Each year, for 23 consecutive days, I get out of bed at 4:30am, drive to SBS headquarters and spend eight hours publishing stories about cycling’s biggest race.

I work as a cycling journalist, but for me, the hype of the Tour de France is lost in a daily grind of rider reaction stories, videos and social media updates. With such early and relentless wake-up calls it is unlikely that I will watch a minute of live action throughout the three week Tour.

So this year I have decided to experience the Tour de France in a different way.

As part of SBS’s Tour de France offering, viewers are taken on a culinary tour of France with chef Gabriel Gaté and Taste Le Tour.

I have set myself the goal of cooking each and every recipe of this year’s Taste Le Tour, even the ones I would usually shy away from (kidney!)

If I can’t go to France for the Tour, at least I can taste France!

The most I have ever written about food is a grocery list, but I love to write, eat and cook and am eager to extend my repertoire. It was this tweet that inspired me to commit to this public project:

Anyway, down to business.

This year’s Tour de France begins in Yorkshire. Yep, Yorkshire, that area in England, across the channel from France. Weird, but not unusual. The Tour de France has a habit of starting abroad, last year it started in Corsica.

So it’s not even a French dish that I begin my culinary Tour with, but an English dessert: Rhubarb and Strawberry Fool. Easy and delicious.

Gaté’s recipe is easy to follow, although I found it odd that he suggested to peel the rhubarb. As it’s not strawberry season in Australia, the berries benefited from the sweetness of the honey. Like an English tiramisu, it’s as easy as cooking the fruit, mixing the creamy stuff and layering.

Then came the hard part… taking a picture.

Armed with only an iPhone and bad lighting, I attempted to capture the deliciousness of this dish, and failed miserably. My first attempt at food photography bombed out like Bradley Wiggins on a wet descent. And in the meantime drove my boyfriend crazy as he was forced to wait for his dessert.

But that aside, here’s stage one completed:

It’s the taste that counts!

And with that, my French masterclass has begun. The Tour de France kicks off in earnest today. On Sunday (Stage 2) the race heads to Sheffield and I’ll tackle a Fisherman’s Pie!

Bon appétit!