Detours. A French expat’s insider's guide to exclusive food, chocolate and travel experiences in Sydney, Australia.

Joyeux Noel to you

Hi guys, I hope you had a lovely Christmas, with gorgeous gifts, plenty of food and all your loved ones around you!

I love the whole 'Christmas on the beach' notion, but being an expat here in Sydney, Christmas is always a tad nostalgic for me... Thank God for Skype, but still, Christmas isn't exactly the same when your family is 20,000 kms away. Anyway, I put on a brave face and still managed to have a fabulous Xmas with our closest friends here, involving all the usual suspects:

- Xmas Eve Champagne breakfast and gorgeous lunch with friends, to get in the festive mood: check

- Gorgeous Xmas Eve al-fresco dinner, featuring BBQ lobsters flambe with cognac: check

- Traditional French Christmas log with Valrhona chocolate from La Renaissance Cafe: check

- Gorgeous foodie gifts from husband, family and self (aren't they the best?!): check

- Fabulous bottles of Champagne thanks to lovely husband (Dom Perignon Rose, Krug and Ruinart): check

- Xmas Day hangover: check

- Recovery through panettone breakfast, followed by DVD marathon slouching on couch: check

- Xmas Day Skype session with the family back home: check

- family drama with husband ending up in hospital for sliced hand: check

So tell me dear reader, what was the best thing about YOUR Christmas? Did it involved any of the above? Was Santa nice to you this year?

Open Day at the Wharf: behind the scenes with Sydney's performing arts companies

I love theatre...

Borrowing words from Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton in the 2011 season leaflet of the Sydney Theatre Company, "theatre gives you a chance to lead many lives, to experience many more moments than those (too few) allotted to us by fate."

The beautiful Wharf 1 Theatre and its heritage-listed timber building

And when I say I love theatre, I mean performing arts in general - from contemporary dance, circus and musicals to ballet, cabaret and opera.

So you can imagine how happy I was earlier this month to be able to spend a whole day behind the scenes at some of Sydney's leading performing arts companies, from Sydney Dance Company and Bangarra Dance Company, to Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, the Bell Shakespeare Company and the Sydney Theatre Company.

In the costume department at STC (Carrie Bradshaw would go crazy in there!); the beautiful crown designed by Lisa Cooper aka The Butcher's Daughter for 'The War of the Roses')

Walsh Bay's annual "Open Day at the Wharf" was just magical, one of my absolute best Sundays this year... Dance workshops galore, open rehearsals, concerts, a mini show followed by a Q&A with Sydney Dance Company Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela, guided backstage tours and even DIY crafts with the production teams at the Sydney Theatre.

The funky set production warehouse at STC

One of the best things about that day was to see how much the talented people you never get to see on stage (special effects people, sound and light technicians, set designers, choreographers) enjoyed being able to interact with the public and share with them their inspiration, passion and secret tricks. That was quite emotional, to tell you the truth...

The special effects team showing us the trick behind the rain effect in 'Uncle Vanya' (they're using silicone beads); actor Wayne Blair telling us about the fight scenes and props used in 'True West'

L'Avant-Comptoir bistro: how I fell in love with Paris (again)

Let's put it that way: if you only had one day in Paris, I'd advise you to go to L'Avant-Comptoir. It's THAT good, and inexpensive, and iconically French. This is one of the places I always go back to each time I go back home.

Jean and I enjoying a glass of red and 'jambon de Bayonne'

L'Avant-Comptoir is an offshoot from more famous "Le Comptoir du Relais". Both are run by French bistro maestro Jean-Yves Camdeborde.

Camdeborde is the godfather of no-fuss modern bistro gastronomy and one of my absolute favourite chefs back home. He was also one of the chef judges on the French version of MasterChef - kind of a gallic version of Gary Mehigan.

Sliced squids and pig ears; black pudding macarons

This tiny, standing-room-only bar in the heart of vibrant Saint-Germain des Pres is where you go for fabulous wine by the glass and a quick bite to eat (we call it "dejeuner sur le pouce" in French, or 'eating on the thumb'), or for nibbles before lunch or dinner. 

