offset the slight gitty smugness factor of owning the thing by making an irish stew in it.