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What makes lasagne so good?
“Lasagna: the world's most perfect food!” 'Garfield' (Jim Davis) Last night we had three of our grandchildren staying overnight and they...
Apr 14, 2021


Quattro gatti (four cats) and bread gnocchi
a moment in time Back in 2016 on the way from France into Italy, we stayed at a divine bed and breakfast - the Palazzo di Monteoliveto...
Apr 10, 2021


Solving a dilemma with cheese and onions
"Cheese and onion, like Morecambe and Wise or gin and tonic, is one of those combinations that just works. It is far and away the best...
Apr 9, 2021


On fish stews - a lucky dip
"The line dividing a soup from a stew is often infirm." Richard Olney This particular lucky dip has been sitting next door to me on my...
Apr 7, 2021


Basically French
There are two inspirations for today's blog - a first recipe and this photograph. The photograph comes from my daily art desk calendar. ...
Mar 31, 2021


Tzatziki
"Tzatziki, while being a ridiculously fun word to say and a very good name for a dog if you are in need of one, is a classic Greek...
Mar 29, 2021


Fish pie and Fridays
"It's the warm, fuzzy equivalent of settling down for the Sunday afternoon film with a mug of tea" Felicity Cloake No it's not Friday,...
Mar 28, 2021


Some more weekend oddments
"Make everyday your weekend. Make everyday a play-day …” James A. Murphy It's the weekend again and again I find myself searching for...
Mar 27, 2021


Yum - potato salads for your Easter brunch
"What some call the “humble” spud, I think of as the most versatile, ever-surprising and flexible of vegetables. ... Even zooming in on...
Mar 26, 2021


Pork pies - uniquely English
"The thing I can't resist is a pork pie. That's my idea of a lovely treat." Delia Smith My granddaughter and grandson, who both go to the...
Mar 16, 2021


Roll'd - a family success story
"Roll'd has been compared to Vietnamese eateries in Footscray, Richmond and Springvale. I reckon it's a little more 'citified' than that...
Mar 5, 2021


Lucky dip - Avgolemeno - soup or sauce?
"This vibrant lemon and egg soup may cause you to weep with joy upon mastery." Meghan Splawn - Kitchn Like I said the other day, summer...
Mar 3, 2021


Faggots - a blast from the past
"They’re just like a meatball, you know, but way better: with the offal and plenty of fat in there, too, you get this amazing, melting...
Feb 26, 2021


A wonderful incongruity = dinner tomorrow
"Ingenuity and incongruity always cheer me up." Terry Pratchett So there I was sitting in the doctor's waiting room, not exactly feeling...
Feb 23, 2021


Patatas a la riojana (+ chorizo) - a lucky dip
"one of the greatest dishes created by man ... it should represent Spain all over the world." Paul Bocuse I should say at the outset...
Feb 16, 2021


Those hotcakes
"In Japan they were credited as the start of the trend for the cloud-like soufflé pancakes described as fluffy or fuwa-fuwa - surely the...
Feb 15, 2021


Why I love Delia
"Is there anyone who appears duller than Delia Smith? Maybe not; but I would suspect that there are millions of people who are precisely...
Feb 10, 2021


Spag bol - an 'authentic' dish
"It's an easy, irresistible, almost childish pleasure: the ground meat dissolved into a dark blood-red sauce until they are one and the...
Feb 8, 2021


Dreaming of the Mediterranean - a first recipe - soupe au pistou
"one of the finest soups known to man." Waverley Root By Mediterranean I probably mean the south of France, but nevertheless this first...
Feb 6, 2021


Portuguese custard tarts - evolution
"The Portuguese pastel de nata are so wonderful that it is almost pointless trying to replicate, let alone better them." Jeremy Lee -...
Jan 30, 2021