

Christmas is ... mince pies
"I love a mince pie - that tiny, tender tart that somehow manages to hold the very essence of Christmas in its crust; the flavours,...
Dec 18, 2023


What's in a name?
"Let it melt in your mouth, and enjoy the moment" Farmhouse Biscuits Once again I was sucked in by a photograph but also by the notion...
Dec 10, 2023


It's summer - time for a warming bowl of soup!
"a soup with which to thaw a frozen soul." Nigel Slater Today is officially the first day of the Australian summer. In Gippsland -...
Dec 1, 2023


Tuscany doesn't really do pasta
"all'etrusco on a Tuscan menu is not mere whimsy. these dishes actually forge a solid link with the past and incorporate the three basic...
Nov 30, 2023


"Comfort food stepped up a bit"
"Deb is a firm believer that there are no bad cooks, just bad recipes." GoodReads You can probably tell it's a mildly uninspired day -...
Nov 26, 2023


Focaccia - very old and also new
"Of all the Mediterranean breads, focaccia (fugassa in the local dialect) - one of the great triumphs of Ligurian cooking - is the...
Nov 17, 2023


The internet does not know everything
"The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge." Daniel J. Boorstin This was just going to be...
Nov 9, 2023


Fried pizza - leftovers 4
"a small amount of ingredients go a long way with pizza" Jamie Oliver But I can't resist and always put too much on top and so my pizzas...
Nov 2, 2023


Solving the leftover problem - 1
"The main flavouring ingredients should be well spiced and piquant; they can vary according to the taste and skill of the cook." Jane...
Oct 29, 2023


Making pasta
"the essential nature of pasta is simple. Take some flour and water, take some flour and eggs, combine, knead, rest, shape. Or go buy...
Oct 25, 2023


Gubbins
"gubbins - various things that are not important" Oxford Dictionary "gubbins - another word for stuff" I Swear English Gubbins Yes...
Oct 23, 2023


Tradition and black cake
"Tradition is only about what people have or have not done. It's not about what they are capable of doing. And it's not about what they...
Oct 11, 2023


Two English experiments
"We would be foolish not to try everything at least once." Nigel Slater I seem to have been on a bit of an English kick of late. Is...
Sep 30, 2023


A nifty writer's block idea
"When, after all attempts, there is no recipe to make, I’ll write about what I find on the relevant page or pages. Heck, it may be too...
Sep 23, 2023


Salted caramel
"Its popularity may come from its effects on the reward systems of the human brain, resulting in 'hedonic escalation'". Wikipedia Is this...
Sep 15, 2023


Classic - apple pie
"Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness." Jane Austen The first thing to say is that this is a first recipe...
Sep 10, 2023


History in a kind of pancake - or flatbread, maybe even chips
Cecina, Asfrisciolata, Socca, Turta, Turtellassu, Fainá, Torta di ceci, Calentita, Panisse, Panelle, Pizza a caballo ... so many names...
Sep 9, 2023


Words from Rachel Roddy
"sgargarozzare, which my wine-selling friend Antonio defines as: “To consume or throw back with joy, and with no intention of stopping.” ...
Sep 6, 2023


Fiddling around with THE cake
"These cakes, which are half pudding, half cakes can never fail. If they are undercooked they make a fine dessert with cream. They are...
Aug 22, 2023


Chapatis - first recipe, first food
"as with all bread-making, this is not the time for guesswork" Bob Granleese/The Guardian I have to say that as I read about chapatis,...
Aug 19, 2023

