Les plaisirs du printemps

My first message on a rather dull and uninspiring Saturday afternoon. Yet what better way to spend it than with you? First things first though, why Berlin cheesecake? Well, simply because there's already a New York and a London cheesecake (see photo) and I felt the time had come for a city as wonderful as Berlin to have its own. All that remains to be done is to invent one of course as it currently exists only in the mind. Naja.

The title is, of course, that of a cooking blog. For a long time I resisted giving in to my ever growing desire to write one. Too clichéd and unoriginal. Friends will probably of guessed however, that where I'm concerned it just couldn't be that simple as my love of food is certainly equalled by my passion for literature. Both are a kind of nourishment which I'd be hard pushed to give up so you shouldn't be surprised to find Flaubert side by side with Sachertorte.

I'm not sure when my love of food began. As a child I was enraptured by the delicious smell of homemade bread or apple pie which permeated our red brick house. Living in France certainly intensified my passion and even to the French, I was très gourmande. Food for me isn't just a matter of survival. It's something which can stir up the deepest sensations or reawaken cherished but forgotten memories. To the irritation of certain people close to me, I scorn the idea that you always have to buy the cheapest. Personally speaking, there are certain "staple items" where I simply refuse to compromise: bread, cakes, cheese, chocolate and tea among others, even if it sometimes brings me to the verge of financial ruin. Alas, today food has become such an emotional subject. So much so that the very idea of tucking into a cream cake or a slice of warm bread with best butter is enough to leave us feeling guilt racked. Certainly, our health is something to be taken seriously but hopefully this blog will help you rediscover or increase the pure pleasure of eating.