Discover who was the scourge of King Henry VIII

Whilst Mary, Queen of Scots is a familiar historical figure her mother, Marie de Guise, is relatively unknown. The historian and blogger Melanie Clegg delves into the relationship de Guise had with her French family, The Lorraines, with imaginative fervour which sees this lively biography often stray into the realms of fiction. Scourge of Henry…

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One pot has the lot for delicious recipes

This book, One-Pot Cuisine, by Le Creuset contains 100 recipes for slow-cooked meaty casseroles, tagines and other simple one-pot dishes as well as divine desserts. They are all designed to be used with the company’s famous iron pots, grill pans and tagine dishes. The instructions given are clear and the book is filled with inspiring pictures…

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Get yourself along here – and not at a snail’s pace

If I have a go-to French place when I eat out in Edinburgh, it is L’Escargot Bleue, a fantastic little Broughton Street restaurant. Fred Berkmiller’s refreshingly traditional take on French cuisine means that if you want snails, foie gras, horse steaks and tarte tatin, this is where to come. But then the same is true…

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Exceptional value is at the heart of Chez Jules

There are many places in Edinburgh offering exquisite French food with a matching price, but Chez Jules offers exceptional value. This city centre basement eaterie is owned by Pierre Levicky (of Pierre Victoire fame), and provides good bistro favourites at sensible prices. Noisy and invariably packed, it features checked tablecloths and candles in bottles but…

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