Coffee and Tea

On a working trip to Calais recently, we were taken to lunch at a local resto called Cafe de Paris, not far from the Place d'Armes. The decor is typically modern French bling. A remarkable old lady takes her lunch there very regularly, maybe every day - she has a Légion d'Honneur, because she ran the local resistance from her hair salon during the war. Our group was eating the lunch of the day - the Formule - which was 14€, with a choice of cod in a fennel sauce, or a beef stew. Both were served with a basket of bread, and some delicious vegetables, and were judged excellent. The meal also included 'coffee'. This is is what 'coffee' looks like:

No fewer than five items, with a little coffee, a rice pudding, a mousse, an ice-cream and a chocolate pot, all in tiny portions and set out on a slim plate in a row. Elegant and really memorable. I have been experimenting with making different kinds of coffee. This is Greek coffee, which I overfilled and had to pour into a saucepan a few moments later.

And finally, in homage to our national obsession with tea, I leave you with this delightful scene from Faversham market last week - the sale of someone's collection of teapots.