'Trucs' for the Kitchen

Our kitchen is still a joy to me every time I enter it having made-do with a makeshift kitchen in the living room for well over a year while we were renovating the house.  The day that we that we lugged in all the furniture that had been languishing in the barn was a real red-letter day.

The challenge then was to decide where all my lovely trucs were going to go.  Being a professional chef's kitchen it needed to be practical but I saw no reason not to mix in a smattering of vintage finds.

I love entertaining and when we have friends over to eat I relish the opportunity to use some of the vintage tableware that we have managed to chiner over the years. Of course it goes without saying that head chef in this scenario is my husband Spike (although our friends would probably deny it I'm sure they would be gutted if I cooked!)












I find that nothing gives more of a sense of occasion than bringing a meal to the table in an ancient terrine or by serving a tranche of cake using a vintage silver plated cake slice.

One of our favourite Autumn starters is the classic French dish Soupe à l'oignon and I will invariably dig out some of our rustic earthenware soup dishes to serve it in.

For a warm colourful southern French dish like Soupe au pistou our rather flamboyant Italian soup terrine comes into its own and, although it's sounds a bit mad, a simple dessert such as strawberries and cream tastes so much better in my wonderful blue pressed-glass sundae dishes.

If we fancy a snifter of the local Charentaise aperitif, Pineau, or a glass of red wine we use these finely etched antique glasses that were bought from an auction in Poitiers a few years back. Friends often comment on their superb quality but do remember that antique crystal mustn't be washed in a dishwasher (no matter how sozzled you are!)

Another of my favourite trucs are these elegant demi-porcelaine green rimmed plates made by Badonviller around the 1930's/40's. The service was given to us by a dealer as a sweetener for spending an obscene amount of money on the vitrine you can see above (no I won't tell you, just think BIG!) Even though the dinner plates are considerably smaller than modern plates they are great for starters (or for anyone on a diet!).

But what I love most of all is that intangible feeling I get when using these trucs that somehow enables me to connect with the past and if you are lucky enough to inherit something from a loved one, even if it's as humble as this worn out old table spoon from my Nana's kitchen, it's lovely to think of them whenever you use it.