Last night a friend in Síle’s choir had a birthday party for her husband who turned a significant number.

We were told in advance it was to be an “Apero Dinatoire” which is impossible to translate but it is such a good way to give a dinner party that really I feel I must share the experience with my Irish Friends.

There were twelve of us and we all sat around a table to start with, nibbling little cocktail biscuits and slices of salami while we drank either a vin doux from the Loire or Champagne.
Then the food started to come out, course after course of delicious little morsels. There was slivers of foie gras wrapped in crisp bacon served with a slice of fried apple, a garlicy puree of beetroot and cucumber, a timbale of smoked salmon and avocado, a delicious terrine of monkfish and lobster, and the piece de resistance, some buttery snails with herbs and garlic (the birthday boy is from Burgundy) before we hit the cheeses, the pre-dessert, and then the desserts.

This worked so well on so many different levels. It seemed that the couple had divided the tasks so there was always one relaxing at the table while the other was rustling up the next delicious trayfull in the kitchen. The host was in charge of the wines and we went through many different styles with the various courses, always with some cool champagne on the table.

It was a lovely night, relaxed and, because the host and hostess didn’t have to produce a large hot main course, it was comfortably informal.

Many thanks to our hosts Carole Babonneau et Pascal.