About a month ago, I wrote about the two meals I cooked for my boyfriend’s birthday. This week, we celebrated my birthday and it was his turn to be the chef. While most people will assume I am the culinary whiz in our relationship, my boyfriend actually went to catering college in England and probably knows more about traditional cuisine (making sauces, techniques, etc) than I do. In addition, he has introduced me to the world of English cuisine (a world which has an undeservedly poor reputation across the pond in the States). He specializes in many of the most traditional English dishes: Pasties, Cottage Pie, English Roast Dinners, Bubble and Squeak, and Traditional English Fry-Up. How did I ever live without them all!? But living in Brittany has taught him well, he is also an expert galette and crêpe maker.

So when he asked what I wanted for my birthday I chose to have the best of French and English: A fry-up for breakfast, and crêpes for dinner. The perfect start to a brilliant birthday: 2 Richmond Sage and Onion Sausages, English Bacon from Sainsbury’s, Heinz Baked Beans, Fried Mushroom and Tomato, Buttered Toast and 1 egg fresh from the girls in the yard, fried.

The breakfast gave us enough energy for our long walk to the nearby lake. Sadly, my camera was out of battery so I lugged it along for nothing and couldn’t even take photos of the gorgeous morning we had walking through the woods and fields in the watery Breton sunlight.

Breakfast was so hearty in fact, that we skipped lunch. We were still full, even after a 3 hour walk. So by the time dinner came around, we were famished. I hung around my boyfriend as he cooked, perstering him by asking continuously “Is it ready yet!?”

Leave me alone, I’m cooking!

It was difficult to say who was worse, me or the dogs. They too were hungry from the walk and were hanging around the kitchen giving us those sad eyes which are so difficult to refuse.

Finally, the galettes were ready. Egg, sausage, cheese and caramelized onion. Trop bon! 

But the best part was dessert. My favorite ever dessert is Bananas Foster, a delicious ice cream and flambéed banana concoction. We had the crêpe version, which was just as much fun to watch being made as it was to eat.        

Crêpe with Banana Flambéed in Eau de Vie with Vanilla Ice Cream

And spoiled me, before I even had these two wonderful home-cooked meals on my actual birthday, Toby had taken me to a birthday lunch at the nearby Gîtes Kerdrean where a professionally-trained chef works his magic once a month to do a supper club type meal on the down-low.

Excuse the poor quality of the pictures, had to use flash as I was in a dark room! The food looked much more appetizing in real life, I can assure you!

Starter: Seafood Feuilleté in a Langoustine Bisque (Photo is a bit messy as it was taken after I had already dove in, forgetting I needed to take pictures of it!)
Main plate: Chicken Basquaise with Roast Potatoes, Carrots and Salsify.Dessert: Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding in Custard (So decadent and melt-in-you-mouth delicious!)

I am sure that if everyone in the world could have such a delicious birthday, there would be world peace!

Oh, and you’ll be hearing more tales of British cuisine coming soon as my birthday present is a trip to the moors of southwest England!