Vibrant Saint-Germain-des-Pres; foie gras skewers

They have a fantastic selection of regional charcuterie and 'hors d'oeuvre' - dazzling patrons (lots of regulars, lots of chefs around too) with a French version of Spanish tapas.

Roasted chicken, foie gras skewers, pickles, octopus carpaccio, prawns a la plancha, black pudding macarons - you name it.

Save the date for our 'Seven Wonders of Basque Cuisine' event on Feb 5!

Do you want to know more about the wonderful flavours of Basque gastronomy?

Do you want to find out why some of the most talked-about chefs in the world right now are coming from the Basque Country, from Juan Mari and Elena Arzac and Martin Berasategui (3 Michelin stars each) to Andoni Luis Aduriz of Mugaritz in San Sebastian (2 Michelin stars)?

Look no further! Join our "Seven Wonders of Basque Cuisine" in Sydney on Saturday 5th February 2011, at 12:30pm (to secure your booking, visit our event page here).

The famous 'Gateau Basque', with 'xapata' black cherries

After our successful '13 Desserts of Provence" Christmas event in December, we'll embark on a culinary journey like no other, from Bayonne and Biarritz in France to Bilbao, San Sebastian and Pamplona across the border.

We'll explore the fascinating stories and traditions behind iconic dishes and ingredients such as Espelette pepper, pintxos (the Basque tapas), the famous jambon de Bayonne (cured ham), salt cod a la Vizcaina, txipirones (baby squids) in their ink, the Basque macarons, the Gateau Basque with xapata black cherries, and so much more. 

Postcard from Kakadu National Park, Australia

Today I'm just taking a break from my quest for Sydney's best chocolates and other edible gems to tell you about Kakadu National Park, one of my absolute favourite places in Australia. Kakadu is so beautiful, wild, lush, and so iconically Australian... It's also the largest national park in the country, with plenty to do and see.

So if you're thinking of travelling to Australia, or if you're living here but planning an interstate escape for 2011, here are my Top-5 reasons to visit Kakadu:

1. The light and colours there are unlike anything else. So vibrant. Pure eye candy.

2. The landscapes are spectacular. Think savanna woodlands, waterfalls, billabongs, meandering rivers, scenic bushwalking.

Get into the Christmas spirit with Kakawa Chocolates

They've done it again! As I visited Kakawa last weekend for my Deluxe Artisan Chocolate Tours, I got to taste their red-hot Christmas chocolate collection.

"Christmas Pudding" spiced ganache - "Egg Nog Cups" with rum and nutmeg

Very creative, with divine flavours such as "Egg Nog Cup" (white chocolate, rum and nutmeg, $1.80) and "Christmas Pudding" (spiced ganache and cherry brandy macerated fruits, $1.80). You can really tell owners David and JinSun were professional chefs in their previous lives.

In addition to the super cute chocolate frosty snowmen, Santas and dotted reindeers ($8.50 each, available in dark and milk chocolate), what really caught my eye were the gorgeous chocolate Christmas-tree decorations: think mini Xmas trees, candles, angels, bells and snowmen ($4.50 each).

"Ginger Breadless Men" with mixed spices and dark & milk chocolate

The chocolate "Ginger Breadless Men" with mixed spices ($4.50) are also fast becoming best-sellers - and it's easy to understand why!

Last but not least, Kakawa have also released a beautiful "Berry Merry Christmas tree", available in dark and milk chocolate, with goji berries, hazelnuts, candied orange, raisins, pistacchio and shredded coconut ($19). The perfect gift idea, if you ask me... I already bought two for myself alone! 

Chocolate tree, anyone?

To stock up on these Christmas chocolates and other edible gems, visit www.kakawachocolates.com.au (147 William St in Darlinghurst). And for exclusive chocolate tastings and meet & greet with the Kakawa chocolatiers artisans, why not join my next Deluxe Chocolate Tour?

So tell me dear reader, what are **your** favourite Christmas stocking fillers?