Don’t you find it weird how you’ll go for months not thinking about a particular thing and then all of a sudden it’ll be completely ubiquitous? For instance, one morning you’ll wake up and there’ll be a news report on Penguin Books, then you’ll read an article on the way into work about an oil spill threatening penguins, and then someone will make a reference to a person in black tie looking like a penguin. For months you’ll be penguin-free and suddenly they’re everywhere.

Today, this happened with mussels. No sooner did my pot-wielding, garlic-crusher-obsessed, sauté professional and all around super-chef husband, declare that he’s going to be making moules & frites for dinner tonight, then an email popped up in my inbox from Angela Murrills. Angela is the author of Hot Sun, Cool Shadows, the most collectable and inspirational of travel memoirs set in the stunning Languedoc region of France. Prepare yourself for serious wanderlust! Charmingly illustrated by Angela’s talented husband, Peter Matthews, it’s well…a treasure trove of inspiring architecture, fascinating French history and droolingly delicious recipes. In short, a glorious holiday read.

In today’s email Angela was telling me about her blog Deep South of France. Check it out – first recipe to jump out at me: paella with mussels (picture, as featured on the blog, below).

Then I went to gym over lunch and what do you know – muscles everywhere…

Sigh, you must forgive me, it’s been a long day…

Lara Crisp, Managing Editor