A breakfast fit for a rock star

Because the dates coincide, Jan usually nips to England for Maisie's birthday when my mother visits us here in France. She leaves me in the capable hands of mater, who normally lives alone, and who is usually in urgent need of someone to spoil. Max and I vie for her attention but needless to say, Max generally wins. This morning however, it was my turn. My mother's idea of eating well, is to eat mountains of good for you foods, but when I say mountains, I mean enough to negate the low fat/calorie content of such fare. Part of my breakfast this morning consists of at least two grapefruits, peeled and segmented and with the skin taken off the segments, no less. There was so much, I had to send half of it back to the kitchens! For a brief moment, I felt like some poxy, spoilt little rock star, and was tempted to ask her to feed me by hand - just don't ask! Being an only child does have its benefits and having now visited the realms of fantasy, albeit briefly, Jan will have to get herself sorted out when she gets back. I will demand much higher standards in future.
(Have you ever stopped to think why she really went to England? - Ed.)

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We have run out of my favourite everyday white and rose, so I nip across the village to see Vincent Coste who makes delicious organic wines. The white, a Vermentino, is just right for glugging with a fish sauce pasta and his special rose is right at any time. Thank you, Francoise and Vincent.

My mother likes to spend money. She sees French supermarkets as Aladdin's Caves, full of all the things that she knows and loves from her own Mediterranean background. On Tuesday she needed to 'stock up', so that I wouldn't go hungry whilst Jan was away. Not being exactly shy myself when it comes to 'goodies', we buy enough scallops, clams, tuna, and swordfish to feed an army. Tonight, to start, we feast on scallops lightly fried in butter, followed by 'pasta al vongole', spaghetti with clam sauce to you and me. I groan just to think of the quantities, but we made it - just. Wonderful.