Day 3412 (Monday) 12th October 2026.

This is Eze bord de mer taken from Eze Village

and this is Peillon.

It was lovely and sunny again this morning and I enjoyed a few hours sunbathing. It cools down quite a lot in the evening but it’s still lovely.

12 French recipes to make this Autumn

A selection of cosy dishes from my kitchen in Brittany

I like to believe the French repertoire was built for the autumn season. Long meat braises, crisp apples from the orchards, mushrooms from the market stalls, a pot simmering all afternoon while the rain comes down outside: for me, this is France, and especially Brittany at its best.

Here’s my selection from the blog of the 12 french recipes you should make this autumn: from a buttery onion quiche starter to an invisible apple cake that (literally) disappears before your eyes.

Starter

Caramelised Onion Tart. 

This is a autumn classic from the Alsace Region, with a buttery, crisp crust and a rich caramelised-onion custard filling – so good. This works as an easy elegant opener, a light lunch, or a full dinner with a salad on the side.

Soups

Split Pea Bacon Soup. 

Known as “Potage Saint-Germain”, this soup is a french bistro classic that’s hearty enough for a full dinner. The mix of smoky bacon and cozy, smooth split peas makes it perfect for chilly evenings.

French Onion Soup.

This is my recipe for the classic onion soup made the traditional french way. No shortcuts. Slowly caramelised onions, a rich red wine and beef broth, and a bubbling Gruyère-topped crouton crust. 

Mains

Pork Chops with Apples and Cider Sauce. 

This recipe is an easy one-pan dish of plump pork chops, caramelised apples and creamy cider sauce. Pork + Apples + Cider = unmistakably Breton. 

Chicken Chasseur. 

This is the classic French “Hunter’s style” chicken, made with mushrooms in a tomato-white wine sauce, and finished with butter. If you love mushrooms (like me), this recipe is for you. 

Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce. 

Known as “Poulet à la Forestière”, this dish includes pan-fried chicken, braised in white wine, finished with a rich mushroom-and-crème-fraîche sauce. The creamy counterpart to the Chicken Chasseur above.

Braised Pork Loin with Prunes (Porc aux pruneaux). 

A dish I grew up with here in Brittany. This is a whole pork loin, slow-braised in white wine with sweet onions and melt-in-your-mouth prunes. It’s syrupy, sweet-salty, and elegant enough for a holiday table.

French Style Cottage Pie (Hachis Parmentier). 

This French version of a cottage pie features seasoned ground beef under a blanket of buttery mashed potato, baked until golden.

Sides

Red Kuri Squash Blue Cheese Gratin. 

This is one of my favourite side dishes for autumn, made with layers of tender “potimarron” (red kuri squash), tangy blue cheese, crème fraîche, walnuts and pumpkin seeds.

Desserts

Invisible Apple Cake (Gâteau Invisible aux Pommes).

This cake is so unique, made with paper-thin apple slices “disappearing” into a custardy batter as it bakes. It’s delicious, deceptively simple and visually striking. 

Apple Cinnamon Galette.

This galette (or “tarte rustique” as we say in France) has all the flavours of an apple pie, but with half the fuss: a flaky, free-form butter crust folded over crisp apples. No pie dish required.

Classic French Pear Cake. 

Because pear deserves its moment too, not just apple or pumpkin. This French cake is loaded with pears and lightly flavoured with almond extract.

This is an interesting article…

You know you have gone native in France when your daily habits, social reflexes, and lifestyle completely align with local customs.

Daily Habits and Food

• The Boulangerie Line: You no longer get annoyed by a long morning queue at the bakery, and waiting patiently for a fresh baguette feels completely normal.

• Meal Times: You treat lunch and dinner as sacred, uninterrupted events rather than quick fuel stops, and you find yourself confused when bread does not automatically arrive at a restaurant table.

• The 4 PM Snack: You embrace the traditional goûter, enjoying a piece of bread with chocolate or jam in the afternoon.

Seasonal Eating: You judge produce strictly by the season, refusing to buy tomatoes or strawberries when they are not locally in-season.

Social Etiquette

• The Universal "Bonjour": You instinctively say "Bonjour, madame/monsieur" the second you walk into a shop, elevator, or waiting room, even to complete strangers.

• Mastering Faire la Bise: Greeting acquaintances with cheek kisses becomes second nature, and you do it without second-guessing the number of kisses or the local regional variation.

Professional Complaining: You realise that complaining or debating politics isn't being rude—it is simply a national pastime and a form of social engagement.

Logistics and Lifestyle

• Embracing Bureaucracy: Dealing with endless paperwork or appointments at the prefecture no longer ruins your week; you simply shrug, sigh, and roll with the process.

• Closing Hours: You stop expecting shops or government offices to be open on Sunday afternoons, Mondays, or during standard lunch hours, and you plan your life around closures.

Language Blending: You catch yourself dropping French filler words or phrases into your native language without noticing it.