Everyone loves cheese straws, but anyone who knows how to cook knows how easy they are to make, which renders them fairly unimpressive as a canape. They're also not widely seen as being traditionally French. Which is why, when called upon to make some inventive yet simple canapes for a cocktail party, my daughter went on the hunt for a version that could be described- however loosely - as Perigord inspired. Within minutes, she'd found the below recipe for cheese and walnut sable biscuits, and an hour later she'd cooked her first batch. 

60g plain flour
60g self raising flour
1/4 tsp chili powder or 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or both if you like a real kick)
60g butter
175g grated cheese (something from the Perigord is obviously best, but use what you have)
75g finely chopped walnuts
2 -3 tbsps beer or milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Sift the flours, salt, pepper & chillies into a bowl together & mix.
2. Rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Add the cheese & walnuts - mix well.
4. Add the beer or milk - mix into a dough.
5. Chill for 30 minutes.
6. Roll out on a floured board and cut into small rounds.
7. Place on a greased baking tray and bake in pre-heated oven 180C/360F for about 15 minutes or until golden brown & crisp.
8. Sprinkle with seasoning salt or cayenne pepper if you wish.
9. Cool on a wire rack and store in airtight tins.

Recipe via www.food.com.

It's the end of August, and the torrent of summer visitors to the Dordogne has reduced to a trickle. The markets are getting emptier, it's easy to find a parking space in the bigger towns of the commune, and shops are beginning to advertise their winter trading hours.

Naturally, my mid has turned to truffles. Over the next few weeks, the truffle hunters will be out in force, seeking out those nuggets of black diamond to sell at the St Alvere truffle market when its doors open on 1 December. The season begins in earnest in October, and I look forward to a return of the regular invitations for a truffle omelette, especially those made by the masterful Pierrot.

While much of the Dordogne has yet to switch on to the benefit of the internet as a marketing tool, the organisers of the St Alvere truffle market have put a lot of thought into their website, which includes a monthly recipe containing truffles. This month's caught my eye - it  is simple in terms of the level of culinary skill needed, but pretty decadent for those who don't live in a region groaning with truffles and geese.

1. Pre-heat your oven  to around 180 degrees C. 
2. Rub cloves of garlic on slices of pain de campagne and spread with goose fat straight from the jar. It should be the cool room temperature consistency of soft margarine or butter, not liquid. 
3. Top each slice with thin truffle shavings and lightly brush them with a flavourless oil so they do not shrivel. 
4. Keeping an eye on them to prevent burning, cook the slices of bread on a baking tray for 3-5 minutes. 
5. Cut each slice into bite-size portions, season with feshly-ground black pepper, and serve with the aperitif of your choice.

The early evening drink is the lifeblood of a small community like St Denis. Neighbours drop in on each other for gossip over a glass or two, and bonds are forged and broken.

When she first arrived, Pamela was keen to get to know her neighbours and threw a small drinks party. But the mad Englishwoman made a fatal mistake – instead of the bowls of nuts and crisps St Denis was used to, she put out trays of charcuterie, homemade rilettes and pate de foie gras, and a cheese board.

The small drinks party ended at 3am, when the food finally ran out. The biggest hit of the evening was figs stuffed with foie.

This recipe involves overnight refrigeration, so plan ahead.

20 dried figs
500g pate de foie gras
table salt
good sea salt

1. Cover the foie in table salt, then wrap in clingfilm.
2. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Using scissors or a sharp knife, trim the top off each dried fig. Use the handle of a wooden spoon – or a clean finger – to poke a small cavity in each one. Be careful not to poke through the skin.
4. Spoon the salted foie gras into the cavity. Depending on the size of your dried figs, you should aim for around a teaspoon of foie in each fig. Sprinkle some good sea salt on the top of each fig.
5. Refrigerate the stuffed figs for a further four hours.

To serve, put halved figs on plates with small glasses of chilled Monbazillac.